Being exposed to the phenomenal work being done in China with the biblical concept of, “House Church” made a great impact on me. Upon my return home, I researched a group that began in China around 1980 called “Three Self Patriot Movement”. This was an effort to found Christian house churches after the Cultural Revolution. Today the leaders and authorities of this massive body of believers (80 million house churches) are answerable directly to the Communist Party. This in time has spawned many underground house churches who are hungry for the pure word, as well as genuine apostolic ministry. There greatest need at this time is for teachers. These people already congregate in homes by the thousands. I was reminded of the account in Acts 2 & 3 where Peter and John went daily to the Temple for prayer and went house to house to minister the word, break bread together in fellowship and in prayers.

Acts 2:46-3:1 (46) And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, (47) Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 3:1) Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

Seeing the boldness on these beautiful people to worship and praise God while meeting in secrecy and under threat of safety will mark me for life. Most all of these precious souls would never hope to meet in public buildings, nor is there intent or desire to ever hang an organizational sign on them. Most only go on a first name basis for the protection of others. God alone knows the true number of saints there and I doubt there will ever be an attendance record kept. One’s motive would surely come into check as we in America have placed so much emphasis on buildings and extended great effort to incorporate organizational names to our structure. I now possess a greater vision of how the Lord wants to work through his church in America, as well as in the earth. From this day forward I am taking a fresh look at all my ministerial involvements, as well as personal motive and making adjustments where necessary to better serve the kingdom of God.

Our Lord Jesus spoke about the parable of the fig tree, showing that when the tree put forth its TENDER BRANCHES you can tell that summer was very near, using the illustration from nature to show how we could tell about HIS COMING. I am lifting the example from the setting to speak about TENDER BRANCHES.

Having a TENDERNESS in us is the first stage for the next level of GROWTH. Growth only occurs when the branches are YET TENDER, what a challenge to all of us. Maybe the progress and growth many of us are desiring has not come, due to the fact that TENDERNESS is not working in us, so that the next STAGE can happen. There is a time when the branches must be TOUCH AND HARD; that time is WINTER. The branches HARDEN to brace themselves against the HARD, COLD SEASON called WINTER. Hardships of winter include the terrible cold, fierce winds, and various animals foraging for food.

It is alright for us to have HARDENING, OR TOUGHNESS, which is needful in TIMES OF TRIAL, WINTER, AND COLD EXPERIENCES. Once the trial is over, we must allow God to SOFTEN us again, so that through being TENDER, we can experience a new level of growth and fruitfulness.

In the natural world, when winter is over, the branches do NOT REMAIN TOUGH, there comes to it THAWING AND TENDERNESS; the same thing must happen in us. We must PERMIT GOD to SOFTEN US, so GROWTH may happen, for NEW GROWTH ONLY HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE TENDER…. Remember, SUMMER prepares us for the next season, which is a TIME OF HARVEST; each stage is connected to the next. We must not become BITTER, HARD OR CRITICAL, but we must SEEK TO BE MADE TENDER after trials and tests. As soon as its branches become TENDER, it PUTS FORTH LEAVES. Ask God to help you to be balanced between TOUGH AND TENDER, for your next stage of GROWTH is determined by the condition of the previous one….