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Old News Pages from Faith Assembly — 2004

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[Original December 25, 2004, Archived January 27, 2005]

Season’s Greetings?
    In this time of year when nearly everyone is celebrating for various reasons, whether they believe in God (or, more specifically, in Jesus) or not, I wonder to myself if anyone really understands the meaning of peace. Jesus came to make it possible to be at peace with God, to find peace of mind, and to seek peace with one's neighbor. Can there be real peace in all the hubbub of chasing here and there, buying gifts, sending cards, putting up all the decorations, wondering what others will buy for you, wondering if they will be pleased with what you've bought for them, wondering how you will pay for it all.... Is all of this—or any of this—really glorifying to God? Does it have anything to do with why the Prince of peace came to earth? Is His coming consistent with the fleshly orgy of celebration and self-serving entertainment that pervades this season, among religious as well as secular folk?
    I honestly don't see a lot of reason to dig up all that is wrong with the origins and customs of Christmas. Let alone that anyone who wants to know can easily find out, the fact is, most people do know, but don't even care. They go along with it because it is what they want to do, and they don't care what God thinks. What is wrong is obvious to the most casual eye: there is nothing essentially Christian about the holiday or its customs at all. It is a gigantic commercial gimmick to get people to spend money buying material things they don't need, behind a thin veneer of secular good cheer, or religious, "Christian," good will, or both, whatever suits each individual.
    I believe Jesus was born in Bethlehem to a virgin named Mary, and that the purpose in His incarnation was to live a sinless life and provide atonement for the sins of the world through His blood shed at the cross of Calvary. Thus, He made possible the reconciliation of man to God. But I don't need a holiday to remind me of that truth, and this holiday the world calls Christmas does far more to confuse that truth than to communicate it. In fact, His coming was the ultimate sacrifice, not the great indulgence of the flesh that is promoted and practiced in this season. If we truly understood His coming, we would practice, "O come, let us adore Him," by serving Him at all times, and by showing love and compassion and caring every day of the year—not by setting aside a certain time of year in which the humiliation of His condescending to become a human baby in a manger is connected to one colossal, all-encompassing, secular/religious celebration for the entertainment and satiation of the flesh.
    Season's greetings? No, I cannot reconcile "Season's Greetings," with true Christian greetings, by any means, because I cannot connect the real Jesus Christ of the Bible with the Christ– of Christ-mas. Get to know the real Jesus Christ of the Bible, and it can only disgust you to see what is done in the name of celebrating His birth. I can only pray that those who truly know and love Him will avoid contaminating and confusing the true purpose of His coming with the hubbub and hullabaloo of this utterly profane, thoroughly worldly, festival time of year. But, to all who truly love Jesus and who would honor His holy name, may the peace of God that passes all understanding abide upon you, and preserve your hearts and minds in Him.

Very Busy Summer and Fall
    I might apologize for the delay in updating this page, but that I have a clear conscience that I have really had a lot of things that had to take higher priority. Highest on the list is just taking more time to work on issues with my family. But a close second is the digitizing project. On October 25, a new computer arrived, which is faster and has more memory than the one on which I am typing this report. The new computer is property of Faith Ministries and Publications, and is dedicated to the digitizing project. More details are on the Digitizing Update page, here.
    Having had the new computer operating for two months now, I have moved from 46% to 82% of completion in just those two months, compared to over a year for the first 46% of the project. There are only 206 messages left to be digitized, and I am on schedule for completion by the end of January, if I can digitize at least 5 tapes each of the 38 days between now and January 31. Once all the messages are digitized, I will be going back over some of the earliest ones I did, because I have learned many things in the process, and I want to make sure the first ones I did are up to the same quality level as the ones at the end. Then, I also want to digitize the Radio Broadcast Series. After that, the new computer will serve primarily as a glorified CD production machine.

Faith Assembly Sermon Recordings
    Check our updated list of titles of sermons preached at Faith Assembly. I have a full catalog of all messages I have preached since the end of 1993. If you are interested in receiving any of these materials, send an email here, or at one of the other email links in this web site, and I will make the arrangements. To view the current year's sermon titles, follow this link to Faith Assembly Sermons.
    Since the end of October 2004, I have digitized all current Faith Assembly sermons. I have not so far gone back to messages before I began digitizing my own, because of concentrating on Brother Freeman's messages first. However, the current Faith Assembly digital recordings are available.
    I am now recording Faith Assembly sermons directly to digital, with tape for backup only, using a computer right on the sound table (no speakers on the computer!). It took me a little while to work out some early bugs, but I can say by now that the quality is comparable or superior to tape. It also saves me the step of converting a tape to digital before editing, which I now do entirely on computer, as it is incredibly more accurate.
    People have asked about getting Faith Assembly messages on a regular basis. Since we minister the Word three times a week most weeks, that would be 12 or 13 messages a month, while automatic mailing programs usually are just one message a week, that is, 4 or 5 messages a month. Assuming a cost of $4.00 a message for individual recordings on tape or CD Audio media, our program would run up to $52.00 a month plus shipping, for all the messages, instead of $16.00 to $20.00 a month plus shipping for 4 or 5 messages. But there are other options.
    1. You can choose the messages you want to receive on an individual title basis, and only buy as many as you want at the price of $4.00 a message plus shipping. Of course, for this program, we cannot ship messages until we hear from you each month. This would basically be the same program for tapes or for CD Audio media.
    2. If you have an MP3 compatible player, I will make an MP3 CD of the entire month's messages available for $30.00 plus shipping, regardless of how many messages there are. The only exception would be if there are less than 10 messages, in which case the cost would be $3.00 per message. If you would like to receive all messages for the month automatically after the end of the month, let me know, and I will add you to the list. This is the simplest and least expensive program.

PalTalk Schedule
    Here is the updated schedule of teachings being played on PalTalk. Please note: The times given are Indiana time, which never changes throughout the year. In the summer months, Indiana time is the same as Central Daylight Savings Time; in the winter months, Indiana time is the same as Eastern Standard Time.

PalTalk room name: Deeper Life and Discipleship

Hobart E. Freeman, Th.D., founding pastor of Faith Assembly, recorded messages
    Monday, 7:00 p.m. Eastern (Indiana) time, "Growth to Full Stature"
    Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. Eastern (Indiana) time, "Biblical Theology"
    Thursday, 7:00 p.m. Eastern (Indiana) time, "The Gifts of the Holy Spirit"
    Saturday, 7:00 p.m. Eastern (Indiana) time, "Hebrews"

Remember, you are welcome to our meetings on PalTalk, which include the praise and worship as well as the message. The Schedule of Meetings, below, gives the approximate starting times. The PalTalk Schedule page also includes the conduct guidelines for the room.

Schedule of Meetings:

[Original July 7, 2004, Archived December 25, 2004]

Faith Ministries Digitizing Update
    For information on the project of digitizing Brother Freeman's messages, go to the Digitizing Update page.

Faith Assembly Sermon Recordings
    Check our updated list of titles of sermons preached at Faith Assembly. I have a full catalog of all messages I have preached since the end of 1993. If you are interested in receiving any of these materials, send an email here, or at one of the other email links in this web site, and I will make the arrangements. To view the current year's sermon titles, follow this link to Faith Assembly Sermons.
    Since the end of October, I have been digitizing all current Faith Assembly sermons. I am not at this point going back earlier than current messages, because I want to concentrate on finishing Brother Freeman's messages first. However, the current Faith Assembly digital recordings are available.
    People have asked about getting Faith Assembly messages on a regular basis. Since we minister the Word three times a week most weeks, that would be 12 or 13 messages a month, while automatic mailing programs usually are just one message a week, that is, 4 or 5 messages a month. Assuming a cost of $4.00 a message for individual recordings on tape or CD Audio media, our program would run up to $52.00 a month plus shipping, for all the messages, instead of $16.00 to $20.00 a month plus shipping for 4 or 5 messages. But there are other options.
    1. You can choose the messages you want to receive on an individual title basis, and only buy as many as you want at the price of $4.00 a message plus shipping. Of course, for this program, we cannot ship messages until we hear from you each month. This would basically be the same program for tapes or for CD Audio media.
    2. If you have an MP3 compatible player, I will make an MP3 CD of the entire month's messages available for $30.00 plus shipping, regardless of how many messages there are. The only exception would be if there are less than 10 messages, in which case the cost would be $3.00 per message. If you would like to receive all messages for the month automatically after the end of the month, let me know, and I will add you to the list. This is the simplest and least expensive program.

PalTalk Schedule
    Here is the updated schedule of teachings being played on PalTalk. Please note: The times given are Indiana time, which never changes throughout the year. In the summer months, Indiana time is the same as Central Daylight Savings Time; in the winter months, Indiana time is the same as Eastern Standard Time.

PalTalk room name: Deeper Life and Discipleship

Hobart E. Freeman, Th.D., founding pastor of Faith Assembly, recorded messages
    Monday, 7:00 p.m. Eastern (Indiana) time, "Growth to Full Stature"
    Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. Eastern (Indiana) time, "Biblical Theology"
    Thursday, 7:00 p.m. Eastern (Indiana) time, "The Gifts of the Holy Spirit"
    Saturday, 7:00 p.m. Eastern (Indiana) time, "Hebrews"

Remember, you are welcome to our meetings on PalTalk, which include the praise and worship as well as the message. The Schedule of Meetings, below, gives the approximate starting times. The PalTalk Schedule page also includes the conduct guidelines for the room.

Schedule of Meetings:

[Original, Archived November 9, 2004]

Digitizing Update

Recorded Teachings by Hobart E. Freeman, ThD

For quick reference, a simple list of digitized messages by Hobart E. Freeman.
As more messages are digitized, we will add them to this list and mark them
with an asterisk in the listing on the Faith Ministries & Publications website.

Progress on Digitizing Project:
(||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||)
667/1157 = 58%
 

Messages Ready to Ship

    “Faith” Series (“F” prefix, 101 messages)
        Complete
    “Deeper Life” Series (“D” prefix, 123 messages)
        Complete
    "Deliverance from Demonic Oppression" Series ("O" prefix, 48 messages)
        Complete
    "Restoration of Ministry and Gifts to the Body of Christ" (275-289, 15 messages)
        Complete
    “Miscellaneous” Series (“M” prefix, 104 messages)
        M-305 through 359, 363-1 through 365, M-368, 369
    “End-Time Studies” Series (400s, 71 messages)
        Complete
    "Studies in End-time Prophecy" Series (501 to 571, 52 messages)
        Zechariah (501-1 to 501-11, 11 messages, complete)
    The Ten Commandments—Inner Principles (596 series, 6 messages)
        Complete
    The Book of Acts (601-636, 36 messages)
        Complete
    “Gleanings from Galatians” Series (651-667, 17 messages)
        Complete
    "Studies in Romans" Series (701-738, 38 messages)
        715, 734, 735
    "Studies in the Epistle of James" Series (761-769, 9 messages)
        Complete
    “Exhortations from Exodus” Series (901-908, 8 messages)
        Complete
    “Local” Teachings (L1-L52, 52 messages)
        L-28 through L-52
    “Biblical Theology” Series (1000s series, 124 messages)
        Complete
    “Christian Ethics” Series (4000s series, 53 messages)
        4050-27 through 4050-32

Ordering Information

AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW!
    Audio CD:
        Single message on a single audio CD, playable in any audio CD player..........$4.00 each in any quantity or grouping
            Packaged in a scallop shell case, CD face label only.
    Custom Selection:
        Two to six messages on a single MP3 CD, playable in any CD player that can read MP3 format..........$3.50 per message
            Packaged in rectangular case with two sided case label plus CD face label, customized according to selection details.
    Library Selection:
        Seven messages up to capacity of MP3 CD, playable in any CD player that can read MP3 format..........$3.00 per message
            Packaged in rectangular case with two sided case label plus CD face label, customized according to selection details.
PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE

AUTOMATIC MAILING CUSTOMERS PLEASE NOTE:
    If the messages you want are on this list, you may order them on audio CDs at the same price as tapes, or multiple selections on a single MP3 CD for $3.50 per message up to 6 messages, or $3.00 per message if the number of messages is 7 or more. However, I cannot promise on-schedule delivery of messages not already on the list for automatic mailing customers, unless those requests come in early in the cycle, say, a week before the next automatic mailing date; otherwise, the order will be delayed until the next cycle.

BEAR IN MIND:
    We are just starting this phase of sales, and things like labeling and packaging may be in a state of flux for a while.

WE GUARANTEE:
    You will receive the messages requested in the format requested. Finished CDs will be tested before shipping. However, due to the ease of copying CDs, we cannot refund payments for defective CDs. Our policy will be replacement only.

Latest News on Digitizing Project

For several months now I have been actively working on digitizing Brother Freeman's taped messages. You can read the full story in the old news pages. People are beginning to ask for CDs instead of tapes now, and I am getting into the swing of filling those orders efficiently. I have now installed a 160 gigabyte hard drive to give myself plenty of working room, without having to delete files all the time to keep from clogging up the hard drive. It is possible that all the messages will fit on a 40 gigabyte drive, but that would have to be with no wasted space at all. At this point, I have an 80 gig drive serving as secondary storage. As I digitizing proceeds, I will continue to indicate digitized messages with an asterisk in the online listings, in addition to the listing on this page.

Digitizing on Demand
    Having completed the Faith series (“F” prefix tapes), and the Deeper Life series ("D" prefix tapes), I am now nearing completion of the series on Deliverance from Oppression of all kinds ("O" prefix tapes). I will continue going down through our list in order; but I will take your order for any message or group of messages you want in digital form. If they are not on the list as already digitized, I will put them at the top of the list, and complete your order before continuing in sequence. However, please bear in mind that it does take time to digitize the messages. Allow up to two weeks for those to get put in the mail, and possibly another week to get to you. If I run into a backlog crisis, I will just have to extend the delivery time, but so far, it has not been a problem. Tapes that are on the already digitized list will be shipped according to our regular schedule, which is the next Tuesday or Friday following our receipt of your order. Orders received before noon (Indiana time) on Tuesday or Friday will be shipped the same day, if at all possible.

Long Messages
    As you may well know, some of the taped messages run longer than the 80 minute maximum length of a standard audio CD. If you order one of these longer messages in CD audio format, it will have to be split onto two CDs. While I will not charge you a full additional $4.00 for the second CD, I will need to charge an extra $1.00 to cover materials, packaging, and overhead. The blessing is that in MP3 format, there is no limit to the length allowable. In fact, some messages that require two tape cassettes are actually single messages split into two parts, for the same reason: they went longer than the longest cassettes we use, which are 96 minutes long. But, in MP3 format, I can recombine the two cassettes into a single message without a break. An example is the message, “Psalm 91, Our Assurance Policy,” which in cassette format requires two tapes (F-113 and F-114 on our tape list). But, in MP3 format, they will be a single continuous message. In fact, all messages that require 2 CDs in CD audio format, whether originally on one cassette or two, will be done the same way: the second CD will only be $1.00 additional. In our online listings, messages requiring two CDs in audio CD format will be indicated with a double asterisk, **, in the listing, and where two cassettes will become one continuous message in MP3 format, each cassette will be marked with a plus sign, +, to distinguish them from the rest. So, either a double asterisk or a pair of pluses will be shipped as a 2-CD set for $5.00 in CD audio format, but will be combined as one in MP3 format.

Free Replacement
    Because of the durability of CDs, we offer free replacement if your CD is defective when you receive it.
 The terms for this service are:

    (1) You will be expected to notify us within 30 days of our shipping date if there is a problem.
    (2) You return the defective CD to us postpaid. It should go for under $1.00 first class for a single CD.
    (3) We will ship the replacement CD to you at our expense, including postage.

Large MP3 collections on CD can be quite expensive to replace, since they are charged on a per message basis. For this reason, we will also offer replacement for any Faith Ministries CD, even if damaged after verification. However, to prevent abuse, the terms of this service will be slightly different:

    (1) You do not need to return the original CD, but I will need proof of purchase.
    (2) You will be charged the price of a single CD, that is, $4.00, plus $1.00 shipping, per replacement CD.

It is your responsibility to care for your CDs once you verify that they are what you ordered. I would suggest, if you have the equipment or other means, that you make a copy yourself and keep the original in a safe place.
    At this point, I am keeping track of what customer has purchased what messages in what format, but that may end up being a major recordkeeping hassle, and it is not an absolutely foolproof guarantee of anything. So, while I am current to this point, if it gets to be too much, I may not continue to do so.

[March 17, 2004, Archived July 7, 2004]

Faith Ministries Digitizing Update
    For several months now I have been working on digitizing Brother Freeman's taped messages, and I have been posting the latest information on this page. And, you can read more in the old news pages. But beginning now, the latest news will be found by clicking this link to the Digitizing Update page.

PalTalk Schedule
    Here is the updated schedule of teachings being played on PalTalk. I can no longer just say "teaching tapes," because some of those are already from CDs.
    Please note: The times given are Indiana time, which never changes throughout the year. In the summer months, Indiana time is the same as Central Daylight Savings Time; in the winter months, Indiana time is the same as Eastern Standard Time.

PalTalk room name: Deeper Life and Discipleship

Hobart E. Freeman, Th.D., founding pastor of Faith Assembly, recorded messages
    Monday, 7:00 p.m. Eastern (Indiana) time, "Growth to Full Stature"
    Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. Eastern (Indiana) time, "Biblical Theology"
    Thursday, 7:00 p.m. Eastern (Indiana) time, "The Gifts of the Holy Spirit"
    Saturday, 7:00 p.m. Eastern (Indiana) time, "Hebrews"

Recorded messages:
    Check our updated list of titles of sermons preached at Faith Assembly. I also have a full catalog of all messages I have preached since the end of 1993. If you are interested in receiving any of these materials, send an email here, or at one of the other email links in this web site, and I will make the arrangements. To view the current year's sermon titles, follow this link to Faith Assembly Sermons.
    Note: I have been digitizing all my current messages since the end of last October, so those are available in either audio or MP3 CD format. I will eventually be digitizing my past messages as well, but I want to finish all of Brother Freeman's before I start on my own previous messages.

Schedule of Meetings: