Pastor’s Blog, March 2008

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Progress digitizing Faith Assembly recorded sermons: May 17, 1995 (Wednesday)

Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Through Psalm 9

10:55 p.m.
I am writing today from a groaning of travail in my spirit, concerning the body of Christ, particularly those who were once part of this work, although it applies much more widely than this work. From the emails and phone calls I am getting, it is clear there is a great shaking going on. What concerns me is the ongoing reality that most of the body of Christ still sees the church as a primarily social group, not a spiritual organism. Because of this social group view, even a large percentage of all the people who left this work over the years are still friends, some very close friends, forming such a tightly knit structure that those who never were part of it have no hope whatsoever of penetrating it. And I am not saying this because I feel left out, but because as long as they place greater importance on the social structure than on the spiritual unity of Christ’s body, they will be unable to recognize and accept the direction God is now leading, if only because it does not involve their own close knit social structure.
    Of course, the unity I am talking about involves coming back to the message that many felt they had to leave behind, to begin a new history, to disassociate themselves from a name and a legacy that bore many scars of battle. No one is saying we, or anyone, is, or ever was, faultless. But we do recognize the truth of the message, and we recognize that God’s work is in many ways beyond our understanding, certainly not for us to resist, or even, as some have done, declare it finished. It is very clear to me that God has already begun to move to restore and revive His work.
    I want to make it clear that I recognize there are other bodies that are faithful to the message we were given under the ministry of Brother Freeman. Restoration does not require all the bodies getting together, but it does imply that divisions of the faith camp that have at least to a degree hindered free fellowship between bodies that still embrace the message need to be recognized and overcome. This will result in greater opportunity for everyone to benefit from all the resources God has given to equip the saints for the work He is preparing us to do. God has already begun a great work of removing these hindrances, and wonderful fruit has been coming forth. What we are still groaning to see is a rekindling of this message in the hearts of many who have not yet shown any interest in the work God is doing, largely because of the social structure mentioned earlier. It is clear from God’s Word, I Corinthians 1–4 that envy, strife, divisions, and party spirits are contrary to God’s purposes. Already seeing the Spirit of God overcoming these within a small circle only makes us hunger all the more to see them overcome in the larger circles; hence, we groan in the Spirit for this to come to pass.
    I could also say a little more about the telephone calls and emails: many of these have expressed suffering and pain from things that happened in the past, generally involving social pressure to conform to certain outward requirements, regardless of one’s own spiritual location. Those who did not fit the prevailing social mold were left outside, and in some cases were treated as enemies of the message. For many, this resulted in a bitterness that they have never been able to overcome. But, for others, I am blessed to see, God has given individuals grace to forgive, and, beyond that, to hold fast to the distinctive message that they recognized then, and still recognize today, as Scriptural, timely, and powerful, to enable true disciples of Jesus to overcome in all things, and to do God’s will in the serious times in which we are living.
    I say, this blog comes from groaning of travail in my spirit. But, at the same time, I assure you I am not downhearted. The stirring up I am seeing is a good thing, and I am looking forward to the good fruit it is going to produce in the coming days. Put on your armor, saints, and stand firm, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, knowing that God is faithful, and He will perform His Word! I believe we are already beginning to see a fresh move of God today.

Thursday, March 6, 2008
Through Psalm 1

3:50 p.m.
God continues to bless us with good, challenging messages. Greek class has gone well. We took a week of from studying Greek, just to get a breather. (Hmm... should we be going six weeks, then a week off, to honor the seventh, like God did when He sanctified the seventh day, when He had finished the creation? Well, at least we all agree a break was welcome!)