I never wanted to control others; I’ve always tried to promote them in pursuing their own calling. When I first stated blogging some 25+ years ago, my only interest was simply having my say. I would have been quite surprised if I had gained a following of any sort. It was just venting.
Over the years, my online ministry has seen people come and go. That’s as it should be, if you ask me. I’m not building a kingdom. But somewhere along the line, a few have stayed. We now have a core group of longstanding members, a spiritual family. Most of us have met in the flesh and it served only to confirm those family ties.
As the elder, I don’t even make rules. I make suggestions; that’s about it. I don’t have to tell anyone what they should do. When people begin to absorb the spiritual outlook of the Hebrew mindset, supervision is totally unnecessary. All I do is encourage and support people who serve in their own ministries. I’m an enabler.
This is what Jesus meant at the Last Seder, giving the command that we should love each other as He does. We are a family, not an organization or institution. There is nothing to accomplish, no agenda, no goals. The focus is being who God intended we should be. We can’t possibly control the situation, nor should we even want that. We respond to God’s handiwork.
Meanwhile, we all share some of our resources, whatever God puts in our hands for that purpose. The most important thing I do is point out the frame of reference, not the contents of what people should think. The goal is to provide a context in which people hear from God and act on their convictions.
Given that we are entering a long period of tribulation, one of the things I keep an eye on is preparing the flock to grow. You cannot compel sheep to reproduce; you can only make the atmosphere conducive to it. The primary reason we aren’t a bigger group already is that there are way too many people whose field of view — their expectations — exclude our path. In due time, as life becomes more difficult here in the US, our total aplomb about the sorrows around us will speak loudly.
God is going to shake loose people from their delusions. When He does, a few of them will decide that we have the kind of hope and stability they need.
Part of our preparation for that is to help each one of our current members to find their own path of conviction. While there’s nothing to gain by making rules for people who already possess a spiritual compass based on the Hebraic outlook of the Scriptures, that doesn’t mean they need never think about the rules it takes to help spiritual children who haven’t yet developed that anchorage of the soul.
We strive to discern between what is of the flesh and what is of the Spirit. Rules might reflect that distinction, but it’s a tough job keeping track of how such rules actually serve that purpose. But it’s never about the rules; it’s always seeking to awaken spiritual and moral awareness. We’d much rather trust people to follow the Lord without so much guidance from us.
Feel free to ignore us, or stand by and watch, or even participate.
