On Laying the Tribal Messiah Foundation

[Jim Spencer]

Church leaders talk about doing it but; what does it mean to "lay the tribal Messiah foundation?"

Does it mean to go out and witness to X number of people; bring them to DP Workshop; so that they can become some level of UC member? Is it a numbers game; which will lead to a major upsurge in the movement?  In observing the movement now, compared to say---1974-----we would have to say that the members surge has passed. If all of the predictions about the salvation of the world had of happened; the movement and the world would truly be a different place today. There have been so many dedicated followers struggling to uplift the church. It's easy to say that their failure is the reason why the movement has stagnated. But the real reason that the church has not really grown in The U.S. is because the supposition is flawed. Only so much blame can be spread around. We can only hear so many times that the members have failed. And we can only defy logic so much about those things that are so different from the way the Jesus conducted his life on earth. Jesus incarnated onto the earth so that he could demonstrate the way of a true man. He lived his personal life taking care of his family after his father was killed in an accident. His top priority was the care of his 7 brothers and sisters. When that was accomplished, he began his public career. He gathered his apostles and since there were no cars in his day---they lived and walked around the country--teaching and healing. Jesus great power was the power of His love for his world family; God's children. He taught as he went, spreading the gospel of the "Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man". He testified that man must be born again of the spirit; and that the Spirit of Truth would then come to indwell him and would guide him in all ways. That same message is true today. The ascended Jesus Christ is still in command; indwelling obedient children with The Spirit of Truth and also The Holy Spirit. This gift is realized when a person turns over his life to Christ and truly becomes a son that walks in the shoes of a servant with the heart of the Father.

Our job is to come to understand the heart of God through service to our brothers and sisters---nothing more and nothing less.