Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 Brian G. Tunstall bristall@aol.com

Birthing Babies There is an unsettling in the Body of Christ lately. Where we once were very comfortable in relationships, employment, churches, etc. etc., we are now being nudged. I hear it from Christians everywhere. I think God is getting us strategically placed for all that He is about to do in this earth. There is no doubt we are living in the last days. His main purpose and plan for us is to make us threshing instruments to bring in the harvest of the lost. We must begin to understand that He must melt us down and forge us into these instruments. That means heat.

I seem to think that God is more concerned about tomorrow than today ... what we will become. He always sees the end result while we get bogged down in the here and now.

I see The Church as a woman eight months pregnant, puffy feet, achy back, wanting to have this baby ... NOW !!! We get all impatient and cry out to God, "Get this thing over with!!!!!!!" An eighth month delivery is the most dangerous time to deliver. It is always right before the birth that we get impatient. One more month and that baby will be ready to come forth whole and complete. In our eighth month, we need to take our eyes off our discomfort and remember our baby ... nurture our baby instead of ourselves. It's all about the baby, and not about us. Our babies will come forth as unique individuals. We cannot forfeit the future for the immediate. We must hang in there. We've got God's baby to deliver into this world.

We must be encouraged to keep moving forward. We've got a bouncing baby that is coming forth. When this baby is born, we will forget about all the discomfort and have joy unspeakable.

God's got good things for His Body. Have faith and trust. He will birth this thing through us.

Brian G. Tunstall bristall@aol.com