Body-Faith

Body-faith, I wonder if such word was ever used. If not, may I be the first to coin and use this word. By this I mean, a faith corporately exercised by the saints in coordination and in one accord in the Body concerning the Lord's supply, either spiritually or physically, to meet the need of the Body, by the Body, and for the Body. 

By the Lord's mercy, I have enjoyed the blessings of God's bountiful provision for my personal needs and others as well, time and again, in many circumstances. Yes, that is a normal Christian experience, though individually. But now the Lord is leading me further to exercise the same faith in the Body, as the Body, with the Body and for the Body. 

The Lord has granted me the opportunity to learn this lesson of Body-faith these days. As we have decided, in the Lord's leading and in fellowship with the Body, to translate the Recovery Version New Testament into several Indian languages to begin with, perhaps three or even six. And the burden is not just to expect the financial supply to meet the need from overseas saints or churches, but to generate it locally within India itself. Not that we would not receive offering from abroad, but the principle is, to help the saints in India to experience the Lord’s supply of grace and break through in financial matters. Though the churches in India may be new, young, and few, but this should not be an excuse in anyway. All the saints should bear the same burden and offer for this project until we can testify of the Lord's blessing in abundance and even ask the saints to stop the offering because the offering is much more than actually needed. 

As I, and a group of brothers, have the responsibility to oversee the practical carrying out of this project, and practically handling the finance, I begin to witness the Lord's supply. At one point, considering the great amount of money needed for this project, I exercised my spirit to pray and also exercised my faith for the need to be met, the Lord's instant speaking to me personally was, "let it be the Body-faith." Since then, I was deeply comforted that I am not bearing this burden alone, but the whole Body bearing the same burden, and the whole Body exercising the same faith. This is the experience of the Body-faith. 

Step by step, I have been graced to witness the Lord’s timely supply for every stage. The first stage was the preparation of the infrastructure for the project, an amount of Rs. 6,16,580. It was amazing, just when it was time to purchase the said infrastructure, offerings to the tune of Rs. 6,50,000+ came. After this, the next need is for the monthly support of the serving ones for this project, a sum of Rs. 2,64,000. And as of now, Rs. 3,00,000+ offerings from different saints and churches have been received. This is a practical subjective experience of the Body faith. 

This, indeed, is a new lesson to me; exercising and experiencing the Body-faith. Not just faith experienced individually but corporately as the Body, by the Body, with the Body and for the Body, the Body faith. 

Lord, grace me to experience such Body-faith hence forth.