Dear Friends in Faith,
     In our last newsletter for August we quoted Romans 8:18-25. It was brought out that our expectation as well as that of creation is sure and certain.
     “For I am reckoning that the sufferings of the current era do not deserve the glory about to be revealed for us. For the premonition of the creation is awaiting the unveiling of the sons of God. For to vanity was the creation subjected, not voluntarily, but because of Him Who subjects it, in expectation that the creation itself, also, shall be freed from the slavery of corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God. For we are aware that the entire creation is groaning and travailing together until now. Yet not only so, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruit of the spirit, we ourselves also, are groaning in ourselves, awaiting the sonship, the deliverance of our body. For to expectation were we saved. Now expectation, being observed, is not expectation, for what anyone is observing, why is he expecting it also? Now, if we are expecting what we are not observing, we are awaiting it with endurance” (Rom.8:18-25).
     It is important to see in the passage above the groaning and travailing not only of the creation but that which is occurring in ourselves as well. Often in Scripture this groaning and travailing is directly connected with giving birth. Here are a few such Scriptures: “Are you acquainted with the bearing of the ibexes of the crag? Do you observe the travailing of the hinds?” (Job 39:1) (KJV ‘the hinds do calve.’)

     “Be ashamed, Sidon! For the sea speaks, the stronghold of the sea, saying, ‘I have not travailed, nor have I borne, and not brought up choice men, nor raised virgins’ ” (Isa.23:4).

     “As the pregnant is coming near to bear, she will travail. She will cry out in her cramps. So have we become in view of You” (Isa.26:17).

     “Jubilate, O barren, who has not borne! Crash into jubilation, and make a noise, who has not travailed! For more are the sons of the desolate than the sons of the one with a possessor,says Yahweh” (Isa.54:1).

     “Who has heard a thing as this? And who has seen things as these? Will the land travail in one day? Should a nation be born at one time? For she travails. Moreover, Zion is bearing her sons” (Isa.66:8).

     Creation is groaning and travailing and we “who have the firstfruit of the spirit” are groaning in ourselves. It is as if creation as well as we are shut up within the womb of this involuntary subjection in which God is subjecting all to the slavery of corruption. We as well as all creation will one day be birthed into the freedom from this womb of corruption into the glorious freedom as children of God.
     The next day of fellowship will be October 6 at the Klinger home in Eaton Rapids, Michigan just south of Lansing. Call us at 810-798-3563 for directions.
     The conference after that will be at the Glenn Acres Baptist Church in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, October 13 (phone: 519-745-3154 or 519-744-4844).

Yours in God’s grace and peace,
Dean Hough and Tony Nungesser