Life Lesson: Brothers' Fellowship

The Lord speaks in and through the Body. There are times the Lord speaks personally to me in a very personal way for some personal matters, but when he wanted the church to get involved, He revealed His will in His sovereign way. He does this to manifest certain situations so that in fellowship He can move through the Body.  When the Lord speaks and moves in such a way, my simple responsibility is to cooperate with His move and amen whatever He wanted to do. Herein lies the need for self-denial. Once a matter is revealed through the Body which He wanted to deal with in the Body, I only have one choice; to cooperate with the lord in the Body irrespective of my feelings or thoughts or will. 

Two weeks ago, a situation transpired in which the situational manifestation succinctly indicated the need to take an action in two specific matters. Firstly, to deal with a brother who needs proper shepherding in his mental health. In fact, he needs to be restricted from attending any meeting until he is mentally normalized. This is for his own good and the good of the Body. Not that he has been cut off or excommunicated, but only temporarily quarantining him so as not to affect other innocent saints who may not be aware of his mental state. The matter was followed up in a timely manner with a brother taking the responsibility to shepherd him.

Another matter is concerning a brother whom we called for fellowshipped and let him know clearly what the feeling of the Lord expressed through the Body in fellowship in one accord. Though he naturally tried his best to justify his deeds and decided to personally break off an engagement the church had helped him with, we expressed a strong contrary feeling, with a stern warning in love that he may not continue in his own way. Whether he agreed to it or not, the feeling of the Body has been conveyed with a strong emphasis on the need to honor the vow he had made before God and men. Whatever reasons he gave to justify his deeds, we stood firm and warned him, and expressed our strong feeling to him. The rest is up to him, whether to obey or go his way. We have no intention to direct or control anybody as such, but we want to be faithful to God and His word as revealed in the Bible and long only to stand on the ground of maintaining the sanctity of the engagement made. What will transpire of the matter is up to the Lord. Having thus expressed our feelings, we told him to stop all improper, immoral, and sinful affairs other than the person he was already engaged to. And then, we all prayed together for the Lord's mercy and grace that He may shine on each one so that we all see the light of God and obey the fellowship through the supply of life the Lord so graciously supplies.

After this fellowship, I felt so peaceful. The burden that I had been bearing alone for months has been released. In fact, I had been waiting for the perfect time when the matter of concern could be opened up. I did not want to initiate anything on my own but kept the matter to the Lord in prayers until He takes the necessary step. I felt the time had come and that in time, the matters had been fellowshipped with the concerned person. What a relief! What peace!

Now I am peaceful in the Lord concerning the two matters. I trust the Lord in His sovereign way will settle the issues. The common enemy we were fighting is Satan. He is the master of confusion. Now that we have identified the mastermind behind all these ugly episodes, the next step is to stand in the Body in prayer and fellowship and release all the saints from the enemy's further attack.

May the Lord preserve the humanity of all the saints; to be vessels holy, pure, sanctified, and filled with His honor and glory!