Love the Brotherhood

Honor all men. Love the Brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 1 Peter 2:17 

“Do not speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. One is Lawgiver and Judge, who is able to save and destroy. But who are you who judge your neighbor?” (James 4:11-12, RecVer)

“Do not complain, brothers, against one another lest you be judged. Behold, the Judge stands before the doors. As an example, brothers, of suffering evil and of long-suffering, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord.” (James 5:9-10, RecVer)

The Lord has been teaching me this precious lesson of loving the brothers. Especially, the brothers in Christ with the same faith and vision practicing the same church life. I deeply honor and respect all the brothers in the Lord even if they do not hold similar spiritual visions and burdens I dearly hold. Therefore, I am very careful not to utter anything quickly about anyone until I was led by the Lord to do so. Even if I were to do so, I would only do it to the few concerned brothers for the sake of fellowship and consideration. 

Besides, in the recent training, the Lord’s speaking was on how to conduct oneself in the house of God. One such principle is, honoring the headship of Christ. To direct the saints or give suggestions or opine concerning their situation is an usurpation of the headship of Christ. I have been warned well enough, time and again. Therefore, I dare not say anything about any brothers so freely and loosely. 

It makes me very uneasy when I hear about brothers fellowshipping about another brother in a loose way. In some cases I know of, even trying to direct them in the name of fellowship what to do and what not to do. I was in fear and trembling when I heard of such "fellowship." Well, there may be a good reason to justify this very deed with the fact that they were overseeing the brothers concerned. Well, I am no judge in this matter. But as far as I am concerned, even though I have an official position and spiritual right to say something to the brothers who come for fellowship, I do so with inward fear and trembling discerning in my spirit what to say and what not to say. In the past, I also failed in strongly expressing my opinions and feelings to saints who came for fellowship. But now, I will be very careful.

I also sensed that some brothers also opined about me. I left myself and the brothers to the Lord. Though I knew some of their opinions about me were not fully of the Lord, I did not raise my voice to counter them. I left the matter to the Lord to deal with it. I learned to take the cross and let the Spirit work. Surely indeed, the Spirit worked and in my very witness and others too, what the Spirit intended was carried out contrary to the brothers' opinion. This was a spiritual test for me. Learning to take the Father's wise bestowment against my natural man and let Him do whatever He pleases to do. But as for me, I decided not to speak against my brothers, or complain or murmur against them. Only if the Lord leads me so, I will speak only the utterance the Spirit will give me. I fear God and I love my brothers. This is a lesson I recently learned from my own experience, from the training, and also from my reading of the Bible.

Lord, gain my inward being that I may be always one with You in every matter even concerning my brothers.