A Word of Love

[NeitherFirstnorLast]

Originally Posted by Terry

Within the last six months I had a conversation with a brother about dissenting brothers. A question was posed, "how can you love a brother who cannot be trusted?"

Answer: By trusting in the Lord, not the Brother, to cover the situation. ALL the law hinges on these two things: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind... and love your neighbour as yourself.

"And who is our neighbour?" A lawyer once asked our Lord this very question, seeking to justify himself (for there were many he could not love). What did the Lord reply?

Luke 10:25-37...

Jesus replied and said, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead.

"And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
"Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
"But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.
"On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.'
"Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?" And he said, "The one who showed mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same."

If we cannot love, we cannot call ourselves transformed. If you have an issue with your brother - go - deal with him first BEFORE you come before the Lord, or the Lord will not hear you. He died on the cross for that brother's salvation, as much as your own. If you reject the brother, know that Christ did not - that brother is as much a member of the Body of Christ as you are. "Clothe the less comely", we are told - not to Quarantine and shun them.

...and hear them, Lord please just hear them; with an open heart, with much supplication before the Lord - praying that you may be given ears to hear and eyes to see that you might rightly come to the full knowledge of the truth; for the truth SHALL set you free. If the Lord convicts you that this brother is wrong, and if by reason with Scripture and if in honest and upright prayer you cannot gain them, then depart - but depart in peace. If the Lord convicts you that you are wrong, then without false pretense or pride but in good faith confess your lack and seek understanding and forgiveness even from the Lord.


**********************
I have been finding solace in the ministry of Back to the Bible this past week. I strongly urge the saints to consider, it's a very good week:


http://www.backtothebible.org/index....age-Right.html

The mission field isn't just across the ocean in a third world country, it's right here too... and it's not just outside the doors of the church building, it's more often than not right within it. Elijah stood up to God's government (Israel) and spoke the Truth in Love. He was fearful and he didn't understand why he was to do it, but he was faithful, and he obeyed. Will we be so faithful, trusting that while we are persecuted and hunted down, He will be faithful to provide for us? Though we may not be fed in a beautiful hall or at a rich table, the Ravens will come to bring us our meat, and the brook will trickle to us the living water... for outside the land is in a famine, anyway, because of the idolatry of God's government.

In Truth,

NeitherFirstnorLast