Trial by brethren

Jesus labors in our midst to unify us as one body. Yet, oddly enough, He told us that He did not come to bring peace, but a sword (Mt 10:34). The word of God is like a sword, dividing down to such fine parts as discerning the intentions of one’s heart (Heb 4:12-13). When the sword divides the intentions of all our hearts, it brings division between those who sincerely love and serve the Lord, and those who do not.

Jesus tells us that the sword He brought would cause members of a man's own household to become his enemies(Mt 10:36). He asked us to love Him more than those of our household, not because we shouldn’t love them, but because, when trials come, we are to choose serving God above serving those we love.

Besides finding trouble in our families, there will sometimes be trouble in our fellowships. This is not new to those who walk in faith. Isaiah wrote “Your brothers who hate you, who exclude you because of My name, have said ‘Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy!’ Yet they will be put to shame.” (Is 66: 5). Though the brethren may cause us pain, yet it is the Lord who watches the hearts and repays those who oppress and intimidate His own.

In Revelation, John wrote about the conditions of the churches of his time. Their trials are not unlike ours. The Church in Philadelphia (Rev 3:7-13) was also experiencing a trial by brethren. Their trial was so severe that Jesus did not require great works of miracles or evangelism from them. He commended them for keeping his word, and not denying His name. They had endured the oppression of their brethren, who are symbolically called Jews, waiting patiently for God’s intervention. The term “Jews” is used because it represents God’s true people. And yet from this passage we see that God calls them “liars”.

The false brethren, and those in error, lived as if service to God was up to them. Jesus, who is the word of God in the flesh, whose tongue is a sword, divided the brethren in the Church at Philadelphia from the false brethren, by the intentions He found in their hearts. The true brethren had obeyed His words. In Philadelphia, Jesus eliminates the position of the liars from God’s service, and not only establishes the position of the believers, but makes sure it is know Whose they are by giving the true believers God’s Name, the name of the new city, and Jesus’ new name.

Like the Old Testament brethren, the true believers in Philadelphia were promised vindication by God. But we also see other rewards going to them in the form of affirmations of their purpose, God’s love for them, and God establishing them forever in service to Him. Their service is not dependant on their brethren, but on Him. God is opening a door for them that “no man can shut.” He is proving His love to them, causing their enemies to bow at their feet and acknowledging that God loves them. God is making them pillars in His temple, where no man can put them out. In the original temple the pillars were named Jakin (He establishes), and Boaz (in Him is strength) (2 Chron 3:17). The true believers were forever established and no man could exclude them.

Trial by brethren is hard, and because we desire unity in Christ, we do all we can do to live in peace with our fellow believers. One thing Jesus asks us not to do is to give the authority over our faith, our crown, to others (Rev 3:11). I want to encourage you who are experiencing exclusion and oppression by the brethren to “hold on to what you have” and patiently endure until the Lord Himself brings you to the other side of your trial. Be confident in Him Who has overcome, that like Him, you will also overcome. He will establish, and vindicate you. God will show He has loved you. And forever you will reign with Him. Amen.

problem-based faith

At times the Lord examines our hearts to fine-tune its contents. And so this is how the following word of prophecy came to be.

"You have problem-based faith. You think faith is for solving problems. You think of problems ahead of time and have faith to solve them. That is why you are always working on problems. Your faith isn’t needed once the problem is gone, or the victory is won.

Faith is identifying with God. Abraham identified with God and was His friend. He wanted what God wanted. You think it was obedience that caused Abraham to follow God. But it was identifying with God and wanting Him with all His heart that took him to God’s promises. He did not work on problems, but rejoiced in the relationship and enjoyed the journey of his life.

The men of faith didn’t see the harvest as a problem to solve or a feat to accomplish. They didn’t wait to have joy, neither were they sad when their victories were over. For their faith was based in wanting Me, and in wanting Me, they became like Me.

Jesus was a Man of joy, not a man of strategy. He was not solving the world’s problems nor fixing those things that brought trouble to the earth. He set men and women free to walk as children of the Father, adopted into His family, to become like Him. Jesus inhabited men so that they could taste what it was to be near to God, and to desire what He desired. Jesus wanted all men to have wisdom and authority, honor and talent. He wanted men to identify with God, and so be whom He created them to be. And this is faith; to walk with God." Amen.