True love for the brethren and beyond

My brother Lionel has asked about the involvement of the church in social reform. I think the way to look at it is, the brethren first, and then the world....

"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." Galatians 6:10

Read his post HERE.

My comment is below. I gues this could be called an "ideal" right now. Hopefully it become a reality:

I have a small bible study in my home on Wednesdays. Last night, I read the post to my sisters and some of the comments. I had given them a heads up with scripture the day before and asked them to think about what WE can do ourselves without waiting for the “church” to do something (our place of fellowship is not in the community at all). We did a brainstorming session and here’s what we came up with:

1. Like Lecrae and Reach Life (Memphis, TN). They moved into a community not just to evangelize but to live and make disciples. They moved their whole families in, too and became involved in the community life (football team, etc.) They are living Christ before them and building them up both naturally and spiritually.

2. Open our homes to allow brothers and sisters to stay and either take care of parents in another state, go to school, get job/job skills, etc.

3. Those who know a trade and/or have own businesses should provide training to young brothers and sisters and provide jobs.

4. New Christians should be discipled and provided a place to live among other godly men and women (i.e. homes for seasoned single Christian moms and new single Christian moms, seasoned single brothers and new single brothers, etc.)

5. Elders/Pastors should open their homes to brethren (hospitality) – 1 Timothy 3

6. Leadership needs to be made aware of needs. They should be involved in the lives of the flock, not just being nosy, but being aware. They should be people who have come from among the people and who have good relationships with the people. In Acts, leaders came from within not without.

7. Pool funds and possessions to get brethren out of debt, then counsel through the word and through prayer to keep them from getting back in debt. Not stressing tithing, but stressing good stewardship and the opportunities to be a blessing to the body, because there are others who have need.

8. Instead of buying buildings for fellowship, we should meet in private homes or rented spaces. We do not need to meet collectively every week, but maybe once a month the entire local body will get together and partake of a true supper cooked by the women and also partake of communion. Every week/every other week there would be home fellowships, each with an elder. The elders meet frequently to pray and seek the Lord in His word. On the times that the entire body meets, one of the elders (it rotates or goes as the Lord has given a specific word) will give the teaching.

9. LIVE LESS THAN YOUR MEANS.

10. Live against worldly wisdom. We are told that we should have ____, ______, and ______________ by the time we’re thirty years old. Then we are told that the goal should be to retire early. We have to listen to the Spirit, not the world.

11. Contentment with what we have been given…food, clothing, shelter. Everything else may be unnecessary in the scheme of things.

12. Transparency/honesty/discernment/humility/willingness to sacrifice/no gossip/no nosiness

13. Those who have authority, who are leaders are to be trustworthy. They should demonstrate their own good stewardship amongst the body and their own generosity and humility. They should not be hungry for money or attention, but show that they are storing up treasure in heaven and not on earth.

14. Church discipline. This will be effective if the brethren are constantly in each others’ lives.

15. Yard sales, etc. Selling possessions for the benefit of all; starting up businesses with brethren for the benefit of all, etc.

16. Fasting/Prayer/Fellowship/Study on a very frequent basis, amongst the elders and amongst the people for each other and the communities being served.

17. One sister believed that government funds could be used…I and another sister disagreed. This may be a discretionary matter, but the question is: does it demonstrate a lack of faith, it is impatience that prevents waiting on God and does it excuse the brethren from stepping up?


At the end of the evening, we agreed to be more open with one another, and I had a plan for us to get second jobs to get out of debt. We are going to help each other – they will keep Brie when I need them and when each of us gets debts paid, we will then help the others until we are completely free. We have also made plans to get together with some of the brothers to fast and pray for God to work a miracle in us, so that we will truly put each other first, and deny our own selves.

Pray for us.