My husband and I miss the brethren very much. It was a beautiful gathering where the Holy Spirit led enthusiastic believers to share from their hearts.
We were in one about ten years ago for ten years. We looked forward to meeting every week and sometimes during the week. We moved to the area we live now to be close to the Brethren.
Sadly they were all old people, we were the younger ones and many of them died.
But the group never grew even though they were very active in their younger years in the community with the jail ministry, the bus that gathered children to come to Sunday school, and evangelism. Our community now has morphed into the woke agenda, Rick Warren promotions, and other ungodly false doctrines. Calvinism is also big here. We sense we know how Noah must have felt living in a world without fellowship.
In these faithful Brethren gatherings, there was no one up front to be the center of attention. The teacher led the teaching but all others were invited to obey the Holy Spirit when led by Him to interject during the teaching. No one had authority over another because it was the Holy Spirit Who was the Authority.
We live in a world where most aging parents have no fellowship with their children because the children have gone into the apostasy, even believing that everyone should attend those apostate gatherings.
Many years ago when I was a new believer I couldn't understand why a person who said they were Christian would not be "going to church." As I grew in the Lord I began to see why the ones who attended very small gatherings or none at all were those who saw the apostasy rising within the buildings.
God clearly said that born-again believers do not have temples to worship in, because they are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Their fellowship is with those who love Christ and His Word so much that they have "come out from among" those apostate gatherings to remain at home with two or three.
Matthew 18:20
"20 For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
Romans 14:1-12 "14 Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not to have quarrels over opinions.
2 One person has faith that he may eat all things, but the one who is weak eats only vegetables.
3 The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.
4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person values one day over another, another values every day the same. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 The one who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and the one who eats, does so with regard to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and the one who does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat, and he gives thanks to God.
7 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself;
8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 But as for you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you as well, why do you regard your brother or sister with contempt? For we will all appear before the judgment seat of God.
11 For it is written:
“As I live, says the Lord, to Me every knee will bow,
And every tongue will give praise to God.”
12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God."
The problem with traditions is that they promote pride in the one observing them. It is human nature to feel safe doing something for God, even if it isn't what God told them to do. Obedience to God is different from doing something for God He never told us to do.
When people begin interpreting the Bible according to their culture the church suffers from arrogance and self-will. The groups who do this begin to exalt themselves for how special they are when in fact, they are disobeying God in many things justifying it with their human wisdom. Many people think if they do "some" of what God wants it is alright to disobey other things God commanded.
Those of us who love the Scriptures for the purpose of obeying God, are looking forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb where everyone will agree and we will all be with Christ.
Sometimes it is lonely for those who speak boldly about Christ, His Word and His principles, but the joy we have in trusting Him overrides that human need for companionship.
When you feel overwhelmed by a lack of fellowship with those who love Christ just remember Noah and Lot. We are walking in the last days of apostasy full of false believers and false doctrine.
2 Timothy 4:3
"3 For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires,"
Matthew 24:37-39
"37 For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.
38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be."
Christ in us is our fellowship, He is enough, However it is a blessing God gave us to be able to connect on Facebook and other internet forums declaring the gospel and encouraging authentic believers.
Just remember that Marriage Supper where all that attend will love Christ as much as we do and will love us too.
