I Will Not Fight My Brother

I Will Not Fight My Brother

February 4, 2008
By Robert W. Martin

Bro. Robert W. Martin preached this message after his election as General Superintendent of the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ (ALJC) on June 21, 2007 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

You can watch the message on the ALJC website, or request a copy on CD by emailing here or on his church web site.

Stuck in the Slime
The beginning for the Jews in Egypt was great. As a favor and reward to Joseph, he and his family were given the choice land of Goshen in which to live, raise their families, and enjoy. However, after an excess of 400 years, a Pharaoh would come to power who knew not Joseph. Perhaps this bit of Egyptian history was not imparted to this man during his rearing. He would come to perceive the Jews as a threat, inasmuch as they had multiplied into millions. Indeed, “the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them” (Exodus 1:7).

Fearing that the millions of foreigners on their soil could possibly join forces with an invading enemy, the Egyptian leadership was determined to foil any future insurrection by placing taskmasters to afflict the Jews: “But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. The Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour” (Exodus 2:12-14).

And, to supplement the plan and restrict growth, a policy of infanticide was developed. As the men and women were enslaved, toiling beyond reason, all the male infants were to be taken by Egyptian midwives and killed at birth. But the midwives feared God and would not do as they were instructed. Pharaoh then demanded all Egyptians to take the newborn Jewish males and throw them into the Nile, to summarily drown and to satiate the appetites of writhing, voracious crocodiles. Of course, as you well know, Moses would be spared.

Bitter Lives, Broken Spirits
Their lives were bitter; their spirits were beaten down; and their lineage became fodder for crocodiles. With seeming quiet frustration, the Jews would gather straw and walk into slime pits to make mortar. The mortar and slime would literally eat the flesh off their legs. The pits would devour many of them. Some would simply disappear into the slime, their lives oozing away, fading into oblivion. Swallowed by darkness, their bodies became frozen in time. The muffled moans of enslaved men and the heart-stopping screams of newborn babies mingled in the sweat and humidity of oppressive Egypt, annihilating hope, destroying the future.

Yet, although they were tortured and burdened with great hardship, the Jews in actuality did not pose a threat to Pharaoh. There is no record of protest, no dreams of rebellion. They developed no military plans. They were given to a slave mentality, and sadly, even when their babies were being killed they were strangely docile. Most prisoners are not so quick to surrender their spirits, to abandon all hope for escape. Indeed, many prisons and jails display weapons devised by prisoners, weapons fashioned from makeshift objects with intentions of regaining their freedom. Their creativity leads to the need for invasive searches and metal detectors. They do not usually go so gently into the night. Yet these Jews, even as their babies are being fed to crocodiles, carry no placards and plan no uprising. They simply fade into the night.

Choosing The Wrong Enemy
The Bible says that “when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known” (Exodus 2:11-14).

One day Moses is fighting the enemy, defending his people. The very next day, ironically and tragically, two Jews were striving together. Two Hebrews were fighting--pushing, shoving, and striving. They would not dream of fighting an Egyptian, but here they are fighting one another. Although beaten down, with the spirit of life sucked out of them, they summon enough energy to fight one another. They are of the same blood; they are of the same promise; they are of the same covenant; they possess the same hopes and dreams. Yet they are fighting.

Why are they fighting? We don't even know. Was it over who made the most bricks? Was it over who gathered the most straw? Was it because one of them was one brick shy of a load? Was it because one drew the shortest straw? They were enslaved, living in mud huts, yet they are fighting each other. Pharaoh is sitting on his throne, constantly issuing threats, killing children, and making their lives bitter, but here they are fighting each other. While Egyptians are feeding their children to crocodiles a short distance away, these men, oblivious to the sad irony, are attacking each other. The enemy is laughing. Souls are dying. The future is being lost. And they are punching each other.

Brothers shouldn't be fighting brothers. The enemy is out there, not in here. I proclaim to you today, I will not fight my brother. My need for those of like precious faith is greater than any differences. We are born of the same Spirit. We have the same blood flowing in us. We are brothers. And the enemy is trying to kill us and our children, our future. I refuse to fight my brother. I must save my energy for the real enemy.

We wrestle not against flesh and blood. Do we? But against principalities, against powers, against spiritual wickedness in high places, evil forces intent on destroying us individually and collectively. We must keep our eyes on the true enemy. We must join forces and beat back the tyranny of Egyptian bondage.

Why do Apostolics fight?
Why do Apostolics fight? Is it over who gets credit? Is it over who gets to preach? Is it over who sings the lead part? Is it over who gets elected? We exchange blows over petty things when we need to be fighting weightier issues--abortion, drugs, pornography and perversion, the strength and sanctity of marriage. We are too easily distracted, and the enemy sits on his throne and grins at our ignorance.

We need one another. We have to deal with enough out there. Our churches should be places of refuge. We shouldn't be so harsh and judgmental of our precious saints. They pay money to sit under us and listen to us, sometimes when we don't have anything to say. We are here because of them. If we are not careful, we'll spend more time beating them up than lifting them up. I don't want any of our people to leave. I don't want any of them to be lost. Sometimes people suggest, “You'll be better without them anyway.” My soul cries out, “No! They are my brothers.” We have the same blood, the same promise. I know we don't always agree; I know offences will come, as Jesus said. But disagreements and offences don't have to separate us. We can grow from them. We can become stronger through them.

The Unloving Preachers
Preachers, love your saints. Feed them. Protect them. Fight for them, not with them. “Oh, but I'm preaching the truth.” Fine, but preach it with love, not with arrogance or on an ego trip. Don't preach it to kill. Preach it to heal. Preach redemptively, not condemningly. Don't get so frustrated that you take a swipe at a saint of God, even if it is behind the pulpit. I don't want to run people off and then have to go knocking on their doors to come back. Sometimes preachers get frustrated because people are doing like they think they should. I have a segment of Sunday-morning only folks. But I'm not going to destroy them because they don't come all the time. I could make life so miserable and bitter for them that they simply don't come at all. But no! I would rather them be there some than not at all. At least I have a little influence.

Don't be so angry because everyone doesn't get with you all the time. Don't throw down the gauntlet and say things like, “You must be dead tonight!”, “Are you all backslidden tonight?”, “What's wrong with all you people!” Sometimes Egypt has beaten them down. They need to be encouraged to get up, to fight on. Dispense some hope. Sometimes they don't get with it because you're not saying anything worth getting with you about.

We think saying a few Pentecostal clichés will do the job. We want them to respond just because we're standing there hollering at them. Maybe if we spent more time praying and studying, spent a little more effort to have something better to preach, they might get with us out of excitement rather than out of command. Come on preachers, let's lead them to a higher level, and not try to beat them there.

I must admit I love saints, and I'm protective of them. Years ago a preacher preached for me and got mad because everyone wasn't bouncing off the walls. He proceeded to say that we didn't want revival.

I responded, “Yes, we do.”

He said, “No, you don't.”

I said, “Yes, we do.”

Then he went on to say, “I'm glad I'm not your pastor because I couldn't deal with people who aren't sold-out for revival.”

After he was done, I approached the pulpit and said, “First, I want to tell you I count it an honor to be your pastor. Second, I want to apologize to you for what this man said. I know we want revival because we have been praying and fasting for it.”

The preacher stepped up to me and said, “I didn't mean it personal.”

I responded, “However you meant it, that's what you said. And I love these people.”

Preacher, you can't make it your agenda to force harvest. Just do the will of God--plant and water--and God will give the increase. Love the church. It's Christ's body.

Organizational Unity or Disunity?
And can I speak organizationally for a few minutes? I love this organization, and it has been good to me. I received my local license when I was 16 and have been involved ever since. I regret that I don't have a grandson that is sixth-generation Pentecostal. As a matter of fact, I received the Holy Ghost as a teenager without my parents or family in church. Although I wasn't blessed with a great Pentecostal background, God blessed me with a great organization to be a part of. The fingerprints of many of you are on my life. You are my family. You are my strength. And I must confess, I will not fight my brother. I know we don't agree on every issue that is discussed. We believe in one God, baptism in Jesus' name, the infilling of the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues, holiness, and the development of the fruit of the Spirit, and that is enough for me. We must accentuate our commonalities and refuse to fight over the inconsequential. Egypt beats us up enough. I refuse to fight my brother.

I have grimaced in portions of past meetings when I have heard preachers attempt to devise plans to get rid of a preacher. Some even seem to be relieved when someone turns in his card. I'm not talking about over immorality or false doctrine. I'm talking about just because some have a hard time getting along--over petty disagreements; over castle-building mindsets instead of kingdom-building mindsets; because of lordly preacher egos that refuse to humble themselves to one another; over an attitude that I'm always right and you are always wrong.

Echoing Abraham
I pray for the day when there is very little debate over should this person be kept or not, how do we properly rebuke, and how do we get more control, and rather spend hours introducing new ministers and hearing reports of revival. Let's work to get preachers in, not try to devise means to get rid of them. Today is our day. Our potential is limitless, if we don't fight and strive with one another. Let us echo what Abraham told Lot, “Let there be no strife between us, for we be brethren.” We be brethren. Abraham was willing to lay aside his pride and ego to keep a brother. Sometimes we spend too much time defending our pride and protecting our ego, and not enough time loving and forgiving.

As district superintendents, don't let your hurt feelings, pride, or ego cause you to lash out at a minister. Be creative in ways to keep good men, not spend time devising means to get rid of them because they threaten your leadership. Even as we reach out to saints in our churches, let us reach out to preachers and pastors of churches. I will not fight my brother.

We are deceived when we see enemies in our allies. Paul informed the Galatians, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:14-16). Biting and devouring is birthed from lust and carnality. To possess a warring spirit is not spiritual, and that applies to preacher relationships as well. James said, “From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?” (James 4:1).

In Danger of Cannibalism
We must not fight our brothers. We must not bite and devour one another. Biting and devouring have cannibalistic overtones. Some preachers walk around with preachers' arms and legs hanging out of their mouths. Some sit around, digesting preacher body parts. Do I have to tell you that cannibalism is not healthy? We were not made to eat human flesh. By doing so, we fill our bodies with toxins and poisons. And regardless of how fulfilled we may feel at the moment, we are what we eat. By eating one another, we become what we despised. Just as bitterness and unforgiveness destroy someone, even so does biting and devouring one another.

We must not fight and bite and devour one another. Rather, we must remember the words of Christ when he said to eat His body and drink His blood. I am persuaded that if we have more of Jesus flowing through our veins and being digested in our spirits, we will have less bitterness, unforgiveness, warring and lusting, biting and devouring flowing out of us. We need more of Jesus and less of us.

One of the tragedies of the two Hebrews fighting was that they turned on Moses, causing him to flee to the wilderness. Moses was in the desert for 40 years. A whole generation was lost because two men chose to fight each other rather than the real enemy. A generation was lost to crocodiles, and a generation was lost in the wilderness. Deliverance was put off for 40 years. The Old Testament had to drag its feet for 40 years. Christ's coming was delayed 40 years. Pentecost was delayed 40 years. Cornelius and the conversion of Gentiles was delayed 40 years. We are already a generation behind. A generation was given up because God's people fought each other.

We don't have more time to waste. Follow peace with all men. Be merciful. Be forgiving. Give the benefit of the doubt. Don't harbor grudges. Let go of things holding you back. Be free. Promote liberty. We don't have time to fight one another. I will not fight my brother.

Unclench Your Fists
Our children are counting on us. The next time you clench your fists, would you look over there--the Egyptians are trying to kill our children. Some of you have lost children. Some of you are dealing with devastating sicknesses infecting your children. The crocodiles wait on the banks. Come on. Drop your weapons and join hands. I need someone to love my children, to pray for them. I need someone to be there for them and pick them up. Bro. Chessor, my 9-year-old son, Alec, has framed by his bedside postcards from different places you mailed him. I need you and other preachers for my children to look up, to emulate, to want to be like. I can't fight you. I need you.

Our marriages are counting on us. The next time you clench your fists, would you look over there--the Egyptians are trying to destroy our marriages. As we fuss over the insignificant, the real enemy is destroying our love and commitment. We must love our wives. We must embrace our children. We need the church and our organization to help us raise our children and protect our marriages. We need preachers' wives to emulate holiness for our young girls. I will not, I must not, fight my brother.

Revival is depending on us. The next time you clench your fists, would you look over there--the Egyptians are succeeding in directing more souls to hell. Someone else dies and faces eternity while we fight and strive with one another. We can't afford to fight. I will not, I must not, fight my brother.

Would you unclench your fists, reach out to someone close by, and pray for your brother? He's not your enemy. Pray for your sister. She's not your enemy. We should be able to approach anyone in this building tonight and sincerely express our love one for another. Let us pray one for another.

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Robert Martin is the General Superintendent of the ALJC and pastor of Voice of Pentecost in Louisiana.