Praise God that He is sovereign. I've had the pleasure to call James Disciple Johnson since the very beginning of Disciple. I can't begin to explain the way our relationship has shaped me and has grown me as a Man of God. We've been through a lot together, ridden thousands of miles side by side. I stood by his side when the 1%ers tried to cut his patches off and told us there wasn't going to be any new MCs. There was a year when it was just he and I, when we weren't living in obedience to the Lord and the devil tried to squash the club before it had a chance to take root. There was a time I even considered quitting, when my leader was under attack, struggling with some sin issues, and I had no one to follow. But it was to God's Glory, and I rejoice that He used me to approach my brother and point those things out to him. God used that conversation to get James's attention and show him what our mission was: To Disciple Men to have a Daily Word and Prayer time, and to support the 1% world with prayer.
You see, that's how Brotherhood is supposed to work. Even your brother is at his lowest, weakest point in his life or in his walk with Christ--you don't abandon your brother. You stick by his side and you fight with him. I'm not going to leave a brother behind--especially when he's under attack. And I'm damn sure not going to bring him down when He's at his best, or beat him while he's under attack. I've stuck by his side through thick and thin, and when my brother stumbled, I helped pick him up. That's what it means to be a Brother. I love my brother, and I'm going to keep fighting on his behalf.
I am grateful for James' leadership. I have submitted myself to the authority that God has given him through this club. The key is this: I follow him as he follows Christ. As long as James is following Christ, submitting to his leadership is easy because I'm following God's vision for Disciple. I'm willing to do anything he asks of me for the benefit of this organization because I understand the vision. I'm not going to talk bad about my brother behind his back even when I disagree with something he says or does. I might say "hey bro let's talk about this, help me to understand why you said or did this."
Only recently have I learned how important praying for my brothers is. Being a Disciple invites a whole new level of attack from the enemy. Men of God we must pray for our leader. Pray that he would stay true to the vision God gave him. Pray that the Lord would guard him from the attack of the enemy. Go to WAR on behalf of your brothers, men! And when they can fight no longer, fight for them. FIGHT FOR YOUR BROTHER. Remember that this war doesn't stop as long as we're on this side of Heaven. Never give up. Never surrender. Spend time on your face praying for your brothers, praying for our leaders daily. Value the term Brother and remember the price Jesus paid to call you Brother.
There's way more than just two of us now, and it's been a wild ride. I give God all the Glory--that He considered me trustworthy, appointing me to His service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown grace because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. (1 Tim 1:12-14).
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peacable and considerate, and to show humility toward all men. Titus 3:1-2
Disciple Retrow
National Vice President & Co-Founder
Disciple Christian Motorcycle Club
THE WAR ON BROTHERHOOD: Fighting through Prayer, Submission, and Obedience
http://disciplecmcblog.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-war-on-brotherhood-fighting-through.html
