Leon Manko

Carson City, Michigan March 1st 1976
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There are some real Christian brothers, who sin more often than some others.”

The best keepers of Gods law look down,
Comparing themselves by themselves around. (2 Cor 10:12)

And outwardly if you’re better than others you’ll see,
How you’ll be included in service and not me. (Luke 11:27)

They’ll smile at, and talk to, and to your face are kind,
But their hearts are far from God and they’re terribly blind. (Matthew 23:27)

For any love that they have is a fleshy love at best.
To brotherly kindness they didn’t add love,
Their love fails the test. (2 Peter 1:8)

True brotherly love is hard from the start.
Which keeps you from hardening your wicked heart. (1 Cor 12:24-25, Matthew 5:23, Lev 19:17)

True brotherly love suffers with the weakness of others. (Gal 6:2)
Even if that weakness leads to sin from brothers. (2 Cor 11:29, James 5:15, 2 Cor 4:8-10, psalm 106:43)

They confuse the weak brother with a person “practicing sin”. (Luke 7:39)
They can’t see a brother struggling because they’ve never been. (Luke 18:9-14)

They confuse the Romans 7 man by their wrongly seeing,
How he delights in the law of God from his inner being. (Psalm 40:8-9, 51:6, 66:18, Matthew 26:41)

They put too much weight on the outward actions of being so godly,
And yet they themselves are blind to their own seeing oddly.

They think for brothers who still sin,
Mercy just isn’t for you (Romans 12)
Their love towards the weak who sin 
they try and shut the door to. (Matthew 23:13)

They limit the gift of mercy for 
physical and economic pain.
“Mercy’s not for sinning brothers”
Would be their hyperbolic claim. (2 Cor 4:8, psalm 107:39, Acts 20:35, 2 Cor 11:29, James 5:14-15)

They think unity comes from Christians being just like them. (Matthew 9:10-11)
So they look down upon the weaker brothers and won’t let them in.

They create obstacles and barriers that God never intended,
And think their doing service to God through those they offended. (Matthew 23:13)

They covet education and formulas and won’t accept people differently. (Matthew 15:5)
“If you’re really called by God you’ll get a Masters of Divinity.”

If your really called by God then your life should look just like this,
Those who are called by God who don’t match up, they always resist. (Romans 7:19, 2 Cor 12:6-10)

Fulfilling your ministry is loving & including those who obey God less.
It doesn’t make them godless, but makes them part of the body regardless. (1 Cor 12:22)

The path for weak and repentant brothers is restoring them to service.
But healing and keeping the lame within joint, seems to make them nervous. (Hebrews 12:12-14)

They forget some will “annul the least of these commandments,” (Matthew 5:19-20)
Least in heaven, but grateful;
They’re just missing enhancements.

Some brothers are weaker and fall more to desire,
They themselves shall be saved, yet so as by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:15)

They grow up out of their weaknesses is what the Bible teaches. (Phil 3:13-14)
But they’re also given a thorn in the flesh as Paul often preaches. (2 Cor 12)

And though they buffet their body to bring into submission, (1 Corinthians 9:27)
They’re “content then with weaknesses,”
The human condition. (2 Cor 12)

Their weakness is their strength because their power is from above. (2 Cor 12:10)
The strong accepting the weak repentant of sin shows Gods love. (Luke 17:3-4) 

You’re not approving their sin by simply accepting them in. 
When they’re rebuked and repented, then that’s really the win. (1 Cor 12:24)

Ministry isn’t a cushy job where you get to pick your family. (John 15:16)
It’s hard work and suffering and constant calamity. (2 Timothy 4:5)

The temptation to sin when you help a sinning brother 
Includes the temptation to look down on the weakness of others. (Gal 6:1-17)

If my brothers had their way,
they’d disqualify Peter or Paul.
Taking their ordination papers away,
and disqualifying them all. (Luke 22:31-34, Romans 7:19)

But Gods way for restoration,
comes from somewhere above me.
Jesus simply asks Peter, 
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?” (John 21:15-19
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