Matthew 18:18-20
“Take this most seriously: A
yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you
say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together
on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in
heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together
because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
I have grown so weary of what
people are saying to one another these days – particularly on social
media – that I’ve almost quit reading. So if I miss an important post
from one of you, please understand that it was not my intention to
ignore you. I really do care about the ups and downs in my friends’
lives. But when they resort to name-calling and vicious criticisms of
others, I am just not able to support this.
Let’s focus primarily on one particular line of this scripture passage today… “What you say to one another is eternal.”
Jesus could not have been more clear, could He? I’ve seen some pretty
nasty comments lately from people I know and love…and perhaps they were
just engaging in some banter that they felt teetered close to the edge
of ugliness while remaining harmless. I am here to say that it is not
innocuous…because not everyone knows you. Not everyone who reads what
is posted or hears what is said will have the “back story” and know that
this is a teasing exchange between two acquaintances or old friends.
In
the same manner, when we share off-color comments – or make them - we
are demonstrating a level of acceptance of this kind of behavior…and
showing our immaturity in the bargain. We have to be very careful as
Christians to monitor our words and actions. What we say matters! What
we do is important! Jesus has told us…these things have eternal consequences!
I
think we would all pretty well concede that when we pray for someone –
or when two of us agree before God about something, we trust that God
will hear our answer and respond according to His will. When we gather
with a friend or two and speak of God or share in His word – or even
discuss how God has worked in an area of our lives – God is with us, and
He blesses the discussion. What we don’t seem to recognize is that
when we say and do ugly or unkind things…when we “misbehave,” God sees
this, too. And He hangs His head in shame and disgust. Nothing gets by
God!
Maybe you don’t care. Maybe you think that you will say
and do what you please…that Jesus has forgiven your sins, and your seat
at His table in heaven is secure – so the rest doesn’t matter. But I am
here to tell you that it does. Maybe you believe that this person or
the other truly is a jerk or an idiot, and telling the world is your
job! It isn’t! God will handle this situation – and countless others
like it – if only you will give the problem to HIM…then back off and
allow Him room to work!
Let’s pay closer attention to our words
and actions. Let’s be very careful about labels and criticisms and
offering our opinion as “gospel”…because Jesus made it very clear that what we say and do has eternal consequences. In light of this consideration, don’t you want to be more careful? Will this be the day that you get started?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label gathering in Jesus' name. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gathering in Jesus' name. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for April 6, 2014
Matthew 18:19-20
I promise that when any two of you on earth agree about something you are praying for, my Father in heaven will do it for you. Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, I am there with you.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A friend of mine posted on Facebook that her almost-five-year-old son asked, "Can you make my dream come true and get me light (up) shoes?" She laughingly said that this has been his “life-long dream” – for at least the last five minutes! Knowing this family, I have a feeling that this little boy felt fairly confident that his request would be honored… if not by his parents - surely by his GiGi and Pappy!
I’m not sure this is what Jesus meant in Matthew when he said that any time two of us agree about something we are praying for, God will deliver. We’re not ordering take-out pizza here! I believe that God will answer…according to His will…that He will do things for us as we have asked…but again, within His will and as is best for us. So we may sit with a friend or family member and pray for a new car to get us from Point A to Point B. Our basic motive may be “pure”. But while we visualize a nice SUV with all the bells and whistles…God may be picturing a second-hand jalopy! Both will get us where we need to go…but in a much different style! The child who asks for new shoes may not necessarily get the light-up variety…but his/her feet will be shod nonetheless.
Does this make sense? Do you see that we should go to God with expectations…and confidence that He will answer? But we must remember that He will always answer in our best interest! Should this stop us from coming together to pray? Should this dampen our faith? Absolutely not! In fact, it should strengthen us to think that God ALWAYS has our back…He is always working on the best possible outcome for us…and we should never stop taking our burdens, cares, and desires to Him.
The last point of this scripture passage is that any time we join together in the name of Jesus, He is with us. Surely we know that when we stop to talk to God, He hears our prayers. But do you fully realize that anytime you and another person join together to do anything in the name of Jesus…whether it be a mission project, singing a song in worship and praise, discussing a Bible passage, lifting a prayer, and so much more…He is right there with you?
I’m emphasizing this verse, because I believe we underestimate the power of encouraging one another…and in doing so, we miss countless “holy moments”. I do not think we fully realize that to hug someone else and tell them how much they mean to you brings Jesus into the equation. To send another person a prayer via e-mail or text – or to encourage them over the phone or in person – invites Jesus into the group…and He stands there with you both. So many moments of interaction between two people are holy, and we don’t even recognize it. We underestimate God’s power to work in and through us to meet the needs of others, according to His will…to make a difference in their lives – and in our own.
Let’s not miss out on what God has in store for us! Let’s look for opportunities to “gather together in His name” and agree for whatever is needed…and whatever God desires for each of us. Let’s be aware that God is ready, willing, and able to bless us and meet our every need…and He is waiting for us to be the vessel to convey this message to others. You may not get light-up shoes, but I assure you…God has more blessings in store for you than you can begin to count!
What are you waiting for? Have you shared a “holy moment” with someone today?
©2014 Debbie Robus
I promise that when any two of you on earth agree about something you are praying for, my Father in heaven will do it for you. Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, I am there with you.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A friend of mine posted on Facebook that her almost-five-year-old son asked, "Can you make my dream come true and get me light (up) shoes?" She laughingly said that this has been his “life-long dream” – for at least the last five minutes! Knowing this family, I have a feeling that this little boy felt fairly confident that his request would be honored… if not by his parents - surely by his GiGi and Pappy!
I’m not sure this is what Jesus meant in Matthew when he said that any time two of us agree about something we are praying for, God will deliver. We’re not ordering take-out pizza here! I believe that God will answer…according to His will…that He will do things for us as we have asked…but again, within His will and as is best for us. So we may sit with a friend or family member and pray for a new car to get us from Point A to Point B. Our basic motive may be “pure”. But while we visualize a nice SUV with all the bells and whistles…God may be picturing a second-hand jalopy! Both will get us where we need to go…but in a much different style! The child who asks for new shoes may not necessarily get the light-up variety…but his/her feet will be shod nonetheless.
Does this make sense? Do you see that we should go to God with expectations…and confidence that He will answer? But we must remember that He will always answer in our best interest! Should this stop us from coming together to pray? Should this dampen our faith? Absolutely not! In fact, it should strengthen us to think that God ALWAYS has our back…He is always working on the best possible outcome for us…and we should never stop taking our burdens, cares, and desires to Him.
The last point of this scripture passage is that any time we join together in the name of Jesus, He is with us. Surely we know that when we stop to talk to God, He hears our prayers. But do you fully realize that anytime you and another person join together to do anything in the name of Jesus…whether it be a mission project, singing a song in worship and praise, discussing a Bible passage, lifting a prayer, and so much more…He is right there with you?
I’m emphasizing this verse, because I believe we underestimate the power of encouraging one another…and in doing so, we miss countless “holy moments”. I do not think we fully realize that to hug someone else and tell them how much they mean to you brings Jesus into the equation. To send another person a prayer via e-mail or text – or to encourage them over the phone or in person – invites Jesus into the group…and He stands there with you both. So many moments of interaction between two people are holy, and we don’t even recognize it. We underestimate God’s power to work in and through us to meet the needs of others, according to His will…to make a difference in their lives – and in our own.
Let’s not miss out on what God has in store for us! Let’s look for opportunities to “gather together in His name” and agree for whatever is needed…and whatever God desires for each of us. Let’s be aware that God is ready, willing, and able to bless us and meet our every need…and He is waiting for us to be the vessel to convey this message to others. You may not get light-up shoes, but I assure you…God has more blessings in store for you than you can begin to count!
What are you waiting for? Have you shared a “holy moment” with someone today?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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