The Power of Promise

Four of us. Two sitting comfortably with their meals before them. Two who had prepared to leave but now stood with heads bowed. In a diner. Praying for God's favor. Having church.

Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. ~ Matthew 18:18-20

I am not even going to pretend I understand all the implications of those verses, but I do know that God was in our midst. The two sitting were complete strangers to me. The woman who stood with me, one whose friendship I've only begun to savor and, I pray, will enjoy for years to come. And God. 

It is God who does the binding and loosing. It is God who does. And it is God, through the name and person of Jesus Christ, who is present. And it is His people who obey in faith.

Hebrews 11:1-2 tells us that those who served God, going before us, gained a good testimony (or had counted to their credit) because of their faith, and that faith is the substance of the things for which we hope and the evidence of things we can't see. Verse 3 assures us the earth itself was formed from that which we cannot see, the word of God. And verse 13 drops the bomb:

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Not having received. Does this mean they were fools? Does this mean God is the maestro of some cruel joke orchestrated throughout the lives of "His people" for centuries? No, this is faith. Faith in a God who is always merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abounding in goodness and truth, forgiving and just; a God who does not change His mind or lie. A God who has prepared something better for us in the land to which we are called, the land for which we were created, the land that is our home. Hebrews 11:14-16 continues:

For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Speaking of those who died in faith not having received, God, through the author of Hebrews explains that not a one was lying on their deathbed mourning what they hadn't received, but were instead rejoicing, eyes pointed upward, knowing that they were about to receive all that had been promised to them in its perfect glory.

Assuredly I say to you, Jesus says. He is in our midst. The power of Promise. Believe and obey.