I also tell you this–if two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask for, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together because they are mine, I will be right there among them. (Matthew 18:19, 20)The Living Bible
Jesus makes such grand sweeping promises!
Reading His life story in the Gospels you see with what naturalness He could hold the masses for hours on end totally captivated by His words.
Then came the Promises with which He punctuated those teaching sessions–they were like concentrated nuggets packed with undeniable authority! Jesus had such a convincing way of planting seeds of acceptance in the hearts and minds of folks!
Can’t you just picture yourself squeezing through the crowd to get up close, listening to His
voice, spiritually stretching to catch on to His parables, and thrilling deep inside as He personalized to you His Promises?!
Imagine the follow-up as the Master left off speaking and moved into working miracle after stunning miracle in demonstration of the power encapsulated in those very Promises
He had just scattered out upon the heads of all those people.
You realize, of course, that Jesus’ ministry was all about passing on Promises filled with God-power. He was equipped by the Father to activate those nuggets millions of times over in believers, generation by generation, as history rolls on.
One didn’t have to be a priest, Levite, doctor of the law, or prophet to reach up and take hold of Jesus’ freely distributed Promises.
It’s clear that various ones who listened to Him, not just those named among the inner circle of followers, seized the promised power and claimed His Spirit, then hit their road of life re-telling the stories, sharing the blessings, and performing the works they had seen Jesus do.
Sometimes the disciples tried to monopolistically shut down those independents, but Jesus quashed that small-mindedness of His apostles-in-training (Luke 9:49, 50).
He freely gave to every open accepting heart His gifts which in turn were theirs to share in concentric blessings further and further out into the surrounding world.
Another aspect of the Jesus Plan is His two-by-two corollary. There is much wisdom and practicality in that. Lone-wolf ministries built on go-it-alone teamlessness might work for a time but they eventually run out of fresh spiritual juice.
Without cross pollination of ideas, insights, and prayerful perceptions, one-man shows tend to fizzle or become a bit loony out on the fringes of godly endeavor.
“If two of you agree down here on earth” about some ideas that you feel comfortable asking God to approve, then go for it! Jesus comes right out and promises you His divine backing!
Missionary Partners was formed squarely on that nugget which Jesus cast upon the crowds and graciously allowed to skip through the centuries and land on us. As you embrace in letter after missionary letter, we are a twosome, a threesome, a prayerful, supportive common-cause-some.
We may not have received a double portion of faith-healing power, and we aren’t apparently going to be graced with gifts of apostleship, prophethood, or kingly leadership, but PRAISE GOD, our Jesus most definitely has down-loaded on us this practical ministry of helping His children in need and getting them educated for lives of service!
Missionary Partners, you and we form this team that Jesus Promised to empower. True, there are thousands of such Jesus-authorized helpships around the world, and we thank God for that. We don’t seek a monopoly by any means.
Sometimes friends or family let us know that they get tons of similar requests (“junk mail” we are sometimes lumped in with).
For all these 40-plus years of my missionary life in Central America we have been depending on the Jesus Promise which He settled on us. Jesus’ words prove true!
Thank you for partnering with us–you are one, we make two, come Lord Jesus, see that we “agree down here on earth” in this work of practical help and education for Your children, youth, and struggling families in this part of the world.
“What a God he is! How perfect in every way! All his promises prove true”
(Psalms 18:30).
“I am trusting God–oh, praise his promises!”
(Psalms 56:10).
“Who can forget the wonders he performs–deeds of mercy and of grace? He gives food to those who trust him; he never forgets his promises” (Psalms 111:4, 5).
Grateful for God’s Promises and for your wonderful partnership,
Mike Lynch
Promise-based missionary
Mike Lynch
Editor’s Note:
I just thought I would slip in a recent picture of Mike for those of you who know him personally.
Barry McBroom