Today's Reading: Matthew 18: 15-20
**For a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link: Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf.
Please click this link to read Matthew 18: 15-20
Bible Study
This passage is all about reconciliation in the midst of all kinds of misunderstanding, conflict, disagreement and accusation. N.T. Wright says that Matthew 18: 15-20 is bedrock for the basic principles of reconciliation. He says:
Reconciliation is a huge issue today. We see clearly the results of not doing it: suicide bombs, campaigns of terror, heavy-handed repression by occupying forces. That's on the large scale. On the smaller scale, we see broken marriages, shattered families, feuds between neighbours, divided churches.
These four steps process gives people a better chance to reconcile. So, the steps are:
1. Talk to that person, one on one. That needs courage, prayer and humility.
2. Get one or two persons to talk things out. You have those people to make a better judgment of whether you are wrong or not and they can be your witness if anything goes wrong.
3. Tell your church leaders.
4. If the person refuses to yield and be reconciled, they must be treated as an outcast.
Do you think this process works? Have you tried that before? If you have someone you cannot deal with or forgive, do you think if you can use this process to bring reconciliation?
Reconciliation is a huge issue today. We see clearly the results of not doing it: suicide bombs, campaigns of terror, heavy-handed repression by occupying forces. That's on the large scale. On the smaller scale, we see broken marriages, shattered families, feuds between neighbours, divided churches.
These four steps process gives people a better chance to reconcile. So, the steps are:
1. Talk to that person, one on one. That needs courage, prayer and humility.
2. Get one or two persons to talk things out. You have those people to make a better judgment of whether you are wrong or not and they can be your witness if anything goes wrong.
3. Tell your church leaders.
4. If the person refuses to yield and be reconciled, they must be treated as an outcast.
Do you think this process works? Have you tried that before? If you have someone you cannot deal with or forgive, do you think if you can use this process to bring reconciliation?
Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to Jesus as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"
Spiritual Journal
What I heard from Jesus today is: The power of prayers with only two to three!
What I received from Jesus today is the fruit using Jesus' way to reconcile. What I sense from this passage is not only the process of conflict resolution and reconciliation. It is the fruit when you have one or two people to pray for that person. It's all about how important for Jesus to look at the issue of reconciliation and how we need to get one or two people to pray about that.
Do you think if you can start to get one or two people to pray regularly for more reconciliation to happen?
Dear Lord Jesus,
Help us to be able to use your way of conflict resolution to bring reconciliation and to be able to have one or two people to pray over those issues regularly. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
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