In both Matt 16:19 and Matt 18:18, Jesus talks of binding and loosing. There has been much debate over the years about the meaning of these verses, and it is important that we understand the difference between the blessing of spiritual authority and the stumbling-block of spiritual arrogance, and we need to approach such subjects with humility and reverence. Jesus is not giving us carte blanche here to do as we please and twist God’s arm to make Him do things He does not want to do. Rather, as we grow in our relationship with Him, we see the natural outworking of doing His will on earth, as it is in heaven.

In Matthew 18, the context of these words about binding and loosing is church discipline. Jesus is talking about what to do if a brother or sister sins. The first step is to talk to them personally about this: ‘go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.’ (Matt 18:15) If the matter can’t be resolved at that level, take two or three others with you to continue the discussion. If this is still not enough, the matter must be brought to the church and if they will still not listen, these are the grounds for excommunication. (Matt 18:16-17) The decision made on earth – whether to welcome the person back to fellowship if repentance is evident or to refuse them this privilege because of their refusal to repent – is ratified, so to speak, in heaven. The Greek is not quite as simple as ‘will be bound’ or ‘will be loosed’, which implies our action has an effect in heaven, that our action actually enforces what happens in heaven; it’s more a case of ‘will have been bound’ or even ‘must have been bound.’ One translator says, ‘whatever you forbid on earth must be already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth must be already permitted in heaven.’ (Charles Williams)

God does give us spiritual authority; Luke 9:1-2 gives us some idea of the scope of this authority, and John reminds us that ‘the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.’ (1 Jn 4:4) In a more general sense, we can see the idea of binding as something which is restrictive and loosing as something which is liberating. Isaiah talks about loosing the chains of injustice and untying the cords of the yoke to set the oppressed free. (Is 58:6) When Jesus healed a crippled woman, He told her that she was set free (or ‘loosed’ from her infirmity.) (Luke 13:12) The greatest loosing that can happen to anyone is when they are transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, but we may well need to be set free in a whole host of other areas – loosed from addictions, set free from anxieties and fears, liberated in praise and worship, delivered from powers that seem too strong for us, but which are no match for Jesus. All these things are possible with God. (Matt 19:26) As we grow closer to Him, He is able to give us the victory in all things and set us free from anything which would restrict us in our walk with Him. Sometimes that requires us to speak out in faith words that can act as keys to set free and to bind up, to unlock and to lock.

One of the many spiritual blessings God has promised His church is the keys of the kingdom of heaven (see Matt 16:13-20). The context for this blessing concerns the identity of Jesus, as He asks His disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ (Matt 16:13) It is interesting that He does not ask what people say He is doing, but who He is – and it’s clear that people regarded Him as special (‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ Matt 16:14) It’s not enough, however, for us to have second-hand knowledge of Jesus, and in Peter’s confession of Him as ‘the Messiah, the Son of the living God’ (Matt 16:16), we see how divine revelation is needed for us to fully appreciate who Jesus is. It will always take divine revelation, the work of the Spirit, to see and understand spiritual truth (see 1 Cor 2:8-13).

Understanding who Jesus is changes us too: Simon (the impulsive, changeable, volatile disciple who would go on to deny he even knew Jesus) is renamed Peter (the rock) by Jesus (Matt 16:18). Jesus sees beyond who we are now to who we can become in Him and reminds us that nothing can stop Him building His church. (Matt 16:18) We do not have to despair, because God provides all that we need to live for Him: ‘His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness’ (2 Pet 1:3) God’s miraculous provision, unceasing grace and desire to bless us provide the context for His words about the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

Keys can lock and unlock doors, and for anyone to enter the kingdom of heaven, there must be a new birth (John 3:3, 2 Cor 5:17-21). God has entrusted to us, His church, the message of reconciliation, and as we speak His words, we will find the veil lifted and salvation arriving (see 2 Cor 4:4, 2 Cor 3:16, Rom 1:16) God has given us keys to unlock situations and the words to bring life and freedom to others as we introduce them to the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. God is the God who can both open doors and shut them. ‘What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.’ (Rev 3:7) The key, although powerful, doesn’t boast of its own strength or power; it simply performs the job for which it was created. We have been created to do good works in God (Eph 2:10), created to be of service to our Lord, created to bring His light into every situation and every life we meet. We can give thanks for this blessing and seek to use these keys well, grateful for all the authority and trust God has placed in His people.

The family fun day at Houghton Road Centre on Wednesday, hosted by Thurnscoe Pentecostal Church and organised by Dearne Churches Together, was a great way to spend Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day! Despite the cold outside, which prevented us playing crazy golf, we had 103 people altogether over the day, engaged in a variety of love-themed crafts:

Josh from the Salvation Army had fun decorating a heart-shaped cake with great concentration:

The atmosphere was lovely with lots of great conversations:

Our thanks to all who attended or helped in any way!

I have lived in this area for almost thirty-one years and still I find new places to explore. Looking after my granddaughter has meant discovering a whole host of new playgroups and children’s activities in the area and it’s so good to know there are so many people serving the community.

The family centre in Bolton-on-Dearne offers playgroups on Tuesday and Friday mornings (the Tuesday morning is from birth to twelve months and the Friday morning is for toddlers) as well as help and advice with breastfeeding (first Tuesday of every month) and runs different specialist courses for Mums-to-be and new Mums (baby massage, baby yoga etc. as well as first aid courses.) Such things can be a great way of connecting with other parents and children.

Kiddy Winx on Thurnscoe Business Park (just off Fields End Roundabout) is a play area and cafe for under 5s which offers great food, two safe areas and also hosts a variety of activities, including Barnsley Music Bugs on Thursday mornings, a fantastic group introducing babies and toddlers to music, instruments and sensory learning.

Sensory Planet on the Thurnscoe Industrial Estate (Princess Drive) is a play area with a difference, suitable for babies and toddlers, but specifically geared to children with special needs such as autism who benefit from the tactile environment and range of sensory toys and equipment. This high-quality area gives people a safe place to go and is an invaluable resource in our area.

People often say there is little for people to do in our communities, but I’ve found a wealth of community-based activities. The local libraries at Goldthorpe and Thurnscoe are a great starting point for finding out what groups are available (art classes, sewing classes, woodwork classes, photography club, choirs and so on) and also offer Story & Rhyme sessions for little ones, and Dearneside Leisure Centre offers a range of activities for all ages.There really is an awful lot going on in our communities and it’s good to support the different groups who work tirelessly to make our communities great places to live. Thank you!

Elisha and his servant once faced a hostile army. (2 Kings 6:8-23) The servant was overawed by the force of the enemy’s army (2 Kings 6:15), but Elisha had confidence in God, assuring his servant that ‘those who are with us are more than those who are with them‘ (2 Kings 6:16) and praying ‘Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.’ (2 Kings 6:17) Ultimately, the servant’s eyes were opened to see ‘hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.’ (2 Kings 6:17) Spiritual vision can see the invisible and has faith in the sovereignty of God, even when it cannot see.

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians was for spiritual wisdom and enlightenment:  ‘I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. (Eph 1:17-19) We need spiritual vision to know God better, to take hold of the hope to which He calls us (a hope that is resilient and enduring), to live in the security of the inheritance God has for us and to access the power of God which is available to all who believe. Such vision will ensure we thrive spiritually, secure in the knowledge that God is in control and that He is working all things together for good (Rom 8:28-29).

Developing spiritual vision is something we must learn to do if we are to grow spiritually. The Bible is full of stories of people who had encounters with God: visions of God that forever changed their lives. We think of Isaiah, in the temple: ‘I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple’ (Is 6:1), a vision of the holiness of God which caused him to dedicate his whole life to serving God. (Is 6:8) We think of Ezekiel’s vision of God: ‘an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light’ (Ezek 1:4) which was the inspiration for a lifetime of creative, radical prophecy. We think of Daniel’s vision of ‘a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.’ (Dan 10:5-6) We think of Peter’s experience on the Mount of Transfiguration which he later described as being ‘eyewitnesses of His majesty.’ (2 Pet 1:16) We think of Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus when a dazzling light left him blinded but which gave him the courage and calling to be an apostle to the Gentiles. (Acts 9: 3-9) We think of John’s vision of the resurrected Jesus on the island of Patmos: ‘someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.’ (Rev 1:13), a vision which led to the book of Revelation. All of these encounters with God show us how spiritual visions can transform and shape our lives.

Whilst we cannot ‘make’ God appear to us in this way, the principles we use to teach children road safety have much to guide us in the art of preparing to encounter God.

STOP

We need to take time out of our busyness to stop and seek God. The context of that transfiguration which so affected Peter, James and John is prayer: Jesus took them up the mountain to pray. (Luke 9:28-29) When we pray, we actively stop our doing and enter into conversation with God. It’s in that place of communion and conversation that our spiritual eyesight is opened. As we draw near to God, He draws near to us. (James 4:8) Prayer must be both private and corporate. We need to stop and pray.

LOOK

A couple in love gaze adoringly at each other and never tire of telling the other of the beauty they see (‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’). Parents gaze in wonder at a newborn, counting the fingers and toes over and over again. We need to be prepared to gaze on the beauty of the Lord, to linger, to worship, to adore. The world says this is a waste of time, but we will never be ignited with passion for the Lord if we have not learned the secret of beholding…

LISTEN

We teach our children to listen for traffic as well as to look for it, and so in our relationship with God, we seek not only to see Him in all His glory, but to hear His voice, that voice of the Good Shepherd which will lead and guide us. (John 10:4) Listening is best done in silence; hence the need for quietness in our lives. ) When Peter, James and John are on the Mount of Transfiguration, they heard a voice from the cloud, God speaking to them, saying ‘This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.’ (Luke 9:35) Vision and hearing go hand in hand, it seems, and as we ‘see’ God, we also hear His voice, giving us new purpose and direction.

Practise the STOP – LOOK – LISTEN steps and seek to encounter God wherever you are.