Siyach

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

Romans 5:6-8

Have you ever heard of the “just in time” principle? It is a business term, referring to a practice of ordering stock or parts “just in time” to be used, so that the business doesn’t have to invest a lot of money in those parts, and in warehousing those parts, without seeing a return for a long time.

Just in time business is a way of reducing overheads, and keeping costs of production down so that the price of goods stays low, and profit can be made. And it makes perfect sense … until one part of the chain breaks down.

For example, I remember hearing some years ago that a car factory had to stop production because the staff of their paint supplier went on strike. The paint factory had to stop production for a few days, and as a result, after a couple of days the car factory ran out of paint and had to close also.

Hearing stories like this, and being raised to ‘be prepared’ as the old Girl Guide motto use to say, I am a planner. Since childhood, I always had plan A, plan B … plan Z. I remember lying in bed at night, planning what I would do if the other members of my family were all killed in a car accident at the same time; or if someone got hurt; or… you get the idea. I am not really a “just in time” sort of person. Being “just in time” is scary, because it means I am almost late. I *hate* being late. “Just in time” is stressful.

But over the years I have mellowed a bit. If I am driving in peak hour traffic, I always allow double travel time… and then some. But if there is an accident and it takes triple time, well I just shrug my shoulders, ask God to help me get there on time, ring and apologise as soon as I know I am going to be late, then switch on a CD or the radio, sit back and relax. It is out of my hands, and I did prepare – what is the point of stressing? I know I have done my best, God knows I have done my best, there is nothing that can be done.

But… if I know that I have stuffed up in some way… if I know I should have left earlier… if I have left the address at home, and got lost… then I find it hard to stay cool. I get angry at myself for not being diligent. I feel guilty and ashamed that I did not act responsibly. I ask God for help, but feel guilty asking, knowing I could have prevented the situation.

… just at the right time…

Do you know that God wants us to be in the “just in time” business? Only – there is no weak link in our supply chain

Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well. Don’t worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.

Matthew 6:31-34

Today I find myself appreciating once again God’s goodness and mercy in His timing, and the natural laws he instituted – in this case, sowing and reaping, giving and receiving, seeking first His kingdom and “these things” being added.

You see, due to my own stupidity and lack of diligence, I find myself with restricted finance for the time being.  Poor money choices, poor administration, and admittedly some contributing factors like becoming a single parent and losing 40% of the household’s income overnight, have meant that adjustments have had to be made. And as of the last few weeks, things were… well, I thought I might have to make some special arrangements to prevent bankruptcy.

Nevertheless, I have tried hard to maintain a practice of tithing, and of being generous, and of putting God’s work and supporting others before my own desires. And today it came full circle.

Last year, when I was in a better financial position, I gave some money to someone I love. I had forgotten exactly how much I had given – when I give money, it is never as a loan, it is a gift. If they repay, I am blessed, if they don’t, I don’t miss it. Today it was repaid.

So tomorrow morning, I should have enough money in the bank to pay my two most urgent bills. And the day after, enough to pay the rest, or pretty close to it.

Just at the right time… while I was still powerless to pay the debts created by my own sin… Christ paid again.

“The Law of the Spirit of Life,
The Law of the Spirit of Life,
The Law of Life in Christ my king
has set me free from everything.
The Law of the Spirit of Life has set me free.”

Romans 8v2: a chorus sung at church in the late 70s & 80s

Amazing, isn’t it, how we can know something and yet not live in its truth?

Following in the pattern set down last year, this year has continued to throw up challenge after challenge. In the closing months of last year, 3 families left our ministry. Then  on the last service before Christmas a dear friend and former pastor of the church advised me that they also were leaving for a trial period of 6 months, and wanted to be upfront with me about it. I was crushed. This couple have a real pastoring gift, something that is not strong in me, and I feared for the future of the church in their absence.

I spent the Christmas period seeking God, pleading, begging for His divine intervention. Asking Him to show me how to build the church up again. Wondering what was going to happen.

I came home to find that the church had shrunk even further. It was like an avalanche … what started as a little trickle became a flowing river – right out the door.

They left for a multitude of reasons. Yes, I was one of them. Thank God, He showed me the numerous other reasons … and the hidden reasons, the ones that no one would ever openly state. I say “thank God” because the condemnation nearly crushed me. People I thought knew me better made me scapegoat, and as pastor what else could I think? Surely it was my responsibility.

The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever puts his trust in Jehovah will be safe.

Proverbs 29v25

Yes. It was. It was my responsibility to do every day what I felt Him ask me to do. No more. No less. Some days I succeeded. Some days I didn’t. Thank God, there is NO condemnation in Christ. Only grace. Loving, accepting, embracing grace.

The Law of the Spirit of Life is setting me free from the Fear of Man.

Freed from the responsibility of shepherding, I have been able to spend more time focusing on business, something else I believe I have been called to, but have struggled with.

Growing up in a Christian environment that valued frugality, poverty was almost a virtue. At the very most, one should only have just enough to live barely comfortably. Certainly not in lavish opulence (abundance?), when one is able to give generously without taking food from one’s children!

But business is often viewed from that negative light, that place that says that a person who is rich must have deprived some poor soul from their money.

How, then, to reconcile a calling to generate abundant wealth with a fear of wealth? Or rather … a fear of what others will say if I possess wealth.

Today freedom became real in my spirit. God has called me. God gives good gifts. He doesn’t take pleasure in my virtue when seeing my slowly disintegrating fridge; he isn’t warmed by my spirituality when observing my broken vacuum cleaner; he isn’t made joyful when I am taken away from my work to do 2 loads of washing a day just for three people, because I only have a tiny washing machine; and he is not glorified when I climb out my passenger seat door because my driver’s side door hinge is broken. Not to imply that He wants to see me in a Rolls Royce necessarily, but I am not earning crowns for these things. I am not made more righteous, and He is not brought more glory. So why do I make it a spiritual thing?

He doesn’t mind if I want to buy a new fridge, washing machine, vacuum or car … or dishwasher, children’s bicycles, nice clothes, house, mansion … whatever. Unless He specifically directs me not to, or directs me to do things and I choose not to, it is my decision to make. And He gives good gifts.

At best, He is all for those things. At worst, unless otherwise notified, He doesn’t mind one way or the other.

So I don’t have to ask for these things, and then cover myself with requests that He save me from being sucked in by the sin of lust for money, as some people would insinuate. I don’t lust for money. I pant for Him. And while that is the case, I am free.

The Law of the Spirit of Life has set me free from Fear of Man again.

And it brings JOY!

If one of my followers sins against you, go and point out what was wrong. But do it in private, just between the two of you. If that person listens, you have won back a follower.

But if that one refuses to listen, take along one or two others. The Scriptures teach that every complaint must be proven true by two or more witnesses.

If the follower refuses to listen to them, report the matter to the church. Anyone who refuses to listen to the church must be treated like an unbeliever or a tax collector.

Matthew 18:15-17

I have been determined for the past few years to sort things out properly. If I had a problem with another person, I would try not to gossip about it to others, but instead simply approach the person and discuss the way I felt ’sinned against’.

Don’t hold grudges. On the other hand, it’s wrong not to correct someone who needs correcting.

Leviticus 19:17

However, recently I have met with a dilemma. What do you do when someone seems blind to how their actions affect another person?

If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet. Proverbs 29:9

Fools think they know what is best, but a sensible person listens to advice. Proverbs 12:15

All who refuse correction will be poor and disgraced; all who accept correction will be praised. Proverbs 13:18

A sensible person accepts correction, but you can’t beat sense into a fool.  Proverbs 17:10

Fools have no desire to learn; they would much rather give their own opinion. Proverbs 18:2

Regardless of how often they are approached and the problem explained, it seems to always be attributed to a communication breakdown, or “everyone else”. No change results from any of the confrontations. What then?

Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words. Proverbs 23:9

It would seem that the solution is simply to ignore them. To no longer correct them. To leave them to their own stupidity.

I have had such a situation in recent times. Spending time on speaking wisdom to a person who sees themselves as a “good” Christian – yet who has time and time again done unwise things, that have hurt other people. But to just ignore the person seemed… well, mostly it seemed as if I wasn’t following my own counsel of confronting the person and trying to “gain a brother”.

However, there is another way to look at it.

Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. Proverbs 19:11

“it is his glory” – literally, it is an ornament to him, he is adorned in honour and glory, who chooses to overlook an offense.

To “overlook” means to ignore, to shut one’s eyes to, to pardon. No grudge is kept, the offense is completely forgiven and pardoned.

Another meaning of “overlook” is to view from above, and in a very real way, pardoning or forgiving an offense where there is no remorse or repentance, or even knowledge or understanding of the offense by the offender, can only happen when the forgiver is in a ‘high’ place – a place of confidence and strength. And confidence and strength comes to those who place their trust in the Lord.

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble… Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. James 4:6, 10

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. Proverbs 18:10

We need not build walls in our hearts to protect ourselves, for the Lord IS our strong tower – we need only to humble ourselves to him, acknowledge that it is Him alone we live for, and that the opinions and hurts of others are irrelevant.

He gives us grace to overlook – and with grace, He also gives peace.

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered. And they gather and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you. In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you shall be My disciples.
(John 15:4-8)

But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
(Gal 5:22-23)

My whole life I have felt that I do not exhibit the fruit of the spirit in a way that glorifies God. I am impatient, direct, lacking in self control. And because I talk a lot, I betray my faults to others.

I have despaired at my failure – no matter what I do, I cannot display these fruit – with Paul I cry

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
(Rom 7:18-19)

And while I know that

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (Rom 8:1-2)

it doesn’t make me feel better, knowing that, as we saw above “In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit.”

It is only in the last year or so that the reality of the earlier part of that passage from John was revealed to me… that the fruit are produced by abiding, not by trying.

As so profoundly stated by Jedi Master Yoda in the Star Wars movies,

“Do or do not, there is no try.”

“Abide” – it is not a word we use now. The Greek word is

men’-o
A primary verb; to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy): – abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for), X thine own.

Continue in me? Dwell in me? Endure in me? The concept is still obscured by old language. Allan Barnes comments

Abide in me – Remain united to me by a living faith. Live a life of dependence on me, and obey my doctrines, imitate my example, and constantly exercise faith in me.
And I in you – That is, if you remain attached to me, I will remain with you, and will teach, guide, and comfort you.

It is a little clearer, but it wasn’t until I read a comment in a Christian book recently (and I would reference it if I could remember which one) that made the observation that we don’t have goals for the growth of our kids – we just know that if we feed them right, make sure they get sufficient exercise and sun, they will grow.

Likewise, if we are reading the bible, spending time in prayer and meditation, obeying the principals we know to be God’s, then growth of the fruit will happen. We don’t need to spend energy making the fruit grow – we need to spend energy providing a healthy spiritual environment and life, and the fruit will naturally grow.

What I had been doing was concentrating on the branches – “watering the branch and hoping an orange will grow” as my husband so aptly put it. Instead, my focus should have been on the graft into the rootstock – make sure the cut from my old roots was clean and sharp, dipped in grafting hormone of baptismal waters, get support with fellowship and accountability as my grafting tape, staying still in the graft, not picking myself up and trying a new location, reading the Word to be fed with the right nutrients, pray and meditate to expel the toxins. I know the rootstock is healthy and obtains all the nutrients it needs, and I know it will pass those nutrients to me. And just grow – naturally.

Thank God He gives me time

Many years ago, when in Europe searching for my purpose in life, it became apparent that God was not leading me to stay … which meant coming back to Australia… which I didn’t want to do . I didn’t know what I was supposed to do here, had no idea where He was leading

Isa 58:1-14
(1) Cry aloud, do not spare, lift up your voice like a ram’s horn, and show My people their rebellion, and the house of Jacob their sins.
(2) Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and one who did not forget the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in drawing near to God.
(3) They say, Why have we fasted, and You do not see? Why have we afflicted our soul, and You take no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and crush all your laborers.
(4) Behold, you fast for strife and debate, and to strike with the fist of wickedness; you shall not fast as you do today, to make your voice to be heard on high.
(5) Is it such a fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast and a day pleasing to Jehovah?
(6) Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed ones go free, and that you break every yoke?
(7) Is it not to break your bread to the hungry, and that you should bring home the wandering poor? When will you see the naked and cover him; and you will not hide yourself from your own flesh?
(8) Then shall your light break out as the dawn, and your health shall spring out quickly; and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of Jehovah shall gather you.
(9) Then you shall call, and Jehovah shall answer; you shall cry, and He shall say, Here I am. If you take the yoke away from among you, the pointing of the finger, and speaking vanity;
(10) and if you draw out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall your light rise in darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday.
(11) And Jehovah shall always guide you and satisfy your soul in dry places, and make your bones fat; and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters fail not.
(12) And those who come of you shall build the old ruins; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
(13) If you turn your foot because of the Sabbath, from doing what you please on My holy days, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of Jehovah, honorable; and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words,
(14) then you shall delight yourself in Jehovah; and I will cause you to ride on the high places of the earth, and feed yourself with the inheritance of Jacob your father. For the mouth of Jehovah has spoken.

For those who don’t know, Australians often refer to our vast, dry continent as “The Sunburnt Land” or “Sunburnt Country”. Among other sources, it is used in a song written by Geoff Bullock.

Australian Outback

GREAT SOUTHLAND

Chorus:
This is the Great South-land
of the Holy Spirit.
A land of red dust plains
and summer rains,
To this sunburnt land we will see a flood,
And to this Great South-land
His Spirit comes.

So at that time, reading from the NIV, all I saw was v11:

“The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”

Desert Stream

Verse 11 was a promise to me, that even though I had NO idea what I would do in Australia, God was still with me and would sustain me.

Isaiah 58 continues to be revealed to me – but I will add more another time

I love lighthouses.

I don’t know if it is their location (i.e. near the sea, which I adore) that attracts me, or the infinite variety of shape and type; maybe it is the historical architecture that draws me, or perhaps their stories (lighthouses always seem to have stories). Maybe it is just that they are so pretty at night… I have always loved night.

I grew up on the coast, and there were several lighthouses that could be seen from our lounge room window on a clear night.

I recently saw someone say of lighthouses

“they communicate to my heart and soul…I’ve been won over by them because to me, they speak of strength, consistency, loyalty, humility and direction. Lighthouses need not blow horns to call attention to themselves, they just stand in all their splendor and simply SHINE!” (emphasis mine).

So often we refer to Christians as needing to be a Lighthouse, or Jesus as a Lighthouse. I like the thought that a lighthouse needs not “call attention to themselves… simply shine”. Nevertheless, it is interesting that the illustration is unknown in the bible (I guess you would need a mighty big candle to have an effective lighthouse back then )*

Still, there are some great scriptures that have similar meanings.

Psalm 18:28 For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness. (CEV)

Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (KJV)

Proverbs 6:23 The Law of the Lord is a lamp, and its teachings shine brightly. Correction and self-control will lead you through life. (CEV)

Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: (KJV)

Proverbs 13:9 The lamp of a good person keeps on shining; the lamp of an evil person soon goes out. (CEV)

Proverbs 20:27 Our inner thoughts are a lamp from the LORD, and they search our hearts. (CEV)

Isaiah 62:1 For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until its righteousness goes out as brightness, and her salvation as a burning lamp. (MKJ)

Matthew 5:15 and no one would light a lamp and put it under a clay pot. A lamp is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. (CEV)

Luke 8:16 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl or under a bed. A lamp is always put on a lampstand, so that people who come into a house will see the light. (CEV)

Luke 11:33-36 No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a clay pot. A lamp is put on a lampstand, so that everyone who comes into the house can see the light. Your eyes are the lamp for your body. When your eyes are good, you have all the light you need. But when your eyes are bad, everything is dark. So be sure that your light isn’t darkness. If you have light, and nothing is dark, then light will be everywhere, as when a lamp shines brightly on you. (CEV)

2Peter 1:19 All of this makes us even more certain that what the prophets said is true. So you should pay close attention to their message, as you would to a lamp shining in some dark place. You must keep on paying attention until daylight comes and the morning star rises in your hearts. (CEV)

Kiluea Lighthouse

So…

1. The Lord God is a light
2. The word of God is a light
3. The commandment of God is a light
4. The law of God is a light
5. The lamp of a good person keeps shining
6. Our inner thoughts are a lamp from the Lord
7. Righteousness is a light, and salvation is a lamp
8. A lamp is for sharing
9. A lamp is to be used, not hidden from others, and not covered over
10. The “internal eye” (or self-awareness) causes us to see clearly – if we do not have good self-awareness, we can see nothing
11. The lamp communicates a message that is needed until Jesus comes again, when all the world will be in light, and even more in the hearts of believers

Pretty cool!

*Seems I underestimated the architectural abilities and desires of the ancient world… The first known lighthouse was at Alexandria.