Are you a gatherer or a scatterer?

I find I have been doing some thinking recently about the way I live my life. As an unfinished human specimen I find I still have to be honed! My Debs can confirm that for you if you like!

In particular  thinking about something that I stumbled across that Jesus said

“Anyone who is not for me is really against me; anyone who does not help me gather is really scattering."
Matthew 12:30 GNT

Quite a challenging statement that he fired at some Religious nit pickers who had taken issue with him for healing on the sabbath.

I believe Jesus is talking to people with faith and saying if you are not helping him by gathering people into the "Kingdom of God" you are actually dispersing them.

Jesus came in order to build the Kingdom of God. This is not a temporal or physical Kingdom. It is a spiritual Kingdom where God reigns in a spirit of loving kindness.

Maybe you don't know that there is such a thing as the Kingdom of God? Let God speak to your heart on this. Love is not a tangible thing. We cannot touch love. Yet it is the most important thing in our life. Pure, true, honest love is what makes us joyful. God is love as it says in the bible. If we found our lives on a foundation of loving actions we become "gatherers" - by our decisions we become builders.

It is better to build, it is better to bless than to curse

Love builds slowly but can be demolished quickly.

For reflection:

Psalm 94:16 NIV

Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?

I have posted watchmen on your walls, they will never be silent day or night

God speaks every day, he didn't create the world and then go silent. He has continued to communicate with every heartbeat of every living creature since. He speaks his message to us in different ways.

Some of his "speaking" is not a literally audible message. But as the Psalm says "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.  They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.  Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. "

There is a paradox there. But the point is whether acknowledged or denied God's influence continues. The mystery of our continued life is in his hands.

Sometimes we say "I don't get God" or "I can't believe in a creator of THIS world." Yet to stand and look at nature's glory is a wonderful thing. To be a parent and hold a new born baby in your hands is an amazing thing. To know that you have participated in creation is a wonderful thing. Your child has grown cell by cell after it's conception.

The miracle of life needs attribution. I attribute it to a loving God.

Even the circulation system for our blood is an amazing thing. Debs and I are big fans of the American TV series "Mythbusters" - there was one glorious episode where they were trying to test a movie myth and Jamie made a circulatory system to go inside a dummy, so they could test how quickly hypothermia comes on. Jamie did a brilliant job with copper tubing and achieved his purpose but I have to say God's version is a lot neater and lasts a lot longer!

A lot of the reason I write this blog is because I am trying to learn to listen to God's creation and what it has to say to me. And also learning to listen to what God has to say in other ways to me.

For example I believe that the Bible is God breathed, inspired with his words for us. So there are insights in it to guide us. Another way that God influences me is through coincidences with scripture and also discussion of it with friends and family. Quite often these "coincidences" occur where the same passage comes to my attention in different ways in the same week. It can be that they crop up as much as three or four times. When that happens I feel that God has a point to make and I need to listen!

That happened with Isaiah 62:4-6 NIV

No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah ; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married.  As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.  I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord , give yourselves no rest,

and with Isaiah 64:8-9 NIV

Yet you, Lord , are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.  Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord ; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all your people.

Both these passages spoke to my heart and reminded me of things that I needed to be aware of and actions I needed to take. Slowly God takes us on a journey.

Watchmen shouldn't be silent by the way! They are to be there on the ramparts watching the winnowing of the Spirit and ready to cry out "Our God saves." We are in new and different season of the Spirit and if we pay attention to the things of God we should be preparing. I know God has made it clear to me there are some things he expects from me.

This is what he seemed to say to me the other morning, I feel it is for others too.

"Extend your boundaries oh faithful ones. Listen to the Lord, ask him to show you who to speak to. Ask him to bless your actions and speak through you in the power of his glorious name. Listen to his voice - let him guide you into the path of righteousness. Let your sins fall behind you like autumn leaves in a fast flowing stream "

Please test my words in your heart.

May Jesus,  lead you by the hand to receive healing and wholeness. And May God bless you in the name of the Father,  Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen

Marsh Warbler

Let me tell you about the Marsh Warbler. John and I were on one of our birding trips and we were going down one of the less trodden paths on the reserve. Something made us stop and take note. From one bush was coming all this bird song... A seemingly impossible amount of birds in the reed bed. It took us a while to understand what was going on. One bird, a little Marsh Warbler, was mimicking the voice of other birds. John counted that it was imitating eight other identifiable bird songs as well as it's own. But amongst this amazingly there was unidentifiable song too. Possibly from Africa.

We were on this spot for about an hour and half. Listening and enjoying the performance but also trying to see the bird itself. We were finding it impossible to get a clear view of this rare little fellow. Eventually, in desperation I said a little prayer along the lines of "I don't deserve this Lord but please let us see him" - shortly after a chaffinch came in and dive bombed the Marsh Warbler and it broke cover and sat on a branch for a short while singing his heart out. Enough time for us to confirm identification. Then he disappeared. Great joy!

On the way home we were chatting. We were saying persistence and patience had paid off. We were on that spot for quite a while, at least an hour and a half, and got passed by a few other birders. Me being me said to John, prayer is like that. We sometimes give in too quickly. We don't spend enough time waiting for the Lord to show himself like that. It's true we need persistence and patience in prayer too. And humility is a factor, honest humility, God is good, bigger and better than us. When we acknowledge him as father he will bless us.

The other thing that struck me is, like the Marsh Warbler we disguise our real voices sometimes. To hide maybe, or to protect ourselves, but we should really allow our real voice to be heard. I wanted to hear the real song of the Marsh Warbler too. I am not sure I ever did. God wants our real voice in prayer. We need to be vulnerable to God. It is Yahweh who is - I am not the great "I am" God is the one who deserves to be honoured.

Dear Lord, thank you for our everyday lives. We thank you that you are the God of both the ordinary and the extraordinary. Bless us please again today. Amen

Husbandry

Mmm so do I dare write about this stuff? I feel prompted to do so but surely this way danger lies!

So, we celebrated our first wedding anniversary last weekend. We had a lovely trip away to the hotel we spent our honeymoon night in. The hotel is a former vicarage in lovely grounds. The owner cooked us a lovely meal. The following morning as Debs got ready to go down to breakfast I found myself watching a program on Fruit Trees. They interviewed a man about the national collection of apple trees. They aim to have at least one tree of each variety. He was a mature man and gentle in his speaking. But he had a confidence about his speaking. I was struck when he referred to his work, which has been going on for many years as "Husbandry." I thought to myself then as he said it - I must think about that.

I grew up in a home where our father was absent. So I don't have an observed understanding of what a husband does. It means that I have missed some of life's lessons.

Husbandry is such a rarely used word these days I thought I would look it up. It turns out that it is an agricultural word about the judicious use of resources to get better crops etc. I am guessing that the better farmer, orchard keeper you were, the better husband you were to your wife in terms of provision.

God himself tells Israel "I have been like a husband to you" - so I find myself thinking about the last year and asking myself what I have learnt about being a husband.

A husband is there to bless his wife. To stand with her in life's storms as well as life's joys. To laugh with your wife as well as to cry with her.

Husbandry is also about making good use of the resources of the marriage for your joint mission. I am not just talking about material resources. I am also talking about spiritual gifting. God has given Debs and I complementary spiritual gifts. When we find our ministry niche as a couple we will be a blessing.

The husband might be required to be mission leader, vision holder, Holy Spirit fire starter. Debs is content for me to lead on some things and I know she leads better on others. We believe in mutual submission. Faithful love and as the song says "we are better together."

We are a House of Prayer in obedience to God's will for our life.

Debs and I keep short accounts. That is we don't let things fester when we argue and we forgive each other quickly. "don't go to bed mad - stay up and fight!" as the saying goes.

It is a year since our Australian Beach blessing (a week after our marriage). I will add a link below to what Kev Budge said at our blessing in Caloundra.

God showed me this today - Psalm 37:8-9 NIV "do not fret—it leads only to evil.  For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land"

We are called to life in all it's fullness. To embrace it with joy.

For reflection:

They say a couple relates to each other in the following five ways

Social
Sexual
Spiritual
Emotional
Intellectual

Which ways do you fit your partner? Is God calling you to do anything different today?

Dear Lord, please bless our lives and our love, make both more pure. Give us again the joy of your presence. Amen

Collision course

Our bird feeder is quite near the side of our house. We have been visited daily by a little chaffinch who has been visiting the feeder. At 6am yesterday, bless him, he took again to his favourite activity of dive bombing our Windows. He is the only bird doing it and we have got so used to him doing it that we know that the tap, tap, tap sound is him again and so sometimes will lurch out of bed to look at him. So we have learnt from his behaviour. He however has learnt nothing from these collisions beak first with our double glazing. They must be painful for his little beak. 

This has been going on in my week of listening to God about the future. It made me think have there been times in my life where I have been like that chaffinch. Repeating behaviours or actions without drawing any conclusion as to whether they were good for me, even though sometimes they hurt more than banging a beak against glass!! I think, to be truthful, yes at times I have been like that chaffinch. So that set me thinking on the whole area of how do I live my life?

At a logical level it makes sense to humanly concentrate on the things that build me up or fulfil me. 

There is a quote in the book Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks which captures what we sometimes realise - "There's nothing more than to love and be loved.”

To me to give and receive love is what makes the difference between a life well lived and one of despair. And that also having love in my life enriches our Spirit. 

It may not be fashionable to acknowledge it but we are also spiritual creatures. as well.  We have our bodies and our mind and we have a spiritual life which needs nourishment too. 

I am still ploughing on with the book Undaunted by Christine Caine but have had to slow down in case I miss something important. I did however get as far as this phrase  "choose to trust the Creator of the universe, the one who hung the moon and placed the stars and fixed the sky." 

I choose life, I choose love, I choose as Christine says "to trust the creator" - I hope you can too. I invite you to share something that gives me strength.

For Reflection:

"whoever loves is a child of God and knows God" 1 John  4:7 GNT

"there is no fear in love; perfect love drives out all fear" 1 John 4:18 GNT

Our loving father in heaven, sometimes we have to go  back to your feet to learn. Help me to receive your knowledge and your gifts for my life. Amen

(above is a photo of the Chaffinch - we couldn't catch him on camera colliding with the glass!  This is one of his perching looking in moments)

Be still and know that I am God

I am not writing a blog this week. Standing back and pondering the above, seeking guidance about the future.

Psalm 46:10 NIV

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

The poor

The Lord hears the cry of the poor;blessed be the Lord! Psalm

Looking at his disciples, he said:  “Blessed are you who are poor,     for yours is the kingdom of God.
Luke 6:20 NIV

The second quote is from Jesus and part of a longer passage.

Here was a man whose words were like fire.

Even now Jesus words can penetrate our comfortable world and challenge us so that we can dare to be different.

Here is a man who presents to us an altered perception of what it means to be living the human life. Here is a man whose words can make us question our existing value system and drag us out of our introspection.

Jesus trades in paradox. We start to listen to him and when we hear him say "BLESSED", "POOR", "KINGDOM OF GOD" in the same sentence we begin to question what he could possibly mean.

The Good News translation even says "Happy" instead of "Blessed "How can poor people be happy? How can the hungry be satisfied? In a way the beatitudes are one of the most frightening passages that Jesus teaches. Because what he says invades our life. We spend most of our lives working hard to feed our family, clothe them, pay a mortgage, buy a car (and of course be a success in the process) and yet Jesus comes close to us in today's gospel and says "alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now."

It is not something that we should explain away or dilute. Jesus words are addressed to us all at an individual level. To each one who listens they are a challenge. They are a challenge to our hearts and directly to our interior lives. Jesus is prompting us in a very direct way to change the orientation of our lives, so that we put the God who Is Love first and everything else second. He is inviting us to have spiritual integrity and part of having this is to be able to detach from material possessions so that they no longer own us.

You could also say that Jesus words are addressed to us so that we change our hearts from stone to compassionate hearts of flesh. This invitation is from a Jesus who wants to usher in the new reign of God. A lot of the teaching in the gospel of Luke is about the "Kingdom of God" and how to bring it into our lives. Jesus expects his followers to be "yeast" in society, to have integrity. Changing society by their very presence. If our hearts are in the right place then this starts to happen. Christians are not called to be passive. If our faith does anything for us at all it should stir us into a more pure kind of love which isn't at all selfish.

...and yes then the beatitudes start to come true. We are happy (or happier) when we change and live by the gospel.

Of course we are only human and will struggle with temptation and even fall back at times. But what we need to watch is that the direction of our lives is going the right way. That is towards God and towards each other and not the other way... We need to set our rudder straight. Set our love straight. Set our integrity straight and head for the goal. Then rich or poor becomes irrelevant. I remember a good friend reminding me that we pray daily for our food in the Lord's prayer "give us this day our daily bread"

Dear Jesus, I have so much help me to know this and to live fully as an heir to the kingdom. Amen