ALIGNING WITH THE PLUMBLINE OF GOD - 20 Nov 2007

A word from Victor Lorenzo

2007 has been a year full of contrasts, contradictions, dichotomy, shadows, mixed things and conflicts, a year where purity of heart, intentions, attitude, mind and action have been difficult to find.  It is like the mixture of good and evil produce a prevailing sense of ruin and perversion, like having a barbecue ready to eat and someone comes and spits on it - you know that fire purifies but the disgust you feel prevents you from eating or enjoying it!

Many amazing and good things happened this year, a lot of them things that I waited for many years to come to fruition, but still there is a residue of a bitter taste. Examining everything and retaining the good is a hard exercise, the bad things seem to be highlighted and at full volume!

For me in particular, these past months have comprised extraordinary expansion on one side and incredible restriction on the other, like a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde type of situation.  As the Apostle Paul says, “the things I want to do I don’t do, and the things I don’t want to do I do”, and even knowing the answers finding it difficult to break the patterns of contradictions.  In other situations with everything in place and order to get the results and fruits I was expecting and working for, I experienced delays and impediments that were impossible to explain until the exposure of hidden agendas, passive resistance and occult sins that undermined the possibilities outside my sight, discernment and knowledge.

Choosing between life and death, truth or lies, light or darkness, peace or war, unity or separation, love or fear, confession or pretension has been the tension and fight of every day.  In this environment the battle against frustration and disappointment has been titanic.  Expecting much and receiving less than promised, going for 20 and reaching 10 has happened on a regular basis, almost every situation has been a reflection of this.  Promises that didn’t manifest to their fullness are what I gave and received, not because of lying (in the majority of cases), but for a lack of sufficient strength and limitation in personal capacity; the intention was there but the outworking failed.

At the beginning of October I asked God for wisdom and understanding to deal with this worrying and growing situation that I discovered was not only my experience, but that of every person I shared it with. God led me to meditate in two scriptures in the Old Testament, Amos 5 and Haggai 2. These are my thoughts and reflections that I want you to weigh and meditate on and to see if they are relevant to you.

·         God is seeking for integrity in His people and is determined to make it happen even if He has to intensify the level of discipline that is required.

·         He has had enough of our conscious contradictions, the things that we cover up, our pretensions, our double standards, and the compartmentalisation of our lives.

·         Our spiritual life, that which we usually call church (congregation, worship, offerings, etc) means nothing to Him unless our daily life is manifesting the reality of Jesus and the Holy Spirit outworking from within us, not pretending to be perfect, but coming under His light in the path of sanctification and daily transformation. The higher expression of worship is our obedience manifested in the fruits of our every day work.

·         God is asking us to come to His presence as we are today, not taking refuge in the past or the experiences of yesterday, nor returning to the old to give us the answers. God wants us to find Him today to deal with our yesterday and open up a different future which is not just a reflection of the past.

·         God is raising the standard for the believer in the market place and his relationship with money (the root of every evil is in the love of money).  Every business practice based in the priority of serving personal gain will be challenged, every expression of generosity that is speculative will be exposed and every use or abuse of the world’s ways of business will be exposed and judged by God.  Whatever is called a blessing of God, pretending holiness that is rooted in ambition, injustice, oppression to the poor, bribery, or deception will be cursed.

·         God’s judgment is before us, we are called to choose good so we may live.  He will judge His house first before judging the world, and the outcome can result in exile and captivity or in conquering and blessing depending on what we choose.

·         He wants to bless us to be a blessing to others, to give us the fullness of the harvest, to make us fruitful 30, 60, 100 times.  All potential and possibility is open and at hand.

·         God wants us to recognise Him as the only source of life, blessing, strength and capacity.  Living in the limitation of our own strength, power and abilities is only arrogance and pride. He resists the proud but embraces a repenting sinner.

·         Those who are successful in the eyes of the world can be a failure in the eyes of God. He wants to lead His people in the market place to bring transformation through generosity, servant leadership, foundational government and justice. He wants us to reach satisfaction and contentment to be free of speculation and to enrich us in everything to be generous on every occasion.

“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace,

who called you to His eternal glory in Christ,

will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen"