Gurgle Gurgle go God’s Plans Down the Drain 

Tairawhiti¾“The coast upon which the sun shines across the water”. 

In New Zealand it is where the sun first rises over the mainland.  On one side the area is surrounded by the western Pacific Ocean and on the others by rugged and mountainous hills bounding the province north, south and west. 

It was to Ruatoria in the northern part of this Eastland heartland of the Ngati Porou Maori people, that three of us went to spend time with Phillip Keelan, for the purposes of prayer and fasting and seeking the Lord Jesus for direction. 

Michael To’o, a brother we’ll call “Ian”, and myself, arrived with Phil at the beginning of the week. 

Phil himself of Ngati Porou descent was staying and working on a farm which had absentee Maori owners, and the empty homestead we were in provided the quiet and sanctuary that we each  needed for spending time seeking the face of the Lord Jesus.  Ian was out of work and needed God’s help as strangely for him nothing was opening up as it normally would by God’s grace. 

Like all such times there was little immediately to report, lawn mowing and other things to help the unsaved owners, is about all that happened at first. 

Then one day the brother we are calling “Ian”, went up the hill to pray about returning to Auckland later that morning.  As said, he was out of work and desperately needed guidance and provision from the Lord.  Ian was away quite a long time. 

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And when Ian came back down the hill, he looked quite surprised.  In fact almost shocked.   Unexpectedly the Lord had shown him something that he utterly did not expect. 

Ian told us that God had revealed to him that He was going to arrange a very well paying position for Ian far above his wildest dreams, and that the money was to go towards providing a ministry base for Michael and myself and also others who the Lord was going to lead into full time ministry.  (Unknown to us Phil Keelan was soon also to be called into full time ministry for the Lord in the South Island of New Zealand and the USA.  Phil in 2008 is still about the Lord’s work there.) 

Ian was unsure what he wanted though! And said that he was struggling with the whole concept of using money for other people.  He actually believed that God would get him this very high paying job, but initially wanted to keep all the money for himself. 

We all encouraged him to stay true to what God was telling him to do as it would prove to be more important than any of us could know, as it came from the Lord Jesus. We warned him how serious and solemn it all was and how if he did it, he must stay true to what God told him. 

Ian left and a few days later sent word that he had decided to do what the Lord Jesus had revealed to him.  He arrived in Auckland and visited Christopher a common friend of us all in Christ. 

Christopher had exciting news for Ian.  He knew that he needed work and  through connections of his own  knew of a contracting job coming up to do with laser guided hanging of ceilings in office blocks.  The remuneration was exceptional, with after tax takings of thousands over a relatively few weeks at a time. 

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Everyone who now knew the testimony of how God had spoken to Ian were very excited.  It was wonderful to watch as God fulfilled His word to him. 

God helped Ian learn the skills required, and soon he reported that he was bringing in substantial amounts of money. 

Michael and I were kept busy ministering in other parts of New Zealand.  And eventually three or more months went by, but no news from Ian about progress on the ministry base. 

So we contacted Ian and asked how things were going.  He said that the contract work had come to a stand still.  Michael and I were camped and outreaching  in the Far North.  So I travelled down to Auckland to pick Ian up.  Michael took Ian out fishing one evening and slowly it came out that Ian had been pouting over the fact that the money was not all going to be his.  When that had begun, the contracts dried up. 

We spent some time trying to encourage Ian that it was the Lord Jesus Who had personally spoken to him about what He wanted him to do, and then moved to actually bring it to pass, getting him the work. 

We shared on how we had seen the Lord bless so many through the very kind of plan that God had given Ian to be part of. 

God ministered to Ian over the days he was with us up North, and by the time I returned him to Auckland, his heart had been restored to God’s purposes.  And the contracts started flowing again! 

Some three to four months went by and Ian said he had received a lot of payments, but he was saying nothing about progress on the ministry base.  In fact by then, from what he had said to us, he’d have had enough for a pretty good deposit on something, let alone leasing or renting it! 

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Unexpectedly one day while in Tauranga area, the Holy Spirit told me to go to Auckland and pick Ian up from where he was working that day.  Ringing him again from the Bombay Hills, Ian said he would meet me much later at a common friend’s place. 

Still the Lord really strongly nudged me and I believed that I was to gently insist on picking him up.  Ian said to meet him at the Viaduct Basin (where the Americas Cup had been held). 

He wasn’t staggering, but he seemed unable to walk normally, and then as he approached I smelt it on his breath.  Slowly he confessed that he had been drinking on a yacht in the Viaduct Basin. 

We went back to where he was staying, and I believed the Lord said to go through his receipts and invoices with him.  He had received a ton of money, and his outgoings were minute in comparison. 

But he could not explain where the money had gone. 

Bit by bit it came out that he met most afternoons with other contractors in boutique bars, and in a showy way he shouted rounds of drinks that cost $9 ¾ 30 per person.  Ian had used the money to present himself as a wealthy member of a glossy chique community of sophisticated sinners in the heart of Auckland City. 

Untold thousands and thousands, of money designated by the Lord for His works and workers, had been selfishly washed down the sewer. 

To support this lifestyle Ian had started demanding more money from the main contractor, had offended him, and  now he was frozen out from getting more work. 

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I had to help him even manage getting his last payments out of that man.  Ian was now actually in more debt than he had been when he started the job. 

As time went by it has been hard to believe if Ian ever really deeply  repented before God of the whole affair. 

He has gone on to stumble from one situation to another doing similar things, additionally ending up in sexual immorality again, and more arguments with his employers.  As of October 2007 (many years latter), he still does not know how many illegitimate children he is responsible for in total, he’d made no effort to find or provide for them. 

And the intended ministry base never came to pass by other means.  Meanwhile a dear friend in Christ has made his property available to Michael and I for which we are very grateful. 

¶  “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.    But if you harbour bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.     Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 

“For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.     But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace–loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.     Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. 

¶  “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?   You want something but don’t get it.  You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want.  You quarrel and fight.  You do not have, because you do not ask God.    When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 

“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred towards God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.                       James 3:13–4:4 

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