Have You Read It?

Posted on November 30, 2020 by drgause@agause.com

“Do you understand what you are reading?” TheEthiopian eunuch answered Phillip, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” (Act 8:30-31). In the parable of the sower, Jesus explained, When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart (Mat 13:19). Understanding is crucial. My original intent for this SW was how to better understand the Bible. However, while preparing this thought, I read several studies that raddled me to the core. Rarely do statistics have this affect, but these showed a much greater issue.

But despite the large percentage of Americans who believe the Bible is the word of God, only one-third of Americans read it at least once a week—15 percent read it daily and only another 18 percent read it one or more times a week. Another 12 percent read the Bible less than weekly, but at least once a month. More than half of all Americans read the Bible less than once a month, including 24 percent who say they never read it and 6 percent who can’t recall the last time they read the Bible  (George Gallup Jr. Jim Castelli). Of over 2 billion Christians in the world, less than 30% will ever read through the entire Bible. The fact is over 82% of Christian Americans only read their Bibles on Sundays while in church (Ponce Foundation).

Immediately, this thought raced through my mind, “No wonder believers and our nation are in such a mess!” My life verse is Hosea 4:6, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. I’ve spent my life helping people better understand the Word of God. But if people don’t read it, how can they understand it? This begs the question, why don’t people read God’s Word?

The excuse I’ve heard most throughout my ministry, “I’m too busy and don’t have the time.” Yet, in all honesty, that’s probably the worse and the most dishonest reason one can make. That would be like a starving individual saying, “I never have enough time to eat.” The first step is to examine your priorities in life. Going to a ball game or watching a TV program, etc. never takes priority over reading the Bible. I advise those who don’t read to begin reading for ten minutes a day and you will soon want to read more. Others say, “I don’t understand it when I read it.” One mistake people make is they begin at the front of the book by reading Genesis. If they make it to Leviticus, they stop.  Even worst, they immediately begin reading Revelation. Start by reading John’s Gospel and then read Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Others say the Bible is just ancient history and irrelevant in our modern culture. Although the Bible contains history and science, that is not its intended purpose. It is a revelation of Christ and tells us God’s original plan, how that became corrupt, and how He provided for man’s restoration through His Son Jesus. God does not change; He is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb 13:8). The words of Scripture are as relevant, compelling, and current today as the day they were written.

Not reading the Bible leaves us without knowledge about how to live the Christian life; we will become spiritually malnourished; the biblical illiterate person can easily be deceived and defenseless against the attacks of Satan. Imagine going into war with a nation without any ammunition or information about our enemy. Without knowledge of the Bible, we can only assume the character of God. Jesus told the apostles, the Holy Spirit . . . will bring to your remembrance all that I said to you (Jn 14:26). For us, we know what Jesus said by reading the Gospels. For the Holy Spirit, to bring to remembrance, we must have something in our minds to remember.

Note several other truths about reading the Word. At times, it will make all of us uncomfortable; those with sin in their life stay willfully ignorant because their deeds of darkness do not enjoy exposure to light. Second, we’re not meant to understand everything in the Bible the first time we read it. If we did, we could read it once and put it on our shelf. Christianity is a lifelong journey. I’ve been studying the Bible for almost five decades and I still don’t understand every verse but learn more each time I read it. And third, understanding is not a deep theological comprehension, but a practical knowledge of how to live daily in our contemporary times.

Peter reminds us we are born again through the living and enduring word;  for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God (1Pe 1:23). The values, wisdom, and truths of the Bible are timeless and a guidebook to all we need as a Christian. Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence (2Pe 1:3).  

Sustaining Word for the Week: The question is not Do you understand what you are reading? But have you read?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Have You Read It?

Thanksgiving Officially Canceled

Posted on November 23, 2020 by drgause@agause.com

You may be sitting on a pile of rubble, the remains of all you ever possessed. For others, their pile of rubble is in the cemetery. They can only kneel at tombstones with the names of their loved ones taken in the pandemic. For many, their lives, their emotions, their feelings, and their dreams have crumbled, leaving them with just a pile of unrecognizable rubble of what used to be. The chaos and uncertainty of the past year have challenged even strong believers’ faith. You may be asking yourself, “what do I have to be thankful for?” It has been said, “Before complaining about what you don’t have, give thanks you still have the breath to complain.”

Tragedy and disaster are like a fog that drifts over one’s life and hides the blessings they still have. If you’ve ever been caught on a lake in your boat, you know there are houses in all directions and the landing where you launched, but you can’t see beyond the bow of your boat. No reason to panic but rest in the fact the heat of the sun will evaporate the droplets causing the fog. Dark clouds of a storm can cover the sun, moon, and stars for days, but no storm changes the reality that above the clouds, the sun is still shining as it has since creation.

We are a consumer-driven society, always focused on what we do not have. This mind-set ignores what we do have.  We can become stuck in discontentment believing ‘one-more’ will make us happy. How often do we take for granted the little things that have become so routine and expected we never stop and realize them as blessings from God? We never give a second thought to grabbing a clean, cold bottle of water out of the refrigerator when millions around the world drink from muddy streams.

This truth may be difficult to grasp at first, but none the less true— ‘Your life is not about you’. We exist for the glory of God. “The people whom I formed for Myself Will declare My praise (Isa 43:21) also note this translation, the people I made especially for myself, a people custom-made to praise me (MSG). The Westminster Shorter Catechism says, “What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”  God made us to glorify Him. Paul reminds us, Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own (1 Corin 6:19)? Psychologists tell us thanksgiving is the healthiest human emotion. It produces more positive emotional energy than any other attitude in life.

Examples are all through scripture telling us of people who gave thanks to God when their circumstances dictated the opposite. Then Jonah prayed to his God from the belly of the fish. . . But I’m worshiping you, God, calling out in thanksgiving (Jonah 2:1, 7 MSG)!  A collision of three nations came against the tiny nation of Judah—Moab, Ammon, and Meunites. King Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to the Lord. The following day marching toward the battle, he put the Levites ahead of the troops. They sang to the Lord and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, “Give thanks to the Lord” (2Ch 20:21). When Judah came to the lookout of the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground, and no one had escaped (v24). For Job, everything was gone. Note his response to this horrible news. Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped.  He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God (Job 1:20-22).

I could give many more instances, but we must not miss Jesus’ example. He had spent three days teaching and healing a multitude of 5000 men plus their wives and children. He desired to feed them before sending them home, but His disciples could only find five loaves of bread and two fish. Instead of grumbling at His disciple that this was not enough, He took what He had and give thanks. “Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks” (Matt 14:19 NIV). They were all satisfied, and twelve baskets were leftover.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thess. 5:18).

The verse says we are to give thanks “in” all circumstances NOT “for” all circumstances. The foundation and focus of giving thanks are God and not what you possess. Thanksgiving is not merely a yearly event; it is a daily act of faith.

Sustaining Word for the Week: Only you can cancel Thanksgiving, but even if you are sitting on a pile of rubble, Give thanks to the Lord [WHY?] for He is good; His love endures forever (Psa 106:1).

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Thanksgiving Officially Canceled

Same Ole, Same Ole!

Posted on October 19, 2020 by drgause@agause.com

By faith he [Abraham] lived (Heb 11:9). The writer of Hebrews outlines four stages of Abraham’s journey of faith. He began with faith to go to a land God would show him and give him (v8); Second, by faith, he lived in the land of promise, (v9); Third, after 25 years of just living, he progressed in his faith to believe for a miracle that Sarah at age 90 would give birth to a son (v9); Finally, by faith, he followed the Lord’s instruction to sacrifice his son Isaac (v17). Of course, God accepted Abraham’s obedience to the point of raising his knife and spared Isaac’s life. The purpose of this SW focuses on ‘faith to live’. Believers may not realize the amount of faith it requires just ‘to live’. Abraham and Sarah had a few exciting moments, but overall the 25 years between the promise and birth of Isaac their life was mostly routine—in other words, same ole, same ole.

Their daily routine went much like the average couple today. The husband got up, ate breakfast, and went to work; for Abraham, it was managing his sheep business. Sarah, like wives today, got up before everyone else and prepared breakfast. During the day she managed her household, cleaned, and prepared the evening meal. When they retired for bed, both knew they would get up and do the same things again tomorrow. I wonder if the promise of a son was prevalent in their thoughts. Did Sarah inform Abraham every month, “No, baby this cycle?” Or was there conversations like, “Abe, you must have misunderstood what God said! I’m too old for this.” With years of same ole, same ole, did they give up? We do know they tried to help God out by Abraham impregnating Sarah’s handmaid, Hagar, as a surrogate to birth Ishmael who they adopted. However, this turned into a lifelong source of pain. But when Abraham and Sarah returned to just living, God blessed them with Isaac.

When an acquaintance or friend asks, “How’s life these days?” Without even thinking, you respond, “Same ole, same ole.” They might reply, “I know you attend a great church.” “That’s also the same ole—three songs, a prayer, the offering, and another boring sermon.” The first step out of such a rut is admitting it to yourself and telling God exactly how you feel. I’ve heard people say, “Why try? My prayers don’t get beyond the ceiling”. That’s the first lie Satan tells you. God is not up there above the ceiling. He is in the room with you; in fact, the Holy Spirit is there in your heart even when you don’t ‘feel’ His presence. The second step is to examine how you arrived at this place.

All of us start life, especially as adults striving to find your comfort zone. Normally, people will reach a point when they have their basic needs met. They live in an adequate home that provides shelter from heat, cold, and rain. They have plenty of food, nice clothes to wear, have people to love them, and they have gained esteem from co-workers and neighbors. Some will have grown children with children of their own—your grandchildren. You have all your needs met to enjoy comfort, but you are miserable. Even worse is when you fall into a spiritual comfort zone. I experienced this after I completed my graduate work and was pastoring in a great church. I worshipped God daily and continued learning the Word. I was comfortable having everything I ever desired, but miserable at the same time. I asked the Lord what I was doing wrong. His answer was simple. “You have stopped growing spiritually. You compare yourself with the two most spiritual people you know—your home pastor and a former professor who both have been mentors. Great men, but they can never be the benchmark of maturity. Jesus is the standard for which you must strive.” Since that day I’ve looked at Jesus in Scripture and then looked at myself, I felt like Isaiah, Woe is me (6:5).  

The events of the past year with quarantines, isolation to your house, unable to attend church or normal events have certainly pushed people toward a different life-style which can rapidly become, same ole, same ole. One thing that never changes about the future is it doesn’t remain static. It is always changing. Life as we have known it will never be the way it was. What we like and things we do change in every season of life. Even though our future may look hopeless God is with us. We are never ‘just living’. He has a plan for us but in His time table. God never abandoned Abraham and Sarah. But they became tired of ‘just living’ and got ahead of His schedule instead of living where He put them.

Sustaining Word for the Week: If you feel like life is ‘same ole, same ole’, ask God to show you the blessings you have and that you still have a purpose. If you feel you are ‘just living’ be assured He preparing you for all that’s ahead.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Same Ole, Same Ole!

Decisions

Posted on October 13, 2020 by drgause@agause.com

“Don’t make PERMANENT decisions based on TEMPORARY emotions or conditions.” I wrote this in my notes over a year ago and thought about it every week. Even though the quote originated from an ancient philosopher, we encounter the principle throughout scriptures. Ministers and Christian writers have adapted and applied it for years in sermons and Christian messages. If there is ever a time that we need to consider this teaching, it is now in this age of uncertainly. Think about all the emotions you have experienced and seen others face in the past year. How many people do you know that recently have made a terrible decision?

The most disturbing and widespread emotion I’ve seen has been hate. Never in my lifetime have I witnessed so much hatred. Not a day has gone by in just our state that the headlines don’t start with stories about somebody killing somebody over a trivial argument, or a drive-by shooting or a person filled with hate fires shots into random houses of people they don’t even know. But the hatred does not stop at a local level. State leaders hate other state leaders. And the epicenter of hate has become Washington, DC. I’m not making a political statement but expressing the reality of our situation. Worst of all is where hatred leads. Last week, while watching an old cowboy show, I told my wife the closing line best sums up our current condition; “Hate can blind a person and they can no longer see truth.” Scripture verifies this; The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corin 4:4 NIV). Satan blinds men attempting to stop God’s plans. He hates God because he is absolute darkness and the Lord is light; because God is truth, but the devil is a liar and no truth is found in him; and Satan is filled with pride and wants to be God.

The devil and his host of demons are using people to accomplish his attempts to destroy the Lord. Paul warned us our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph 6:12). Probably, all of us at some point have felt like James and John, who asked Jesus if they could call down fire from heaven and consume the Samaritans who rejected Him. But Jesus turned and rebuked them for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them (Lk 9:54-56). The people of Samaria weren’t the source of the problem, they were tools being used by Satan. In Jesus’ final discourse He told his disciples, If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you (Joh 15:18). Later Paul reminded the church at Corinth, For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses (2Co 10:4). Our struggle today is not against people, but we are engaged in a spiritual war but realize the Holy Spirit provides divinely powerful weapons.

Making decisions is a part of everyday life. Some are temporary and others are permanent. We know that spiritually bind individuals make a lot of poor decisions. However, even believers can struggle with their emotions because of the surrounding circumstances and make decisions that can lead them to spiritual blindness. Christians must ground themselves in the Word and make sure any decision is based on the truth of the Bible and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We must not abandon those who are spiritually blind and full of hate. Jesus told us, “You are the light of the world . . . Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matt 5:14-16). We will gain victory by letting our light shine into the darkness. However, the world can’t see our light if we hide it under a basket. Jesus makes us light that should be put on a lampstand, so it gives light to all.

Come against hate with love. Love is always stronger than hate. Come against darkness with your light and the light of God’s word. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that” (Martin Luther King, Jr). “Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet” (Maya Angelou). Pray for those who are spiritually blind that the scales would fall from their eyes as Ananias prayed for Saul, who was both physically and spiritually blind. He prayed and immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales. He regained his sight and was filled with the Holy Spirit (Act 9:18). 

Sustaining Word for the Week: Make a permanent decision today—commit your life to Christ, let your light shine into the darkness, overcome hate with love, use your divinely powerful weapon to destroy fortresses, and pray for the spiritually blind.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Decisions