From the Heart

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

After spending eight days in the hospital with life-threatening pneumonia and returning home with the world struggling for answers to the coronavirus pandemic, how do I write a Sustaining Word? Allow me to speak from my heart. No one wants clichés, or an eschatological opinion, or pat answers. This microscopic virus is reducing the world to confront the basic meaning of life and existence. God created man to worship and glorify Him. For those of us labeled ‘seniors’, we have witnessed an ever-increasing regression of our nation into moral decay. Churches no longer defend the Gospel but succumb to culture demanding approval of their godless sinful lifestyles. We have strayed from our purpose.

My longtime pastor and mentor often told the story of visiting a widowed member trying to keep her farm going. As he drove up, she was headed toward the stable to hitch up the mule and asked him to come along. After getting the mule geared up, she grabbed an old ax-handle like a baseball bat and walloped the mule square across the forehead! Curious, he inquired why she did that. Without hesitation, “He’s one stubborn creature and I just have to get his attention every morning.” Soon after entering the ministry, I discovered the subtle message he was teaching me from his experience. Not with an ax-handle, but sometimes you must first get people’s attention, i.e. students, children, family, and congregants. Is the Lord only trying to get our attention?

If God weren’t longsuffering and forgiving, none of us would be here today. He told Israel from their beginning as a nation that He would judge them for sin and disobedience. However, before executing judgment, He always warned them and gave time to turn from their wicked ways. When they did, the Lord forgave and restored them. He got Israel’s attention in the form of invading enemies, plagues, droughts, weather, etc. He sent these not to destroy the people, but because of His love. He was admonishing them so they would return to Him before He imposed judgment. God has rarely shaken the entire globe throughout history. Yet, we can have no doubt the entire world is reeling under this pandemic.

The first question we must ask ourselves, “Has He gotten my attention?” Then, “has He gotten our nation’s and its leaders’ attention?”  For the latter, we can only conclude the answer is no. This is not a political statement, but an observation of reality. Some powerful American leaders have not seen fit to acknowledge God any longer, and He has given them over to a depraved [reprobate] mind and they have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity (Rom 1:28, 29). This week God shined His light and manifested many that have plunged into this pit of depravity. Of course, we saw the ‘blame game’ and witnessed selfish demands by those concerned with their greed instead of the recovery for the nation. Ok, enough of that, you the get picture.

The following verses aren’t a cliquish pat answer, but probably the only answer in the Bible. When I close up the sky so that it doesn’t rain, or command locusts to devour the land’s vegetation, or send a plague among my people, if my people, who belong to me, humble themselves, pray, seek to please me, and repudiate their sinful practices, then I will respond from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. (2 Chron 7:13, 14).

I debated about writing such a personal conclusion, but the Holy Spirit kept reminding me that the testimony of my humbling and surrender might encourage you. I have encountered death on several occasions, but today I can tell you I have starred it in the face. Two years ago, Donna and I entered a place we’d never been. My physician diagnosed me with prostate cancer. Soon after the biopsy, an ambulance rushed me to the hospital, the first time in my life, with septic E-coli from the procedure. I don’t remember the first three days. My organs were on the verge of shutting down. Donna told me later the doctors weren’t sure I would live. Around the clock for eight days, I received at least three bags of IV antibiotics. What I remember was God had given me incredible peace, and I had no fear.

Two weeks ago, Donna rushed me to the ER. Doctors diagnosed me with pneumonia. Complicating treatment, an unknown bacterium, possibly a farm animal caused it. Only oxygen kept me breathing. For eight days they drew blood vials every few hours. I think I received every anti-antibiotic known to man. Every time I went to sleep, I faced death, not knowing if I would wake up. But God had taken away my fear of death. At home this week, trying to balance my glucose level with the drugs I am taking, was challenging. I’ve awoken three mornings with my sugar so low I was near a glucose coma. Donna and I discussed this one night, and both understand I might not wake up. But again, I’m no longer afraid. My only sorrow, when closing my eyes, is leaving my wife alone and knowing those I least expected have allowed unforgiveness, bitterness, and hatred to consume their lives. I must leave that to God. But that would be the thoughts I depart with.

I am getting better. Donna and I are locked away on our small farm, resting in God, and praying our nation would humble itself, repent, and seek God.

Sustaining Word for the Week: God has kept me. Praise Him, I’m still alive. He can sustain and keep you.

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Just Thinking

Posted on March 9, 2020 by drgause@agause.com

If someone asked you, “who does your hair” or “who built your house” would you be offended? Probably not, but what if the question was, “Who does your thinking for you?” Most people would react with a question. “What?” “You’re joking me?” “Why do you ask such a stupid question?” — “I do my own thinking, thank you.” But do you really think through and examine what you hear and read? The Bible speaks about thinking and thoughts one hundred and thirty-one times—must be important. Jesus said the greatest command was, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’ (Matt 22:37 NIV). The word translated mind means thoughts, the thinking faculty, way of thinking, and intelligence. Yet, for too many believers their thinking is reactive to emotions, a dynamic speaker, peer pressure, prejudice, etc. without question. 

To understand the importance of our thinking in relation to our spiritual life, we need to examine the process of thinking for the believer. First, ask yourself, why did God create us with the ability to think? Even today some Christians believe that thinking is an act of unbelief. However, Paul instructed Timothy, Think about what I am saying (2 Tim 2:7 NET). He commended the people at Berea for thinking. The people here were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica since they welcomed the message with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so (Act 17:11 HOL). The Bible warns us about not thinking. Test everything (1 Thes 5:21 NIV). My dear friends, don’t believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God comes from God (1 Jn 4:1 MSG). Testing and examining require us to think.

So, what does it mean to think? Thinking is the process of using one’s mind to consider or reason about something. It is using intelligent thought or rational judgment. ‘Using’ is a keyword and indicates we must activate our cognitive processing abilities and not merely deposit information. We can divide thinking into two up to ten types. For simplicity, we’ll examine a two-type division, active and passive, and direct it to Christian living. One essential element of active thinking we call ‘critical thinking’. Ravi Zacharias says critical thinking isn’t a negative aspect but an analytical process of evaluating the truth component of a statement or thought you are processing. 

In the broadest definition, passive Christian thinkers are merely receivers. They hear biblical truth and do nothing with it. After church, it becomes a dormant piece of information. For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone who gazes at his own face in a mirror. For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. (Jas 1:23, 24 NET). In contrast, an active or critical thinker, in the same service, hears, begins analyzing, pondering, and reasoning if this is truth. If it proves true, they consider how they can integrate it into their daily life. The gullible believe anything they’re told; the prudent sift and weigh every word (Prov 14:15 MSG).

Critical thinking is a serious issue today, not only in the world but also in our churches. Studies show that only 1% of our population would be considered critical thinkers. They believe what they are told and never question if it is even true. My wife encountered this teaching nursing at a university. Often, she says, “my students don’t know how to think.” As a professor at the Bible College where I taught, we administered a test for entering students evaluating their ability to critically think. We felt blessed if we had even 1% that could examine, analyze, and determine if a statement was Biblical Truth.

 So, how do you become a critical thinker? It starts with God working in our minds. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind . . . (Rom 12:2). Begin by asking the Holy Spirit to show what is hindering you from becoming an active thinker. Note several common barriers: being close-minded; relying on your emotions and feelings; fear of being rejected by your peers and society; you accept what you see and hear from others and the media; you don’t want to take the time; someone trained you to never question your leaders. Hindrances will vary from person to person. Never forget, blind conformity only leads to a lack of God’s blessing, anguish, and regret.

Being a Christian doesn’t mean you stop thinking and just “have faith”. Faith is based on reason. Christians should be people who strive after the truth and think critically. They should not be blind followers. If your faith hasn’t been well thought through, then it will collapse when the challenges of life confront it(Canadian Bible Guy).

Sustaining Word for the Week: Who does your thinking? Are you merely depositing information instead of analyzing and verifying it is true, then integrating it into your daily life?

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Step Out of the Traffic!

Posted on March 2, 2020 by drgause@agause.com

Imagine for a moment you’ve been a castaway on a remote island for the past ten years. You are overjoyed when a passing ship sees your signal for help and rescues you. Immediately, you begin reminiscing about the world you left behind a decade ago. On the voyage back to a port, a crew member gives you a stack of recent newspapers and magazines and shows you how to watch the ship’s satellite connection to the news channels. As all this information starts processing in your mind, you panic, “This is not the world I left behind. The world today is in a chaotic mess.” You become so overwhelmed you plead with the Captain to take you back to your island.

With all that’s happened in the last few months, a lot of people probably wish they had an island where they could escape all the distressing events taking place. The coronavirus has made it to every continent except Antarctica. I’ve always wanted to go to Antarctica. But now, we don’t have the finances after investors freaked out and the Dow-Jones alone lost 3,500 points in a week with the overall stock market losing $3.6 trillion. By the way that was your money. If that’s not bad enough, a study shows out of 162 countries only 11 are not involved in a conflict of one kind or another. Ok, enough of that, I’m sure you get the point.

So, what’s a Christian to do? When my Rottweiler gets hyper-active, I give her the command, “Chill”. God may not use the same expression but repeatedly scripture conveys the thought “Just chill out. Remember who’s in charge.” In Psalms 36 the Sons of Korah wrote a song about God’s constant presence among His people. The first three verses set the tone that the help of God is greater than any crisis. They write in verse 10, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Different versions translate, be still, several ways—Be at peace; Stop your fighting; Stop your striving; Be still, be calm. My paraphrase would be, “just chill out”. The Message Bible translates this verse. “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything (v10 MSG). Even when the world appears a chaotic mess, the Lord reassured believers: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. It doesn’t read, I hope to be exalted again. Rather it proclaims, I will be.

 Chaos is nothing new to the Lord, When God began creating the heavens and the earth, the earth was a shapeless, chaotic mass . . . (Gen 1:1, 2 TLB). Yet God was in absolute control. With the Spirit of God brooding over the dark vapors, God said, “Let there be light.” And light appeared I (vv. 2, 3). It took six days, but He brought order to all the chaos. On the first Sabbath day, creation including Adam and Eve rested in perfect peace. Satan set out to bring disorder to the universe and man. After man’s fall into sin, storms, war, and troubles became inevitable. The Lord gave this promise; You keep completely safe the people who maintain their faith, for they trust in you (Isa 26:3 NET) or You will keep in perfect peace (NIV).

God does not always promise to remove our storms but assures us He will be with us, protecting us. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze (Isa 43:2 NIV). Don’t panic. I’m with you (41:10 MSG). Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God.

A key to being kept in perfect peace depends on having our thoughts on the Lord. We gain nothing by meditating on our troubles or the problems in the world. If you count your blessings, you begin to lose count of your troubles. Where are you trying to get peace? It doesn’t come through logic, reason, or understanding; God’s peace is beyond anything we can find this life. “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give (Joh 14:27 NLT). The first step is turning everything over to Him. Cast [throw it down] all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Pet 5:7 NIV).

Dr. George McCausland, director of a YMCA in Pittsburgh, PA became overwhelmed because of a shortage of finances, membership losses, and lack of help. Working 85 hours a week caught up with him. After a heart attack, the doctor told him if he continued his lifestyle; he had less than a year to live. After prayer and meditation, he sat down on his back porch and wrote a letter. “Dear God…I hereby resign as General Manager of the universe! Love, George.”

Sustaining Word for the Week: Be Still—Step out of the traffic for a moment. Take a long, loving look at God. Remember He is in charge. Let Him manage the universe.

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Ears

Posted on February 24, 2020 by drgause@agause.com

“Do-doo!! you hear me?” –  “Are you even listening to what I’m saying?” Two expressions most parents have said, hoping they get through to their kids. The ability to hear sound is one of our five human senses and a normal characteristic from birth (fewer than 1% are born with hearing impairment). Yet, countless individuals never realize listening is a skill that requires development. Good listening skills are fundamental for success in academics, jobs, relationships with friends and families. But most important is developing our skills to hear from God. Preachers and teachers can have excellent speaking abilities, but that does little good if the hearer doesn’t listen or know how to listen. Communication requires active involvement by two sides: a sender transmitting a message and a receiver deciphering the same message in his/her mind.

Jesus, even with His unparalleled speaking abilities, encountered the same issue of people not listening and not understanding. He said although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand (Mat 13:13 NET). Jesus placed much emphasis on the importance of hearing. At least thirteen times in the Gospel, He either began or ended His teaching with, He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Jesus’ first parable, the sower began Behold (Matt 13:3). The word means “Listen up! Pay close attention!” In v9, He concludes by saying He who has ears, let him hear. Today’s English equivalent, “Now, think through what I have said.” James also emphasized hearing, But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak . . . (1:19). Paul adds, So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ (Rom 10:17). 

A man from a group I led told me, “God has never spoken to me. I’ve never heard Him say anything.” I already knew his first problem was he was too busy running three businesses, striving to get rich. He participated in two sports groups and attended all his three children’s sports events. He confessed he struggled to have even a ten-minute devotion. “I wonder why!”, I thought. We can all become absorbed with the business of life and end up trapped, never stopping to listen. Be still, and know that I am God (Ps 46:10 NIV).

A second hindrance happens when believers think hearing from God happens via a thundering voice from heaven or an audible voice. Hearing is not restricted to human speech. God can speak through the scriptures, through our circumstances, and through a deep internal peace. Elijah learned God doesn’t always communicate through the sensational. God brought a strong wind, an earthquake, and a fire, but did not speak through them. Afterward, Elijah heard a gentle blowing and instantly knew it was the Lord. A quiet voice asked what he was doing there. Scripture doesn’t indicate if the voice was external or internal. Personally, I have never heard an audible voice. But I’ve heard Him speaking to me internally in my thoughts, giving me such peace, I knew it was God. This is a spiritual perception that develops as we mature through the Holy Spirit.

The first step to hearing God is you must want to hear. Christians may only choose to hear what they already believe and want nothing that challenges their beliefs. Some like to hear about someone else’s sins and can respond, “Yea, they need to hear that.” A sad stumbling block is those who want only preaching that is dynamic and stirs their emotions. The content is not important as long as it is dynamic, and they go home ‘feeling good’.

The author of Hebrews charges that some readers were dull of hearing. It is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing (Heb 5:11). The word for dull means slow, sluggish, lazy, or idle. Listening requires focus and energy. So, we must guard against becoming lazy. Another caution comes from Paul speaking of the last days. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires (2 Tim 4:3). A lesson from this, we need to be careful who we follow. We should ask ourselves if we desire to hear the truth or teaching that scratches an itch coming from fleshly desires?

My study for this originated in Revelation. Jesus addresses the seven churches of Asia both commending and condemning. But to all seven, He says, ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ This statement brings all He said to the church down to the individual. It says “He” which is a singular pronoun. It doesn’t say if the whole church has ears. Rather he, one individual, has an ear, let him hear. Jesus even says this to Laodicea, the apostate church, He [singular] who has an ear. Regardless of the sins of others, you have an invitation.

Sustaining Word for the Week:  A life-changing verse for me 34 years ago. “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live (Isa 55:2, 3). 

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