Signs—Help is on the Way!

Posted on October 23, 2023 by drgause@agause.com

Imagine flying into a country that you’ve never visited. After renting a car, you drive to the gate. It surprises you when you don’t see any directions posted. Should you turn right or left? Taking a chance, you turn right. Soon, you get to a highway but realize there is no stop sign, no yield sign, and, once again, no direction signs. After aimlessly roaming around, you spot a police officer and ask for help. He tells you their country doesn’t use road signs. I have not personally visited such a country, but I have traveled in a few, almost this bad. And like you, I can only imagine it would not be a fun trip. Thankfully, my host always provided a driver.

In America, we have so many signs they are second nature to us, and we take their presence for granted.

Dictionaries give various definitions for signs. Yet, simply put, they are a means of communication. Road signs convey regulations, warnings, guidance, and information. They carry this out by shapes, colors, pictures, messages, lights, etc. Signs are an essential part of humanity. But even more important, we must not overlook they are crucial in God’s communications to us.

The first mention of a sign comes in Genesis 4 after Cain killed Abel, And the Lord appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him (v4). God designated the rainbow as a sign after the flood. I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth (Gen 9:13). Significant for the Jews was circumcision. And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you (Gen 17:11). The Old Testament mentions signs 89 times and again 91 times in the New Testament.

Biblical signs are divine events that display God’s glory and purpose to people. They confirm His word and show His power. Signs were proof of Jesus’ Messianic claims. Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— (Acts 2:22). John stated the purpose of the seven signs he documented which Jesus’ performed. Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (Jn 20:30, 32).

After the ascension of Jesus and the sending of the Holy Spirit, signs confirmed the truth of the gospel the Apostles were preaching. At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people (Acts 5:12). All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles (15:12). The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles (2 Corinthians 12:12).

The disciples came to Jesus towards the end of His ministry and wanted to know what will be the sign of His return and when the end of this age would take place. “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age” (Mat 24:3)? Jesus answered, but first warned them not to be deceived; Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many (Matt 24:1). Then He reassured them that various signs would occur and alert man as the time was approaching. “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes (Mat 24:6, 7).

These are eventful and imposing signs that affect the entire world. God uses them to get humanity’s attention. However, others will occur that we must not overlook. Jesus condemned the Pharisees and Sadducees for wanting another sign to prove He was the Messiah. He told them they were ignoring the signs already taking place. He replied to them, When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times (Mat 16:2, 3)? The lesson for us is we don’t need a sign to prove Jesus is Savior. And we must not ignore the signs He is giving us today about His second coming.

The flip side of God giving signs and wonders to show His glory and the truth of His word are the false signs and wonders of Satan, Antichrist, and his workers will perform to deceive humans. Jesus warned fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better (Mk 13:22, 23 MSG). I will cover this in my next SW.

Sustaining Word for the Week:  When all this starts to happen, up on your feet. Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way” (Lk 21:28 MSG)!

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I’m Tired

Posted on September 10, 2023 by drgause@agause.com

Exhausted, worn out, wasted, weary, tired: call it whatever you prefer, but everyone experiences it. And weariness is not limited to physical exhaustion. Every human has the potential to undergo emotional and even spiritual fatigue. God created us with limits and knew we would become weary; He planned for those times. The Lord reassured us He will keep us and renew our strength. Asaph wrote, My flesh and my heart may grow weak, but God always protects my heart and gives me stability (Psalms 73:26). The Lord spoke through Isaiah: The Lord is an eternal God, the Creator of the whole earth. He does not get tired or weary; He gives strength to those who are tired (Is 40:28, 29). Jesus, at the start of His ministry, gave this invitation. “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me (Matt 11:28 MSG). The Amplified Bible clarifies why the people had grown tired. They were weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace]. The Pharisees created so many rules, making it hard for people to follow them. People grew tired from trying to meet the religious leaders’ expectations.

Exhaustion can produce guilt for Christians. The Holy Spirit has taught me the freedom of living by grace. But my work-oriented training was so engrained that I still struggle when I’m not ‘doing’ something I think will please God. I feel guilt if I get weary and can’t ‘do’. We must remember God did not design us to bulldoze through life nonstop. The Lord knew this when He made the seventh day of creation a day of rest. We shouldn’t try pushing through in the flesh when we become tired. Instead, accept Jesus’ invitation, come, and let Him give us rest. Come to Me—I will give you rest (Matt 11:28 HCSB).

The Lord’s renewal also includes those we least expect to grow weary. Even youths get tired and weary; even strong young men clumsily stumble. But those who wait for the Lord’s help find renewed strength; they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings, they run without growing weary, they walk without getting tired (Isa 40: 30, 31 NET). Two lessons stand out in this scripture. God expects even the strongest to grow weary; however, He will give His strength to everyone who waits.

Isaiah prefaces this promise (v28, 29) by reminding us of the Nature of God who gave this assurance. He is eternal, the Creator, and does not get tired or weary. There has never been a time when the Lord wasn’t. He existed when there was nothing but Him and will exist forever. He created everything out of nothing, having the power to make worlds with just His Word. These verses affirm the attributes of the God we serve. The Lord doesn’t get tired or weary, and He is capable of renewing our strength when we become exhausted if we trust and wait on Him.

 Waiting is not passively sitting around wishing God would provide what we need; until He does, we just sit there. No, waiting on the Lord is a confident faith that is sure of what we hope for, convinced of what we do not see (Heb 11:2). Waiting is an expectant trust actively clinging to God. It teaches us we are not in control. Some will say, “You’re being irresponsible.” I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard, “Just pull up your bootstraps and get busy.” Such well-meaning advice comes from people who don’t understand; even Christians reach the point where they don’t have enough strength to lean over and grab their bootstraps, let alone the energy to pull.

They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength (v31). Renew carries the idea of “exchange”. As we wait and trust in Him, the Holy Spirit exchanges our weakness for His strength and our inability for His ability. We can soar, run, and walk after renewing our strength and exchanging our weaknesses. Scripture uses the analogy of the eagle. A recent cable program followed the rehabilitation of wounded eagles. A warden brought a severely injured adult. It could barely walk. Something had broken its wing, so it could not fly. After months of care, it had healed. Caretakers drove out to a wilderness area. One therapist lifted the eagle and tossed it into the air. It spread its wings, became airborne, and soared away into the clouds.

Paul likened life to a race. I’m running hard for the finish line (1 Corin 9: 26 MSG). The word run means “to dart, or to move swiftly.” Hebrew says, Let us run with patience the race that is set before us (12:1). Waiting will bring this renewed strength, allowing us to run again.

Finally, He promises we can walk without getting tired. Paul says living out the Christian life is like a walk. As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him (Col 2:6). If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit (Gal 5:25). Our renewal will allow us to soar or to run, but the majority of our daily life is walking. Some of our walks can be exciting; however, most will be mundane events of doing the same day after day. We need strength.

Sustaining Word for the Week: This describes my life for the past several months. The last three years have tired me physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The Holy Spirit led me to Isaiah. So, I’ve been waiting. This SW is my first step.  If you are tired, be encouraged and keep waiting.

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A Rainbow after the Storm

Posted on April 25, 2023 by drgause@agause.com

The recent shooting in Nashville occurred at a branch campus of our son’s church. He, his wife, and their daughters knew almost everyone who attended the school. The girls babysat several of the children. Our son was friends with the pastor whose daughter lost her life. No words can describe this senseless tragedy.

Our daughter-in-law is a licensed counselor. When she received the news, she immediately left her office and rushed to the campus to provide trauma counseling. She has continued working with groups and individuals.

This weekend our son visited us. His wife stayed in Nashville and arranged for the parents to gather in the school for the first time. As you can imagine, it was a traumatic emotion-filled meeting revisiting the actual spot of the shootings and recalling the events of that day. However, when their gathering ended and they exited, a beautiful rainbow arced across the sky directly in front of the school. Someone took this picture.

God promised Noah when he saw a rainbow after the flood, “This is the guarantee of the covenant I am making with you and every living creature with you, a covenant  for all future generations. I set My rainbow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign . . . and I will remember My covenant . . . When the rainbow is in the clouds, I will notice it and remember the perpetual [everlasting] covenant between God and all living creatures (Gen 9:13-16). Note the phrases for all future generations and the perpetual [everlasting] covenant. As a sign of God’s promises, the rainbow did not end with Noah. In other Bible references, the rainbow symbolizes hope, God’s presence, power, and communicates His glory (Rev. 4:3).

“God puts rainbows in the clouds so that each of us – in the dreariest and most dreaded moments – can see a possibility of hope” (Maya Angelou). The Holy Spirit showed me this truth as I did the research for a biography of my pastor’s—L.P. Joyner—life and ministry. I began noticing a recurring pattern. He journeyed through many storms, but a rainbow appeared somewhere during every significant trial. He, his wife, and I all agreed the book should be titled, A Rainbow through the Storms (available from Amazon Kindle).

He shared with me, “I was born in a storm. My mother told me the story many times. The raging rainstorm flooded the only dirt road leading to our tiny slat-board house. Worse, it swept away the log bridge leaving the doctor stranded. This left Mama enduring a difficult delivery without any medication. Finally, the storm ended in the morning, and the sun broke through. One of those who came to check on us told Mama a beautiful rainbow had appeared. It brought her calming comfort. Little did anyone know the day of my birth gave a prophetic overview of my life.”

God used this to remind him of His promises and presence throughout his life. When he was struggling with retirement, he shared this experience. “Lord, this time it’s different. I don’t know where you want me. Will your presence be with us? Outside our car, churning black clouds loomed on the distant horizon. Soon it bore down a hundred yards ahead, appearing as a moving gray wall. ‘Retirement? That’s different’, I thought. As we rounded a curve, a clearing with large fields opened up on both sides. To our surprise, the storm now hovered behind us. Before us, the most phenomenal rainbow I’d ever seen in my entire life appeared. As sudden as the rainbow appeared, the peace of God flooded my soul. I realized that in my anxiety, my focus on my current storm clouded all the rainbows of promise throughout my ministry.”

We live in a time when we never know what life will bring. We will journey through storms that may come suddenly, just as unexpected as a wind-driven thunderstorm. But we must not allow them to cloud over God’s promises.

We have promises like this, He has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.”So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can people do to me?” (Heb 13:5, 6 NET). Jesus promised the Holy Spirit. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever (Jn 14:6).

Sustaining Word for the Week: You may be in the worst storm of your life. Meditate on the promises He has given you. Think of the times, He brought a rainbow of hope, and the storm was gone. “Rainbows remind us that even after the darkest clouds, and the fiercest winds, there is still beauty” (Katrina Mayer).

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Just Living

Posted on March 21, 2023 by drgause@agause.com

“How are you doing?”

“O, you know, just same ole, same ole. Life, work, church, nothing exciting. Get up in the morning, go to work, try to make enough to keep our heads above water, come home, eat supper, watch a little TV, and go to bed. O course, start all over in the morning. Seems like a hopeless cycle of just living! I sometimes wonder what happened to all those promises I thought I received from the Holy Spirit.”

“I understand. I’ve been there, done that, and have a closet full of tee shirts. Let me encourage you. The Lord is just preparing you for the next phase of your life. He will fulfill the promises He gave you.”

Faith isn’t merely a passive belief system. It is a journey we all walk through. Some advance, and others stagnate. Abraham made this journey. Hebrews 11 records that he experienced four stages of growth in faith. He began with 1) simple faith to receive God’s gift and went to the Promise Land (v8); 2) after that, for many years, he demonstrated faith to ‘just live’ trusting the Lord (v9); 3) Abram and Sari reached a point they needed faith for a miracle for the birth of Isaac, which God had promised 25 years earlier (v9); 4) finally his ultimate faith came when Abraham showed he had enough faith even to sacrifice his promised son (v17). Some never reach the third or fourth levels. But every Christian experiences periods when they ‘just live’ everyday life. We will quickly realize it takes a lot of faith ‘just to live.’ 

During his time of ‘just living’, Abraham managed his herding business, rescued Lot, and brought peace to conflicts. And Sarah managed her household, cleaned the tent, and prepared the meals. Both lived the ordinary life of everyday routines. But what about God’s promise of an heir? I have to wonder if Sarah would say to Abraham each month, “Well, no baby this month!” Imagine their fireside conversations: “Abe, you must have misunderstood what God said. I’m too old for this.” “Honey, maybe you’re right. Perhaps we should adopt.” Sarah adds, “Well, I could always use Hagar as a surrogate. She can birth the baby, and I’ll take it as mine.”

We don’t know what went through their thoughts, but we do see they moved from faith to logic and got ahead of God. They did adopt and did have Ishmael through Hagar. In their time of ‘just living’, their hopes did fade. In fact, when the angel came again and informed Abraham that after 24 years of ‘just living’ he and Sarah would have a son in the coming year, Sarah actually laughed. But a lesson for us is this—in their time of ‘just living’, they still served God. By faith, they lived.

What about you? Are you in that time of ‘just living?’ Nothing exciting is happening. Hearing from God, feeling His presence, and being overjoyed with His love, seems only a distant memory. When someone asks us how you’re doing, you reply, “Same ole, same ole, ‘just living’. You may even question, “Maybe it was just my excitement during the revival and wasn’t really something from God.” And all those promises you thought God had given you. “Must have misunderstood. Too old now.”

Here’s the encouraging news. Living faith is only the second level of Abraham’s faith journey. Keep living by faith, and you’ll get your miracle. Remember, the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Rom 11:29) This includes His will for your life and all the promises He has given you through the years. Your hope may have faded a bit, or you think it’s too late. You may even have tried to help God out a bit, like Abraham and Sarah. But none of that matters. The essential factor is that you are faithful to God and serving Him the best you can in your time of ‘just living’. We aren’t aware of all God is doing in us during these times. Yet, God is still working even when you don’t perceive it. He hasn’t forgotten His promises. He is just getting you ready.

Sustaining Word for the Week: In your living, remember He’s getting you ready for your miracle. So, continue to live by faith, or, as it could be translated, continue to live faithfully.

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