Get Your Feet Wet

Posted on April 8, 2019 by drgause@agause.com

Everyone in the community was excited after the prolonged journey from Africa. Mom’s tried quieting their restless children eager to arrive at their new homes. However, everyone was dumbfounded when they arrived at the border. The river separating them from their destination had turned into a raging torrent after the spring rains. “I’ve never seen so much water!” “Where’s the rafts?” someone asked. Another reported, “I heard several leaders have searched up and down the river and can’t find a bridge.” “What are we going to do?” “I guess we can set up camp, call for a fast, pray, and wait for God to do something.” If this had been Israel’s solution for crossing the Jordan River, they would have watched the flood waters continue racing past them for months without diminishing even an inch.

I heard an illustration that further exemplifies this way of thinking. A man peeked over his privacy fence to greet his new neighbor, but because the grass was over three feet high, he could barely see him relaxing in his lawn chair. He yelled out, “Hey neighbor, do you need to borrow my lawn mower so you can cut your grass?” He was totally surprised by the reply, “No, but thanks! I’m a Christian. By faith I’m sitting here, praying, waiting, and believing God will mow it for me.”

Both stories seem ridiculous, but I know individuals with a similar mentality about how God works. Their Promised Land sits right before them in plain sight, but because some obstacles blocked the way, they just park and wait. The truth is God is waiting for us—He wants us to take the first step. For believers to head toward God’s promises, when something is blocking the path, shows faith. No amount of prayer will accomplish what God intends for us to begin or to do.

The Biblical story of Joshua and Israel crossing into their Promised Land teaches an important lesson for us when facing hindrances in our spiritual journey. The Jordan River was flooded. The Lord spoke to Joshua . . . Command the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant. . . ‘When you reach the edge of the waters, stand in the Jordan.’ When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord . . . come to rest in the Jordan’s waters, its waters will be cut off (Josh 3:7-16).

Getting their feet wet was a complete act of faith. With the people packed and waiting, the priest advanced standing in the edge of the floodplain. Then God worked His miracle. Step by step as the water receded the priest advanced keeping their feet in the water until finally, they were standing in the middle of the Jordan River on dry ground.

Over the years, this has become somewhat of a motto for our Christian journey: get your feet wet. Donna and I have both left several ministries through the years when we felt the Holy Spirit had spoken clearly to our hearts that it was time to leave—even with no place to go. We ignored His leading once and it wasn’t a good experience. At the end of my last full-time pastorate it became clear the Holy Spirit was saying, “It’s time to move on.” Flying back from Ghana somewhere over the Atlantic, I wrote my resignation. Everyone asked, “Where are you going, Dr. G.? What are you going to do?” I simply replied I didn’t know. I was standing in the water with wet feet. It became one of the best decisions I’d made in my ministry. Soon after, a nasty church split occurred. But God opened the door for me to spend the years after that teaching at several Bible colleges.

Eight years ago, we were again standing in the water with wet feet. We relocated to our current home, a small farm, animals, peaceful, no traffic, etc. All we had ever wanted, and we believed it was our final home. God guided Israel by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  Whenever the cloud was lifted from over the tent, afterward the sons of Israel would then set out; and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the sons of Israel would camp (Num 9:17). Two months ago, our cloud, the Holy Spirit, lifted. “This can’t be, this is our retirement home, and all we ever dreamed of having”, we argued. We finally surrendered and put our home on the market. Where are we going? We don’t have a clue. Our daughter wants us closer to her, but absolutely nothing is on the market. I feel like the water is up to my ears. My faith has never been stretched like this.

Yet, we remember all the times God has led us to something new that was better than the last. We have walked through the dark valleys more than once and always came through to greener pastures and calmer waters. This is our story but what about you.

Sustaining Word for the Week: Are you sitting and looking at your Promised Land, but parked waiting for God to remove the obstacles? Maybe, it’s time to demonstrate your faith and get your feet wet. Then you will see the mighty acts of the Lord.

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Jesus Never Ran

Posted on April 1, 2019 by drgause@agause.com

A popular commercial uses a verse from the 70’s song by Jerry Reed, we’ve got a long way to go and a short time to get there. Most of us could change a few words and sing about our life—we’ve got a whole lot to do and not enough time to do it. People say, “I wish I had 25 hours in a day” or “I wish there were 8 days in a week.” If we did, the same problem would exist, and we would need 26 hours or 9 days. God created time and gave every human an equal amount—24 hours and 7 days. Common expressions about time are ‘how time flies’, ‘time dragged on and on’, or ‘the older I get the faster time goes by’. We all understand what these mean, however none of them are true. Time moves along at an unchanging perpetual rate: second by second, minute by minute, year by year, decade by decade, etc.

So, why do we get overwhelmed by what we have to do? The reality is that all of us have periods when we must be busy. But when ‘too busy’ or ‘not enough time’ become the norm, we should take a look how we use our 24 hours. I recently advised a young pastor to keep a journal for a couple of weeks detailing everything he did and the time involved. Then he was to prioritize what he had to do and what could be eliminated. As believers we not only have the normal duties of life, we add to those the responsibilities of serving as a Christian—attending church, spending time with God, fellowship with other believers, helping the needy, etc. We just can’t add more and more activities; they require time. Larry, part of our bible study, every week requested we pray he could spend time praying and reading the Bible. His solution was get up earlier than his usual alarm at 4:30 AM. That would last a couple of weeks. His problem wasn’t time but priority. He insisted he couldn’t make it through the day without his morning exercise class. He was involved in several seasonal sports, ran two businesses, and the list goes on. God was at the bottom of his list.

Busyness does not bring us closer to God; it is not a spiritual gift. The cult of busy has crept into the American culture, including the church, as the way to be accepted. Ministers especially can develop a subconscious belief it is their responsibility to save the world because they let the weight of the world rest on their shoulders. Phycologist refer to it as the messiah-complex. Yet, note that Jesus the Messiah didn’t have a messiah-complex. At times He stayed so busy He worn Himself out but took time to rest and fellowship with friends (Mk 6:31). He knew as a human He couldn’t keep going and going. Even through when He cried out on the cross, “It is finished” the world was still filled with unsaved and unhealed people. These He entrusted to his disciples and the coming church. He had achieved the work the Father gave Him to accomplish. If you find yourself ‘too busy’ all the time, you are probably doing more that God gave you to do. Ask yourself what you can stop doing so you can do what you are called to do better.

Jesus should always be our principal example. When Jesus received the message that Lazarus His friend was sick, you would think He would have hurried back to Bethany; it was a two-day journey. But no, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was (John 11:6). He knew what was going to happen. “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it” (v4). After Lazarus had been dead for four days, Jesus arrived at the tomb and He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth” (v43). And Lazarus came forth. Had Jesus returned immediately and healed him, no one would have given it a second thought. However, raising up a man that had been dead four days and wrapped hand and foot with his face wrapped around with a cloth received a lot of attention. The Son of God was glorified. Jesus did what the Father gave Him to do and not what the people wanted.

Solomon wrote, There is a time for everything (Ecc 3:1 NIV). Peter wrote His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3 NIV). This includes time. Jesus taught, “Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest (Matt 11:28). Don’t overlook the fact you have to come to Him—that requires time. The Message Bible says it well. “Slow down. Take a deep breath. What’s the hurry? Why wear yourself out? Just what are you after anyway (Jer 2:25)? A fellow professor in Zambia and I were a few minutes late but walked across the campus towards our classrooms at a normal pace. The Dean drove up in a panic and ran to his class. I told my friend, “You know there is no record that Jesus ever ran.” We laughed and continued walking.

“Be still, and know that I am God,” (Ps 46:10 NIV). Ask yourself this week, “When have I been still before the Lord?”

Sustaining Word for the Week: Is your life running you or are you running your life?

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Shouldn’t Life Be Like This?

Posted on March 25, 2019 by drgause@agause.com

Two queues, one for foreigners and one for returning residents, all with passports and visas in hand, lined the room at Kotoka International Airport. A rope barrier separated the area for ordinary travelers from the diplomatic entrance. The routine was second nature to me after having travelled to Ghana for several years. As I waited in line, a man kept tapping on the glass between passport control and the diplomatic lobby. He held up a sign with my name and signaled me to move to the diplomatic counter. “Someone is pulling a cruel joke on me”, I thought. He persisted until I finally stepped out of line and headed to where he was directing me, thinking with every step, “I’m going to be arrested.” Nervously, I handed my passport to the agent who stamped it, welcomed me to Ghana, and waved me on to the lounge bypassing customs and luggage check. The mystery man collected my baggage and lead me to a top-of-the-line SUV. Then he drove me to a huge compound where staff members escorted me to a five-star plus suite.

Later that night my travelling partner arrived from Washington and filled me in on the details of this trip. A wealthy Ghanaian businessman learned about our ministry and wanted to sponsor us. He owned numerous grocery stores and luxurious retreat centers all over the nation. He provided the SUV and assigned Kofi as our driver/care-taker/body guard for the next three weeks. He took care for our every need: accommodations, three meals daily, had our clothes laundered, kept up with all our belongings, etc. We travelled through dangerous areas but Kofi ensured our safety. When we crossed the border into Togo, we sat in the vehicle while he arranged the required paperwork in the customs office. The difficulties of travelling around these countries were no different than any time before—military and police check points, rough roads, danger from thieves, those who prey of foreigners, etc. But this time we had peace, no worries, or anxiety because someone had committed to totally care for us. When my trip ended, Kofi took me back to the diplomatic departure. The airport drove me  to my plane in a limousine with important diplomats.

Ok, longer than normal opening but necessary to understand the life changing lesson the Holy Spirit taught me and wants you to experience.  On my flight home I marveled and pondered on the provisions God supplied. Then I began thinking, “shouldn’t life be this way?” Believers have the wealthiest and most powerful Father in the universe. “Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it” (Deut. 10:14). The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts (Haggai 2:8). So what did you say you are worrying about?

Not only does God have the ability and resources to care for us, He wants to. Peter tells us to cast [literally, to hurl] all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you (1Pe 5:7). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses this in detail. He begins by telling the people not to even worry about the basic needs of life as food, drink, clothing, or what will happen tomorrow. “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing’ . . . for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things . . . So do not worry about tomorrow (Matt 6:31-34).

Beyond our physical, He cares for our spiritual needs. No sin, no failure, or any spiritual need is too great for His grace. He loves us so much, Jesus died on the cross for us. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God (1 Jn 3:1 NKJV). Faith grows, but our goal should be to let God take care for us as our Ghanaian businessman did for us.

Ask yourself, “Does the Lord have the ability and resources to care for me?” He wants to, so why are you not allowing Him? No, you don’t deserve it, but Jesus wants to give you His unmerited gift of grace. HH

Sustaining Word for the Week: Fill in the blank: “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will I  eat, drink, wear, ____?____.

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He’s Still Here

Posted on March 18, 2019 by drgause@agause.com

A friend recently asked why God allowed evil tyrants and dictators around the world to continue brutalizing people.  In our own country why do immoral men and women, even in leadership positions, go without judgment? The only answer I could give was the Lord’s lovingkindness and longsuffering because He desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). He suffers long with wicked people giving every possible chance for them to repent. We are prone to give up on ourselves and others long before God does. Someone said if God was not longsuffering, the Bible would have ended in Genesis chapter three.

The Lord displayed His lovingkindness and longsuffering throughout the history of the nations of Israel and Judah. Solomon built a house for the Name of the Lord. When he dedicated the Temple, the glory of the Lord filled the house. Solomon proclaimed, “I have surely built You a lofty house, A place for Your dwelling forever” (I Kgs 8:11). In his prayer of dedication, he praised God for His lovingkindness. O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like You . . . showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart (1Ki 8:23). For the next 410 years, God dwelt in the temple among His people during both good and evil times.

After the nation divided, not one good king ruled in Israel. In Judah where Solomon had built the temple and God dwelt, some good Kings reigned, but of the last nine all but two were wicked. Among the worst Ahaz; he desecrated the temple, robbed it of its treasures and destroyed many of the vessels. His son Hezekiah restored and repaired the temple. But then Manasseh considered the evilest of the kings built idolatrous altars in the Temple Courts and placed a graven image in the Temple. This cycle of evil and good continued until judgment for their sin came in 606 BC. King Nebuchadnezzar besieged the city and lead away the first group of captives taking the Temple vessels back to Babylon. The nation continued to sin, ruled by evil kings. In 597 BC, he took the second group of captives back to Babylon. Among them was the prophet Ezekiel. At some point, he must have turned and taken what he thought was his last look at the city and the Temple.

We can only imagine how Jerusalem looked after two sieges by the Babylonians. And the Temple?—what was its condition after more than twenty years of evil rulers not including earlier kings who robbed and desecrated the Lord’s dwelling place? Here we can see the lovingkindness and longsuffering of God more than any time in Israel’s history. Where was the Lord during the evil kings, the corruption, idols and invasions of Nebuchadnezzar? He remained in the Holy of Holies. He was still there.

However, in 592 BC during Ezekiel’s sixth year in captivity through a vision once again he saw Jerusalem. The hand of the Lord GOD fell on me there . . . the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem (Ezek. 8). Ezekiel witnessed the departure of the Shekinah, the divine presence, in stages from the temple, the temple courts, and finally from above the Eastern gate, (Ezek. 10-11). God’s glory was gone. Nebuchadnezzar returned in 586 BC and annihilates the city. Troops breached the walls, burned the Temple and the houses to the ground.

God’s Shekinah glory had departed, but the Lord did not abandon His people. In exile He told Ezekiel, “Therefore, tell the exiles, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile. I, the Sovereign Lord, will gather you back from the nations where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel once again’ (Ezek. 11:16, 17 NLT). After the destruction, Jeremiah looked down on the city and Temple now reduced to a pile of rubble and wrote the Book of Lamentations a funeral song describing the horror. In chapter three he turns to hope because of God’s lovingkindness. This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. The Lords lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail (vv21, 22). For the Lord will not reject forever, For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion According to His abundant lovingkindness (vv31, 32). 

Israel did return after 70 years, but the Shekinah glory of God would not manifest again until Christ came. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (Joh 1:14). After His death and resurrection, He sent the Holy Spirit. Now we are the Temple of God. Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you (1Cor 3:16)?  Just as He has been longsuffering with us, He is holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone [the tyrants, dictators, immoral men, and women] space and time to change. (2 Pet 3:9 MSG).Sustaining Word for the Week: What’s the condition of your temple? Say to yourself, “He’s still here.” Say it again out loud, “He’s still here”.

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