Traveling with My Best Friend

Glad Tidings, God has taken back Japan! Men in Ministry; force the Kingdom to come, in your city. God has taken back your city. God is Faithful! Hebrews 11:1

I am in Japan and have been for the last 4 days. Japan is interesting for many reasons. It has a wonderful culture; the people are friendly open and engaging. The Japanese seem to be a hard working, self-reliant people. After the tsunami in March of 2011, that destroyed significant parts of the country and crippled many nuclear power plants, the Japanese self-reliance is obvious. Japan, in an independent self-reliant way, will repair itself without outside help. Japanese people do not have an entitlement mentality. The entitlement mentality, exist is Europe and is growing rapidly in the United States.

That is not the subject of this writing it is a good background. The last time I was in Japan for more than passing through the Narita Airport was about 25 years ago. I realized then and again felt the demonic presence near me as I entered and moved around the country. I am not sure what or why this is, but I am sure of the need for prayer and the Word of God even stronger.

I looked at some statistics. Today 6% of the population of Japan claims Christianity as their faith. This is up from the ever stagnate 1% for the prior 400 or so years. Praise God for the Glad Tidings! The growth has been among the young. Praise God for more Glad Tidings!!

I always travel with the Bible, my best friend. I read and study it in the morning. I read it throughout the day as I have gaps in the schedule. The most comforting thing I do each day is pray and read the Word and let it fill me up. The Bible gives us a glimpse of home each time we read it. The Bible brings us in a more intimate relationship with the Lord each time we fill up on His message. Prayer and reading the Word, plus our witness forces the presence of the Kingdom.

God loves the people of Japan. He died on the cross for each one of these beautiful people. It seems, from my travels, the message of the Gospel is not yet evident anywhere I have traveled in Japan. A business associate brought me to a shrine. He wanted to show me the beauty and tell me how they pray to Shinto or Buddha or the spirit of Japan, some demonic thing. He washed before he prayed and was proud to take me into this outside shrine. A time to witness; it probably was but I missed it. Jesus put me here at this time to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Japan. He does this with all believers. Jesus lives in us. We are on a mission, to bring the Kingdom wherever we go. I did not have a calling to witness to him. Normally when I miss an opportunity I have a burden. I pray that I have a burden for all people who I meet.

Japan is like San Francisco as to the presence of the real Lord in peoples' lives. About 6% of the 127 million Japanese people say they are Christians. The difference I found in Japan is people are more open to listen. They have an apparent interest to learn, there are other ways than the one they know in many areas of their lives. They do want proof.

To a few friends, I told the story that Chuck Colson, one of the Watergate conspirators tells as to why he accepted the Lord as his savior. He says; as the Watergate Cover-up was unraveling it became obvious to the conspirators that they were going to be discovered. He tells that he and his co-conspirators were at the pinnacle of power. They were in the office of the President of the United States, the most powerful person and office in the world. A few men had all the power. These men, as they realized they were going to pay for a silly crime, they stopped lying and told the truth to save their skin.

Chuck Colson tells the story then says; the Apostles each could have denied Christ and the authorities would not have executed them. They did not deny the truth and they suffered mightily for it. Jesus is the truth!

The correlation is men will deny a cover up, even if with this denial they lose overwhelming power. They will deny the lie to save their own skin. The Apostles believed the truth. They were executed for their belief in Jesus Christ.

I was able to tell this story. The people did not accept the Lord; however God Promises his word will never return empty. Isaiah 55:11

I started this writing thinking that the devil had a hold on Japan as I finish the writing; I see that God is doing a remarkable thing in Japan. The growth of 600% and having the main growth in Christianity be among the young is fabulous!

Traveling, once again, with my best friend brings reinforcements to the Army of God enhancing the reality of Our Kingdom on Earth. 

Frank Slovenec is the founder and leader of Glad Tidings Men's Ministry International. www.gtmmi.com

Men in Ministry

Men in Ministry, What Track are You on?

Men in Ministry, the track to heaven is a difficult track to follow. It is nearly impossible without support from a brother in the Lord. Recently I was in Japan, on business. During the course of 5 days, I had many meetings in different parts of the country. I traveled by train to the cities for the meetings, once I had landed in Tokyo from San Francisco. The transportation system in Japan is easy to navigate. Train travel is comfortable. Let me get back to my message.

Traveling by train, which I had not done since the 80’s and 90’s when I lived on the east coast, made me realize, the train, on its track, could only travel in one direction. There were a number of stops along the way, but the train was heading in one direction. The trains started out slow then picked up speed in the direction of the destination.

The travel made me think of a new Christian. In the first station, the person accepts the Lord as Savior and agrees to follow and obey. The ultimate destination is heaven. The person goes through life and stops at many stations. The stations can be those that strengthen their faith. It could be another man or women who encourages and strengthens the person’s faith, it could be a loving Pastor who loves the Lord and fills the person with wonderful truth from the Word of God. It could be a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit. The person stays on track and completes the journey. At the end of the journey, we all want to hear; "Welcome, good and faithful servant."

I could not help but notice in the Japanese Rail System, on my ticket, was a car number and a seat number. It was essential that I boarded the right car. It was not long before I discovered that the train will break up along the route and sections of the train will go to different destinations. I was very glad that I learned this early in my travels. I learned that boarding the right car, on the right train, in the initial station, early in the journey, certainly made my travel much easier. Most times I had to walk a little distance to board the right car in the initial station.

Men in Ministry it is up to us to lead men to the right car and make the walk with them. We need support them in their life work to stay on the right track. Important also to help them visit the stations that will support their work. Not my job, you might say. Jesus said; the second great commandment is love your neighbor as yourself. I love myself. I am going to work to stay on the track, stopping at stations that build my faith so that I reach the prize. If I love my neighbor as I am commanded, I will work my entire life so that my neighbors also get on the right car and stop at dedicated stations of support, so that they too reach the goal and win the prize.

The track to heaven is the only track to be on and stay on with our neighbors for our entire life.

Frank Slovenec is the founder and leader of Glad Tidings Men's Ministry International.
www.gtmmi.com  Love God and Make his love known though love for family, ministry work and each other. 

Men in Ministry

Uncommon Faith Invites the Extraordinary

Men in Ministry living for God mentoring disciples to be the next generation of leaders, requires uncommon faith. A leader in the church, by the definition of leader, will be mentoring the next group of leaders. To win the nations for Christ, multiply yourself. Leave the work to someone else and it will not get done. This all takes uncommon faith. Faith that is above the norm, passive and just get along or just get “in” attitude.

Extraordinary results can be one more soul saved and working for Christ in the Kingdom. Jesus said; “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” Matthew 9:37. The workers are few they are an elite group of Kingdom Workers. This being the case a worker will produce extraordinary results.

As a leader your uncommon faith, the faith to mentor a disciple will produce extraordinary results for the Kingdom of God.

The Apostles exhibited uncommon faith as they immediately followed Jesus and obeyed Him. This is a powerful example.

Uncommon faith is the father who prays with and over his children. Uncommon faith is spending an hour each day, first fruits, with the Lord in Prayer. Uncommon faith is working in the local church with Pastor, behind the scenes, to help the ministry go. Uncommon faith is carrying your Bible everywhere you go. Giving testimony to the stranger is uncommon faith. Uncommon faith is the wife consistently praying her husband into the Kingdom.

God will always honor the act of uncommon faith. A number of years ago, on a Sunday evening I was sitting in my home office, reading the Bible. There was a small window in the office, which faced the street. The distance from the house to the street was about thirty feet. A person walking by the front of the house could see me sitting in the office but certainly would not be able to discern what I was doing.

A neighbor drove by the house. Let us call him Mike. He was a friend his wife served the Lord faithfully she was consistently praying him into the Kingdom. She exhibited the uncommon faith of a wife praying for her husband. Two or three days later I came to find out that Mike had accepted the Lord. When asked what prompted him to make this commitment, he answered; “I was driving home and saw Frank reading his Bible in his office.” No way! His human eyes could not have possibly seen the Bible. The Holy Spirit, because of his wife’s uncommon faith, moved him to see what God wanted him to see. He now serves our Lord.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations..." Matthew 28: 19.

Uncommon Faith Invites the Extraordinary!

Men in Ministry

An Arrival Meeting

Jackson Senyonga in Action

Recently, Jackson Senyonga, a powerful evangelist from Uganda, spent 4 days with us in meetings at Glad Tidings Church in San Francisco. I cannot say enough about what I experienced and what I saw others experience in those 4 days. The schedule was intense. His mission was intense. Before I discuss the schedule, here is some background.

Glad Tidings Church has been experiencing a dramatic move of God for 12 years. Twelve years ago when Pastor Beiser preached his first sermon as pastor of the church, there were 37 people in a dilapidated 85-year-old building on prime 2 acres in San Francisco. There are many moving parts. The most important is, Pastor is a spirit led, prayer warrior servant of Jesus Christ. I joined the church about 6 months after that first sermon. I moved to San Francisco from Boston; I was not serving the Lord, at the time. I had a calling to Glad Tidings. The first minutes that I was in the sanctuary listening to Pastor Beiser and meeting the few people in attendance, I knew I was in the right place.

Altar Call Sunday Night

Pastor, led by the Holy Spirit has directed every move we have made at Glad Tidings. The congregation began to grow, the building has an active remodeling plan and most important, with a powerful foundation in prayer and fasting, Pastor continues to take us to new levels. Levels in the Lord that are always a desperate reach.

There have been many prophecies over Pastor and the church about growth in the Lord through the leading of the Holy Spirit. All I can say is they all have come true in their time. This Sunday, a “regular” Sunday in June, 800 to 1,000 people will be in services. The congregation has representation of 40, plus or minis a few, countries and all social economic and educational ranges. It looks like heaven. We financially and spiritually support missionaries all over the world, this year we will talk 75 to 100 people on a mission trip to Guayaquil, Ecuador. This is the 5th or 6th trip of this kind.

I hope it obvious, from the background, that Jackson was sent to Glad Tidings at the perfect time. He would in the 4 days increase the momentum to another level in God.

Jackson’s schedule:

· 2 Services Sunday Morning

· A Pastor’s service at 4 PM Sunday

· Evening Service at 6 PM Sunday, ended about 9:45

· 8 AM Monday, Memorial Day Breakfast (after about 75 of us were in a prayer meeting from 5 AM to 8AM, getting ready

· 7 PM Service on Tuesday, ended 10:45 PM

Prayer Meeting Monday Morning

· 7 PM Service on Wednesday, ended at 10:45 PM

It was an intense, overwhelming and a miracle filled 4 days. We witnessed real miracles every day!

Jackson needed to raise about $27,000.00 for his orphans in Uganda. If he could not send the money the orphans would be asked to leave their school, that week. I was with him as was Pastor when he took the calls. The man is non-stop for God. In the 4 days, we raised $22,000.00 from the congregation I suspect Pastor made up the difference on Faith.

Jackson knew we prepared, so he said this is not a revival meeting this is an arrival meeting. A meeting where we expected the arrival of the Holy Spirit in a huge way, that expectation was realized every meeting


Frank Slovenec is the Leader and Founder of Glad Tidings Men's Ministry International the Men's Ministry Outreach from Glad Tidings Church, San Francisco. 

Jackson Senyonga Comes to Glad Tidings

Jackson Senyonga from Uganda, Africa was at Glad Tidings Church in San Francisco for 4 incredible days. Six different times I listened to him speak. I also had breakfast, with him, one morning. A person does not listen to Jackson. The expectation is for active participation listening.

God needs to interrupt our schedule. Jackson again and again made it known to us that we were clogging up God’s Plan. We would not allow our schedules to clear for God’s Schedule.

Jackson said that he does not tell stories, which brag on God, unless he experienced it or witnessed it.

He prayed, called on the Holy Spirit and believed God for miracles right now.

Jackson told many stories and gave us a different, fresh, honest view of Jesus. He talked about how Jesus and the problem could not exist in the same room. He also spoke about how when Jesus was in town or the temple everyone expected things to change or just be disrupted. Part of the reason the Pharisees and the Sadducees hated Jesus is because Jesus disrupted their schedules and their man-made rules.

Jackson told the story about the man with the withered hand from Luke 6:6. On another Sabbath, he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 7 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there.

9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

10 He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

What happened here?

1. Jesus recognizes the individual

2. Jesus had a specific purpose that day in the temple. He did not do anything else except heal this man’s hand.

3. Jesus disrupted the schedule in the temple

4. Jesus asked the man to do something, he actually was not supposed to do. Stand in front of everyone in the temple.

5. Hold out your hand. Again the man had to do something.

6. The man was obedient

7. The man submitted to Jesus

The man had to give up control if he wanted his hand healed. The man with the withered hand knew where to take his problem. He took it to Jesus.

The message to us is clear. Let Jesus have our schedule, be obedient to the Holy Spirit and submit to Jesus in everything we do. The outcome for us; expect miracles to happen in our lives.

Frank Slovenec is the Founder and Leader of Glad Tidings Men's Ministry International.

Men in Ministry

What a Relief it is!

This week we celebrated the life of Geraldine Shirley Berre, Gerri. Gerri, with her husband Henry, have been married for 65 years and active members of Glad Tidings Church for over 50 years. Gerri was 92 when she went home to be with the Lord.

What a relief it is to know that Gerri is with Jesus. What a relief to know that Jesus has prepared a place for each one of us. The prize for serving Him is greater than we can ever imagine.

Gerri always encouraged those around her. She remembered people and always had an uplifting for her friends and new acquaintances. For those of us who she knew well, she could be direct. When something was going that we could not control, she would be very direct. Just pray about it, she would say. Gerri never cooked never cooked that was OK.

The first person I met, when I first came to Glad Tidings Church, 12 years ago, was Henry Berre, he handed out the programs and the envelopes. The second person was Gerri. They welcomed me. Then I met the Pastor, Pastor Beiser, I knew I was home.

My granddaughter, Aspen Elizabeth Seeley, was born on July 26, 2011. I was anxious to tell Gerri. My mother died in February 2011. I did not think of Gerri as my mother, much more as a friend.

I was traveling so I did not hear of Gerri’s death until days after it occurred. When I heard of her death, the first thought I had was: “Gerri was a testimony.” It was fascinating, because a few days earlier, somehow the subject of what I would want on my tombstone came up. At that time, I thought the phrase I would hope for, would be, “Frank was a testimony.” Gerri loved Jesus and was a true testimony in everything she did.

Twenty plus years ago a friend of mine died, Ken Scott. Ken was a loving father and husband. I had given testimony to him a number of times. I do not know if Ken ever reacted to the calling of the Holy Spirit. At Ken’s memorial service, his wife asked me to read the following from John 14. All I can say is Oh What a Relief if is!

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Jesus the Way to the Father

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father, as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Gerri has gone to the place Jesus spoke of, to the home He has so carefully and thoughtfully prepared.

Frank is the founder and an active leader of Glad Tidings Mens Ministry International. GTMMI is active men in ministry making a difference, one man at a time.

How Forceful Should We Be When Witnessing

I was doing some research and found that more than 62% of America is un-churched. This has been multiplying throughout the generations, unless something happens the numbers will continue to grow. In 1950, it was 15%, in 2000 the number was 40%, 10 years later it is over 60%. In baseball on a losing streak the manager will go with his best pitcher, we call the stopper. As Men in Ministry, we are the stopper in Jesus plan.

It is clear that Jesus has one plan He commands in Matthew 28:19 and 20: "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and teach them to abbey all I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always even to the end of the age."

We are the means for everyone to receive a quality hearing of the love that Jesus has for all men and women. The 62% of adults in the United States equates to 195 million people. That is a large number. Nearly 2 out of 3 Americans are un-churched. No need to travel to other parts of the world when it is most likely that your neighbors and friends are in need of a quality hearing of the Gospel Message.

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” How will it feel when we are in heaven and friends are suffering. Will I have that impression of the time, I had an opportunity to witness to that person, and I passed it up. We past because we were afraid of what the person would think about us.

Less than 1 in 10 people make a decision for Christ in a church setting. Most people will make a decision for Christ based on seeing His life lived out in their friends, family members and business associates.

In Luke 16:19 and following is a story that Jesus told about a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. The beggar and the rich man both died. The beggar was carried off to Abraham’s side. The rich man went to “Hades.” He begged Abraham to send Lazarus back to earth to tell his family to repent. Abraham told him your family did not believe the prophets they will not believes a person who comes back from the dead.

We live among the 62% we can be the example of the joy that a relationship with Jesus brings to our lives. Based on the growth from 40% in 2000 to 10 years later 62% by 2020 the number will be 77%.

We should have a sense of urgency, one man at a time.

In Glad Tidings Mens Ministry International, we are active men in ministry making a difference, one man at a time.