Our God is a Loving, Jealous God

Recently my wife and I were at a friends home for dinner. We have been friends for 14 years. We go to church together when we are in the same city we spend weekends together at each other’s homes. We have fun together. We will very often talk about our personal walk with the Lord.

One evening we were at their home in the Sierra Mountains for dinner. It is summer, in the evening it is relatively warm but comfortable. We prepared dinner then decided to eat on the deck. We would  enjoy conversation and the weather. We got into a wonderful conversation around prayer, how to pray and daily prayer habits. Our friends are Catholic the man is a do good and get to heaven Catholic the wife has accepted the gift of salvation. The wife is a prayer warrior she may be the poster child for pray without ceasing.

The conversation begins with the man describing his daily prayer time. It is structured and dotting all the I’s while crossing most of the t’s. We begin a discussion of relationship with God. The discussion gets pretty intense but very nurturing.

During the conversation,  I focused my attention on the man in the couple. We enjoy debate and conversation. It was all good. Except!

Except when we finished, did the dishes and headed off to bed. My wife said that she felt I ignored her during the conversation. A simple thought on my part, she was right. I apologized. Men in Ministry does your wife make a good Holy Spirit stand in?

I thought about Jesus, in two ways. First love your wife like the Lord loves the church that He gave His life for her and second: “for I the Lord thy God are a jealous God.”

Wow did I commit a huge sin! If my wife, the bride of my life thinks I am neglecting her, I am.

First God never ignores His Children. The Bible tells us that repeatedly.

Second; I think of how many times during each day that I neglect Jesus. How many times I turn my attention away from the Lord to other things. The comment may be you have other things to do, there is family, baseball, running, work, golf the list can be extensive. How then do I keep my focus on Jesus?

I think of a book I read a long time ago and then gave as a gift to a number of young men I was mentoring: Practicing the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence. In the book, he describes how in everything he does he prays it through, always keeping his attention on Jesus.

How can I be more of the man that Jesus wants / commands me to be.

Men in Ministry, begin each day with Jesus, before anything. Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness is a command. First is first, once I set the first aside for Jesus, then ask the Holy Spirit to direct my day I have begun on the right foundation. The next thing to be aware is would Jesus be doing what I am doing. Would I be comfortable inviting Jesus to be with me in what I am doing? This is a second foundational practice. Third for me is asking direction throughout the day and thanking Him for His direction. Finally, open everything I do in personal prayer. In turn, this keeps me focused so that I can thank Him for every result. Thank Him even when the ball finds its way into the trees or the fairway.

Prayer is Powerful, so why are we not always in prayer?

When I ignored my wife, she expressed her feelings I felt terrible. How terrible do I feel when the Holy Spirit reminds me that I am ignoring my Lord and Savior. Jesus gave it all for me and never forgets me.

Thank you, Jesus for your love and presence thank you Michele, for a lesson I hope I  never forget.

100 Year Celebration!

The intention of the Glad Tidings 100 Year Anniversary Celebration is to reach more people of San Francisco for Jesus. The events are designed to show God’s love for all people.

Glad Tidings Church is an Oasis of God’s Love in San Francisco. It has

been a Holy Spirit Led Oasis since 1913, when it was founded by Robert and Mary Craig. Glad Tidings was founded out of a fresh revelation of the Holy Spirit from the Azusa Street Revival. The fire of the Holy Ghost has been leading the pastors of Glad Tidings for over 100 years. Glad Tidings has planted, in a variety of ways, over 400 churches in Northern California it has sent out 100’ s of Missionaries around the world. Glad Tidings founded Glad Tidings Bible Institute, which became Bethany College in Santa Cruz. Glad Tidings planted Glad Tidings Bible Institute in 2006 it continues to expand and grow.

In 1999, a new time started in San Francisco, with the election of Pastor Beiser to the Lead Pastor role at Glad Tidings. He came with a distinct calling from God. He had arrived in San Francisco years earlier with his family. Pastor is a Holy Spirit led minister who is a praying, fasting, Bible Studying and worshipping man. He leads Glad Tidings with a dedicated focus on Prayer, fasting, Bible Studying and worshipping. The church is outward facing, supporting missionaries around the world, financially and through mission trips. Pastor Beiser's success is a testimony to the Power of Prayer.

The Assemblies of God has over 12,000 churches in the United States. Glad Tidings is 57th in giving to missions. Glad Tidings in 1999 had 37 people in the first Sunday Service Pastor preached as the lead Pastor. Now in 2013 the average Sunday attendance is in the 700 range. The church continues to grow, weekly.

The 100 Year Anniversary of this great church begins the first weekend in September and will continue through the last weekend in November. The events in the coming months will have pastors and evangelists from all over the world. The Glad Tidings 100 Anniversary Choir of over 300 singers and musicians will lead worship in all services and banquets.

September 6- 8 Banquets and services featuring Mel and Sharon Johnson. The Johnsons pastored Glad Tidings for 17 years. They are currently missionaries in Asia.

In 1980, Mel and Sharon, became the pastors of Glad Tidings Church.  For seventeen years, they poured their lives into our church, and the mark of their steady, godly hand is felt in many ways at GT today.  We owe a great debt of gratitude for their faithfulness at GT, and we are so glad to welcome them home to San Francisco for this “kick-off” weekend of GT’s 100 Year Anniversary.

October 4-6 will feature George Wood the CEO of the Assemblies of God. The son of

missionary parents to China and Tibet, Wood holds a doctoral degree in pastoral theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, and a Juris doctorate from Western State University College of Law in Fullerton, California. He did his undergraduate work at Evangel University (College) in Springfield, Missouri, and served the college in several capacities, including being the director of spiritual life and student life from 1965-71. He was ordained by the Southern Missouri District in 1967.

November 1-3 Glad Tidings Bible Institute / Bethany College reunion weekend.

November 22-24 the Celebration with Reinhard Bonnke, Sammy Rodriguez and Isaiah Saldivar.

Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke is principally known for his Great Gospel Crusades throughout the Continent of Africa. The son of a pastor, Reinhard gave his life to the Lord at age nine, and heard the call to the African mission field before he was even a teenager. After attending Bible College in Wales, and his ordination in Germany he pastored a church and then went on to start missionary work in Africa. It was there, in the small mountain kingdom of Lesotho that God placed upon his heart the vision of ‘the continent of Africa, being washed in the precious Blood of Jesus’. The entire continent, from Cape Town to Cairo and from Dakar to Djibouti that needed to be reached and to hear the proclamation of the signs-following Gospel.

CNN named Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, “The leader of the Hispanic Evangelical movement”. The Wall St. Journal identified him as one of America’s 7 most influential Hispanic Leaders, and the only religious leader on the list. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Chronicle described Samuel as one of the 6 Leaders of the New Evangelical Leadership. Charisma Magazine Identifies Rev. Samuel Rodriguez as America’s most influential spirit-filled Christian Leader in the political sphere.  By God’s Grace, Rev. Samuel Rodriguez stands as one of America’s Leading Christian Voices.

As one of Newsweek Magazine’s Top 12 People to Look For in 2008, and as the President of America’s Preeminent Latino Christian Organization, Samuel is regarded as one of the most prominent voices in the Kingdom of God and the lead spokesperson for the 16 million strong Hispanic American Born Again Christian Community.

In January 2011, Isaiah Saldivar had a radical encounter with God at the age of twenty. The Lord told him to pray for revival and He would draw thousands of old friends, family members, and people from around the world to his house. Since then, well over 12,000 people from all ages, races, and backgrounds have come and experienced a tangible encounter with God. They have seen hundreds of healings, miracles, deliverances, and countless signs and wonders. God has commissioned him to impart and release believers into a life of holiness, revival, and reformation. He is passionate to see the power and reality of God restored to the churches of the world.

Glad Tidings Men In Ministry

Men in Ministry, 10,000 Disciples, One Man at a Time

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…..” Jesus commanded us in Matthew 28 18 and following. Men in Ministry, how do we do it? Is it a wallet thing? Give money so that others can do the job? Teach a Sunday School class? Lead a ministry? Go every church service? Sit next to a visitor in service and talk to other men at the end of service?

All these suggestions, plus others, are correct, but not enough.

One Man at a Time

Jesus said make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Baptizing is a one on one event. It takes an individual commitment from a man then the baptism is one man at a time.

Making disciples is also a one on one process. It is making a disciple. A person can make a commitment and be taught in a group or a service, but to become a disciple it takes one man with another. Jesus called His Apostles one man at a time.

The question then becomes: how do we get to the entire city of San Francisco, all 400,000 men, one man at a time?

Men in Ministry, first a couple of social realities that we will want to put to work.

1. A commitment one man to another, face to face, has the absolute highest likelihood of being honored to the fullest.

2. A one on one relationship has the greatest opportunity to be intimate and real

So what is the idea?

The idea, like all good ideas gives birth to a simple plan.

1. Be committed to walking with the Lord
2. Be an obedient follower of Jesus and Pastor Beiser
3. Attend all Glad Tidings Services
4. Pray every morning and study, the Pastor designated One Year Bible, every morning
5. Ask a man to have coffee one day per week at a Starbucks or similar location
1. Pray together to start
2. Discuss the day’s reading
3. Discuss what is going on in the man’s life
4. Pray for each other as you close the meeting
5. Invite the man to upcoming church services or events
6. As appropriate invite him to an upcoming men’s event
7. Once every few months have a social time with the man and his spouse
6. At the end of a year evaluate, with another leader, if the man is ready to disciple another man, following the same plan.

If we start with just 10 men in a disciple relationship with 10 men the first year. The numbers multiply and get ridiculous quickly. What would it be like to have 10,000 men in disciple teaching and training? That would change neighborhoods and the City of San Francisco. We can do that in 10 years!

How do you pick the man to disciple or how do you find a man to disciple you?

A. Pray to the Holy Spirit for the direction, He will answer your question.

B. Ask a leader for suggestions.

Here, we have the formula for a minimum of 10,000 disciples changing the City of San Francisco, forever, for Christ!

  Glad Tidings Men In Ministry

Be Holy

We are commanded by God in 1 Peter 1:16: “Be Holy, because I am Holy.” It is a command from God. It is not a suggestion. It is clear that the expectation is one of full time 24-7 holiness. Men in Ministry, God is holy all the time! Wow! This is quite an expectation!

Let us think about God and some of His promises. He promises to be with us, always. He sent the Holy Spirit to be our helper and comforter. God tells us in Deuteronomy 31:8: “It is the Lord that goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”  This is a promise. We see the promise fulfilled in many parts of the Bible. God has given us many examples of people who have turned back to God and He answered their prayers, beyond any expectation.

Men in Ministry, “Be Holy,because I am Holy.”

In the last weeks and months probably years, Pastor has preached, taught and exhorted us to be Holy. I took notes as I do. I reviewed the notes afterwards, often times, looking up the Bible references and in some cases chose the references as memory verses. Pretty much, as I studied I felt more and more inferior.

How could I become Holy like God commands?

This went on for months. I will never say that God was distant, He was not. My prayer life was full, the Bible each day jumped out at me, but I could not shake this feeling of inferiority to God. Now I am nothing, Jesus did it all, but still God tells me clearly He does not want me to feel inferior. What should I do?

This past Sunday sitting in Glad Tidings listening to a particular great sermon, God said: “You need to fast.”  I asked some specifics, fast what and how long? God answered Fast all but water for 3 days. I starter the fast. By the way, the sermon had nothing to do with fasting it was all about faith.

I fasted and as usual during a fast the flesh struggled to win out and eat. Thanks to the Holy Spirit the fast prevailed. Thank you, God! I broke the fast with the best home made spaghetti and meatballs on the planet. I made it; however, I did not have an answer from God.

The next morning during the daily Bible reading: 2 Chronicles 16-18, I received part of the answer: “Ask God for the victory today.” I said: "I pray every day I turn everything over to you, every day." The reply: "Ask Me for the victory every day." So I put on it on an index card and placed the card on my desk, next to my One Year Bible. This is where I start my day. As I am writing, that will change, I am taping the message: “Ask God for the victory todayI”  to the front of my One Year Bible.

That was the first part of the answer. The second part of the answer came this morning as I began to write about the time spent fasting. The second part of the answer is surrender!

“ Be Holy, because I am Holy” 1 Peter 1:16

Surrender

1. Pray everyday, Paul says pray continually
2. Study His Word every day
3. Fast
4. Thank Him
5. Praise Him
6. Listen to and study sound preaching
7. Listen to His voice and obey Him

Glad Tidings Men in Ministry

Fear the Lord, You Will Never Forget Him

Men in Ministry, I recently read a book by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In the work, he makes the statement: “Satan does not fill us with hatred to God, but for forgetfulness of God.” A while ago I read an excerpt from an interview with Jimmy Baker. The interview was conducted after he had served his time, in prison, and

had reconciled with the Lord. The interviewer asked: “When did you stop loving God?” The answer came quickly, “I never stopped loving God I stopped fearing Him.” Bam! Can these two statements be related?

The Bible in Proverbs 9:10 tells us: “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” How can I possibly forget God? If I fear Him, how can I forget Him? This may be the better question.

God is minimized in American Society. The references to God are many. Most of the references are totally irreverent. The man up there, the big guy, not to mention taking His name in vain.  We hear the reference when someone dies, “they are in a better place.” If the person who died, is not born again, the place they are in is far from better than earth. They are in hell, burning in a relentless fire.

 

Hebrews 12:28 “Therefore, let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,” Acceptable is relative, however, “with reverence and awe,” leaves no room for interpretation.

Psalm 89:7 “In the council of the holy ones, God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him.” Our God deserves reverence, no, our God demands reverence. The fear of the Lord is important to our life with Him. First God loves us more than we can imagine. God is love! He gave His son for us so that we might have eternal life. There is no greater love than this.

Fear of the Lord will keep us from forgetting God. The devil and the flesh

have placed these irreverent statements in the mouths of the wicked to minimize God. If everyone who dies is in a better place, what is there to fear. You might as well forget God. Matthew 10:28: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

The fear of the Lord is not fear that comes from an unpredictable parent or boss. God is 100% predictable. He tells us everything about Himself in His Bible. Fear of the Lord is a wholesome fear. It is a fear for us when we sin and do not repent. Then, fear Him! In the garden, one day God said to Adam and Eve: “Where are you?” Adam answered: “I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked.” Adam did not fear the Lord because he was naked. Adam walked with God in the cool of the afternoon for years and years, all the time Adam was the same naked as he was on this day. Adam feared the Lord because he knew he had disobeyed the Lord. This is a good time to fear the Lord.

Back to the two statements, one referring to forgetting God the other fearing God.  When Adam ate from the forbidden tree, did he forget God? When I sin do I forget God?

Men in Ministry, if I fear Him, I will never forget Him.

Glad Tidings Men in Ministry

Freedom

Men in Ministry, as citizens of the world we cherish our freedom, often times to death.

The Declaration of Independence states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their

Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Liberty we can equate to “freedom.” The definition of liberty “The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life.” “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom” 2 Corinthians 3-17. Freedom is vital to all people. Is freedom as it is defined in society the same as freedom defined by God?

Men in Ministry, first I am a Christian then I am an American, first I am a Christian before I am anything. Christian we have to agree on this as the foundation for all our living.

I am a Christian I follow God’s commands: “Be Holy because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16 The root definition of holiness: Holiness is the voluntary choice to limit my freedom to bring my thoughts, my motives and attitudes into alignment with the character of God.

First I am a Christian. I am commanded to bring all that I do into alignment with God’s character and where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. Does freedom, as defined by society, seem out of alignment with these three statements?

We live in the world, but we are not of the world. We are citizens of heaven and simply ambassadors to earth. Are my worldly freedoms limited?

Christianity is a relationship with Jesus. It is not built on rules. Rules create limits. If I love the Lord, it will be my hearts desire to live according to His purpose. I have a loving relationship with Jesus; therefore, I am free. He only wants what is good for me here on earth and for eternity.

I voluntarily limit my freedom to bring my thoughts, attitudes, motives and actions into alignment with God’s character. I do this because of whom God is and because of my relationship with Him and His relationship to the people around me. Let us add to this 1 Corinthians 8:9 “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.” If I do something that causes another person to sin, I am sinning. God tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:“When you sin against your brother in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.”

The pursuit of worldly happiness, using all my worldly freedoms, will leave me empty. It may also cause others to sin.

Pursuit of holiness will fill me. Holiness brings intimacy with God. Holiness like Christianity is not a series of rules it is a loving relationship with Jesus and all our neighbors.

Men in Ministry, as citizens of heaven, we need to be passionate about freedom until death.

Glad Tidings Men In Ministry

What Windows are You Opening to Destroy Your Family and Your Life

Men in Ministry, I have a few questions.

• Do you commit murder in your house?

• Do you have sex in your living room, in front of your children?

• Do you sell drugs in your living room?

• Do you use drugs in your living room?

• Do you practice witchcraft in your home?

• Do you get drunk in your home?

I hope the answer to these questions is no. Well let us examine the answer before we jump to a no.

Protect the Purity of Children
and the Purity of Your Heart

Do any of the shows that on your TVs promote, cussing, alcohol, sex, witchcraft or drugs?

Do any of the shows in your home promote cussing or denial of Jesus as Lord and Saviour?

Are we limited in what we can watch? Men in Ministry we are, the path is narrow, many are called few are chosen.

The other night for no good reason Bill O’Reilly, the proclaimed Catholic, made it a point to show a conversation he had with Don Imus. In the conversation, Bill denied Jesus as Saviour. He called Jesus a liar by his statement. He said he did not think the people in New Guinea would get a hearing of the Gospel. He continued to say if you are good you will go to heaven. He also said there is more than one way to heaven Jesus is not the only way. This denies Jesus and the need for the cross which we know is not true.

What kind of stuff is leaking into your mind and the minds of your children? If a sin is shown as being OK or normal it is wrong!

The other day my daughter asked my granddaughter an innocent question and my granddaughter said “hell no”. Not words that are used in my daughters home. Where did it come from? My daughter and son in law decided from some TV show. The TV watch list was reviewed and revised.

Hot coals in your lap will burn you even coals that are not so hot.

Proverbs 6: 27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? 28 Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?

Open a window to the acceptance of sin and it will destroy you.

Just one look at a photo on the web, a fire starts with a spark.

In the name of Jesus cancel the sin that has been allowed into your home. Cancel, in the Name of Jesus, any generational sin that has been inherited from parents, grand parents go 7 generations back. Cancel, in the Name of Jesus any generational sin that has been passed from you to children, grandchildren to 7 generation forward.

Have your children or your wife seen you daily on your knees praying? Have they seen you every day studying your Bible? Are you the first one to be ready for the church service? Are you in total support of your pastor? Are you unwavering, never making the slightest negative comment about him or her? Have you explained the tithe of money and time to your family. Has your family witnessed your tithe.

Is there compromise anywhere in your life? The Bible tells us that sin will come into the light and be exposed.

Pat Schatzline just spent an amazing three days at Glad Tidings. In the 3 days, he preached all out, 5 times. He said many valuable things, I have 10 pages of notes. One of his statements: “You cannot dance with the devil and serenade the cross.” In other words: Galatians 6:7  “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”

We know God is good. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Prayer is Powerful!

Let us love the Lord our God with all our Hearts, obey His commands and do what pleases Him.

Glad Tidings Men in Ministry