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

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

Men in Ministry Seek First the Kingdom of God

In ministry groups, in conversation with Men in Ministry and in observation men and women, for that matter, struggle to pray each morning.  This is referring to meaningful prayer time. This does not refer to the morning microwave, fast food or drive through prayer.  The first place we need to turn for direction is the Bible. Mathew 6:33: “33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

You mean I can spend every morning
with the King of Kings!

The Bible clearly commands us in a number of ways to have a real prayer time with God first of every day. Seek first the Kingdom. It is a command. There are no reservations at the front end or anywhere in the scripture verse. Seek first the Kingdom. The first part of every day, the first part of every meal, the first part of every meeting, the first part of every thing we do. Get the power from God. Prayer is powerful!

First is an interesting word with deep meaning. Deep meaning especially as it is expressed in the Matthew 6:33. The definition describes when first is.  Look at the definition: being before all others with respect to time, order, rank, importance, etc.  The penetrating of the Holy Spirit is right in that definition.

Matthew 6:33 phrased a little differently might read: Seek God first in time of the day, first on my to-do list and first before I think of anything.  We can debate; on second thought there really is not a credible debate. First is only one thing, first!

Let us look somewhere else in the Bible. Every day we should strive to become  more like Jesus. In 1 Peter 1:14-16 there are a few more commands. “So you must live as God’s obedient children. (Skip forward in the reading) For the scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

One more look if we are to be holy because Jesus is holy, it makes sense that he gave us the example of living a holy life. In Mark 1:35 Jesus is the example: very early in the morning while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.”

Back to seek first the Kingdom of God the back end of the scripture describes the reward: “and all these things will be given to you as well.” Men in Ministry I want that promise in my life!

Then Matthew goes on to tell us not to worry. I think we worry because we are not giving Jesus the first of the day and all time. That is for another article or hub.

God commands us to seek Him first. He then tells us if we do he will meet all our needs.

We are commanded to spend the very first part of the day in a meaningful time with God. Seek first the Kingdom, be holy because He holy and Jesus’ example going off I solitude early in the morning while it was still dark.

Quality prayer time includes thanksgiving, praise, worship, Bible Study and petition. Psalm 100:4:  “enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.”  In Matthew 6 Jesus gives us the framework for prayer when He gives the Lord’s Prayer.

Start today, "and all these things will be given to you" all your needs will be met. It is a promise from God.

Glad Tidings Men in Ministry

Men in Ministry, Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

Open the meeting with prayer for the men, Teen Challenge, the families of all the men and the leading of the Holy Spirit in this morning's study.

Bible Study based on Matthew 14:22-33

Break the group into 5 small groups if there are more than 25 guys add a sixth group and they can do the group 5 lesson.

Give each group the verses they are to study and then explain to the entire group, with the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Leader YOU choose a leader, note taker and spokes person for each group.

Assign the verses, tell them to read the verses before and after for context, then spend 20 minutes discussing the verses and applying them to their lives.

Format:

1.     What is going on in the verses

2.     Center theme of the verses

3.     Message to us from the verses

The Discussion notes are for the leader to guide the discussion of each set of verses.

At the end discuss the complete set of scripture: Ending Discussion of Matthew 14:22-33.

Jesus walks on water:

Matthew 14:22-33

Group 1 VS 22-24

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

Discussion: Look at the verses before 22 Jesus had just fed 5,000 and could have taken the crown. The crown without the cross has no value.

Whenever Jesus sends the Apostles out in a boat, there is going to be a test.  It may be that the fisherman return to normal where they try to do everything on their own without God’s leading.

When God gives us direction, and we follow that direction we must still ask for His leadership in every move that we make. Prayer is powerful!

Group 2 VS 25

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

Discussion: The disciples saw Jesus and they were still terrified why is this, how soon we forget what Jesus has done for us. In this example,  He just fed 5,000 so how hard is it to walk on water. Jesus was walking above the waves above the trouble, above the trials He is getting ready to ask Peter to walk with Him

The Apostles are in a terrible storm, and they are afraid of Jesus. Why do we wait so long to call on the Lord?

Group 3 VS 27-28

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

Leader: The phrase "it is I" is the same as "I am" the powerful words Jesus used in the Garden that knocked the soldiers and Judas to the ground. (John 18:5-6)

“Lord if it is you” Peter is our example Lord I know it is you directing me but....Lord I know you provide but…Lord I know you direct me to tithe but…Lord I trust you but…Peter is asking for proof, He saw Jesus He still wanted proof, this is us.

Group 4  VS 29-30

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Discussion When Peter had his eyes on Jesus, when Jesus was the center of his attention not even defying the laws of physics matter, Peter lived his life on water he knew he could not walk on water, but with Jesus all things are possible.  Then Peter went back to normal he said I cannot walk on water he began to sink.

What is this in our lives, when we do not trust Jesus and take His promises as true.

Group 5 VS 31-32

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Discussion:  Peter called on the Lord put Him back in the center of His life and IMMEDIATELY Jesus reached out and caught him.  We doubt all the time. Most notable we take Jesus out of the center then doubt creeps in, in all situations. Once again Jesus proves He is the Son of God

Ending Discussion of Matthew 14:22-33.

The Apostles take their eyes off of Jesus maybe they were discussing how the heck they just fed 5,000, more than likely they were focused on the storm rather than on Jesus. Then Jesus walked above the storm and cam to their rescue.

We need to keep Jesus at the center of our lives. It is easy to focus on the situation or the trial. Jesus is above any situation and trial we need to focus on Him. We need to be faithful to obey His commands and do what pleases Him and He will stamp out the situation.

The message of the Power Of Prayer from RA Torrey: the power of prayer is that it keeps Jesus in the center of our lives.

What is your prayer commitment are you spending time with the King that He wants to spend with you.

Glad Tidings Men in Ministry

Prayer is Powerful, Prayer Changes Lives and Situations

James 4:2: “You have not because you do not ask God.” The phrase supports the premise that prayer changes lives and situations. Men in Ministry, the life we have we have created for ourselves as a reflection of our prayer life. When children decide not to serve the Lord, when the boss decides to put us in a terrible situation, when our marriage is not going well, when our finances are in disarray, all are a refection of our prayer life.

Ask in the Name of Jesus

Attached to the phrase from James 4:2 are a few if’s. God answers prayer to those who obey His commands and do what pleases Him. If my prayer life is in line with God, I will be in constant communication with the Holy Spirit. In this state, I will be obeying God’s commands and doing what pleases Him. Falling, repenting and turning from sin is pleasing to God. Not the falling part, but what we do immediately after the falling part. Prayer is powerful!

How long or how much time should I be praying? This is the wrong question. If a man has an appointment with a highly sought after leader, does the man ask: How much time do I need to spend with the person? No, the man asks how much time do I get with the person? This is the same question for us to ask when we are preparing to pray. God hears us. God will give us His undivided attention for as long as we want it. Prayer is powerful!

Psalm 40:1-2: “I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and the mire; He set my feet on a rock.” This Psalm strikes at my heart, to think that God will stop what He is doing turn to me and listen to me, then lift me out of my junk and put me on Jesus, the rock. I can get the King of King’s undivided attention.

Enter the presence of God with thanksgiving and praise. God inhabits the praises of His people.

Enter His Courts With Praise

Jesus says in John 16:23 “Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”  This tells us we need to pray to the Father in the name of Jesus. Ask for anything and it will be given to us, if we ask in the name of Jesus. Always keep in mind God knows what is best and when it is best for us to receive.

Examine your prayer life: does it mirror the prayer life of Jesus? Does your prayer life follow the directions of Paul, in Ephesians? Is it better for us to be in God’s presence consistently or only in an emergency?

Prayer changes lives and situations. God is waiting for us to enter His throne room and ask for whatever we need in the name of His Son Jesus.

Glad Tidings Men in Ministry