Author Profile
Glen Gerhauser
Pastor Glen and Anna met at the Pensacola Revival in Florida, USA. Later they got married and planted Holy Fire Fellowship in August 1999 and have been pastoring the church since that time. In 2003 Pastor Glen founded Holy Fire Ministry Training School for the purpose of training on-fire spiritual warriors for the Kingdom. Before coming to Australia Glen studied at the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry (BRSM) during the peak of the revival when over 100,000 thousand souls were saved in a few years. Glen also graduated with a B.B.A with High Honors in Management from Hofstra University, NY and with an A.A. in Practical Ministry from BRSM. Glen is the author of over twenty works including Desperate for Jesus: A Call to Revival and the Holy Fire Curriculum Series.
Website: www.brisbanefire.com
Unusual Courage - Glen Gerhauser
Often, it's not desire we lack, but courage. Peter had a strong desire to follow Jesus. Yet, Jesus said to him and the twelve: “you will all fall away.” But Peter emphatically responded: “Even if all fall away, I will not...even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And this was not just Peter's resolution, all the disciples said the same (Mark 14:27-31). There was no lack of desire, or even will––it was courage in face of complete darkness of understanding that was missing.
So what happened a few hours later? We know Peter and the rest fell asleep in Gethsemane. And then, when Jesus was arrested, Peter tried his hardest to still follow. The Scriptures say he “followed him at a distance.” But then Peter fell, just as Jesus said. While still in sight of Jesus, he denied him three times. Once we may understand, but three times shows his insistence. At first he had desire, but the circumstances and crowd put pressure on him. His desire caved in from a lack of courage.
Obeying God takes courage. It involves risk and trusting Jesus to come through. Salvation and deliverance is around the corner for those walking in darkness. Jesus will always be glorified in the end. Courage sticks through even when our feelings are contrary. Most courageous people do not feel courageous. If they were self-conscious they may even describe themselves as fearful. But what makes a spiritually courageous person unique is that they lose sight of their self-consciousness and become God-conscious. His presence, his will and his glorification is their only desire. They lose themselves for Christ and the Gospel.
Someone may read this and be stirred to take some wild leap of faith. But I want to encourage you to have courage to obey the Scripture. God may call you to some unusual thing and it may mean boldness and going against the crowd. But also will you be courageous in the simple, everyday things? It's in the usual, non-glamorous things we need unusual courage. We need courage to be faithful in the sameness of life: courage to put God first everyday; courage to gather our family to worship; courage to give when finances are tough; courage to not surrender our worship times for busyness and money. Each and every command of Jesus demands courage.
Courage, rather than size, was essential for God's army. We read: “When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, will be with you...Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory” (Deu. 20:1-3). What we see with our eyes can and will make us fearful; we must see him who is invisible to gain courage. However, not everyone will see with the eyes of faith.
The passage goes on to say: “Has anyone built a new house and not yet begun to live in it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else may begin to live in it. Has anyone planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else enjoy it. Has anyone become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else marry her...Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too." (Deu. 20:5-9).
God's strategy is a lot different than our strategy. We accumulate massive resources to gain influence and engage in battle. God does the opposite. Marketing teaches us to get as many people on board as possible. It looks to the band-wagon effect to sell something. Our Lord brings a fine-tooth comb through people to win the battle and bring increase. He will whittle someone or a group down to the bare essentials in order that they may know that he alone has triumphed. It is God that works in and through us.
When God works in this extremely unusual way we may get worried. "It's over!" we declare. "We can't continue!" But God is bigger and greater than even what we think is reasonable. He's a God who loves to expand our thinking and our faith in him.
More importantly, we need to recognize that it is not our courage that amounts to anything, but God's courage in us. If you are saved you have Jesus in you. He is the most courageous person in the universe. It's his courage working in and through you that will enable you to live in obedience to God's commands. Only through Jesus can we gain the victory.
As the Biblical story goes, Peter repented with strong weeping for his lack of courage. Then Jesus told him and the rest to wait––wait to be endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49). What is this power? For one thing it is God's courage––a courage to do his will, a courage that clothes and fills us. This power enables us to believe the impossible and to boldly proclaim his name. This power gives us unusual courage to be witnesses in our everyday lives. Today, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with God's own courage to do his will.
[For my daily devotional based on Genesis 1 see www.invasionoflight.com or www.facebook.com/invasionoflight | For short bursts of encouragement see our www.iamexhausted.me]
The Subconscious Educator - by Glen Gerhauser
My youngest daughter is two years old. The other day we were riding in the car together and I unconsciously made a clicking noise with my mouth. It was the type of sound you make by putting your tongue to the roof of your mouth and snapping it down. Well, I never taught her how to do it, and she couldn’t actually see what I was doing (she could only hear) but she started doing it herself. Then I started to sing a note and she matched the note in the same key. Nobody instructed her how, she just did it. I'm amazed at the things she picks up from us as well as her brother and sister.
There in the car the heavenly Father highlighted to me the power of imitation. That's the primary way we learn. We learn more by imitation than instruction. Instruction has it's place (it's sure needed) but learning by imitation seems to transcend other kinds of learning. Imitation is the subconscious educator that causes what is learned to be deeply imbedded in the soul. That's how God designed us, to learn by imitation.
We learn to talk by imitation. We learn to walk by imitation. We even learn to live by imitation. What we see and hear, we usually do. That's why Australians have their own accent and Americans have theirs. We imitate the people around us whether we like it or not. And the things we learn as a child (unconsciously) become part of who we are. Imitation is most likely the way that various cultures developed throughout the world.
Here's the thing: you may not like some of the things you’ve both unconsciously and sub-consciously learned. They may not be right or beneficial. So what do you do? Scripture exhorts us to "Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma" (Eph. 5:1-2).
Many years ago Thomas a Kempis wrote a book entitled The Imitation of Christ (originally in Latin, De Imitatione Christi). Imitating Christ was something that the Christian mystics often reflected on. Today, we don’t hear much about imitating Christ because people usually frown on the thought of 'imitating.' I understand to some degree; we often see imitation in a negative light––"we are meant to be individuals, don't copy." But not all imitation is bad and no matter how hard we try to escape, God has built imitation into us.
In the spiritual life you may hear, "It's impossible to imitate Christ, he must live his life through you." Here we seem to have conflicting metaphors, so we toss out the ‘imitate’ part to embrace the ‘indwelling’ life of Christ. Yet, both metaphors are critical and Scriptural. Listen to some of the calls to imitation in Scripture:
Paul says, "Therefore I urge you to imitate me" (1 Cor. 4:16). Another time he writes, "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1). The author of Hebrews says, "We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised" (Heb. 6:12). And later, "Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith" (Heb. 13:7). In all these verses we see imitation praised, but not just any imitation. All of these are calls to imitate men and women of God rather than merely ‘Christian’ friends and the popular crowd.
So how is it possible to imitate Christ and those who follow Christ? Quite simply, do what my little daughter did. Hang out with Daddy, watch and hear what he does. You'll find yourself automatically copying. Read the Gospel accounts of Christ. Put yourself in the story and keep your eyes on Christ––you'll start wanting to be like him. As you look at him in the Book and on the Throne, you'll start changing into his image from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18). Christ is the hard-copy of the Father; what you see Jesus doing is what the Father is doing. Jesus is the tangibility of the Father. He became tangible to us so that we may imitate him.
And there is another way to imitate what is good. Since God loves you, he's going to put some good people in your life. They probably won't be famous, well recognized or praised, but they will be followers of Christ. Consider them. Watch how they live. They won't be perfect, but they will show you Christ. Follow them, rather than following the ‘church crowd’ and so-called ‘Christian’ friends who are more at home in this world than in the next. Remember, you'll imitate those you esteem and spend time with, so choose wisely. And let's go one step further: let's be people that our families and friends can imitate because we are imitating Christ. What a lasting legacy fathers, mothers or family members can make when they live like Jesus.
The Astronomically Corageous God - Glen Gerhauser
Let’s sum up the heart of our reflection on Genesis 1:1: God’s sacrifice of himself was the foundation of creation. Before God ever launched out into this massive project of making the heavens and the earth he counted the cost. He knew that his creation would cost him his Son. And even with this knowledge he still created. This is also a lesson for us: we cannot begin anything that is apostolic (sent from God and rooted in him) unless we count the cost. We need to realise what is at stake and then step out with courage. If we don’t, we won’t last, no matter how enthusiatic we begin.
Our God paved the way by creating. Now, we are called to follow him and be creative. He may be calling you to be a father or mother, to start a business, write music or plant a church. If we fear sacrifice, dreading the rejection that will come, we will never begin. Our confidence and security must be totally in God who is secure in himself and knows he will be victorious.
God began creating because of love. If love wasn’t his motivation he would have never started. Fear would have caused him to shrink back, to be content to dwell alone and not take a covenant partner. But it was faith and love that moved him to descend his “holy mountain” and walk on the tumultuous water. He longed to be with and rescue his people. And we see the ultimate fulfilment of his desire through the coming of Jesus Christ. May we also walk on the water with him and invite him into the “boat” of our lives. When Jesus is in our boat, we will make it to the other side no matter what the storm.
Prayer: Father, you are a courageous God––more bold than a lion for you are its creator. You roar and the enemy flees. And yet you are also as humble as a lamb––a lamb who silently went to slaughter for the salvation of your creation. The lion and the lamb. The lion is courageous, but so is the lamb. The lamb has a different type of boldness, a covert strength. Our Lamb was motivated by love and his sacrifice is the very foundation of creation. Endue me with your courage to count the cost and boldly go where others are afraid. There is something great you are calling me too, something that no one else can do. But you can do it in and through me. Come into my boat and take me to the other side. I praise you, the astronomically courageous God!
[This is an excerpt from my new book, Invasion of Light: Discovering God's Glory through Creation. You can read the rest of the book on www.invasionoflight.com. At the moment, it is being published as a daily devotion.]
The Four Core - Glen Gerhauser
This week I was planning to write you about some of the deep matters of the faith. But instead, I could not get past the basics. My thought is from baseball: you can't get to second base without going through first. If you skip first, you will be disqualified.
Here are the four core practices that make a powerful disciple. My goal is to be succinct and to the point:
1) Praying - Make daily devotions a part of your everyday life. And pray with God's Word open, reading with the expectancy that your Father wants to speak with you. You can't give life to others unless you receive from God in these morning times. The Father is jealous for your time.
2) Gathering - Gather regularly and consistently with other believers to worship, hear God's Word and fellowship. Our Father has made the Christian life impossible to live independently. God is jealous for his people, his house.
3) Giving - Give to God, his ministers and the poor. Our God is a giving God and he wants his people to reflect his image on earth. Give your money, but also give in other creative ways. Your Father is jealous for your fruit.
4) Living - Live the life. The Scriptures are filled with how to live. Our talk has to match our walk. And when we fall we need to get up quickly and receive God's mercy. It's all about loving others, especially those who do not know Jesus. Our God is jealous for the people in his world.
Of course, in all this, I presuppose that you are saved by grace through faith. And moreover, all of this is possible only by grace through faith.
Pray. Gather. Give. Live. You will be blessed and be a blessing to others.
Action: Find another believer and keep yourselves accountable to each other about these four things.
Invasion of Light - Glen Gerhauser
Invasion of Light is my new book that I will be posting in devotional form free of charge over the next 150 days or so. (@ www.invasionoflight.com). It's a journey of discovering God's glory through the first creation account. Since writing it, I have seen creation and the Bible in a fresh new light. I have grown deeper in my love for God and what he has created. I've seen things I've never seen before. I hope you also have the same experience.
To follow the book and get the daily devotion go to www.invasionoflight.com. There the full devotional book will be posted day by day - in bite size form for the internet reader. On This Side of the Cross I will post weekly (God-willing), but I will not put the whole book on here because I do not want to flood this site with posts.
You can help support the book by 'liking' it on www.facebook.com/invasionoflight and also spreading the word to friends. Thank you for all your reposts and support. I hope that the book is a blessing.
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