When the religious leaders tried to trick Jesus into taking
a position for which He could be accused and prosecuted, they asked the question,
“Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar?” Of course, they were unable
to fool the Messiah, God in the flesh. Jesus knew their intentions, and He
answered them by asking to see a piece of money. Jesus said, “Render therefore
unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be
God’s.” The money was printed by the Romans, so it ultimately belonged to the
Romans. Thus, Caesar had the authority to ask for a portion of the money in
taxes.

These Israelites loathed the idea of paying taxes to the
Romans for many reasons, not the least of which was that the Roman government
did not honor God. They had no regard for the Scriptures and little patience
for the Jews’ religious practices. They were oppressive and abusive. They took
more money than they should have and used it in ways which were grievous to
these men who were asking this question.

I thought about this passage as I was finishing up my taxes,
and the similarity of our situation to theirs was suddenly striking to me. It
has certainly been saddening to see this country turn her back on God over the
last half-century. Many things that are deemed good and right by those in
authority are diametrically opposed to the truth of God’s Word. And yet, if
Jesus were here and we asked Him if we should pay taxes to support such a
government, His answer would likely be the same.

However, paying taxes was not the issue. Christ pointed out
a much larger issue when He said that we must render unto God the things that
are God’s. What does God want from us? He wants our hearts. He wants our
devotion. He wants our love. He wants obedience and service. Yes, this is the
day that our taxes are due, but every day our hearts belong to God.

We had a tremendous crowd at College Days on Thursday and Friday,
and everyone enjoyed the preaching, the classes, the activities, and, of
course, the food.

The pictures, video, and chapel messages on the college
website will give you just a little taste of what we experienced at College Days.
2012.

“Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness,” (Psalm 65:11).

In His goodness, God has given us another year of service to Him. We have enjoyed many blessings in 2011 at Golden State Baptist College, and we are looking forward to what He has for us in 2012.

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you,” (I Thessalonians 5:18).

It is God’s will for us to give thanks in everything. This runs counter to the analytical process that is necessary for many of the functions in everyday life. If you are a parent, a coach, a teacher, an employer, an administrator, a pastor, a choir director, or any kind of leader for that matter; you are constantly evaluating situations, statistics, and individual performances. You are looking for things that need to be improved or corrected and thinking of ways to implement those changes.

As a leader, you need to be able to spot error, identify problems, and bring solutions to bear. However, the more accustomed we are to this way of thinking about our surroundings, the more likely we are to develop a mindset where we just look for what is wrong in our surroundings. After thinking this way long enough, we tend toward the kind of demanding, perfectionist attitude that borders on griping. It is barely more than glorified complaining. It is thinly-disguised bellyaching. This attitude is quite the opposite of thanksgiving.

So, we are faced with a dilemma. In everything find fault, or in everything give thanks? What is the solution?

It is a matter of perspective. We must remember that God is in control. He reigns supreme over all. We are finite beings, and many things are beyond the reach of our influence. He wants us to acknowledge that He is God and He is good. When we do, we can be thankful in all things.

This doesn’t mean that we cannot be leaders. It does not mean that we cannot have vision. It does not mean that we cannot give direction in the areas of our responsibility. It does mean; however, that we need to keep a biblical perspective, realizing that every good thing we enjoy comes from the hand of God. When we think this way, we can be thankful every day. We can truly be thankful in all things, especially on Thanksgiving.

We are in the midst of our annual missions conference this week, and my heart has been stirred through every message, every testimony, and every presentation. What a needy world we live in, and how few laborers we have! You can view the services at www.nvbc.org and www.gsbc.edu. Please pray that these meetings will encourage many to see the great need in His harvest field and do more than ever for the cause of Christ.

This morning we met as a college family for the first time this semester at the beginning of registration and I was so encouraged to see the chapel filled with new and returning students. As I looked across that sea of faces, I was reminded of our purpose and the importance of our mission. Each person was obviously filled with anticipation a strong desire to learn more about God and His work. Our goal is that they would eventually leave here as servants of God who will endeavor to make a difference in this world and carry the Gospel to as many people as they can. What a privilege to have a small part in encouraging and equipping them for the work of the ministry!

The class schedule for the fall semester offers something new and exciting every hour. We have several new faculty members joining us for the new school year, and many brand new classes are being offered for the very first time.

New Faculty

Pastor Kerry Brown: Before becoming the pastor of the Bible Baptist Church in Marysville, California, Pastor Brown was an assistant pastor for eighteen years at the Bethel Baptist Church in Spanaway, Washington. Pastor Brown has had a tremendous impact on young people throughout his ministry, and I am happy for our students to have the opportunity to take Assistant Pastor and Romans with him this fall.

Mrs. Valerie Cooper: Mrs. Cooper and her husband have been members of North Valley Baptist Church for many years. She taught for several years at North Valley Baptist School and did a wonderful job for us there. Mrs. Cooper will be teaching three sections of Grammar & Composition I for us here at GSBC this fall and we are very excited about having her influence in the classroom.

Brother Kyle Ritter: Brother Ritter graduated from Golden State Baptist College in May and will be joining us in the fall as a graduate assistant. Brother Ritter is travelling with the Blessed Hope Quartet this summer, and we are excited about having him teach, Choir, Fundamentals of Music, and Song Leading I in the fall.

Mrs. Vennie Strouf: Mrs. Strouf is the sister of our Chancellor’s wife and she and her husband and family have been here at North Valley for many years. Mrs. Strouf taught in the elementary school at North Valley years ago and we are excited about having her teach two classes for us this fall; Teaching History in the Elementary School and Teaching Kindergarten. Our college ladies will love having the opportunity to learn from this godly Christian lady.

Pastor Eric Tharp: Dr. Tharp just celebrated twenty-five years of ministry. He has been the pastor of three different churches and also taught full-time here at Golden State Baptist College for two years. He is now pastor of the Central Valley Baptist Church in Manteca, CA. Pastor Tharp has been a friend to this ministry and I am so glad that he will be here to influence our students again this fall. He has taught many classes for us in the past, but this semester he will be teaching American Government, a class that outlines the structure and function of our government and emphasizes the importance of the United States Constitution.

Brother Matt Waterhouse: Brother Waterhouse is the music director for Pastor Mike Ray at the Hopewell Baptist Church in Napa, California. Brother Waterhouse has done a great job strengthening the music program there in Napa. He is a gifted musician and we are happy that he will be offering a piano class here at GSBC this fall as well as teaching private piano lessons.

New Classes

HI405 The Middle East in the 19^th Century and Beyond: Land of Politics and Conflict

This fascinating class is being offered by Dr. John Kellogg. Dr. Kellogg has been a favorite of our students over the last several years, teaching Science, History, and Math. Dr. Kellogg wins the prize this semester for the most interesting course title. If I were not teaching the same hour, I think I would have to enroll in this course myself!

HI411 Napoleonic Wars

Mrs. Flint has taught English and History for us for many years. Though her specialty is in English Literature, she has a passion for History, and I am certain that this new class she is offering in the fall will be an exciting one.

MU 303 Music Arranging

This new class is being offered by Mrs. Charise Webster. Mrs. Webster is a graduate of Golden State with a degree in Music Education. She has been training our ladies’ tour groups for many years now and we are looking forward to having her teach Music Theory, Musicianship, and Music Arranging for us this fall.

Ten weeks from today, our new students from across the nation and around the world will be going out soul winning here in our area for the first time. Beginning in a new area of ministry involvement is a life-changing experience for so many students. It is exciting to think about what will happen as they are teamed up with other students and are given areas of service. Please pray with us that the Lord will do some great things this fall.

One hundred days from today, we open the dorms for the fall semester. I am looking forward to what the Lord has for us this next school year and I am excited about the work that is being done now to prepare for the coming semester. We have new faculty and staff joining us, and new programs that we are beginning to offer. We are praying that this will be the best year in the history of the college, and that God will use this ministry to imprint the lives of many young people as they prepare to serve the Lord with their lives.

You will want to take a look at our latest recording that was released at Commencement on Friday evening. The Voices of Praise, the Blessed Hope Quartet, and the GSBC Chorale combined to record sixteen songs of hope, faith, and praise that I believe will be a great encouragement to any Christian. I hope this beautifully orchestrated CD will be as much of a blessing to you as it has been to me. I must confess that I find myself listening to these songs over and over again as I drive in my car. You can preview each song and order your own copy now at the NV Publications website!