Testimony from Pastor/Minister Class

The accelerated Pastor’s Class led by Dr. Hedges is changing my life.  One of my gifts is input but input is a double edged sword.  I desire input so I read five books at a time including my Bible.  When I need to reference the material it is lost and tumbling around somewhere in my brain so I don’t know how to retrieve it.  This is all changed with the Pastors/Ministers Class. 

Each month Dr. Hedges introduces a new book to read.  When completed each student writes a paper describing each chapter.  Then we personally say how we can practically integrate this information into our daily lives in the form of application.  Lastly we are challenged with analyzing the material.  Did we agree or did we disagree?  We write out 5-9 pages in our final paper. 

With this detailed method of summarizing, practical integration and analyzing I am more able to retain the information acquired.  I find after only three months of attending discussion groups that I can easily sort out the information in my brain and know exactly where it was from and who the author was.  Before my mind just went a million miles an hour and I felt like a baby hamster running in a little bitsy wheel, always spinning but getting nowhere.  The Pastors class has made it easier for me to articulate and feel confident in what I have learned and read. What a blessing this class is and how wonderfully it has changed my life. 

Judy Johnston

It’s not what position you hold; it’s where God positions you!

By Pastor Pete Kinney

My testimony of my Christian journey and how and why I was led to Summit Bible College;

I came to the Lord and was redeemed in April of 1991 a little more than 21 years ago. This was after praying to God to take my mother who had been sick for a long time. I owe it all to my dear mother and God’s amazing grace.  She had been in a convalescence home for 3 ½ years.  She had a series of strokes and was paralyzed on the left side of her body.  Toward the end of her life on earth, she was diagnosed with lung cancer.  She was given 3-6 months to live.

I went to visit her in the hospital.  When I arrived she was gasping for air.  I ran and grabbed an oxygen bottle and gave her the oxygen.  She began to breath normally again and looked up at me with those beautiful blue eyes and said “thank you, Pete”. 

I made my 90 mile drive home that night in tears and emotional pain with the thought of her living another few months in that condition.  I prayed to God like never before asking God “Please don’t let her suffer any longer”. That was the prayer that I kept saying over and over.

She died the next morning in my brother’s arms while looking up at the ceiling from her bed.  With her last breath she said “it’s beautiful”.

After hearing the news from my brother I fell to my knees and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. My hardened heart was finally softened. I knew that God was the real deal and that He had listened to my prayers. That is when I began my spiritual journey with the Lord.

The hardened ground had been broken up, plowed, watered, and all those dead seeds that had been sown began to grow. At first I started sporadically attending church making sure that I at least attended on Easter and at Christmas.

Backing up a bit, I had been involved in motor racing most of my adult life beginning with motocross and desert racing starting back in the late 60’s. Holding an AMA expert plate I even dabbled in some of the SCORE series professional off-road races finishing the Baja 1000 three times in the late 70’s and early 80’s. From there it was doing 10k’s, triathlon’s, and competing in racquetball tournaments.

But I missed the speed and thrill of off-road racing where we were racing at speeds in excess of 110 mph across the desert.

In the mid-90’s a friend took me to an NHRA drag race and I was hooked. I saw that I could go fast surrounded by a protective steel roll cage in a car that I could afford to build that I could drive at speeds in excess of 160 mph in the ¼ mile. That is where I met one of my spiritual mentors Jim Jack from Racers For Christ Ministries. Every time I went to the races I received prayer from either Jim or another chaplain before making each pass down the drag strip. On Sunday mornings at the track I began attending chapel services held by RFC. I was hooked on Jesus and I looked forward to hearing the message at every race. I also began to attend church locally on a more regular basis.

Serving in many capacities within the local churches I’ve attended I have served in areas from the parking lot ministry, to building stages, painting, greeting, serving food, and sweeping.  But I wanted to do more outside of the church too. 

Then, much to my surprise, Director of Field Ministries; Jim Jack asked me to become a chaplain for RFC. At the time I just didn’t think I was worthy enough. Of course, now I realize that none of us are. We are only made worthy by Him and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but at the time I wasn’t mature enough to comprehend this truth.

After a dear friend died unexpectedly, I began to study the Bible 1-2 hours a day, sometimes all day. I became hungry for the Word. I couldn’t get enough. I read it cover to cover. In 2008 I attended a week long chaplain school on my time and at my expense. God was working on me. He was preparing me and equipping me for His good purpose. Why? Because now I had a willing heart to serve and He knew it. Later on that year I applied and was accepted as a chaplain to RFC.

I’ll never forget the looks on my fellow racers faces when they saw their friend and fellow racer walking the staging lanes in my RFC uniform at the annual Winternationals at Pomona held in January of 2009. “Hey Pete, where’s your car?” I told them I was there for them and explained that you can’t serve two masters.  It was a shock to most of them because they couldn’t believe I would give up what I loved and what I was good at to serve the Lord. 

It was awesome to be accepted by my fellow competitors at the end of that year, not as a racer, but as a chaplain and servant of Jesus Christ.

I had seen the good, the bad, and the ugly that year at the races. I had to minister to many competitors and fans who had witnessed some horrific crashes and deaths at the track. I had been called to the hospital on a few occasions when members of our racing family were injured or became sick. I also was there for the families and friends within our racing community to do funerals and memorial services for those that have gone on to be with the Lord. I prayed with my fellow racers and held chapel services on Sunday mornings. They called me “Preach”; “Preacher Man”; which was all good. Now, they call me Pastor Pete, which is really good.

God continued to equip and prepare me for things to come; things that I had no idea about. I was Spirit led to TIP (Trauma Intervention Program).  As a TIP volunteer, I had been trained to provide emotional comfort and support to individuals that have been injured in some sort of tragedy and also to those that may have been a witness and to the families that arrived on scene or came to the hospital.  Many times the injured died from the accident and I shifted all of my attention to the grieving family.

I assisted police officers with death notifications. I provided grief counseling and literature. I served in a liaison role between the victim’s family and the emergency room personnel. I provided information and referrals to appropriate agencies for ongoing support. Also I served as a temporary protector of those victims that were in vulnerable situations by inquisitive neighbors and/or the press.  Dispatched by local Police and Fire agencies, I was called out whenever there was a natural or unexpected death of a loved one, to comfort victims of crime, including rape, assault, robbery, or burglary; victims of domestic violence; victims of flood and fire; disoriented or lonely elderly people; persons involved in vehicle accidents, persons who are distraught and were seeking immediate support, survivors of suicide, employees of workplace tragedies.  I received extensive training in these areas and have over 500 hours of practical experience. 

Between TIP and RFC I had over 1000 volunteer hours that year. For every hour of service I received more back in blessings.

So here I was, a servant of the Lord. I was praying, ministering, and preaching. But God said I want you to do more and you will need to be further equipped. I had heard about Summit Bible College through RFC. RFC and Summit Bible College’s President and Founder, Dr. Victor had put together a program for ordination of RFC chaplains. The requirement for ordination was 14 college classes needed to be completed. This would better equip me to serve God. As an ordained minister, I could marry people too.

God put it on my heart to do this but of course I had to argue a little bit with the Lord in the process. I said, “Lord, I haven’t picked up a textbook in over forty years.” Heck, I hadn’t read a book other than the Bible either. But God clearly told me to do it, so I did a lot of praying asking for God’s help along the way. So, I picked up the phone and began my relationship with Jay Mauser who was my counselor. I enrolled and started taking my classes.

I finished my required 14 classes in less than a year and I was ordained by Christian Motorsports International in January of 2011 in a ceremony held at our annual RFC chaplain conference in Kansas City, MO. Later in the year, one month before my 65^th birthday, I completed my 20 required classes and received my BA in Theology from Summit Bible College and graduated with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ at the June graduation ceremony in Bakersfield, CA. I was also ordained by Summit Bible College Christian Fellowship.

So, on an accelerated program, in a 1 ½ years, at age 64, I completed all of my classes, remained on the President’s Honor Role, maintained a 4.01 GPA, and graduated Summa Cum Laude. I guess my doubts were put to rest.

Who creates doubt? Satan does; certainly not God. I give the Lord all the praise and glory for being with me every step of the way and protecting me from the evil one. It was wisdom from above that encouraged me to do this and it was the Holy Spirit that gave me discernment and understanding so that I could comprehend that which I was reading and being taught.

It was also the great staff; Jay, Caitlin, Rebekah, Nicole, and of course Dr. Victor that always took the time to patiently explain, advise, and help me along the way.  It was the professors that made each one of my classes interesting, fun, hard, challenging, and a wonderful learning experience. I have learned practical things in each one of my classes that I am now using and applying each and every day as I serve the Lord. It wasn’t easy. In fact, it was hard, but it was worth it.

So what does a 66 year old man do with a college degree in Theology you might ask?

Well, now I can marry ‘em not just bury ‘em.

I serve as a pastor in a local church in my community.

I am still a chaplain with Racers For Christ only now I am ordained as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In February of this year, God put before me an opportunity to be a chaplain with Hospice Compassus of Bullhead City, AZ. This is a national company with offices all over Arizona and other states with corporate headquarters in Kentucky. This was indeed an opportunity to come out of retirement and further serve the Lord.

I was not even looking for this job but God had prepared and equipped me for this very position. The requirements were; chaplaincy experience and a degree in Divinity or Theology. How did God know? I wonder! Not really. You see; “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose”, Romans 8:28

Since coming on board as their chaplain God has opened many doors for me to lead the lost and their families to the Lord before they died giving them hope instead of despair, faith instead of doubt, peace instead of anxiety, and life eternal instead of eternal damnation. Patients that were afraid now know that they have nothing to fear for as Christ did, we will also defeat death. There is no sting. “To be absent from the body is to be with the Lord”, 2 Cor 5:8

What a blessing this has been. All of my ministry experience has come from my volunteer time, but now I receive a pay check and full benefits for something I love doing. When I go to work each day, I don’t consider it work. What an honor it is to be with these people and their families bringing the gospel message to them. What an honor and humbling experience it is to serve such a loving and merciful God. I have so many stories to tell of how God has brought me to people right before they died. Just like the criminal on the cross next to Jesus He continues to give people one last chance to receive the Lord and be redeemed.

You see, God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary deeds.  That insures that the Glory will belong to Him. 

Romans 11:29 (NKJV) For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

He’s calling each one of you out; to get into the game, to use your God given gifts for His glory. He’s saying get out of your comfort zone and get into His.

One day we will all stand before Jesus in judgment as He separates the goats from the sheep as described in…..

Matthew 25:33-36 (NKJV) And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

You do not want to be a goat! For He will say; depart I never knew you!

Remember, whenever we do something good for someone else, we are doing it for Jesus too! 

Well, there you have it! It’s never too late! I am ready to keep going until the Lord calls me home. As a matter of fact, Jay and I are now discussing my next adventure in my Christian walk; a Masters Degree in Christian Counseling from Summit Bible College.

I miss my studies, my professors, and all those who helped me at the college. 

A Time of Breakthroughs -- The Importance of Fasting

A Time of Breakthroughs -- The Importance of Fasting by Jennifer Morrin.

                FASTING, an interesting topic that we don’t hear often enough about. A discipline you hear very few Christians speak of or have testimony about. But why is this so? It’s a tool the Lord has given us to use in our walks with Him.

                I think I’ve heard 3-4 sermons in my 11 years of going to church regarding fasting.  But why is this so? It’s an amazing spiritual discipline that unlocks the doors that allows heaven to invade our lives.

                As a disciple of Christ and a student of the Word, I’ve read all the scriptures on the topic. I experimented with it in the past, many years ago. However, after getting married and starting my small family, fasting was put on the shelf for a few years.

                What’s interesting is that a few years of NOT fasting brought me to a place in my life I thought I would never be. Relationships filled with contention and division, a constantly sick child, and an optimistic joyful attitude turning pessimistic and grumpy within myself. I came to a place for desperation for a change.

                As I asked God what to do to see the change I needed, I had random people begin to share about what a Daniel Fast had done in their lives. And since I had inadequate information on the fullness of the power of fasting, I set out on my own pursuit to educate myself. Where I had questions after reading my Bible, I ordered books to fill in the gaps for me.

                In the last 6 months I’ve read Fasting by Jentzen Franklin, Daniel Fast For Spiritual Breakthroughs & Fasting For Spiritual Breakthroughs, both by Elmer Towns, and now, for an upcoming class I am reading Prayer and Fasting by Mahesh Chavda.

                The key is to go out and get more information if you don’t have enough, right? And then what? TRY IT!

                Since reading these books and using prayer and fasting in a variety of ways, a relationship that was breaking is healing, a chronically sick child is on the road to health with a brighter light at the end of the tunnel, and my attitude and mindset has done a 180.

                During my fasts this year, I had other breakthroughs. Actually, people whom I had been praying for over specific things in the year prior to my fasts had breakthroughs in the areas I had prayed over. I stood in awe in some of the first days of my first Daniel Fasts, as friends were pouring out their hearts over what had just happened that week.

                Where does this power from fasting come from? One keyword that God has given me is FAITH. Our fasting is an assertive action of faith. Biblical fasting calls us to give up food. When we do this act of obedience, our faith is ignited with fuel of great expectation. I believe that’s what puts us in a place to receive spectacular, impossible answers and solutions.

                This is a topic that I am continually researching and practicing. I have had over 10 prayers answered this year. They were big ones too! And the year is only half over! So the more I learn, the more I will practice, and the more I will fulfill what Jesus called us to do. In Matthew 6:1-18, Jesus says, “When you give…When you pray…When you fast”. Jentzen Franklin points to this scripture in his book. And it makes sense on why. The Word says WHEN YOU….not ‘if you will’. Is it safe to say that we are called to fast as believers? Is fasting intended to be a discipline of all Christians? If Jesus said it, then why are we not doing it?

                If you don’t know enough about the subject to set forth on your own fasting mission, then get some books on the topic and read and experiment. God will answer all your questions as you pursue following the example of Christ!

            Jennifer Morin completed her Bachelor’s Degree of Liberal Studies at CSUB and is now pursuing her Master’s Degree in Christian Counseling and Leadership at Summit Bible College. She has worked in the real estate industry here locally, was on staff at a local church (before having children) and now she operates her Beachbody coaching business from home.  

            She considers herself as more of a health & fitness enthusiast who loves helping people by holding them accountable and coaching them through their journey to reach their weight loss goals. It is her passion to help people live longer and more healthful lives so that they can fulfill the job God has for them here on earth.

            Her days start with quiet time with the Lord, a powerful workout, and then the management of her & her husband, David’s home & household needs. One of her biggest priorities is making time for her kids to have play dates, fit in a movie, or throw pennies in the fountain at the Marketplace.  God, David, and her boys are at the top of her list of priorities.

            With the resources that Beachbody provides and the education she receives from Summit, her hopes are to establish a local ministry of counseling and coaching to help people be set free from the bondages of addiction to food and other things, and offer support & accountability groups. She is a firm believer in the power of prayer and believes that Jesus Christ can heal us and make us whole again.

Victory in the Name of Jesus

         This is a final written by one of Summit Bible College's students for the class 109 Spiritual Warfare.   

             Ephesians 6 tells us that there is a war going on.  This war is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.[1]  This war is for the souls of mankind.

 Many Christians do not even realize that they are immersed in spiritual warfare.  It does not matter if Christians actively participate in spiritual warfare or not; Satan is actively seeking to find ways to lead Christians into destruction.

            Satan’s greatest weapons are his lies. He is the father of lies[2] and has had centuries to perfect his skills in deception.

The enemy’s lies are spreading throughout the world, causing many Christians to live in oppression. We must identify sources of strongholds and tear them down, replacing them with the stronghold of Christlikeness.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us that: “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”[3]

God has given us power to demolish strongholds, but we need to understand what a stronghold is and how the enemy gains access to our minds.

The dictionary describes a stronghold as a “well-fortified place; fortress”[4] and “a place that serves as the center of a group, as of militants or of persons holding a controversial viewpoint.”[5] As Christians, our definition of a stronghold would be “a source of protection for the devil, where demonic or sinful activity is actually defended within us by our sympathetic thoughts towards evil.”[6]

Stronghold is also a thought, a pattern of thinking, or something that has a hold over you and interferes with your relationship with Christ. It influences how we think.

Strongholds become a resting place for unclean spirits, which prey upon our sympathetic carnal thoughts. They are expert at disguising themselves as our own thoughts.

Mark 4:24 states: [7] “And He said to them, be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you--and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.” We need to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, crucifying our carnal nature and placing our full focus on God.

Our priories will be reflected in how we spend our time.  Are we actively seeking to grow in the Lord or are we dwelling on the things of the flesh? Are we trusting in God and walking in peace or are we living in fear and anxiety?

We must recognize the areas of our lives that we have put ahead of Christ and cast down everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. The goal of a believer should be complete conformity with the mind of Christ. This is essential to achieve victory in spiritual warfare.

How do we recognize the strongholds that we have in our minds? Francis Frangipane notes that often the things that are oppressing us today are the things that we planted yesterday.[8]

Strongholds of fear, pride, failure, wrong doctrines, and unbelief are all strongholds that can exist in the mind of a believer. Even our experiences can be a stronghold.  We must yield control to God as the strongholds in our minds are cast down and destroyed.  The strongholds of Christlikeness and humility must be built up in our minds. Faith must replace fear.

            We must surrender ourselves completely to God. Any part of the mind that is not surrendered is an area where Satan has access to our minds.[9]“Victory begins with the name of Jesus on our lips. It is consummated by the nature of Jesus in our hearts[10].”

            Taking every thought captive is bringing every thought into alignment with Christ. We have to capture wrong thoughts and replace them with what God says.  The thoughts that we use to replace incorrect thoughts have to be realistic thoughts that align with Christ.

            We must put off the old man and put on the new man[11], who has been created in the image of God.

            Our goal in spiritual warfare should not be to wage warfare, but to continue to grow in Christlikeness. We need to be aware of the enemy but focused on God.

God has not left us defenseless against the enemy. He has given us spiritual authority and given us armor to protect and defend us. Ephesians 6:14-17 says: “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”[12]

            We must take up the full armor of God. Too often we do not utilize the full armor. We strike with the sword of the Spirit, forgetting that we have the shield of faith.

            To achieve victory in spiritual warfare, we must walk in peace. Before we can fully walk in authority we must have peace. “Peace is spirit power. Peace is an attribute of the Holy Spirit, and when you are walking in peace, you are walking in power.”[13]

            Satan will use fear, worry, doubt and self-pity to rob us of peace. We must discern the areas in our lives where we do not have peace for: “Where there is not peace, you have war. Conversely, wherever you have peace, you have victory[14].”

We must also have rest. God calls us to sit at a foot stool at His feet.  It is with rest that we can “rule in the midst of our enemies[15].”

            Victory in spiritual warfare comes from becoming more and more like Christ. He is our stronghold and it is with His name that we can have victory. As we yield control to God and conform our minds to Christ, our lives will change and we will be transformed into the ‘new man’.  Remember: “Victory begins with the name of Jesus on our lips. It is consummated by it is consummated by the nature of Jesus in our hearts[16].”

---

[1] Ephesians 6:12 NIV Bible

[2] John 8:44 NIV Bible

[3] 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NIV Bible

[4] Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Dictionary

[5] Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Dictionary

[6] The Three Battlegrounds by Francis Frangipane, pg. 28

[7] Mark 4:24 AMP Bible

[8] IBD, pg. 23

[9] IBD, pg. 30

[10] IBD, pg. 48

[11] Ephesians 4:22-24 KJV Public Domain

[12] Ephesians 6:14-17, NIV

[13] IBD, pg.57

[14] IBD, pg.56

[15] Psalm 110:2, NIV Bible.

[16] IBD, pg.56

The Call -- Michelle Amaro's testimony

           
            For several months I had been hearing about Summit Bible College on a local radio station and the Lord put it on my heart that this is what I was to use my money for. The Lord wanted me to finish my education at this place. He didn’t immediately reveal to me why or what my equipping and training would be, but He was faithful to reveal it during my first quarter.

            Two years ago, while attending an all day Saturday seminar on Forming a Non Profit, the last speaker of the day was Chaplain Kerry Bulls. As he talked, I found something very intriguing about his personality, perspective and his call to Chaplaincy. After the seminar I had the chance to ask him some questions and my first one was “What is the difference between being a pastor and being a Chaplain?” He smiled and explained to me the differences and I knew that Chaplaincy was why God placed me at Summit. Each quarter after that, God was building on that seminar; He was equipping me to be a Chaplain.

            Some people come to Summit already engaged in their field of ministry, I came to Summit to have mine revealed to me. Now, as I’m ready to graduate with my Bachelor in Theology and Master in Divinity, God is confirming my calling and equipping me with the gifts and talents that I need. This journey wasn’t about me and what I could accomplish on my own as with previous attempts at college, but it was about being obedient and willing to be led by the Lord in His plan for my life.

            The journey hasn’t been perfect, the classes haven’t always been easy, and there have definitely been conflicts and challenges along the way, but through it all, because I was willing to submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit, victories were gained and I found new passion for the life that God has given me.

            Summit has truly been a tool that God has used to transform me by the renewing of my mind!

            “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.- Romans 12:2 – 5 (NIV)

Michelle Amaro has worked in ministry for the past 10 years serving as a Children’s Ministry Assistant, a Sunday school teacher, VBS coordinator, and a Compassion Team member at Calvary Chapel Bakersfield. She is also one of the Chaplains at the Bakersfield Heart Hospital and volunteers with Hoffmann Hospice.

Mrs. Amaro has just completed her Bachelor’s in Theology and Master’s in Divinity concurrently at Summit Bible College and is ordained with Healing Word International Ministries where she is also trained as a member of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Mrs. Amaro will begin a new teaching assignment at Summit Bible College for the summer quarter in the Chaplaincy Degree program. Her greatest blessings however are being a wife and mother to two wonderful children.