VOLUME LXVIV NUMBER 7. must continue to pray that our sovereign Lord will do miraculous signs and wonders in Jesus name in our ministry.

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1 TIDINGS JULY 2015 From the Heart of the Superintendent Glenn & Betty Beaver The Sovereignty of God In the fourth chapter of the book of Acts, Luke records an event which involved Peter and John. Peter has preached to the Sadducees, who were part of the Sanhedrin and then Peter and John are arrested and held in prison overnight. These two disciples are questioned concerning the events which had occurred the day before when the lame man who was always laid at the Gate Beautiful was healed. The magistrates threatened them and told them that they were to not speak any more of Jesus and His resurrection. Peter and John responded to the leaders of the Sanhedrin that they could only speak of the things which they had seen and heard. Upon Peter and John s return to their own people, they reported everything the chief priest and elders has said to them. When the other disciples heard this news they immediately took the matter to the Lord in prayer. This was their prayer, Sovereign Lord, they said, you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One (Acts 4:23-26 NIV). Our General Superintendent, Dr. George Wood makes the following observations about the term sovereign Lord in his textbook, Acts: The Holy Spirit at Work in Believers. The words translated Sovereign Lord are one word in the Greek language despotes, which is correctly translated despot. Although the word despot has a negative connotation today, this is not its original or primary meaning. It refers to a ruler with absolute power and authority. The word here is used to describe a God who is in total control. Peter and John s situation just seemed out of control. At the beginning of their prayer, they were saying, No matter what it looks like, You, God, are in absolute control. You are our Sovereign Lord. It is interesting to note that the disciples had a deeper understanding of their circumstances, than we do, because often challenges in life serve to work out God s purposes for us. Acts 4:27-28 NIV states, Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power [of the sovereign Lord] and will had decided beforehand should happen. Peter had already used the phrase in verse 28 during his message to them on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2:23 The man [Jesus] was handed over to you by God s set purpose and foreknowledge [of the sovereign Lord]; and you with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. Our sovereign Lord is in absolute control. Brother Wood goes on to comment, They did not pray for protection. They did not pray that the persecution would end. They prayed not for vengeance but for courage. They asked God to give them courage to continue doing what was right. They asked for strength to speak God s Word with boldness. They asked for God to move among them and stir the people again with miraculous signs and wonders in Jesus name. How many of us today would have had the heart and the courage to pray this prayer in the face of arrest and threats? We VOLUME LXVIV NUMBER 7 Glenn R. Beaver must continue to pray that our sovereign Lord will do miraculous signs and wonders in Jesus name in our ministry. Donald Stamps, in the Full Life Study Bible notes, God s sovereignty as being God s final and absolute authority, power and control to do as he chooses. God can overrule Satan s activities and turn them into good for his kingdom. Yet, God chooses to involve his people in this process as he responds to their faithful obedience and prayers. Revelation 2:11 tells us that we overcome Satan s power by the blood of the Lamb and by our bold testimony for Christ and our obedient love for God. Brother Wood concludes his remarks on the sovereignty of God with these words, When suffering and hardships fill our road, our tendency as Christians is to focus on them. When we learn to take our eyes off the rough road directly in front of us and keep them fixed on Jesus, we can better see the whole road. We can see that it straightens out just ahead. We can see that this difficult turn is leading to a better place. We learn to trust the sovereignty of God. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them (Psalm 139:16 KJV). Someone has said, God knows the end from the beginning! We can trust - THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD! Betty & I wish to say a heartfelt thank you for the vote of confidence reflected on our reelection as West Texas Assemblies of God District Superintendent. We count it an honor and privilege to serve the ministers and churches of West Texas. Thank you for your love and prayers as we look forward to greater days ahead! Billy & Bettye Nickell District Secretary/Treasurer With this being the year of America s 239th birthday, it is in order to express heartfelt gratitude to the Lord for sovereignly raising up and bountifully blessing this nation. The God who directs the times and seasons unquestionably used the prevailing circumstances of the old world to move upon Columbus, and later the Pilgrims, as His instruments for the explicit purpose of founding a nation that would impact the world for God s glory. The prosperity and prominence we have enjoyed has not been by accident! These United States, much like Israel of old, has lived under a multitude of rich blessings, unequaled by that of any nation in the history of civilization, and the Source of it all is the Lord! The Old Testament book of Deuteronomy is the record of God reminding His people to remember Who enabled them to possess Canaan, and how He led them from bondage to the land of their inheritance. As citizens of the greatest nation on earth, it behooves us to also remember from whence we came, as well as where the Lord desires to lead us. Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of this country, from 1913 to 1921, said this about remembering our heritage, A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday, does not know what it is today, nor what it is trying to do. We are trying to do a futile thing if we do not know where we came from or what we have been about. As we celebrate our freedom that is now under assault, there are three things we must keep in focus. The Founders. America was not founded by the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, People For The American Way, Americans United For Separation of Church and State, the American Atheists Association, or the Communist Party of America! The founders of this country were men and women who believed the Bible to be the Word of God, as the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct! They were churchgoing, God-honoring people. They firmly believed that the great, free, constitutional republic they were building would only be possible if it was established & undergirded by the overruling Providence of God! Christianity permeated nearly every facet of life in the formative years of this nation. The Bible and prayer were considered to be as essential as food for the family. God's Word was the most important book, and sometimes the only book in the home. Bible reading and prayer was taught in school & the memorization of Scripture was part of the curriculum. The early colleges were not bastions of secular humanism as we see today. Harvard, Princeton, and many others started as church schools! Many of the college presidents were members of the clergy. John Witherspoon, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, was president of Princeton College. The legislative bodies of most of the colonies opened their sessions with prayer, and in some instances, with a sermon. A number of clergy-men served on the early Congresses. It was William Penn who stated, Those people who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants. The Foundation. It goes without saying, the foundation will always be a reflection of the founder. The signers of the Declaration of Independence and members of the Continental Congress, some of whom were signers of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, were very familiar with biblical principals and convictions. It is evident in the laws they legislated that they had a strong sense of reli- Remembering Our Heritage Deuteronomy 8:8,18 gious duty. The statements made by the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, revealed they felt the hand of God in their deliberations. From that thinking they made laws and established civil boundaries that were taken directly from the Bible. Of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, five of them were captured by the British and tortured as traitors before they died. Twelve of them had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners. These were men of means, well educated, and they knew the only way this fledgling country would prosper and become a powerful nation - a world leader, would be for a strong foundation of freedom to be established! They also understood, to lay the foundation of freedom would cost everything! The Future. More than one Bible scholar notes that America is not mentioned in end-time prophecy, indicating the possible fall of this nation. Scripture clearly shows the future of a nation is determined by the spiritual diligence of that people. James Madison, the fourth President of this country and a member of the 1787 Constitutional Convention, and chief architect of the United States Constitution said, We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all our political institutions upon the capability of mankind for selfgovernment; upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to The Ten Commandments of God. John Stuart Mill, the famous philosopher and classical economist of the nineteenth century said, A people may prefer a free government; but if, from indolence, or carelessness, or cowardice, or want of public spirit, they are unequal to the exertions necessary for preserving it, if they will not fight for it when directly attacked, if they can be deluded by the artifices used to cheat them out of it, if by the momentary discouragement or temporary panic, or a fit of enthusiasm for an individual, they can be induced to lay their liberties at the feet of even a great man, or trust him with powers which enable him to subvert their institution.... in those cases they are more or less unfit for liberty. Thank God for America! May Irving Berlin s prayer that was put to music be the request of every believer, God bless America, land that I love! Stand beside her, and guide her, through the night with a light from above. From the mountains to the prairies, to the ocean, white with foam, God bless America, my home sweet home! Celebration 2015 Congratulations to Glenn Beaver on his reelection as Superintendent of the West Texas Assemblies of God. Bro. Glenn and Sister Betty, we love you!

2 Director of Church Ministries Thank You, West Texas Announcements District! Hunter, Cara Lynn Tracy & Destry Tracy & Cara Lynn McWilliams We would like to take this opportunity to thank Brother & Sister Beaver, the Nickells, ladies of First Family Church, and the wonderful ministers and people of West Texas for the beautiful reception given in honor of our 25th Anniversary. We are so humbled at the love that has been shown to us by an awesome district. We count it a privilege to have the honor to serve such thoughtful people and truly family of Christ spirits. Blessings on all!! Available for Ministry Open Churches Canadian, Abundant Life AG Contact: Clydene Pittman P.O. Box 1367, Canadian, TX *Dalhart, First AG Contact: Cliff Houghton, Presbyter P.O. Box 30068, Amarillo, TX Phone: Lubbock, Church of the Harvest Contact: Adelle VanOstrand th Street, Lubbock, TX *Odessa, Cornerstone Worship Center Contact: Mike Hanks, Presbyter 100 West Wadley, Midland, TX Phone: Seminole, First AG Contact Carroll Kyle, or Dean Whitfield, P.O. Box 1056, Seminole, TX *District Affiliated Church Gene Benningfield Larry Boyd Kelly Breckenridge Larry Elder Jannetta Fairbanks Charlie Garcia Margie Gonzales Dale Griswold Jack Hargrave Byron Jones Tracy McWilliams Vance Mitchell Z.A. Myers J.C. Owen Joe Robinson Forest Srader Marcus Tanner Kevin Vander-Plas BIBLE INSTITUTE of WEST TEXAS July 18 Certification Level Local Church in Evangelism Licensed Level Eschatology: Study of Things to Come Ordination Level Church Administration, Law & Finance August 15 Certification Level AG History, Missions & Governance Licensed Level Leadership Skills Ordination Level Pastoral Ministry Ministers & Churches Transferred Out: Robert Fiscus (O) North Texas Clayton Elton (L) Arizona Terry Turner (CM) Kansas WEST TEXAS ASSEMBLIES OF GOD DISTRICT OFFICIARY GLENN R. BEAVER, Superintendent grbeaver@sbcglobal.net TOM LAKEY, Assistant Superintendent tlakey@lubbockag.org BILLY D. NICKELL, Secretary/Treasurer fantastic1316@gmail.com SECTIONAL PRESBYTERS Cliff Houghton, Danny Williams Vance Mitchell, Nelson Gonzalez Mike Hanks, Eddie Lee Web site: wtaog.org TIDINGS EDITOR TRACY MCWILLIAMS tracy.mcwilliams@sbcglobal.net 5504 Wayne Avenue, P.O. Box Lubbock, TX, 79464, Phone: Please notify editor of any change of address. Third class postage paid at Lubbock, TX. Published monthly. Register at: ag.org

3 Youth Ministries Women s Ministries Chris Murdoch Youth Ministries & CE Director Becky & Joe Nenstiel Women s Director PRAYER WALK $1, NEEDED FOR PROJECT PAINTING VISIT WTWOMEN.COM FOR DETAILS OR CONTACT BECKY NENSTIEL GIRLS MINISTRIES HONOR CELEBRATION EXTRAVAGANZA AUGUST 14-15, 2015 FIRST FAMILY CHURCH, AMARILLO Stormy & Jessica Martin Speakers BACK TO SCHOOL CHAPEL SERVICE

4 Men s Ministries WEST TEXAS DISTRICT COUNCIL OF THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD 5504 Wayne Avenue P.O. Box Lubbock, TX NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID LUBBOCK, TX PERMIT NO. 138 Billy & Robin Snider Men s Director RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Around West Texas We extend our sympathy to the family of Steve Mathews. Steve, the father of Robin Snider, (wife of Billy Snider, Lead Pastor, San Jacinto AG, Amarillo), stepped into the presence of God on June 8, Please pray that the abiding presence of Christ will continue to comfort his family and friends during this time. Prayer Request: Lilly Grace White, (daughter of Devin & Britney White, Youth Pastors, Briarwood, Pampa), was born 15 weeks premature and is currently in the NICU at BSA Hospital in Amarillo. Her father stated that she has had some rough days and still has a long journey ahead until she will be released. High School & College Graduates: Bodin Paul Barton and Briana Barton Bean, (son and daughter of Scott & Rebecca Barton, Lead Pastors, Harvest Time AG, Perryton) both celebrated their graduation. Bodin graduated from Perryton High School and Briana graduated from Evangel University in Spingfield, Missouri. After the completion of her courses at Evangel, Briana married Bracy Bean and they now serve as Youth Pastors at Harvest Time. Capital Fund Campaign Update We thank the Lord for His faithfulness in the process of raising the funds which are needed for the completion of the relocation of the district office. We have received contributions and commitments of $454,685 and only need an additional $45,315 toward reaching our goal of raising $500,000. Thank you to all the ministers, churches and friends who have given toward this project.

5 2015 Ordained ministers Ministers honored for 50 years of ordained ministry Luther & Betty Foster Ralph & Shirley Hagemeier J. Parker Dickerson Regina Gonzalez Warren & Annette Newberry Paul & Gloria Thompson Steven Pena Ralph Sanchez Marvin & Rosie Gilbert After serving 30 years as AG World Missionaries, Marvin & Rosie Gilbert have retired as fulltime missionaries. Their status is retired with assignment which means they will live in the states but will be returning to the field to work on special projects. World ministries credit will be given for offerings for these projects.