in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make Billy & Bettye Nickell

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1 TIDINGS District Secretary/Treasurer The Call, Cost and Compensation of Sacrifice Genesis 12:1-3; 13:7-17; 21:9-13; 22:1-18 VOLUME LXVIV NUMBER 3 MARCH 2015 From the Heart of the Superintendent Glenn R. Beaver and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself. (Living Bible) Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers, Give whatever you can out of whatever you have. Let your enthusiastic idea at the start be equaled by your realistic action now. If you are really eager to give, then it isn t important how much you have to give. God wants you to give what you have, not what you haven t (2 Corinthians 8:11-12, Living Bible). God s Word is true, and Jesus stated in Luke 6:38 (LB), For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you Glenn & Betty Beaver Superintendent Laborers Together With God Capital Fund Campaign We give praise to the Lord for the way He is providing direction during the process of the relocation of the district office. Just as He carried along the prophets of old to write the scripture, He is also carrying us along. Jesus said to the church in Thyatira in Revelation 2:19, I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. (ESV) In other words, The best is yet to come! To God be the glory for the way He has provided a buyer for the old office complex and vacant land. God has directed in the selection of a new piece of property, the selecting of a General Contractor and the securing of interim financing for construction. All of these things have come together as the Spirit of the Lord has carried us along. The Bible speaks often concerning how we should view and live regarding giving to the work of the Lord. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 11:1-2, Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. Proverbs 11:24 states, It is possible to give away in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give large or small will be used to measure what is given back to you. I am encouraging every minister and congregation to make a commitment and contribution to our Laborers Together With God Capital Fund Campaign. Thank you to those who have already responded to the appeal. Also, thank you for your continued prayers as the Lord continues to carry us along. Let me encourage you to listen to what Mary told the servants at the wedding in Cana, Whatever Jesus says to you, Do It! Groundbreaking Ceremony February 10, 2015 West Texas AG Presbytery Board (Above Left to Right) Billy Nickell, Secretary/Treasurer; Cliff Houghton, North Plains Presbyter; Vance Mitchell, East Plains Presbyter, Danny Williams, South Plains Presbyter; Glenn R. Beaver, Superintendent; Nelson Gonzalez, West Plains Presbyter; Eddie Lee, El Paso Presbyter; Tom Lakey, Assistant Superintendent; Mike Hanks, Pecos Presbyter; Tracy McWilliams, Director of Church Ministries Billy & Bettye Nickell The Capital Fund Campaign of the West Texas Assemblies of God is now underway with pastors, congregations and individuals coming on board to see our new district headquarters built and paid for in full. With a cost of one-million dollars, and the need to raise half of that amount, generosity and sacrifice will be required, traits characteristic to believ- ers. Throughout Scripture these elements are exhibited in men and women of God, with Abraham perhaps being the greatest example. The call, the cost, and the compensation of sacrifice is shown repeatedly in the fifteen chapters of Genesis that cover his life. Genesis 12 records God s call to Abram to make The Sacrifice of the Familiar. This patriarch who is remembered as the father of all them that believe, is called upon to walk away from his native country, his relatives, and his father s family to follow the Lord s leading to the land that I will show you. Abraham was 75 years of age when this sacrifice of faith was embarked upon. Everything normal, routine and familiar had to be left behind in order to embrace the future He was promised. Life as he knew it would forever change as he released what was in his hand in exchange for that which was in God s. In the walk of faith each of us are commissioned to live, we too will be called by the Lord to sacrifice what we consider as our security - the familiar, but as seen in Abram s life, God will be a debtor to no one. Genesis 13 gives us the details of God s call to Abram to make The Sacrifice of Fairness. Abram is the reason Lot no longer resides in Ur of the Chaldees. By virtue of association with his uncle, Lot has prospered materially and financially, but now the relationship between these two close relatives is strained by contention between their quarreling herdsmen over the grazing and water rights. Abram has seniority and deserves first choice of the land, as steps are taken for each to go their own way. It s only fair, many would say, for Abram to select the land he wants first! After all, Lot tagged along with him, not vise-versa. Once again this man of God sacrifices his right and prerogative by allowing Lot to have the first decision for land. What seems to be a losing proposition in the natural becomes the doorway for immense reward by Jehovah, telling His friend in Genesis 13:14-17, Look as far as you can see in every direction north and south, east and west. I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession. And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted! Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you. Jesus would later address the subject of giving sacrificially in Luke 18:29-30 saying, I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life. Genesis 21 tells of yet another sacrifice Abraham is called to make after Sarah observes Ishmael making fun of Isaac. Sarah immediately demands that he and his mother, Hagar, be expelled, causing Abraham to make The Sacrifice of Family. Genesis 21:11 says, This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son. This was the most difficult sacrifice yet. While Ishmael was not the son God had promised, he was Abraham s son and Abraham loved him very much. Abraham gives Hagar & Ishmael a bottle of water and some bread and sends them into the wilderness of Beersheba, an obvious sentence of death until God intervenes and compensates his servant with assurance, found in verses twelve and thirteen, But God told Abraham, Do not be upset over the boy and your servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted. But I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar s son because he is your son, too. We too are promised reward for that which we sacrifice in response to God s direction, even to the extent of a cup of cold water. Genesis 22 is the setting where Abraham is told to make the ultimate sacrifice when the Lord requires of him to make The Sacrifice of His Flesh. That story of nineteen verses shows Abraham s obedient response. He, Isaac, and two of the servants begin the journey to one of the mountains in the region of Moriah. Leaving behind the two servants on the third day of travel, Abraham and Isaac, his own flesh and blood, journey on with Abraham being fully persuaded of God s compensation, according to Hebrews 11:19. As in the three previous sacrifices mentioned, this act of faith was richly rewarded with the Lord commending His servant for being obedient, providing the necessary substitute offering in the form of a ram, promising Abraham a multitude of descendants, and assuring him in verse 18, And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. That day the mountain was named by Abraham, Jehovahjireh, meaning the Lord will provide. He continues to provide in abundance for those who dare to sacrifice in faith their best. I trust you will join us by asking the Lord what He would have you to do as your part in the Capital Fund Campaign as we believe Him for the miraculous.

2 Director of Church Ministries You Can Learn A Lot From A Donkey The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel! Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt (John 12:12-15 NIV). This month we will be celebrating Palm Sunday, also known as the Triumphal Entry of Jesus. There are many fascinating things about this event, but the one thing that is often overlooked, is the fact that Jesus rode into Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey. It was common practice for kings who were going into battle to ride a white horse. Jesus was about to go into battle with the prince of darkness, but He wasn t mounted upon a stallion, but rather on a lowly donkey. Zechariah prophesied that the Messiah would come riding on, a colt, the foal of a donkey (Zech. 9:9). The Lord needed that donkey to fulfill His mission here on earth. Isn t that amazing! I would like to point out a few interesting facts concerning that donkey. 1. It had to be REDEEMED! According to the Law of Moses, the donkey was pronounced unclean; however a donkey could be redeemed by sacrificing a lamb (Exodus 34:20). Just like that little donkey, we are born with a death sentence over our head. Sin has condemned every person to eternal damnation, but God has made a provision through the death of The Lamb. 2. It had to be RELEASED! Before that donkey could be used for the Master s purposes, it first had to be released (Mark 11:2). The donkey was alive, but it was not living. It had life, but not liberty. It was tied to a post. Tracy & Cara Lynn McWilliams Jesus sets us free from sin, self and Satan. John 8:36 states, Whom the Son sets free is free indeed. The chains of sin and bondage have been broken by the Blood of Jesus Christ. 3. It had to be RULED! This was a donkey on which no one had ever sat. It was unbroken, still full of pride and self-will. It was still full of its own nature. Immediately, upon accepting Jesus Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit moves in and unpacks His bags. He then begins to transform our lives from the inside out. He starts rooting out pride, self-will and rebellion. One final thought, the donkey s position of service made Jesus more visible to the crowd. When we humble ourselves, Jesus becomes more visible to others. Jesus did not use the proud, prancing mare. Nothing about the donkey took away from Jesus. The donkey was simply a vehicle that God used to bring glory to Jesus Christ, and so it is with you and me. Announcements 2015 Ladies in Ministry Retreat March 27 & 28, 2015 Oh, Taste and See that the Lord is Good; Blessed is the One Who Takes Refuge in Him! Psalms 34:8 Open Churches Available for Ministry Ministers & Churches Canadian, Abundant Life AG Contact: Clydene Pittman P.O. Box 1367, Canadian, TX Lubbock, Church of the Harvest Contact: Adelle VanOstrand th Street, Lubbock, TX *Odessa, Cornerstone Contact: Mike Hanks, Presbyter 100 West Wadley, Midland, TX Phone: Odessa, Faith Tabernacle Contact: Wyly Brown P.O. Box 13147, Odessa, TX Odessa, Victory Temple Contact: Terry Hammett P.O. Box 70137, Odessa, TX Seminole, First AG Contact Carroll Kyle P.O. Box 1056, Seminole, TX *District Affiliated Church March 7 Certification Level Intro to Pentecostal Doctrine Licensed Level New Testament Survey Ordination Level Corinthian Correspondence BIBLE INSTITUTE of WEST TEXAS Gene Benningfield Danny Bisbee Larry Boyd Kelly Breckenridge Larry Elder Jannetta Fairbanks Charlie Garcia Dale Griswold Jack Hargrave Byron Jones Tracy McWilliams Vance Mitchell Z.A. Myers J.C. Owen Joe Robinson Henry Russell Forest Srader Marcus Tanner Kevin Vander-Plas April 25 Certification Level Acts Licensed Level Old Testament Survey Ordination Level Pentateuch Transferred In: Tom Ross (O), Arizona Joseph Snodgrass (L) New Mexico Thank you to all the pastors who submitted the Annual Church Ministries Report. Your cooperation was much appreciated!! 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. Speaker Danna Beggs World Missionary LIM Coordinator Betty Beaver Location: First Assembly of God th Street, Lubbock, Texas Registration: $40 Worship Mandy Peña

3 Women s Ministries 2015 Spring Tour Missions Roundtable Discussion Anna Ministry West Texas Women s Ministries Jeff Hartensveld David Reddout AGWM Mobilization Department Director Becky & Joe Nenstiel Women s Director AGWM Missions Connect Field Rep Karen Houghton Coordinator FIVE MISSIONS MOVERS FOR PASTORS! Moving people: From My Picture to His Picture From Observation to Participation From Obligation to Accomplishment From Scarcity to Generosity From Natural to Supernatural These Pastor Roundtables will focus on discussion, interaction, and reflection as we become Better Together! East Plains Section April 2 Childress, First Assembly of God North Plains Section April 6 Canyon, First Assembly of God South Plains Section April 7 Colorado City, First Assembly of God Pecos Section April 9 Midland, Abundant Life El Paso Section April 10 Horizon City, Family of Hope West Plains Section April 13 Lubbock, The Worship Center Praying, Believing, Receiving Join with ladies across West Texas as together we pray for the district leadership, missionaries, pastors and churches in our district. Contact Karen Houghton to find out how you can be apart of this powerful ministry or DORCAS ROOM SHOWER Selfless Love 10:30 am Saturday, April 18th First Assembly of God Lubbock, Texas Registries: Kohl s, Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond Walmart (on line only)

4 Men s Ministries Youth Ministries Billy & Robin Snider Men s Director WEST TEXAS MEN S MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT 2015 BANQUET TOUR MEAL COST $9.50 Chris Murdoch Youth Ministries & CE Director NOTICE: All registration forms, writing division & short film submissions must be mailed in no later than March 26, MAIL TO: West Texas Youth Ministries PO Box Lubbock, Texas David Raley Banquet Speaker Serving begins at 6:45pm Banquets conclude at 8:30pm Exception: El Paso, Breakfast at 8:00am Billy Snider West Texas Men s Ministry Director Date Section Location March 23rd East Plains Roaring Springs Camp Brisket Catered by Raymond Mizelle March 24th South Plains Maranatha Assembly of God, Andrews Chicken Fried Streak March 26th Pecos Calvary Assembly of God, Midland Chicken Fried Steak by Scotty s Soul Food March 28th El Paso Life Worth Living Church, El Paso Breakfast catered by Grace Catering Services March 30th West Plains First Assembly of God, Lubbock Fish & Chicken catered by River Smith s March 31st North Plains San Jacinto Assembly of God, Amarillo Fajitas catered by Pepito s

5 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 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Around West Texas New Baby: Blake & Michelle Collins, (Youth Pastors, First AG, Midland), along with big sister Kenley, welcomed a baby boy, Judah Jace, into their home on February 6. New Son: Jeff & Tina Gillihan, (Lead Pastors, Calvary AG, Midland), have opened their hearts and home to Ryan Wayne, age 14. He will legally become a member of their family in approximately six months. Wedding: Brianna Barton & Bracy Bean were united in marriage on January 31. Briana is the daughter of Scott & Rebecca Barton, (Lead Pastors, Harvest Time, Perryton). Prayer Requests: Tom Lakey, (Assistant Superintendent and Lead Pastor, First AG, Lubbock), colon surgery; Bernice Mitchell, (Licensed Minister and wife of Vance Mitchell, Presbyter East Plains Section), knee replacement; Harvey Wampler, (Ordained Minister, Lead Pastor, Peoples Church, Shallowater), shoulder surgery; and D.E. Buchanan, (Sr Retired Ordained, Lubbock), lung cancer. Groundbreaking Ceremony West Texas District Leadership Team