Greater Bakersfield's First Pentecostal Church

Blog has been moved!

2008-12-18T10:48:00.000-08:00

One piece to the puzzle is in place. The blog that was part of the main page has been moved to the PAVE(click here) site. If you enjoyed the posts on church happenings, observations, and prognostications...you can find them there.

The church site is presently in the process of construction to better utilize space and information flow. We should wrap up the re-structure shortly.

Website Under Construction

2008-12-02T20:12:00.000-08:00

Inactivity of late is due to planned website changes to better communicate with guests and members of GBFPC. Be patient and check back in a few days!
God Bless!!

65/25 Anniversary Celebration

2008-11-12T08:22:00.000-08:00

This coming Thursday-Sunday, we will be celebrating two special anniversaries. The first will be a celebration of 65 years in the community of the Greater Bakersfield area. The second will will be a celebration of Pastor Leon Frost's 25 years as GBFPC's pastor. We are looking forward to an exciting worship and fun filled few days. The service schedule is as follows:

Thursday Night 7:00 pm Speaker: Bro. David Smith
Friday Night 7:00 pm Speaker: Bro. Larry Booker
Saturday 2:00 pm "Around the World Dinner" MC: Bro. Ron Lawrence
Sunday Morning 10 am Speaker: Bro. Dallas Mefford
Sunday Night 6 pm Speaker: Bro. Ray Brown

We will also be releasing two projects: Proclamations of 65, and Roots of 65. Proclamations is a compilation of preaching sermons from Bro. I.H. Terry and Pastor Leon Frost. Roots is a PAVE project that highlights the "commemorative" music of the past with new emphasis, as well as a bonus CD of the actual people singing those memorable songs (along with other selections).

We look forward to "Following, Proclaiming, and Celebrating...Truth" this week!

Bethel Day

2008-11-03T13:43:00.000-08:00

Bethel Day was an eventful time of fun, fellowship, food, and games.

Loud Rimshot-Bethel Day!

2008-10-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

Bethel Day is this Saturday @ 2:00 pm. The theme is Western, and plenty of activities (bounce houses, crafts, fun booths, games, etc.) have been planned, as well as a scrumptious meal. It is always a good time and helps Bethel Apostolic Academy and Bethel Kiddie Korral. See you there!

Note to Mr. and Mrs. Black

2008-10-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Danny and Delaina Black. Their wedding was last Saturday, and it was very eventful. Danny and Delaina's approach to matrimony was rather refreshing, mainly because they purposed to build a proper foundation. Marriage is supposed to be a "good" thing, yet if the building of the edifice is short circuited, or corners cut, the results can be devastating. Many times the improper building techniques end up causing harm to others...
...So what are some of the important things? Prayer. I observed them spending time in prayer before services, as well as participating in nightly prayer on off church nights. Connectivity. They were always in the "front" of things instead of withdrawing, pulling away, or isolating themselves in a fog of "love." Reality. They worked to properly control the feeling of "being in love" so that they could focus on the reality of the commitment. Family. The people that know you the best are also the same ones that typically tell you truth when they see it.

Those are just a few components that come to mind, and when those same components are not there, it becomes much harder to "build". Pop culture has shredded the notion of commitment and has opted for "feeling." Feeling only lasts awhile...feeling lumps marital problems together with abandoning the relationship. Commitment treats such behavior harshly, as everyone has to work at making a relationship better, but certainly does not "scrap" the I Do.

There is no "perfect" marriage, but you can certainly hedge against a miserable one by making sure the foundation is strong and secure. So, once again, congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Danny Black.

I will continue to teach, preach, talk, promote...and whatever other vocabulary you can come up with, the thrill of finding a help-mate TO bring glory to God FOR the world to recognize SO that the world has righteous descendants in it.

Well....that is until the miniature bride below decides to get married...jk. KB

Volkslauf Theology

2008-10-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

If you don't know what Volksauf (People's Run) is, the following quote from the Bakersfield Californian will help you.

The twelfth annual Volkslauf Mud Run was held Saturday October 11th near the Kern County Sheriff’s Facility off of Lerdo Highway. This is the tenth year this location hosted the race, with its miles of trails, obstacles, millions of gallons of water, and mud. Over 3,000 runners and an estimated 6,000 spectators swarmed over the grounds on a morning where low temperatures hovered in the mid 40s at daybreak. High temps for the day rose to a cool 65 degrees with clear skies & a light breeze. Those are generally great conditions for running, but when you add the fact that these runners were soaking wet, the physical and mental challenges are magnified by the cold to the point where your brain is trying to convince you to give up.

I was one of the three representatives from First Pentecostal Church (Josh Scott and CJ Casey)running in the 10K (six miles) run. I wanted a challenge. It was a blast, I did quite well for the first time, thank you, and the whole experience pushed me to the limit physically, as well as trigger a spiritual meditation that will no doubt last a long time. Let me articulate.

I was fully prepared for the obstacles. I was not prepared for six miles of running. My lower body began screaming at me about 1 1/2 miles into the race... stuff like "your stupid" "can't we just stop and walk" "I thought this was just a fun thing to do and not a race against time" "what are you trying to prove anyway" and many other negative "I hate pain" comments. There were times I almost took a break...and then I passed Cpl. Evan Morgan, whose picture you see at the top. Evan lost both legs in Iraq and was the guest of honor at the event. They only asked him to speak, but he felt speaking would not be enough, and so he ran the race with two different types of prosthetic devices on his legs. Unbelievable. So, as I passed him, I quickly silenced the "poor me" stuff, and pummelled the legs I do have. However, I must admit...at the end I wanted to stop and walk. Until I passed the guy below on the far right.

He lost one prosthetic leg in the mud, quickly put it back on, and was off again. Again, I silenced the noise, and cannon bombed "Happy Valley" on the way to a satisfying finish. It was inspirational to see several Iraq vets run the race, despite odds against them.
The heroes of the faith in Hebrews chapter 11 were tortured, mocked, stoned, cut in two, tempted, tormented, destitute in food and clothing, wandered from cave to cave, and imprisoned. AND in verse 39 of Hebrews chapter 11 "And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." Furthermore, "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth(11:13). They received not the promise! They were without the power of the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:9; 2:38-39). Yet, they were overcomers.

Makes one ponder how insignificant our difficulties are when matched against the treatment they faced. They had nothing but gut level faith...and I have the power of the Spirit, yet so little faith? ...makes me want to hush the negativity of my "small" spiritual aches and pains, and keep running. Happy Valley can't be too far away! KB

Three Clowns Runnin' Round

2008-10-10T08:11:00.001-07:00

Two Sundays ago, we had a great "Friends and Family" day. Everyone determined to invite someone to this special day in which we determined to give "no less than 100%" in our regular attendance, participation, worship, giving, etc. As you can see, we had a great crowd (167 visitors) and what you cannot see is another full section of Sunday School Kids on the far left of the picture. Hence, the reason for the following pictures of several clowns below. At the end of our worship portion of the service, we all joined in for a rousing version of "This little light of mine." The clowns came to the platform at the CLOSE of the worship service.
It was, to say the least, kind of ironic to look out DURING the worship service and see three worshipping clowns sitting/standing/praisin' in the kid's section. Here is a closer look of them on the platform at the CLOSE of the worship service helping us all sing...
Now, what was interesting is that the worship service was a powerful one. People were singing, leaping, lifting their hands, giving glory to God, shouting praises to a God, who enjoys being right in the midst of the worship. AND people were running as well......................so were the clowns. They tried to stay in the kid's section, but became overwhelmed during the celebration, and they took off around the church. I can't say that I've seen too many clowns runnin' round...at least not people dressed up as clowns.

Ps 146:1-2
Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.2 While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being .
KJV

Far before this service, all three of these clowns have already proven they love to worship God...no matter when, where, or how. On this particular day, they were "clowns runnin' round. "

Grub Worm Party!

2008-10-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

I have two waxleaf ornamental trees you see in the above picture. Actually, I HAD two of those trees sitting on my patio. Two, that is, until white grub worms decided to have a party at the expense of the tree's roots. What weird creatures! Check them out...and there was a lot of them.
Apparently, June bugs are attracted to lights AND soft soil. Since the trees were right next to the garage lights...well, what better place to have a grand time. The June bug will burrow down into the soil and lay its eggs. When the eggs maturate they become white grub worms, and white grub worms love the roots of contained ornamental trees.
I lost two plants before figuring out what the problem was and determining a solution. If you notice your plant looking sickly, leaves falling off, soil mushy, and the plant falling over...there is a grub worm party going on...Nasty things killed a great looking tree.
Heb 12:15
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
KJV
In this case, just replace "root" with "worm"...my tree was definitely troubled and defiled. We cannot allow something in the past (yearssssss ago), or the present, to ruin the function and beauty of the "tree," enabled by God's grace.
My daughter willingly offered to "take care" of at least one of the grub worms. Spiritually, I suggest we do the same thing. KB

Soft Rimshot

2008-10-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

Two things happened over the last busy weekend.

First, we had a "deep" cleanout, cleanup, and cleanaround. A great crowd of adults and young people joined in the fun and we accomplished a great deal of work. Thanks to all for chipping in.

Second, we had a great Friends and Family day, with 167 visitors in our service! It was a great day of worship, fellowship, and fun. Following...Proclaiming...Celebrating...TRUTH. God Bless, KB

$99.99 Divorce!

2008-09-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

...so there I was, driving back to the church from an errand, when I came to a stoplight and glanced across the street at a business.
Okay, a tax service/notary public business that probably offers some walk in legal services...Light is still red so I look closer at the signs on the side of the building. Taxes, okay. Auto and Home Insurance, sure, why not...and then!??!!!
Divorces starting at $99.99! What a deal...I mean while your getting your taxes and insurance stuff, might as well throw in a divorce since you can get it all done at this place, AND since the starting price is $99.99! Not a $100 price tag, you understand, but a $99.99 sale!

...light is green, but I'm still parked there trying to get my mind around the misplaced value of what a marriage is supposed to be. It isn't that easy and it is not so simple and the damage done will be horrific and the children will absolutely suffer and the families will suffer and every future event will be tainted and your never truly divorced whether it is on paper or not and the scars will run deep and the suppressed emotions of a child will erupt in grand style later and the impact occurs spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, like ripping apart two glued pieces of cardboard (try it sometime and see what happens)...and for $99.99 you get all that?!

Our culture has de-valued a sacred institution, and if we are not careful, we will become so desensitized that we ourselves think less of marriage.

...anyway, I "gotta" move...Oh, wait a minute!...the light is red again.

Matt 19:4-6
And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder .
KJV
KB

Loud Rimshot: Friends and Family Day

2008-09-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

We will see you there with all your friends and family!!!!

"I didn't have time to hit the brakes!"

2008-09-23T08:26:00.001-07:00

I heard the sirens as we were loading up to head to the school. I told the kids, "from the sounds of the noise, there must have been a pretty big bang up." Two minutes later we arrived at the spot of the above picture. What caught my attention right away, was the color and model of the car, and I realized it was Corinne Newton's car. Obviously, she, along with her brother and sister (Cody and Lacey), had been in some kind of accident on the way to the school/church. I felt a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach and upon scanning my eyes across the whole sorry mess, I saw a crowd of folks (many of them were heading to the school as well) standing around, as the paramedics tended to the hurt, mainly Cody.
Apparently, the driver of the black car hit a parked truck and "bounced" across a turn lane, directly entering the opposite traffic lane, hitting Corine head on. You can see, by the fluid trail, the direct impact slammed Corine's car backward and then spun her around across the street, facing the opposite direction she was travelling. Why or what the other driver was doing is not known.
Thankfully, there were no major injuries, other than the girls getting banged up, and Cody...well, he was in the back seat and his collar bone took the brunt of the impact. I think his collar bone said something like, "Snap! I can handle a lot of pressure, but this is too much and I'll be out of commission for awhile!!"...it could have been much worse.

Afterward, what struck me about this mishap is that Corine noted, "I didn't have time to hit the brakes!" She saw the other car hit the truck across the street, but had no reflexive time to prepare when the same car appeared in her lane. Too many times we put off today what we think we can do tomorrow, when there is no guarantee of a tomorrow. Have you heard the words, "I know I need to get right with God...I just have some things I need to get straight." Lame...and we all have been sucked into thinking that somehow we have the ability to control the future.

James 4:14-15
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
KJV
KB

Loud/Soft Rimshot Announcement

2008-09-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

A rimshot is the sound produced by hitting the rim and the head of a drum at once, with a drum stick. Rimshots are usually played to produce a more accented note, and are typically played loudly. However, soft rim shots are possible.

So for the Loud: Don't forget Friends and Family Day, Sept, 28.

...and the soft: We are still updating the website, and as you have probably noticed, the site is a hybrid of a regular informational site and blog site. This makes it easier to post events/devotionals/church happenings/etc., AND maintain church information. We purposely chose this route, although it is different from the "norm", in an effort to keep the site informational and fresh.

The Dentist...and Bonsai trees

2008-09-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

...so there I was, sitting in the dentist chair, looking at a picture I've looked at many times, when like a shaft of light...I realized what I was seeing!

Lately, I've been teaching, pondering, and thinking about spiritual development, correlating it to Bonsai horticulture. A Bonsai tree is purposely stunted (small pots, trim the roots, starve it of water, manipulate its branches, protect it from hardship, etc.), in order to create a "poser" tree. It might look real, but in fact it is just a small (14-18 inches tall), stunted replica of the real tree.

I told the dental assistant (whose husband is the dentist) that I recognized the tree as being bonsai. With a surprised look on her face, she told me that only one other person since 1982 has ever duly noted the fact, although many people have suggested that they visited the location of the tree! To do that, one would have had to visit the studio where the photographer took close up shots of the bonsai tree...far, far, far, away from any "real" location.

God never called us to be bonsai. As a matter of fact, he detests the facade that is so little on substance.
2 Peter 3:18
But grow in grace , and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
KJV
KB

If the Power is off, does Church stop????

2008-09-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

...Last Sunday the power did go off. The adult chorale was about to sing...Mark McAlister was moving from the organ to the piano, when...Boom-lights out! The emergency lights came on but provided little light. What a quandary. What do you do? How long do you wait? Pastor got up and filled space for a bit and then challenged the singers to sing acappella. Then people started seeking the Lord if haply they might feel after Him and find Him, though He is not far from each and every one...and wow, did they ever find Him!

God's presence moved in waves, and it reminded me of the worship of the Old Testament with people shouting and praising, with horns blowing. Jeremy Brock began moving around the congregation blowing the trombone...for 30-40 minutes this continued...I can't remember ever being in a service like that.

Then, the power came back on. We shut it all back off and continued to bask in His presence. Evidently, God wanted to send us a message that much is given to help us in our worship to Him, but when stripped of all those things, He still moves powerfully.

...don't know why the power went off...don't care. My family, and many others, will never, never, never, forget "the night the power went off when Mark McAlister was moving from the organ to the piano."
Isa 6:1
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
KJV
KB

SMART Trip!

2008-09-10T15:49:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, SMART took a trip to the beach for some dining, shopping, and beach volleyball. 60+ signed up, but then started dropping like flies in a fog of Raid (work, emergencies, etc.). However, 25 of us headed for beautiful weather. You decide who won the 3 hour volleyball marathon (hint: look for the guy in ropers and wranglers).
Some just wanted to read...and how cool it was to be with Tracy (on the left with her husband Quincy), who had never seen the ocean before. Great Times. KB

The "Singing Friends and Family Day Disciple?"

2008-09-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

The Title might be a little misleading, but we want to announce our annual "Friends and Family Day", on the 28 of this month. Last year we had a great time of worship and activities, and we are excited about this year! We will be serving a free lunch after the morning service, followed by activities planned in the park (located on the property). It is sure to be a great day!

The gentlemen(affectionately called the "singing disciple") in the middle of the two young men (thanks Chad and Randy), deserves a shout out, mainly because of the things he does that no one really knows about. What does he do? He faithfully and attentively, takes care of the tithing and tract information center, and stocks the Kleenex boxes in the altar area. He takes this seriously, and has done so for years.

What's the point? He has found something to do in the Kingdom, and though no one mentions his name...it's not a job that receives much attention...etc., what he does really matters. He is representative of many at GBFPC that find something to do, and simply do it. Wow! That is awesome...makes me feel good to bring attention to all who do such things, though attention from me or anyone else is not what they seek...they are dialed in to the King's ministry.

Rom 12:3-5
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
KJV

KB

My Office Wall...and Sin!

2008-08-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

I love my kids, and like any other parents with kids around...there is never a dull moment. What is fascinating to me is that children will exhibit behavior that is so glaringly obvious, we, as adults, will laugh and file away the occurrence for later memory recall. Yet, adults will spiritually exhibit the same behavior, and in this case it is not a laughing matter. For example, you can see below a picture of my office wall...if you look closely at the bottom of the picture you might see a smudge below the electrical outlet.

...getting a closer look at the smudge.

...closer...Oh, no!!

As you can see, the child up there in the first picture on the right, has been in my office marking the wall with a black permanent marker she knows she is not to have. So, given the fact that she has committed a "sin" by getting the marker, AND marking on the wall...she has tried to "cover" it up...WITH A PIECE OF SEE THROUGH SCOTCH TAPE. It is glaringly obvious!

Okay, how many times do we, who are more mature, try to hide, manage, cover, obscure, etc., our sin by putting "scotch tape" on it? If you are trying to take care of your shortcomings and failures by bypassing God, you are making God chuckle...cause that "ain't" "gonna" get the job done.

Isa 1:18
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet , they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
KJV

Presented by Kevin Bradford and I approved this message (sorry, political season)

Back To School!

2008-08-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

It is real hard to believe that we are embarking on another school year. It seems like the graduation ceremony just ended. However, such is not the case and we are ready to soar through another year.

Bethel Apostolic Academy began in 1972 by very dedicated and ministry minded members of GBFPC, and those same values have brought us to the 2008-09 school year. We are excited about our staff and student enrollees and we're ready to learn, as well as have some fun.

That's a nice smile Sis. Grogan...we plan on taking a picture at the end of the year to see if it holds up!

Look at the energy and mishievious look on these faces.

Until next time...Hoorah!

PEAK Trip

2008-08-16T19:42:00.000-07:00

GBFPC took more than 50 young people and chaperones to the conference. We boarded two planes on Tuesday, Aug. 12 and headed for Tulsa, OK. Upon arrival, we checked into Embassy Suites.

Rev. Jason Calhoun and Rev. Cody Marks were anointed of God at the PEAK National Youth Conference as they delivered the Word of God during the services that were held Wednesday - Friday with more than 2,000 people in attendance.

Loading everyone up for the trip to the airport.

Here is what you do when you have a little wait time before the flight.

Everyone getting ready for the night service. Everyone had to arrive early to get good seats. The crowd exceeded expectations, so everyone wanted to arrive early to get close to the action.

The above are pictures of the day service. All in all, it was a great trip and a powerful PEAK experience. Thanks to the Brocks and the Kaufmans, as well as all the other chaperones and staff. The entire trip ran very smoothly, and everyone came home tired but ready for continued revival.

To view more pictures from PEAK 2008, please click here.

Videos

2008-08-15T16:18:00.001-07:00

Coming Soon.

Resources & Links

2008-08-15T15:54:00.000-07:00

Holy Ghost Radio

Radio Espiritu Santo

Worldwide Pentecostal Fellowship

The PAVE