Blessed New Year

So here it is, the New Year of 2009. Last night the children and I attended , what we call here in Kentucky, a Watch Night Service. It is seeing the old year out and the new year in by fellowshipping with our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Church house. We had an enjoyable time in the Lord. There were three groups that sang and we had dinner during break time and fellowship. It was a good time in the Lord for all who attended.

" The Quisenberry Family" was there to sing. This is a family of brothers,sisters,cousins, nieces and nephews that sing together as a Gospel group. They sound so beautiful together and they sing acappella( without instrumental music). They have the natural harmony of a family of singers that only comes from being a family. I enjoy listening to them sing and tell them how much I enjoy their singing and I encourage them to always continue to sing for the Lord. They invited me to sing at their Church in mid-January. I told them I would be there.

"Jesus First" also sang at the Watch Night Service. I love to hear them sing. Sister Ann, bless her heart, had some recent hard decisions to make that cost her to severe some ties with some of her family members. God told us that if we serve Him in the way He wants us to serve him then we would lose family members, friends, spouses and even be persecuted for serving Him. It is all worth it. Sister Ann and I talked concerning this. She is an inspiration to me and we both know that if something is not of the Lord and goes against the Lord then we are to have no part with or of it. Sometimes this means stepping across and losing family members or loved ones. But as long as one stays true to Jesus Christ, the lord god then it is all worth it. Brother Bernard, Sister Ann's husband, asked me if my brother and I would start singing with them when they went to singings. I told him I would ask my brother to see what the Lord leads him to do. He is already in one group and several other groups have asked us to join them but so far the Lord is leading each of us in different directions. We will have to pray and do as the Lord God directs us to do. Follow His lead and not that of our own. God is good.

Our little country church house was filled to capacity last night for Watch Night Service. I am ever so thankful that so many people came out to fellowship in the Lord with us. This is a true blessing from God above to know that these people love the Lord. They would rather be int he Lord's house, worshipping and fellowshipping with the Lord and his children than to be out in the world with the devil and his ways. God's children know how to have a good time in the Lord. There is nothing better than fellowshipping in the Lord together, singing His praises, praising him, praying to Him as one voice lifted to Heaven and being in the Lord's presence. God is awesome. I thank God for all He has done for each of us and know that as long as we continue to serve Him He will greatly bless us.

God will use us, His children, in His service if we make ourselves useful to Him. If we have a will to be used for the Lord, He will use us. It is far better to reap the harvest that God has for us by being His than it is to reap the reward that the devil has for those who serve him. The reward from God is eternal life in glory with Him, in peace, Love, harmony and worshipful praise and service of and to Him. The rewards for serving the devil are eternal life and everlasting torment in the lake of fire. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Each one of us has to choose whether to live our life for the Lord or for satan/the devil. I choose the Lord. God gave His all for each one of us. The devil would not die for our sins as Jesus did. No greater Love is there in this world than to give one's life for their brother. Jesus died for our sins, the redemption for us, the ultimate and supreme sacrifice. No one else could do this but Jesus for He was and is God in the flesh. He conquered death, hell and the grave.

How many of you are willing to stay true to God, even unto death ? If you are asked today,this very moment to deny Christ to save your life or the lives of your children and family, would you deny Christ ? Or would you be true unto death to the Lord ? The Lord stayed true to us. Are you willing to do for the Lord what He did for you ? If one can not give their all for God then we are failing Him. In this New Year of 2009 why not make the commitment to give your life over to the Lord. Ask Jesus' forgiveness for your sins, repent,and be born again in Him. Stay with the Lord, be true to Him and turn from your sin and do not go back unto your sin. Do not become as the dog who returns to his vomit or as the swine who returns to the wallow. Stay clean with Jesus. Stay pure for the Lord. With God all things are possible, know this for a certainty. The Lord God/Jesus gave us the guidelines within the pages of His Word, the Holy Bible in how we are to live. Follow His guidelines and you will not be led astray. Follow His guidelines and you will make it to glory someday.


May this year of2009 be the time you find the Lord and stay true to Him. May the Lord richly bless you in this New Year and always. Blessed New Year.

Fellowship

Yesterday I attended an appreciation singing. In all 12 Gospel singing groups showed up and there were also several individual singers who sang. The singing started at 3:00 PM and did not get over until close to 11:00 PM. Around 5:00 PM we had a break for the chili supper so all in attendance could eat and fellowship together with the singers and each other. I can not recall all the groups that sang but a few of them were "3:16","New Image","Old Kentucky Sound","Jesus First", "Redeemed","Set Free","The Long Branch Singers","The Quisenberry's" and more. I sang with my brother,Jim. Several of my extended family members were also at the singing.In fact some of them have their own groups that sang yesterday.

I was blest as I got to visit with quite a few people. It is wonderful to fellowship with others in the Lord. We had a great time in Jesus. This gathering gave me a chance to catch up with family, friends, brothers and sisters in the Lord. I received so many hugs and well wishes that my heart was overflowing with the love that was given freely from all who attended yesterday.

I got to hold a little baby that was only six weeks old. She was so precious. Her mom,dad and extended family are so blest with this gift from the Lord. She is the granddaughter of my magistrate and long time family friend and leader of the gospel group my brother plays with. This family does so much for the Lord. They are the ones ,Depresto,JoAnn and family, who sponsored and setup the whole appreciation singing. They work so hard to spread the Lord's word and I really appreciate all they do for the Lord, especially JoAnn who is often the one keeping it all together behind the scenes, may God continue to shine His many blessings upon you all. I thank God for the group "3:16" and for them allowing all the other Gospel singers to use their sound equipment. That was an awesome blessing and may God doubly bless this group for their unselfish giving. Sister Lavern and Brother Walt for helping out and for staying true to the Lord. Brother Walt makes an awesome Potato Soup by the way. It was just a blessing to fellowship and share in the joy of the Lord with all these dear people.

Our County Judge Executive was in attendance also. He made a speech about the singers and appreciating all we do to share the Lord with the community. He did not know I was there until he looked out and saw me and he acknowledged my being there. When he got through with his speech he came around and gave me a big hug and asked how everything was going and about my family. I asked about his family.He is a good man that I have known since I was young. Last year when we had the big snow he came out and personally plowed our road to check on me, Zak and Elizabeth. He pulled up in front of my home and said to me," Nancy I got to thinking about you and the children being out here all alone and I wanted to check and see how you all were doing and if you needed anything." That blest my heart. To know that , even with his own family, being home with his wife and children, he still thought about others and went out of his way to help out. Lord please bless my friend and Brother is Christ, the Judge, and his family with your wonderful blessings.

We all must do our part to share the Lord with others and to help each other out. The Lord Jesus tells us that if we know someone who is in need and if we do nothing about it, when we are able to help them, then we are sinning.Proverbs 3:27-28 speaks a little on this,Matthew 7:9-12 also speaks upon this, there are several other places within the Bible that speak about treating others the way that you would like to be treated and helping others. So many people turn a blind eye and heart to what the Lord tells us to do within the pages of His Word, the Holy Bible. They think they can pick and choose only what they want to apply to their life and throw the rest of God/Jesus' teachings out. That is not how it works. The Bible, God's Word, is to be taken as a whole. It is our road map, our instruction book to living life as God/Jesus wants and asks us to. It is not pick and choose it is all within it applies to everyone.

I thank God that He is an ever present part of my life. If it were not for the Lord I would not be here today. If it were not for the Lord I would not be able to sing His praises and share Him in fellowship with others. I thank God that He has placed so many people within my life to share Him with and that will share God with me. I made some serious promises to God and all my friends, family, brothers and sisters in Christ know that I abide by my word. The Bible teaches us that a person's word is that person's name. If one does not keep their word what does that tell another person about that other one ? That is something every person who makes a promise to others and to God and does not keep that promise needs to realize that they are saying they are not trustworthy. Don't make a promise if you can not keep it. If you make a promise you had better keep it.

I am looking forward to the Watch Night service we are having at the Church I attend. My friends and fellow Gospel singers" Jesus First " will be singing that night. We are going to sing, pray, fellowship and have something to eat together. We are going to fellowship in the Lord. There is nothing more wonderful than fellowshipping and sharing the Lord with others. God is to be praised. He deserves to be praised. If it were not for God/Jesus none of us would exist. We would not be allowed to enter into Glory with Him if Jesus had not died on the Cross at Calvary. To think about the great sacrifice that our Lord made for us I can't help but thank my Jesus for all He has done. Even doing my best for Him, in His service, falls short of all He did and gave for me, His very life's blood. Thank You so much Jesus for loving such a lowly creature like me that You died for me. Oh Jesus, You are so precious to my heart and soul that I do not want to live without You in my life. I am home within You and I will never leave. For nothing nor no one can give me what You have and do for Your Holy Spirit fills me in a way nothing else nor no one else ever can or will. I desire no man , nor no thing for they can not compare to You, My Lord. What You give and have to offer can not be given or come from anyone or anything else and that is what makes it so special is that it comes from You alone. I Love You Lord Jesus. Thank You for all.