I am so revived and refreshed, ready to draw closer to the Lord in some way every day of this new year, after the amazing Holy Ghost filled watchnight service we had last night! I am so thankful for all that the Lord has done for me and my family in the past year and I can't wait to see what He has for us to do this year!
January 1, 2008- We rang in the New Year in service with The Hawkins Family singers and Bro. Johnnie Fuller bringing the message at Mt. Vernon General Baptist Church. My husband was under deep conviction but somehow left that awesome service lost!
January 4, 2008- I left my husband after finding out that he was still drinking after he had told me he would quit. I only stayed gone a few hours because I knew the Lord was telling me to wait on Him.
January 15, 2008- My husband's father passed away after a battle with cancer that had affected his pancreas, bile duct, and lungs.
January 18, 2008- We laid to rest the first man I ever knew who was good all the time, not just when he thought others were watching. I loved my father-in-law very much and am so thankul that the Lord allowed him to be a part of my life.
January 20, 2008- The whole family was at church, except my 3 stepdaughters. We filled up 2 pews! After choir singing, Bro. Ronnie Proctor and Sis. Jean Hubbs got up to sing a special. They dedicated "Robe of White" to our family. As soon as they started, Bucky got up and went to the altar! Oh, how the Holy Ghost came down that morning!!! My husband was saved and delivered from alcohol by the Almighty hand of our merciful Father in Heaven!!!!
February 3, 2008- My husband and I were baptized. I chose to be baptized again as a symbol of our joining together as a spiritual team and also because I knew that my heart was not truly repentant when I was baptized before.
During the next several months, we were at church as often as possible, in Revival services, singing services, whatever was going on around here, we wanted to be a part of it. Bucky started singing for the Lord shortly after we were baptized. He said he didn't even know he could sing but it is wonderful! He's working on a CD project right now and I am so proud of him and the way he is letting the Lord use him.
But, all of a sudden, Bucky started not wanting to go to church on Sunday morning. Oh, I was so frustrated! I thought he was backing out on God. He had lost all his friends and business wasn't great. He had had to lay off the 2 guys he had working for him, who we happened to go to church with. Things were not looking good. I prayed and begged God to show me what was going on. Finally, one Sunday morning, I was getting ready to go to church and Bucky said he didn't think he was going AGAIN. I said we have got to talk about this, I can't take not knowing what's going on with you. That's when he told me he felt like the Lord was leading him somewhere else. Boy, was I relieved! He was still listening! And I knew that it was the Lord speaking to him because I had been getting the same message for a while.
That's when we started visiting other churches. We went to several churches around here, different denominations. We really enjoyed ourselves getting to know other brothers and sisters in Christ. We heard some good singing, we heard some great messages, but we still didn't know where the Lord wanted us to be. We were getting a little antsy because it seemed like we were going to run out of options close to home. What did God have in mind for our family?
During this time, the Lord laid it on my heart to organize a local prayer meeting for the International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians. I obeyed and proceeded to print fliers and gather information. I sent the event info in to the local radio stations to put on community calendar and one of them called me. They wanted us to be on air!!! I was soooo excited. Bro. Hank Hubbs is who I felt like the Lord wanted to lead the service. So, I presented him with my idea and asked if he would like to join us in this effort. He said it would be an honor. We were on the Dad and Son radio show on WEKT 1070 Elkton, KY on Election Day, Nov. 4, 08. I was so nervous but it went well.
Sometime during all this moving of the Lord, I went to a revival service with Bro. Hank at a church we hadn't been to before, Pea Ridge House of Prayer. Bro. Johnnie Fuller, who preached the Watchnight Service at Mt. Vernon is the preacher there. I fell in love with this little church out in the sticks. During prayer request, a lady was telling about a woman she knew who was having to move out of her home and she knew she didn't have any income so she didn't know where she was going to go, how she was going to eat or anything and a lady sitting behind me spoke up. She said "Well, maybe we oughta just find this lady and take her some food and see if we can help her with her housing. That's what our tithes and offerings are for, they aren't to build all these big fancy buildings and things." Oh, what a relief, how refreshing those words were to my soul! I had been praying to find people who cared more about the people than the numbers in the bank account, more than the size of the building! It seems like everywhere we had been, there was fundraising for this and that to improve the "church" but it always seemed that true outreach was so lacking. I came home and told Bucky, who had to work late that day and didn't get to go with me, how much I enjoyed the little church and how I thought we needed to go back.
So, the Sunday before our prayer meeting, we finally got the opportunity to go. Bro. Johnnie was so glad to see us! The Lord moved in the service and in our hearts and we knew we would be back after that service! The prayer meeting went by smoothly, we didn't have many people but we did get to meet some new people who love the Lord and I'm always thankful for that. We went back to Pea Ridge the following week and have been there ever since.
Several of the Pea Ridge church members were in service with us last night, back at Mt. Vernon for watchnight service with the Hawkins Family singers again. Them people can sing for the Lord!!! This time, Bro. Willie Trawick brought the message. Jail Break at Midnight is what he called it. He brought out scripture that talked about how God moved at midnight such as the passover, the breaking of Paul and Silas' chains. He said it was time for release. He also spoke about consistently offering our children up to the Lord to keep them from evil and how we really should try to seek the Lord before the last minute when we can. For instance, in asking for God's blessings for the new year, most of us will wait until new year's eve, or at least I know I do, but Bro. Willie said he starts praying and fasting, seeking God's blessings for the new year way back in October. That made alot of sense to me.
So, I'm full to overflowing with God's blessings even though I'm sitting here broke and all our bills are past due and I have no car because it broke down months ago for the third time in a year. But, that ole devil ain't gettin' no victory here because I know that sometimes the Lord will put us through the refining fire and I know that He said He will never leave us or forsake us, so if He's putting me through that fire, He's right there with me and I can count on Him to finish the work He has started!!! I'm ready for the breakthrough so people can see the mighty works that God has done in/for us so they will want the same for themselves. I'm ready to see lost people saved, sick people healed, prodigal sons brought back home. I'm ready to see the hand of the Lord move in a mighty, mighty way in this land, bringing His people back to Him!
Happy New Year, everyone. Remember me in your prayers that I can remain strong and willing.
God Bless and Agape, Annie
No comments:
Post a Comment