Sunday Morning, December 27, 2009,

This morning, we had several visitors who attended the meeting, including the Copley's from Zanesville, Ohio. Because several of the older saints were out with sickness, the youth clearly outnumbered the adults by a margin of 2-1.

Bro Calvin returned to the Lord this week and was with us for the meeting. He was blessed and inspired by the presence of God throughout the meeting and gave testimony to the goodness and mercy of God.

The singing was in the spirit and was a real encouragement for everyone in attendance. The youth choir sang I've got So Much To Thank Him For, with Sis Bonnie leading them in the verses. As is our practice, during the general singing the saints select the songs that they want to sing. This makes the singing part of the assembly meeting more personal and therefore more meaningful as many of the songs have been an inspiration throughout the week to the person requesting them.  It also avoids the risk of getting back into a form or structured program, or repeating the same songs to frequently. It also allows for more interaction.

After the saint's time of sharing with each other, Bro Dale led a discussion on how we can know that we are saved. In this time of uncertainty, we are so thankful that we can have a "know-so" salvation.

We looked at eight devil-proof scriptures that can keep assurance in our hearts of salvation. They were as follows:

1.     1John 2:3  And by this we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

2.     1John 2:5  But whoever keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: by this we know that we are in him.

3.     1John 3:14  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother, abideth in death.

4.     1John 3:18-19 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

5.     1John 3:24  And he that keepeth his commandments, dwelleth in him, and he in him. And by this we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

6.     1John 4:12-13  No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

7.     1John 5:1-3  Whoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten by him.  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous.

8.      1John 5:14-15  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he heareth us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired from him.

It was a good time of fellowship and inspiration.