Adopt Me

Although my father and my mother have forsaken me, yet the Lord will take me up -- adopt me as His child.
-- Psalm 27:10 (AMP)

God is Love.
Grateful

Making Sure

Lord, I want to spend the rest of my days making sure I know You and making sure You know me and making sure You are made known to everyone in this world You will entrust me to tell about You. My heart cries out, "No more missed opportunities!" In Your Wonderful Name, I pray, Jesus. Amen

...Be My Witnesses... (Acts 1:8b)
Grateful

God Blesses The Children

Good people live right, and God blesses the children who follow their example.
-- Proverbs 20:7 (CEV)

Lord, may all who come behind us find us faithful. And may those who come behind us find faith, too. In Jesus' name. Amen.

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

Remain in Me. -- Jesus

God does not save anyone against their will and God does not keep anyone against their will.
-- Greg Laurie

Hebrews 3:12-13 (NIV) -- written to believers -- (12) See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. (13) But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

2 Peter 3:17 (NIV) -- Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.

Revelation 3:16 (NKJV) -- So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

Remain in Me and I will remain in you.
Words of Jesus in John 15:4 (NIV)
Grateful

A Sacredness in Tears

There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love.
-- Washington Irving

Jesus wept.
-- John 11:35 (KJV)

Grateful

Don't Give Up! PayDay Is Coming!

So you must be brave.
Don't give up!
God will honor you for obeying Him.
-- 2 Chronicles 15:7 (CEV)

Be strong. Take heart. Payday is coming!
-- 2 Chronicles 15:7 (The Message)

Trust and Obey,
Grateful

I Sensed The DNA of Revelation 21:9

I sensed the DNA of this verse personally on Saturday evening, July 23, 2011, from 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. at a Unity Rally called "Until The Whole World Hears" in my home county as racial and theological barriers were brought down so THE LORD could be lifted up by His Church:

“Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”
-- Revelation 21:9b (NKJV)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

The Priests Couldn't Get In The Temple

(1-3) When Solomon finished praying, a bolt of lightning out of heaven struck the Whole-Burnt-Offering and sacrifices and the Glory of God filled The Temple. The Glory was so dense that the priests couldn't get in — God so filled The Temple that there was no room for the priests! When all Israel saw the fire fall from heaven and the Glory of God fill The Temple, they fell on their knees, bowed their heads, and worshiped, thanking God: Yes! God is good! His love never quits!
-- 2 Chronicles 7:1-3 (The Message)

Lord, fill me, for my desire is to be Your Temple of the Holy Spirit!
Grateful

Eagerly Waiting

This weekend I am a guest speaker for a Unity Rally of Praise, Worship and Word in the county of my birth. To be a part of this is so humbling, as churches in this historically racial and denominationally divided community are coming together as brothers and sisters. This evening we had a shared meal and a prayer gathering on the eve of the main event. A 76-year-old, God-anointed, Black Reverend led the prayer, Brother Willie Murray. He said he had been praying his whole life for this miracle meeting to happen. As Reverend Willie and I shared a holy embrace as brothers, I was immediately reminded of another elderly man of God in the Bible who was eagerly waiting for a miracle -- the birth of Messiah. That man's name was Simeon.

(25) At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him (26) and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. (27) That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, (28) Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
(29) “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
as you have promised.
(30) I have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared for all people.
(32) He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and He is the glory of your people Israel!”
(33) Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. (34) Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the Baby’s mother, “This Child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but He will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose Him. (35) As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”
-- Luke 2:25-35 (NLT)

Please pray that God will be glorified during this seemingly impossible coming together of races and churches. It is called "Until the Whole Word Hears!" Pray that His favor will become familiar in the community of my birth and spread beyond these geographical borders.

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

A Wonderful Life Sentence!

The Death-Dealing Sin, the Life-Giving Gift

(12-14) You know the story of how Adam landed us in the dilemma we're in — first sin, then death, and no one exempt from either sin or death. That sin disturbed relations with God in everything and everyone, but the extent of the disturbance was not clear until God spelled it out in detail to Moses. So death, this huge abyss separating us from God, dominated the landscape from Adam to Moses. Even those who didn't sin precisely as Adam did by disobeying a specific command of God still had to experience this termination of life, this separation from God. But Adam, who got us into this, also points ahead to the One who will get us out of it.

(15-17) Yet the rescuing gift is not exactly parallel to the death-dealing sin. If one man's sin put crowds of people at the dead-end abyss of separation from God, just think what God's gift poured through one man, Jesus Christ, will do! There's no comparison between that death-dealing sin and this generous, life-giving gift. The verdict on that one sin was the death sentence; the verdict on the many sins that followed was this wonderful life sentence. If death got the upper hand through one man's wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides?

(18-19) Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right.

(20-21) All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn't, and doesn't, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it's sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that's the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life — a life that goes on and on and on, world without end.
-- Romans 5:12-21 (The Message)

Raise His Praise!
Grateful

If You Abandon God?

...Serve Him with a whole heart and eager mind, for God examines every heart and sees through every motive. If you seek Him, He'll make sure you find Him, but if you abandon Him, He'll leave you for good...
-- David's words to Solomon in 1 Chronicles 28:9b-10a (The Message)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Please Forgive Me

I love the Lord because He hears my voice
and my prayer for mercy.
-- Psalm 116:1 (NLT)

...and forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation.
-- Luke 11:4 (NLT)

Click: Michael English Gaither Vocal Band - Please Forgive Me

Lord, have mercy!
Grateful

God is Here, There, And Everywhere!

Fill your mind with the thought that God is there. And once your mind is truly filled with that thought, when you experience difficulties it will be as easy as breathing for you to remember, “My heavenly Father knows all about this!”
-- Oswald Chambers

(7) I can never escape from Your Spirit!
I can never get away from Your presence!
(8) If I go up to heaven, You are there;
if I go down to the grave, You are there.
(9) If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
(10) even there Your hand will guide me,
and Your strength will support me.
(11) I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
(12) but even in darkness I cannot hide from You.
To You the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to You.
-- Psalm 139:7-12 (NLT)

God is here. God is there. Surely, God is Everywhere!

Click: He is Here - Gaither Vocal Band

Our Ever-Present, All-Powerful, All-Knowing God is Here! Hallelujah!
Yes! He is Here! Amen!
Grateful

Always Ready To Help

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
-- Psalm 46:1 (NLT)

In all manner of troubles God shows His speedy mercy and power in defending His.
-- Geneva Study Bible notes

God's love never fails and His hope always prevails.
Grateful

Add Singing To Your Praying

Are you discouraged in darkness? Do you need prison doors to open in your life? Why not add singing to your praying? They go together. In fact, they work wonders together!

(25) About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, while the other prisoners listened. (26) Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the jail to its foundations. The doors opened, and the chains fell from all the prisoners.
-- Acts 16:25-26 (CEV)

Satan's seeds of discouragement can never thrive in the heart of a grateful believer who will not quit praying and singing.

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

The Intention of God's Kindness?

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that His kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
-- Romans 2:4 (NLT)

Lord, let us be among The Repenters...
Grateful

"The Lord is Great!" Psalm 40

Psalm 40 (NLT) For the choir director: A Psalm of David:

1 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and He turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
3 He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what He has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord.
4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,
who have no confidence in the proud
or in those who worship idols.
5 O Lord my God, You have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.
6 You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.
Now that You have made me listen, I finally understand -—
You don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.
7 Then I said, “Look, I have come.
As is written about me in the Scriptures:
8 I take joy in doing Your will, my God,
for Your instructions are written on my heart.”
9 I have told all your people about Your justice.
I have not been afraid to speak out,
as you, O Lord, well know.
10 I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;
I have talked about Your faithfulness and saving power.
I have told everyone in the great assembly
of Your unfailing love and faithfulness.
11 Lord, don’t hold back Your tender mercies from me.
Let Your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.
12 For troubles surround me—
too many to count!
My sins pile up so high
I can’t see my way out.
They outnumber the hairs on my head.
I have lost all courage.
13 Please, Lord, rescue me!
Come quickly, Lord, and help me.
14 May those who try to destroy me
be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble
be turned back in disgrace.
15 Let them be horrified by their shame,
for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”
16 But may all who search for You
be filled with joy and gladness in You.
May those who love Your salvation
repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!”
17 As for me, since I am poor and needy,
let the Lord keep me in His thoughts.
You are my Helper and my Savior.
O my God, do not delay.

"The Lord is Great!"
Grateful

Snatching Them From The Door of Death

17 Some were fools; they rebelled
and suffered for their sins.
18 They couldn’t stand the thought of food,
and they were knocking on death’s door.
19 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and He saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out His word and healed them,
snatching them from the door of death.
21 Let them praise the Lord for His great love
and for the wonderful things He has done for them.
22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving
and sing joyfully about His glorious acts.
-- Psalm 107:17-22 (NLT)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

God-Breathed

Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
-- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (The Message)

Holiness Unto the LORD!
Grateful

Whatever Circumstance You Are Facing...

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil.
-- Matthew 4:1 (HCS)

If The Holy Spirit is the Source of your life, whatever circumstance you find yourself facing, you can rest in knowing that The Holy Spirit led you up to it and He will also lead you through it.
-- Dr. Stephen Manley (paraphrased)

Come, Holy Spirit, I Need You!
Grateful

The Question is, "Will I?"

We say, “Oh, if only I really could believe!”
The question is, “Will I believe?”
-- Oswald Chambers

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

IN UNITY: Live Together In Harmony!

Click: YouTube - IN UNITY -- Shalom Israel

A song by David for going up to worship...

(1) See how good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in harmony! (2) It is like fine, scented oil on the head, running down the beard —- down Aaron’s beard -- running over the collar of his robes. (3) It is like dew on Mount Hermon, dew which comes down on Zion’s mountains. That is where the Lord promised the blessing of eternal life.
-- Psalm 133 (GWT)

Click: YouTube - Dwell Together In Unity - Paul Wilbur

IN UNITY!
Grateful

Nobody Escapes Being Wounded

Nobody escapes being wounded. We all are wounded people, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. The main question is not "How can we hide our wounds?" so we don't have to be embarrassed, but "How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?" When our wounds cease to be a source of shame, and become a source of healing, we have become wounded healers. Jesus is God's wounded healer: through His wounds we are healed. Jesus' suffering and death brought joy and life. His humiliation brought glory; His rejection brought a community of love.
-- Henri Nouwen

He was wounded for our rebellious acts. He was crushed for our sins. He was punished so that we could have peace, and we received healing from his wounds.
-- Isaiah 53:5 (GWT)

Click: YouTube - Jesus Painter "By His Wounds" Glory Revealed

Crucified With Christ,
Grateful

"Turn Around"

Driving across town I heard this song titled, Turn Around, playing on the radio. It immediately touched my heart.

Click here: YouTube - Matt Maher - Turn Around

Here are the words:

Young man on the side of the road
Lost and beat up with no where to go
Smells like a hangover from days ago
He does what he can to survive

Single mom with a dead end job
Ninety hour week just to keep what she's got
With the bills that add up and down she's caught
She does what she can to survive

Well, let me say
That love won't take away the pain
But don't be afraid
'Cause it will never walk away

(Chorus)
If you're scared that you don't matter
If you're lost and need to be found
If you're looking for a Savior
All you gotta do is turn around

Some turn to a bottle
Some turn to a drug
Some turn to another's arms
But it seems like it's never enough

Well I won't say, that you will ever fail again
But there is grace
To wash away your every sin

Chorus

No one listens to you anymore
And your heart has broken down
You don't need to move
Love has come to you
All you gotta do is turn around
All you gotta do is turn around
Turn around

You don't have to take the broken road
You can turn around and come back home
(X3)

Chorus

No one listens to you anymore
And your heart has broken down
You don't need to move
Love has come to you
All you gotta do is turn around
All you gotta do is turn around
-- Song by Matt Mayer, the album The Love In Between

We don't have to take the broken road!
Grateful

The Afterglow of Pentecost = Life Together

My dearest brothers and sisters in God's Family of faith, hope, and love. I offer to you today, these passionate and powerful New Testament words, :

The Afterglow of Pentecost
(41) On that day about three thousand believed his (The Apostle Peter's) message and were baptized. (42)They spent their time learning from the apostles, and they were like family to each other. They also broke bread and prayed together.

Life Together Among the Lord's Followers
(43) Everyone was amazed by the many miracles and wonders that the apostles worked. (44) All the Lord's followers often met together, and they shared everything they had. (45) They would sell their property and possessions and give the money to whoever needed it. (46) Day after day they met together in the temple. They broke bread together in different homes and shared their food happily and freely, (47) while praising God. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved.
-- Acts 2:41-47 (CEV)

Lord, be glorified in our Unity today and day-by-day, I pray.
Grateful

Hang My Head... Up!

But you, O LORD, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
-- Psalm 3:3 (ESV)

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me;
You are my glory, the One who holds my head high.
-- Psalm 3:3 (NLT)

If you are going to hang your head, hang it up so you can see the face of God. -- My Dad, Billy C. Willis

Where there is no vision, the people perish.
-- Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)
Grateful

"I Will Free You!" -- God

(6) “Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. (7) I will claim you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God Who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. (8) I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the Lord!’”
-- Exodus 6:6-8 (NLT)

Freedom from "Egypt's slavery" equals freedom from "Sin's rule".
Grateful

Do They Know We Are His By Our Love?

(34) So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. (35) Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.
-- Words of Jesus in John 13:34-35 (NLT)

Click: YouTube - We Are One in the Spirit/Jars of Clay

Let's live in the afterglow of Pentecost.
Grateful

Worthless Idols...

They worshiped worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves.
-- 2 Kings 17:15 (NLT)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

In Christ Alone

Ever since I posted my blog yesterday asking "Who Are We Trusting?", this song has been playing on the soundtrack of my soul:

Click here: Frank Reich/Michael English - In Christ Alone

In Christ alone will I glory,
Though I could pride myself in battles won.
For I've been blessed beyond measure,
And by His strength alone, I overcome.
Oh, I could stop and count successes,
Like diamonds in my hands.
But these trophies could not equal,
To the grace, by which I stand.

In Christ alone, I place my trust,
And find my glory, in the power of the cross.
In every victory, let it be said of me,
My source of strength, My source of hope... Is Christ alone.

In Christ alone will I glory,
For only by His grace I am redeemed.
And only His tender mercy,
Could reach beyond my weakness to my need.
Now I seek no greater honor,
Than just to know Him more.
And to count my gains but losses,
And to the glory of my Lord.

In Christ alone, I place my trust,
And find my glory, in the power of the cross.
In every victory, let it be said of me,
My source of strength, My source of hope... Is Christ alone.

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful