With Every Breath, Hallelujah!

When the words "Christmas" and "Hallelujah" are in the same title, it must be a good thing. I know it's not December, but a little Christmas in January might be exactly what The Great Physician is ordering for our day. Click the link below and turn your speaker volume up. Your soul will be refreshed.

Thanks Pastor Joseph for the heads-up on this Cloverton song link. It delivered to us all some much needed and wondrously unexpected, "Joy, Joy, Joy" to close out our January and the song even points us towards Easter. Hallelujah, indeed!

Click here: A Hallelujah Christmas - Cloverton LYRICS - YouTube

With Every Breath, Hallelujah!
Grateful

Awakened to Pray

Following a special prayer gathering at our local church, one gentlemen, Gene Stainback, e-mailed me an encouraging message about how God has awakened his soul to pray. He also wrote a sacred poem based on the Scripture I opened our prayer gathering with, Matthew 26, and gave me permission to share his poem with you:

What a sad sight to see
Our Lord Jesus alone on His knees
In a dark garden on a dreadful night
Pleading with our Father with all His might
Blood drenched tears cry "let this cup pass
Is there another way, My strength is fading fast"

Heart so heavy, exhausted to the core
"Dear friends please stay awake with Me one hour more
My sorrow is deep the end draws near
I hear the rattling of the enemy's spear
Not My will but Yours be done
If there is no other way I will obey, I am the Father's Son"

"Wake up friends My time has come
Slumber no longer My capture has begun"
Sorrow upon sorrow pain upon pain
Our Savior led away shackled and chained
What a sad sight to see, alone in the dark
Friends wide awake now watching as the Savior departs

Lord, awaken us all to pray with You. Now.
Grateful

Jesus Bled So We Could Belong

It seems I hear the Lord clearly saying to me, "I chose to bleed for you so you could choose to belong to Me."

I've heard it said that the words "bleed" and "bless" come from the same root word. Surely when our Savior "bled" to death at Calvary, it was to "bless" us with Life.

One of my partners in ministry, Pastor Joseph, sent me this old hymn in a YouTube link. I believe as we listen we will remember His bleeding and it will make us more aware of His blessing.

 Click here: The Collingsworth Family - At Calvary - YouTube

Mercy There (at Calvary) was Great and Grace was Free...
Grateful

Proof We Belong Exclusively to God

God's love for us is not proof that we belong exclusively to Him.

Only God's presence living in us is proof we are exclusively His.

 

Click here: I Belong - Kathryn Scott - YouTube

Lord, Your Holy Spirit's Presence within us, guarantees we are Yours.

Grateful

Forgiving Others

Forgiving others is first and foremost healing our own hearts.
- Henri Nouwen

Lord, forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Gratful

Handle the Hardships, Catch Your Breath

Lee Evans, a National Football League wide receiver who dropped a touchdown pass in the 2012 playoffs that would've put his team, the Baltimore Ravens, in the Super Bowl game said this one year later:

"If you can't handle the hardships of life why should you be afforded the good things in life."

In addition to this humble and noble comment concerning his "failure", Lee Evans even asked for a framed photo of the bad play and it is on display in his home. Lee says, "It's part of my journey. It helps define my life."

If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there;
if you’re kicked in the gut, He’ll help you catch your breath.
-- Psalm 34:18 (The Message)

Lord, in good times and in bad, help us to trust you totally.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.

Grateful

A Sweet Song From the Soul

Sometimes a sweet song from the soul is just what the Great Physician ordered. Earlier this week a young lover of the Lord sent me this sweet song, saying it touched her soul. Enjoy.

Click here: Love Came Down - Kari Jobe - Where I Find You - YouTube

Do we sing to God, "I am forever Yours?"
 

Let's remember Abba Father sings over us and let us be forever His and forever...

Grateful

 

Christianity? A Fable? A Fairy Tale?

If Christ cannot alter a person's disposition, Christianity is a cunningly devised fable.
-- Oswald Chambers

If Jesus can't change a person's attitude, the Christian story is nothing more than a fairy tale.

-- Kerry Willis

Change My Heart O God.
Grateful

Pray for God's Blessings on the World

God has appointed intercession as one of the means by which others will be saved and Christians built up in the faith. Perhaps people all over the world will receive life and blessings through our prayers. Should we not expect God's children to endeavor with all our strength to pray for God's blessings on the world?
-- Andrew Murray

Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven!
Grateful

In Prayer... Your Mind... Mine.

My heart's prayer to the Lord early this morning came across my lips aloud like this:

Lord, in prayer, let Your mind... be mine.

In John 15 the Lord tells us to bear fruit that will last. There is no way we will ever bear eternal fruit apart from a prayer life here on earth that is one with the mind of Christ.

Let us pray.
Grateful

A Worship-filled Prayer Song

I first hear the worship song "Give Me Faith" at a summer teen camp in the summer of 2012. My wife and I were guest speakers at the retreat and it was the same week my wife's father passed away. The words of this particular song went deep into our being.

 

Yesterday at our local church our District Winter Teen Retreat ended with the same song. The words once again warmed my heart.

 

Take a listen. It is really a worship-filled prayer song, I would suppose.

 

Click here: Give Me Faith - Elevation Worship (LYRICS ON SCREEN) - YouTube

 

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)

Grateful

Inconveniences as Investment Opportunities?

How might we bless the heart of God and even bless ourselves if we viewed so called "temporary inconveniences" in our lives as God-ordered opportunities to make "eternal investments" in the lives of never-dying souls for the glory of Jesus?

I'd say Jesus saw His death on the Cross as an inconveneient investment in our lives!

Re-read, reflect, and repeat.

Deo Volente -- Whatever God Wants
Grateful

Seeking Solitude, Not Settling for Loneliness

All human beings are alone. No other person will completely feel like we do, think like we do, act like we do. Each of us is unique, and our aloneness is the other side of our uniqueness. The question is whether we let our aloneness become loneliness or whether we allow it to lead us into solitude. Loneliness is painful; solitude is peaceful. Loneliness makes us cling to others in desperation; solitude allows us to respect others in their uniqueness and create community.

Letting our aloneness grow into solitude and not into loneliness is a lifelong struggle. It requires conscious choices about whom to be with, what to study, how to pray, and when to ask for counsel. But wise choices will help us to find the solitude where our hearts can grow in love.

-- Henri Nouwen

Lord, help us to seek peaceful solitude with you, lest we settle for painful loneliness on our own.
Grateful

The Secret to Perfect Rest

I've come to realize that entire surrender to Jesus is the secret to perfect rest. Rest for the soul is found in Christ alone. Real soul rest is never found apart from Him.

Deo Volente -- As God Wills!
Grateful

See God Behind Everything!

Faith is the inborn capacity to see God behind everything! It is the wonder that keeps you an eternal child! Beware always of losing the wonder.
-- Oswald Chambers

Lord, I want a faith that goes beyond believing that You had the first word and you will have the last word. Yes, I want a wonder-filled faith that believes You will also have the next word. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

By Faith! In Faith! (Hebrews 11)
Grateful

God Deeply Longs for the Lost Ones

Lord, more than only praying for my lost loved ones because I love them, let me also pray because You deeply long for them. In Your Holy, Saving Name, I pray. Amen.

The Lord isn’t slow to do what He promised, as some people think. Rather, He is patient for your sake. He doesn’t want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to Him and change the way they think and act.
-- 2 Peter 3:9 (GWT)

In Your Name, Jesus, we find rescue for our own lives and for our lost loved ones.
Grateful

Adonai

The Names of our God are so Glorious.

This song below celebrates one of His Holy Names, Adonai. Abraham addressed God as Adonai, meaning Lord, Lord, LORD, my Master -- the Master has a right to His possession.

Click here: Paul Wilbur - Adonai - Live - YouTube

Exclusively God's Possession!
Grateful

Take Note, Take Time, God's Greatness

I just looked at my wife, Kim, and said, "Our God is Great!!!"

Today, I encourage you simply but profoundly to take note of how Awesome our Creator God really is! I mean, literally, go out into His Creation and ask Him to show you something marvelous that He has made that you have never noticed closely.

I fear that too often we minimize His greatness by not taking time to recognize how Awesome He really is, and then we double the insult by not Magnifying His Name in the afterglow of that realization.

Is Our God GREAT, or WHAT!?
Grateful

P.S.You might even want to YouTube "Awesome God by Rich Mullins" ?

Tradition & Heritage -- What? How? WHY?

Tradition asks what did we do in the past and how did we do what we did in the past? Heritage asks why did we do what we did?
-- Ron Salsbury paraphrased

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Cry Out... Day and Night

¹ O Lord God, my Savior,
I cry out to You during the day and at night.
² Let my prayer come into Your presence.
Turn Your ear to hear my cries.
-- Psalm 88:1-2 (GWT)

Click here: Third Day - Cry Out To Jesus - YouTube

He hears our cries... day and night...
Grateful

A Palace for Himself

A college-aged-lover-of-Jesus-friend-of-mine named Billy sent me this powerful paragraph:

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.
-- C. S. Lewis

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Nothing Between My Soul & The Savior

A lady in our local church, Judy, sent me these song lyrics this week. It reminds me so much of my Mom's testimony. She has often said to me, "Kerry, there's nothing between my soul and the Savior." What peace-filled assurance!

Nothing between my soul and the Savior,
None of this world's delusions and dreams;
I have renounced all sin and its pleasures.
Jesus is mine. There's nothing between.

Refrain:
Nothing between my soul and the Savior,
So that His blessed face may be seen;
Nothing preventing the flow of His favor,
Keep the way clear. Let nothing between.

Nothing between, not life and its treasures;
Habits and hopes, though harmless they seem,
Must not distract from Jesus our Savior.
He is my joy. There's nothing between.

Nothing between through years and through trials;
Though trouble comes, my heart is serene,
Nearing the day I stand in His beauty,
One with my Lord and nothing between.

Words & Music by Charles Albert Tindley and Ken Bible

 

Holiness Unto The LORD!

Grateful 

Don't You Realize God's Kindness?

A young disciple in our local church, Amanda, sent me this verse of Scripture yesterday saying it was God's Word for her day:

Do you have contempt for God (Lack of respect for God), who is very kind to you, puts up with you, and deals patiently with you? Don’t you realize that it is God’s kindness that is trying to lead you to Him and change the way you think and act?

-- Romans 2:4 (GWT)

 

A good Word from God's Word not just for young disciples, but all disciples.

Grateful

Partnering with Christ in Intercessory Prayer

Intercession (praying for others) is an essential element in God's redeeming purpose, so much so, that without it the failure of God's purpose may lie at our door. Christ's intercession in Heaven is essential to His carrying out of the work He began upon earth, but He calls for the intercession of the saints in the accomplishment of His object.
-- Andrew Murray

Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
-- Romans 8:34 (NLT)

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. -- Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)

Let us cry out to the Lord and let us cry out with the Lord -- both day and night -- partnering with Him in praying passionate and persistent prayers of compassionate intercession.

Deo Volente -- AS GOD WILLS!
Grateful

Our Life, His Glory

It's another new year. How blessed we are to inherit it.

Have you asked the question what does Jesus want to be to us in the new year? If so, this verse may provide His answer:

When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in [the splendor of His] glory. -- Colossians 3:4 (AMP)

The fifth and sixth words of the verse above is the answer I do believe. Yes, Jesus wants to be OUR LIFE! (He also wants us to be with Him in His Glory.)

Jesus, You are our Only Way, our Whole Truth, yes, our VERY LIFE. Amen.
Grateful

Epiphany -- On Pilgrimage to Worship Him

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory— this was during Herod’s kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled His birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship Him.”
-- Matthew 2:12 (The Message)

Holiness Unto The LORD!
Grateful

Passion 2013 -- Day #4 Report

Well, it's almost 1 a.m. on Saturday morning now. We made the 525-mile bus trip back to Virginia's Shenandoah Valley from Atlanta, Georgia, arrriving safely about 11 p.m. God's favor is so appreciated. I'm still up just reflecting on the goodness of the Lord.

The Passion 2013 Gathering ended at about 1:30 p.m. on Friday and praise be to our Lord, over $3 million was raised over these past four days to help end human slavery in our modern times.

Louie Giglio, founder of Passion in 1997, was the final keynote speaker of the gathering. While the whole message seemed spot-on with Scripture to me, one "breath-taking" line from his message I hope to never forget:

Worship is giving back to God His breath!

Think about it. We were spiritually dead but He gave to us eternal life, so when we worship Him, there is no more simple or profound way to define what worship is than human beings gladly giving back to Holy God the breath of Life He generously gave to us.

Deo Volente -- Whatever God Wants!
Grateful

Passion 2013 -- Day #3 Report

Worship leader, David Crowder, sporting a full, Duck Dynasty-style, red beard opened the day pointing us the Throne of God. After leading in his original songs like "Praise Him" and "O How He Loves Us", David led us in a Hallelujah hoe-down with old tunes like "I Saw The Light", "I'll Fly Away", and "Because He Lives!" It was a prelude to Heavenly worship, no doubt.

Judah Smith from Oregon then came and gave us God's Word from 1 Peter 2, declaring the value and validity of the church community, saying "Without the church on planet earth, the planet will not see God's image!" He also said, "We were not created to live isolated."

The afternoon session was a round-table discussion about ending slavery in our world. The goal is to raise $3 million to help this happen before the Passion Gathering ends tomorrow at 2 p.m. We had surpassed $1.5 million mark at midday today. Go to www.live.268generation.com to watch sessions from Passion 2013 and/or to join in on the offering.

The evening session was high energy with Christian rapper, LeCrae, firing up the Georgia Dome. His song "Background" is a favorite of mine. Here's a LeCrae link to listen to if you'd like some idea of his music ministry that is very popular with the young at heart:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHnZRZiCYHE

Finally, John Piper spoke the evening message saying "as believers we should not only endure temporary suffering but embrace it, realizing the eternal JOY that awaits those who suffer with and for the Lord."

Thanks for your prayers for Passion 2013. I truly believe the Lord is up to something wonderful among this young, JESUS generation. Over 2,000 colleges and universities, from 54 countries are represented at this year's gathering here in Atlanta. A God-thing, indeed!

Deo Volente -- Whatever God Wants!
Grateful

Passion 2013 -- Day #2 Report

Day #2 at Passion 2013 has been inspiring, challenging, and overwhelming in all the good ways. The morning session began with Beth Moore knocking the ball out of the park as she spoke with a fresh anointing about our Lord's Last Supper. She reminded us of what an Awesome Redeemer our Lord Jesus is! The line she said that spoke most deeply to me was:"The Gospel is not just Good News. It is Glad News, as well!"

Next up, Gary Haughen, a Christian Attorney who has dedicated his life to freeing modern-day slaves around the world addressed the Passion Gathering. He was a breathing illustration of "passion", no doubt. His message was weighty and broke our hearts. He said in the tragic situations he walks in and out of many people ask, "Where is God?" His reply is, "No. Wrong question! I don't ask "Where is God?" I ask, "Where are God's people?"

In the night session, we were introduced to a modern-day slave from the Philippines. The teenage girl was recently freed from her brokenness by our Great God, in partnership with Gary Haugen's ministry. She said she feels like a bird that has been freed from a cage. "God's people showed up in my life to complete me," she said. Her story was once a sad story, but now has a happy ending.

Words will not convey the emotions within my heart during this session. Tears would come closer to explaining my heart than words ever could.

Francis Chan, a crowd favorite, spoke in the night session as well. He began with deep crying and then talked to us about how very trustworthy God is. His transparent delivery certainly moved the souls of all present.

The music today was absolutely encouraging, Scriptural-based, and worship-filled. Some of the worship leaders were Matt Redman, Charlie Hall, Chris Tomlin, Christy Nockels, and Kim Walker with The Jesus Culture Band. Let's just say, "The music was off-the-charts, surely God-glorifying and soul-lifting!"

Maybe this song link will give you some idea?

Click here: Bethel LIVE "I need You" Kim Walker (Official Video) - YouTube

 

Deo Volente -- Whatever God Wants!

Grateful

Live streaming and sessions at: www.live.268generation.com

Extra: Click here: One Thing Remains - Jesus Culture - YouTube

Passion Gathering Atlanta 2013 - Day #1

Yesterday, it was my joy to drive the church bus for a second year in a row to Atlanta, Georgia, USA, for the Passion Gathering of 18-25 year-old Jesus-seekers. We have 15 here this year and the opening ceremonies last evening in the Georgia Dome placed our LORD JESUS high in our midst. Worshipping THE KING OF KINGS with some 60,000 others has to be a foretaste of what Heaven will be like.

Though it was a downpour of rain, that did not dampen our spirits as we walked 20 minutes to the event site. It was like being baptized afresh and anew before coming to worship THE LORD OF ANGEL ARMIES.

Louie Giglio, founder of Passion, spoke direct and inspirational words from the prophet Ezekiel, the Gospel according to Mark, and The Revelation of Jesus Christ. He kept saying, "God wants to do immeasurably more through us for His glory!"

Thanks for your prayers, as this young generation is proving by their presence here at Passion, that they are The Jesus Generation!!!

Here's the LIVE Streaming Link for Passion 2013. Join in by clicking below:  
Click here: Passion 2013 :: Live Stream

Deo Volente -- Whatever God Wants!
Grateful

"The Bridge" to a Holy New Year

Holy New Year to you and to your loved ones.

If you can spare abut half-an-hour today, you will be moved by the film link pasted below. It is a love story, yes, a moving, modern-day parable about the Love of Father God and the Sacrifice He made to save our lives.

MOST (Czech for "The Bridge") is a beautiful Oscar nominated movie and winner of many prestigious film festivals. It tells the story of the close relationship between a bridge operator (Vladimir Javorsky) and his young son (Lada Ondrej) and the fateful day when both try to head off an impending rail disaster. A steam train full of hundreds of passengers are unaware of the danger as they head towards an open drawbridge. When a desperate young woman (Linda Rybova) witnesses an act of virtue beyond her imagination, her life is changed forever.

Here's the link:
Click here: Most - The Bridge [Subs] - YouTube

John 3:16-17 to you and to me.
Grateful