This is a song of desperate prayer that I prayed over and over earlier this week. And now it is my heart’s cry again today. Join me.
Simply trust.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Saturday, February 27, 2021
Friday, February 26, 2021
Their Hearts Are Highways of Holiness
“How enriched are they who find their strength in the Lord; within their hearts are the highways of holiness! Even when their paths wind through the dark valley of tears, they dig deep to find a pleasant pool where others find only pain. He gives to them a brook of blessing filled from the rain of an outpouring.” Psalms 84:5-6 [TPT]
Simply trust.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Thursday, February 25, 2021
Ears Wide Open / Come Just as You Are
i love this verse:
"Come to me with your ears wide open.
Listen, and you will find life.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you.
I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David."
Isaiah 55:3 NLT
This Crystal Lewis song soothes my soul:
Simply trust.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
i Love You, Jesus! Nevertheless...
i love You, Jesus! Nevertheless, i know You love me most!
Too often i seem to lose sight of Your great love for me. Forgive me, Lord.
In the distractions of daily living, my focus can be compromised. Give me singular desire for You alone.
May i be sensitive like never before to The Holy Spirit’s presence with and within me.
Find fulfillment of everything You desire, my Jesus, in the relationship we share.
Help me to pray until my life itself is prayer. Help me to trust until my mind and heart are pure re-creations of real faith.
Help me to find peace in knowing "for me to live is to manifest Your Life and to die is to be present with You for forever."
In Your wonderful name, i pray.
Amen.
Simply trust...
Pastor Kerry Willis
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Losing the Holy Spirit?!
To me, there is no scarier scenario than the idea of losing the Holy Spirit.
Dennis Kinlaw wrote these words:
"There is no question but that Saul was on David’s mind when David wrote the cry in Psalm 51:11,"Take not the Holy Spirit from me." David had seen a man from whom the Holy Spirit had been taken and he recoiled from the thought of it. A person who has known intimacy with the Holy Spirit can lose that intimacy. This is why it is never safe to find security in merely talking about the Holy Spirit without obeying him."
My God, search me thoroughly and cleanse anything and everything from within me that would ever cause Your Holy Sprit to abandon me to myself. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Simply trust.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Monday, February 22, 2021
To Jerusalem Passionately
This solitary verse penned by Luke passionately launches my heart out of the Lenten season starting blocks and points my being totally towards The Cross:
"Jesus passionately determined to leave for Jerusalem and let nothing distract Him from fulfilling His mission there, for the time for Him to be lifted up was drawing near." Luke 9:51 [TPT]
Lord, lest i forget Thine agony, lead me to Calvary. Amen.
Simply trust.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Saturday, February 20, 2021
The Answer to Every Prayer
“Keep me safe, O mighty God. I run for dear life to you, my safe place. So I said to the Lord God, ‘You are my Maker, my Mediator, and my Master. Any good thing you find in me has come from you.’” Psalms 16:1-2 [TPT]
Help us to remember, Holy God, that You alone are always the Answer to our every prayer. Amen. -kww
Simply trust.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Friday, February 19, 2021
Why Saints Endure Trials
SHARE THE WORD -- "And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that virtue had gone out of Him, turned to the crowd and said, Who touched My clothes?" Mark 5:30 JUB
"If you know a person who has a good spiritual banking account, borrow from them for all you are worth, because they will give you all you want (and need) and never look to be paid back. Here is the reason ‘a saint’ goes through the things he or she does go through -- God wants to know if He can make him or her good ‘bread’ to feed other people with. The person who has gone through the crucible is going to be a tremendous support to hundreds of others. If you have a trial of faith, endure it until you get through. If you have been through trials of faith in the past, God is bringing across your path immature souls and you have no business to despise them but rather to help them through. There are people who spiritually and morally have to drain the vitals out of you, and if you don’t keep up the supply from the life of Jesus Christ, you will be like an exhausted volcano before long. You must keep that up and let them nourish themselves from you until they are able to stand on their own feet and take direct life from Jesus." -Oswald Chambers
SHARE THE WORD -- "... who are kept in the virtue of God by faith, to attain unto the saving health which is made ready to be manifested in the last time. In which ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are afflicted in diverse temptations, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold (which perishes, nevertheless it is tried with fire), might be found unto praise and glory and honour when Jesus, the Christ, is made manifest;" 1 Peter 1:5-7 JUB
Simply Trust.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Thursday, February 18, 2021
"A Falling Away..."
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" 1 Timothy 4:1 KJV
"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;" 2 Thessalonians 2:3 KJV
Could it be these words are being fulfilled in our lifetime? "Some departing from the faith... a falling away?"
Statistics are saying 30% of previous church-attenders will not be returning. Which makes me remember these words that Jesus spoke:
"I am the true Vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He [repeatedly] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit [even richer and finer fruit]." John 15:1-2 AMP
Is God’s tree being pruned? Is He cutting away the deadwood? Are the still-alive branches being cut back for a new harvest of fruit before Christ returns again?
Simply Trust.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
To Fight or Not to Fight
Oswald Chambers giving commentary about the full armor of God recorded in Ephesians 6:11-18, says: "These verses are not an illustration of HOW TO FIGHT but of HOW NOT TO FIGHT. Without the full armor of God, we will have to fight, nevertheless, if we put on the full armor of God, we will need only to stand.”
"Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places. Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. So stand firm and hold your ground, HAVING TIGHTENED THE WIDE BAND OF TRUTH (personal integrity, moral courage) AROUND YOUR WAIST and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (an upright heart), and having strapped on YOUR FEET THE GOSPEL OF PEACE IN PREPARATION [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news]. Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God’s people." Ephesians 6:11-18 AMP
Simply Trust.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Monday, February 15, 2021
Holiness [Perfect Love]
Do we dare to desire Jesus Himself more than the basics and even the blessings of life?
More than forgiveness of sins? More than having power to be and do good? More than a good name? More than eating and sleeping? More than anything under the sun?
Well, if we will, there’s Good News! Indeed, if we will wholeheartedly abandon ourselves to The Lord and fervently seek His face and urgently ask Him to awaken us — all the way — yes, until we are so surrendered that our one, God-honest, truest, desire is to know intimate identification with Jesus Himself, HE WILL SURELY MAKE IT OUR REALITY!
And what would we call such an intimate identification? Friends, we would call that HOLINESS! [Perfect Love!]
Simply trust.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Sunday, February 14, 2021
To Suffer as a Christian
To suffer as a Christian is to suffer because there is an essential difference between you and the world which rouses the contempt of the world and the disgust and hatred of the spirit that is in the world. - Oswald Chambers
Nevertheless, 1 Peter 4:16 says: If anyone suffer as a Christian, let them not be ashamed...
Simply trust.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Friday, February 12, 2021
Before and Behind
“You will not leave in a hurry, running for your lives. For the Lord will go ahead of you; yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind.”Isaiah 52:12 NLT
This verse encourages me today.
So i pray: Lord, help us to remember that wherever You might call us, You will surely go BEFORE us and certainly come BEHIND us. Your presence guarantees us Godspeed. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Simply trusting...
Pastor Kerry Willis
Thursday, February 11, 2021
Proof from The Psalmist We Can Pray Honest Before Holy God
The opening verse of Psalm 10 surely is written proof that the Psalmist prayed honestly before Holy God. Must mean we can, too?
Listen closely:
"Lord, you seem so far away when evil is near! Why do you stand so far off as though you don’t care? Why have you hidden yourself when I need you the most?" Psalms 10:1 TPT
God is okay with us unloading our reality and perspective in His Throne Room of Mercy as we pray. Let us pray. Honestly.
Simply trust.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
"i Am Going to Tell Everyone!"
Imagine if you can this conversation:
Woman at the well to Jesus: "i am going to tell everyone [You are Messiah!]"
Jesus: "I was counting on it!"
A Personal Question: Who was the last person you told about Christ? Who will be the next person you tell about Jesus?
Conversation from "The Chosen Series" based on John 4 inspires me:
Simply Trust.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
i Intercede in Prayer
This is my intercessory prayer prayed for those who partner in leadership alongside me in ministry. i pray it now over those who frequent my blog. Please, let us renew our resolve to pray for one another and for others.
Almighty Abba Father:
It is because of Your great love that i have the gracious privilege to pray for my beloved sisters and brothers.
Please keep Your face of kindness turned ever towards them.
Let Your overflowing joy build sacred anticipation in their lives.
May Your Holiness permeate their souls as they saturate in Your presence.
Turn any human weariness into Your holy wonderfulness.
Save the souls of their loved ones and influence everyone in their relationship circles to surely desire You as Savior.
Let Your mind beautifully overtake their own thoughts, moment-by-moment.
Meet them where they have needs -- both great and small -- proving in real time You are their loving Lord of all.
Finally, let them live their lives as lanterns of Your eternal light of love in this dark world we are inhabiting temporarily.
Yes, may they truly sense personally the Holy Spirit’s embrace marked by Your new mercy and amazing grace.
In the Name of The One called Wonderful, Jesus, i pray. Amen. -kww
Simply trust.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Monday, February 8, 2021
“BELIEVE!”
Because of a weekend snow storm, Sunday, i preached virtually by YouTube video for our New Holland, Pennsylvania Church of the Nazarene. My message was titled, “BELIEVE!” Here’s the link if you have a little less than 30 minutes to watch. Humbled.
Simply Trust.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Friday, February 5, 2021
AWESOME
Today, my dear brother in the Lord, Pastor Byron Hannon, shared with our district staff the lyrics to one of my all-time favorite songs of praise and worship to our Holy God. i remember exactly where i was the first time i heard it on the radio in Charlotte, North Carolina, a few years ago. i immediately added it to my playlist and sent it to our local worship pastor so we could sing it on Sunday morning after my message. i share it now to lift your hearts towards the One Who Loves us most. Yes, our God is AWESOME!
Simply trusting...
Pastor Kerry Willis
Tuesday, February 2, 2021
Prayer is Our Power
“The very powers of darkness are paralyzed by prayer. By intercessory prayer we can hold off Satan from other lives and give the Holy Spirit a chance with them. What happens when a saint prays is that the Paraclete’s [The Holy Spirit’s] almighty power is brought to bear on the one for whom the saint is praying.”
— Oswald Chambers
Simply trusting...
Pastor Kerry Willis
Monday, February 1, 2021
The Song of Safety
"So now I’ll lie down and sleep like a baby-- then I’ll awake in safety, for you surround me with your glory. Even though dark powers prowl around me, I won’t be afraid." Psalms 3:5-6 [TPT]
Lord, teach me to believe wholeheartedly that being afraid in Your Presence is unnessary. Amen.
Simply trusting...
Pastor Kerry Willis
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