The Leftovers of the Kingdom…

“The leftovers of the kingdom are better than the very best of sin.” — Dr. Stephen Manley

With gladness. 

Pastor Kerry Willis 

The 33 A.D. Church, Today.

“The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers. A sense of awe came over everyone. God performed many wonders and signs through the apostles. All the believers were united and shared everything. They would sell pieces of property and possessions and distribute the proceeds to everyone who needed them. Every day, they met together in the temple and ate in their homes. They shared food with gladness and simplicity. They praised God and demonstrated God’s goodness to everyone. The Lord added daily to the community those who were being saved.” Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭2:42-47‬ ‭CEB‬‬

At Campmeeting this week, i am experiencing many elements mentioned in this passage — yes, seems akin to the 33 A.D. Church, today.

With gladness.

Pastor Kerry Willis 

James 4:4 [Who Are We Friends With?]

“You unfaithful people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world's friend becomes God's enemy.” James‬ ‭4:4‬ ‭CEB

i want to be your faithful friend, God. 

Pastor Kerry  Willis ‬‬

June 2022 Episode 4, "An Open Door" Podcast

Here’s the June 2022 Episode 4 of "An Open Door" Podcast. This recording is a sacred conversation i had with my Mom, Lady Melba, several years back in 2017 sitting at the kitchen table in our family home-place on Harkers Island, North Carolina.

https://anchor.fm/anopendoorpodcast/episodes/An-Open-Door-Podcast-episode-4-e1ke8kc

With gladness.

Pastor Kerry Willis 

Questions About What God Cares About

Knowing we will one day stand before Almighty God as our Eternal Judge, if we were all Supreme Court Justices, how would we vote on some of the delicate issues they must choose sides on? It’s a sobering question to me at least. Which leads my mind to consider another similar question: Who among us cares about what Almighty God cares about anymore?

Prayerfully…

Pastor Kerry Willis 

Humble Repentance

"It’s not too late to do the right thing. Our humble repentance always moves the heart of Almighty God." -kww

i am humbly and deeply praying, even now, for all of us who claim to belong exclusively to Holy God. i am also specifically interceding for the Supreme Court Justices who seem to realize with renewed conviction and courage that our country’s collective conscience has been looking the other way for far too long. Lord, hear our confessions, forgive us our trespasses against You as we forgive those who have trespassed against us, and begin to bring Your healing to our lives and to our land. Let the desires of Your heart, Dearest Lord, find renewed devotion within us and do not take Your Holy Presence from us. In the Name of Jesus, i fervently pray. Amen. -kww

Deo Volente -- as God wills.

Pastor Kerry Willis 

Step-By-Step And Home

Have had these good ol’ Rich Mullins’ songs of worship on repeat all morning… 

https://youtu.be/y-b7TQMoZsM

https://youtu.be/7qdg00fKeTQ

With gladness.

Pastor Kerry Willis 

"The Refiner’s Fire"

i will forever recall the first week of August, 1987. It was that season of my life when i raised the white flag of full surrender to King Jesus and He instantaneously purified my heart by faith. 

Coinciding with those sacred moments was me declaring my "Yes" to His desires that i would spend the rest of my earthly life in full-time service of His ministry and mission. 

This song was the accent of my allegiance to The Almighty. These lyrics from those sacred days of sanctification remain inseparable with my devotion these days. -kww

https://youtu.be/uZtgJKJCqXM

With gladness. 

Pastor Kerry Willis 

"Maybe It’s Time to Change Worlds?"

i remember a talk with my Granny Margery back in the mid-1970s. i told her the world was changing and not for the better. i told her she needed to be more careful with the characters she encountered and to begin locking the doors of her house when she was alone. She thought for a moment and then said tenderly, "So, the world’s a’changing, and not for the better. Well then, Kerry, maybe it’s time for me to change worlds?"

In 2022, i cannot get past her eternal perspective response. So glad Granny’s been with Jesus for quite a while now, as my own heart cries out presently, "Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus, Come!" -kww 

"For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21

This old Gospel song comes to mind: https://youtu.be/6NCdEF47kdk

Maranatha, indeed! Yet, Deo Volente.

Pastor Kerry Willis 

Sin No More?

Q: Would Jesus tell us “to go and sin no more” if it was impossible not to sin anymore?

Q: Did Jesus live a sinless life?

Q: What’s possible for us — when it comes to not sinning anymore — if we let Jesus Himself be The Master of our lives — The Supreme Controller of our lives?

Q: When we are tempted to sin, could it be that Jesus Himself — living in us — is our Way out of sinning.

-kww

#ThereIsGoodNewsInTheAnswersToThoseQuestions

With gladness.

Pastor Kerry Willis 

Real Relational Holiness

Authentic holiness is anchored in relationships of love, as Jesus said: 

"…and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul (life), and with all your mind (thought, understanding), and with all your strength.’ This is the second: ‘You shall [unselfishly] love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark‬ ‭12:30-31‬ ‭AMP‬‬

This is what is meant by "real relational holiness." -kww

With gladness.

Pastor Kerry Willis 

Let’s Share and Pray God’s Word

LET’S SHARE AND PRAY GOD’S WORD

[A dear pastor friend prayed this passage over me this morning.]

“[I always pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight] into the true knowledge of Him [for we know the Father through the Son]. And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God’s people),” Ephesians‬ ‭1:17-18‬ ‭AMP

GRATEFUL.

Pastor Kerry Willis 

Most High

This song causes my soul to worship my Most High God…

https://youtu.be/MKYCxqH4Q-4

With gladness. 

Pastor Kerry Willis 

Thank You Prayer by Ken Gire

Dearest Father God: “Thank you for the autumns in my life that have humbled me with their losses. For the winters that have strengthened me with their cold. For the springs that have renewed me with their sap. And for the summers that have given me an opportunity to share the fruit you have cultivated in my life. Amen.”

Excerpt From Moments with the Savior by Ken Gire

With gladness.

Pastor Kerry Willis 

Simply Present

“Too often, as carriers of the presence of the Lord, we give too little credit to the inspiring idea of just showing up, yes, of being simply present.” -kww #presencemattersmost

“Christ in you, the Hope of Glory…” Colossians 1:27b (NIV) 

With gladness.

Pastor Kerry Willis 

7 Verbs from God’s Voice

These 7 verbs from God’s Voice recorded in 2 Chronicles 7:14 are embedded in my being…

1. HUMBLE

2. PRAY

3. SEEK

4. TURN

5. HEAR

6. FORGIVE

7. HEAL

Deo Volente — as God wills.

Pastor Kerry Willis 

Let’s Not Invite Idolatry Into Our Hearts!

“Loving God and loving people is not synonymous with celebrating pride and celebrating sin. Not even close. To believe otherwise is to deny deep deception in our belief systems and to invite idolatry into our hearts. So my heart cries out in deep and tear-filled conviction: Lord forbid, that i would have any desire to support — in any way — anything that would even come close to causing You, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to still feel the nails of The Cross. Amen.” -kww

[Tenderly and prayerfully written. Truthfully and carefully stated.]

Lord have mercy. 

Pastor Kerry Willis 

"I Am Resolved!"

Today, i sent this text to my some prayer friends and sensed i should share it also on my blog to bless others today as well. Claim it as your own. 

"This morning i awoke with a sacred memory on my mind of when i was a young boy at the Free Grace Wesleyan Church Chapel on the Old Ferry Dock Road of the island i was raised on. It seems i could hear the congregation singing this song. i pray it is a blessing to each of you, for as i listened to it i prayed for each of you specifically. You are loved. pk"

https://youtu.be/_CJBmu7SguU

With gladness.

Pastor Kerry Willis 

Discipleship Defined In My Words

Someone asked me to define discipleship in my words. This was my answer… 

“Discipleship in its most basic definition may well be best understood like this: As we go through life we teach others the Word of God, especially the Good News of Jesus, so that they might know The Way of Eternal Life by choosing to obey everything Jesus had to say. For me, discipleship is more caught than taught. So, to live as a devoted disciple best helps others to learn and to love the Jesus life for themselves.”

With gladness.

Pastor Kerry Willis 

Depressed? We Are Not Home Yet!

"Living in a fallen world after finding Jesus can sometimes bring on bouts of temporary discouragement. i call it ‘being homesick for Heaven’ where everything will finally be right and righteous for forevermore in His Presence.” -kww

#wearenotHomeyet #citizenofHeaven

Keep trusting.

Pastor Kerry Willis 

“We Expected to Die!”

“We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.” 

Testimony from The Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians‬ ‭1:8-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Just trust!

Pastor Kerry Willis 

Death. Life.

“He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭3:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Thinking about Pentecost. 

Pastor Kerry Willis 

Pentecost Inspiration

With Pentecost Sunday just ahead, this verse is inspiring my soul… 

“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says the Lord, “I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” Jeremiah‬ ‭31:33‬ ‭AMP‬‬

With gladness! 

Pastor Kerry Willis 

Truth for Today

The lyrics of this song are so true and have never been more true that during these days we live in. -kww

https://youtu.be/uGfiKwgsoOc

Let us pray. 

Pastor Kerry Willis 

The Beauty of Holiness

Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth." Psalms‬ ‭96:9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

https://youtu.be/CWZi3ImzArM

So be it!

Pastor Kerry Willis