"Jesus came, in part, to transform our rightness, yes, our good morals, into what God requires, His true righteousness, yes, God’s holiness." -kww
"Jesus loved moral beauty but He never said it would do." -Oswald Chambers
*See Mark 10:17-31 - Jesus said to the rich, young, moral ruler: "…one thing you lack..."
Deo Volente -- whatever God wants.
Pastor Kerry Willis
“i do believe entire sanctification requires a crisis moment of faith for purity to happen and then surely must continue as a holy journey of maturity.” -kww
Galatians 2:20 is on my heart, today: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Also, Acts 15:8 NIV — “He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.”
Deo Volente — as God desires.
Pastor Kerry Willis
54 years ago tonight by faith and in full surrender the Lord entirely sanctified my mom, Lady Melba, in the choir of the Free Grace Church on The Old Ferry Dock Road. i was just 7-years-old. It changed her life, my life, and the life of our family and countless others. Tonight, she stood and testified at that same location. She told the people, "i want you to know there is a second work of Grace!" Call it old-fashioned but it’s still good enough for Mom and me. All praise to Jesus. Amen.
Love anticipating.
Pastor Kerry Willis
For what it’s worth: After being a preacher of the Good News for some 30 years now, i sometimes hear of precious people i have ministered God’s Word to in the past who have taken a detour in their lives and have fallen away from the Highway of Holiness.
In times like these, words written by the Apostle Paul tenderly speak to and through my prayer-saturated heart and mind:
"i am trusting the Lord to bring you back to believing as i (still) do… (Amen!)" Galatians 5:10 [NLT, 1996 Edition]
Lord have mercy.
Pastor Kerry Willis
i wrote this one year ago on January 27, 2022…
THIS IS UNDENIABLY DEEP WATER, DEAR FRIENDS! -kww
SHARE THE WORD -- In the Gospel accounts of the Life of Jesus of Nazareth, the contrast between Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial is often contrasted. One of the blatantly obvious differences to me between the two disciples’ stories is deeply discovered in the way each responded after the fact of their act of disloyalty had happened. The only similarities are these: They both "broke the heart of Jesus" and they both "went out".
1. After betraying Jesus, Judas "went out" and hanged himself. [Matthew 27:5] So sad. So terrible. Yet, he "went out" from the Lord’s presence and chose to react in a way that would prevent him from having to face Jesus ever again.
2. After denying Jesus, Peter "went out" and "broke down and wept." [Mark 14:72b NLT] This is a much different response. Still sad. Yet so tender.
The Greek for "broke down" has a very powerful meaning. In reality it might be rendered this way: "Peter went out and threw himself down on the ground and wept agonizing tears as his heart broke in regretful repentance" as he realized what He had done in denying that he even knew His Lord."
Yes, Peter "went out" from the Lord’s presence, yet he desperately desired to see Christ again and to find mercy, forgiveness, restoration and a new beginning. [And in John 21 it happened.]
So, in the end, Judas "went out" and took things into his own hands, while Peter "went out" and waited to fall into the hands of His merciful Master. Sound familiar? It is. Here are the words of David recorded in 1 Chronicles 21:13 when he had displeased God: "I’m in a desperate situation!" David replied to Gad. "But let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercy is very great. Do not let me fall into human hands."
Peter responded to his denial by saying: "I don’t want to fall into human hands, not even my own human hands. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord!"
This is undeniably Deep water, dear friends. -kww
Lord have mercy.
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Jesus, Christ is made unto us sanctification, that is, He is the holy nature which we receive.” -Oswald Chambers
“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” I Corinthians 1:30-31 NKJV
Deo Volente— as God desires.
Pastor Kerry Willis
“The fact that Jesus said to Nicodemus, ‘You must be born again,’ proves that something has gone desperately wrong with the human race.” -kww [John 3]
Deo Volente — as God desires.
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Lord, give to us Your Holy-Spiritual balance for life even moment-by moment. Help us to prevent the busy rush of temporal, earthly things from obscuring our essential, eternal concentration on You. Amen.” -kww
“Let is fix our eyes on Jesus…” Hebrews 12:2a
Live anticipating!
Pastor Kerry Willis
"If parents walk away from The Truth to support their children in their sinning, what happens when the children discover they’ve been deceived? Where and how and to whom are they to return? So glad the Prodigal Son’s Loving Father held his ground. It gave his wayward son a way, a place, and a face to return to for reconciliation with his family and with God. Let us keep the faith. Our loved ones just might be depending on it up ahead." -kww
Deo Volente -- as God wills.
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Sins can be forgiven because they are acts against God, nevertheless, Sin cannot be forgiven. Sin is not about wrong deeds or acts, Sin is about a wrong disposition or attitude. Sin, itself, must be purified by God’s amazing grace. Sin is self-centered ego and cannot be forgiven, only cleansed. The essence of Sin is best understood as me holding onto the ownership of my own life. If Sin is to go, i must surrender my life entirely to Holy God, and by faith believe that as i willingly give up my heredity, He will wondrously give to me His Holiness. -kww
"My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20 NLT
"Unless we deny ourselves, we will never become disciples of Jesus." -kww
"Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it." Matthew 16:24-25 NIV
Chambers says "giving up our right to rule our lives (surrendering self-centered ego) over to Jesus is where true discipleship takes hold."
P.S. Self-centered ego is the old man that must be crucified. Paul talks about this. Turning from sins, the acts, is much easier than handing over the mastery of our lives to Jesus. Sin is two-fold -- wrongful deeds are forgiven while the wrongful disposition must die… be cleansed.
Deo Volente -- as God desires.
Pastor Kerry Willis
“The only thing on my bucket-list is that i make it to Heaven along with my whole family.” -Lady Melba
Make Heaven.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Who’s *slave will i/you be?
1. "Jesus replied, "i tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a *slave of sin." John 8:34 NLT
2. "This letter is from Paul, a *slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach His Good News." Romans 1:1 NLT
* The term "slave" speaks to "who or what we exclusively belong to."
i share a theme song of my soul with you…
Live Anticipating!
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Sometimes when i pray things get worse, but i keep praying and the Lord is always faithful to reward.” -Lady Melba
Love Anticipating!
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Sin is wrong being, deliberate and emphatic independence of God. Sin is mutiny against God’s rule. Sin goes beyond vileness of conduct and is red-handed anarchy." -Oswald Chambers
"Your Holiness is what i desire and what i need, Lord. Amen." -kww
Deo Volente -- as God wills.
Pastor Kerry Willis
“To deny that there is a heredity of Sin running straight through the human race, aims a blasphemous blow at the Redemption. The enormity of Sin in seen at Calvary.” -Oswald Chambers
Deo Volente. As God wills.
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Righteousness is to be rightly related to God. Sinfulness is to be wrongly related to God. Choose.” -kww
Deo Volente.
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Lord, forbid if our lack of believing — that Jesus can truly transform anyone — stands as the main barrier to souls being saved on our watch." -kww
Deo Volente.
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Human rejection of God is what leads to eternal separation from God. This rejection-induced separation location is known as Hell." -kww
P.S. [Please accept and don’t reject God. Please minimize future regrets. Yes, an invitation. Not intimidation.]
Turn from sin and turn to Him. Please.
Pastor Kerry Willis
"The devil does not oppose people living a good, moral, religious life; he only opposes The Life lived according to God’s only desire and God’s holy design, that is, The Life lived by, through, and in a right relationship with His Only Son, Jesus Christ." -kww
Lord, have mercy.
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Lest we be deceived by the devil, let us not excuse sin while claiming to love God. To claim to love God while also condoning sin makes us out to be liars. And we know what God’s Word says about liars..." -kww
"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." Revelation 21:8 NKJV
"i am deeply burdened as i watch how the devil is deceiving even professing God-lovers to love sin along with loving God. Lord, forbid that we should love the works of the devil while claiming to be truly devoted worshipers of Holy God. Amen." -kww
P.S. My Prayer for myself in the midst of a deceived world: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting." Psalms 139:23-24 NKJV [Amen. Again! -kww!]
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Holiness, at its very essence, means that Jesus Christ takes my old sinful heredity and gives me His own holy heredity and the great exchange is now expressed through my story for His glory." -kww
"For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." 2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT
Live Anticipating!
Pastor Kerry Willis
Been diving deep for teaching i will be entrusted with this week.
The most invigorating thought i have had so far is this…
"Prayer is positive proof that God’s not dead to us and that we’re not dead to God. Yes, prayer is a leading indicator of holy spiritual life." -kww
Let’s… LIVE ANTICIPATING!
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Jesus is the Lord of tomorrow as much as He is the Lord of today and the Lord of yesterday. Why would we choose to journey alone?” - Dr. Dennis Kinlaw, remix
Live Anticipating.
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Lord, because i know i belong to You, THE GREAT I AM, i now know forever and today “Whose i am” and suddenly the “who am i” question is no longer relevant. Blessed to be Exclusively Yours! Amen!” -kww
Live anticipating.
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Lord, we are all wired delightfully, yet, differently, yes, we are all fearfully and wonderfully and uniquely designed by You. With this in mind, we desperately need Your Holy Spirit to counsel us in choosing a sustainable pace for living our individual lives so that we might endure to the end of the race set before us. Surely, You will help us in these essential matters. Amen." -kww
Deo Volente.
Pastor Kerry Willis
These two words are very powerful and have proven to change the trajectory of my life for forever and day-by-day: “YES, JESUS!”
I have learned that to stay strong in life is to stay surrendered to Jesus.
Live Anticipating!
Pastor Kerry Willis
