This morning i sent this text to my two younger preacher brothers:
"Seems i heard the Lord tenderly speaking over our family this morning ‘Well done.’ His presence is our essence. His desire is our delight. One day our scattered family will be gathered around His Throne. Love you both."
Also, this song that especially touches me during this sacred season that leads us up to remembering our Lord’s Passion came clearly to my mind:
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Lord Jesus, as i look at Your life and work on planet earth, it seems to me it was all prayer. Your ministry, Your agony, Your death -- all prayer. Your dependence on the Father, the way You trusted Him totally, the way You received, the way You surrendered all, it was all prayer.
Lord, i want my life to be like Yours, all prayer. Help me to delight in waiting on You, believing totally that i will receive all i need from You. Whatever i ask, i will ask it all in Your Name, Jesus. [John 14:13-14] Lord, i want to live as You lived -- praying always. Amen.
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
As promised earlier in 2022, i am launching now a new monthly podcast at the end of each month beginning with Episode 1 [Link Below] for the end of March 2022. Each episode should be at or about 1/2 hour in length.
As i prayerfully desire to stay in the Jesus-conversation as a district servant, i invite you to join me and to share the link with others as we journey onward together along the highway of holiness.
https://anchor.fm/anopendoorpodcast/episodes/An-Open-Door-Podcast-episode-1-e1gb99b
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
District Servant
If you have ever questioned suffering in the life of believers, this message link by my dear friend, Dr. Brian Charette, will surely be a tender touch on your soul.
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
i love the sound of the cello. This link is heart-wrenching, yet "beautifully broken" may describe how it makes me feel as i look and listen to this Ukrainian cellist play in the war-torn streets of his homeland with Hope in his heart to rebuild.
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
This morning from about 5 AM till 6 AM i spent a tender hour, yes a sweet hour in praise, worship, and prayer. i invite you to experience what i did by clicking this link below. It is one hour of Don Moen leading praise, worship, and prayer songs. It will not be a wasted hour of your life, i promise. Invite and enjoy the presence of the Lord
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
i told my dear brother, Billy Joe, yesterday, “Sometimes the biggest the decision i make all day is getting up in the morning.” If you don’t understand talk like that, it’s okay. Some will.
This song below helped me this morning. Dearest my Lord Jesus, surely your Presence matters most!
* And thanks, Don Moen (Praise & Worship Leader.)
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Jesus, the only Son of God, spoke these words about Himself in John 14:6… “ I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
When asked, “What does it mean to come to the Father?” Martin Luther gave this answer:
“It means nothing else but to come from death to life, from sin and condemnation to innocence and godliness, from distress and sorrow to eternal joy and blessedness.”
Basically, Jesus said, “There is no other way that we can come to the Father!” He alone is The Way — our Way back to the blessedness of the Father’s Holy Presence.
And here is more good news, because Jesus is The Way, our desperate search is over. For while we have no other way back to the the Father and His favor, we also need no other way. Jesus is our True Way back to Life everlasting. All other routes are only dead ends.
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Today, i have been worshipping my God Who is Awesome and all-the-while this uplifting song has been playing loudly on a loop nonstop to prompt my praise.
You’re welcome.
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Lately, Lord, it seems you are whispering to me almost nonstop these two words: "Trust Me."And just now it seems i am understanding that two other words are also essential: "Trust Now."
Lord, i prefer trusting You in life over worrying myself to death. Perhaps worrying is only natural, nevertheless, please help me to live supernaturally by Trusting You and Trusting Now.
It seems i am learning that if i refuse to worry about the future, i immediately find your resources for the present to be more than enough. The songwriter surely had it right when these words were written: "‘Tis so sweet to Trust in Jesus, just take take Him at His Word."
Lord, I want to be found Trusting You totally, and taking You at Your Word, always, yes, and beginning again this very moment by Trusting You Now. Amen.
This link is helping me even right now:
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Sometimes my joy-description as a district servant calls for me to be on the road alone for long stretches at a time. It’s all good. No sad stories here.
Today is one of those days. Mid-journey my mom, Lady Melba, called my phone. Our conversation started something like this:
me: Hello, Lady Melba.
Mom: Kerry, are you on the road?
me: Yes, ma’am. Just Jesus and me.
Lady Melba: I know about that. (Then immediately she started singing with gladness this song:)
With gladness, for sure.
Pastor Kerry Willis
In my Scripture saturation time this morning, several passages penetrated my being from various directions. Finally, i am pondering these words from Revelation 13…
“If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is destined for captivity, he will go into captivity; if anyone kills with a sword, he must be killed with a sword. Here is [the call for] the patient endurance and the faithfulness of the saints [which is seen in the response of God’s people to difficult times].” Revelation 13:9-10 AMP
These days seem to be overflowing with hard times that could surely be related to end times. Nevertheless, i am comforted in knowing that my part is to patiently endure and to remain faithful. And because Jesus is present, i am not alone in performing this…
“For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.”Philippians 2:13 AMP
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
This link should lead you to my latest Lenten season remembrance from days gone by…
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12J0fUEz1t3fpCjpSjYEqLPvqm81_2oqMwnSjguk_afQ/edit?usp=sharing
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
This song has surely been carrying my heart the past two days. Tender tears come as I listen each time…
Woth gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
There is only one Name we can speak to find peace in our lives.
What i am about to invite you to do will sound too simple to be true, yet, i know it works for me.
Ready? Inhale. Exhale.
Now…
…For peace whisper: “i trust You Jesus.”
…….
‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus. ‘Tis surely sweet peace to trust in Jesus.
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Tonight, on a phone call, my Mom, Lady Melba, beautifully broke out in this hallowed Fanny Crosby hymn…
All the way my Savior leads me;
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my Guide?
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well,
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.
2
All the way my Savior leads me,
Cheers each winding path I tread,
Gives me grace for every trial,
Feeds me with the living bread.
Though my weary steps may falter,
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! a spring of joy I see,
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! a spring of joy I see.
3
All the way my Savior leads me;
Oh, the fullness of His grace!
Perfect rest to me is promised
In my Father’s blest embrace.
When my spirit, clothed immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day,
This my song through endless ages:
Jesus led me all the way,
This my song through endless ages:
Jesus led me all the way.
With gladness,
Pastor Kerry Willis
This link leads to my latest Lenten season writing…
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LYtalBU5pkbPe_9IV0KIp7MEI7QNgjaFi8dLcl-f6gc/edit?usp=sharing
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
“The whole idea of prevenient grace means God came and keeps coming after us. God promised to come after us. God has committed Himself to get through to us on our level.
Remember Moses? In the Old Testament, Moses was a wilderness shepherd and God knew how to get through to him. He spoke to Moses on his level through a burning bush.
Surely, the ultimate proof that God took responsibility to meet us on our turf was when Jesus came down to our level. ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…’ Why? To make sure we knew we were invited to be intertwined in intimacy with Himself.
And the Spirit of Truth was sent and is now here to make sure we don’t miss out on that invitation of intimacy with God unless we want to miss out on it.” Stephen Manley -kww remix
“So, it’s not that we don’t know what God wants, it’s that we don’t want what God wants.” -kww
My prayer is “Deo Volente — whatever you want, God. Amen.”
With Gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
As we make our way through this season of Lent, let us consider these words spoken by Jesus Himself about Himself…
"The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28 [NRSV]
So awesome and beautiful was His love for us that He really surrendered His life for us and why? To serve us Life everlasting.
Will we now not remember the One Who came to serve us life by surrendering His life?
Makes me want to pray and live this old hymn of the church as Jesus looks on knowing that His sacrifice has engaged my gratitude…
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Last night in revival listening to Dr. Stephen Manley preach on Pentecost, i prayed, "My Lord, be maginifed in my eyesight!"
This song was on my mind all-the-while and still even this morning…
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
My preferred passage for the launching of Lent:
“Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Jesus to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem…” Luke 9:51 NKJV
All in.
Pastor Kerry Willis
For three days now this sacred song has been in my mind on an unending loop providing an atmosphere of peace for my prayer-filled thoughts.
Especially, as my heart hurts and my soul weeps for those in war-torn Ukraine, i sense new strength in these passionate lyrics.
Amen. Amen. Amen.
Pastor Kerry Willis
This is the prayer i prayed for my partners in ministry, today, and now i pray it over us all…
Dearest our loving and faithful Abba Father, in the Wonderful Name of Jesus, i pray for all of us…
Be our gladness and strength, today. We want our moment-by-moment lives to bring You deep delight.
We ask that The Precious Holy Spirit would overflow from within us for Your holy purposes and for the spiritual encouragement of all others we know and encounter.
Meet also our needs according to Your eternal glorious riches. In our lives Lord, be glorified, be magnified, and be satisfied. Amen.
Pastor Kerry Willis
This morning during my quiet time of scripture saturation, i was tenderly struck by an image recorded in John 13…
…Jesus is seen displaying such love and amazing humility as He, the Wonderful One with beautiful feet, kneels to wash the dirty feet of His betrayer, Judas Iscariot.
Even though Judas would go on to His own destruction voluntarily, our Lord continued to counsel him with kindness to the very end in hopes that he would choose to repent and be forgiven. Such love, indeed…
Speechless…
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.” Ephesians 1:3 NLT
Help me, Lord Jesus, to receive “every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly realms” that is mine in You, now and always. Amen. -kww
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
