“Lord we bask in Your Presence and You have promised to abide in us as we abide in You. Lord, Your mercies are great. We take up faith that will change our lives if we will just live in faith. Let it be said of us ‘we have believed Your message.’ Amen.” -Pastor Mark Justice, prayer from our Monthly Philadelphia Nazarene District Prayer Zoom
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
i pray you will be blessed by Episode 6 of "An Open Door" Podcast. The architect of our "Hearts Aflame Discipleship Journeys" to the Holy Land, Steve Thigpen, joined me in a joyful conversation.
https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/KD0qC4WEOsb
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.” —Jesus, Luke 7:35 [NLT, 1996 edition]
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
This morning these words spoken by Jesus Himself, so touch my soul…
“God blesses those who weep now, for the time will come when you will laugh with joy.” Luke 6:21b [NLT, 1996 edition]
“Stop criticizing others, or it will all come back on you.” Luke 6:37b [NLT, 1996 edition].
Lord, Your mercy towards us is so great.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Jesus knows all about our challenges and He is present to give us victory.
Jesus knows all about our confusions and He is present to give us peace.
Jesus knows all about our concerns and He present to give us answers.
Jesus wants to be our Victory, our Peace, and our Answer.
Amen and Amen and Amen.
Pastor Kerry Willis
This old gospel song came into my mind and out of my lips early this morning. i must’ve heard it first in the early 1970s. Touches me still today, deeply.
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Note: This morning in my quiet time before the Lord, i sent this prayer-message to our district leadership team. Later, i sensed i should share it also with my blog readers. i hope it blesses you, personally.
Dearest Philadelphia Nazarene DAB and District Staff:
Blessed to be back "on the grid" so to speak after some days of summer getaway.
This morning as i prayed fervently within my deepest being, i sensed the Lord had the posture of this Old Testament verse of Scripture towards you, so i send it and say it and pray it over each of you even now:
Zephaniah 3:17: "The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." Amen and Amen and Amen.
Thanks also for your continued prayers over Kim and me.
And let us all be…
1. Urgent for Relational Holiness,
2. Fervent in Real Prayer, and
3. All-Out for Lost Souls. Amen.
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
My heart is mightily moved in the moment, yes, mysteriously, yet marvelously, as i ponder these words written down in God’s Word:
Luke 2:21 [NLT] -- "Eight days later (after the Christchild was born) when the baby was circumcised, He was named Jesus, the Name given Him by the angel EVEN BEFORE HE WAS CONCEIVED!" [See also Matthew 1:21]
Let us ponder still the beauty of the conception and birth and the life of The Bethlehem Boy Whom Heaven named Jesus long before He was ever delivered by His mother, Mary, on planet earth.
Says a lot to me about when life begins.
Pastor Kerry Willis
In Luke 2, verses 78-79 [NLT], my heart finds hope-filled warmth in the words of Zechariah’s benediction spoken after the birth of his son, John the Baptist, who would be the forerunner of Jesus, Son of God and Savior of the World…
“Because of God’s tender mercy, the light from Heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
“And they sang in a mighty chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered— to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.” And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: “Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.”Revelation 5:12-14 NLT
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
This sacred prayer song is suddenly helping me to worship You aright, right now, Dearest Lord. Amen.
https://youtu.be/aWLrenhd-SIWith gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
If you want to minister to your pastor, help to rid him/her of false guilt by affirming them in their service to the Lord and the church. The enemy relentlessly attacks those called of God to be anxious even defeated when it comes to effectively meeting the often unrealistic expectations and daily demands of church leadership. Sometimes the expectations are even self-inflicted. Ministers after all are human.
We also depend on the fervent prayers prayed for us by God’s people, in Jesus’ Name.
Most pastors really do desire to serve with gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
My prayer so very often is: "Lord, i am so very dependent on You." Confession is good for the soul. At least i testify that confession is good for my soul.
Jesus said we are dependent on Him. John 15:5 -- "Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing."
Jesus, it does my soul good to confess what You already know: "Apart from You i can do nothing" and apart from You i don’t want to attempt anything. i declare i am so very dependent on You. Amen.
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Lately, i seem to be praying deep within for the most part of my prayer life. i have several friends who are really in battles right now and i fervently plead the Blood of Jesus over them especially in the moment.
i have asked the Lord to find me praying always. i believe such a lifestyle of onhoingninterfession honors Him, helps others and enlarges hope within me, too.
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Lord, my desire is that You would find me faithful, with a servant’s heart, a passionate love, always trusting, praying all the time, hungry for holiness, and ever-growing in the mind of Christ. Amen.
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
💠"Self-absorbed leaders seek to create problems so they can feel needed. Why would we wakeup sleeping babies? Seasons of sleep usually enhance health. Stirring the pot is most often unwise. Waiting for God to move next is truly worship." -kww
"With our God, when nothing’s happening, something’s happening." -Rueben Welch
Deo Volente -- as God Wills.
Pastor Kerry Willis
“The Lord alone is our radiant hope and we trust in him with all our hearts. His wraparound presence will strengthen us. As we trust, we rejoice with an uncontained joy flowing from Yahweh! Let your love and steadfast kindness overshadow us continually, for we trust and we wait upon you!” Psalms 33:20-22 TPT
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
The lyric of this 1882 church hymn penned by Pricilla J. Owens, is really helping me, today…
"We Have An Anchor"
Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?
Refrain:
We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.
It is safely moored, ’twill the storm withstand,
For ’tis well secured by the Savior’s hand;
And the cables, passed from His heart to mine,
Can defy that blast, through strength divine.
It will surely hold in the straits of fear,
When the breakers have told that the reef is near;
Though the tempest rave and the wild winds blow,
Not an angry wave shall our bark o’erflow.
It will firmly hold in the floods of death,
When the waters cold chill our latest breath;
On the rising tide it can never fail,
While our hopes abide within the Veil.
When our eyes behold through the gath’ring night
The city of gold, our harbor bright,
We shall anchor fast by the heav’nly shore,
With the storms all past forevermore.
With gladness,
Pastor Kerry Willis
“You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill can’t be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on top of a lampstand, and it shines on all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven.”
Words of Jesus, Matthew 5:14-16 CEB
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
