“Christmas put into motion the ultimate gift exchange — God gave His Son to us and we give our sin to Him.” -kww
And then it just gets “more gooder” for us:
2 Cor. 5:21 -- TLB " For God took the sinless Christ and poured into Him our sins. Then, in exchange He poured God's goodness into us."
“Fully Surrendered to God’s Agenda!”
Pastor Kerry Willis
Precious Holy Spirit, i seek You and Your everlasting embrace in everything at all times. i seek Your care, Your counsel, and Your comfort. Apart from You reigning in my life, even, as my Life, all Hope would be lost of spiritual success in this world and beyond. You are my Holy Hope in Christ Jesus. So, i pray…
"Come Holy Spirit, i need Thee.
Come Sweet Spirit, i pray.
Come in Thy strength and Thy power.
Come in Thine own gentle way." Amen.
https://youtu.be/6t_VM4tMLoU?si=EHpHLyaNkJxmhA85
"Fully Surrendered to God’s Agenda!"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Lord, you keep those people safe who continue to trust in you. You give them peace in their minds, because they believe in you.” Isaiah 26:3 EASY
“Fully Surrendered to God’s Agenda!”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Praying means being constantly ready to let go of your certainty and move on further than where you are now.” Henri Nouwen
“Fully Surrendered to God’s Agenda!”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:5-11 NKJV
"Fully Surrendered to God’s Agenda!"
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Advent leads to a growing inner stillness and deep joy allowing me to realize that The Wonderful One for whom i am waiting has already come and will surely come again." -kww
"Fully Surrendered to God’s Agenda!"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:4-9 NIV
“Fully Surrendered to God’s Agenda!”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“The Lord’s home reaches up to the heavens, while its foundation is on the earth. He draws up water from the oceans and pours it down as rain on the land. The Lord is His name!” Amos 9:6 NLT
“Surrendered Fully to God’s Agenda!”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"To yearn for God is to learn that God also yearns for us." -kww
Fully Surrendered to God’s Agenda!
Pastor Kerry Willis
Abba Father, Hallowed be Thy Name. Please use these holy days of Advent to extinguish the exhaustion of Your people everywhere. Be our continued Victor in all spiritual * warfare. You alone are our omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent Overseer. Make us to be glorious overcomers for Your glory. Remind us that the Battle really belongs to You.
Help us to trust You, totally, and to be Your witnesses to Your world. In Your Wonderful Name, we will continue to pray without ceasing. Amen. -kww
Fully Surrendered to God’s Agenda!
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Pilate said. “Don’t You realize I have power either to free You or to crucify You?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over Me if it were not given to you from above.” John 19:10b-11a NIV
Fully Surrendered to God’s Agenda!
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually alive with life-joy in God’s goodness] are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil things against you because of [your association with] Me. Be glad and exceedingly joyful, for your reward in heaven is great [absolutely inexhaustible]; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. [2 Chr 36:16]" Words of Jesus, Matthew 5:11-12 AMP
Fully Surrendered to God’s Agenda!
Pastor Kerry Willis
i shared this vulnerable prayer request with some of my family members, today:
My prayer is that a complete healing of my mind is underway, in that, i want and need His thoughts to overtake my own thoughts completely until the mind of Christ is fully my thought process. i want to be poor in Spirit continuously. Pray with me and for me. Grateful.
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
Could it be that during this Advent Season, God wants us to do something -- not just for others but for ourselves as well -- like receiving the rest He offers to us through the Gift of His Son? -kww
"Come to Me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Jesus, Matthew 11:28-29
Lord, help me to receive Your rest and to be grateful. Amen. -kww
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
"For you are recognizing [more clearly] the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [His astonishing kindness, His generosity, His gracious favor], that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich (abundantly blessed)." 2 Corinthians 8:9 AMP
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Let your gentle spirit [your graciousness, unselfishness, mercy, tolerance, and patience] be known to all people. The Lord is near." Philippians 4:5 AMP
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”” Daniel 3:16-18 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"For it is not an enemy who taunts me-- Then I could bear it; Nor is it one who has hated me who insolently exalts himself against me-- Then I could hide from him. But it is you, a man my equal and my counsel, My companion and my familiar friend; We who had sweet fellowship together, Who walked to the house of God in company." Psalms 55:12-14 AMP
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Just as it is written and forever remains written, "For Your sake we are put to death all day long; We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter." [Ps 44:22] Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]. For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced--beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:36-39 AMP
So i cry out to The Good Shepherd: "Baa! Baa! Amen!"
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
P.S. Calling out to The Good Shepherd. Surely He is with and within us. He is The Life of our Lives, The Merger of our Minds, and The Source of our Souls. Amen!
“Lord, help me to welcome all unexpected surprises and even disturbing interruptions in life, realizing such events are used by You to prepare me for Your Coming Again. Amen.”
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
Christians must exemplify the values and standards of their permanent home, Heaven. Paul reiterates that theme in Philippians 3:20, reminding the church that “our citizenship is in heaven.” We are sojourners here, ambassadors for our Father, the King (2 Corinthians 5:20).
This world is not our home. The knowledge that we are sojourners on this earth keeps us from setting our hearts on its treasures. Jesus warned us that this world’s treasures are subject to loss. Therefore, we must store up treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:19–20).
We are to hold all God gives us with open hands, knowing that any earthly gain is only temporary. Sojourners don’t put down deep roots in the places where they reside because they know they will soon move on. Likewise, Christians don’t pour their hearts and passions into things that won’t last. The wise Christian is one who lives every day with bags packed, ready to move on when God directs and eager to vacate this world when our Father calls us home. (copied)
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Too often as Christians we have been intimidated by our self-inflicted fears rather than being inspired by our God-Given Hope. And our God-Given Hope has a Name. Jesus!” -kww
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.” 2 Peter 3:8-10 NLT
“And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved.” 2 Peter 3:15a NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Love is patient…" 1 Cor. 13
"The Fruit of the Spirit is… patience." Ephesians 5
"Wait on the Lord…" Psalm 27
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
"So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God Who created you, for He will never fail you." 1 Peter 4:19 NLT
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
What an inspiring song…
https://youtu.be/eegPfUyyXko?si=DQHL1cigcPUmwBRA
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.” 1 Peter 3:8 NLT
“Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!” 1 Peter 3:13-17 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"For God is pleased when, conscious of His will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in His steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when He was insulted, nor threaten revenge when He suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly." 1 Peter 2:19-23 NLT
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
Lord, i love you above all else.
You are Pure Love. You are my Life.
i am forever overflowing with humility because of Your goodness towards me.
As i love back across the days of my life, i see Your enduring mercy and amazing grace.
Even in those seasons that i needed Your dIscipline, You did not despise me but only deepened Your devotion for me.
i live day-to-day to hear Your voice and i long for that day when Your face, my eyes will embrace.
i want You to speak Your words of life to me and through me. Upon entering Your presence, i desire to present you with an overflowing bouquet of never-dying souls that i have pointed to You over my short earthly lifetime.
During these days of uncertainty, i rejoice because i know You are still the only certainty i need.
Thanks for really proving You care by gifting me with relational prayer. Remind, me, Lord, to "pray all the time" until time gives way to forever.
Find faith in me, Jesus until You return and when You return.
Grant that i will know You more and more intimately, knowing You will return sooner or later or even immediately.
In the Name that’s high above every other name -- Jesus, The Nazarene!
Amen. Amen. And Amen!
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” James 3:6 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
This song often comes to my mind, especially so in the most difficult of spiritual seasons. Pray with me…
https://youtu.be/BtFrhgBZO-w?si=Igy-RICX1tnc2eTK
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend.” Job 16:19-21 NIV
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory [and my honor], and the One who lifts my head.” Psalms 3:3 AMP
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.” Ezekiel 18:23 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion Who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility He endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin." Hebrews 12:1-4 NLT
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.”Hebrews 10:36 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
One of my Mom’s most beautiful lines that has also become a mainstay for my own soul:
“There’s nothing between me and The Savior.”
Shalom. Shalom. Perfect Peace.
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
What joy it was this past Lord's Day to preach from Psalm 130...
"From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn. O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows. He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin." Psalms 130:1-8 NLT
Indeed, i am counting on You Lord! Amen!
Pastor Kerry Willis
A Prayer of Thomas à Kempis
Grant me, O Lord, to know what I ought to know,
to love what I ought to love,
to praise what delights thee most,
to value what is precious in thy sight,
to hate what is offensive to thee.
Do not suffer me to judge according to the sight of my eyes,
nor to pass sentence according to the hearing of the ears of ignorant men;
but to discern with a true judgment between things visible and spiritual,
and above all, always to inquire what is the good pleasure of thy will.
— Thomas à Kempis
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
Jesus, You alone know where i am, who i am, and what i need.
Jesus, You alone know i am poor in spirit, i am desperate for You, and i am depending on You.
Jesus, You alone know how to build my trust, how to help me pray, and how to enable me to wait on You.
Jesus, You alone know how strong You are, how weak i am, and how apart from You i am nothing.
Jesus, You know how to love me, how to lead me, and how to let me soar on the wings of eagles.
Jesus, You alone know that i know i am just a stranger here, a weary traveler, and truly longing to be Home with You for forever.
Shalom. Maranatha. Amen.
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“The Apostle Paul preached one thing only, the Crucified Christ, Who is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” Oswald Chambers
“Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” 1 Corinthians 1:22-25 NIV
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life." Titus 3:5-7 NLT
"Ears Wide Open…Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
In Your presence
That's where I am strong
In Your presence
O Lord my God
In Your presence
That's where I belong
Seeking Your face
Touching Your grace
In the cleft of the Rock
In Your presence O God
I want to go
Where the rivers
Cannot overflow me
Where my feet are
On the rock
I want to hide
Where the blazing
Fire cannot burn me
In Your presence O God
I want to hide
Where the flood of
Evil cannot reach me
Where I'm covered by the blood
I want to be where
The schemes of darkness
Cannot touch me
In Your presence O God
You are my firm foundation
I trust in You all day long
I am Your child
And Your servant
And You are my
Strength and my song
You're my song
Seeking Your face
Touching Your grace
In the cleft of the Rock
In Your presence O God
In Your presence
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
I'm kind of homesick for a country
To which I've never been before.
No sad goodbyes will there be spoken
For time won't matter anymore.
Beulah Land (Beulah Land) I'm longing for you (I'm longing for you)
And some day (And some day) on thee I'll stand (Someday we will stand)
There my home (There my home) shall be eternal (Eternal)
Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land
I'm looking now, just across the river
To where my faith, shall end in sight (Shall end in sight)
There's just a few more days to labor.
Then I will take my heavenly flight.
Beulah Land (Beulah Land) I'm longing for you (I'm longing for you)
And some day (And some day) on thee I'll stand (Someday we will stand)
There my home (There my home) shall be eternal
Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land
Beulah Land, oh it's Beulah Land
Oh Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land
“Ears Wide Ooen… Listening… 🎺”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.” Titus 2:12-14 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
The lyrics of this old hymn have helped me gain perspective many days and again today:
“Lead Me To Calvary”
King of my life, I crown Thee now, Thine shall the glory be; Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow, Lead me to Calvary.
Refrain:
Lest I forget Gethsemane, Lest I forget Thine agony; Lest I forget Thy love for me, Lead me to Calvary.
Show me the tomb where Thou wast laid,
Tenderly mourned and wept;
Angels in robes of light arrayed
Guarded Thee whilst Thou slept.
Let me like Mary, through the gloom,
Come with a gift to Thee;
Show to me now the empty tomb,
Lead me to Calvary.
May I be willing, Lord, to bear
Daily my cross for Thee;
Even Thy cup of grief to share,
Thou hast borne all for me.
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Jesus Christ, while on earth, taught all He had to teach. Let me say this very clearly: Pentecost added nothing to the doctrine taught by Jesus Christ or believed by the disciples. What did Pentecost do? Pentecost made the disciples what they preached. They had heard all of Jesus’ doctrines preached in the day of His flesh and had not understood a word He said. Theirs was a life of sentiment. BUT PENTECOST made them living examples of the Gospel.” Oswald Chambers
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
Lady Melba told me this old song was on her heart this morning:
“You have longed for sweet peace, And for faith to increase, And have earnestly, fervently prayed;
But you cannot have rest, Or be perfectly blest, Until all on the altar is laid.
Refrain:
Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?
Your heart does the Spirit control?
You can only be blest, And have peace and sweet rest, As you yield Him your body and soul.”
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“They will fight against you like an attacking army, but I will make you as secure as a fortified wall of bronze. They will not conquer you, for I am with you to protect and rescue you. I, the Lord, have spoken! Yes, I will certainly keep you safe from these wicked men. I will rescue you from their cruel hands." Jeremiah 15:20-21 NLT
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Lord, there is no one like You! For You are great, and Your name is full of power. Who would not fear You, O King of nations? That title belongs to You alone! Among all the wise people of the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is no one like You." Jeremiah 10:6-7 NLT
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
This morning as i was rereading a journal of my own, this prayer poem i penned on March 9, 2015, spoke deeply to me in 2024:
“Though i grow weary,
Lord, You never tire.
When my heart feels damp,
You bring Your Fire.
As i deal with this day,
i long for Someday…
When life’s cares will be done,
The final Victory… won.
Lord, be to my being,
All that i need.
My heart You are cleansing,
And from Sin i am freed.
Help me live life to please You,
And to lift high Your Name.
Til we come face-to-face,
In Your Glory and Fame. Amen.”
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“My grief is beyond healing; my heart is broken. Listen to the weeping of my people; it can be heard all across the land. “Has the Lord abandoned Jerusalem?” the people ask. “Is her King no longer there?” “Oh, why have they provoked my anger with their carved idols and their worthless foreign gods?” says the Lord. “The harvest is finished, and the summer is gone,” the people cry, “yet we are not saved!” I hurt with the hurt of my people. I mourn and am overcome with grief. Is there no medicine in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why is there no healing for the wounds of my people?” Jeremiah 8:18-22 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“When we embrace our cross, it becomes undeniable evidence to everyone that we have denied ourselves and have become one with the desires of Jesus.” -kww m
“Bearing the cross is for the sake of Christ, not ourselves.” -kww
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are My followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way." Matthew 5:11-12 NLT
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Temptation reveals our own weakness and drives us in penitence and faith to Christ. It reveals aspects of His saving help of which otherwise we would be ignorant. There is no sin in being attacked by the evil one. Our Lord Himself suffered being tempted.” F.B. Meyer
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
The Emmaus story recorded in Luke 24 intrigues and inspires me. One reality from the story is this: "My own deep grief and my own limited point of view can blind me to The Truth that Jesus is surely Present with me always."
-kww
And so i pray: “Lord forgive. Lord forbid. Amen.”
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Glory is not about credit for ourselves, but about the Presence of the Lord.” — Dear John
“So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” John 1:14 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
“Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore. Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation! And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness. Her people will be a source of joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and delight in my people. And the sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more. “No longer will babies die when only a few days old. No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life. No longer will people be considered old at one hundred! Only the cursed will die that young! In those days people will live in the houses they build and eat the fruit of their own vineyards. Unlike the past, invaders will not take their houses and confiscate their vineyards. For my people will live as long as trees, and my chosen ones will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains. They will not work in vain, and their children will not be doomed to misfortune. For they are people blessed by the Lord, and their children, too, will be blessed. I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! The wolf and the lamb will feed together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. But the snakes will eat dust. In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on my holy mountain. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Isaiah 65:17-25 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Betrayal is brutal. As Judas sat at the Last Supper with Jesus, the 30 pieces of silver were already in his pocket." -kww
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"The only safety for preachers is to face their souls not with the people, or even with their messages, but to face their souls with their Savior all the time." Oswald Chambers
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
"The doctrines of the New Testament as applied to personal life are moral doctrines, that is, they are understood by a pure heart, not by the intellect. The only way to understand the will of God is to obey from the heart, it’s a moral discernment. My spiritual character determines the revelation of God to me."
-- Oswald Chambers
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. I can assure you that he prays hard for you and also for the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.” Colossians 4:12-13 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like Me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.” Isaiah 46:9-10 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.” Colossians 1:15-20 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” Romans 8:7-11 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“In presenting Jesus Christ never present Him as a miraculous Being Who came down from heaven and worked miracles and Who was not related to life as we are; that is not the Gospel Christ. The Gospel Christ is the Being Who came down to earth and lived our life and was possessed of a frame like ours. He became Man in order to show the relationship man was to hold to God, and by His death and resurrection He can put any man into that relationship.” — Oswald Chambers
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Maintain your personal relationship with God at all costs. Never allow anything to come between your soul and God, and welcome anyone or anything that leads you to know Him better.” Oswald Chambers
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
i awoke early this morning praying these petitions over and over deep within…
“Lord… Make me a student of Your heart. Give me Oneness with Your mind. Enable me to be a partaker of Your Peace… An heir of Your Hope… and a carrier of Your Presence. Amen.” -kww
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:6-11 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Don’t be…
Clever.
Don’t be…
Controversial.
Don’t be…
Conceited.
Do be…
Careful.
Do be…
Consecrated.
Do be…
Concentrated."
- Oswald Chambers
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:19 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Use the Bible to nourish your own soul. There is no problem in human life with which the Bible does not deal. The discernment of God’s truth and the development of character go together.” Oswald Chambers
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Lord, because i have surrendered my all to You, You are now and forevermore responsible for my life. Let the reality of my existence be reckless reliance upon You. Amen.” -kww
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Jesus Christ’s Standard for us is Himself. Are we allowing His Standard to obsess us? The one Standard put before us is Our Lord Himself. We have to be saturated in this ideal in thinking, in praying, and allow nothing to blur the Standard.” Oswald Chambers
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“If we are witnesses unto Jesus, we will take everything that happens — praise or blame, persecution or commendation — as happening to Jesus.” Oswald Chambers
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
““Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” Isaiah 1:18 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
Still moves me deeply in attitude and to action…
“Ears Wide Open… Listening”
Pastor Kerry Willis
Worth 7 minutes of your day, truly.
https://youtu.be/HkNnfWiFiRA?si=Wgqrm1YIxhd6IxEa
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Today, as i read the chapter titles for a classic book by Oswald Chambers, i was so moved by the title of one of the final chapters — “God’s.”
Belonging to God is at the very heart of true Christianity. Have we given up our right to ourselves to God? Do we agree with the Holy Scriptures that tell us: “You are not your own. You were bought with a price?” (1 Corinthians 6:19)
This favorite sacred song comes to mind. Let’s pray it together and proclaim that we are His; yes, we are “God’s! Exclusively God’s!”
https://youtu.be/fU0pK85Xp9g?si=LS-gKq9nIG8lN6gv
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
My friend, Jen, wrote this devo recently. Had to share it:
A Tree Named Barbie
Jennifer Baker - September 18, 2024
In the small Connecticut town of Essex there is a nature preserve named Bushy Hill. This summer two friends, along with my husband and myself, took morning walks through the woods before the heat got too unbearable. At this hour we were the only representatives of humankind in the preserve, no other cars in the tiny roadside pull off parking, no other voices carrying on the wind to disrupt the bird’s chorus.
It truly was a road less travelled. On one particular spur, my friend happened on a peculiar tree off the beaten path. Now while I was worried about ticks and spider webs, she braved to draw closer to what caught her eye. As I shouted across the overgrowth, “Take a few pictures for me so I can see what you’re talking about,” I heard her excitement about some barbed wire. I could only imagine what she found.
Emerging from the thicket, she showed me three pictures of a tree which had a rusted barbed wire nailed into its trunk. What made her so excited was that it was so old that the tree had grown around the barbed wire. What made me so excited was that God spoke clearly to me about His lesson in this serendipitous find.
You see, long ago someone for some reason nailed something harmful and painful into the flesh of the tree and abandoned it. But the tree continued to grow. It grew taller. It became a home for birds to nest, for squirrels to store food, for moss to flourish, and for humans to benefit from its beauty and function. And all through this, the barbed wire remained.
The nail which held the cutting barbs was now weak and rusted. The bark had grown around the painful metal thorns until they were no longer visible at points. The barbed wire snaked in and out of the side of the tree. It was no longer the nail that held the thorns, but the body of the tree. The tree had grown around the wound, hiding it inside. And yet the tree continued to flourish.
Like the tree, we can have past wounds that were inflicted on us by another. Even if the injury occurred long ago, the hurt remains inside. We can heal over, and the wound can still exist inside. But it doesn’t have to stop our growing. We can still reach for the heights of treetops. We can still be a safe place for others around us. The tree’s strength came not from its height, its circumstances, or even its wooded neighbors. Rather, its strength came from its root’s foundation.
This flourishing tree was planted about ten feet from the creek that flowed through the forest preserve. It reminded me of Psalm 1:3 “They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” (NIV) The righteous man is like a tree planted by the riverbank, bearing fruit, never withering-even when there is pain from the past that remains inside.
While I have no doubt that God can and is able to remove the nails, the barbs, the past wounds that remain deep inside, sometimes He chooses not to. And what do we do with this answer? The apostle Paul spoke of a thorn in his flesh. Something that tormented him that clearly was from the enemy. Perhaps it was physical, perhaps emotional but the scripture isn’t clear on the nature of the thorn. What is clear is that Paul asked for it to be removed three times. And God chose not to, for a purpose. That purpose was for Paul to know that God’s grace is sufficient. God’s strength works in Paul’s weakness.
So, as I look at the three pictures of a tree I now affectionately call Barbie, I am reminded of God’s grace and of His perfect strength. I see in her branches a hope. There is growth. There is fruit in this place by the river. As I ponder my journey, including the memories of hurtful remnants, I can see God’s hand in everything. I choose to trust Him all the more because just perhaps, long ago, someone nailed that barbed wire to that remote tree in Bushy Hill preserve so today God could speak to me a truth at a time I need to hear. His strength is sufficient, His faithfulness is true.
“BE ABSOLUTELY HIS!” Oswald Chambers
“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? YOU DO NOT BELONG TO YOURSELF, for God bought you with a high price.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20a NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"i think if i have one ambition, it is just that -- to have honorable mention in anyone’s personal relationship to our Lord Jesus Christ." Oswald Chambers, 1916, while serving as a chaplain in Egypt during World War I
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.” Proverbs 29:11 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"God's order comes to us through the haphazard. Keep very near to Him and wait. Refuse to worry. Without anxiety, welcome each day."
"Abandoned to God" The Biography of Oswald Chambers, based on words from his journal, World War I, 1916, Cairo, Egypt.
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:5-7 NKJV
“Ears Wide Open.., Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies." 2 Corinthians 4:8-11 NLT
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Don’t say, “I will get even for this wrong.” Wait for the Lord to handle the matter.” Proverbs 20:22 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man.”
1 Corinthians 15:48-49 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Jesus would never allow His disciples to be in a panic. The one great crime on the part of a disciple, according to Jesus Christ, is worry. Whenever we begin to calculate without God, we sin.” Oswald Chambers
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over.” Proverbs 4:18-19 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass. — Psalm 37:5
Don’t calculate without God.
God seems to have a delightful way of upsetting the things we have calculated on without taking Him into account. We get into circumstances which were not chosen by God, and suddenly we find we have been calculating without God; He has not entered in as a living factor. The one thing that keeps us from the possibility of worrying is bringing God in as the greatest factor in all our calculations. - Oswald Chambers
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.” Psalms 145:14 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“The great hunger is in me more than ever for Jesus and His work. O how few love Him and how feeble is my passionate love. i scarcely know anyone who is consumed for Him. It is all creeds, phrases, and belief, but for Him, how few. To know Him — that is it.” Oswald Chambers, 1908
“Ears Wide Open… Listening.”
Pastor Kerry Willis
Speaking of Juji Nakada, the Japanese Holiness preacher who accompanied him in meetings thru Scotland, the USA, and Japan, Oswald Chambers said: "The grace of God has so endowed Juji with a sense of oneness with God that he really beams with the Spirit of God perpetually."
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
In 1891, The Pentecostal League of Prayer was founded as an interdenominational union to pray in 4 ways:
1. For the filling of the Holy Spirit in all believers
2. For revival in the churches
3. For the spread of Scriptural Holiness.
Oswald Chambers joined to pray and lead.
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
When Oswald Chambers was about 22 years old and an art student at Scotland’s Edinburgh University, he climbed Arthur’s Seat to hear from God and hear from God, He did: “I want you for my service but I can do without you.”
During the pre-dawn hours of Friday, August 30, 2024, at age 63, i climbed the same mountain with “Ears Wide Open.” What a sacred journey.
Humbled. Grateful.
Pastor Kerry Willis
Just boarded the first of 2 trains and finally 1 ferry from Edinburgh to Glasgow and onto Dunoon, Scotland. Here Oswald Chambers spent 9 years learning and teaching. It was here that he experienced 4 years of "The Dark Night of the Soul" and was then sanctified.
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
When Oswald Chambers was about 22 years old and an art student an Edinburgh University, he climbed Arthur's Seat to hear from God and hear from God, He did: "I want you for my service but I can do without you." Today, at age 63 i climbed the same mountain with "Ears Wide Open."
"When once you are rightly related to God by salvation and sanctification, remember that wherever you are, you are put there by God… It is the work that God does through us that counts, not what we do for Him." Oswald Chambers, August 30, "My Utmost for His Highest"
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…."
Pastor Kerry Willis
“And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us; and we [actually] saw His glory, glory as belongs to the [One and] only begotten Son of the Father, [the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is] full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception). [Is 40:5]” John 1:14 AMP
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“My whole being is ablaze and passionately on fire to preach Christ. The Almighty love of God constrains me, and in the midst of complete unworthiness, my soul cries out within me — ‘Here am i, send me.’” Oswald Chambers
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
It’s August 25, 2024, and i am about to board a plane from Atlanta, Georgia, to Edinburgh, Scotland.
On October 19, 2011, this journey really began, as i visited the grave of Oswald Chambers in Cairo, Egypt. His writings have mentored me beyond measure as a man and a minister for over 35 years.
i have awaited this sabbatical season in my life to walk in the steps of Oswald Chambers in his native Scotland. i am humbled for the opportunity.
If you want to know where the vision began, read the biography of Oswald Chambers titled "Abandoned to God." It will explain a lot.
P.S. The Willis Name Coat of Arms in Scotland is marked by this slogan: "As God Wills" (Yes, Deo Volente, in Latin.)
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
i find myself praying the lyrics of this ancient song so very often. It is based on a hymn from the 1500s:
https://youtu.be/dBxSJWjB8vM?si=s_KwtQQITEJj1Nal
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
Abba Father…
Holy, Holy, Holy is Your Name.
Nothing is too difficult for You.
Possess my life with Your Presence so that i might…
Be Faithful,
Serve Gladly,
Love Passionately,
Believe Totally,
Pray Always,
Live Holiness,
Think Christlike.
Deo Volente. Whatever You Want.
Amen.
“Ears Wide Open… Listening….”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people.” Psalms 118:8 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor.” Psalms 112:6-9 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
A dear friend of mine, Jonathan Dale Smith, went to be with the Lord a few years ago. i inherited his Ovation guitar.
Tonight, i heard Jamey Johnson singing Alabama’s classic song, "Angels Among Us", and it reminded me so much of my friend. He could really sing this song so beautifully, too.
https://youtu.be/UNdTG4yHJTg?si=22zTaB7ZsE4FXEWi
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Then the nations will tremble before the Lord. The kings of the earth will tremble before his glory. For the Lord will rebuild Jerusalem. He will appear in his glory. He will listen to the prayers of the destitute. He will not reject their pleas. Let this be recorded for future generations, so that a people not yet born will praise the Lord.” Psalms 102:15-18 NLT
“… future generations will be told about the Lord. Psalm 22:30b NIV
https://youtu.be/Rfa3NJBKIXY?si=CCx7lNh6B94TEG68
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
Love this new hymn:
https://youtu.be/nO5kZ4xEmsU?si=maIDmvd5bgk8JJfS
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
Psalm 57:1-5
For the director of music. To the tune of "Do Not Destroy." Of David. A miktam. When he had fled from Saul into the cave.
Psalm 57:1-5:
1 "Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed.
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who vindicates me.
3 He sends from heaven and saves me,
rebuking those who hotly pursue me--
God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.
4 I am in the midst of lions;
I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts-- men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth."
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.” Romans 6:15-18 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"BUT I WILL RESTORE YOU TO HEALTH AND HEAL YOUR WOUNDS,” DECLARES THE LORD." JEREMIAH 30:17
https://youtu.be/dtfDSxWKXoA?si=ItpMIk4ILi-WVv_K
O Lord, if You heal me, I will be truly healed; if You save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for You alone!.” Jeremiah 17:14
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…."
Pastor Kerry Willis
“O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out to you by day. I come to you at night. Now hear my prayer; listen to my cry. For my life is full of troubles, and death draws near. I am as good as dead, like a strong man with no strength left. They have left me among the dead, and I lie like a corpse in a grave. I am forgotten, cut off from your care. You have thrown me into the lowest pit, into the darkest depths. Your anger weighs me down; with wave after wave you have engulfed me. Interlude You have driven my friends away by making me repulsive to them. I am in a trap with no way of escape. My eyes are blinded by my tears. Each day I beg for your help, O Lord; I lift my hands to you for mercy. Are your wonderful deeds of any use to the dead? Do the dead rise up and praise you? Interlude Can those in the grave declare your unfailing love? Can they proclaim your faithfulness in the place of destruction? Can the darkness speak of your wonderful deeds? Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk about your righteousness? O Lord, I cry out to you. I will keep on pleading day by day. O Lord, why do you reject me? Why do you turn your face from me? I have been sick and close to death since my youth. I stand helpless and desperate before your terrors. Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me. Your terrors have paralyzed me. They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long. They have engulfed me completely. You have taken away my companions and loved ones. Darkness is my closest friend.” Psalms 88:1-18 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
This morning me and my precious wife of 44 years had to go in different directions for a few days. When she left early this morning we embraced tenderly and prayed together.
Years ago one of my mentors told me that the older he gets the less he wants to be away from his beloved wife of over 65 years. i feel it.
Nevertheless, in my morning devotions, i was reminded that because of the promises of Jesus we are NEVER ALONE. What comfort!
Jesus’ parting words from earth were, in fact, "SURELY, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS EVEN TO THE VERY END OF THE AGE!"
i am so indebted to His promise and His omnipresence. Yes, blessed beyond measure.
Lord, i realize by faith that You are here. i also am forever grateful whenever You let me realize You are here in my feelings. Either way, precious Holy Spirit You are welcome here. Always and forever. Amen.
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
A dear friend and brother prayed this prayer over me today:
“Praying even now that the Lord will renew your spirit and draw you close with affirmation of His love and calling. Remember, Jesus did not need to survive... only to glorify His Father at all costs...thus, He could live His life with reckless abandon to that one purpose. The Lord knows your need, and right where you are. He is a whisper away, and I pray you will feel the warmth of His touch upon your life right now...that slight weight on your shoulder is not meant to weigh you down, but to remind you, He has His hand upon you! Amen! Much love, my brother...”
i am a grateful debtor!
Pastor Kerry Willis
Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus — the Great I Am in the storm.
https://youtu.be/O7WWi65gb14?si=X2f7Pb6Omyz_RMPr
Jesus, be Thou my vision!
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Is Jesus getting His Wonderful way in me? Is God realizing that His Son is formed in me? Is the Son of God praying in me? Is He ministering in me as He did in the days of His flesh?” Oswald Chambers
JESUS. JESUS. JESUS. AMEN.
https://youtu.be/EhygM116OuM?si=4HTa2lgfoRzJV-Lc
Reign in me, Jesus.
Pastor Kerry Willis
“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:26-28 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.” Psalms 84:10-12 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.” Romans 8:15-18 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7 NIV
“Jesus… full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
Precious Holy Spirit, You alone are our Advocate.
We love You. We need You.
Jesus promised to send You to us, Oh Precious Spirit of Truth. He knew apart from Your unending Presence in our lives, we would surely live in defeat.
Come Holy Spirit and be the Supreme Controller of our lives. As You bring new mercy into our lives every morning, we surrender anew every day to You and to Your way.
Shed abroad Your Holy Love and Your amazing Grace in our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies.
Cause the mind of Christ to be completely formed with us. Strengthen our weakness with Your touch. Make us to be one with You.
In desperation, Precious Holy Spirit, we cry out to You to be our Advocate. Yes, we love you and we need You always and forever and today. We are Yours. Amen.
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry
"Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can’t find a foothold. I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me. I am exhausted from crying for help; my throat is parched. My eyes are swollen with weeping, waiting for my God to help me." Psalms 69:2-3 NLT
“When the Holy Spirit comes into my heart, He brings into the center of my personal life the very Spirit that was manifested in the life of Jesus Christ, yes, The Holy Spirit, which is unsullied purity.” Oswald Chambers
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Words of Jesus, Matthew 5:8
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Do not abandon me, O Lord. Do not stand at a distance, my God. Come quickly to help me, O Lord my savior.” Psalms 38:21-22 NLT
“Hear my prayer, O Lord! Listen to my cries for help! Don’t ignore my tears. For I am your guest— a traveler passing through, as my ancestors were before me.” Psalms 39:12 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity]. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:24-26 AMP
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!” Psalms 30:11-12 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
Was blessed to preach two weeks in a row from John 3…
https://www.youtube.com/live/bnFvv3d1MWM?si=_dVTfn_U1Ir1xVTN
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“To know the indwelling presence of the Lord is to know the Lord’s undeniable pleasure.” -kww
“The LORD is my strength and song and He’s become my salvation. He is my God, and I WILL PREPARE HIM A HABITATION…” Exodus 15:2a KJV
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“But— When God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of His grace He made us right in His sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” Titus 3:4-7 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
My message on July 7, 2024, "You Must Be Born Again!" Part 1:
https://www.youtube.com/live/r-AjpldMpHQ?si=6JqMjUnh_ede42pB
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith.” Acts of the Apostles 15:8-9 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
During our Philly District Family 2024 Campmeeting, i filled the “mystery speaker slot” on Friday morning and shared “Revival Training.” Here’s the link if you are interested in checking it out.
https://youtu.be/O_z_RV0qXH8?si=lsq2tScmbIGxBy5v
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Lord, i will speak of…
Your Glory,
Your Splendor,
Your Majesty.
Your Wonder,
Your Awesomeness,
Your Greatness,
Your Goodness,
Your Righteousness,
Your Graciousness,
Your Compassion,
Your Slowness to Anger,
Your Richness in Love.
Amen. Amen. Amen.” -kww
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Ever since the Lord saved me — over fifty-seven years ago now — everything i have been through I have not once been alone.” Lady Melba testifying
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike— and they will prophesy.” Acts of the Apostles 2:17-18 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“The Holy Spirit alone can bring the gracious presence of the Living God into our lives and ministries.” A.W. Tozer
“He that hath ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Revelation 2:29
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
📖 On those amazing days when Jesus of Nazareth fed thousands -- on both sides of the Sea of Galilee -- with just a few loaves of bread and a few fish, it must have beautifully baffled His disciples to comprehend how their Savior, Who lived at such a near poverty level personal life, could show such a prodigal (yes, such an extravagant) display of hospitality to the hungry people. The One Who refused to miraculously satisfy His own hunger on more than one occasion, multiplied the loaves and fishes for others. Such a tender, yet mind-twisting paradox. Beautifully baffling, indeed. [Matthew 14, Matthew 15]]
P.S. And on The Cross, He saved others, but not Himself.
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Let us seize and hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is reliable and trustworthy and faithful [to His word];” Hebrews 10:23 AMP
“Let’s hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, because the one who made the promises is reliable.” Hebrews 10:23 CEB
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
""Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name." Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, "I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again." When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him. Then Jesus told them, "The voice was for your benefit, not mine. The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself." He said this to indicate how he was going to die.." John 12:27-33 NLT
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
““O our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name! But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to You? Everything we have has come from You, and we give you only what You first gave us! We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.” King David’s Words, 1 Chronicles 29:13-15 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Now the practices of the sinful nature are clearly evident: they are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control), idolatry, sorcery, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions [that promote heresies], envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, and other things like these. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature together with its passions and appetites. If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit].” Galatians 5:19-25 AMP
“Ears Wide Open…. Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"We should love God more than anything or anyone else; we should hate sin and iniquity even as Jesus hated them, and we should be willing always to obey God through the leading of His Word and His Spirit." A.W. Tozer
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
A portion David’s Song of Praise sung when the Ark returned to Jerusalem…
“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done. Sing to Him; yes, sing His praises. Tell everyone about His wonderful deeds. Exult in His holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord. Search for the Lord and for His strength; continually seek Him. Remember the wonders He has performed, Him miracles, and the rulings He has given,” 1 Chronicles 16:8-12 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
This is a great Trinity verse in the Old Testament:
“Come near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was done, I was there: and now the Lord God has sent me and his Spirit.” Isaiah 48:16 JUB
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Jesus said to the people who believed in Him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to My teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do You mean, ‘You will be set free’?” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” John 8:31-36 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Our destiny is determined by our disposition. We cannot alter our disposition, but we can choose to let God alter it. We are only free when the Son sets us free; but we are free to choose whether or not we will be made free.” Oswald Chambers
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"O Jesus, come and dwell in me,
Walk in my steps each day,
Live in my life, love in my love,
And speak in all I say;
Think in my thoughts, let all my acts,
Thy very actions be,
So shall it be no longer I,
But Christ lives in me. Amen."
Prayer by A.W. Tozer
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
"How could i, one who claims to walk in the light as Jesus is in the light, ever see another soul deceived in their own sin, and somehow encourage them -- in any way -- to continue on such a detour of the devil that will only lead to their ultimate destruction? To do so, would not their blood somehow be on my hands? God forgive it. God forbid it. How can helping anyone to live out a lie of the enemy ever be called Love?" -kww
Jesus’ words: "For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him]. This is the judgment [that is, the cause for indictment, the test by which people are judged, the basis for the sentence]: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. [Is 5:20] For every wrongdoer hates the Light, and does not come to the Light [but shrinks from it] for fear that his [sinful, worthless] activities will be exposed and condemned. But whoever practices truth [and does what is right--morally, ethically, spiritually] comes to the Light, so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are--accomplished in God [divinely prompted, done with God’s help, in dependence on Him]." John 3:16-21 AMP
Years ago i played this video clip in a Sunday morning message. The vulnerable words spoken powerfully by a devout atheist still inspires, challenges, awakens and moves me -- heart, mind, soul, and strength.
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
In his commentary on 1 Peter 1:13, A.W. Tozer wrote:
"If ever there was an hour when we needed to be serious about our Christian faith, this is the hour!"
"So prepare your minds for action, be completely sober [in spirit--steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert], fix your hope completely on the grace [of God] that is coming to you when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:13 AMP
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
When i was just a boy, my Granny Margery and Aunt Edith, taught me so much about Holy Spiritual things by the way they lived and spoke.
One day i was with them when they stopped to visit a new convert to Christ, Mrs. Fanny. She was in the garage when we arrived and when she saw my Granny coming towards her, Mrs. Fanny, had a sudden outburst of joy. She didn’t understand how or why it happened and was a little embrassed until Granny assured her with words like these: “That’s the witness of the Spirit that you’ve been born again.”
Granny knew the Holy Spirit intimately and Mrs. Fanny immediately received Granny’s good words and let the joy just overflow again.
A.W. Tozer said this about “The Witness of the Spirit”: “The Witness of the Spirit is a sacred inner thing which cannot be explained. It is altogether personal and cannot be passed from one to another. The Spirit whispers its mysterious Presence to the heart, and the heart knows without knowing how it knows.”
And the Apostle Paul wrote: “Now we have received… the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God.” 1 Corinthians 2:12
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
In my quiet time saturating in the Holy Word, today, this imagery inspired my soul:
“Then Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, The One who is the stairway between heaven and earth.” John 1:51 NLT
Jesus, truly You are “THE STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN!”
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Only a spiritually ignorant person TRIES to be a Christian. You cannot be a Christian by TRYING. You must be BORN into the life before you can live it.” Oswald Chambers
“Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’” Jesus’ words in John 3:5-7 NLT
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
i awoke with this prayer on my mind and on my lips, this morning:
"Dearest Lord Jesus, the desire of my heart is that You would reveal Your Presence through my life wherever i am, to whomever i am with, for as long as i live. Amen."
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
As i walked with the Lord in the outdoor cathedral on this new morning, this new song just came into my mind, and i offered it to Him as my gift of worship:
Oh Lord, i love You, there’s no one above You. Oh Lord, i need You, to always be near me.
Oh Lord, i want You, let me become Your will. O Lord, embrace me, speak peace be still.
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“When a person, yielding to God, and believing the truth of God, is filled with the Spirit of God, even the faintest whisper will be worship.” A.W. Tozer
“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” Jesus, John 14:6 NLT
“We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but He is ready to hear those who worship Him and do his will.” John 9:31 NLT
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” Romans 12:1-2 MSG
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?” Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” Mark 9:14-29 NKJV
* Jesus is emphasizing that the demon in Mark 9 could only come out by intensive prayer.
“Ears Wide Open… Listening….”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14
A.W. Tozer writes this commentary about the verse above:
"This text does have a meaning and it ought to disturb us until we have discovered what it means and how we may meet its conditions. The divine antidote for the satanic poison of sin is holiness. Holiness is an attribute of God and a requirement of the people of God."
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“All true prayer, the prayer that prevails is personal, intimate, and original.” Samuel Chadwick
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“In those days when Jesus walked the earth, some adored Him as Master, while others accused Him of madness. Same as these days.” -kww
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"O God and Father, i repent of my sinful preoccupation with visible things. The world has been too much with me. Thou hast been here and i knew it not. i have been blind to Thy presence. Open my eyes that i may behold Thee in and around me. For Christ’s sake. Amen." - A.W. Tozer
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Ye received the Word of God… not as the word of men, but as it is in Truth, the Word of God.” 1 Thessalonians 2:13
“The Word of the Lord God is as fresh as every new sunrise, as sweet and graciously fresh as the dew on the grass the morning after a clear night — because it is God’s Word to us!” A.W. Tozer
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Lord, i confess that i can only worship authentically in Your Holy Spirit. i can only pray powerfully in Your Holy Spirit. i can only preach and be Your witness effectively in Your Holy Spirit. Amen." -kww
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
i wonder what’s more fascinating to Almighty God, those who predict Jesus could come, even today, or those who predict, no He won’t? After all, with God one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as one day. So, really doesn’t the Father alone, know whether it will be today or another day? Seems my part is to be expecting Him moment-by-moment by keeping oil in my lamp, yep, even during the days of earthquakes and eclipses. Shalom. (Reminds me of this old Southern Gospel song….)
https://youtu.be/4bFJLbO2FRg?si=no_xbm_OQQ55bPRz
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Through all the ages, the testimony of those who prayed has been that God hears and answers the prayers of his children.” Samuel Chadwick
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“There’s never been a God Who could pull off a rescue like this.”
King Nebuchadnezzar’s words after the three Hebrews were saved by Almighty God from his fiery furnace. Daniel 3:29b MSG
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Christ, our Victor, accomplished everything. We don’t need to add anything to it. We don’t need to wipe away our own sins, or try to conquer death and the devil. Everything has already been done for us. We are not fighting the real battle. We’re only suffering now in order to share in Christ’s victory. It’s not accomplished by what we do.” Martin Luther
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
Saint Ignatius of Antioch, who was a disciple of the apostle John, wrote, "Whoever has understood our Lord’s words, understands His silence, because God is known in His silence."
God restrains His voice at times in a Christian’s heart to grow closer to us. We must hold fast to the truth that even when God is silent, He is closer than the air we breathe.
— Jonny Bailey, "Living Deep"
Read Jeremiah 29:13 and Psalm 46:10.
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
A great double-blessing way to close Resurrection Sunday: 1. Thinking about the two disciples headed back to Jerusalem at night from Emmaus after the Risen Jesus revealed Himself to them. 2. Listening to Keith Green sing “The Easter Song.”
https://youtu.be/Z3kc1jDahU4?si=T2w7YxK11RN1fPfl
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
If God didn't Love us why would He suffer so terribly for us? O how He Loves us! Good Friday’s Hill proves His Great Love. -kww
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
Today, Pastor Byron Hannon beautifully led our Four Winds Prayer Zoom. He reminded us that on Holy Tuesday of Passion Week Jesus cursed the fig tree because it only had leaves but no fruit.
Seems to me, the leaves might represent exterior religion — a shallow profession, while fruit would indicate interior relationship — a deep possession.
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"The Holy Ghost comes with the light of truth in one hand, so to speak, and the blood of Christ in the other. What the light reveals, the blood cleanses." A.W. Tozer
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
At the conclusion of The Last Supper we read these words about Jesus and His disciples:
“After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”Matthew 26:30 AMP
According to Passover tradition i have been told that the last hymn Jesus sang with His disciples before going to the Cross would have most likely have been Psalm 118:
“O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness endures forever. Oh let Israel say, “His lovingkindness endures forever.” Oh let the house of Aaron say, “His lovingkindness endures forever.” Oh let those who [reverently] fear the Lord, say, “His lovingkindness endures forever.” Out of my distress I called on the Lord; The Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can [mere] man do to me? The Lord is on my side, He is among those who help me; Therefore I will look [in triumph] on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord Than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord Than to trust in princes. All nations encompassed me; In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off. They encompassed me, yes, they surrounded me [on every side]; In the name of the Lord I will cut them off. They swarmed around me like bees; They flare up and are extinguished like a fire of thorns; In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off. You [my enemy] pushed me violently so that I was falling, But the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation. The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous: The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. I will not die, but live, And declare the works and recount the illustrious acts of the Lord. The Lord has disciplined me severely, But He has not given me over to death. Open to me the [temple] gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; The righteous will enter through it. I will give thanks to You, for You have heard and answered me; And You have become my salvation [my Rescuer, my Savior]. The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone. This is from the Lord and is His doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This [day in which God has saved me] is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. O Lord, save now, we beseech You; O Lord, we beseech You, send now prosperity and give us success! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord; We have blessed you from the house of the Lord [you who come into His sanctuary under His guardianship]. The Lord is God, and He has given us light [illuminating us with His grace and freedom and joy]. Bind the festival sacrifices with cords to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I give thanks to You; [You are] my God, I extol You. O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness endures forever.”Psalms 118:1-29 AMP
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
In 2014, when my Dad was in the midst of his cancer journey, one day in the front room of the homeplace he told me through tender tears, "Kerry, i sensed i heard a voice say ‘The Healer is here so ask what you will.’" Dad never told me what he asked for. But my guess is, He requested healing, yet he surely also simultaneously surrendered to whatever His Lord desired for his future. Before that year would end, Dad found ultimate healing in the presence of Jesus. No sad stories here.
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“Perhaps the most wonderful thing about prayer is not that things always turn out as we would desire but the realization — that only prayer can give — that we are never alone in our suffering. Only prayer can assure us that God is surely present and that we are not alone.” -kww
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Every great move of God is preceded by a keen sense of anticipation. We must declare war on the mood of nonexpectation and come together with childlike faith. Only then can we know again the beauty and wonder of the Lord’s presence among us.” A.W. Tozer
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
“None of us lives for himself [for his own benefit, but for the Lord], and none of us dies for himself [but for the Lord]. If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. So then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” Romans 14:7-8 AMP
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
These are the final words God spoke through His prophet Malachi before going silent for 400 years:
"You have wearied the Lord with your words. ‘How have we wearied Him?’ you ask. You have wearied Him by saying that all who do evil are good in the Lord’s sight, and He is pleased with them. You have wearied Him by asking, ‘Where is the God of justice?’" Malachi 2:17 NLT
Lord, forbid it that we would weary you with our empty words. Forgive us and do not take Your Holy Spirit from us. Amen.
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Lord Jesus, as the day begins, You have tenderly reminded me that, yes, there will be new, unknown-to-me challenges, nevertheless, You will still be my same trustworthy God, Who always already knows everything underway. So, i pray, Deo Volente -- whatever You want. Amen." -kww
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
This tender prayer originated from my heart of worship for my Lord early this morning:
“Dearest my Lord, i love you, I need you, and i want you… equally. Without your life, my life ends. Amen.”
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"If you hate the way your life has turned out so far under your own lordship, turn to The One Who is the Way -- Jesus of Nazareth, The King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It’s now time to turn from sin and to turn to Him, yes, today, crown Him as the Ruler of the rest of your days. He awaits Your invitation to come into Your life with His Life so you can experience a new beginning and a happy ending here on earth and then Eternal Life for Forever. Presently surrender wholeheartedly to His Holy Presence. Let Him be your King of Everything for Forever and today." -kww
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
This sacred song so strong in my soul…
https://youtu.be/1Cen-Jt4IPo?si=mtGycr2-Ob3eMDC1
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
Invitation: The alarm on my phone is set for 4:44 p.m. daily. It is just "one" reminder for me to grieve over lost souls, one at a time. i have a memorized list of the ones the Lord has given to me to pray for day and night. It changes from time-to-time. Some are lost in the rebellion of their own sin and others are lost in the religion of their families and men. The enemy loves it when people embrace a reckless lifestyle and/or turn their never-dying souls towards empty religions, even sometimes to counterfeit forms of Christianity. So, i pray the Lord, yes, The One called Wonderful, will continue to wreck me in fervent and continual intercession for souls. He surely weeps in Heaven for the lost, still. He also grieves for souls through His Holy Spirit in me. i invite you to pray with me. Those of us who are among the found, are debtors to Jesus for saving us and we are also debtors to every other lost soul on the planet. How will they know unless we pray for them and we tell them? Let us pray first, then tell — before it’s too late.
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
Unless we experience a true Holy Spiritual awakening soon, it seems to me it just might be “to Hell in a hand-basket time for our world,” and sooner than later. Nevertheless, let us be found full of faith and praying fervently, yes, ever-interceding in the Name of Jesus, and continuously pleading His Blood, Church! It’s late for sure, but it’s not too late… yet. Be Light. Go Shine.” -kww
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
Matthew 27:22 records the question Pilate asked personally about the Lord:
“Pilate said to them, ‘Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” Matthew 27:22a AMP
Will we glorify Him or crucify Him?
“Ears Wide Open… Listening…”
Pastor Kerry Willis
"Lord Jesus, crucify my sins, my sin, and my own righteousness, yes, my wrong acts, my self-centered attitude, and my own filthy rags — nail it all to the Cross! Amen!" -kww
"This is my prayer for Your Holiness. Amen again."
"Ears Wide Open… Listening…"
Pastor Kerry Willis
