i Love These Holy Words

I’m in the midst of preaching over two Sundays from this passage. i love these Holy Words. 

Here's a Bible passage I'd like to share with you...

This one. For some reasons part of the initial verse was not included previously. :) 

"If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever-- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them." Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." ‭‭John‬ ‭14:15-23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Thank you Jesus for these Words of comfort and promise. 

This link will lead you to Part 1 of 2 messages i am preaching titled "Showing Up!" 

https://youtu.be/mai5DTNGjak

Hope Happens HERE!

Presence Matters Most!

No Invisible People! UNITY!

Pastor Kerry Willis 

What’s Most Troubling About These Troubling Days?

i realize many people are troubled about these days we are experiencing but one of the things that’s most troubling to me about these troubling days is the reality of how some church folk are reacting to these troubling days. [Note that i said "some" not "most" and "reacting" not "responding."]

So, is it just me, or do you believe it troubles Jesus, too, when -- say for example -- some church folk are boycotting, even abandoning their local churches because of their own pandemic or political preferences?

i heard one pastor recently say: "It’s nearly impossible to lead the local church these days." The reason? Cultural hostility is threatening to destroy Christian unity. 

Perhaps, we best not forget -- first and foremost -- as Jesus-believers, we are to be faithful foreigners on this earth. Aren’t we those who are called to be His ambassadors, speaking the language of His Homeland, Heaven, and living the values of His Kingdom, Holiness?

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."" Words of Jesus, ‭‭John‬ ‭13:34-35‬ ‭NIV‬

"Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

One final thought: Wonder if God is using these troubling days in multiplied ways to actually prune the tree, yes, clean His Bride, that is, His Church? Could 2020 be the year that the Lord ordained as the year for a spiritual shakedown so the real Church of Jesus Christ can be known. 

Can’t seem to get those words of Scripture out of my mind about "The (great) falling away that comes first" preceding The End of all things. 

"Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless THE FALLING AWAY COMES FIRST, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." ‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭2:1-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Could church folk boycotting or abandoning the local church in any way be akin to "the falling away that comes first" before The End? Just a question. 

This 15-minute video affirmed many things i have sensed the Lord saying to my heart this year:

https://www.12stone.com/watch/ephesians/the-fight-for-unity

Hope Happens HERE!

Presence Matters Most! 

No Invisible People! UNITY!

Pastor Kerry Willis 

i Want to Be a Jesus "Radical!"

i want to be a Jesus Radical! i have been accused of being one. May it be true, that i journeyed along the narrow road and walked as Jesus walked, even that Jesus walked within me.

"He that says he abides in him [Jesus] ought himself also so to walk, even as he [Jesus] walked." ‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:6‬ ‭JUB‬‬

Love this "Radical" clip:

https://youtu.be/ILxlsN95e2w

Hope Happens HERE!

Presence Matters Most! 

No Invisible People! UNITY!

Pastor Kerry Willis 

The Lost Boy

This link will lead you to a precious story titled "The Lost Boy." It is a tender and true story. And the author of the story is our district secretary on the Philadelphia District Church of the Nazarene. 

https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1_tiVMEzJXKQVskDrxKR15lzhllYGuaVPeow0EdJuYBA/mobilebasic

Hope Happens HERE!

Presence Matters Most!

No Invisible People! UNITY!

Pastor Kerry Willis 

A Quiet Time... Before It’s Too Late!

As i withdrew to pray, today, i had this thought: “The more distracted our lives become the more essential a quiet time away and alone with the Lord becomes.”

This verse from the life of Jesus is one we should incorporate in our own lives:

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭5:16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How often do we purposely withdraw to lonely places so we can be alone with our Lord and pray? The verse above says Jesus did so “often.” 

Recently, i have said from the pulpit a few times: “Jesus was a friend of sinners, so if we claim to be Christlike yet have no friends who are sinners, aren’t we only fooling ourselves?” 

Likewise, would it be okay to ask: “If we claim to be Christlike yet do not withdraw often to lonely places to pray, are we truly living as the One Whose name we clam?”

Here’s the good news. It’s not too late to begin practicing His Presence and praying aright again. All we need to do is withdraw right now to a lonely place and be alone with the Lord in prayer. And maybe while we are there, if we have no sinner friends, we can fervently pray that we will find some and begin asking the Lord to reach them through us before it’s too late!

Peace out. 

Hope Happens HERE!

Presence Matters Most!

No Invisible People! UNITY!

Pastor Kerry Willis 

Jesus, i Need You

Jesus, i need You for every breath of life.

Jesus, i need You in the dark to be my light.

Jesus, i need You and want You to be mine. 

Jesus, i need You and i want to be Thine.

Jesus, i need You every step along the way. 

Jesus, i need You to hear each prayer i pray. 

Jesus, i need You for strength to carry on.

Jesus, i need You from the sunset to the dawn. 

Jesus, i need You to make Your Home in me. 

Jesus, i need You even now and for all Eternity.

Amen. -kww

Hope Happens HERE!

Presence Matters Most!

No Invisible People! UNITY!

Pastor Kerry Willis 

The Ultimate Servant Leader, Jesus

My friend and co-laborer, Pastor Kevin Griffin, preached a wonderful message Sunday morning on Jesus as the Ultimate Servant Leader. Made me want to post this passage today...

"It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!" Jesus answered, "Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." ‭‭John‬ ‭13:1-12, 14-17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Kevin also said: "Jesus dropped His title and picked up the towel." 

Hope Happens HERE!

Presence Matters Most! 

No Invisible People! UNITY!

Pastor Kerry Willis