Thursday, July 31, 2008

Challenged by the Word

The Bible Study on Wednesday night challenged my heart. The Pastor told us that if we lose our "heart for God" that it becomes a great challenge to recover that passion. I thought about my own life and how that I must refuse to become cold and unresponsive to God. It is easy to just walk in the motions of "religion" and not possess that desire to follow after God with all of our heart. I do not want to fall prey to the traps of the enemy; I desire for my life to be lived in a manner that reflects a life that is truly impacted by the transforming presence of God. Prayer: O God, help each one who reads this today to realize that we need the power of transformation at work in our lives. We must not become content with the status quo but we must hunger for more of God in our lives. AMEN!

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

God's Love

I was blessed this morning when I began to reflect on the presence of God that is in my life. I remembered that He has always had a presence in my life even when I was too young to understand. He had a presence in my life when I did not have a personal relationship with Him or the moments in which my relationship was distant from Him. He was faithful and provided His love to cover my life on a daily basis. Isn't God so wonderful that He renews His compassion for us on a daily basis? There is nothing about God that is refurbished or left over from yesterday; His love and presence is fresh and new every day. Don't you think that He deserves praise today? Let this be a day in which you offer God your heart to Him in a lifestyle of service to others. I am looking forward to the opportunity of ministering at Eastside Praise this weekend. Pastor Michael & Sherry Smith are wonderful Pastors who have a great heart for God and a strong desire to reach people with the Kingdom message of hope and salvation.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Prayer for Today

Dear God, we realize that we need your presence in our lives. We do not know how to face the challenges of this day without you. We desire that You draw near to our hearts and that You reveal Your direction to our lives. We love You and we praise You for all that You are and all that You have done in our lives. We are thankful for Your Grace, Mercy, and Love. Help us be a blessing to someone today. AMEN!

Monday, July 28, 2008

Weekend Services

Greetings from Louisville. I returned home from an awesome weekend with Pastor Clint & Liz Knowles and the Hackleburg, Alabama local church. The anointing of the Spirit was very powerful as the Spirit both encouraged and challenged us to be willing to do our part in this spiritual warfare against the powers of hell. Many people came forward in both of the services in response to the call of the Spirit. Many were refreshed by the Spirit and they were encouraged to continue seeking after more of the Lord. These are not the days to grow slack or lax in our pursuit of God; we must commit to a passionate relationship with God and allow Him to fulfill His purpose in our lives. I refuse to be an observer to what God is doing in His Kingdom; I declare my hunger to be a participant in this great move of God that is taking place in our world. PRAYER: O God, continue to direct my steps and help me to surrender my plans to your will and way. I do not want to seek any other God but You. I do not want to walk after the flesh; I desire to walk in the strength of the Spirit. You are the Answer for our hurting world. O God, help me to be a light to people and give me a greater heart for the harvest that is so near to Your heart and plan. AMEN!

Saturday, July 26, 2008

District Revival

Friday evening was the concluding service of the District Revival in the Pelham/Calera, Alabama area. Surely the presence of the Lord was in each of the services and many of us were drawn closer to God as we responded to the call of the Spirit. It was a great blessing to see people of all ages coming to the altar and crying out for more of God. These are the not the days to grow slack in our relationship with God but these are the days to lay aside any and everything that would hinder us and run the race of endurance regarding our walk with God. We can not afford to give up or give in to the tactics of the enemy; many of us are choosing to answer the call from God to draw near to His presence. I no longer will be satisfied to go through the motions of religion; I choose to follow after the promise of Life that Christ has spoken to us. I was blessed and encouraged by the fellowship of the people in these area meetings. The Pastors and leaders are to be commended for their faithful support of the services. Many of them attended each evening of the services and I am convinced that God will reward their efforts. I believe that God will send the "rain/reign" of the Spirit in the churches in this area and that God will use them to reach people with the wonderful message of Jesus Christ. We need to be about the "Father's business" which is defined simply as seeking those which are lost and in need of a Savior. I look forward to being with Pastor Clint and Liz Knowles and the Hackleburg, Alabama church on Sunday. I anticipate a great move of God in the services.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Walking with God

The District meetings in Alabama are a blessing to me. It is a great source of encouragement to see people move forward at the close of the sermon and begin to seek more of God. I am full of hope for the future condition of the church in America; many of us are answering the call from God to draw closer to Him and we have decided to pursue God with all of our hearts. Another thing that excites me is the fact that many of us are finally realizing that we are a "spiritual work in progress." God is not finished with us yet; He is providing the unction of His Word and the direction of the Spirit to bring us into our destiny. I desire to reach my destiny in Christ and I want to surrender all of my life to Christ. Let us continue to lift the cry of our hearts to God and let Him know that we want Him in all areas and aspects of our lives. As the song declares, "we need Him more today then we did yesterday."

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

The Release of our FAITH

The service at Dry Valley was truly filled with the presence of God. God challenged us to believe His promises and understand that He does hear us when we pray. Many of us become discouraged when we doubt whether or not God hears our prayers. But according to the Bible, the Lord does hear us when we cry out to Him. I can sense in my own heart the challenge to release my faith and trust in God. All of us are facing certain needs or situations in which we need the intervention of God; I am choosing to lift my heart and my voice to God and let Him know that I am placing my confidence in Him. I refuse to allow doubt to play a major role in my life, I will do my best to walk in faith and walk by faith. Tonight the District Revival moves to the Pelham, Alabama local church. We will be there through Friday night. Krameon and Frances Martin serve as Pastor of the Pelham church. It was a pleasure to be with Pastor Steve and Brenda Chance at the Dry Valley church. They certainly made me and the people from the District feel very welcome. The people of the Dry Valley church opened their hearts to us and made us feel at home in the services. I give God glory for all of the good things that have been accomplished in the first few nights of the meeting. We look with anticipation to what God has planned for the remainder of the week.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Thought for Today

Isn't the Lord amazing and encouraging? Last night in the revival service the Lord reminded all of us of His amazing love and interest in our lives. The enemy of our soul does not want us to believe and accept the fact that God truly does care about us and about our journey. We need to be willing to respond to the presence of His Spirit and allow Him to minister encouragement to our lives. All of us are in need of His strength, guidance and direction and we need to receive what God desires to release in our soul. I am blessed by the thought that God really does love me and that He desires me to share His love with those that I contact. As you read these words find rest for your soul and be confident that the eyes of the Lord are upon you and your family today. The old hymn declares "O what a Savior". He is truly a great SAVIOR!!

Monday, July 21, 2008

Revival in Pelham/Calera, AL District

The Lord is great and greatly to be praised. I am presently involved in a revival meeting with the churches in this District of Alabama. The first two services went very well with people responding to the call of the Spirit. Sunday I was at the Dry Valley church; it is interesting but the Lord dealt with me about the need to trust God to send the "rain/reign" of the Spirit in our lives. We are in desperate need of the refreshing presence of the Lord in our lives as we are facing some very challenging situations. But I am confident that the Lord has not forgotten our location on the road of life and that He will minister to the needs that we are facing. We are in need of people who will make the commitment to draw near to God regardless of the price that we may have to pay. Please cover this meeting with you prayers. I appreciate the support of the area Pastors; the building was full last night as people from the various churches came together to worship and draw near to God. The Youth Choir from Pelham was a blessing to the service last night and several of the young people were in the altar seeking more of the presence of God in their lives. I truly believe that this is a DAY OF AWAKENING!!!

Friday, July 18, 2008

Revival in Alabama

I am preparing for a District Revival in the Pelham/Calera area of Alabama. It is always a joy to be able to return "home" to Alabama and have the opportunity to share the Word of God. I look forward to the fellowship of the family of God and I anticipate a mighty move of God. God still responds to the sincere cry of our hearts. We must ask ourselves these questions, "Do I truly desire to hear from God and when I hear from God am I willing to obey Him?" God is looking for obedient people who see their need to fellowship with God. I want to be a person who obeys the direction and guidance of the Spirit in my life.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Prayer for Today

Dear God: Will you take our lives and use them for your glory and honor? We are in great need of Your presence and Your direction in our lives. We are unable to face the unique circumstances of this hour without divine intervention. We believe that You will hear the sincere cry of our hearts as we seek fellowship, communion and relationship with our Heavenly Father. You are great and greatly to be praised and we offer sincere thankfulness to You. Lord, we seek to make Your name known throughout this whole world so that people can realize that You are our Hope and Redeemer. Father, we pray for all of the ministers who are standing in the gap as intercessors, strengthen their faith and courage. AMEN!

Monday, July 14, 2008

GOD IS AWESOME

I was privileged to be in service with Pastor Mark Hisle and the Parkway Praise Center in London, Kentucky on Sunday, July 13. The Lord's presence could be felt from the very opening comments by Pastor Hisle as we prepared to offer our worship and praise to God. The anticipation of the people was very evident as we begin to press into a time of intense and exciting worship. The heart of the worshipers were encouraged by the Word of God that He had placed on my heart. These are not the days to be content with religious motions, religious actions and religious responses to the activity of the Spirit. These are the days to be alert, awake and aware of what God is desiring to accomplish in this world. I desire to turn my heart to God in full surrender and become a living sacrifice that will show forth the praises of our great and mighty God. Sunday evening found me in an intense time of intercessory prayer and worship at Eastside Praise under the direction of Pastor Michael Smith. Pastor Mike challenged us to press into the presence of God and cry out for the needs in our own lives, our families, our neighborhoods, our communities and our nation. Prayer must become important to the people of God once again. We must stop waiting on everyone else to do the praying; this is your time to step forward and become a "prayer warrior/intercessor." Prayer is still the great unused and overlooked weapon of the church. O people of God arise and let us become people of prayer. I am preparing to leave for Pelham, Alabama this weekend. This will be a District Revival in the Pelham/Calera area. Please cover these meetings with your prayers.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Reflections from my Heart

It is always a great honor to be able to offer our service to Christ in His Kingdom work. I sincerely desire to do my best in this great cause of the salvation of mankind. It is so easy to fall into the trap of just going through the motions of worship, service, and even the ministry. I do not want to be guilty of those actions; I encourage you to be willing to give your best to Christ and realize that He will reward your every effort. Remember that we are not serving for the applause of men but we are serving for the applause of Heaven. The great reward will be presented one day and I desire to hear the Lord say "well done." Keep your heart and life focused on those opportunities that have the potential to make a difference in the lives of those people you encounter. Look for those moments of "divine timing" in which God has you where you need to be so that your life can influence someone in the right way. Blessings on you today as you continue your faithful service to the great cause of Christ.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Revival at White Oak, NC

I returned home from NC yesterday. The presence of the Lord was AWESOME in the meetings at the churches. I was blessed by the fellowship of the Pastors and the local church; God is a blessing to us through the fellowship of the believers. I just seek to draw closer to God and allow Him to direct my steps. The services on Saturday and Sunday at White Oak were definitely ordered by the Lord. Once again people came forward for prayer as a response to the calling of the Holy Spirit. Saturday night found the ministry as well as the laity responding to the move of the Spirit. There is a "fresh wind" of the Spirit blowing in the White Oak church and I believe that God will use the Pastor and people to be a blessing in the community. We are never the same once we have entered into the presence of God; that is the reason that the enemy does not want the church pursuing the presence of God. I refuse to listen to the lies of the enemy and I am reaching for all that God has planned for my life. I offer God praise and thanksgiving for all that was accomplished in the services. It is God who touches us and transforms us into His image and likeness. I continue to seek after God and to allow Him to transform me into all that I need to be.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

July 4th Service

The presence of the Lord covered the meeting at White Oak, NC in a very powerful way on Friday night, July 4th. Truly there was "spiritual fireworks" in the service in which many people came forward when the invitation was given. I am convinced that there is a "fresh wind" of spiritual freedom in the local church. Pastor Bill & Sue Tatum have recently assumed the Pastorate of the church and they possess a great desire to see God send a great awakening not only to the church but to the community around the church. I am excited about the opportunity of resuming our pursuit of God in tonight's service. God is an awesome God who is worthy of our worship and praise. I will be at the White Oak church through Sunday evening (July 6th).

Friday, July 4, 2008

Thankful for Freedom

As we prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July we need to pause and thank God for all of those who have served our country through the years. These men and women have defended our freedom so that we would have the opportunity to worship God. I am grateful for these brave people who have placed themselves in harm's way so that I could enjoy the opportunity of growing up in America with all of its vast resources and opportunities of success. I am blessed to the be the son of Wallace Willingham who is a WWII veteran. My dad served in the infantry and fought at some of the major battles in the European theatre of action. I am both honored and blessed by his willing sacrifice. Every time I stand to declare the Word of the Lord I am reminded about his willingness to offer his service to this nation. As a note of interest; my dad returned home from the service and received his call into the ministry and has faithfully served God in that capacity for over 55 years. The last two nights of the meeting at Roseboro, NC was awesome. I am blessed when I see people willing to release their faith. We saw the Lord touch the lives of individuals who have been facing challenges, struggles and battles. It is a blessing to realize that the Lord will meet us at the point of our need and that He really does care about our life and the situations that we are facing. I just give God glory for all that He has done, all that He is doing, and all that He is planning to do. Tonight we begin a revival meeting with Pastor Bill & Sue Tatum at the White Oak, NC church. It is July 4th and we are anticipating "spiritual fireworks" as we gather to seek God for His Kingdom to come and for His Kingdom to rule in our lives. Please cover this meeting with your prayers.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Revival in Roseboro, NC

The Monday and Tuesday night services have been very powerful and anointed. The presence of the Lord has been revealed and many of us have chosen to enter into what God is doing among His people. We have seen people saved, healed, encouraged and baptized in the Spirit. We have seen what I call "non-Pentecostal" believers receiving the baptism of the Spirit. They are being blessed by the presence and power of the Spirit as they surrender themselves to the Lord and passionately pursue more of His presence. Pastor Stan and Naomi Carter are doing a great job leading this church into the harvest fields and the results of these efforts are being reflected through the lives of people being transformed. I am already looking forward to tonight's service and I am hungry to see the presence of God revealed in our hearts. God certainly deserves all the glory for what He is doing among us. I understand that we are living in challenging times but in the midst of these challenges we recognize the authority and power of God to fulfill the promise of His presence. I am determined to pursue the presence of God in my life and I desire His direction in all that I do and say.