We Are Engaged

We are officially official. We are engaged. With shaking knees and a fluttering heart, I managed to ask for her hand, and she promised it to me. Many exciting days are ahead, and the mood is (bubbly). Our date has been set to November 20th, 2011.

Let The Planning Begin!!!

When's the las time you really prayed?

I'm not talking about the mantra you say before eating, even after you've already had appetizers. (never understood why we don't consider appetizers food...)

I'm not talking about a routine prayer before going to bed.

I'm not talking about "God, please let me make this light!"

I'm talking about really talking to God... Look what David wrote

"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." -Psalm 63:1

God is not only an all powerful being, creator of the universe, heavenly father, he's also your best friend. Think of your best friend... Go ahead, do it...

How often do you talk with them? Probably every day right? Usually multiple times a day right?

Why should you treat God any differently?

Some people ask: "How are you supposed to pray? Like what do you say?"

The great thing about that is God already answered that, Jesus says specifically:

 9"This, then, is how you should pray:  

" 'Our Father in heaven,    

       hallowed be your name,  

10your kingdom come,    

your will be done  

     on earth as it is in heaven.  

11Give us today our daily bread.  

12Forgive us our debts,

      as we also have forgiven our debtors.  

13And lead us not into temptation,

   but deliver us from the evil one.[a]'

Matthew, lord's prayer

-Matthew 6:5-14

Okay, that's a lot all at once. Let's break it down a bit.

"Our Father in heaven" -Acknowledge that he is your father and creator.

"Hallowed be your name" -Praise him

"Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" -YOUR kingdom come, YOUR will be done. It's HIS that's important, not mine. Acknowledge that he is the King of Kings and let him take control. (I think if he created the universe, not only does he KNOW what's going on in your life, I think he knows how to solve it.)"Give us today our daily bread" -We acknowledge that everything we have is from God and we ask him to sustain us.

"Forgive us our debts" -Ask for forgiveness of your sins.

"As we also have forgiven our debtors." -You must forgive others to be forgiven. Look just a few verses after the prayer at what Christ

says. "(14)For if you forgive men when THEY sin against YOU, your heavenly Father will also forgive YOU. (15) But if you do not forgive men of THEIR sins, your Father will not forgive YOUR sins.

"Lead us not into temptation" -Guide us, make our paths follow along side you.

"But deliver us from the evil one" -Protect us from evil.

I don't believe that this was intended to become a mantra is it is in the Catholic church... I think prayer should be dynamic and different every time... You never have a set of how your conversation is going to go when you call your best friend (or any friend for that matter) do you? That seems more like when you call for service and get a machine and all you do is press numbers to talk to an operator. Is God a machine? This prayer can essentially be boiled down into four steps.

Praise

Thanks

Confess

Ask

Pray using those four steps and concentrate on the first three more than the last. It seems like all we do is ask god to fulfill our wishes and wills... We must remember our place in creation (beneath the creator).

Do these things out of Love...

Jesus says, 

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matt 25:37

If we believe this, then why do we even call it Christian Service? In my opinion,"Christian Service" seems as though it's charity...Doing something because it's right but not out of Love. 

When you buy groceries for your children and family it's done out of a need and a true love. You know that if you don't provide they may perish. I believe that is the way we should be with all people, giving according to their needs.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 4:19 ESV.

If we are to mirror Christ, then are we not to mirror the way He promises to treat us? God gives us abundantly that we might be able to give to others; That is ultimately our Christian Service. He gives us blessings through finances, time, and with talents, therefore we should share our finances time, and our talents with others to bring Him glory. 

We should give as a sign of our Christlike love. Learn to love your neighbor first, and giving, or "Christian Service" will become easy and simple as making your heart beat.

When [Jesus] 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. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 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.

 I tell you the truth, 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 13:12-17

Power In His Name!

it's all in His name...

Your Name is a strong and mighty tower
Your Name is a shelter like no other
Your Name, let the nations sing it louder
'Cause nothing has the power to save but Your Name...

Songwriter/Musician Paul Baloche illustrates that so well. Isn't it Amazing that there is so much power in the very name of Jesus!

In His name, we have the power to receive Salvation:

 "Neither is there Salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12).

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).

There is great power and astonishment in His name. All over scripture it is written. Even the ones who "didn't believe" understood its power, they tried to stop the disciples from using the name of Jesus (Acts 4:18). 

I encourage you today to meditate on His name, it's the most precious name and most powerful there is. In His name there is power to fulfill the "Great Commission". We weren't just given a task and left alone. We have been given directions through the word of God, assistance through the Holy Ghost, and power in the matchless name of Jesus Christ!

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:15-18)

We have a right and an open invitation to a relationship with the Father. Which means, we have a right and invitation to accesing power in the name of Jesus, to glorify the Lord. But regardless of whether or not we submit to His tender call. The Lord will be glorified, and Jesus' name will be praised.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father  (Philippians 2:9-11)

Overwhelmed...

over·whelm

 vt \ˌō-vər-ˈhwelm, -ˈwelm\

Definition of OVERWHELM

1

: upset, overthrow

2

a : to cover over completely : submergeb : to overcome by superior force or numbersc : to overpower in thought or feeling

d : to feel defeated

How many times can we say we are overwhelmed. Most of us can tell you we live this way most of the time. With, work, school, relationships, and just the thought of having to balance it all... it's easy to quickly become overwhelmed in life. With the feeling of being overwhelmed, the easy and pathetic solution would be to give up.

When thinking of the word "Overwhelmed" and how to handle it, I am reminded of Jesus.

If anyone knew the feeling of being overwhelmed it was him.We tend to assume that Jesus, as God, was immune from the affects of man. But I don't think so. Since Jesus was fully human, he)...

"has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin." (Heb. 4:15)

Knowing that Jesus was fully human, and that we have his same strengths through the Holy Spirit, this is what he tells us about allowing ourselves to become overwhelmed.

"Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself; each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matt. 6:34) 

He was telling us not to allow ourselves to get overwhelmed with the worries of the future. Jesus wasn't saying not to think about tomorrow, not to look ahead, or not to plan. Rather he was saying: today lies before you. Live it well. Watch as God takes care of your needs and empowers you to address the challenges you face. Then let him do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day.

He tells us clearly He has it all under control. Look at these Verses:

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” – Phil 4:19

Notice the above verse says “ALL.” It doesn’t say “some” or “most,” but it says that He will meet all of our needs. It doesn’t say how He will meet our needs and I have found from experience the way He does it is often not what I expected. But the bottom line is that God is faithful and He does what He promises.

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Here He is telling us, Yes you will see tribulations, but, Yes girdle up your loins and face them because I did.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. Psalm 46:1-3,7

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. 1 Peter 5:7 (AMP)

Our Heaven gives us no reason to worry, but every reason to walk in peace. If we can only learn to trust in Him and His promises. I have been faced with many milestones, and some stumbling blocks and have found myself feeling quite overwhelmed with worries of school, work, relationships, and many other details that can only be handled in the future.

I wrote this blog therapeutically, mainly for my night tonight which had me feeling pretty defeated and consumed with stress. But, this blog was also written for those that may be feeling consumed... Be encouraged. He is a mighty God and an ever-present help.  

In Closing, remember this:

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

David Oliver Willis

At a New Begining.

2 Corinthians 5:17 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Praise God for that. I have had HUGE struggles and sins to overcome, only with the help of the Father, and I have never really been able to forgive myself. However, this morning He has helped me to make a step. Today He calls both you and I His Sunrise. If we are in Him, we are His daily sunrise eternally.

I have found lately how good Satan is at holding us down captive to the things the Father has freed us from. And it's because he uses our insecurities, doubts, and all negative mindsets as a foundation to bring us down. If we knew God's word enough we could fight many more attacks efficiently.

       Last night and today I had convinced myself I couldn't be freed from the guilt, shame, and horror of my past. I simply wasn't worthy of it, therefore I couldn't possibly have it. But God says, No you're not worthy, In fact you are worthless! That's why I sent Jesus, to save those unworthy, worthless, and dying; So they can be redeemed, resurrected and live with me eternally.

       He Loves us passionately and that is where we find redemption. It has nothing to do with our actual value, or worth. It has to do with His beautiful infinite love for us. How can we not stand in awe of a God that loves us despite how corrupt and messed up we are. A God that wraps us in His arms when everyone else around has left our side. A God that will reach down and pick us up from any valley. A God that's always waiting with arms wide open at the mountain. How can we close our lips and not sing His praises! 

"Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me"

What could say it better! His grace is that of a sweet melody that he would save someone horrible like me. Pray that I might be able to walk in His sufficient grace. And to know and experience His love more and more each day.

I'm Back In The Groove

I've finally gotten back into the groove of working out! I Spent about an hour tonight at LA Fitness in Kissimmee doing a fairly easy full body work out. I'm very excited to have some work out buddies to build motivation, and to get in shape.

Tomorrow is my first day of classes (Pray For Me!!!). Also, it is the Convocation Service at FCC where we will officially sign ourselves as part of the FCC family, to give you an idea of how special it is, Everyone that has gone to FCC has signed this exact book...Pretty Cool.
      
Then after classes, in the evening, in the Chapman Center we will be having prayer and worship; where i will be leading a few songs acoustically.

(To all who may be reading, Please keep me in your prayers daily if possible. I need the Lords direction in my life. I am currently faced with many decisions right now and things that need attention soon. So If you can, please sacrifice the time to pray for me. Also, if you do, pray that the Lord gives me a renewal of the Holy Spirit).

Thank You in advance!

The John Mark.

"We Have Overcome This World... By Our Song And The Blood Of A Son"

John Mark McMillan is a lyrical genius. I'm sure he would place his credits higher than himself, because the words are certainly "Bible Breathed". Last nights concert at Discovery was a great experience, to hear the words that the Lord put on John's heart was amazing and soul-stirring. Not to mention just simply being in His (Jesus') presence. If you do not have the new CD... Go get it!!!

Last nights show has energized and excited me to go back to writing. To sit down and let the Lord breathe His words into me. Once again, I am excited for the road the Lord has before me. Both rain and sunshine.

And The Journey Begins...

I'm all moved in, unpacked, settled, and excited for this upcoming year at Florida Christian College.

After the worship session in the sub hall, meeting some amazing professors, and talking with other students; I do believe this is going to be a great year.

        

I had an opportunity yesterday to sit down with Professor Roland Howard and talk about the need for a "Real Church", about how the "Church" is missing a third of the link to the solution; The Holy Spirit. I believe it's time to stand up against the "Comfortable Church". While we sit in our cozy pews singing mundane songs to the Most High God, and preaching words that Timothy warned us against, there is a lost and dying world outside those walls. It's time to stop building prisons of religion and to build up the Body of Christ. (More of that later.)

I'm excited to have you follow my journey here at FCC.

David Oliver Willis

DavidOliverWillis@Yahoo.Com