Category Archives: Testimony

Bible, Confession, Righteousness, Scripture, Testimony, Unrighteousness

OUR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS

ROMANS 3:5

“But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking from a human viewpoint.)”

We will never fully understand the righteousness of God this side of eternity. How can a God, a righteous God put up with our unrighteousness? Well, He can’t. The question posed by Paul in today’s verse is really meant to show us the folly of this kind of thinking. Paul even admits he is talking from a human viewpoint.

The thought that Paul is throwing out here is this. If our sins give God the opportunity to show His righteousness, how can He punish our sin? That is obviously what Paul was hearing from some. Yea, I sin, but God still loves me and it gives Him the chance to forgive me. How stupid! God can never condone sin, nor can He overlook it. Sin requires confession and repentance. God can only be righteous.

APPLICATION

This is a difficult verse. We know as followers of Christ that our sin has to be confessed. We know that God demands repentance in order to bestow forgiveness. But this verse, taken by itself, might seem to imply that our sins give God more opportunities to show His righteousness. The second question in this verse is one we all would agree to. “The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is he?” Of course, that answer is NO.

 I am thinking of 1 John 1:9-10. “9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” You see His righteous acts toward us follow our confession. Don’t ever be confused by that. Unrighteousness + confession = righteousness.

Our goal should be to not sin. We should not be sinning and excusing our behaviors. We will see Romans 6:1 later, but it fits so well with today’s verse. “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?” Paul goes on in 6:2 to say, “May it never be!” That should be our attitude towards sin. May it never be!

Lord, sometimes difficult verses have simple meanings. Thank You for forgiving our confessed sins.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Christ, Scripture, Stealing, Teaching, Testimony

GOT TO WALK THE WALK

ROMANS 2:21

“you, therefore, who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one is not to steal, do you steal?”

When I first started my role as VP for Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes in Chattanooga, we got a call from a trucking company asking us if we wanted half a trailer load of fabric softener that had been turned down by a local retailer. I said we would be glad to receive that. Wouldn’t you know it, when it arrived in the semi, it was pouring rain. I couldn’t ask my staff to unload all that softener if I wasn’t willing to help. So, I quickly changed clothes and climbed up in that trailer to help unload. My staff were impressed that I, the VP, would do that. I had to do what I was asking them to do.

Paul begins a series of five rhetorical questions in today’s verse. The first two are here. He asks if they are teaching themselves what they are teaching. Then he asks if they preach against stealing, are they stealing. Most commentators agree that Paul wasn’t accusing them of these things but merely asking these questions to drive home his point. They had to practice what they preached. People were watching!

APPLICATION

When I read this verse and the two following, I immediately thought of Philippians 2:14-15 which say, “14 Do all things without complaining or arguments; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,” As followers of Christ, we have to be above reproach. We represent a holy God and therefore must be holy ourselves.

In Paul’s role description for elders in Titus 1, he tells us this. “6 namely, if any man is beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of indecent behavior or rebellion. 7 For the overseer must be beyond reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not overindulging in wine, not a bully, not greedy for money,” It is unfortunate that too many of our church leaders don’t practice what they preach. We have to do better!

Why is this important? Like I said earlier, people are watching. The world is looking for followers of Christ to mess up so they can expose our “hypocrisy.” They don’t understand that we aren’t perfect, just forgiven. However, that does not excuse us from living our lives as an example for others. Today, choose to be obedient to Christ in all things. You never know who is watching.

O Lord, help me exemplify Christ in all things.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Fruit, Holy Spirit, Kindness, Scripture, Testimony

THE KIND GOD

ROMANS 2:4

“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and restraint and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” 

Kindness is a lost virtue nowadays, isn’t it? We watch the news and all we see are muggings, shootings and other crimes against humanity. My wife and I like to watch a reality show (don’t judge, lol) about police officers. It’s a live broadcast that follows various law enforcement departments around the country. Kindness is not exemplified very much on that show. But sometimes…you will see it from someone you least expect to show it. That’s always refreshing.

Paul uses two different forms of the Greek word for “kindness.” The first word is the noun form of “kindness” – xrēstótēs which means “useable, i.e. well-fit for use (for what is really needed); kindness that is also serviceable…refers to meeting real needs, in God’s way, in His timing (fashion). Hence xrēstótēs is listed as a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22).” (HELPS Word studies). The second word for “kindness” is xrēstós which is the adjective form of the same word. We don’t really have a word in the English that adequately defines these words. But we do know that God is a kind and gracious God.

APPLICATION

Since the second “kindness” in today’s verse is an adjective, you could translate the last phrase of today’s verse this way, “not knowing that the kind God leads you to repentance?” I like that. God is so kind to lead us to repentance. He wants to really meet our needs and even our wants sometime. God exemplifies true kindness by welcoming us into His family.

I have known some very kind people in my life. Some of those are my African brothers and sisters. When I have the privilege to visit there, they welcome as one of the family. Whatever I need they seek to provide. They go out of their way to make me feel at home. If I get sick (which has occurred from time to time), they are so caring and comforting. Their kindness is incredible.

Do you have that fruit of the Spirit? Well, of course you do. If you are a believer and Christ is your life, you have all the fruit of the Spirit in you. We choose not to live them out. Your kindness toward others speaks volumes. You may be able to reach some people for Jesus just by showing them kindness. Try it today. Let the kind God give you His kindness to share with others.

O Lord, thank You for being so kind to me and drawing me to Yourself.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Prayer, Scripture, Testimony, Witness

AS GOD AS MY WITNESS

ROMANS 1:9

“For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you,”

Whether you realize it or not, God is our witness in all things. We cannot escape His presence. Just ask Jonah and Gideon and Elijah. I could go on and name many from the Scriptures who tried to deny God’s presence, only to be reminded He is always there. When we were little, we would hide under tables or behind doors to try to escape our parents’ eyes if we had done something wrong. It didn’t work, did it? The same applies with us and God. His eyes behold all.

But Paul wasn’t saying that he was trying to hide something from God. On the contrary, he is pointing to God as his witness regarding his prayers for these Roman believers. God, after all, was the recipient of his prayers. The Greek word for “witness” is martus and “points to a person who testifies to what he or she has seen or knows. In Scripture the role is never neutral; a witness is accountable before God to state the truth and, if necessary, to seal that testimony with life itself.” (Topical Lexicon).

APPLICATION

Paul uses this phrase four other times (2 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:5, 10; Philippians 1:8). Each time he is showing that what we say here on earth, even in our prayers, is heard in the heavenlies. What better witness do we need? If God can testify on our behalf, who could contest it? Later in Romans 8, we read these verses that apply to that. Verse 31 reads, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” And verses 33-34 go on to say, “33 Who will bring charges against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”

Are you shouting “Hallelujah” yet? Understand this – God is your witness. He testifies on your behalf. He is your advocate. People have tried to bribe or outright buy witnesses to help their case in courts. It doesn’t work, does it? Once that is discovered there is even more to answer for. But if we rely on the One True Witness, all is good. He knows our failures, but we are His child.

Can you say today with Paul that God is your witness as to how you pray for others? When someone asks you to pray for them, do you do it? Stop right there and do it. God will be your witness if they ever ask Him if you did. He heard your prayer. And He will answer accordingly.  

Father, thank You for testifying on my behalf before my accusers. You know me fully.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Faithfulness, Promises, Scripture, Testimony

PROMISES

ROMANS 1:2

“which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures,”

I hate it when someone promises to do something and then doesn’t follow through. If they never had the intention to do it, then why do they say they would? I am careful not to make promises I can’t keep. That is especially true with kids and grandkids. Promises are just that – promises! It’s not too hard to understand, is it?

Paul refers to a promise made by God in today’s verse. The Greek word used for “promised beforehand” is proepaggello. HELPS Word studies defines it like this, “(from pró, ‘before’ and epaggéllō, ‘to promise’) – properly, promised beforehand (in advance); use of the Lord promising the Gospel (‘God’s good news’) to people even before creation.” It is only used one other time in 2 Corinthians 9:5, where Paul writes, “arrange in advance your previously promised generous gift.”

APPLICATION

Look at these two uses. The one in today’s verse refers to a promise made by God. You can always depend on that. His promises never fail. I have referenced it before, but one of my favorite verses in Joshua 21:45. “Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; everything came to pass.” What a promise! That still holds true for us today.

Then in the second use of the word in 2 Corinthians 9, Paul references a man-made promise by the Corinthians. This was not a sure thing. They had promised to send that gift. How much and when it arrived, we don’t know. I have been promised gifts from people for our ministry that never materialized. I have learned to not depend on that gift until it arrived. So, we have two very different kinds of promises – a sure thing and an iffy thing. Which do you prefer?

Years ago, there was a men’s movement called Promise Keepers. It was a great ministry that encouraged men to be promise keepers to God and family. I have often wondered how long those men kept their promises. How many of those men ended up leaving their families? But how many of them are still keeping their promises? Will you be a promise keeper? Will you look to the Great Promise Keeper and allow Him to strengthen you in your promise keeping walk?

Father God, help me be the kind of promise keeper that reflects You.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Influence, Scripture, Testimony, Witness, Witnessing

UNEXPECTED INFLUENCE

PHILIPPIANS 4:22

“All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.”

I have had the occasion to meet some pretty interesting people in my life. None of them were particularly famous or anything, but they were interesting. What has been the most gratifying thing about that is to hear back from them later. Some of them even said how much I had influenced them. What?! Me? It just goes to show that you never know who will be influenced by you.

Paul was under house arrest in Rome as he wrote this letter to the Philippians but look who he says sends their greetings. The saints who were in Caesar’s household! I know Paul had appealed to Caesar and all, but I bet Paul never dreamed he would have influence over Caesar’s household. Now, we don’t know who those people were, but they must have been important people.

APPLICATION

Many scholars suppose that these people Paul was referring to were the household servants in Caesar’s home. Others think that may have also included some of Caesar’s own family. Paul didn’t care about rank or societal position. He only cared that they were lovers of Christ. Shouldn’t we have the same position? We should love all the brethren.

Take a minute, though, to think about these people Paul is referencing. They were of “Caesar’s household.” Who was Caesar at the time? Nero. He wasn’t exactly keen on Christians. He blamed the Christians for the famous fire of Rome. He persecuted them by burning them alive and crucifying others. He executed Peter and later beheaded Paul. Yet these early Christians risked it all for Christ.

I want you to look around today and how your Christian influence is affecting people around you. Are others drawn closer to Christ because of you? Are people getting saved through your influence in their lives? In short, how are you allowing Christ to use you in this world right now. Be an influencer (not on Tik-Tok)! Change someone’s life today.

Father, give me the boldness to be a Christian influencer and draw many to You.

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Bible, Godliness, Imitation, Practice, Scripture, Testimony

ARE YOU PRACTICING THE RIGHT THINGS

PHILIPPIANS 4:9

“As for the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

The old joke goes, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.” You only get good at things that you practice. Athletes perform the same plays over and over again until they know them by heart. Archers will shoot hundreds of arrows to master their aim. Practicing is a good thing, as long as it is beneficial to you and others. Unfortunately, not everyone practices the good.

Paul is reminding the Philippians that they had “learned and received and heard and seen” him do things that pointed to Christ. He tells them to “practice these things.” The Greek word for “practice” is prasso which means a repeated action, not just a one time deed. It is used in Scripture to describe a practice of good or a practice of evil. You see, what you are practicing has spiritual implications. Paul wanted the Philippians to practice the right things.

APPLICATION

In John 3:20, Jesus is talking to Nicodemus and right after the well known John 3:16 verse, Jesus is further explaining the difference between good and evil people. He says, “‘For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed.” The word “does” is prasso. They are practicing evil. It wasn’t a one-time thing.

Paul tells the Romans in Romans 2:2-3, “2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3 But do you suppose this, you foolish person who passes judgment on those who practice such things, and yet does them as well, that you will escape the judgment of God?” Practicing the wrong things has eternal consequences.

What are you practicing – good or evil? Carl, of course I don’t practice evil. Without coming across legalistic, what are your spiritual practices? Do you have a daily Quiet Time with the Lord? Do you pray daily for others? Do you regularly give to support the Lord’s work. None of these things will get you into heaven. But they are evidence that heaven is already in you. You are practicing what you have learned and received and heard and seen” in Christ. Now, get to practice!

Lord, give me the discipline to practice the things I have been taught and make an impact on others.

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Attitude, Bible, Decisions, Rejoicing, Scripture, Testimony

WASH, RINSE, REPEAT

PHILIPPIANS 4:4

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”

Have you ever noticed the directions on a shampoo bottle? Most of them say, “Wash hair, rinse and repeat.” Now, come on. Admit it. How many times do you do that? Not me! I wash and rinse once. If I have an unusually sweaty time outside, I may do the repeat, but rarely. I bet I would have better looking hair if I followed the instructions. But this may just be a sales ploy to get me to use more shampoo. Lol

Paul must have wanted these Philippian believers to revel in their joy, to repeat it over and over again. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance refers to a “oscillatory repetition.” What is that? I used to have my grandma’s old oscillating fan. It would swing back and forth to cover the room. I loved that old fan. It would blow and blow and blow, never seeming to tire. That’s the idea Paul is portraying here. We should rejoice, rejoice and rejoice. The two uses of “rejoice” are commands that we are to repeat over and over again.

APPPLICATION

So, I was thinking. What keeps us from doing this? I believe it is no coincidence that Paul couches this statement right between verses dealing with disharmony (verses 2-3) and verses 6-7 that deal with anxiety. Disharmony and anxiety can kill our desire to rejoice. Jesus tells us to rejoice, even in the midst of persecution. In Luke 6:23 He says, “‘Rejoice on that day and jump for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For their fathers used to treat the prophets the same way.’”

There is never a reason to not rejoice. We have to have that attitude at all times. Knowing that, we can follow this command from Paul. Rejoice in the bad times. Rejoice in the good times. Rejoice always. I am not saying this is easy, but it is a decision we make. We choose to rejoice rather than complain. We rejoice instead of getting revenge. We rejoice when everything seems to be going against us.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:10, “as sorrowful yet always rejoicing…” Make up your mind today to rejoice, no matter what. You’ve heard it said, “Turn that frown upside down.” There’s a lot of truth in that little statement. After all, they say it takes more muscles to frown than to smile. Why overwork?

Lord, give me a spirit of rejoicing today.

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Bible, Conflict, Fighting, Scripture, Testimony

CONFLICTS

PHILIPPIANS 1:30

“experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”

Raise your hand if you like conflict. That’s what I thought. No one chooses to have conflicts in their lives. If we had our druthers, we would rather live in peace and quiet. Am I right? The older I get the less I like conflicts. My memory verse this week fits this well. Proverbs 19:11 says, “A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” Sounds easy, huh? Not really.

Paul didn’t have to go far to find conflict or opposition. Remember, right after he got saved and started preaching, he had to escape in a basket over the wall of Damascus from those who sought to kill him. So, when Paul talks about conflicts, we need to sit up and listen. He knew what he was talking about. The word he uses here for “conflict” is agon from which we get the word “agony.”

APPLICATION

Agon is only used five other times in the New Testament (Colossians 2:1, 1 Thessalonians 2:2, 1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 4:7 and Hebrews 12:1). Let’s look at a couple of those. Paul uses agon in Colossians 2:1 this way. “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have in your behalf…” Here, he calls it a struggle. Aren’t all conflicts a struggle – a struggle not to say the wrong thing, a struggle to not lash out in defense? 

In 1 Timothy 6:12 and 2 Timothy 4:7, Paul uses agon to describe the good fight of faith. In 1 Timothy he is telling Timothy to fight the good fight. In 2 Timothy 4:7, Paul is saying he has fought the good fight of faith. A good fight? Sounds kind of strange, doesn’t it? Paul is telling us that there are some fights that are worth it. Our fight against the forces of evil for the kingdom of God is worth it.

As you face conflicts (and you will), remember the words from Proverbs. Your discretion will make you slow to anger. And it is to your benefit to overlook or forgive transgressions against you. It is not easy, but it is worth it. Let God use these conflicts to shape and mold you more like Christ.

Father, I am not able in my own flesh to face conflicts with a godly attitude. I need You to fill me and teach me.

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Bible, Citizen, Conduct, Gospel, Heaven, Scripture, Testimony

WHETHER PRESENT OR ABSENT

PHILIPPIANS 1:27

“Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;”

I have shared before that years ago I worked for about six months at Walmart on their third shift (10 pm – 6 am). On that shift my job was to unload the trucks that arrived and stock shelves. It was a part-time job, but one I kind of enjoyed. A number of the employees, however, didn’t share the same attitude. They would look busy when the boss came by but would find places to hide and sleep or just goof off.

Paul wasn’t the Philippian believers’ boss, but he expected them to do the right thing whether he was present or absent. This verse is one we should all take to heart because He is coming soon. Amen? We need to be doing these same things today. Paul uses a Greek word here for “conduct yourselves” that is only used one other time in Acts 23:1 (we’ll see that in a minute). The word is politeuomai which means to live as a citizen. Let’s explore that.

APPLICATION

To live as a citizen means to live by the rules and laws of that city or country. One problem with illegal immigration is that they begin their life in the U.S. by breaking our laws. Now, don’t send me letters and postcards. I am just stating a fact. Being a good citizen implies maintaining the standard set by your community. In the Philippians’ case, Paul was exhorting them to live up to the standards set by Jesus.

In Acts 23:1, Paul is talking in his defense before the chief priests and the Jewish council. “Now looking intently at the Council, Paul said, ‘Brothers, I have lived my life with an entirely good conscience before God up to this day.’” The phrase “have lived my life” is politeuomai. Paul had nothing to be ashamed of. He was living to please the Lord, not men. He was being a good citizen of heaven.

Are you living as a good citizen of heaven right now? Today is Easter Sunday. We have much to celebrate. Amen? We have the opportunity today to live in such a way that all those CEO (Christmas Easter Only) church goers that are in church today will marvel at our attitudes and worship. Live in such a way that the light of Jesus draws them like a moth to a streetlight. He is Risen!

O Lord, shine through me in every are of my life so that no matter where I am people will know that I am a citizen of heaven.

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