Merry Ministries Blog

With Morning Came Healing by Bebe Willert

Mary Willis — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:25:37 +0000

This week will be a VERY special week in Merry Ministries! Our prayer coordinator, Bebe Willert, will be speaking about her new book, WITH MORNING CAME HEALING. Lisa Pierre will be with us also providing some very special music.

Bebe gave me a copy of her book to read, and all I can say is WOW!!! You have to hear her testimony to understand the power of God’s healing and help in her life. Please invite a friend who is in need of encouragement and inspiration and perhaps even healing to come with you.

The book is simple, honest, powerful and very inspiring! She gives real answers to real problems. (See www.bebewillert.com .)

Please pray for Bebe to speak the words that God wants her to speak. Pray that we will have a great turnout because people really need to hear this message. Pray that God will use this book to help thousands of people.

We will begin at 6:30 Tuesday night followed by a dessert social and 9:30 Wednesday morning followed by a potluck luncheon.

I am so excited that Merry Ministries is the sponsor for her first book release! She will have book available for purchase also. Please get the word out to your friends.

In Christ,

Mary

The Holy Spirit

Mary Willis — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:04:58 +0000

The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity. There is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would come upon certain people for a period of time. We saw many examples of this in Judges where the Spirit of the LORD came Othniel (3:10), Gideon (6:34), Jephthah (11:29), and Samson (14:6, 19; 15:14). The Spirit of the Lord could also depart from people (16:20). We will continue to see the Holy Spirit come upon people and depart from them in the Old Testament.

In the New Testament, Jesus tells his followers that he will be leaving, but promises that God the Father will send them a Helper/Counselor, the Holy Spirit who will be with them/us forever (John 14:16). (I take that to mean FOREVER.)

In Acts 1:8, the risen Lord Jesus says these words before ascending to heaven, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” The word Jesus used for “power” comes from the Greek word dunamis. This word entered our English language when Alfred Nobel made the discovery that would become his fortune. Nobel discovered a power that was stronger than anything the world had known up to that point. He asked a friend, a Greek scholar, what the word was for explosive power in the Greek language. The word was dunamis, which we know as “dynamite.”(Excerpt from Greg Laurie devotional.)

In Acts chapter 2, on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon Christ’s followers. Peter under the influence of the HS said to the unbelievers who were in their midst, Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off [that’s us!], everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

When you, by faith, received Jesus into your heart, you received the Holy Spirit who has sealed you for eternal life. Paul writes in Ephesians 1:13 In him [Jesus] you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

1 Corinthians 3:16 says, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” and check out 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

We have been sanctified by the Spirit (2 Thess. 2:13). We are told not to grieve the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30) and not to quench the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19).

We are commanded to walk, be led, and live by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 18, 25). The Spirit also functions as fruit-producer in our lives. When He indwells us, He begins the work of harvesting His fruit in our lives - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Another of the Holy Spirit’s roles is that of gift-giver. First Corinthians 12, Romans 4, and Ephesians 4, and describe the spiritual gifts given to believers in order that we may function as the body of Christ on earth.

Having the Holy Spirit’s power (dunamis) even greater than Nobel’s dynamite in our lives and He never leaves us.

The knowledge that the Holy Spirit of God has taken up residence in our lives, that He performs all these miraculous functions, that He dwells with us forever and will never leave or forsake us is cause for great joy and comfort. Thank God for this precious Gift – the Holy Spirit and His work in our lives!

So . . . are we going to just sit home, fat and happy, knowing that we have salvation and the Holy Spirit living in us? Or are we going to do something for God’s kingdom? I am hoping to challenge you by striking a match to the dynamite that in you.

Let’s look again at Acts 1:8 (Remember, this is Jesus talking), “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

With God’s power and Spirit, we are commanded to be His witnesses in Jerusalem (Houston area), Judea (Texas), Samaria (United States) and to the end of the earth (the world). Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

The disciples who were for the most part not wealthy or highly educated, took Jesus’ Great Commission and “turned the world upside down,” (Acts 17:6). What can we do to turn our world upside down for Christ?

Mary

Samson’s Eyes

Mary Willis — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:10:18 +0000

As we concluded the book of Judges this week, I kept thinking, “Bad decisions make interesting stories.” ;)

Samson’s life was a prime example of this. Consecrated from the womb by God as a Nazirite, “ for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” The Spirit of God would come upon him mightily and he would have supernatural strength, but he broke about every Nazirite law (Numbers 6:1-8). He was living in Israel at a time when “There was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

Samson definitely had an eye problem. Let me review a few verses that reiterate this:

“I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife.” (14:2)

“Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.” (14:3)

“Then he went down and talked with the woman, and she was right in Samson’s eyes.” (14:7)

So Samson married this Philistine woman (that the Israelites were not to marry). She deceived him and the marriage ended. But he learned his lesson, right? Wrong.

“Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a prostitute, and he went in to her.” (16:1) This led to the men of the city plotting to kill him. The men of Gaza were not able to kill him because God was still going to use him to conquer the Philistines.

He moved on to another Philistine city where he Delilah caught his eye (16:4-17). He was repeatedly deceived by her beauty which ultimately led to his hair being cut and the power of the Holy Spirit leaving him. The Philistines took him and gouged his eyes out (16:21) and he spend most of the rest of his life as a slave grinding grain. This was God’s hand taking care of Samson’s eye problem once and for all. It was Jesus speaking about lust in the Sermon on the Mount who said, ”If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.” (Matt. 5:29)

The Spirit of God did later return to Samson and with it, his mighty strength. His last act was one of destroying the pagan temple of Dagon and with it, thousands and thousands of Philistines. So God’s purpose was accomplished through Samson fulfilling the prophecy that the Angel of the LORD had given his parents. God took away the problem in his life (his eyes) and was then able to use Samson for His purpose. It could have been accomplished in a more swift and less painful manner though if Samson had been obedient to God.

Samson was a man of great strengths, but his weaknesses were just as great. He was a Nazirite from birth, yet he broke all of the Nazirite laws. He was dedicated to God, but not devoted to God. He had authority but not accountability. He had power but not purity. Sin can bind us; Sin can blind us; Sin can grind us.

Do you have an eye problem? Remember, it was the eyes of Eve that started this whole mess of sin. She saw the forbidden fruit and desired it. Next thing you know, she was eating the fruit and giving some to her husband.

We are also living in a time where people are doing what is right in their own eyes. Our eyes are often the portal to sinful acts. ”O be careful little eyes what you see,” is more than just a kids’ tune!

There is only one way I know to avoid these problems. ”Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,” (Hebrews 12:2).

God bless,

Mary

Finished Joshua … on to Judges!

Mary Willis — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:51:51 +0000

Hi all~

Last week we finished our study of Joshua. Two things that stick with me are:

1. The faithfulness of God to keep His word – therefore,

Joshua 1:⁷Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. ⁸This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. ⁹Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (ESV)

2. Serving God is a daily choice:

Joshua 24: ¹⁴ “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. ¹⁵And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (ESV)

This week, we begin the study of the book of JUDGES. Following the death of Joshua, Israel plunges into a 350-year Dark Age. Judges opens with a description of Israel’s deterioration, continues with seven cycles of oppression and deliverance, and concludes with two illustrations of Israel’s depravity. Time after time in Judges, we see the grace of God as He forgives His people and sends a deliverer in the form of a judge. These judges come from all walks of life.

Judges contains several of the more dynamic women in the Old Testament. Many scholars see a parallel between the general decay in Israel and the treatment of women as the Book of Judges progresses. Early on we find Deborah and Jael (Chapters 4-5), who are both strong and courageous. But they are followed up by the daughter of Jephthah, who allows herself to be sacrificed (11:35), Delilah, who seduces and betrays Samson (16:4-22), and the most troubling of all–the unnamed concubine in Chapter 19.

We will cover the first 5 chapters this week and see how history repeats itself unless we learn from the mistakes of the past.

I think you may be amazed at how applicable the lessons from Judges are for us today. Please join us online or in class.

Valentine’s Lesson – Book of Ruth

Mary Willis — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:28:49 +0000

We will jump ahead to Ruth this week for our special Valentine lesson. The book of Ruth is easily one of the most familiar and popular in the Bible. It is a charming, short story and a great example of simple narrative with a happy ending. This historical account has heroines and a hero but no villain. There is friendship, romance and suspense. There is also tragedy, but it is overcome by courage, love, and loyalty. In this story, Naomi and Ruth are a beautiful example of loyalty, friendship and commitment – to God and to each other. We also see a love story develop involving Ruth and Boaz, her kinsman-redeemer.

Did you know that Ruth’s name in Hebrew means “friend”? This is a great week to invite a friend to Merry Ministries. We will have a social time following the lesson with lots of goodies.

Have a Happy Valentine’s Day. God loves you!!!

Mary

Finished Deuteronomy

Mary Willis — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:21:38 +0000

Not only have we finished Deuteronomy, but we have now completed the first five books of the Bible known as The Torah, or The Pentateuch, or The Books of Law or The Books of Moses. These first 5 books, all penned by Moses but authored by God, set the foundation for everything else we will cover as we continue our journey through the Bible. (If you have missed any of it, I suggest you go back and read it and listen to the lessons online. I will warn you that my accent/twang is even stronger online than in person . . . or at least it seems that way to me. http://www.merryministries.com/messages.html )

As we finished Deuteronomy, I have to admit that I got a little emotional reading about the death of Moses. We first met him as baby back in Exodus when he was put in a basket and placed into the Nile River. From there he was adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. Moses spent his first 40 years in Pharaoh’s Palace in Egypt, the second 40 in the desert of Midian, and the last 40 wandering in the wilderness. “He spent 40 years thinking he was a SOMEBODY. Then, 40 years thinking he was a NOBODY. And finally, 40 years finding out what God could do with SOMEBODY who was NOBODY.” (Henry Blackaby, Experiencing God)

Moses, the man who did not want to be sent to Egypt because he was slow of speech (Ex. 4:10) delivered these final 3 sermons to Israel that make up the book of Deuteronomy. God gave him the power to develop from a stuttering shepherd into national leader and powerful orator. His courage, humility, and wisdom molded the Hebrew slaves into a nation. But Moses was one person who did not let success go to his head. In the end, God was still Moses’ best friend. Moses knew it was not any greatness in himself that made him successful; it was the greatness of the all-powerful God in whom he trusted. (God does not call the equipped. He equips the called.)

By the end of Deuteronomy, Moses has passed the torch to Joshua to be his successor in leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. (It is probably Joshua who writes this last chapter.) God has told Moses that he cannot go into the Promised Land but that He will show it to Moses. Moses goes up on Mount Nebo to the east of the Jordan River, and God shows him the whole scope of the land from north to south. Deut. 34: “⁴ And the LORD said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” ⁵ So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD, ⁶ and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day. ⁷ Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated.”

Oh my goodness! This is so touching that GOD would personally and privately bury Moses, “whom the LORD knew face to face,” (Dt. 34:10).

For those of you who think it unfair for Moses to be punished for a sin he had committed (Numbers 20) and therefore not go into the Promised Land, I would say, who are we to judge God? Hey, He was probably giving the old man a break after spending the last 40 years with these people grumbling in the wilderness!

Here’s the truth of the matter: Moses was special to God and Moses did finally go to the Promised Land!!! It was a very special occasion and we read about it in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Take a look at Luke’s account – 9: 28 Now about eight days after these sayings he [Jesus] took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure [the original Greek word here is EXODUS!], which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. (ESV)

Whoa!!! Moses (and Elijah) meet Jesus on a mountain top in the Promised Land some 1300 or so years after Moses has died! Moses sees Jesus transfigured! And they talk about Jesus’ exodus that is about to take place!!! Whereas Moses’ exodus led the Israelites out of the bondage of slavery in Egypt, Jesus’ exodus (death & resurrection) will lead all who follow Him out of the bondage of sin and death. Moses had to feel pretty special that he was called in on this meeting. I’m sure Moses realized that his exodus was a foreshadowing of the Messiah’s. How do I know it was a foreshadowing/prophecy? Check this out:

Hebrews 3:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest. 2 For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house.3 But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. 4 For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God. 5 Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. 6 But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ. 7 That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, 8 don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. . . .

12 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. ¹⁵As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

(NTL)

If you have never committed your life to God and put your trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior, why not do it today? “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” He will take you just as you are. He will deliver you from the slavery of sin in your life. He will rescue you from the enemies you face. And one glorious day, you too, will see the Promised Land (Heaven). Think carefully about this Jesus (Heb. 3:1). If you would like to talk to me about this, please let me know. Write me at mary@merryministries.com .

Mary

Mary Willis

www.merryministries.com

Happy 2012! Merry Ministries Begins January 10 & 11

Mary Willis — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:24:43 +0000

Happy New Year!!!

I hope you had a blessed Christmas and that your new year is off to a great start. I have enjoyed spending extra time with my family.

Merry Ministries begins our new semester next week and I am ready to see you all.

We are really picking up the pace this semester to move more quickly through the Old Testament. We will cover Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges and Ruth this semester. We will look not only at the biblical accounts but I will also bring in some extra historical and cultural information. I will point out prophesies, symbolism, foreshadowings, etc., of Jesus Christ and show how they were fulfilled in the New Testament. I think it was Augustine who first said of the Old and New Testaments: ”The New is in the Old concealed. The Old is in the New revealed.” That is such a true statement!

Would you please spend some time this week praying for God to use me and the MM leadership team as we begin this new year? I truly covet your prayers and I know that many of you pray for me and all of MM weekly. Thank you! Would you also pray that God would speak to you through our study and show you His will for your life? Also, ask Him if there is someone you should invite to join us.

To those of you who listen online, THANK YOU! God bless you and tell your friends to join us online also.

God bless you in 2012. You’re the best!!!

Mary

Merry Ministries Christmas Events!!!

Mary Willis — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:14:10 +0000

We invite you to come to one or both of our Merry Ministries Christmas Events.

Tuesday, December 6th

5:30 – Potluck Dinner in the Great Hall

6:30 – Salvation Army Harbor Light Choir followed by a special Christmas message by Mary

Wednesday, December 7th

9:30 – MM praise team and special Christmas message by Mary

10:45 – Special Christmas music by the Sweet Adelines

11:15 – Potluck luncheon in the Great Hall

Be there or bah humbug on you!

Ho Ho Ho,

Mary

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” which means, God with us.” Matthew 1:23 (Fulfilling Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”)

Mary Willis

Finished Leviticus!!!

Mary Willis — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:58:17 +0000

Wow! We did it . . . Leviticus in three weeks! You all who attended or listened online now know how awesome this book is. The laws that were given by God to Moses for the Israelites were for their good and for God’s glory. The theme of the book was holiness – God is holy and He calls His people to be holy also.

Leviticus is quoted or referred to 90 times in the New Testament. Jesus quotes from Leviticus when He says, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” (Lev. 19:18; Matthew 19:19)

We also saw how Jesus Christ was foreshadowed throughout this book. The most powerful ways He is foreshadowed is through the Seven Feasts commanded by God. The first four have been fulfilled in Christ’s first coming and the last three will be fulfilled in His Second Coming.

Our Christmas events are December 6 & 7. (More about that soon!) We will begin the study of Numbers on January 10 & 11, 2012.

You’re the best!!!

Mary

The Tabernacle in Exodus

Mary Willis — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 01:20:13 +0000

Last week in Merry Ministries we began our study of the tabernacle. We covered chapters 25-29 of Exodus. God’s purpose in having Moses and Israelites build the tabernacle is clear – He wanted to dwell among His people (25:8).

This tabernacle was to be God’s dwelling place. God knew it needed to be something real and visible as the people learned to worship Him, follow His laws and move towards the Promised Land. God dwelt amongst His people in the tabernacle for centuries until an amplified version of it was built in Jerusalem by King Solomon. About a thousand years after that, God dwelt among His people in the flesh when Jesus Christ was born. John 1:1 tells us that “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” 14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us … (Dwelt is literally tabernacled among us.) After Christ died, rose from the grave and later ascended to heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us/believers. When we become believers, the Holy Spirit dwells in us (Luke 11:13; Luke 12:12; Acts 2; Romans 5:5; 1 Cor. 6:^19″Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.” Also see Eph. 1:13-14; & many, many more verses.

God gave Moses very specific instructions for building the tabernacle and all the “furniture” that will go into it. He describes the tabernacle from the inside out. Later, when it is built and described from the outside in.

I had a 3 page handout describing the tabernacle and pictures of the different articles of the tabernacle. Everything about it points ahead or foreshadows Jesus Christ. The following will be a one page handout I worked up for next week as we continue the study.

Seeing Christ in the Tabernacle

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt [tabernacled] among us,” John 1:14 (ESV).

“I have spoken by the prophets and have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets,” Hosea 12:10. (God gave foreshadowings, symbols and prophesies of Jesus Christ through the Tabernacle.)

The materials and colors used to build the Tabernacle and what they may foreshadow in Jesus Christ:

GOLD - His kingship and divinity

SILVER - His blood, redemption (firstborn male was redeemed by a blood sacrifice or silver)

BRONZE/BRASS - fire, judgment; Jesus is the ultimate Judge

WOOD - His humanity; the Cross

GOAT’S HAIR - sin offering; atonement; Christ atoned for our sins.

RAM SKIN - substitutionary sacrifice; (Gen. 22); Christ was our substitutionary sacrifice

SEA COW/BADGER SKIN/ - exact translation not known, but this was the outermost covering and it gave protection and provision just as Christ does for us.

OIL - Holy Spirit; light; Jesus is the light of the world

INCENSE - priesthood; prayers of the saints (Rev. 8:3-4)

WATER - Jesus was the living water (John 4:10-14; 7:37-38); also baptism

BREAD - Jesus was the bread of life (John 6:41-58)

JEWELS/PRECIOUS STONES - His priesthood, treasures, heavenly rewards He will give us; foundations of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21)

LINEN - White linen; His holiness and purity; linen was a priestly fabric; Christ is our high priest

BLUE - Heaven, where Christ is now

PURPLE - royal majesties; Christ is the King of kings

SCARLET - His blood; earthly glory

The furniture/articles of the Tabernacle also foreshadow Jesus:

ARK - wood covered with gold signifying His humanity covered with divinity;

MERCY SEAT (ATONEMENT COVER) - By the mercy of Christ, His blood atones for our sins.

ALTAR OF INCENSE - prayers of believers as a sweet aroma to God (Ps.141:2; Rev. 5:8; 8:3-4)

GOLDEN LAMPSTAND - made of pure gold showing His pure divinity; The design of the vine and the branches points to Jesus in John 15:5 -”I am the vine; you are the branches.” Also, “I am the light of the world,” John 9:5.

TABLE OF BREAD - points to Jesus as the Bread of Life (John 6) and His humanity covered in divinity again.

VEIL - Christ’s flesh torn for us (Mark 15:38; Hebrews 10:19)

DOOR - only one door, one way in to God; John 10:9 “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved ” John 14:6 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

HIGH PRIEST - Jesus is our High Priest – Hebrews 4:14-15 - “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” See also Hebrews 2:17; 3:1; 5:5; 5:10; 6:20;7:23-28; 8:1-3; 9:11.