Choice: “An act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities. And “The choice between good and evil.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Preface
I’ve used a woman to picture Lucifer. In chapter 28, Ezekiel described Lucifer as: “You were the seal of perfection. Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.”
I created this image with AI. I know I’m no Picasso. And I could not make a male beautiful. The right arm is hidden. It is what you don’t see that will harm you. The snake (serpent) is coiled to bite. I’ve taught my children and grandchildren with a metaphor, “If you play with a rattlesnake, eventually you’re going to be bitten.” Such is Lucifer.
Her hand is over her heart, swearing she is telling the truth. Jesus said of Satan in John 8:44: “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. He speaks a lie from his own resources.”
I was taught never to believe a person who will not look you in the eyes or begins every sentence with the adverb “honestly.”
“For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14
Karen Next Door?
Your enemy is not “Karen” next door: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age.” Ephesians 6:12
But to do fear: “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” I John: 4:4
Only God can create something from nothing. Satan has attempted to emulate God’s creation by corrupting it. But 99 counterfeit dollar bills do not make a real one fake.
Satan counterfeits sex, marriage, religion, and even the Bible today. Hold them all up to the light of the truth of the Word of God, the Bible.
I Googled Take control of your life for this article. One gentleman writes, “The more control you have over your life, the more responsible you feel for your success.” All of the articles I read included control, positive thinking, and feeling good. But what does God’s Word, the Bible, say?
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“And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Genesis 3:1
“Did God say?” was the first lie on this planet. The fallen angel Lucifer spoke it in the Garden of Eden. Lucifer repeats this lie over and over again on TV, radio, social media, and in many pulpits across America that once spoke the truth of the gospel.
And no, the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” was not an apple tree. It essentially gave Adam and Eve the power to decide morality for themselves. This act denied God’s authority in their lives. Man is now in control, and oh what a tangled web of rebellion he has created.
The First Lie Ever Spoken
I’ve heard “Did God Say” packaged and repackaged in hundreds of ways in the press and pulpit. Lucifer, known as Satan today, wants us to think we can’t trust God. So Satan attacks the accuracy of the Word of God. Satan wants us to think we can’t believe the Word of God, the Bible.
The Second Lie Ever Spoken
Then Satan tells Eve another lie, “You will not surely die.” Satan wants us to believe there is no punishment for rebelling against God—sin. Satan wants us to think there is no eternal separation from God because of sin—hell. Tell the Judge of the universe that.
Satan’s Explanation
Satan explains to Eve why God lied. “For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Now, Eve, you will be enlightened. Reminds me of what we were told in college if we did LSD.
Man Wants to be in Control
Satan tells Eve what he said of himself in Isaiah 14:14: “You will be like the Most High.”
It’s the same lie we hear daily: You can be like God. You are in control. You are your own God. You are a God. It’s all about me, myself, and I. No one can tell me what I can and can not do. You are in control of your body, not God.
I’ve tried being in control over the years. Spoiler alert—it does not work. You’ll lose your peace, joy, direction, purpose, and life. We were created in God’s image. He is the potter, and we are the clay.
Take hold of God’s pottery wheel, and what a mess we make.
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I remind myself daily that any decision I surrender to the Lord will have the best results. Easier said than done, I know. But Lord, I want to do My Way as Frank Sinatra sang. It’s almost as if He says, let me know how that works for you. No, He didn’t say that to me.
Life is a battle of the “wills.” Jesus faced death on the cross and separation from God, the Father. Jesus, God the Son, surrendered his will to God the Father.
Jesus paid our debt for our sins. The Just for the unjust. The Righteous for the unrighteous. The sinless Lamb of God for the sinner, you and me.
Dr. Luke records Jesus’s words. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.” Luke 22:42
Jesus died on that infamous tree, the cross, so you and I don’t have to. Thank God Almighty. He made that choice so we can spend eternity with Him and our loved ones in Heaven.
Thanks be to Christ. He gave His lifeblood and his body for us. He chose us over Himself on the cross of Calvary. How precious are we to Him?
Accept that gift today. Make the right choice. Choose Jesus—today. You will never regret it.
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” Revelation 12:11
The Thief
“The thief does not come except to steal, kill, and destroy,” Jesus said in John 10:10. “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Only God can create life. Satan convinces people to kill God’s gift of life through greed, revenge, and anger on our roads. He influences the murder of millions of our most innocent, the unborn, in the name of control. You are in control of the life in your body, your baby, not God, Satan declares to the world.
Satan is a liar and the father of lies. Satan is the source of all lies. Jesus said of Satan in John 8:44: “He was a murderer from the beginning…”
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…” Jeremiah 1:5
“Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven,” Jesus said in Matthew 19:14.
Jesus also said in Matthew 18:6, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned.”
There are insatiable desires in man: appetites, recognition, money, and lust. Many are always wanting more, bigger, and better things. This is nothing new.
The eyes of man are never satisfied, the scripture records. Our restless heart cannot find contentment in worldly possessions. We seem to be always seeking more. And more is never enough.
Man has a hole in his heart. It’s a void, an emptiness. We can never fill it with relationships or money. Nor can an endless array of entertainment or stimulants fill it. Family and religion cannot fill this emptiness either.
Why? Only God can fill the “hole in our hearts.” Jesus Christ can and will satisfy that sense of longing and emptiness. We are designed—created—for God alone to occupy our souls: our heart, our mind, our will, our emotions.
This is the “hole in our hearts” that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, will fill if you accept God’s sacrifice for your sins through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. —Psalm 139:13
We need a personal relationship with the Lord of Creation, Jesus. This means a one-on-one connection with God in the Flesh. Jesus, the Christ of the Bible, fulfills this role. Only He can. He alone can fill the longings of our hearts.
Millions try pills, drugs, and alcohol. History is littered with those who have taken this route. Some try education, career, family, and religion. My friend, only Jesus can fill the longing in our hearts. He alone can fill the hole in your heart—your soul—your mind.
Jesus loves you. He came to this earth because of that love. Jesus was beaten, and a crown of thorns was pressed into his head. His beard was plucked out. He was nailed to a cross naked. Shedding his blood, God’s blood for you and me.
His coat was gambled for. And dying high on that hill called Calvary so all could see—while his beloved mother wept. His disciples, who had witnessed His miracles, all fled—save one. Despised, mocked, and rejected, he prayed.
Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots. —Luke 23:34
All of this for you and me. That’s how much he loves you and me.
Do you want joy and peace, and a sense of purpose? Do you long to know why Holy God in Heaven created you? Is His intent to jerk you up by the “nap of your shirt” and then condemn you with a smirk? Not hardly.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. —John 3:17
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Is your heart broken? Have your dreams failed? Are you overwhelmed? Are you oppressed? Jesus said in Luke 4:18:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed. —Luke 4:18
This is the most extraordinary destiny ever offered to mankind. The question is why?
You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. —Habakkuk 1:13
The Lord God in Heaven cannot look upon sin, for He is Holy. Yet He loves us, sinful man, and has provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him. To spend eternity with Him in a place He has prepared for us called Heaven.
Yes, This is the story of this most extraordinary destiny ever offered to mankind.
Let’s begin with the last invitation in the Word of God, which is in Revelation 22:17.
“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” —Revelation 22:17
Are you thirsty? Then come. Let him who hears come. And whosoever will, can come.
The invitation is to you—to me—to “whosoever will”—to everyone!
Bring your disappointments, failures, fears, and heartaches. The Holy Spirit says, Come to Jesus, our Savior.
God loves you. He wants to save you. He will save you. Come to Jesus, and drink the water of life freely.
Christ suffered, He bled, He died because He loves you and me. Listen to the still voice of the Holy Spirit, bidding you come to Jesus.
Don’t wait—come today! The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:2 today is the day of salvation.
The Ends of the Earth
Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. —Isaiah 45:22
All you ends of the earth” includes the Aboriginal people of the Central Australian desert.
All you ends of the earth” are those in darkest Africa.
All you ends of the earth” are the isolated tribes in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil.
All you ends of the earth” are presidents, world leaders, and kings.
All you ends of the earth” is the polished lawyer, the gifted doctor, and the brilliant college professor.
All you ends of the earth” is the prostitute. It is the drug dealer. It is the rapist. It is the thief. It is the murderer.
All the ends of the earth is me—and you. Come today!
Why a Bronze Serpent
“So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was if a serpent had bitten anyone when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. —Numbers 21:19
Bronze represents judgment. The serpent is destructive, deceptive, and the most dangerous creature you will ever encounter. He is our adversary and the father of all lies. His name is Satan.
He does not appear with horns, a red cape, and an ugly face. Instead, he appears as an angel of light and says, what harm can what I offer do? No one will know. No one will be hurt.
It’s your body. You are in control. You can be your own god. You can be like god. No one can tell you what you can and can’t do. He is Satan, and he comes to destroy God’s most cherished and loved creation: You.
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. —John 10:10
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As mentioned Satan transforms himself into an angel of light. “Take a little cocaine,” Satan whispers. “It will make you feel good. No one will know. You’re not hurting anyone.”
The Greek term pharmakeia, in the Bible, is the root of the word “pharmacy,” in English. Pharmakeia is used in the New Testament (Galatians 5:20; Revelation 9:21; 18:23) to describe sorcery, witchcraft, and drug-related magic.
Jesus says, He has come that we may have life and have it more abundantly. Choose an abundant life in Jesus today.
You don’t need hangouts, hangups, or hangovers. You need a personal relationship with the Lord of Creation, who created the Universe and you. Jesus is His name.
In that relationship lies your future, your blessed Hope, your salvation, and your joy. And your Christ blood bought destiny. Choose your destiny today. It has already been paid for with Jesus’s lifeblood on the cross of Calvary. But you must accept God’s free gift of eternal life. That is done through faith in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.
Faith, not in yourself, but Jesus Christ. Faith in what Jesus has done, not in what you have done.
For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. —2 Corinthians 11:14
You and I have been bitten by sin, like the Israelite’s who followed Moses out of Egyptian bondage.
The Israelites had to choose whether to put their faith in God. It was a simple act of faith, but a life-or-death decision. We too face such a choice.
Those who looked lived. Those who looked were healed. Those who looked were made whole. Those who looked were saved. They didn’t wait until they were better people. They didn’t have to touch it. They just looked.
Jesus tells us in John 3:14-15 that this is a picture of Him being lifted up on the Cross of Calvary.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. —John 3:14-15
The bronze serpent represented the people’s sin. According to the Scriptures, Christ was made sin for us.
Will you look to Jesus?—will you put your trust in Him?—the One who died for your sins.
Will you put your faith in Jesus?—the One who shed His lifeblood for you—and me.
My son Aaron Willis’s Two Automobile Accidents
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. —Hebrews 13:2
April 20, 2026, was not my son, Aaron Willis’s first miracle. In both cases, the Holy Spirit spoke to me. Each morning, I plead the blood of Jesus, as found in Revelation 12:11, and I pray Psalm 91 for protection over my family.
I was awakened very early on April 20 by the Holy Spirit. I did not know what was going on, but I knew I needed to pray for my family.
It’s difficult to explain how I knew the Holy Spirit was speaking. It’s like there was a disturbance in my soul. As if my piece in the Lord is not right. Such an inadequate way to explain that feeling, I know.
But once I prayed, an overwhelming peace came over me. The Apostle Paul writes of this peace from prison in Philippi.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. —Philippians 4:7
My son, Aaron Willis’s truck early on April 20, 2026
That’s my red GMC pickup with the taillights flashing. I arrived before the police, fire truck, and ambulance on April 20.
Aaron crawled through the windshield before it collapsed and called me.
The same day after Aaron’s release from the hospital, he went to the towing company to make sure he had all his possessions. Notice the collapsed driver’s side.
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But this was not the first time Aaron was almost killed in an automobile accident.
When Aaron was in high school, he was in another automobile accident. His back was broken so severely that the doctors said he might never walk again.
Several vertebrae in his lower back were fused. After that, he was able to begin the long task of healing from the spinal fusion surgery. He was encased in a rigid plastic back brace from his neck to his waist.
Months later, his doctor agreed to let him briefly remove the brace and shower as long as someone was with him.
Divorced, I was driving to pick Aaron and his brothers up for the weekend. Unbeknownst to me, his brother Josh helped him remove the brace as the doctor had instructed. Aaron could take a hot shower in his shorts. Josh, his brother, was with him, but was much smaller than Aaron at that time. Aaron’s doctor approved this protocol.
I began to exit to stop at the Austin post office on St. Johns, off Interstate 35, when a small but clear voice said, “You need to go now.” I had known this voice since my youth.
I passed the post office exit. I drove as fast as possible to Wimberley, an hour away. I wondered what that warning was about.
There were no cell phones then. As I entered their mother’s home, I asked their mother where Aaron was. She said in the shower.
I ran to it, and the moment I entered the bathroom, Aaron said, “Dad, I’m dizzy.”
I stepped into the shower and placed my arms under his armpits from behind. He immediately passed out.
I told Josh to help me move him to a bed while their mother called 911. His dead weight was more than I could have imagined.
We got him onto a bed without re-injuring his back. I knew if he had fallen, he probably would have been paralyzed.
I prayed as I followed the ambulance to the emergency room at Austin’s Seton Medical Center. I noticed the symbol on the back of the ambulance.
It was the American Medical Association’s (AMA) logo of a serpent wrapped around a staff.
The sign of healing medicine reminded me of the bronze serpent that Moses lifted up on the staff. Christians believe that’s where the symbol originated.
But, more importantly, it reminded me of Jesus being lifted up on a cross for my son. God’s son suffered in place of my son.
To this day, I cannot see that symbol without giving thanks to the Lord for that warning. I remember the shed blood of Christ lifted high upon a cross. It was for my son’s sins, my sins, your sins, and the entire world’s sins.
When we arrived at the hospital’s emergency room, the doctors gave him intravenous (IV) fluids. They also gave him two bottles of Gatorade for dehydration.
The hot shower, combined with pain medication and his early morning dehydration, caused his blood to rush to his feet. This resulted in him fainting.
Look
Will you look to the One lifted up on a cross for you and me? Will you look to the Great Physician—Jesus—to heal you of all your pain, emptiness, and disappointments?
Will you look to Jesus? He took your place on the cross and died for your sins. Through Him alone, you can be made new, whole, and born again.
Which Thief Are You?
Jesus hung between two thieves (criminals) on a cross. One rejected Him, but the other put his faith in Him.
“Will You remember me when You enter Your kingdom?” one thief asks.
Jesus replied, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
Both of those men were guilty of crimes serious enough to warrant the Roman death penalty. One put his trust in Jesus, and the other chose not to.
The question is, which thief on the cross are you? The one who said yes or the one who said no?
Now, there was the third cross that day. It was for another criminal named Barabbas, and he represents us.
Jesus was crucified on a cross meant for Barabbas—it was your cross—it was my cross, too.
Come Just As You Are
Come just as you are.
Will you say yes to Jesus—today?
There’s a Scripture that I love, and it explains things so clearly even I can understand.
If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart, man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. —Romans 10:9-10
You can settle this question in heaven and on earth today. Say yes to Jesus. Accept His pardon, just as that one thief did on the cross. There are no prescriptive or mandated words. Praying is just talking to the Lord.
A Knock at The Door to Your Heart
Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” — Revelation 3:20
Self Improvement
Self-improvement will not qualify you for salvation, for God’s Word says, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10)
Comparing yourself to others will not work either: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
We seek to commend ourselves to God. However, God says our good works are like filthy rags in His sight [Isaiah 64:6]. If we are ever accepted in the eyes of Holy God, it must be through Christ our Lord.
There is no other way, as says Habakkuk 1:13: “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness.”
If you could be good enough to pay for your sins, think about this. Why did Jesus have to die for you?
Jesus bore your cross and my cross. He took our place on the cross. He shed His blood for our sins on that cross high on a hill for all the world to see.
The Just for the unjust. The Righteous for the unrighteous. The Godly for the ungodly. The sinless Lamb of God for the sinner.
According to the Bible, we all have feet of clay and fall short of God’s glory. Our righteousness is described in the Bible as filthy rags. God’s grace (his undeserved favor) is available to us all. However, we must accept His gift of forgiveness. This gift was bought and paid for with Jesus Christ’s lifeblood on the cross. You can say yes to Jesus’s free gift right now.
Our greatest need is forgiveness. Christ came to forgive us, but we must accept that free gift. Jesus said in Revelation 3:20:
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. —Revelation 3:20
Jesus knocks, but you must open the door to your heart, to your life, to your future.
The most famous words ever written.
For God so loved the world. He gave His only begotten Son. Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. —John 3:16
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If these words are how you feel in your heart, then pray:
Heavenly Father,
I pray to You, asking for the forgiveness of my sins.
I confess with my mouth. I believe with my heart that Jesus is Your Son. He died on the cross at Calvary so that I might be forgiven.
Father, I believe that Jesus rose from the dead. I ask Jesus to come into my life as my personal Lord and Savior.
I turn from my sins and will surrender to your will throughout my life.
Your word is truth. I confess with my mouth that I am born again. I am cleansed by the blood of Jesus!
In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen!
Reach out and touch Him today!
For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well. —Matthew 9:21
How did I come to know Christ?
I was headed to Temple Baptist Church with Grandma, and my owner’s manual: the Bible. It was Grandma Lillie Hanks Willis who first poured Jesus into me; sometimes, she even used words. That’s my dog Pedro wanting to follow me.
We attended Temple Baptist Church in Clute, Texas, every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. It seemed that everyone attended church in those days.
On a hot Wednesday night in August, 1958, my mother could not attend church. I walked to church from our home at 519 Coleman Street. My twelve-year-old sister Marjorie accompanied me. I was only eight.
I had no intention of that night being any different from any other. I cannot recall a word Pastor Bill Campbell said in his sermon. But I remember vividly another voice that spoke to my mind—my heart—my spirit.
It was not an audible voice. It was a still, gentle voice, tender but ever so clear, telling me to go forward and accept Christ as my Savior.
I recall my response to the Holy Spirit as if it were five minutes ago: “Lord, I am too shy. I would if my mother were here to go with me.”
I felt someone touch my left shoulder. My sister Marjorie was sitting in the back row with her friends. She could not see my face, for I was seated near the front.
She said, “I’ll go with you if you want me to.” I immediately stood, walked with her to the front of the church, and made my decision public.
I know you do not have to have an experience like that to be born again. Nevertheless, I am grateful for that experience; it has never left my mind or my heart.
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I know you don’t have to walk down an aisle in a church to be saved, but as the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel.” I wasn’t either.
Did I understand Matthew 10:32: “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.” No. In fact, I may have known less than the thief on the cross. Now, that’s an exaggeration since I was given a Bible at age six and was reading it. I don’t recall how much I understood from age six to eight.
But what I do know the Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart to go forward that night down an aisle in front of a congregation in a tiny church to make my decision public.
Much later, I realized that everyone Jesus called, He did publicly, with the possible exception of Nicodemus. Walking down an aisle doesn’t save you. Joining a church doesn’t save you. Joining a denomination doesn’t save you.
It just happened to be where I heard the gospel of Jesus Christ that night and said yes. So please don’t let anyone tell you walking down an aisle has sent more people to hell than anything else. Only the Lord knows your heart, not any “ism” or man.
Did I understand all that as an eight-year-old boy? No, but through faith I put my trust in Jesus Christ that night in front of the congregation at a tiny Baptist Church on a Wednesday night in a small town.
You may have done this at home, at work, or while reading the Bible. You can do this on a creek bank, in jail, in a bar, in a fancy hotel, or in a cardboard box in a homeless camp.
God can not be boxed into any religion, ism, denomination, place, or man-made tradition.
I was eight, almost nine, when I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior.
More Photos of Aaron Willis
Josh, Adam & Aaron Willis skiing a few years after the auto accident.
Aaron, Randy, Josh, and Adam Willis.
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Aaron Willis Hyde Park Baptist Church Austin 1991
Aaron and Alana’s daughter, Presley Willis, Wimberley, First Baptist
Aaron and Alana’s daughter, Baylee Willis, Wimberley, First Baptist.
Alana, Baylee, Presley, and Aaron Willis, Maui, Hawaii
My Family
Children’s children are the crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father. —Proverbs 17:6
L to R: Presley Willis, Baylee Willis holding Baby Violet Willis, Corbin Willis, and Olivia Willis holding Juliette Willis
Our family in Port Aransas, Texas
Our Family Costa Rica
Our Family Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
Our family is in my “backyard” in the Texas Hill Country. I took this photo.
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I found this charred letter from my pastor, Dr. Ralph Smith, after my home burned in the Texas Hill Country. It was the encouragement I needed.
“Many today have just enough religion to inoculate them from knowing Christ.” —Randy Willis
