A Willis Family Thanksgiving: 405 Years

by Randy Willis

Background

This year celebrates the 405th anniversary of the arrival of the Mayflower in Plymouth Bay on December 20, 1620.

In 1620, a small group of Separatists fled England. They left via Plymouth Sound. This area is situated between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west. It is located in the county of Devonshire.

Besides fleeing religious persecution and seeking a place to worship without fear, they also wanted greater opportunities. The Mayflower was the aging ship that transported them. They sailed from Plymouth, on the southern coast of England, bound for the New World, seeking their new Plymouth. There were only 102 passengers and a crew of about 30 aboard the tiny 110-foot vessel.

They found their new home and named it Plymouth Colony. They became known as the Pilgrims, a term that originated in William Bradford’s journal, Of Plimoth Plantation. Five died during the voyage, and another forty-five of the 102 immigrants died in the first winter.

There, they signed the Mayflower Compact in 1620, which established a rudimentary form of democracy. It establishes self-government. It would be echoed in the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The government’s power would come from the people, not from any king, religious leader, or ruler.

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Fifteen years after the Mayflower voyage, 29-year-old John Willis sails on the ship Paul. He departs from Gravesend, situated on the south bank of the Thames River near London.

John Willis arrives in St. Christopher (a.k.a. St. Kitts) in the West Indies, on April 3, 1635. Within days, he made his way to the New World—America. He arrived in Plymouth Colony carrying his hopes and dreams of a better way of life. These dreams would be passed on to subsequent generations, including my family.

It is there that John Willis becomes friends with the Governor of Plymouth Colony, William Bradford.

John Willis (a.k.a. Deacon John Willis) was the first deacon in Plymouth Church.

William Bradford was the Governor of Plymouth Colony when John arrived in 1635. John Willis held offices in Duxbury in 1637 and at Bridgewater in the 1650s.

In 1648, John Willis was a juror at the murder trial of Alice Bishope, charged with killing her daughter, Martha Clarke. Every person would have their day in court if accused of a crime.

Alice Bishope, 32, was found guilty of murder and hanged on the gallows in Plymouth for the murder of her four-year-old daughter. The transcripts of the trial online are as fascinating as a John Grisham novel

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A century later, John Willis’s direct descendant, Joseph Willis, would marry a direct descendant of William Bradford, Rachel Bradford.

Joseph Willis would go on to preach the first evangelical sermon west of the Mississippi River in 1798. The vast land stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the far north, the Canadian border. This land was called the Louisiana Territory.

I’m the 4th great-grandson of Joseph Willis and Rachel Bradford Willis.

A Willis Family Thanksgiving: 405 years to be exact. Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours. —Randy Willis

Thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings. ~ Governor William Bradford (November 29, 1623)

In 1623, Governor William Bradford proclaimed November 29 as a time for pilgrims to gather. They joined with their Native American friends. Together, they gave thanks.

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From 1621 to 1623, they suffered hunger and nearly starved to death. The Pilgrims were deeply religious, but they were so hungry that they stole food from their starving fellow workers.

Governor William Bradford wrote:

Some complained they were too weak to work. Young men complained because they had to work hard to feed other men and their wives and children. Women rebelled when ordered to cook for men not their husbands or when asked to wash their clothes. They said they were little better than slaves, and their husbands said they would not permit their womenfolk to do that kind of labor.

In 1623, they turned away from communal socialist living and the common storehouse. They gave each family a parcel of land for its own use. Each family would plant their own crops. And it worked.

Quoting again from William Bradford:

Women went into the fields willingly, taking their children along with them. All women, men, and children planted as much corn as they felt they could possibly work. People who had formerly complained that they were too weak to dig or hoe, declaring that it was tyranny to make them undertake such work, gladly began to plant and cultivate for themselves. When the harvest was brought in, instead of famine, there was plenty. So they all gave thanks to God.

In 1623, Governor William Bradford proclaimed November 29 as a time for pilgrims to gather. The Pilgrims “exercised their arms” as part of their festivities. The Indians heard the gunfire. They rushed to aid their new friends, as promised in their treaty with the Pilgrims.

Once they arrived, William Bradford invited them to join the celebration. A few returned to get the rest of the tribe, and soon, more than 90 Indians joined the celebration. They stayed for three days.

William Bradford’s proclamation contained these words: “Thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.”

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Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll, that for the days to come it may be an everlasting witness. —Isaiah 30:8

My maternal Great-grandmother was Mary Stark Oliver Hanks (1860 – 1931).

She traveled by covered wagon with her parents, John M. Stark and Marie Deroussel, to Branch, Louisiana, and later, in 1910, to Lecompte, Louisiana.

Mary Stark often spoke of the panthers screaming in the woods. “They screamed in the trees just like a woman,” she said.

Her daughter and my sainted Grandmother Lillie Hanks Willis would have more effect on my life than any other person. Every time a dilemma arose in my life, I would seek her advice. Her answer was always the same: “What would Jesus do, Rand?”

Rand, that was her nickname for me. “Is there any decision that, if you allow the Lord to make, is not the best for your life? Always pray, Rand, not my will, but thy will be done, Lord.” Her advice and kindness still bless me. You could see Jesus in her eyes.

My grandmother told me that each day after school, her mother, Mary Stark, would speak to her. She would say, “Little lady, get some seed potatoes. Take a hoe and go work in the field until suppertime.”

My ancestor William Bradford wrote: “All women, men, and children planted as much corn as they felt they could possibly work.”

And my Great Grandmother told my grandmother, “Take a hoe and go work in the field.”

And as my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ taught, work is a sacred and vital part of life. Let me have the strength to “pick up the hoe, and work.” I will turn 76 next month, when I plow and plant seeds, of faith may my rows be straight.

And may yours be too. Happy Thanksgiving. And thank God Almighty for His blessings.

Grandma Lillie Hanks Willis was the godliest woman I have ever known. When I came to her for advice, her answer was always the same: “Rand, what would Jesus do?” I was mesmerized by her stories of growing up in Louisiana. Grandma told me that when she was a teenager in Forest Hill, she witnessed two brothers hang the principal out the second-floor window by his ankles. That year, 1910, Grandma was 13. Louisiana first mandated compulsory school attendance that year.

As the principal pleaded for his life, the boys kept saying, “Tell us again we have to attend school?”

Within seconds, the principal cried, “No, you don’t. Not ever.”

Grandmother Lillie Gertrude Hanks Willis had three sons. They were Howard Willis, the tallest (1915-1993), Herman Willis, to the right (1918-1977), and my dad, Julian Willis, the smallest (1919-1995). Daddy and Uncle Herman were 11 months apart in age. They would have fought anyone who “threatened each other.” Grandma told me their sibling rivalry was challenging to her. This rivalry lasted all the way through World War II. They both served in the armed forces during that time.

Grandma moved from Branch, Louisiana, to Forest Hill, Louisiana, at age 11. She was a strong believer in Christ and was a staunch Baptist. I remember her deep reverence for the Lord. I remember walking into the church sanctuary in Wardville, Louisiana, with her one day. The pastor, Bob Galloway, was teaching a Sunday school class. He looked up from his notes and asked, Mrs. Willis, ‘What does Christ do with our sins? ‘” Without hesitation, she answered, “He throws them as far as the east is from the west.”

Daddy and Mama, and my future half-sister Marjorie. Dinner on the Grounds. Longleaf Baptist Church. Longleaf, Louisiana. 1948, a year before I was born.

Every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night, we were at Temple Baptist Church in Clute. It seemed to me that everyone attended church.

On a Wednesday night, my mother could not attend. So, I walked to church from our home on Coleman Street with my twelve-year-old sister Marjorie. I was only eight years old. 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 was five minutes ago. “Lord, I’m too shy. I would if my mother was 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 have seen my face, for I was seated near the front.

She said, “I’ll go with you if you want me to.” I immediately stood and 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 saved. Nevertheless, I’m so grateful for that experience; it has never left my mind or my heart.

Christmas 1956, 519 Coleman Street, Clute, Texas
Left to right: Lillie Hanks Willis, Julian Willis, Ruth Willis, Randy Willis (on the floor), Buddy Duke, Jerry Duke, Marjorie Duke, and Dorothy Curbelo.

Thanksgiving Over the Years

Thanksgiving, Left to right: My Grandmother Lillie Willis, Dorothy Curbello, my sister Marjorie, and brother Buddy. I am to the left of Buddy. No one placed their hands on the table until after the prayer. 519 Coleman Street Chute, Texas. circa 1956

Thanksgiving: Uncle Herman Willis on the left. Daddy and Mother. Dorothy and Marjorie on the right. Suppertime, 519 Coleman Street, Clute, Texas.

Suppertime at our humble home, 519 Coleman Street in Clute, Texas, was the best “church service” I ever attended. I saw the love of Jesus around our supper table.

I am the tall guy in the back row. Go figure.

These photos were all taken at our home on Old Danbury Road, three miles from Angleton, in 1966. I am on the left (16). My brother Jerry is to my right.

Mother is turning the crank for homemade ice cream. Three of her grandchildren help: Patricia, Sherry, and Michael.

After church, we had dinner (called lunch today). The evening meal was supper, not dinner. Mother’s fried chicken was cooked in a cast iron skillet. The grease was not hot enough unless you could light a kitchen match in the grease.

Mother cooked pineapple upside-down cake in a cast iron skillet, too. In fact, there’s not much she didn’t cook in one.

Mama also cooked with a cast iron Dutch oven. Chicken and dumplings, Louisiana file gumbo, and turnip greens with a large slice of salt pork. I’m surprised I can get through a metal detector today at the airport.

Then came the best, homemade vanilla pudding covered with vanilla wafers. Mama never used instant pudding or anything else instant, except perhaps me. And the very best homemade vanilla ice cream hand-cranked.

After Sunday dinner, we sometimes watched TV. We rarely had time for that luxury during the week. Daddy had a TV remote control named “Change the channel, Randy.” I was glad there were only three stations, ABC, NBC, and CBS. That was not as bad as going outside in the heat, cold, and rain. We had to turn the TV antenna until we got a signal. Thank God the TV guide later reduced channel surfing.

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And three photos above of the family group on Thanksgiving Day. My brother Buddy was always the cook. The last photo shows mother with all five of her children. They are from left to right: Buddy, me, Johnnie Ruth, Marjorie, and Jerry. Mother would soon relocate to her final destination, Heaven. She was 81.

Her life’s motto was “I’d rather have Jesus.” She is the best woman I have ever known.

Abraham Lincoln once wrote, “All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” That is so true for me today. I know it is true for all five of her children. Three of them are with her in Heaven. Her influence is visible today. It can be seen in the love, commitment, and service of her many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren to Christ.

She raised five children with a spirit as pure as gold and a servant’s heart. Mother had the rare gift of encouragement and always saw the best in people.

This letter that I found in the rubble after my home burned was because of mother’s influence.

But it wasn’t all about Thanksgiving Day.

Paul Stephens baptized my son, Aaron Willis. Hyde Park Baptist Church, Austin, Texas. Dr. Ralph Smith baptized the other two: Josh and Adam Willis.

One Sunday, January 20, 1991, I was driving to Wimberley, Texas, with my three sons, Aaron, Josh, and Adam Willis. The conversation drifted towards the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. When I looked in the rear view mirror, I noticed Aaron had tears in his eyes. A few minutes later, under an oak tree in Wimberley, Aaron accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior. He held hands with his two younger brothers and me. They had made the same decision the year before. Every person Christ called in the New Testament was called publicly. Aaron went forward the following week at Hyde Park Baptist Church. He was baptized that night!

Choose your Destiny

Hell and Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied. —Proverbs 27:20

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There are insatiable desires in man of appetites, recognition, money, and lust. Many are always wanting more, bigger, and better things. This is nothing new.

For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. —2 Corinthians 11:14

The eyes of man are never satisfied, the scripture records. Our restless heart that cannot find contentment in worldly possessions. We seem to be always seeking more.

Man has a hole in his heart. It’s a void, an emptiness. We can never fill it with relationships or money. Nor an endless array of entertainment, stimulants. 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.

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. 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—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 the 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 Like 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

Join me on the most extraordinary destiny ever offered to mankind.

This most extraordinary destiny ever offered to mankind.

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.

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, it 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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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 blood 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.

“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 Automobile Accident

Some years ago, my eldest son, Aaron, was in an automobile accident. His back was broken so severely that the doctors said he might not ever 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.

Later, his doctor agreed to let him briefly remove the brace and shower as long as someone was with him.

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 instructed by the doctor. Aaron could take a hot shower in his shorts. Josh was with him, but was much smaller than Aaron at that time. Aaron’s doctor approved all of this.

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 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 his 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 arms from his back. 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 his 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 on the staff lifted up by Moses. 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 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 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.

Choose

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

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.

Open

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

Ask

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 for says in 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 on the cross with Jesus Christ’s lifeblood. 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.

It’s not a prescribed list of words. In Luke 23:42, one of the criminals crucified with Jesus pleads, “Lord, remember me when You come into your kingdom. His heartfelt cry of faith from the cross saves him.

Jesus answers in the next verse with a promise. He says, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” The first person to accompany Christ to Heaven was this lowly thief on the cross.

Isn’t it time to decide which “thief” on the cross you are? Are you the one who put his faith in Jesus Christ? Or are you the one who rejected our Savior who gave His lifeblood for us?

The most famous 25 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

Epilogue

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 Wednesday night, 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 and 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.