Thursday, July 15, 2010

Seeking the Secrets of the Kingdom 7-15-10

Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of kings, Lord of lords, be King of my heart and Lord of my life today. … “He said, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of God…’ ” (Luke 8:10). Like searching for gold, there are secrets of Your Kingdom that wait for those who seek them. Like treasures hidden in a field, they are buried to be found by those who will take the time to dig and persist until they hold the thing they seek in their hands. They are not secret because You don’t want us to know them and they are not hidden because You don’t want us to find them. But You’ve created us to grow in wisdom as we pursue our reward. It’s not just the destination that’s important, but also who we are becoming in the journey. It’s not just what we hold in our hands at the end of the day or come to believe in our minds by an intellectual assent to truth by the end of our lives that matters, but also all that we learn from our mistakes about Your nature and ours, as You form our nature into Your nature all along the way. This is how we come to know the secrets of the Kingdom of God. “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Luke 11:9-10, NKJV). Lord, give me that anointing—the anointing of the seeker, the anointing of one who’s always hungry for more—always asking, always seeking, always knocking. “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out” (Proverbs 25:2). What secrets of Your Kingdom have You set before me to seek out and discover today? … I’ll know it when I find it, but I’ll only find it if I first embrace the hunger You’re stirring in my spirit to seek for it. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Morning by Morning, Wednesday 7-14-10 – Redeemer and Restorer of Life Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek Your face every morning; I need Your grace every moment. … “Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, ‘My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you’” (Ruth 3:1). You created each of us with a deep need for security—a deep need for a sense of belonging, being honored and respected for who we are, grounded in our true identity and growing into our true destiny. Only when we have that sense of security deep down in our soul may it truly be well with us. Naomi knew that need for herself and for her daughter-in-law Ruth. Both were widowed, both were no longer secure in the lives they’d had because of the tragedies and tribulations of life. But even out of her own insecurities, You moved in Naomi’s heart to seek that security for Ruth. So she encouraged Ruth to seek the one who would be her security and redeem the brokenness of her life (v. 2-18). Naomi sent Ruth to Boaz, who would become Ruth’s husband and become Ruth’s redeemer, restoring her name and her inheritance of both land and descendants under the customs of Israel (v. 4:1-13). Not only would Boaz become Ruth’s redeemer, but he would become Naomi’s as well. Ruth and Boaz would bear a son—a grandson Naomi would embrace in her arms, loved and secure, with the blessing all who saw what God had done: “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him” (v. 4:14-15). Naomi who sought the security of a redeemer for Ruth found that very security for herself. What she had sown she also reaped; by the measure she gave she also received. And not only did Ruth and Naomi receive the blessing of the security of a redeemer. But their blessing would become our blessing. Ruth and Boaz had a son named Obed, who had a son named Jesse, who had a son named David. And one day David would have a Descendent who would be known as the Son of David, the Son of Man, the Son of God. And His name was Jesus. He would be our blessing of security and our redeemer. Because of the security we would find in Him, it would be well with us. Lord Jesus, You are my security. You are my redeemer and “the restorer of life” (v. 4:15). Only in You can it be well within me. But in You, it is well with my soul. And in You I have every need for longing and belonging fulfilled, as You ground me in my true identity and grow me into my true destiny. Like Naomi and Ruth, may I find that for myself even as I seek it for others. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! This Friday Night July 16th at 7PM, the 3rd Friday Night of every month, for our Messiah Ministries monthly city-wide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Led by Messiah Ministries and hosted at Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky. Come drink deeply from The Fountain of Living Waters as we worship Jesus in the freedom of His Holy Spirit. Sandy Boven will be leading in Prayer while Allison Elsworth will be leading in Worship All are welcome and please spread the word! Contact Marilyn Walker, our Dir. of Ministries for details 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com Aldersgate 2010 National Conference on Spirit-Filled Living July 14-18 Come join us for Aldersgate in Charleston, WV this summer. I'll be teaching an equipping session on emotional healing and serving on the prophetic ministry and prayer ministry teams. Our great friend Heather Butler from Wales will be teaching on prophetic ministry. Randy Clark will be the keynote speaker on healing and Craig Marsh will be ministering in his gifts of the miraculous, along with many other teachers and speakers for what's always a highlight of my summer: www.aldersgate2010.org See you there! July 30-August 1, 2010 Healing Prayer Weekend at Asbury Inn, Wilmore, Kentucky. Come away for a powerful weekend retreat with times of teaching, personal prayer ministry in a safe setting of worship that welcomes the healing Presence of God. Led by Tommy Hays, along with our worship team and prayer ministry teams. For more information or to Register for our Healing Prayer Weekend… ClickHereForMoreInfoOrToRegisterHealingPrayerWeekend September 8-11, 2010 -- The Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry- Level I Join us for a focused time of teaching, equipping, personal ministry, worship and impartation for healing prayer ministry led by Tommy Hays and our teaching team of experienced prayer ministers. We will study and experience a Biblical perspective of the ministry of healing and wholeness of spirit, soul and body, and apply the foundational principles of the Kingdom of God for prayer ministry. The course combines dynamic classroom teaching in a small group setting with personal hands-on experience as students receive personal ministry and are guided in ministry for others. For more information or to Register for The Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry: ClickHereForMoreInfoOrToRegisterFountainSchoolLevelOne or contact Marilyn Walker, DirOfMinistries@aol.com or cell 859-317-1591 Subscribe for free by email to me at Messiah Ministries: MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org To order my books and our ministry resources or contribute to our ministry on-line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Messiah Ministries; 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 God bless you!