The Fire and The Fountain 4-13-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Welcome in my heart and welcome in my day. ... We have all sinned and fallen short of Your glory; there is none without sin (Romans 3.21-26). We all stand guilty before You with the Gentiles who pierced You with the nails and with the Jews who pierced You with their words. Yet there is no sin the Blood of the Lamb cannot cleanse and no sinful nature the Fire of Your Spirit cannot purify. It is Your will to convict us of the sin in our hearts with godly sorrow that leads to repentance, because it is Your will to pour out Your mercy and restore us to intimacy with You. Let Your purifying fire continually burn in our hearts to expose the sin of our souls, that we may draw nearer to You than ever before, unhindered by the nature of our flesh. As You prophesied over Israel long before Your coming and dying in the flesh, so You continue to prophesy over all who stand convicted of sin and in need of the One Who forgives and redeems: "And I will pour out a spirit of compassion and supplication on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that, when they look on the One Whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over Him, as one weeps over a firstborn. ... On that day a Fountain shall be opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity" (Zechariah 12.10-13.1). May the Spirit of the One we have pierced begin to pierce our hearts. Pour out Your spirit of conviction so that You may pour our Your spirit of mercy. The Holy Fire of Your Spirit that purifies us from all sin is the same Holy Fire that burns in our hearts with a passion for You. The fires of Your purity will make us parched of thirst to drink deeply from the Fountain of Your Living Water. You are The Fire and You are The Fountain. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please Come to The Fountain this Sat night 4/16 at 7pm in the Chapel of Centenary Methodist in Lexington -- our ministry's monthly citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Every month is different as the Spirit leads our unplanned time in His Presence. All are welcome, so please spread the word and please cover us in prayer if you can't come. It's the 3rd Sat night of each month. To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!