Cleanse My Temple 3-19-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I center my thoughts on You alone in these first moments of my morning. This one thing do I ask for; this one thing do I seek. ... "Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, it is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you are making it a den of robbers' " (Matthew 21:12-13). The cleansing of the temple was the beginning of the end for You. Your challenges to the religious leaders and religious practices of the day became much more pointed and much more personal. Their pride had replaced prayer; their manipulation had replaced mercy; their rituals had replaced relationship. You had had all You could take. And so had they. "Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the place of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and they conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill Him" (Matthew 26:3-4). Cleanse my temple, Lord (1 Corinthians 3:16). In the conviction that comes from Your love for me, expose the self-centered pride, self-promoting manipulation, and self-deceiving rituals going on in my life that keep my heart from being a house of prayer. Drive out every religious spirit from me that keeps me from the intimacy of the personal relationship of humble surrender and trusting faith in Your love You were willing to die for me to have. They will not go without a fight, and it may look like things get worse before they get better, but the victory is already won "through the blood of (Your) cross" (Colossians 1:20). Give me courage to enforce that victory by Your grace in the temple of my heart as I take up my cross and follow You each day (Matthew 16:24). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'll be teaching a workshop called "Healed and Free to Let the Spirit Flow" at the 2008 International Conference for Lay Pastors Ministry April 25-26, being hosted in Lexington at my home church this year. Please come join us. Register on-line www.laypastors.com Laura Beach of our ministry will also be teaching and my good friends Rev. Greg Gallaher and Mary Beth Ludt will be the plenary speakers. Come to the Fountain! for Good Friday this Friday Night 3/21 at 7 pm -- the 3rd Friday Night of every month -- for our ministry's monthly gathering of people from many different churches and streams of the body of Christ across our city for prayer, praise, and healing worship. This month Sandra White of Bethlehem Farm Ministries and I will lead in prayer while Jeff Green will lead in worship. Hosted in the chapel of Centenary: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY. Please come early for Intercessory Prayer at 6:15. Contact Marilyn at dirofministries@aol.com or 859-422-1794. All are welcome! Come to the Mountain! every Monday night at 7 pm to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray of our ministry. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org