Emmanuel, God with Us in Spirit and Truth 12-12-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Emmanuel, God with us, come be with me throughout my day. … "An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.' All this was took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 'Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall name Him Emmanuel,' which means, 'God is with us' " (Matthew 1:20-23). Angels, dreams, miracles, prophecy -- the foundation of our faith in a God who loves us and lives among us is saturated in the supernatural. The Word of God makes no room for a faith apart from the reality of His spiritual realm actively coexisting with His physical realm. Any faith devoid of the reality and expectation of the supernatural is a false faith; any teaching that denies the reality of the spiritual realm is a false teaching; and any doctrine that denies the reality of God's heavenly dimension actively intertwined with His earthly dimension is a false doctrine. True Christian faith cannot be expressed or experienced apart from faith in a supernatural, spiritual reality. "We look not at what can be seen, but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). Especially in our western culture, we need Your grace to obey the command of Your Word to embrace the priority of a spiritual perspective. "So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:1-3). Despite Your perspective, our culture has invaded the western church, insisting upon its own perspective -- denying the reality of the spiritual realm, mocking miracles and mocking a faith founded and filled with angels, dreams, miracles, and prophecy. If we are to experience the fullness of our faith, to embrace the fulfillment of Your Word in our lives, to see Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven, this worldly, western perspective must change. The stronghold of unbelief must come down. And true faith must arise. You alone are "the King of the Ages, immortal, invisible, the only God" (1 Timothy 1:17). You are a supernatural God seeking a people with supernatural faith. "And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). Lord, open the eyes of our hearts to be "enlightened" to see You as you truly are (Ephesians 1:18). Awaken our human spirits to arise and embrace the reality of Your Holy Spirit and Your spiritual realm with Your spiritual perspective. Our faith is in God who is with us -- "in Spirit and in Truth" for "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24). Lord Jesus, You are "the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in (You) all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers -- all things have been created through (You) and for (You)" (Colossians 1:15-16). You are Emmanuel, God with us. Give us a firm and true faith that You are with us in things visible and invisible, in the natural realm and the supernatural realm, in every dimension of our lives. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please come join us following The Fountain this month (December 19th) for our Messiah Ministries Christmas party to celebrate the season and our Savior with fun and food together. All are welcome! Please RSVP to Lisa by December 12th at mmeventassist@aol.com or 859-543-0658 Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's citywide gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Save the date of January 9-10 for our Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit which we'll be hosting again in Lexington this year. Ray Hughes of Selah Ministries is coming Saturday night to share a word for Kentucky with us!( www.selahministries.com ) Friends, as the Lord leads, please remember Messiah Ministries in your year-end giving. We raise all our own support to fulfill our calling in Christ of "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" according to our foundation Scripture of Isaiah 61. Month by month for 12 years of ministry, we have always found our God to be faithful. Thank you for being a part of that with your prayers, encouragement, and provision! Please call or write if you have any questions about our vision or needs, or if you would like to introduce me to speak to someone you think may have a heart for what the Lord is doing through our ministry. God bless you! -- Tommy 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 Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com Please Click Here to Contribute or Order our Ministry Resources On-Line