"A Wonderful Feast" 2-17-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You're the fulfillment of all that I need, the best of all that I desire, and the source all the good that I'll ever have. … "In Jerusalem, the Lord Almighty will spread a wonderful feast for everyone around the world. It will be a delicious feast of good food, with clear, well-aged wine and choice beef. In that day He will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against His land and people. The Lord has spoken!" (Isaiah 25:6-8, NLT). Through the prophet Isaiah, You were speaking of a day to come -- the day of Your world-wide display of the victory of life over death, feast over famine, joy over sorrow, honor over ridicule, and redemption over destruction. What a wonderful feast and great banquet that will be (Luke 14:16). What a day to join in the celebration of "the marriage supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:9). Yet even before that day comes in the fulfillment of all promises and prophecies, we can share now in a foretaste of the Holy Communion to come. We can drink from the cup of Your eternal salvation and eat of the bread of Your ever-abiding presence (Matthew 26:26-29). "Jesus said to them, 'I Am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty' " (John 6:35). Last year, my friend Wanda invited me to come along with her ministry to share a series of inspirational messages on a week-long Caribbean cruise. It didn't take me long to discern this was the voice of the Lord and the will of God! But that was before the "economic crises" and the giving crisis and the faith crisis and the woe-is-me crisis that seems to be casting a cloud of doom and shadow of death over all the earth. So honestly, Lord, it's been hard to focus on preparing my messages of abundance and joy and the celebration of the great feast in the midst of such suffering and scarcity at home and abroad. I've felt more than a little guilty. Then when some friends generously gathered up a collection to send my wife and children with me, I've even had to battle feeling more than a little embarrassed. But then I met with Wanda at our planning meeting, and she was so full of joy and excitement about our trip. She couldn't wait to share with me the word You had shared with her about the abundance of the Promised Land and all the blessings You had in mind for Your people to embrace and enjoy in the land of milk and honey. But the people "despised" Your blessing and broke Your heart in their insecurity and fear (Numbers 14:20-23). "Because of unbelief" and lack of trust in Your goodness and abundant provision, "they were unable to enter" and enjoy the blessings of God. You didn't see that as humility or as somehow joining in the fellowship of Your sufferings or the sufferings of others. You saw that as "an unbelieving heart that turns away from the Living God" and "rebellion." Then because of it, You were "angry" with them "for forty years" (Hebrews 3:7-19). Wanda's word put a whole new light on it! And now I'm able to prepare with as much anticipation and excitement, and pray for as much anointing of Your Holy Spirit, as on any other assignment You've ever given me. By Your grace, I will not despise Your blessing. I will not be ashamed of Your goodness or embarrassed by Your extravagance. With all those You've called to come with us, we will celebrate the feast of Your Presence; we will "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8). As You said to Your first disciples, "The wedding guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast" (Mark 2:19). So in the joy of Your Father's heart, we will "kill the fatted calf" and "celebrate and rejoice" in the goodness and extravagance of Your grace (Luke 15:29-32). Thank You for freeing me to enjoy it and share it. May our joy bring You joy. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we now have available the DVD from the Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit 2009 we hosted to start off this new year seeking the Lord's face and will for our city and region. From Friday night through Saturday night, we experienced a flow of the Holy Spirit through many different streams of prayer, praise, and proclamation in a deep sense of the Presence of the Lord. Send us a note or order from our web site resources page: www.messiah-ministries.org I know you will be encouraged and blessed by the messages and prayers even if you're not in our region. Come to The Fountain! This Friday Night Feb. 20, on the 3rd Friday night of every month, for our ministry's city-wide gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 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 Order my book, Morning by Morning, or our other ministry resources for prayer, healing, and spiritual formation: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Subscribe 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 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502Daily Archives at: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com