Avant-garde of God, Fellowship on a Cruise Ship 3-2-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. We've been away from home for a week of both ministry and family vacation. But it's good to be home and to slip into my old chair in my morning place of prayer to greet my day with You. … "I am not asking You to take them out of the world…. As You sent Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world" (John 17:15-18). You were really stretching the wineskin of my ministry last week. I was invited to be the inspirational speaker for our group onboard a Caribbean cruise ship. It was my first cruise and my first time of ministry so much in the midst of the world. They arranged for us to meet in a place between the casino and the espresso bar, across from a bandstand just through the glass walls of our meeting room. When I say "meeting room," I mean the bar that we transformed into our travelling tabernacle and "tent of meeting" for few hours together each day (Exodus 33:7-11). Our little lounge was called "Avant-garde," which appropriately speaks of "pushing the boundaries" and "living life on the edge." But there in our worship and prayer and ministry to one another, the glory of Your manifest presence descended like "the pillar of cloud." And, like Moses in his tent of meeting in the wilderness, You were there in the midst of the world to meet with us "face to face" (v. 33:11). Yet with all the irony of our eclectic journey onboard our city at sea, we had so much fun and we fully expressed our faith. I loved the night the reggae band slipped back in on our break to gather their drums and guitars to move to the bandstand outside our hall. The drummer sheepishly smiled and bowed his head as if to acknowledge the shift in the atmosphere in our common domain. And it was wonderful to have an elderly woman join us for our time of worship and allow us to join with her in prayer for Jesus to fill her heart and heal her body of bone cancer. She gave us a big hug and a smile as she slipped back out our glass doors into the world that filtered by our glass walls to see our hearts and hear our songs. Truly we followed in Your steps, not of the world, but not ashamed to live and love the world in their world. "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds" (Matthew 11:19). For us, our fun ship cruise ship was filled with worship, fellowship, and discipleship. I just read a note from Pastor Linda who came with a couple from her congregation, saying she had such a "glorious time" she hopes we'll do this every year! Truly You have pushed our boundaries. You've stretched our wineskins, lengthened our stakes, expanded our territory as witnesses and partakers of Your extravagant love and ever-abiding presence. We have experienced the Avant-garde of God. By Your grace, let us not shrink back, but keep pressing out until the light of the glory of God living in us as Your light in the world covers the earth "as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2:14). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Please send me a note if you think you might like to join us in a ministry experience like this next year. Friends, thank you for your prayers for this exciting ministry experience last week and your prayers for my healing from sickness the week before. We've had our share of spiritual warfare and victory these past few weeks. Sorry that I've been so much out of touch with my prayer devotional, but thank you for joining with me in the journey. God bless you and I looking forward to continuing to pray with you! 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 40502 Order our Ministry Resources: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org