Saved for a Purpose, Blessed to be a Blessing 3-4-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good morning, my heavenly Father. Good morning, Holy Spirit of the Living God living in me. … "God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth' " (Genesis 9:1). Noah spent some time away on a boat with his family. All the while, the world outside the ark of his salvation was soaked in turmoil and tribulation, panic and fear. But He trusted in Your words, waited on Your will, and rested in his relationship with You. And then there came a day when his boat returned to shore. It was time for his sea legs to stand firm again on the land of his destiny and in the power and purpose of God, forever changed. There You blessed him and his family. There You commissioned them to go forth into their next season of life and ministry, to see the world differently than before. There You anointed them with Your favor and grace to increase and abound, to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. You set before them all they would need to find and fulfill their destiny, along with the eyes to see it, the permission to receive it, and the wisdom to use it for their provision and Your purposes. "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and just as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything" (v. 9:3). As in the days of Adam, You entrusted dominion of the earth, along with both authority and responsibility, into the hands of Noah and his generations to follow (v. 9:2). "The heaven's are the Lord's heavens, but the earth He has given to human beings" (Psalm 115:16). His salvation was for a purpose. He was blessed to be a blessing, saved to share the hope and promise of salvation to others. He took the dominion and authority You gave him to till and cultivate the land You entrusted to him as an inheritance. He sowed seeds of life in fertile soil, even the very places that were once under the judgment of God, and produced a harvest of fruit (Genesis 9:20). Yet even then, You gave him the freedom to choose to love You and serve You, to honor You with the gifts You gave him -- or not. You gave him both the power to bless or to curse, to build up or to tear down. A true relationship of love always requires the freedom to choose to love or not, obey or not, live for ourselves or live for You. Noah, like Adam before him, would make choices in his freedom that would bring great blessings as well as great curses to the generations of the earth (v. 9:18-29). So from the very beginning, we have always had need of redemption and need of our Redeemer. We need the One who saves us from the destruction of our selfish choices. We need the One who causes all things to work together for good as we entrust all things into Your hands and Your will by the grace You give. "We wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify a people of His own who are zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:13-14). Lord, thank You for rest in times of turmoil and the peace that comes only through faith in the One who is in control. Give me strength to stand firm in the faith and wisdom to work the soil and produce the harvest You've entrusted to my care. Give me the favor of Your blessing and let me be a blessing to others. I am saved for a purpose and blessed to be a blessing. And when I stumble and fall and fail, give me the grace I'll never earn and the forgiveness I'll never deserve to entrust even that into Your redeeming hands. As You cause me and my generations to increase and abound in the power of Your grace, let it be Your good for Your glory that increases and abounds and fills the earth. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, at the beginning of this month, I want to invite you to join with us in ministry as you are led and able in joy as an Isaiah 35 Streams in the Desert Covenant Partner (see below). We believe this is the Lord's plan of provision for our ministry through these desert days. We are very encouraged that many have joined with us and prayerful that you will join us as well. I would love to talk with you about this and about our vision and calling of "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." Subscribe by email to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Ministry Resources or Contribute On-line at http://www.shop.messiah-ministries.org/ Isaiah 35 -- Streams in the Desert "For waters shall break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert" — Isaiah 35:6 Dear Friend, Thank you for your friendship and relationship with me and our ministry. These are exciting days in the Kingdom of God! We are thrilled with all the Lord seems to be doing in the life of Messiah Ministries. He has called us to do our part in our generation to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God, to bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free, to prepare the way of the Lord and minister the healing love of God. Thank you for every way you have been a part of fulfilling our calling and vision.Though doors of opportunity for ministry continue to open wide and we continue to work hard in the strength of the Lord to fulfill the vision He has given us, this economic desert season is causing us to be even more desperately dependent upon the Lord alone in faith for all our provision. In seeking His wisdom and answers in prayer, we believe He gave us a strategy for our ministry finances in this wilderness time -- Isaiah 35 Streams. In humility and faith, we are inviting you to partner with us in ministry, spiritually and financially, by contributing $35 a month to the work of the Kingdom through Messiah Ministries this year. We believe the Lord has shown us this will provide "a steady stream" of His provision through these desert days. We praise God for His faithfulness! And we thank God for you, as you join with us as a significant part of His provision for His ministry for the glory of His name and His Kingdom.Please prayerfully consider our invitation. And if this stirs in your spirit with joy to join us as the Lord's answers to our prayers, please covenant with us this year to be a part of Isaiah 35 Streams. I will be very glad to talk with you about this or describe more of our vision and calling in ministry. I pray you see our ministry as good soil in which to sow your seed for God's harvest. May the Lord bless you and pour out His exceedingly abundant blessings and provision for you this year -- "... A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap ..." (Luke 6:38). In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Messiah Ministries 2800 Tates Creek Rd. Lexington, Kentucky 40502 http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ All contributions, of any amount, are very welcome, tax deductible, and greatly appreciated. We've had a very positive response already. Praise God!In answer to questions that have come, here are some ways to consider joining with us as the Lord's Streams in the Desert for steady provision: 1) You can contribute on-line at our shopping cart or go to: http://www.shop.messiah-ministries.org/ 2) You can let us get you set up for automatic withdraw by sending a note to Marilyn Walker at dirofministries@aol.com or calling her cell at 859-317-1591 3) You can send in a check for "Messiah Ministries" to our office at: Messiah Ministries 2800 Tates Creek Rd. Lexington, KY 40502 4) You can set up an account on-line and contribute to "Messiah Ministries" and other ministries or churches through the Kentucky Christian Foundation( http://www.kentuckychristianfoundation.org/ ). They can also help with any stock or asset transfers, as well as planned or long-term giving. Please let me know any way I can help or answer questions. Please feel free to introduce me to come have a conversation with anyone who may be interested. Thank you and God bless you, my friend! Tommy Hays Founder and Executive Director Messiah Ministries 2800 Tates Creek Rd. Lexington, Kentucky 40502