No Excuses 6-24-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be my vision today. ... "Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is ready now.' But they all alike began to make excuses.... Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, 'Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.... For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner' " (Luke 14:16-24). Throughout Your ministry on earth, You were always proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom of God -- through Your words and actions, Your teachings and parables, and Your example of life. Your message then is Your message today, "The Kingdom has come. It's available to you now. Don't hold back, don't turn away, come enter in." The Kingdom is not just going to heaven when we die; it's having heaven in us as we live. "For, in fact, the Kingdom of God is within (us)" (Luke 17:21). "For the Kingdom of God is ... righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). Yet the response to Your message then is often also the response to Your message today. We "make excuses." Though You are the King of the Kingdom and You've prepared for us all the most incredible meal we'll ever taste, though You've welcomed us to come and "everything is ready now," we make excuses instead of entering into the fullness of all You long for us to have. Like those You called in that first generation, we've let so many things get in the way throughout every generation -- our possessions (Luke 14:18), our jobs (v. 14:19), our relationships (v. 14:20), and so much more. All these can be good things, but they are never to be the first thing (v. 14:26). All that would hold us back or turn us away must be surrendered to You at the foot of the cross, or we will never enter into the fullness of the Kingdom of God (v. 14:27). Lord, by the mercy of Your grace You've given me a heart to want to enter in. Help me settle in my heart that there will be no excuses, no holding back, no turning away. "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62). In You and Your Kingdom alone will I know the "righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" that You long for each us to have. So Your Kingdom come, Your will be done -- here on earth and here in my heart -- as it is in heaven. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Becoming a People of Prayer Conference, Sept 17-19, 2009 in Brentwood, TN jointly hosted by the General Board of Discipleship and Aldersgate Renewal Ministries. Friends, I'm excited to be one of the speakers at this prayer conference for deepening personal and corporate prayer life for Christians of all traditions. Please register on-line, come join us and spread the word: www.GBOD.org/PeopleofPrayer Please come join us if you can and pray for us if you can't at the annual Aldersgate Conference on Spirit-Filled Living, held this year in Greensboro, NC the first week of July: www.Aldersgate09.org I'm thrilled to be one of the Keynote Speakers this year with the Friday Night message on healing and also teaching two equipping sessions on healing of damaged emotions and healing prayer ministry. With deep, renewing worship and an atmosphere of people hungry for more of the Lord, Aldersgate is always a highlight of my year. Come if you can and also make plans to join us next summer. Please pray for a great move of God at this Conference! We hope to have my new book in time to introduce it at Aldersgate called Free to Be Like Jesus -- Transforming Power of Healing & Deliverance. Please keep this in your prayers and I hope you'll want to be one of the first to order one. Please prayerfully consider joining with me in the vision and calling of Messiah Ministries as an Isaiah 35 Streams in the Desert Covenant Partner this year if it would bring you joy to stand with us in this way. I'll be glad to talk with you about this means of God's steady provision for the advance of His Kingdom through our ministry of proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom of God, binding up the brokenhearted and setting the captives free, in the love and power of God: MessiahMin@aol.com 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 Daily Archives at: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com Order our Ministry Resources or Contribute to our vision and calling: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org