Believe Jesus and Be Saved 9-28-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I surrender all -- all that I am and all that I have, I surrender and entrust to You, my Lord and my God. ... "When the jailor woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, 'Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.' The jailor called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he bought them outside and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' They answered, 'believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.' " (Acts 16:27-31). I've been away speaking and sharing at a men's retreat for a few days with men from across north Georgia, getting away to go deeper together in their spiritual journey with You. This year, former NFL football player and prison ministry leader Bill Glass was our main speaker, with an emphasis on father and son relationships. In over thirty-nine years of prison ministry, he's found that fathers not loving and blessing their sons is the number one common denominator among all those bound in prison -- physically and spiritually. He's been to see the men and share the gospel with many men many times on every death row in America. He's never met one who didn't hate his father. He challenged us as men -- fathers and step fathers of sons and daughters -- to love and bless the children God has entrusted to us. With the father heart of God, he exhorted us to not just show it, but also to say it, and not just our natural children, but our spiritual children as well. Love is the power of God, revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord (1 John 4:7-12). And sons and daughters need the love of a father's blessing. And along the way of our weekend, You gave me so many opportunities to teach and to pray with so many men whose hearts were softened and opened to the love of God in Jesus Christ. I knew it was going to be another great weekend when a man opened up to me after my first teaching workshop on healing and deliverance. His son had brought him to our Rock Eagle Methodist Men's retreat. He was telling me about all his problems -- full of worry, frustration, and a good measure of anger. And then he said, "I don't know this Jesus you're talking about. I've never been saved." I asked if he wanted to give over all these problems and worries and anger over to You, turning his heart away from all his pain and shame and sin and turning his heart to You -- "to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," knowing that he would "be saved" by the God who is love, the God who loves him more than he could imagine. We got down on our knees right there, trembling before God, to call on Your name and welcome Your Spirit into his heart and every area of his life. What could be better than that! I pray for him and his son, and every man who was moved to tears by the thick presence of Your Holy Spirit in all the trusting prayers and honest talks that took place out in the Georgia woods this weekend. Thank You for speaking to me and loving me through so many of them, and thank You for speaking and loving through me to them in that kind of atmosphere where men were free to be honest and real in our need for You and for the fellowship of one another in the journey of faith. More, Lord. More of that, throughout the earth, in the great harvest of souls to come in these days of Your Presence. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you so much for joining with me in the journey of faith and prayer. One of the places where I've shared much of my personal testimony in on my teaching cd, The Father's Blessing through Our Brokenness, taped from a night of ministry to young people studying for ministry at Christ for the Nations in Dallas, Texas (www.cfni.org). It's available through our web site if you'd be interested: www.messiah-ministries.org The rest of my teaching that week at Christ for the Nations on Spiritual Warfare is also available, with our other books, cd's, and dvd's for healing and spiritual ministry. Please keep in prayer Bill Glass and Champions for Life Ministries (www.billglasscfl.org) and the North Georgia United Methodist Men (www.ngumm.com). Subscribe by email to me at Messiah Ministries --MessiahMin@aol.com Order our Ministry Resources or Contribute to our vision and calling: "Messiah Ministries -- Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502Devotional Archives at: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com