Dust and Ashes 2-17-10

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Come live in me, come live through me today. … “As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear Him. For He knows how we were made; He remembers that we are dust. As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember to do His commandments” (Psalm 103:13-18). Many streams and traditions of the Church will mark today as Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, the beginning of a season of preparation for the days that mark the death, burial, and resurrection in glory of Christ. In prayers throughout the world today, people will kneel at altars in humility before God and be marked with ashes to remind them of their mortality and need of a Savior—“Dust you are and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). But though we are but dust, created by God from the very soil of this earth, we are also filled with the very breath of God—living souls with purpose and calling and destiny to fulfill in this short span of years we’ve received as the gift of life (Genesis 2:7). That’s a gift of our resurrection life we have only because of the gift of Your sacrificial death for us. So this day marks both humility and hope, repentance from sin but also repentance toward God, death to ourselves and resurrection in Christ. And if we are to have “the same mind in (us) that was in Christ Jesus,” we must first humble ourselves in complete dependence upon God so that He may lift us from our humility, fill us with His Spirit, and position us for His purposes in the days of life He has entrusted to us, “to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:5-11). Prepare my heart today and throughout this season, O Lord, my God. Remind me of my humanity in humility. But also remind me of Your Deity in hope. There is no transformation of the caterpillar to a butterfly without the season of chrysalis. There is no transformation of the human soul from dust to our destiny without the season of humility. And the heart of humility is taking my eyes off of myself and lifting them to You, willingly submitting my will to Your will in the trusting surrender of faith in You and Your heart for me. But You are a good God, a compassionate Father, and a faithful Friend; Your steadfast love endures forever. And as I entrust myself to You in this season of humility and hope, looking to You, beholding Your glory, embracing the breath of Your Spirit, You will be changing me—transforming me “from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NKJV). Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! This Friday Night February 19th at 7PM, the 3rd Friday Night of every month, for our Messiah Ministries monthly city-wide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Led by Messiah Ministries and hosted at Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky. Come drink deeply from The Fountain of Living Waters as we worship Jesus in the freedom of His Holy Spirit. Linda Dulin will be leading in Prayer and Jeff Centers will be leading in Worship this month. All are welcome and spread the word! Contact Marilyn Walker, our Dir. of Ministries for details 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com Feb 18-20, in Austin, Texas This Weekend, Join Tommy Hays and Dan Van Nice for a Healing Prayer Conference at Bethany United Methodist Church (www.bethany-umc.org) Thurs and Friday Night 6-9PM; Saturday 9AM-4PM. No Cost; Offering for the ministries will be received. RSVP here or call Jill: (512) 656-7789 For more information click here Come Join Us for these Upcoming Messiah Ministries Events and Please Spread the Word! March 19 Celebrate… Passion, Power & Purpose (Messiah Ministries Annual Celebration Event) Come & See! Come & Celebrate! Come & Be a Part of what God is Doing! Stories and Testimonies from Tommy’s recent overseas ministry trips to Pakistan, Israel, the Philippines &Estonia and the exciting moves of God at home and abroad Please RSVP For more information & to RSVP please click on the link below… Information/RSVPCelebrationDessert March 26-28 Healing Prayer Retreat at Asbury Inn on Campus of Asbury Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky A worshipful setting in a safe atmosphere of God's healing Presence and Power, with times of personal prayer ministry and Biblical teaching: Spiritual Principles of Deep Healing— Explore and Encounter God’s order in every dimension—spirit, soul, and body. Past hurts require healing to realize true freedom. It’s only God’s redemptive power that can bring us back to God’s created plan. Hindrances To Healing— Scripture provides principles that reveal possible barriers that hinder healing, freedom and wholeness. These given over to God, prepare the way for God’s powerful healing love. for more information and to register click on the link below… Information/RegisterHealingRetreat Apri 28 – May 1 The Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry--Level II A focused time of teaching, mentoring, discipleship, personal ministry, equipping, worshipping and prayer led by Tommy Hays and his teaching team of experienced prayer ministers. We will continue to study and experience a Biblical perspective of the ministry of healing and wholeness of spirit, soul and body, and apply the foundational principles of the Kingdom of God for prayer ministry. The course combines dynamic classroom teaching in a small group setting with personal hands-on experience as students receive personal ministry and are guided in ministry for others. Level II gives deeper experience, opportunity, and practice in healing ministry. For more information or to Register for The Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry… Information/RegisterSchoolOfMinistryLevel2 Thank you for joining in prayer. The Lord is gathering His army for such a time as this. If you'd like to be part of our intercessory prayer team with interaction and updates, please send a note to our Pastor of Prayer Ministries, Linda Dulin at PrayerLead@aol.com We are trying to establish Linda in a full time position with Messiah Ministries, as we advance in this season, so I've you would like to assist with this, please contact me at MessiahMin@aol.com right away. Subscribe for free 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 my books and our resources on-line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org