Drawn to the Greater Place 6-2-10

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name is the first word I speak and the first thought I think, as I begin this new day centered in Christ, embraced by our Father, and filled with Your Holy Spirit. Now I wait in the silence of surrender, watching to see what You’re doing and listening to hear what You’re saying. … “An argument arose among them as to which one of them was the greatest. But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by His side, and said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes this child in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me; for the least among all of you is the greatest’ ” (Luke 9:46-48). You gave Your first disciples unbelievable authority and power to go in Your name and proclaim the coming of Your Kingdom, changing lives and even the spiritual atmosphere of every place they went (Luke 9:1-6). They saw Your heart for all people, and saw the miracles of Your love and provision for all who drew near to You (v. 9:10-17). They were moved by Your Spirit to begin to understand more of Your nature (v. 9:18-20). They heard Your call willing lay down their lives so they could follow You into the freedom of Your will alone which would become their lives (v. 9:23-27). Those closest to You and hungriest for You went with You to the mountain to pray, where they beheld Your glory, lost in worship and heard the voice of God in their hearts in a deep encounter of Your Presence (v. 9:28-36). Yet, just a few days later, they find themselves moved by their flesh instead of Your Spirit, striving for the place closest to You and greatest in Your kingdom (v. 9:46-48). They did not yet understand that growing intimacy with You is the very thing that exposes what remains to be healed and freed in their hearts, so that they could keep growing in Your nature and be trusted with Your authority and power of Your calling for their lives (v. 9:37-43). They didn’t fully understand that the closer they came to You, the more their inner fears and insecurities, their unhealed hurts and unfulfilled desires, would be brought to the surface so they could release them to You and grow even closer still (v. 9:43-45). They wanted more. They wanted all You had for them, without realizing there’s always more You want from us. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). Seeking Your face, hungering for Your Presence, longing to grow in wisdom and stature and favor in Your Spirit is a good thing, a God thing, needful to know our true identity and fulfill our destiny. But we must know that as we do, there will always be another layer of our flesh to be crucified, a deeper root that yet bears bad fruit to be dug up and cast into the fire, and another branch that does not yet bear good fruit that must be pruned back and prepared for the harvest to come. As we press on with You toward the goal of our prize, You are always pressing in even more deeply still. You see our hearts—both that part of our hearts that seek You above all else and also that part of our hearts yet blinded to the fullness of Your love and Your nature that remain to be healed and filled with the fullness of Your Spirit (Luke 9:47). “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:9-10, NKJV). As we allow You to search our hearts, clarify our motives, heal our wounds, You pour in Your love, establish us in Your security, and change us into Your nature. Then we’re able to receive even more of all You have for us. “A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary” (Jeremiah 17:12, NKJV). You draw us closer still, lift us higher still, as we humbly, faithfully keep saying to You: “Behold, You desire truth in my inward parts, and in the hidden part You make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from sins, blot out my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me…. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation” (Psalm 51:6-12). Because I love You and trust You, I say, “Yes, Lord. Keep revealing and purging everything in me that is not yet like You. Give me Your heart for all Your children. Give me the humility to take my place at Your feet so You can lift me to the place You have for me in Your heart. Let me be free from striving or competition, be healed from insecurities, fears, and hurts from my past, so that I can trust You to fulfill Your perfect plan for my life (Jeremiah 29:11). Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, so You can lead me to the place where all Your dreams, instead of my dreams, are fulfilled in my life—exceedingly, abundantly far more than all I could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). It’s always worth it to trust Your heart instead of mine, trusting in Your plan instead of my own. This is the heart that’s drawn to the greatest place in the intimacy of Your Presence. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please keep us in prayer in Corpus Christi, Texas this week. Each year I'm called to report to my bishop of the Southwest Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church where I'm an ordained elder and member under annual "appointment" to ministry by my overseeing bishop (www.umcswtx.org). Though Messiah Ministries is a non-denominational ministry all streams and traditions of the Body of Christ and reaching out to all people of all nations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, I personally am a Methodist minister. Rather than being "appointed" to pastor a local church, I have always praised God for allowing me to be "appointed" to Messiah Ministries as its founder and director to continue the vision the Lord gave me, "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" in fulfillment of ministry's founding Scripture, Isaiah 61 (www.messiah-ministries.org). And since I receive no financial support from the UM Church under my "extension ministry appointment" to Messiah Ministries, raising my own funds for ministry by the spiritual principles of sowing and reaping into the lives of others, I'm so grateful for all the ways You join with me and our ministry to fulfill the calling and vision the Holy Spirit causes to burn in my heart. Thank You and God bless you for joining me in the adventure! 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 To order my books and our ministry resources or contribute to our ministry on-line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Messiah Ministries; 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 God bless you!