"After His suffering, He presented Himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the Kingdom of God. While staying with them, He ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. 'This,' He said, 'is what you have learned from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now' " (Acts 1:3-5).
Almost fifty days ago, we celebrated the day of Your resurrection. And in a few days we will celebrate the day of the pouring out of Your Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. So in the annual cycle of remembering the milestones of Your spiritual journey and ours, these are days of preparation for our personal pentecost. These are days of watching and waiting in expectant hope for a fresh outpouring of Your Spirit into our lives. "And hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Romans 5:5).
You told Your first disciples to watch and wait. And so for ten days between Your ascension in to heaven and the day of the pouring out of Your Spirit, they watched and waited, they fasted and prayed, they hungered and thirsted. They believed the promise of the Father, that they would be filled with the Spirit of Christ to continue the ministry of Christ as the Body of Christ in this world. They believed Your promise: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
Give me that expectant faith. Stir me up in that passionate pursuit of hungering and thirsting for more of Your Spirit in my life every day. As led Your apostle Paul to pray for all of the sons and daughters of God throughout Your Church, may I "be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). May I "be strengthened in (my) inner being with power through (Your) Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in (my) heart through faith, as (I) am being rooted and grounded in love ... and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge so that (I) may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:16-19).
In a fresh way, every day, may I be "endued with (Your) power from on high" as I seek and embrace this "Promise of the Father" to me and to all who seek Your face, who call on Your name, and longingly wait for the pouring out of Your Spirit in our personal pentecost (Luke 24:49). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
Friends, please keep us in prayer for our 3 Day Revival Meeting I'm leading at Aledo United Methodist Church in northern Illinois, where my good friend Jeff Bealmear pastors. We had healing miracles last night! (including the organist, in the middle of my sermon, who was battling bronchitis, pain, and coughing). Much innner healing and spiritual freedom as well, as the Holy Spirit keeps taking us to deeper places of freedom and healing among the people of this community who are deeply hungry for the Presence of God. We're having many personal ministry opportunities and I'll be sharing with area ministry leaders this week as well. Thank you for standing with our ministry in prayer as we minister the healing love of God everywhere He sends us in the power of His name! God bless you.
You're invited to our Saturday Cook-out June 11th in Lexington to share about my ministry trip to Africa in August, preaching the gospel in outdoor festifvals and teaching a Pastor and Leaders conference with Wesley Paul Minsitries. Waterford Club House, 6:30-8:30 pm. Please send me a note if you'd be interested. We will also be celebrating my 50th birthday and there's no better gift than the encouragement of my friends in my passion to share the love and power of Jesus around the world! tommyhays@messiah-ministries.org
