Morning by Morning, January 9 - "Sanctify Yourselves" to "Cross Over" into the Promise Land
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me begin this day well -- embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit -- here in the deep communion of prayer with You, O Lord my God. ...
"Then Joshua said to the people, 'Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.' To the priests Joshua said, 'Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass on in front of the people.' So they took up the ark of the covenant and went in front of the people" (Joshua 3:5-6).
To follow the ark of the covenant -- to follow You and embrace Your Presence -- on the journey You've set before us, we must prepare. And we prepare by obeying Your command to wait first before we go forth and "sanctify (ourselves)." Then we will truly experience all the "wonders" You want to do among us and within us.
To be sanctified is to be consecrated and set apart as holy unto You. To be sanctified is to be surrendered to Your will and filled with Your Spirit in every area of our lives -- in "spirit and soul and body" that we may be "sanctified entirely" (1 Thessalonians 5:23). You are faithful to bring to completion the good work You have begun in every one of us, and "(You) will do this" (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
Your Holy Spirit is the One who sanctifies us (Romans 15:15). By 'the sanctifying work of the Spirit (we) obey Jesus Christ and (are) sprinkled with His blood" (1 Peter 1:2). "We should always give thanks to God ... because God has chosen (us) from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:13).
We can't enter into the fullness of all You have for us in the promise land of our inheritance in You unless we're willing to first sanctify ourselves. The more we're emptied of ourselves, the more we are filled with You -- "emptied" in the sense of yielding our will to Your will, surrendering our desires to Your desires, dying to self in that sense so that we can be alive to Christ in the fullest sense. "I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another" (Galatians 5:16-17). This is how we are "filled with the Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18).
Come, Holy Spirit. Sanctify me. Crucify my flesh and everything in me that opposes You, "so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:19-20).
In his ministry of preparing the way of the Lord, John said, "I baptize you with water for repentance, but One who is more power than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire!" (Matthew 3:11) Just as John was preparing the way of the Lord before Your first coming, so the Holy Spirit is preparing the way of the Lord before Your second coming. Lord Jesus, baptize me in Your Holy Spirit and Your Holy Fire! Sanctify me in Your holy nature, as You crucify my flesh and fill me with Your Spirit!
Your Word says to sanctify ourselves before we cross over into the fullness of Your promises; and at the same time, only You can sanctify us. So how do we sanctify ourselves? ...
I believe I hear You speaking in my heart: "You must choose. Choose to die to yourself and be filled with My Spirit. Choose to yield your ways to My ways. Choose to allow Me to form My thoughts in your mind and My desires in your heart. Choose to come and follow Me into all I have for you." ...
Yes, Lord. You always set before us life or death, blessing or curse, our flesh or Your Spirit. You always give us the opportunity to choose to trust You or not, to believe You know what's best for us or not. So as best as I can and all by Your grace, I do choose to be sanctified. Lord, have Your way in me. Lord, lead me in the way You have for me, into the fullness of my inheritance in You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My friend, may you choose, as best as you can all by the power of God's grace, to be sanctified and holy, set apart and fully surrendered to the Lord, crucified in your flesh and filled with His Spirit, as you cross over into all He has for you in Him, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Friends, I'm excited to be teaching the Healing Academy at Aldersgate Renewal Ministries again this year, the first week of February -- February 3-7, 2020 in Goodlettsville, TN just north of Nashville. Register today and come join us! Please spread to word to anyone who may be interested in this week-long equipping and experience of healing prayer ministry:
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Please share this word to encourage a friend!
