Happy Day 9-29-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. When the earth and all that can be shaken is being shaken, You are the Rock on which I stand. My hope is not in my government, my possessions, my power, or my wisdom; my hope is in You. In the words of the old hymn, "On Christ the solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand." ... "I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a Rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. Happy are those who make the Lord their trust...." (Psalm 40:1-4). My youngest son, Elijah (youngest so far -- our fifth child in our blended family is now on the way!), has been starting his mornings with a little phrase that no one could have taught him but You, Lord. He will poke his head in the door and declare with his little three-year old voice, "It sure is a happy day!" If I'm not careful, sometimes the thoughts will come to mind, "Son, haven't you been watching the news? Don't you know about all the earthquakes and hurricanes and famines and terrorism and wars?" Then I realized the other day, he does sit down with us and watch the news. He does hear us, and everyone around us, talking about the upheaval of all creation in these days. But his little eyes are not on all of that. His eyes on are You. In the midst of it all, there's Your Holy Spirit rising up in his little human spirit to declare to the world, "It sure is a happy day!" He's not deceived; he's just full of the Holy Spirit. He's not confused, he's just confident that the little prayers he prays before he goes to bed at night are that same prayers that You've answered when he gets up in the morning. Lord, lift us up out of the miry bog of worry and fear, out of the desolate pit of our "pit-i-ful" attitudes of pessimism and doubt. Keep us compassionate for the hurting and honest with our own pain, but keep our eyes fixed on You. Keep our feet steady in the faith on the solid Rock of Your love. Happy are those who trust in the Lord. No matter what the day holds, every day that begins and end with You by our side sure is a happy day. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Pressing On 9-28-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In the dawn of a new day, I commit my life and this day to You. It belongs to You now. I give You permission to guide my thoughts and plans, as I embrace Your will for this day, as best as I can by Your grace. ... "Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord; His appearing is as sure as the dawn. He will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth" (Hosea 6:3). You call us to know You, but then call us to press on the know You more, as we grow in the intimacy of a personal relationship of trust and love. You bring us to salvation, but then call us to press on to sanctification, as we continually submit and surrender every area of our lives to Your will and ways. If we seek You, we will find You (Jeremiah 29:13). If we call to You, You will come. If we commit to You, You will receive our commitment. If we embrace You, You will embrace us. Your answer is sure -- as sure as the dawn of a new day. Give us the will and the power to press on in our relationship with You. Let us be like the seed that finds good soil and grows up into the fullness of maturity. Let our lives bear fruit for Your glory. Deliver us from complacency and compromise. Free us from settling for anything less than Your best for our lives. Then we will know the satisfaction and fulfillment of a life completely surrendered and submitted to Your purpose and plan. We will be refreshed and renewed in the spring showers of Your pleasure, the spring rains of Your peace. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Living Icons of Christ 9-27-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I choose to live my life in the power of Your strength and in submission to Your will, as best as I can. Help me humble myself enough to ask for it and help me rise up in faith enough to receive it. ... An icon is something that points us beyond itself to the reality that it represents. We don't worship the cross, but it points us to the One who was crucified for us. We don't worship the bible, but it points us to the One who gives us the words of life and truth. As the body of Christ, we are icons. We point others to the One we represent. Remind us of our responsibility to represent You well, but also remind us of our identity that we are only the representatives. We are "ambassadors for Christ," but we are not Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). We are no one's savior or messiah, no one's healer or deliverer, no one's answer to every question and need; but You are. You are the Reality that we represent as Your body -- submitted to Your will, filled with Your Spirit, committed to live for Your glory. Let us not forget who we are; let us not forget Whose we are. "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it" (1 Corinthians 12:27). "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). "And He died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died and was raised for them" (2 Corinthians 5:15). We have chosen in humility and in faith to be dead to the ways of the world and alive to the will of God, all by Your grace. In Christ, we now belong to You -- "to Him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God" (Romans 7:4). Let our lives bear the fruit of pointing others to You as faithful ambassadors and living icons of the true nature of Christ, who lives in us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Be Thou my Vision" 9-26-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. The ancient words of the Irish hymn rise up in my spirit as my prayer this morning, as I settle in to my prayer chair to seek Your face and listen for Your voice: "Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart." ... It seems every moment counts in these days. Open the eyes of our hearts to see where You are leading, and open the ears of our spirits to hear where You are calling. Time is short and we can't afford to do what is merely good or helpful or even biblical -- we must do only what You command us, follow only where You lead us, and go only where You send us. Anything else is wasted time that we can't afford to waste. How gracious that You redeem all things, even our mistakes and missteps, if we commit them to You; but how much better to trust and obey to begin with? Paul thought he was doing a good thing by wanting to spread the gospel to Asia -- surely that was good and helpful, certainly that was biblical. But that was not the leading of Your Holy Spirit for him and his team at that time. You had a different direction to send him with the same message. He thought doing the obvious was Your perfect will; but in Your mercy and grace, You closed the doors of the direction he was headed and open the door of Your will through Your vision. "They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us.' When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convicted that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them" (Acts 16:6-10). Holy Spirit of Jesus, we need You to direct our lives into the perfect will of our Father. We need the mind and vision of Christ, that we may be the obedient body of Christ, led by the Spirit of Christ, to follow Your heart in Your timing and Your way, and not merely our own. You must be our Vision and our true Light. "Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Though my best Thought, by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my Light." In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Name of the Lord 9-25-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak Your name as the first word from my mouth this day. I turn my thoughts and heart to You and welcome the communion of Your Holy Spirit in the arms of my Father. ... As I scan through the passages of the gospels for Your name, I see that so often they speak Your name as they describe what You did: "Jesus said, Jesus went, Jesus healed, Jesus taught." When they would address You, they most often spoke to You by Your titles, "Rabbi, Teacher, Messiah, Master, Lord." As I look more closely, there are just a few times where someone spoke to You directly and simply called You by Your name, "Jesus." Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, shouted out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Mark 10:47). The thief on the cross cried out, "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom" (Luke 23:42). The man tormented with an unclean spirit who lived among the tombs ran to You and bowed down before You, "and he shouted at the top of his voice, 'What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?' " (Mark 5:6-7). It seems desperation of circumstances and unquestioning faith in who You are mark the times when You become the most personal to us -- when we focus on You and not just Your title or what You do. Awaken within us a deeply personal relationship with You, Jesus. Draw us beyond the impersonal titles we use at times to keep a little distance, even if we think that is from our sense of reverence or the fear of the Lord. Lord Jesus, You are a deeply personal God -- not a distant deity or an impersonal force. You have a name and it seems there are times when You want us to just speak Your name -- "Jesus" from the Greek, "Yeshua" from the Hebrew. You are the God who calls us Your "friends" (John 15:15). Though we reverence You and honor You in the fear of the Lord, we also worship You and adore You in the intimacy of a personal relationship of trusting faith. Let us not wait for desperate times to know You this way and to call You by name. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Shelter of the Most High 9-24-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good morning, Father. Good morning, Holy Spirit. I want to know You and receive You, to welcome You, to trust You, and to worship You in every dimension of Your Being. You are the Lord my God, my Refuge and Strength and Shield. I put my hope and trust in You, and in You alone. ... "You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.' For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day, or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday" (Psalm 91:1-6). Lord, You warn us that there will be times of snares and pestilence, times of terror and darkness and destruction. Yet You call us to fear not, but to trust in You. We do not have immunity from the consequences of the sins of the generations in a broken and fallen world that has given access to the kingdom of darkness and destruction in our lives and our nations. There is a community nature and generational dimension to all things that causes us to be bound together in all humanity and in all creation. And within the body of Christ, "if one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it" (1 Corinthians 12:26). Our Father "makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45). But You are the God who has willingly suffered all that we suffer in this world, taking upon Yourself all the consequences of the sins of the world. "Since therefore the children share flesh and blood, He himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death" (Hebrews 2:14-15). From the whole counsel of God, Your promise is clear -- You have promised to shelter us with Your peace in the midst of the turmoil, to hold us tight in the embrace of Your arms in the midst of the shaking of the kingdoms of this world. Though the floodwaters and fires of destruction may come, they will not overwhelm us nor consume us (Isaiah 43:1-5). And You use it all and redeem it all, from whatever source it may come, to bring us near to You in trusting surrender and persevering faith. We draw near to You this day, under the shelter of the Most High, into the arms of the Almighty. We pray that for ourselves and for those we love. And we pray that for those You love, but who do not yet know how to trust in You through every dark day. Use even the dark days to teach us all to trust in You, how to entrust ourselves to You. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Standing Firm in Faith 9-23-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Steady my soul upon the Rock of my salvation. By Your grace, I put my hope and my trust in You. ... "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among the nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory" (Luke 21:25-27). The powers of the heavens are being shaken. The ancient strongholds of the spiritual realm are beginning to crumble under the siege ramp of prayer and the battering ram of repentance. No matter how it may appear in the natural realm, darkness is being overcome by the Light. But our enemy, who is "the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient" will fight and retaliate with his last gasps of breath (Ephesians 2:1-2). "Rejoice then you heavens, and those who dwell in them. But woe to the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you with great wrath, because he knows his time is short" (Revelation 12:12). Strengthen us to stand in these dark days where the darkness is growing darker, but at the same time, the Light is shining brighter in the midst of the darkness. "Finally be strong in the Lord. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm" (Ephesians 6:10-13). As we stand firm in the strength of Your power, no matter what distress and destruction we face in these days, the light of Your glory will shine as a beacon of hope through Your people of faith. "Now in all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:37-39). Give us faith to stand firm in You to the end of days and throughout eternity. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

City of Prophetic Destiny 9-22-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your Word come alive in my heart, as I watch and wait for the leading of Your Spirit to focus my thoughts on You this day. ... Jerusalem is a city of prophetic destiny. And the destinies of the cities of the world are intertwined and even determined by our hearts and our prayers toward this city that is eternally on Your heart. We may disagree in our politics, in our perspectives of history, in our theologies of understanding of Your Scripture, but we dare not disagree with the clear and certain command of the Word of God: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you" (Psalm 122:6). "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country ('Ur of the Chaldeans' -- modern day Iraq) and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you ('Canaan' -- modern day Israel). I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed' " (Genesis 12:1-3). This is why thousands of years later the eyes of the world remain on this region. This is why the religions and the governments of the world stand or fall, whether we like it or not, based upon our heart and our obedience to Your command to pray for, to bless, and to love this city and this nation. To love does not mean to agree with all that the leaders and people of this nation do or say -- like each of us, they are human beings consumed and bound by the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Like us, they need Jesus. Like us, they need deliverance from the deception and destruction of the devil. That's why You've called us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. There is no peace without the Prince of Peace. And our prayers that You have placed on our hearts for Your people will be answered. As Your Word declares, there will come a day of a city-wide, nation-wide revival when Israel receives her Messiah: "And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, 'Out of Zion will come the Deliverer; He will banish ungodliness from Jacob.' 'And this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins' " (Romans 11:26-27). "And I will pour out a spirit of compassion and supplication upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that, when they look upon the One whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over Him, as one weeps over a firstborn" (Zechariah 12:10). But the sorrow and mourning of repentance will turn to the joy and deliverance of salvation! "On that day, a Fountain shall be opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity" (Zechariah 13:1). Open the seals of understanding about these things in our generation, that we may take our place as watchmen on the wall of Your Word. Put Your prayers on our hearts and Your vision in our spirits to stand with You and fight for Your people. As we fight in prayer for them, You fight as the Lord of hosts in the heavens for us. And through this means of grace, "all the families of the earth shall be blessed." In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we join in prayer for the people and cities of the Texas coast as we stand against the forces of destruction and death being focused in Huricane Rita. We join in the declaration of Jesus against the wind and waves of destruction, "Peace. Be still!" We pray for mercy in any way the door for destruction to the one who comes to steal, and kill, and destroy has been opened by the sins of the generations of our nation. We pray for Life to prevail over death, and Peace to prevail over destruction, and mercy to triumph over judgment. Father, we ask You now to redeem all things, to bring good out of evil, and life out of death, for Your glory and Your ultimate purposes, in the name of Jesus. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem" 9-21-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Prince of Peace. As I entrust my life to You, You entrust Your peace to me. ... "For a Child has been born for us, a Son given to us; authority rests upon His shoulders; and He is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and His kingdom. He will establish it and uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this" (Isaiah 9:6-7). There is a peace that only the Prince of Peace can give. There is a kingdom of peace that only You can establish. There is a "City of Peace" named "Jerusalem" that only You can build in the millennial reign of Your Kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven. Then the city of bloodshed and war, division and strife, will become the City of God, the dwelling place of God in our midst on earth (Psalm 46). "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the seas was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'See the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be His peoples and God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more, for the first things have passed away' " (Revelation 21:1-4). This day will come as Your Spirit continues to put the prayers for the coming of this day on our hearts. As John Wesley said, "God does nothing except through prayer." Jerusalem will be the City of Peace -- the City of God, the Holy City of the throne of David, which will have no end but will be eternally established and upheld with justice and righteousness forevermore -- through the power of "the zeal of the Lord of hosts" in response to the prayers of Your people. Therefore, You have commanded us, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you" (Psalm 122:6). This is a command with a promise. As we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we will prosper. We will prosper throughout all the ages of eternity, for obedience brings blessing. There is no greater blessing of peace than the peace of God through faith in the Prince of Peace established in our hearts and in our midst, on earth as it is in heaven. This is the hope and the promise of an eternal kingdom of Your peace that You have placed in our hearts and called us to pray forth on the earth as You lead. Teach us how to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, that we may know the fullness of Your peace on earth. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, Lexington was chosen as one of the host cities in America for the 2006 Jerusalem Prayer Summit. Yesterday I agreed to serve as chairman for our city and would appreciate your prayers for our team that will be forming soon. Please let me know if you would like to help with prayer or any other way as we discern the leading of the Lord and obey His call to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Messiah -- The Anointed One" 9-20-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are "the Anointed One" -- "Messiah" (from the Hebrew) and "Christ" (from the Greek). Anoint me afresh this day with the oil of Your Spirit, which speaks of the presence and power of God, anointing our lives to release the fragrance of Christ, in us and through us, for Your glory. ... As Isaiah prophesied of You eight hundred years before Your coming to the earth in the flesh, and as You affirmed that he was writing of Your coming, You said: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4.18-19 and Isaiah 61.1-2). Thank You that the same Holy Spirit that anointed You is the same Holy Spirit that anoints all who call upon Your name. We are saved by the grace and love of our Father who pours out His Spirit upon His children through Jesus Christ our Lord, the Anointed One of God. You are the Messiah the Jews are seeking to bring salvation to Israel, and You are the Christ the Gentiles are seeking to bring salvation to the world. As Your name declares -- "Jesus" (from the Greek) and "Yeshua" (from the Hebrew), You are "the Salvation of Yahweh." You are the salvation of God for all, whether Jews or Gentiles know it yet or not. On behalf of all who do not yet know the fullness of Your salvation, release us from the captivity of confusion and heal us from the blindness of deception, that we may be free to hear and to receive the year of the Lord's favor, this year and every year for the rest of our lives. "Then Peter (a "Messianic Jew" because he was a Jew who received Jesus the Christ as his Messiah) began to speak to them: 'I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation everyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him. You know the message He sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ -- He is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea ("the West Bank"), beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. We are witnesses of all that He did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree; but God raised Him on the third day and allowed Him to appear, not to all people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the One ordained by God as Judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about Him and everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.' While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word" (Acts 10.34-44). Come, Holy Spirit. Fall upon all who hear the word. Anoint us with the word You are speaking to the hearts of all who are willing to hear and receive the truth and the love of God revealed in Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One of God. Then let us be His witnesses of all He has done in us and through us to the glory of God by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, who anoints and empowers our lives. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, this passage from Luke 4 and Isaiah 61 is the founding Scripture the Lord gave us for the name and calling of our ministry: "Messiah Ministries" -- to proclaim the coming of the Messiah and to do our part in the power of His Spirit to prepare the way of the Lord in our generation. All that we do is centered around this calling and vision. Please cover us in your prayers and join us with your giving as the Lord leads, as we do our part by His grace, for His kingdom, and in His power. I pray the same for you and the ministry of your calling. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit 9-19-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You in spirit and in truth in every dimension of Your Being. You are God the Father, my creator, who calls me Your son. You are God the Son, my Savior, who has forgiven me of my sins and called me Your disciple and Your friend. You are God the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Truth and Life, Comforter and Advocate, the Spirit of Christ living in my heart. You are the Lord our God, faithful and true, worthy of our faith and praise. You are holy and You are One. I turn my first thoughts to You, my first desires to You, at the beginning of this new day. ... "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you" (2 Corinthians 13.13). We need to know You and be known by You in every dimension of the Trinity of God. We need the sacrificing grace of the Son, the unfailing love of the Father, and indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. We need to fear You and respect You in honor and submission through obedience to Your authority in our lives; and at the same time, we need to seek You and receive You in the intimacy of worship and the communion of prayer as we grow in Your nature and soak in Your presence. Because of Your indescribable grace toward us, we must "not become proud, but stand in awe" as we behold both "the kindness and the severity of God" (Romans 11.20-22). Though You desire intimacy, You still desire obedience. Though You release mercy, You also release judgment. Let us not grow complacent, prideful, or disrespectful in our relationship with You. Let us never take for granted the privilege and blessing of the desire of our holy God for intimacy and communion with an unholy people, made possible only by Your grace and Your love. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, if you are in the Lexington area, please join us tonight 9/19 to worship and hear the vision for the Jerusalem Prayer Summit 2006 to be held in Lexington, one of 30 cities selected. We will meet in the conference room of First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Road at 7 pm tonight with the representative of this international ministry. All who have a burden to pray for the people of Israel are welcome. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"To Rejoice is a Choice" 9-18-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In the words of the old hymn, "I come to the Father through Jesus, the Son, and give Him the glory; great things He has done. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the earth hear His voice. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the people rejoice!" ... We come to You, Father. You are One with the Son and One with the Spirit. You desire to be one with us in the mystery of the communion of prayer and praise. Open our ears to hear Your voice. Open our spirits to praise and rejoice. "O give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wonderful works. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His presence continually" (1 Chronicles 16.8-11). I hear You saying, "To rejoice is a choice." Yes, Lord. We choose this day to rejoice in You -- no matter what circumstances we face. We rejoice that You are with us to strengthen us, encourage us, empower us to overcome every obstacle and challenge of the world, the flesh, and the devil. They are all defeated in the power of praise, because praise reminds us and reminds our spiritual enemies of Your presence and Your promises that we will prevail in Your power. As You arise in our hearts and in our praise, our enemies are scattered and our challenges are overcome (Psalm 68). Praise the Lord! Let the people rejoice in the victory of the power of Your presence enthroned in our praise! In Jesus' name we praise, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Our Eyes are on You 9-17-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my strength and my shelter, my rock and my refuge. I am steady and secure in You. ... "To You I lift up my eyes, O You who are enthroned in the heavens" (Psalm 123.1). So much more happens than we realize in these first moments of the morning, when we turn our eyes and our hearts to You in a direct and deliberate way. Even in the moments when we don't hear a word, see a vision, or remember a Scripture, something is happening in our hearts and souls. Silently but powerfully, we are being strengthened and nourished in the depths of our being. Fears and worries, confusion and doubt, begin to submit to faith and peace, encouragement and strength. You steady our hearts and secure our minds as we sense the power of Your presence with us and within us. Then when we arise to engage the challenges of the day, we arise in the power of Your silent strength and in the certainty of Your steadfast love. As the praise song says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." Yes, Lord. We turn our eyes upon You, You who are enthroned in the heavens and who are established in our hearts. Fill our lives with the light of Your glory and grace. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, if you are in the Lexington area, please Come to The Fountain this Saturday night 9/17 for our monthly, citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship -- 7pm in the chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. People come from all traditions and denominations for a time of intimate worship in the presence of the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads. Paul Cooper from Liberty Worship Center will lead in worship and I will lead in prayer. Our prayer ministry team will be availble throughtout the evening. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Listen and Hear My Voice" 9-16-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Focus my thoughts on You alone; open my heart to You alone, as I wait in the silence of surrender for the leading of Your Spirit. ... "Listen and hear My voice; pay attention and hear My speech. Do those who plow for sowing plow continually? Do they continually open and hallow their ground? When they have leveled its surface, do they not scatter dill, sow cummin, and, and plant wheat in its rows and barely in its proper place, and spelt as the border? For they are well instructed; their God teaches them" (Isaiah 28.23-26). You are our Teacher, Lord. Even the things we think we know how to do out of our own wisdom are really a gift of God. When we go about the tasks of our daily lives, we think the thoughts that come to us are our natural thoughts. But if we have entrusted our minds to You and if we have begun and continued our day seeking You and listening for You, to hear the leading of Your voice, Your supernatural thoughts become our natural thoughts. The more we entrust our minds to You, the more we submit our lives to You, the more we can trust the leading of Your voice as the thoughts in our minds. This is the renewing of our minds, the receiving of the mind of Christ, the slow and steady process of the transformation of our souls (Romans 12.1-2). Little by little, Your thoughts become our thoughts, Your heart becomes our heart, Your ways become our ways, as we grow in wisdom and maturity in Christ, because we have entrusted and submitted our minds and hearts to You. In trusting faith and humble obedience to the leading of Your voice, we "become participants of the divine nature" by the daily miracle of Your grace (2 Peter 1.4). Teach us Your voice, to pay attention and hear Your speech, that we may learn and live in Your ways a little more each day. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, if you are in the Lexington area, please Come to The Fountain this Saturday night for our monthly, citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship -- 7pm in the chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. People come from all traditions and denominations for a time of intimate worship in the presence of the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads. Paul Cooper from Liberty Worship Center will lead in worship and I will lead in prayer. Our prayer ministry team will be availble throughtout the evening. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Blessings of Obedience 9-15-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me be still, as I watch and wait for Your leading this day. ... "He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then He sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, 'Put out into deep water and put down your nets for a catch.' Simon answered, 'Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if You say so, I will let down the nets.' When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break" (Luke 5.3-6). Lord, it seems it is Your way to lead us step by step. First You lead us "a little way from the shore" before leading us out to the "deep water." We often want to go straight out to the deep waters, when You still have so much to teach us first a little closer to shore. Give us the patience to wait until You have finished speaking all that You desire to teach us at each step of the journey, before insisting that we move on ahead of Your leading. Free us from hurriedness that gets ahead of Your leading; and deliver us from hesitation when its time to move on. Then we will be overwhelmed with the blessings that come from obedience to Your timing and submission to Your ways. In Jesus' name we pray. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, if you are in the Lexington area, please Come to The Fountain this Saturday night for our monthly, citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship -- 7pm in the chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. People come from all traditions and denominations for a time of intimate worship in the presence of the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads. Paul Cooper from Liberty Worship Center will lead in worship and I will lead in prayer. Our prayer ministry team will be availble throughtout the evening. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Sweet Hour of Prayer 9-14-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. We honored the life of Mary Williams yesterday, my friend and fellow prayer warrior. She passed away "in the twinkling of an eye" in the service of Your Kingdom, helping the victims of hurricane Katrina finding refuge at our church. The words of her favorite hymn, "Sweet Hour of Prayer," still move in my spirit as I picture her singing them to You now face to face, where her faith has become sight. ... "Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!The joys I feel, the bliss I share,Of those whose anxious spirits burnWith strong desires for Thy return!With such I hasten to the placeWhere God my Savior shows His face,And gladly take my station there,And wait for Thee, sweet hour of prayer!" The hour of prayer in the presence of God -- this is where You strengthen us, empower us, encourage us, and comfort us. This is where You order the steps of our day, where You form Your desires in our hearts and Your thoughts in our minds. Your Holy Spirit draws us near to this holy place "where God my Savior shows His face." Mary, like all of us, knew but a foretaste of the fullness of Your presence on earth. But that foretaste was enough to keep her coming to the well of Your Spirit and Your Word every day, to drink deeply of the living waters of Your presence. The hardness of her life only served to strengthen her faith and embolden her witness in the perseverance of a saint. But today she is healed and whole, perfected in love, praying the prefect prayers of one who has fought the good fight and finished her course, found faithful in Your sight. "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known" (1 Corinthians 13.12). Like Mary, let us be relentless in seeking Your face until the day we find it -- smiling as You speak the words, "Well done, My good and faithful servant. Come and receive Your reward, the reward of the fullness of My presence." In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, if you are in the Lexington area, please Come to The Fountain this Saturday night 9/17 for our monthly, citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship -- 7pm in the chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. People come from all traditions and denominations for a time of intimate worship in the presence of the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads. Paul Cooper from Liberty Worship Center will lead in worship and I will lead in prayer. Our prayer ministry team will be availble throughtout the evening. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Receiving the Mind of Christ 9-13-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek Your face; I need Your grace. I turn my heart and my thoughts to You as an offering of the first fruits of my day. ... "For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2.16). Father, Your Word says, "we have the mind of Christ." Your Word calls us to "let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2.5). How can we already have the mind of Christ, yet at the same time, we need to receive the mind of Christ? It seems You are saying, "This is both a completed reality and a work in process. Because You have entrusted Your hearts and Your minds to Me, they are Mine and you are a new creation in Christ. All things -- even your heart and your mind -- have become new. This is already true in heaven -- in the heavenly realm where all things, all time, and all space is already present to Me; this is in the process of becoming true on earth as it is in heaven -- in the earthly realm where all things unfold in time and space moment by moment and day by day. As You continue to entrust your heart and mind to Me, I continue to form My heart and My mind in you. I give you My grace to desire this and I give you My grace to do this, but the choice is yours, moment by moment and day by day." Yes, Lord. As we worship You by seeking You and submitting to You, You are changing us into Your nature -- forming Your desires in our hearts and Your thoughts in our minds. You are making us more like You each day as we entrust ourselves to You each day, that we may become who You have created us to be. As we continually choose by Your grace to present our lives to You in faith as "a living sacrifice," this is our "spiritual worship;" and we are being "transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12.1-2). Father, as You transform our hearts and renew our minds by Your Holy Spirit, we receive the mind of Christ in the process of life on earth, as it already is in the eternity of heaven. Give us the grace and the desire to keep on choosing, that we may keep on receiving Your gift of the mind of Christ. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, if you are in the Lexington area, please make plans to join us Saturday night for our monthly, citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship at The Fountain. People come from all traditions and denominations for a time of intimate worship in the presence of the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads. Paul Cooper from Liberty Worship Center will lead in worship and I will lead in prayer. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

At Home and Away in Our Hearts 9-12-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. It is good to wake up in my home and find my way in the morning to my familiar chair for our time of prayer. It's good to be home and it's good to have You at home in my heart. ... "But 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). Thank You for the joy of sharing my faith and Your love in the power of Your Holy Spirit to the ends of the earth in these past ten days, as both a Christian lawyer and minister of Your gospel. We saw Your hand of mercy and justice, of compassion and wrath, as You fought against the darkness that tries to consume the light of hope in the hearts of people through the evil of physical and spiritual oppression. But You came to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God -- to bind up the brokenhearted and to set the captives free, to demonstrate both the favor of God and the vengeance of God, in the power of the Spirit of God (Isaiah 61.1-2; Luke 4.18-19). Thank You for letting us be a part of Your ministry of love and power in the lives of Your people. Thank You for letting others be a part of Your ministry in our lives. Day by day, empower us all to witness Your glory and to be witnesses of Your glory at home and away and to the ends of the earth. Water the seeds of life and love that You have planted in our hearts and through our hearts into the hearts of others until all the world knows the glory of Your name and the power of Your love. In Jesus' name we pray. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Dear Praying Friends, thank you for joining with me in ministry in India as you covered us in prayer. We are healthy and home and could not have done it without the prayers of God's people. You share in the fruit of all the Lord did for the glory of His name. Please continue to hold in prayer the ministries of Intnernational Justice Mission (www.ijm.org) and Ghuna Kumar with Gospel Friends. The Lord is using them mightily to touch the hearts and change the lives of the people of India. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com andwww.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"A Future with a Hope" 9-11-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. When I have been around so many people who do not know You, in a nation of the world where so few have ever even heard Your name, I realize how grateful I am to have You in my heart. Forgive me for all the times I have taken You for granted in my heart and in my nation. ... Yesterday we met with about a hundred victims of slavery who were set free just a year ago from the evils of the illegal but highly prevalent system of bonded labor in India. The investigators working with the Christian lawyers of International Justice Mission had found a man named Nagaraj with the courage and the conviction to take a stand against his slave owner. As is often the case, the man had received a loan in a family crisis in exchange for his servitude at a brick kiln, which would become a prison for him and for his family. The moneylender becomes the slave owner with absolute control over the lives of a family who the owner knows will never be able to repay the loan and never be free from bondage for rest of their lives and for the lives of the generations to follow. Another man trapped in the cruelty of this form of slavery had openly wept before the magistrate, as he told how his owner would not even let him leave the compound of the brick kiln to attend the funeral of his mother. The circumstances of greed, power, desperation, poverty come together to form the evil of forced slavery in the illegal bonded labor system of India. The system is abolished on paper but alive in the realities of the brick kilns and rice mills of India until there is one who is willing to speak for the rights of the victims. Nagaraj began to realize his children would never go to school and would never have a life away from the slavery of the brick kiln. He was desperately crying out for help to the gods he knew. His idols of wood and stone could not hear his cry, but there was a God who did -- the God who sent His servants to bring deliverance from oppression and freedom for the captives as advocates for His justice. After meeting the IJM team, Nagaraj began to share his hope with the other victims who became willing to take a stand and offer evidence of the crime. Now they gather once a month with Selvan from the IJM aftercare team, to make sure their families receive the plot of land for a home and the funds for a new life the government provides for the victims with a voice to assert their rights under law. This month they gathered at a social service center sponsored by a church who is teaching their children and others to tailor and sew in a life that is free. We were there for the celebration of graduation and the priest asked the fathers of the girls to speak. One of the fathers wept as he said, "'Last year my daughter was cutting bricks in the prison where we were trapped. Now she is learning and smiling and dancing. She is so mature and beautiful, I can hardly recognize her." Gerry and I thought he was kidding when he asked me what I would speak about at this graduation ceremony. Little did I know I would be giving the commencement address along with Selvan. As I saw the new hope in their hearts, You brought to mind the Source of their hope in an opportunity to share of the God of hope: "For the surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for your harm, to give you a future with a hope. Then when you call upon Me and come and pray to Me, I will hear you. When you search for Me, you will find Me; if you seek Me with all your heart, I will let you find Me says the Lord" (Jeremiah 29.11-14). Lord, You are the God of hope. You are the God of freedom and deliverance who sets us free from oppression in the physical and in the spiritual realms. You reveal Yourself in Your love and Your power to all who are desperate enough to call upon Your name. You are the voice of the Advocate who demands our justice and restores our hope. Let us never take You for granted; let us always give You praise. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com andwww.morningbymorning.injesus.com

A Small World 9-10-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit is lifting up a new song of praise to You from my heart this morning. ... Jesus, my Lord. Jesus, my Lord. Receive my heart in praise. Jesus, my Lord. Jesus, my Lord. I give my heart to You in praise. Thank You for the gift of spending some time on our journey with two old friends yesterday, Father Berchman and Pastor Joseph. Joseph is a gifted pastor and teacher with a compassionate heart and powerful prayers You use as our translator when we teach inner healing and deliverance to the pastors in India. Father Berchman was a Catholic priest You baptized in Your Holy Spirit and gave the gift of healing and deliverance as he worships You in spirit and in truth and sings Your songs over the people. It was during our teaching retreat at his Jabatotham Prayer Gardens three years ago that You spoke to my heart the words "healing worship" that become The Fountain -- our monthly time of prayer, praise, and healing worship as we come together from the different traditions of our city to worship You in spirit and in truth as Your healing comes to our spirits, souls, and bodies. What an indescribable gift You gave me yesterday through an evangelist named Francis! As we were on our way with the IJM team through the villages of southern Tamil Nadu to encourage some of victims recently freed from forced labor, we stopped to buy a few clothes for the children. I don't even know the name of the little village where we stopped, but I heard a voice call out from behind me, "Brother Tommy, Praise the Lord!" I turned around to be lifted in the air with a big bear hug from Brother Francis. Three years ago we prayed for him to receive inner healing and deliverance during our teaching at Father Berchman's. What a small world, but a world where we are one body and one family in Christ. He was so full of live and love, boldly sharing the gospel even with even the patch he wore on his shirt that proclaimed, "Praise Jesus!" Much of what You do through the ministry You've entrusted to us will never be seen until we stand in Your presence in heaven, but You blessed me with a little taste of the unspeakable joy that comes from knowing You use Your people to touch and to change the lives of others. All to this was just the morning of a glorious day of encouraging the people of India You love so much and praising Your holy name with old friends and mighty men of God. And none of these amazing gifts of grace were on the calendar for our mission trip. Jesus, my Lord, I give my heart to You in praise! In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Idols of Wood and Stone 9-9-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Surrounded by spiritual darkness, I pray for the light of Your glory to arise in my spirit. Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world. Greater is the light of Your Holy Spirit abiding in me than the darkness that surrounds me. I worship You in my heart and in the place. ... We have traveled to southern region of Tamil Nadu, India to the city of Madurai. They call this "the temple city" because of the huge temple in the center of the city and smaller temples literally everywhere else. The people go to the temples every day to bow down to the thousands of gods at each one, to offer their sacrifice and money they don't have to give to idols of wood and stone painted in grotesque images. They worship what they fear to appease the gods, to bring good luck, and to protect them from bad luck. How it must break Your heart. "We know that no idol in the world really exists, and that there is no God but one. Indeed even though there may be many so-called gods in heaven or on earth -- as in fact there are many gods and many lords -- yet for us there is one God, the Father from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist" (1 Corinthians 8.4-6). These temples of wood and stone give access to the presence of the so-called gods and lords who masquerade as the true God, demanding worship and ritual that does not bring love, but brings fear. Our Lord is what we submit to lord over us. Our God is what we worship. Your heart is that we be free from the power and dominion of every false god and every false lord. So in Your love and Your mercy, You have commanded us to worship the Lord our God, and no other. "What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, 'I will live in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people. Therefore come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you and be your Father, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6.16-18). Let our hearts be the city of Your temple. "We are the temple of the living God." Come dwell in power and glory in the temples of Your people. Let us shine as light in the midst of the darkness because the glory of Your manifest presence is shine in the midst of our hearts. Then wherever we go, darkness must flee from Your light. And the eyes of the people will be opened to see their true Father, the true God, who longs to call them sons and daughters. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

From Oppression to Blessing 9-8-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You must increase and I must decrease. In every dimension of Your Being -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- guide my steps and direct my path. Whether You lead me to use words or not, let me communicate the truth of Your love to everyone I encounter this day. ... Racial oppression and forced labor was the sin of Egypt at the hands of Pharaoh that moved Your heart to deliver Your people. Like the caste system of India, those in power abuse their power to suppress and oppress those they judge to be beneath them as a people in dignity and worth. It became a means of control through abuse and fear for selfish gain, generation after generation, until the hope of change was crushed from the spirits of Your people. "Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed upon them" (Exodus 1.11-14). You heard the cries of their suffering and rose up to enforce justice against their oppressors. You came to bring deliverance to those bound in captivity -- yet not only to deliver them out of the land of their oppression, but also to place them in a land of blessing. "Then the Lord said, 'I have observed the misery of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3.7-8). Today, we will go down to a southern region of Tamil Nadu, India with the Aftercare Team of International Justice Mission to encourage a people who are coming to know the God of their deliverance. For generations they were oppressed by upper castes who said they were untouchables, only worthy to labor in the fields and brick kilns under the oppression of forced labor and abject poverty. Then You sent Your deliverance and enforced Your justice to set the captives free and liberate the oppressed. You not only set them free from the places of oppression, but established them in places of blessing. Now their generations will learn freedom and not oppression, as they are free to work for their own families. You have even blessed them with their own brick kiln in a community of free people. You are the God who is faithful to complete all You begin and You do all things well in Your perfect timing and in Your perfect way (Philippians 1.6). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com andwww.morningbymorning.injesus.com

God's Gifts Make Room 9-7-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I turn my thoughts to You in the first moments of this day. Be my strength and my wisdom; order my steps and my thoughts; use my words and my prayers. Accomplish Your will in my life and through my life this day. All of that begins here in these first moments of trust and surrender. ... Under the law of India, when a family is set free from forced labor in bonded slavery, they have the right to receive a plot of land and some government funds to begin to build a new life. Without an advocate, the families are never set free and the land and funds are never received. Under the injustices of the Hindu caste system, the inevitable attitude is that this is as it should be -- to live out life in one's caste without hope of change and in payment of the sins of the past lifetime is to be embraced as the means of moving up to the next caste in the next life. So when someone arises to speak up for the victim, the governmental system is slow to respond and justice is delayed. Justice delayed often becomes justice denied. Yesterday You called us to speak for a family set free over a year ago, yet still living in the crowded hut of friends who had no room to begin with, because the promised land was not yet released. But You were the Advocate for this family. As we came into the governmental building in Your Spirit in our hearts, this time was different. There was incredible favor. For a year, phone calls and letters had gone unreturned at the hands of lower officials in the chain of command, in the absence of the grease that is traditionally used to move the wheels of justice in the form of bribes. But the Kingdom of God was in our hearts; and when we walked into the building, the Advocate in our spirits rose to speak on behalf of this family. In a crowed governmental building, we were advanced to the front. Chairs of honor where brought to the desk for us to wait to see the highest official. Within moments we were brought into the highest office to be greeted with respect and honor. As our Indian brother Selvan with the local International Justice Mission team began to speak for the victims we were sent to represent, the highest official began to sign papers and stamp documents. This family will have their land within ten days. Praise God! "A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men" (Proverbs 18.16, NKJV). Your Presence in our hearts is our Gift. Your Holy Spirit living in us is the Advocate who speaks for the victim and pleads the cause of the oppressed to establish Your justice. As You said to Your first disciples, "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, He will testify on My behalf" (John 15.26). On Your behalf, this family is now not only free from bonded slavery, but they are free to begin a new life. And they will come to know the Advocate who came to seek their justice and speak on their behalf. Thank You for the honor of being Your vessels to bring Your justice. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Thank you for your prayers for our team and our families as we continue our mission in India through September 11th. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com andwww.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Plead the Cause of the Poor 9-6-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I add my voice to the growing number of voices across India who are calling upon Your name this morning and Savior and Lord. As we lift our voices and our faces to You, we are welcoming You in our hearts and in this land. ... There are times when You send us to stand before the authority of the governments of men. You call us in humility and in faith to boldly speak the words that You place on our hearts. Moses and Aaron stood before Pharaoh (Exodus 5.1-5). Paul stood before Agrippa (Acts 26.1-32). As the Son of Man in the days of Your flesh upon the earth, You stood before Pilate (Matthew 27.11-14). On the surface it would seem that none of this encounters went well. Pharaoh refused to let Your people go. Paul was sent in chains to Rome. You were nailed to a cross. But You were at work in the midst of every encounter, causing all things to work together for good, despite the decisions of men in the authority of their power in government. You redeem all things to accomplish Your purposes. By the stories, You give us faith to have an eternal perspective beyond the immediate decisions and circumstances. We need not fret about the outcome of these encounters, but to trust You and obey You as we respond to Your call. If we do, Your Holy Spirit will give us the words to speak and that Your purposes may be accomplished and Your will may be done -- eternally, if not immediately (Luke 21.14-15). Today, I will join Richard, one of my brothers in Christ who is an Indian attorney with the International Justice Mission, to stand before the Assistant Police Commissioner of this city with a population greater than New York. We will present our case and plead our cause for the prosecution of justice and for the freedom from oppression. We go in response to Your call and we ask You to go before us. You are the Advocate and may Your Spirit give us Your words to speak to accomplish Your purposes -- eternally, in not immediately, but we do pray for "immediately" as well as "eternity." "Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow" (Isaiah 1.17). "His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins" (Isaiah 11.3-5). Yes, Lord. We receive our call and our spiritual authority to speak for the victim and plead the cause of the poor. We know You go before us and You go with us -- to bring freedom to the captives and justice to the wicked. Cause it all to work together for good, to redeem the lives of the righteous and the wicked, to bring them all to You in Your timing and in Your way. Sometimes immediately, but always eternally, You are causing the kingdoms of this world to become the kingdoms of our God (Revelation 11.15 and 12.10). Use our words and our prayers to be vessels of Your will to do our part in our generation for the glory of Your Kingdom. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please continue to cover us on our International Justice Mission here in Chennai, India. We are strengthened and encouaraged and protected by the power of God through the prayer shield that surrounds us. My teamate Gerry Calvert will also go with another Christian Indian Attorney to speak with another governmental official today. Thank you and God bless you! We also join with all of you in continuing to pray for the suffering and oppressed in New Orleans and the surrounding areas, and that He will use it all to draw people to Him. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries mailto:--MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: http://www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com/ andhttp://www.morningbymorning.injesus.com/

Abounding in Hope 9-5-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the personification of the Father heart of God. You and our Father are One, and You come to dwell in our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, bringing the fullness of hope and joy and peace in our lives by the power of Your love. ... "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15.13). You are the God of hope. We saw the hope that brings joy and peace through believing in You in the eyes and faces of the people and heard it in the songs of the children as we worshiped You in tiny villages of India yesterday. Though in the world's eyes, they had nothing, in their hearts they had everything. How humbling. How beautiful. How inspiring to see the power of lives changed by the love of God in Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit filling their souls and praising Your name, they were literally abounding in hope. Hope is contagious. We went from village to village with Your servant Ghuna Kumar to pray with and encourage his pastors and evangelists and the people of these humble village churches where Your light was shining in the midst of the darkness, where Your hope sprang up like a fountains of living water in the hearts of the believers. Their songs of praise and prayers from the heart were like a fresh streams in the drought of a desert. Four years ago, they had never heard of Jesus Christ, but one soul at time, they had come to believe and come to receive of the living waters of hope. Their tiny huts and buildings can't hold them and their neighbors who don't yet believe can't silence them. This is the power of the Holy Spirit, this is the power of abounding hope in Jesus Christ. You sent us here on one mission to join with Christian lawyers of this nation to set captives free from the oppression of bonded slavery. Yet You've been on a mission to put a love for these people in our hearts. Though the people of one of these villages had never seen a white person until we joined our hearts with theirs in prayer, they embraced us as their brothers in Christ. And we embraced them as one family in one Spirit in the Lord. Continue to fill them, as You have filled us, with all joy and peace in believing. Let us forever abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Freinds, please join us in prayer for the people of these villages being touched the Love of God through the ministry of Ghuna Kumar and Gospel Friends. The Lord sends them only to the villages where the gospel has never been preached. They build the churches slowly through relationships one soul at a time, shepherding the people and embracing them as family through tall the persecution and hardships they endure in a nation of extreme persecution of Christians. We are to judge a tree by its fruit and the fruit of this ministry is amazing to see on the front lines of the spiriutal battle for the hearts and souls of those who have lost hope. If you would be interested in knowing more about the ministry of Gospel Friends, please send a note to my friend Ghuna at GhunaKumar@yahoo.com Please continue to pray for Gerry Calvert and me as we join with International Justice Mission (www.ijm.org) this morning to begin our mission with them this week. The Lord has already blessed us beyond belief, and we pray He will use us to be a blessing to others. We are also continuing to pray to the God of Hope for those in America who suffering such destruction. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com andwww.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Love Casts Out Fear 9-4-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that You are Lord, that You are my Lord. ... There are literally millions of gods in the common Hindu faith of India. There are large temples built to honor these gods in the large cities and there are small temples on almost every block. In a simple sense, the people worship and bow down to what they fear -- the elephant god, the snake god, the monkey god, the countless others that they believe may punish and manipulate their lives in harmful ways if not appeased and worshipped. My friend Ghuna Kumar and his evangelists and pastors with the ministry of Gospel Friends work among the villages of the people in southern and central India where the people bound in darkness and fear have never heard the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Last night he took us to pray on the top of a mountain overlooking Chennai where the Apostle Thomas was martyred for his faith in Christ and his courage to proclaim Him as Lord. We stopped to pray at the very place where Thomas was lanced through with a spear by a Hindu follower to silence the gospel, but his blood only sowed more seeds of life. From the top of that mount you can see crosses on many churches that courageously shine like lights in the midst of the darkness. Today we will travel with Ghuna to one of the villages a few hours north of this city where the gospel had never been preached. Despite the incredible persecution and incomprehensible sacrifice that a decision of the heart for faith in Christ requires among these villages, many families have come together to be baptized in the faith of Christ as the light of their lives. Today we will be honored to stand with them in the dedication of their church -- the first church ever in the history of this village and have the honor of preaching a message of the love of God in Jesus Christ at this dedication. Though I will preach with words for a day, these courageous families will preach with their lives every day. The seed from the blood of the martyrs continues to bear fruit. The light of the glory of the gospel of Christ continues to shine forth. The God who is Love is continuing to shine in the midst of the darkness, overcoming the gods of fear. "And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent His Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love castes out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4.14-19). Fill our hearts with Your love and deliver us from all fear. We love You because You first loved us. Let the power of Your love and the light of Your life go forth to every dark place to free those who are oppressed from spiritual darkness. You laid down Your life for us. Give us courage to lay down our lives for others. Thank You for the testimony of faith and courage in the hearts of those who have gone before us to prepare the way to share the love of the gospel of Your truth in Jesus Christ our Lord. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please cover us in your prayers. Today the Lord will use us to proclaim spiritual freedom from oppression in the church with the ministry of Ghuna Kumar and Gospel Friends. Next week the Lord will use us to proclaim physical freedom freedom from oppression in the marketplace with International Justice Mission. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com andwww.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Casting Down the Castes 9-3-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As the sun rises over India this morning, let the Son arise in my heart and in the hearts of all people throughout all the earth. ... Last night, we had dinner on the top of a roof overlooking the city of Chennai. Two thousand years ago, You sent Thomas the Apostle to the people of this very city to share the good news of salvation in Your love. Many heard and received, but most did not. They listened for awhile, and then they killed him -- to silence him and the message he was sent to bring. There remains a heaviness in the spirit that seems to hang over this city to this day. "And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But all who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God" (John 3.19-21). There is a darkness of oppression, fueled by a culture and a religion that imposes a judgment of value upon every person -- not based upon what is in their heart but upon where and to whom they were born. They are taught from birth that one's caste, and therefore one's worth, is set at birth. The lower castes are to serve the desires of the higher castes, no matter how oppressive. This is the penance of the sins of the former life, to be paid by living out a life with no hope of change until the next life, in an endless cycle of reincarnation. There is no forgiveness of sins, only punishment that lasts until the next life, where one will begin to pay for the sins of the last life. It is a religion that crushes hope. As they always do, men will find a way to exploit one another for their own gain. The evils of bonded slavery, child labor, and forced prostitution have as much to do with religion as they do with money. But the light of Your truth brings all things out of darkness and into the light. You have come to bind up the broken hearted and set the captives free -- free from the oppression of our sins and free from the oppression of those who would enslave us by their own. But a culture is not changed in a night. And darkness is only expelled by the shining of the light. Freedom from oppression, like salvation from sin, comes one soul at a time, but it's worth the effort and it's worth the wait. You have created India, and the people of every nation, with great purpose and destiny that awaits Your light to push back the darkness. Set us free to be all You have created us to be. There is but one life to live, let us live it in the light of Your glory and in the hope of freedom in Your love. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com andwww.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Destination of the Journey 9-2-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You Lord, in spirit and in truth -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ... We changed planes in Frankfort, Germany. How amazing that we made it all the way to Europe after eight hours in an airplane, only to be half way there to our destination. What a sea of people from every tongue and tribe and nation, from every culture and every religion. Though we are all different, we are all on a journey. Though we may have many different destinations in mind, our true destination and the true purpose of our journey is about a Person and not a place. The journey of our lives is to seek You and to find You, to come to know You in ever increasing depths of understanding and intimacy in a relationship of love with You. Anything else is a distraction and a detour, but even the distractions and the detours become Your means of teaching us and leading us to You. When You called Abraham and sent him on his journey, he must have thought he was going to a place, but really he would be coming to know a Person. There is something about the process of the journey that removes us from where we are, that awakens us to a sense of purpose, and reminds us of our dependence upon the One who has called us and sent us. You didn't tell Abraham where, You just told him, "Go." You didn't tell him so much about what he would do, You told him what You would do through him if he obeyed the called to go (Genesis 12.1-3). Give us the faith of Abraham as we arise and follow Your leading along our journey this day. We may not see how You will use us, but we can know that You will if we trust and obey the call to go. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com andwww.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"To the Nations" 9-1-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As the worship song declares, "From every nation, all of creation, bow before the Ancient of Days. ... Every tongue in heaven and earth shall declare Your glory...." ... You've sent me again to the nations -- from America to Germany to India, and every nation in between as we have flown through the skies between heaven and earth. Who knows what eternal effect it has to worship You and proclaim Your dominion and Your glory over the nations as we pass over. Yet I've sung the song of the Ancient of Days in my spirit over many nations this day. May it bring You glory and may it remind me of the One who has sent me to the nations. O, Lord, give me Your heart for Your people. Let every song I sing, every prayer I prayer, and every word I speak be for Your glory. Empower me to be one of Your ambassadors. Let Your compassion guide my heart, let Your zeal empower my spirit. Let me walk in humility of dependence upon You and in the boldness of faith in communion with You. "So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us" (2 Corinthians 5.20). Give us grace to represent You well wherever You send us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for your prayers for our team as we fly to Chennai (Madras) in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India for ministry with International Justice Misssion. God bless you! I'm catching up by sending out my prayer journal a few days late. We are safely in India, but adjusting to the culture and recovering from the 24 hour flight. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com andwww.morningbymorning.injesus.com