Morning by Morning, August 4 - Before and After Jesus! Good morning, Lord Jesus. Take me by my heart and lead me by Your Spirit into all You have for me today. ... “Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God!” (Acts 9:17-20). The Apostle Paul had a before and after Jesus. He was “Saul” before and “Paul” after. He was “breathing out threats against the Lord’s disciples” before (v. 1) and preaching “Jesus is the Son of God” after (v. 20). He needed a life-changing encounter with You -- the Living God (v. 17). And he needed an “Ananias” who was willing to be obedient to God to go reach out with his heart to be an extension of Your hands that the scales that blinded Saul to the love of God revealed in Jesus could fall from his eyes and from his heart. Then he could be free to be “(Your) chosen instrument to proclaim (Your) name” everywhere You would send him (v.15). Everyone who’s come to know You, who’s had those same scales removed from their eyes and their heart, has a before and after Jesus. There’s a place on the “road” of our lives where everything changed, and we’re no longer like who we were before (v. 17). Last week in Kenya, I saw this so dramatically. One night during our outdoor crusade festival, I was way in the back, going from person to person during the altar call to reach out to some who were holding back. I found a young man named John whose eyes were glazed over from sniffing glue from a plastic bottle tucked inside his jacket. We had seen the same thing all week during out outreaches in the slum areas. I said, “Look at me. Do you want a better life? A different life? A life that only Jesus can give you?” As I led him in a simple but life-changing prayer, he chose to open his heart and surrender his life to Jesus! I prayed for him to be set free from addiction and “filled with the Holy Spirit” (v. 17). I told him his life would never be the same and told him, “You come back tomorrow night and find me and let me know what God has done. I want to see your eyes clear and your smile bright with the love and joy of Jesus filling your soul and shining on your face!” Just as the Word of God promises, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation! Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) I told him to throw down his plastic glue bottle and stomp on it. I declared another Promise of the Word of God over him as he did: “The God of Peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you! Amen!” (Romans 16:20) And I pulled out my phone to video John crushing that bottle under his feet! The very next night, I was in the back again reaching out and praying with people one-on-one. I meet a pastor and his family who led a little church right across a street from the outdoor stadium where we were holding our crusade festival. Suddenly a young man came up to me very excitedly, asking, “Do you remember me? I’m John. John from last night. You told me to come get you and tell you what God has done. And here I am!” Wow! I didn’t recognize him! His eyes were clear! His face was bright! He was not the same! He was a new creation in Christ! He was free! All things had become new! I pulled out my phone to get a video of John giving glory to God. Before and after Jesus! Then I gave him into the arms of the pastor from across the street, as I told John, “This is your new family. They will love you and help you and walk with you on this new journey of your life. John, behold your new family. Family, behold your son -- a brand new son of God, a brand new creation in Christ by the mercy and love of God revealed through Jesus!” There were hugs and smiles all around! Thank You, Jesus! In a moment, You can change our lives around and we’ll never be the same. There’s before and after Jesus. And there’s nothing better in all this world than “after Jesus!” In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today. In the love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My friend, may you be filled with the Holy Spirit and overflowing with the love of God to reach out and help others experience life before and after Jesus, everywhere God sends you, in Jesus' name. God bless you, my friend! And you have a great day!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Mailing Address: 412 S. Adams Street #148 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
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“Setting hearts free to be all they were created to be --Free to Be Like Jesus-- secure in their identity, growing in maturity, fulfilling their destiny" | 
