Don't Hold Back 9-12-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me as I linger in the stillness before You at the start of this day. … "All day long the wicked covet, but the righteous give and do not hold back" (Proverbs 21:26). In times of uncertainty, the tendency of the flesh is to covet and horde. But the nature of the Spirit is to give even more. The gifts and graces of God are given to us for the very purpose of giving them away to others. Like the waters of the Jordan that flow into the Dead Sea, they grow stagnant and stale unless they continue to flow through our lives and into the lives of others. Then they become part of the flow of Your Spirit as streams of living water, bringing healing and life to all they touch (Ezekiel 47:9). " 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.' Now He said this about the Spirit, which believers in Him were to receive" (John 7:38-39). Lord, help me not hold back. Freely have I received, help me freely give (Matthew 10:8). Help me know the gifts You have given me to give away to others. Remind me that the measure I give will be the measure I receive -- "a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over" (Luke 6:38). My gifts are not exactly the same as anyone else's gifts, but they are the gifts You have given me for the purposes You have called me to reflect Your image and to minister Your love through my life. "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). By Your grace and for Your glory, I choose to give and not hold back, to care and not covet. And then by the mystery of faith and the principles of Your Kingdom, I will gain far more than I can ever give. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! this Friday night at 7 pm for our ministry's monthly gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship in the chapel of Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Road in Lexington. Come be refreshed and renewed as we drink deeply from the Living Waters. All are welcome! Call us for information at 859-317-1591 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

What Tomorrow will Bring 9-11-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Speak to me Your words of truth and life. Set my feet on the path You have for me to walk today. … "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.' Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:13-14). On this day five years ago, the world changed for the people of my nation. Terror touched home on a scale beyond any proportion we had ever known. Yet You redeem all things. You cause good to come out of even the most vile and wicked acts of evil if we will humble our hearts and turn to You for Your strength and peace to press on. One way You have redeemed the events of 9-11 is that few take the security and peace of our lives for granted any more. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. We don't know what day may be our last. There is more of sense of living each day in the fullness of that day, not holding on for tomorrow because we don't know what tomorrow holds. You have created each of us for significance, with destiny. You have created each on of us with a sense of eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Yet we have but "a little while" to make a difference; then our opportunities vanish like the mist of the morning dew. Lord, give me Your wisdom and grace to live my life fully this day. Let me not waste my opportunities. Let me not wait for tomorrow. Let me live and love and give and serve today. Tomorrow may never come, but by Your grace and in Your power, I can make a difference in someone's life today. Thank You for reminding me that every day is a significant day. Every day, my choices, my actions, and my words carry the significance of eternity (Matthew 12:36 and 25:31-46). Let this be the legacy of 9-11 for me. In Jesus' name I 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 -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com . Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

What Tomorrow will Bring 9-11-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Speak to me Your words of truth and life. Set my feet on the path You have for me to walk today. … "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.' Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:13-14). On this day five years ago, the world changed for the people of my nation. Terror touched home on a scale beyond any proportion we had ever known. Yet You redeem all things. You cause good to come out of even the most vile and wicked acts of evil if we will humble our hearts and turn to You for Your strength and peace to press on. One way You have redeemed the events of 9-11 is that few take the security and peace of our lives for granted any more. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. We don't know what day may be our last. There is more of sense of living each day in the fullness of that day, not holding on for tomorrow because we don't know what tomorrow holds. You have created each of us for significance, with destiny. You have created each on of us with a sense of eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Yet we have but "a little while" to make a difference; then our opportunities vanish like the mist of the morning dew. Lord, give me Your wisdom and grace to live my life fully this day. Let me not waste my opportunities. Let me not wait for tomorrow. Let me live and love and give and serve today. Tomorrow may never come, but by Your grace and in Your power, I can make a difference in someone's life today. Thank You for reminding me that every day is a significant day. Every day, my choices, my actions, and my words carry the significance of eternity (Matthew 12:36 and 25:31-46). Let this be the legacy of 9-11 for me. In Jesus' name I 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 -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com .Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

"Seek His Presence Continually" 9-10-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. By Your grace, I willingly welcome You into my mind and my heart, to shape my thoughts and form my desires. … "Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His presence continually" (1 Chronicles 16:11). To "seek" is to pursue -- not passively, but actively; not merely accepting Your strength, but desperately depending upon it; not merely allowing Your presence, but earnestly desiring it. "Continually" means without ceasing, without distraction, without hesitation. How would my life be different if I truly depended upon Your strength alone throughout every day? How would my words and my actions be different if I deliberately welcomed Your personal presence into every moment of my day? Often we kind of have a vague sense of Your general presence in our lives, that You are out there somewhere, sometimes listening in or looking in to the matters of our lives. And the truth is, we kind of like it that way. There seems to be less accountability and more liberty to live our lives for ourselves instead of for You. But this call is to seek You continually, not occasionally; to seek You deliberately, not come across You by accident. Lord, put this desire in my heart and this power in my spirit. Give me a holy hunger for more -- more of Your strength, more of Your presence -- never being fully satisfied, continually seeking more of You in my life. In Jesus' name I 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 -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com . Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Consecrated and Consumed 9-9-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Here I am, Lord. Help me yield my will to Your will, laying down my life so that You can live Your life through me this day. … "Then Solomon offered up burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord … as the duty of each day required" (2 Chronicles 8:12-13). I offer my life to You again this day. This is my burnt offering -- my flesh consumed in the fire of Your Holy Spirit. I choose to answer Your call: "I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Romans 12:1). Consecrated and consumed, "we are the aroma of Christ to God" (2 Corinthians 2:15). Through the prayer of surrender on the altar of my heart, I consecrate my life and this day to You as holy unto the Lord to be consumed in the flames of Your will in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 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 -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com . Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Out of the Great Ordeal -- 9-8-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Lamb upon the throne of God. Be enthroned upon my heart this day. … "Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, 'Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?' … Then he said to me, 'These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb' " (Revelation 7:13-14). Last night at church, The Foundry -- our "multi-purpose facility" -- was filled with people who came for the purpose of coming to ask their questions about You and Your ways in the journey of our Alpha Course over next ten weeks. As our Pastor, David, told them, they will not only come to understand truth, they will come to encounter and experience the One who is Truth. As they came in, I wondered in my spirit, "where have they come from?" In one way or another, and in each one's own journey, they have each "come out of the great ordeal" -- living life every day in a broken, fallen world where there are no answers and there is no peace apart from knowing You. With my natural eyes, I saw them as they are -- questioning, seeking, hurting, skeptical, and some even a little afraid. But with my spiritual eyes, I saw them as they will be -- welcomed, forgiven, trusting, peaceful, and free. They were no longer robed in the ways of the world, but robed in the white of the glory of God. Though most of these would probably not have ever heard this old hymn, I hear it now as a song of Your Spirit releasing them to ask their questions and drawing them to You to find their Answer: "Are you washed … in the blood … in the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless, are they white as snow, are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?" For many, if not most, they are not yet. But it is Your desire and in the grace of Your power, they will be. They will come to trust You enough to entrust their lives to You, as You cleanse them of their sins and fill them with Your Spirit. And then in the fullness of time and the fulfillment of all Truth, "They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of the Water of Life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes" (Revelation 7:16-17). Lord Jesus, come into their hearts and keep coming into mine; cleanse their souls in the blood of the Lamb and keep cleansing mine. In Jesus' name I 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 -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com . Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Walk in the Opposite 9-7-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call on Your name and I ask for Your nature. … "Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). Teach me how to walk in the opposite spirit of the spirits that come against me. Empower me to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. Where there is pride, help me walk in humility. Where there is fear, help me walk in faith. Where there is judgment, help me walk in mercy. Where there is bitterness, help me walk in forgiveness. Where there is heaviness, help me walk in praise. Where there is confusion, help me walk in clarity. Where there is doubt, help me walk in wisdom. Where there is anxiety, help me walk in peace. "For You have delivered my soul from death, and my feet from falling, so that I may walk before God in the light of life" (Psalm 56:13). Possess me with Your Holy Spirit and deliver me from every unholy spirit (Matthew 6:13). Fill me with Your Light and cast out of me all darkness. "For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light -- for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true" (Ephesians 5:8-9). "It is You who light my lamp; the Lord, my God, lights up my darkness" (Psalm 18:28). In faith, I ask and by grace, I receive more of Your mind and more of Your heart, as I choose to submit my nature to Your nature and my will to Your will. Help me walk in Your Spirit and not in my flesh. Help me overcome evil with good. Lord Jesus, make me more like You each day. In Jesus' name I 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 -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Witnesses of Peace 9-6-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I love You, Lord, because You first loved me. I praise You, Lord, because You are worthy of all praise. … Thank You for the gift of the Tuesday Night Prayer Group -- the group of men and women of prayer from all different traditions across our community who gather together for intercession and worship every week at the heart of our city. Margaret Therkelsen, one of my spiritual mentors and mothers in the faith, has faithfully led this group every week for over twenty years of city-wide prayer. We'll never know until we get to heaven how this bond of unity in the faith and in prayer has transformed the spiritual atmosphere of our region as instruments of Your grace to open the heavens over the lives of the people You've called us to love and cover in the power of prayer. Though I've not been able to join them in their faithful ministry as often this past year, I am always refreshed and renewed in weightiness of the glory of Your presence as we seek Your face and pray Your grace. Last night I felt like I needed to be there with my praying family and friends. At the end, as Margaret led us to wait on You for any final leadings of Your Spirit, I heard You say, "Be witnesses of My peace." And You brought to mind the face of my friend Ann who was singing in the choir at our Community Prayer Gathering last week with her face lifted to You in praise the very next day after her daughter Beth's funeral. What a witness she was to me and our community of the peace of Your eternal perspective. As soon as I prayed, You confirmed through my friend Sandy what You had been speaking to her all night, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid" (John 14:27). Yes, Lord. By Your grace, empower us to be witnesses of Your peace. Give us Your eternal perspective. Keep lifting our eyes unto the hills from whence cometh our help; our help comes from the Lord who gives us peace in the midst of pain and quiets our souls in the midst of suffering. You are our Peace and our Comforter. Let the world around us see the witness of Your Peace and Your Comfort shining through our faces turned to You in trusting faith and highest praise. Let us be encouraged by the witness of others to be witnesses ourselves to the peace and power of Your presence. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, if you can't join her on Tuesday nights, you will be deeply blessed through the ministry of Margaret Therkelsen in her books: The Love Exchange -- An Adventure in Prayer and Realizing the Presence of the Spirit. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Courage and Strength 9-5-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Before I rise and go to meet the day, I choose to sit and wait to meet my God. … "Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord" (Psalm 27:14). Courage comes when I know I have waited for Your leading. Strength comes when I depend upon Your power. Your grace is sufficient for me; Your power is made perfect in my weakness -- the weakness of my flesh in submission to Your Spirit. "For whenever I am weak" -- courageously and desperately dependant upon You in trusting faith -- "then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:8-10). I need Your courage and I need Your strength. Help me wait for Your leading by seeking Your peace and Your power, choosing not to move forward until I have it. Let insecurity, fear, and pride have no place in my choices and no power in my decisions. As best as I can, I submit my plans to Yours, yielding my will to Yours alone. Sometimes the most courageous act is to stand firm and wait until You give the command to move forward in Your time and in Your way. By Your grace, I choose to stand firm, trusting in You to be my strength. In Jesus' name I 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 -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Eternal Glory in Christ 9-4-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Give me grace to see You and hear You and follow You this day. … "And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you" (1 Peter 5:10). You have not promised us a world without pain nor a life without suffering. Yet You have promised us that through it all, You would be with us. You never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). As You said to Your people who would follow Joshua through the battles they would encounter in order to establish them in the fullness of Your promises: "It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed" (Deuteronomy 31:8). You are my Joshua. And I will arise and follow You. You go before me and You are with me. I need not fear the battles nor be dismayed by the suffering. You are restoring me, supporting me, strengthening me, and establishing me as I keep my eyes on You and answer Your call to move forward into the fullness of Your promises. It's not in spite of, but because of the endurance of faith through suffering, that You are establishing in me the promise of Your "eternal glory in Christ." In Jesus' name I 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 -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Live Life in the Present 9-3-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Awaken my spirit to arise and follow You. … "You turn us back to dust, and say, 'Turn back, you mortals.' For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night. You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning; in the morning it flourishes and it is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers" (Psalm 90:3-6). Teach me to live the fullness of life in the present, Lord. I thank You for the past that You have used to make me who I am. I thank You for the future that You will use to shape me into who I will become. And I thank You for today -- "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24). Remind me to live this day as if it were my last, as if tomorrow I would stand before You and give an account of how I used the talents and the time You gave me. Each day begins fresh and new, but in the evening it fades and withers; it is no more and every opportunity it brought is forever past. By Your grace, teach me to live life fully each day, so that I will not live in regret the next. Each day may be my last day. So thank You for encouraging me and empowering me to live each day in the fullness of life in the present. "As we work together with Him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For He says, 'At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.' See now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!" (2 Corinthians 6:1-2) In Jesus' name I 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 -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

I Know My Redeemer Lives 9-1-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Comfort and Strength, my Wisdom and Truth, O Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ... When Job's religious "friends" were confused in their theology of suffering, You spoke Your words of truth and life through the young prophet, Elihu, who heard Your voice and knew Your heart: "Bear with me a little, and I will show you, for I have yet something to say on God's behalf. I will bring my knowledge from far away, and ascribe righteousness to my Maker. For truly my words are not false; One who is perfect in knowledge is with you. Surely God is mighty and does not despise any; He is mighty in strength of understanding. ... He delivers the afflicted by their affliction, and opens their ear by adversity. ... See, God is exalted in His power; who is a teacher like Him? Who has prescribed for Him His way, or who can say, 'You have done wrong?' " (from Job 36:1-23). You do not despise any. You are Love, and You have created each of us for a relationship of love (1 John 4:8). But to truly love, there must be the freedom to choose to receive that love or reject it. If You created us to automatically receive Your love, it wouldn't be love at all. We would be robots and not loved ones with the capacity to love in return. So love requires freedom, and out of that freedom we make choices that affect our lives and the lives of others, in our generation and throughout all generations. Our choices have consequences, so a relationship based on Your nature of love is risky and dangerous, but necessary. You cannot automatically make us love You and obey You without destroying the potential for a relationship of love. And out of those choices in our lives and in the lives of others, bad things can happen that are completely contrary to Your will for us. Your will is not to harm us, but to help us, to give us "a future with hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Turn, then, and live" (Ezekiel 18:32). Yet in a broken, fallen world, there is affliction and there is adversity; there is destruction and sadness and death. It breaks our hearts and it breaks Yours. But even so, You do not waste our suffering and You do not leave us alone in our pain. You redeem all things, causing life to rise up out of the ashes of death and healing life to flow out of broken vessels. As Job came to say, "I know that my Redeemer lives" (Job 19:25). "He has redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and my life shall see the Light" (v. 33:28). As we turn to You in our humble weakness and in trusting faith, You deliver the afflicted by our affliction and You open our ears by adversity (from Job 36:15). Whether You intend it or will it or not, affliction can be a means of Your grace to deliver us from our self-reliance and independence if we allow it to draw us closer to You, even while it breaks Your heart to see us endure it. Adversity can be a means of Your grace to open our ears again to the leading of Your still small voice, speaking quietly to our spirit to lead us into the destiny of our future with a hope. Only in this way can we possibly hear and receive Your word of encouragement that "whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4). And that joy does not come -- nor should it come -- overnight, but in Your timing and in Your way as we walk with You through the journey. We go through life in all of the full range of misery and joy in order to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). And as we learn to turn to You in our suffering and in our rejoicing, we are becoming "mature and complete" until we are "lacking in nothing" (James 1:4). Who is a Teacher like You? You are exalted in power -- the power of Your love for us and Your desire to conform us into Your nature in the wisdom of Your ways. "Who can say, 'You have done wrong?' " (Job 36:22-23). With Job and all those who persevere and press through in Your grace to see Your power, we proclaim, "I know my Redeemer lives!" In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, my home church will be hosting another Community Prayer Gathering next Wednesday night again at 7:30 on Sept. 6 at Centenary United Methodist Church in Lexington. All are welcome! Thank you all so much for covering us in your prayers. To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation through inner healing, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our Messiah Ministries' citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Mystery of Faith 8-31-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek Your wisdom. I seek You, for You are Wisdom. … "Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great: He was revealed in the flesh, vindicated in Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory" (1 Timothy 3:16). At times when we are hurting and we don't understand, the mysteries of our faith drive us to cling closer to You in faith -- faith that You are good, faith that You are for us, faith that You are working in ways we cannot see, faith that You are fighting for us in battles we cannot see. We can't hold on to that kind of faith without holding on to the One who is faithful. That kind of faith if found in a Person, not just principles. It is found in the One who is the Word and our Comfort, not just in comforting words. It is a mystery that Your Kingdom has come but it is not yet fully manifested in the earth. It is a mystery that You are sovereign and in control, yet You set before us each day the choices we must make of our own free will (Joshua 24:14). It is a mystery that You said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me;" and at the same time, You referred to the enemy of our souls as "the ruler of this world" (Matthew 28:18; John 14:30). It is a mystery that You came that we might have life in abundance; yet we face a foe who comes to steel and kill and destroy (John 10:10). It is a mystery that You are our "Prince of Peace;" yet we live our lives in world where disobedience to Your will and Your ways through our generations have opened doors to the wicked and destructive influences of "the prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:1-2, NKJV). It is a mystery that You send Your angels to do Your bidding, but there is opposition from fallen angels fighting to resist and delay Your word and Your will for Your children (Hebrews 1:14; Daniel 10:10-14). So we must continue to pray for Your Kingdom to come and Your will to be done -- here on earth in the brokenness and fallenness of our lives in a broken, fallen world, as it is in heaven where there are no sinful choices and no fallen angels. We must hold on to faith through these mysteries of life, which Your Word calls a "fight of the faith" (1 Timothy 6:12). Give us courage and compassion to step in the ring and fight for one another when the mysteries of life and faith seem to be pummeling them into a corner. As we do, the love and power of Your presence makes our faith less mysterious to us and the God of our faith more real to us. In this way, we are growing in grace to become "servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries" (1 Corinthians 4:1). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for covering our community in prayer in these days where we need the faith of God and the prayers of His heart. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Why, God? 8-30-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I wake this morning to press through in prayer and praise through the heaviness of heart of our community for myself and for them. Yesterday, we celebrated the life and mourned the passing of a young woman in our community who was full of life until the day she died at the end of her battle with cancer. This week the funerals will begin for forty-nine lives whose day began and suddenly ended in the crash of their plane on their way to another day in the journey of their lives. Just a few months have passed since a young mother on her way to work among us was crushed under a falling slab of cement from the parking garage above her, carrying her unborn child in her womb. I bring to You my questions and listen to You for answers, as I entrust to You our heaviness of heart this day. … "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?" (Psalm 22:1). "Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?" (Psalm 10:1). Some say we should never ask, "Why?" But that's not my theology. That's not my four year old, Elijah's theology either. "Why, Daddy?" and "Dad, how come?" make up more than half his vocabulary. "Why?" is an expression of the deepest yearnings You have placed in our spirits to know and understand. And as we seek to know and understand the principles and problems, the tragedies and triumphs of our lives, the question of "Why?" ultimately leads to the question of "Who?" It may begin with "Who did this?" and "Who allowed this?", but sooner or later, it leads to "Who will walk with me through this?" Finally, one day -- after the journey of shock and denial, anger and pain, forgiveness and healing -- it even becomes, "Who will use this in my life and in the lives of others?" In my own journey through the suffering and brokenness of living in a broken, fallen world in need of a Savior, I have come to find peace in the One Who wrestles with me through the questions and walks with me through the journey. Thank You for giving me permission to ask the question "Why?" You asked it of our Father as You hung upon the Cross in Your unfailing love for me -- "And about three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' that is, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?' "(Matthew 27:46). There, You bore upon Yourself for us "our griefs and carried our sorrows" (Isaiah 53:4, NKJV). Then You entrusted Your spirit into the hands of the Father (Luke 23:46). The question of "Why?" led to the Answer of "Who" -- to the One Who sees the end from the beginning and causes all things to work together for good -- even the things that break our hearts and Yours. Keep giving me grace to keep asking the question and giving me faith to keep finding my Answer. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, my home church will be hosting a Community Prayer Gathering Tonight -- Wednesday night 8/30 at 7:30 pm at Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome! We understand the Governor of Kentucky and our Bishop are coming to join in prayer. Please come join us in prayer for our community if you can, and join us in prayer from where you are if you can't. Please spread the word. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Community Prayer Gathering Tonight 8-30-06

Dear Praying Friends, In response to the recent plane crash in Lexington, Kentucky, my home church will be hosting a Community Prayer Gathering Tonight -- Wednesday night 8/30 at 7:30 pm at Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome! We understand the Governor of Kentucky and our Bishop are coming to join in prayer. Please come join us in prayer for our community if you can, and join us in prayer from where you are if you can't. Please spread the word. God bless you! Please forward this note on to all who would be interested in this prayer event. Also please forward this on to anyone who would be interested in being on our PrayLexington email list for city-wide and regional prayer events in the unity of the body of Christ. God bless you! Tommy Hays Messiah Ministries Lexington, Kentucky www.messiah-ministries.org 859-422-1794 Subscribe To our Email List for City-wide and Regional Prayer Events by sending a note to PrayLexington@aol.com

Why, God? 8-30-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I wake this morning to press through in prayer and praise through the heaviness of heart of our community for myself and for them. Yesterday, we celebrated the life and mourned the passing of a young woman in our community who was full of life until the day she died at the end of her battle with cancer. This week the funerals will begin for forty-nine lives whose day began and suddenly ended in the crash of their plane on their way to another day in the journey of their lives. Just a few months have passed since a young mother on her way to work among us was crushed under a falling slab of cement from the parking garage above her, carrying her unborn child in her womb. I bring to You my questions and listen to You for answers, as I entrust to You our heaviness of heart this day. … "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?" (Psalm 22:1). "Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?" (Psalm 10:1). Some say we should never ask, "Why?" But that's not my theology. That's not my four year old, Elijah's theology either. "Why, Daddy?" and "Dad, how come?" make up more than half his vocabulary. "Why?" is an expression of the deepest yearnings You have placed in our spirits to know and understand. And as we seek to know and understand the principles and problems, the tragedies and triumphs of our lives, the question of "Why?" ultimately leads to the question of "Who?" It may begin with "Who did this?" and "Who allowed this?", but sooner or later, it leads to "Who will walk with me through this?" Finally, one day -- after the journey of shock and denial, anger and pain, forgiveness and healing -- it even becomes, "Who will use this in my life and in the lives of others?" In my own journey through the suffering and brokenness of living in a broken, fallen world in need of a Savior, I have come to find peace in the One Who wrestles with me through the questions and walks with me through the journey. Thank You for giving me permission to ask the question "Why?" You asked it of our Father as You hung upon the Cross in Your unfailing love for me -- "And about three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' that is, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?' "(Matthew 27:46). There, You bore upon Yourself for us "our griefs and carried our sorrows" (Isaiah 53:4, NKJV). Then You entrusted Your spirit into the hands of the Father (Luke 23:46). The question of "Why?" led to the Answer of "Who" -- to the One Who sees the end from the beginning and causes all things to work together for good -- even the things that break our hearts and Yours. Keep giving me grace to keep asking the question and giving me faith to keep finding my Answer. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, my home church will be hosting a Community Prayer Gathering Tonight -- Wednesday night 8/30 at 7:30 pm at Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome! We understand the Governor of Kentucky and our Bishop are coming to join in prayer. Please come join us in prayer for our community if you can, and join us in prayer from where you are if you can't. Please spread the word. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

A Compassionate God 8-29-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As the old song says, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning, new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness, O Lord. Great is Your faithfulness." … "For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but My steadfast love shall not depart from you, and My covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord who has compassion on you" (Isaiah 54:10). The eyes of the world seem to be on Kentucky these past few days -- not because of the Kentucky Derby or the World Equestrian Games or another National Championship of the UK Basketball Team, but because the world feels our pain and carries a measure of our shock and sadness. The tragedy of this plane crash and loss of forty-nine lives has touched almost everyone in our community in a personal way. As the Mayor of Lexington said, "We not only grieve with the family and friends of those who died; we are the friends and family of those who died." Yet as the world watches, let them also see our faith, our hope, and our love. Let them see us comforting one another with the comfort that only You can give us. Let them see the compassion of our God whose heart breaks over the brokenness and suffering of this tragic loss of life. And let them see the mercy of our God who will not waste a moment of our suffering to draw others to Him. Everyone who lost a loved one or friend or saw someone else lose a loved one or friend Sunday morning was reminded that any moment could be our last moment. Life is short and time is precious. There is no time to waste in receiving and sharing the grace of Your love revealed in Your Gospel with one another. Lord, while the prayers of the world are opening the heavens above our community, let us not squander these sacred moments to share Your hope and demonstrate Your love to those who need Your compassion. As they receive Your grace and enter in to Your covenant of peace, Your steadfast love shall not depart and Your mercies shall not fail. No matter what the morning brings, Your mercies will be new every morning. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, my home church will be hosting a Community Prayer Gathering this Wednesday night 8/30 at 7:30 pm in the Chapel of Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Please come join us in prayer for our community if you can, and join us in prayer from where you are if you can't. God bless you!

Lamentation in Lexington 8-28-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Comforter when it seems there is no comfort. You are the Healer when it seems there is no healing. … "Thus says the Lord: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more" (Jeremiah 31:13). Our community is in mourning and grief, wailing in sadness and sorrow. Yesterday morning, the six o'clock flight from Lexington to Atlanta crashed in a field not far from the end of the runway. That's a flight many of us have taken many times. Forty-nine people lost their lives; only one survived. A voice is heard in Lexington. There is lamentation and bitter weeping, as our hearts are broken with Yours over the loss of these lives and anguish of their families and friends. These are our neighbors and we join with them in their pain. In these days of grief and anguish, where there is no comfort, You fill us with compassion and caring for those who are numbed by the pain and dazed by the shock of such wrenching tragedy. Though we are a large city, we love one another like a small town. And every life of our community will be touched by the loss of these lives. Before the recovery efforts began, our emergency workers gathered around the plane to pray. Without prayer, what would we do? Without You, how could we bear the burden of such sadness and sorrow? "My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to Your word" (Psalm 119:28). Father, we offer ourselves to You to be as Your arms and Your heart those who are grieving. Help us be silent when we should not speak, but listen and love. Help us hold them tight when their emotions burst out with no words to express their pain. As You are there through us, let them know You are there for them. Though we live our lives in a broken, fallen world full of tragedy and sorrow, we do not live our lives without love. You are love, and You love through us. "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:7-8). Give us Your love to love our hurting neighbors through our prayers and our presence in their lives this day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I was scheduled to be leading a prayer walk from our Church's prayer room out to our community tonight at 7:00. But now I feel we should spend our time praying for the family and friends of those who are suffering from this tragedy. So, please come join us in person if you can and join us in prayer if you can't at the Prayer Room in the back of the Chapel of Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington tonight (Monday 8/28 at 7:00 pm), or in the Chapel if we need more room. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Teammates and Teamwork 8-27-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me listen for Your leading and go where You send me. … "Then one who plants and the one who waters work as a team with the same purpose. Yet they will be rewarded individually, according to their own hard work. We work together as partners who belong to God" (1 Corinthians 3:8-9, NLT). In a team, each part does their part. We use our uncommon gifts for a common goal. Lord, reveal to me my part and my place in the teams You have called me to for the work and glory of Your kingdom. Reveal to my teammates their part and their place, as we hear Your call and obey Your commands, working together as partners in pursuit of Your common purpose for our lives. We each have a part in this purpose, and each part must do our part. And as we do we will find fulfillment of our purposes in You. In Jesus' name I 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 -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Blessed be Your Name 8-26-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. This song of praise has been in my spirit for days, "Blessed be the name of the Lord… Blessed be Your glorious name!" … "O how abundant is Your goodness that You have laid up for those who fear You, and accomplished for those who take refuge in You, in the sight of everyone! … Blessed be the Lord, for He has wondrously shown His steadfast love to me when I was beset as a city under siege" (Psalm 31:19-21). You are a good God. You love me and care for me as I find my refuge in You. You give me faith and courage to press in to the place of peace in You. Your part is to do it; my part is to choose it. I can't make it happen, but as I choose to rest in You and the abundant goodness of Your steadfast, unfailing love and power, You make it happen. I am not to sit back in passivity, allowing waves of worry to wash over me, but I am to rise and seek Your face and receive Your grace with thanksgiving and praise for Your power and Your provision for my every need. This is the character of faith and tenacity of spirit You are working in me through every challenge I face. This is the Sabbath rest You have prepared for the people of God. "Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest" (Hebrews 4:11). Your part is to do it; my part is to choose it -- all by Your grace and all in Your power. In Jesus' name I 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 -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Life Hidden in Christ 8-25-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You, Lord God my Father. Welcome Holy Spirit of the Living God. … Lord, take my thoughts off of myself and turn them to You. Let my life be hidden in Yours today. "For you have died and, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:3-4). In a moment I'll have a chance to go and share a word of encouragement to Your servants from across our community who are spending their time and their labor to build a home for a family who doesn't have one. Through the ministry of Habitat for Humanity, they are looking beyond themselves and looking to You to serve others. While there are building a habitat for humanity, You are building a habitat for Your presence in their hearts. Your nature is to love and to serve, and when we are serving in love, Your nature is becoming our nature. "The only thing that counts is faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6). Let Your life and Your love work to serve others through me today. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for your prayers for me and our ministry. The Lord is pouring out His encouragement and blessings. He is faithful and He is good! I pray He returns a hundred fold and more of every seed of His love He has sown through you into our lives. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

I Lift My Eyes Up 8-24-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. "I lift up my eyes to the hills -- from where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:1-2). You are my help and my strength. I lift my eyes and seek Your face; I open my heart and receive Your grace. ... This morning a good friend of mine is coming to town to pray. Leading a prayer ministry, I pray for others every day. And I am thankful for the blessing of this calling. But these times of getting away for the morning with a trusted friend with no plan and no agenda but to seek Your face and receive Your grace, to worship You in spirit and in truth, to watch and wait for Your leading and then to rise in our spirits to follow You in prayer wherever You lead are moments when Your strength fills my soul. These are moments when You renew my vision and encourage my heart. "But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life" (Jude 20-21). I look forward to Your mercy today. I look forward to coming to You and calling on Your name and being filled afresh with Your Spirit in prayer with my friend and brother in the Lord. "When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:31). Let us speak Your words of life into one another's spirits with holy boldness and receive the strength and help that comes only from You. Together we will lift our eyes up to the hills and we will ascend the mountain of the Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Dear Friends, thank you for your prayers. They are worth more to me than gold. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

I Lift My Eyes Up 8-24-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. "I lift up my eyes to the hills -- from where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:1-2). You are my help and my strength. I lift my eyes and seek Your face; I open my heart and receive Your grace. ... This morning a good friend of mine is coming to town to pray. Leading a prayer ministry, I pray for others every day. And I am thankful for the blessing of this calling. But these times of getting away for the morning with a trusted friend with no plan and no agenda but to seek Your face and receive Your grace, to worship You in spirit and in truth, to watch and wait for Your leading and then to rise in our spirits to follow You in prayer wherever You lead are moments when Your strength fills my soul. These are moments when You renew my vision and encourage my heart. "But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life" (Jude 20-21). I look forward to Your mercy today. I look forward to coming to You and calling on Your name and being filled afresh with Your Spirit in prayer with my friend and brother in the Lord. "When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:31). Let us speak Your words of life into one another's spirits with holy boldness and receive the strength and help that comes only from You. Together we will lift our eyes up to the hills and we will ascend the mountain of the Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Dear Friends, thank you for your prayers. They are worth more to me than gold. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Tenacity of Spirit 8-23-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Worries and concerns, disappointments and fears have been coming against my mind, trying to steal my sleep and my peace. But I hear You calling to rise and come to press in to the peace of Your presence. ... "Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer" (Romans 12:11-12). These words are not suggestions, but commands. There is a tenacity of spirit You desire in me -- zealous, ardent, persevering. Like a battering ram that continues to pound away until breakthrough comes; like a bulldog that grabs on and doesn't let go until victory comes; like a baby that cries through the night until somebody gets up out of bed to change him and feed him until sleep comes -- You call us to press on and press through. Passivity is sin. When You saw the temple was no longer a house of prayer and saw that ministry was being merchandised, the tenacity of the Spirit rose in You to drive out the money-changers and cleanse the temple. Your first disciples "remembered that it was written, 'Zeal for Your house will consume me' " (John 2:17). When You saw the lame and the blind, You healed them. When You saw the oppressed and the bound, You freed them. When You saw the broken and hurting, You loved them. You were not passive and complacent; You were tenacious and aggressive in obedience to the will of the Father, no matter the cost. When Your spiritual zeal embarrassed the spiritually lazy, You didn't back down, but persistently replied, "My Father is still working, and I am working" (John 5:17). And when Your message was not heard and Your sacrifices were not received, You kept loving and serving and forgiving. The plans and purposes of God prevailed. So when I am discouraged, I choose to rejoice in hope. When I am suffering, I choose to be patient in endurance. When I am disappointed, I choose to persevere in prayer. It's all by Your grace and all in Your power, but my part is to choose -- and to keep on choosing as I press on and press through in obedience and faith. This is the attitude that will prevail even against the gates of hell (Matthew 16:18). You have not given me a spirit of fear, but of love and power and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Thank You for the gifts of perseverance of faith and tenacity of spirit. Thank You for the peace of Your presence. As I keep trusting in You, You will cause all things to work together for good (Romans 8:28). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Dear Friends, please prayerfully seek the Lord's leading about taking a stand with me and our ministry at this particular time with both prayer and provision. The Lord has always been faithful to provide for almost 10 years of ministry, and it seems He often provides through one another giving joyfully and generously to His Kingdom and His Kingdom workers. Like a missionary, I raise my own support for the work of Messiah Ministries. If the Lord has used our ministry of spiritual direction for you personally or for your church or your community, please consider sending a note of encouragement and a check of provision. May we all be filled with the joy of the Lord and the grace of His provision. "May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from His glorious power, and my you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the Light" (Colossians 1:11-12). I would be glad to speak with you personally about our vision and our needs: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our Address for Ministry and Contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Prayer Walking 8-22-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I proclaim Your name as Lord over my life, my family, my church, and my community. ... "And the Lord said to Joshua, 'Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you' " (Joshua 10:8). For the past few weeks, a group of intercessors from our church have been meeting for prayer and then prayer walking through our church and our community. Last night we walked and prayed through the campus of the University of Kentucky as You led us. Everywhere we went, we welcomed Your presence and Your power, we offered thanksgiving and praise, we prayed and prophesied Your will and Your ways. We proclaimed the name of Jesus over the students, teachers and staff, over the walkways, buildings, and stadiums, over all time and space and every dimension as far as Your grace would go. And You gave us the faith to believe our prayers made a difference. Along the journey, a curious group of graduate students from Hyderabad, India came near. Before long, we were inviting them to a meal at our Thursday night Alpha Course to ask questions about faith and to join us on Sunday morning for worship. We were amazed at the opportunity to touch the nations just by walking down the street from our local church. We need not fear to share the love of God in Jesus Christ. Your Word and Your Spirit go before us to prepare the way for the message of Your love and offer of Your grace. Prayer pushes back the darkness to let the light of Your love shine through. Thank You for letting the light of Your love shine through us. Let these young men be among many who will come to the light of Your love this year. 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 -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Passion to Pursue Righteousness 8-21-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me close to You and make me more like You each day. ... "The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but He loves the one who pursues righteousness" (Proverbs 15:9). Build in my spirit a passion to pursue righteousness -- to be in right relationship with You, with others, and within myself. Let the encounters of my day expose the wickedness that remains in my heart. Search my heart and reveal the wickedness of my ways (Psalm 139:23-24). Let me see it; let me hate it; let me give it to You. It's not something to fear; it is something to welcome and something to actively and aggressively pursue. You don't expose my wickedness because You hate me, but because You love me, because You want to help me to know the peace and joy that comes with the pursuit of righteousness. "For the kingdom of God is … righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. …Let us then pursue what makes for peace" (Romans 14:17-19). "Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life and honor" (Proverbs 21:21). Let me find life and honor in the pursuit of righteousness this day. In Jesus' name I 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 -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Holy and Wholly Yours 8-20-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- You are One and You are holy. Help me be wholly Yours. ... "His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Thus He has given us, through these things, His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:3-4). Give me faith to call upon Your name and desire to participate in Your nature -- all by Your grace and all in Your power. I hear Your Spirit rising up in my spirit to sing a new song of surrender and faith: You are holy. You are holy. You are a holy, loving God. And You call me. And You change me. More and more every day. And You cleanse me. And You free me. You make my holy and wholly Yours. Yes, Lord. "For it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy' "(1 Peter 1:16). Though there is nothing good in me apart from You, I am not apart from You. "For our sake, He made Him sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Let the truth of Your Word settle into my soul. Let the truth of Your calling and Your will for me and my life awaken my soul to arise into newness of life -- a life that desires to be holy and wholly Yours -- more and more every day. In Jesus' name I 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 -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Freedom from Fear of Others 8-19-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I find my strength and my identity in You. Strengthen me today in the power of Your Word; remind me again who I am in You. ... "The fear of others lays a snare, but one who trusts in the Lord is secure" (Proverbs 29:25). By Your grace, I choose to trust in You. I choose to find my security in You. Forgive me for the times I have given in to the fear of man, when I have been more concerned with what others thought of me than what You thought of me. Deliver me from insecurity and establish me in the confidence of who I am in You. "So we can say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?' " (Hebrews 13:6). In Jesus' name I 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 -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Pray for Our Leaders 8-18-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Shape my will as I submit my will to Yours. ... "Joash was seven years old when he began to reign; he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; his mother's name was Zebiah of Beer-Sheba. Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of the priest Jehoida" (2 Chronicles 24:1-2). You positioned Joash in kingly authority to lead the people of Israel. And You positioned Jehoida in priestly authority and to encourage and intercede for the king, as well as the people. Jehoida was a humble and godly priest, who encouraged the people and the king to seek You and obey You (v. 23:16). With the spiritual leadership of Jehoida, King Joash "restored the house of God to its proper condition and strengthened it" (v. 24:13). And King Joash "did what was right in the sight of the Lord," but only "all the days of the priest Johoida." After the death of Jehoida, the spiritual leaders compromised their convictions and failed in their devotion to You. Soon their divided hearts were hardened against You, as they turned to the false gods of the cultures around them. The king and priests and people "abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and served the sacred poles and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs" (v. 24:18). Sincere devotion to You alone leaves no room for compromise. And the devotion of those in spiritual authority affects those in governmental authority. So we are to pray "for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity" (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Every person, weather in positions of authority or not, is responsible for their own actions and their own life of devotion to You. Yet at the same time, our prayers led by Your Spirit affect them and their choices. And their choices affect each of us under the authority of their government. So remind us to pray for our leaders, to encourage them and intercede for them, to speak the truth in love to them, and always to cover them in a blanket of prayer. Then they will do what is right in Your sight and we will lead lives of godliness and dignity. In Jesus' name I 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 -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Walk in the Will of Your Ways 8-17-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, make my paths straight in line with Your will for my life today. ... "For all the peoples walk, each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever" (Micah 4:5). By the grace of the faith You have given me, I choose to walk in Your ways and in the nature of Your name. Forgive me when I stumble. Correct me when I get confused. Turn me back around when I turn the wrong way. Strengthen me when I grow weary. Encourage me when I grow faint. Keep reminding me of the way and leading me in the steps that lead to life in You. You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life that I have chosen. Help me keep choosing You every day. Help me walk in the will of Your ways this day. In Jesus' name I 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 -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain this Friday Night -- on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

The Hand of the Lord 8-16-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Welcome into my heart and my life again today. ... "The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabus to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord" (Acts 11:21-24). Lord, what is "the hand of the Lord?" It seems I hear You say, "My hand is My favor. In part, it speaks of My authority and My grace resting upon My sons and My daughters to bring others into a relationship of trust and love with Me." Lord, help me humble myself under Your mighty hand. Use my life to bring others to You -- to know You and to know the peace and pleasure of a relationship with You of trusting love. Let Your authority and Your grace rest upon me to bring a great many people to the Lord. Like Barnabus, let me be "full of the Holy Spirit and faith," ever rejoicing in Your grace, exhorting others to seek Your face, and encouraging them to pursue Your presence "with steadfast devotion" and trusting faith. In Jesus' name I 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 -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain this Friday Night, August 18th -- on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Ministry Together 8-15-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me humble myself to listen for Your leading and wait for Your word. ... Paul spoke often of those who worked alongside him in the ministry of Your love and power and grace. He spoke of Timothy, who "like a son with a father he has served with me in the work of the gospel," and of Epaphroditus as "my brother and co-worker and fellow soldier" (Philippians 2:19-30). He spoke of Philemon as a "dear friend and co-worker" and of Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke as "fellow prisoners in Christ Jesus" and "fellow workers" (Philemon 2, 23). He spoke of Titus as "my partner and co-worker" in ministry (2 Corinthians 8:23). By Your Holy Spirit, You brought Your disciples together in diverse relationships of trust and respect as teams of ministry for various seasons to be "co-workers for the kingdom of God" (Colossians 4:11). Before their season of missionary journeys together, You brought together Paul and Barnabus for ministry together to the people of the church at Antioch. "So it was for an entire year they met with the church and taught a great many people, and it was at Antioch that the disciples were first called 'Christians' " (Acts 11:25-26). Over these past ten years of ministry, You have brought me alongside many men and women who have been my co-workers for the kingdom of God. We've learned from one another, grown in maturity with one another, fought for one another and at times -- I hate to admit -- even fought with another. But You have used it all to strengthen us and encourage us, to equip us and prepare us to fulfill our destiny in our generation for Your glory. And Your Word makes Your will very clear that You do not intend for us to minister in Your kingdom alone. You call us to find our place and affirm the place of others around us in the relationships of trust and respect You are forming for Your purposes in every season. As we do, let our eyes be open to Your vision, let our ears be open to Your leading, let our minds be open to Your wisdom, let our hearts be open to Your desires. And there we will find that our arms must be open to embrace one another in the risk of relationship and the bonds of trust You are forming for the work of Your ministry of love and power and grace. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be meeting and praying with one of my dear friends and co-workers in the gospel of the kingdom today about some exciting plans for ministry together this coming year between our ministry and my home church in Lexington. Please cover us in prayer to hear the leading of the Lord. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain this Friday Night 8/18 -- on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome! Call for details: 859-422-1794

Wonderful in Counsel 8-14-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Make my ways more like Your ways; make my thoughts more like Your thoughts. I yield my ways and my thoughts to You. ... "I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I keep the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved" (Psalm 16:7-8). They say that even as we sleep, our minds are working. As our bodies rest, our thoughts are developing strategies and solving problems. Our minds are one of Your most amazing creations! Lord, remind me to begin and end each day with You. Let my mind continually look to You and let my heart continually be led by You. Then it will be Your strategies that are developed and Your answers that come, as You counsel me through the day and even through the night. Then I can be steadfast and confident in the wisdom that comes from the wisest One. You are "wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom" (Isaiah 28:29). In Jesus' name I 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, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

The Anger of the Lord 8-13-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name is above every name. At Your name, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father (Philippians 2:9-11). ... "But You indeed are awesome! Who can stand before You when once Your anger is roused? From the heavens You uttered judgment; the earth feared and was still when God rose up to establish judgment, to save all the oppressed of the earth" (Psalm 76:7-9). Yesterday I sensed Your anger was roused in me. I saw the oppressed of the earth face to face and could do nothing about it, and I was angry at those who could. We took my children to a National Park for the day to see Mammoth Cave, and there were people there from many different nations and cultures. Two men were there with their wives, veiled in black clothe from thier head to their feet with only slits for their eyes to see how to walk and take care of their children. My anger rose and my heart broke that a husband could do that to his wife, that a religion could do that its people. So I continued to release my anger to You and let the anger turn to intercession. I continued to remember that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of wickedness who come to deceive and confuse, to oppress and destroy (Ephesians 6:12). You desire to save "all the oppressed of the earth," whether they know they are oppressed or not. Lord God, let Your anger be roused against the injustice and oppression of our spiritual enemy who comes to deceive and work his destruction through those he has blinded to truth of Your nature. The gospel of Your truth "is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Let the earth fear God and be still before You, as You rise to establish Your judgment and justice to save all the oppressed of the earth. "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). In Jesus' name I 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, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Evil Exposed by the Light 8-12-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let the light of Your life shine in my soul and throughout the earth. … "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them" (Ephesians5:11). Thank You for exposing the plans and schemes of the terrorists who sought to explode ten passenger planes on their way to America. I join in the prayers of Your people throughout the earth that the works of darkness will be exposed and the works of evil will be thwarted. Terrorism is the enemy's perversion of the fear of God. "Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in their hearts; there is no fear of God before their eyes. They flatter themselves in their own eyes that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated. The words of their mouths are mischief and deceit; they have ceased to act wisely and do good. They plot mischief while on their beds; they are set on a way that is not good; they do not reject evil" (Psalm 36:1-4). The true fear of God is honor and reverence for You and Your ways. Your ways are life and light, not death and darkness. I pray for the souls of those who are confused and deceived by this false fear, who worship a god who is not God. Open their eyes to see You as You are. Let the true fear of God come upon them that leads to humility and repentance, then Your mercy and grace. "For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light" (Psalm 36:9). In Jesus' name I 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, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-17694

Promise of Restoration in the Days of Amos 8-11-06

Morning by Morning, Friday Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me be quiet so I can hear. Help me listen so You can speak. … Though Your Word through Amos speaks of judgment without measure for the people of the nations and for Israel who will not humble themselves in repentance and turn to You in obedience, Your Word also speaks of the healing and restoration that comes through Your mercy for those who do (Amos 9:11-15). "On that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen, and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; in order that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by My name, says the Lord who does this" (9:11-12). Lord, raise up the booth of David -- the tabernacle of worship and praise and prayer "before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister regularly before the ark as each day required" (1 Chronicles 16:37). Draw Your people before the ark of Your presence. Let us seek You and Your face for Your protection and Your grace as each day requires. Only the power of Your presence will bring peace and protection. Open our eyes and our hearts to seek You and receive You. Rebuild Your tabernacle of prayer and praise in our hearts. Let it be so in Israel and in Islam, in the hearts of all people of all nations who humble themselves to seek Your face, welcome Your presence, and obey Your will. In Jesus' name I 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, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-17694

The Days of Amos 8-10-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call upon Your name and seek the fullness of Your salvation for myself and for all who need to know Your name. ... Are these not the beginning of the days seen by Amos long ago? Through Your prophet You declared Your judgments on the nations of the earth to come. "The Lord roars from Zion, and utters His voice from Jerusalem; the pastors of the shepherds mourn, and the top of Carmel withers" (Amos 1:2). I join those You are calling to intercede throughout the earth for salvation of the people of our nations, the people of all nations, and especially the people of these nations and cities You have named by name under Your judgments to come in the fullness of time: Damascus (Amos 1:3), Gaza (1:6), Tyre (1:9), Edom (1:11), Ammon (1:13), Moab (2:1), Judah (2:4), and Israel (2:6). "Surely the Lord does nothing, without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets. The Lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?" (Amos 3:7-8). In the fear of the Lord, I pray. In the love of God, I pray. I pray for the blessing of the fear of God to fall upon every heart that brings conviction of sin -- especially the sin of hardened, rebellious hearts of doubt, unbelief, and pride that resist the grace and mercy of God available to all through Your unfailing love revealed and released through the blood of Christ. "This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth" (1 Timothy 2:3-4). You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). Through the sacrifice of Your love and Your offer of grace to all, You have prepared the way for each of us to know the truth and live our lives eternally in You. Though judgment will come, Your "mercy triumphs over judgment" for all who will humble themselves in Your sight (James 2:13). "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). I pray for all who need to call on Your name before judgment and even in midst of the judgment to come. Even Your judgments are Your mercy if the humble hardened hearts and bow rebellious knees to ask for the grace You long to give. "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done in it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? But in accordance with His promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home" (2 Peter 3:9-13). Come Lord Jesus, be at home in my heart today. Come be at home in every heart who calls on Your name today. In Jesus' name I 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, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-17694

You are I AM 8-9-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob -- Maker and Master of Heaven and Earth -- You are I AM. ... "But Moses said to God, 'If I come to the Israelites and say them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM." Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'I AM has sent me to you.' " God also said to Moses, 'Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has sent me to you: This is My name forever, and this is My title for all generation' " (Exodus 3:13-15). You are all I need. I need all of You. By Your grace, I give all of me to all of You. Open my eyes to see You clearly as You are. Open the eyes of Israel and Islam to see You clearly as You are. Open the eyes of all nations to behold the One who rules all nations. "He calls to the heavens above and the earth, that He may judge His people: 'Gather to Me My faithful ones, who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice!' The heavens declare His righteousness, for God himself is judge. 'Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you, I AM God, your God' " (Psalm 50:4-7). Forgive each of us, Lord God, when You call to us and we do not answer, when You come to us and we do not receive You, when You lead us and we do not follow, when You reveal Yourself to us and we do not see You for Who You are. You are I AM. You said, "For the sake of My servant Jacob, and Israel My chosen, I call you by your name, I surname you, though you do not know Me. I AM the Lord and there is no other; besides Me there is no god. I arm you, though you do not know Me, so that they may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is no one besides Me; I AM the Lord and there is no other" (Isaiah 45:4-6). By Your grace and mercy, You arm and protect the people of Your covenant and call them by name, though they do not yet know Your Name. You are I AM. You said: "I AM the Bread of Life" (John 6:35); "I AM the Light of the World" (v. 8:12); "I AM from above" (v. 8:23); "I AM the Gate" (v. 10:9); "I AM the Good Shepherd" (v. 10:11); "I AM God's Son" (v. 10:36); "I AM the Resurrection and the Life" (v. 11:25). To Your first disciples, You said, "You call Me Teacher and Lord -- and you are right, for that is what I AM" (v. 13:13). To the Samaritan woman at the well who said, "I know Messiah is coming and when He comes He will proclaim all things to us," You said to her, "I AM He, the One Who is speaking to you" (v. 4:25-26). And when the children of Abraham could not see You as the One who was to come to fulfill their hopes through the sacrifice of Your love, You said, "Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I AM" (v. 8:58). Thank You for Your grace that has opened my eyes to see You, my ears to hear You, and my heart to receive You as You are. You are my protection and my provision, my Lord and my Savior, my God and my King. You are All I need. You are my "All in All" (1 Corinthians 15:28). You are I AM. And I pray the eyes of all people of all nations in all generations would be opened to see You are You are. In Jesus' name I 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, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-17694