Heroes, Saints, & Legends 10-4-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I turn my face to seek Your face and turn my heart to seek Your heart. ... "But Jesus called them to Him and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you, but whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not be served but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:25-28). Last night we honored my friend, teacher, and fellow prayer warrior Connie Pitman at the annual Heroes, Saints, and Legends dinner in our community. And she is. Connie loves to love people. Out of the abundance of her heart flows rivers of love -- that's what everyone says and that's what everyone knows. And Connie loves to tell people the source of all her love -- her Lord Jesus. She reminded us last night of the day in 1979 when she woke up in a hospital bed to hear the news that the doctors removed her breast from cancer. And there You were in the midst of that moment when she needed You the most -- standing by her bed, filling her heart with Your love and Your Spirit in a peace and comfort beyond comprehension. What she received from You that day she loves to give away to others. She has not wished to be great among us, but she is. She is a hero, a saint, and a legend -- all by the grace You have given her to give her life of love as a ransom for many. You are her hero, and Connie is one of mine. Give me grace to follow her example as she has followed Yours. "Remember your leaders, those who spoke the Word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith" (Hebrews 13:7). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, Rob Poindexter will be leading us in worship for our evening healing service during our one day inner healing conference of teaching, worship, and healing ministry in Lexington on Saturday, October 14th: "From Brokenness to Breakthrough -- healing from grief, sorrow, trauma, and pain in a broken world." We will hold this in The Foundry at my home church, Centenary UMC, 2800 Tates Creek Rd from 9 am to 9 pm (Morning and Afternoon teaching, worship, and ministry; Evening healing service). Please come if you can and please keep us in prayer. Pre-register by contacting Marilyn Walker, our Director of Ministries at 859-317-1591 or email at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Please forward this note and spread the word to your church and friends! To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, 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.orgDaily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Know I Am with You 10-3-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome Your presence and remember Your promises, as I entrust my life into Your hands again this day. ... "Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you" (Genesis 28:15). When You spoke these words to Jacob, he was still a liar and a thief, running for his life away from the fury and hatred of his brother Esau. And he was running away from one of the most dysfunctional families of all history -- the family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yet even under what seemed to be a curse of calamity and confusion, he was also under the blessing of Your covenant and the comfort of Your presence. Even while he still held sin in his heart and before he worked out his understanding of Your true identity and nature, You spoke words of life and promise deeply into his spirit: "Know that I am with you." It would be a long, long time -- time that is still unfolding, in fact -- before the fullness of "the blessing of Abraham" for Jacob and his children would come to pass (Genesis 28:4). But You encouraged him to look to the covenant and not the circumstances, to the promises and not the problems. "And the Lord stood beside him and said, 'I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring" (v. 28:13-14). Certainly Jacob had done nothing to merit these great promises or this encounter with Your great presence. And certainly his present circumstances looked like the opposite of all You were promising. Yet there You were, standing beside him, speaking life to his spirit and calling forth his destiny. You were calling him to see with spiritual eyes and an eternal perspective, far bigger and far beyond himself. And his destiny would one day affect my destiny, among "all the families of the earth" -- Gentile and Jew, Black and White, Sunni and Shiite, Republican and Democrat, liar and thief -- all who would receive the blessings of God through repentance and faith in His Provision of grace. Through the blood of a Son of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who would, one day, willing lay down His life for us through the sacrifice of the cross, despite our sinful ways and selfish hearts, "all the families of the earth shall be blessed." By the blood of the Lamb, You turn our curses into blessings. "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us -- for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree' -- in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Galatians 3:13-14). Thank Your for the promise of Your Spirit through faith. Thank You for coming to us and standing by us -- especially when we don't deserve it -- to remind us of our calling and destiny in Your eternal purposes. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, Rob Poindexter will be leading us in worship for our evening healing service during our one day inner healing conference of teaching, worship, and healing ministry, in Lexington on Saturday, October 14th: "From Brokenness to Breakthrough -- healing from grief, sorrow, trauma, and pain in a broken world." We will hold this in The Foundry at my home church, Centenary UMC, 2800 Tates Creek Rd from 9 am to 9 pm (Morning and Afternoon teaching, worship, and ministry; Evening healing service). Please come if you can and please keep us in prayer. Pre-register by contacting Marilyn Walker, our Director of Ministries at 859-317-1591 or email at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Please forward this note and spread the word to your church and friends! To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, 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.orgDaily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

God is Good to Me 10-2-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I settle in to my familiar place of prayer to watch and wait for You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ... "The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him" (Lamentations 3:25). As I wait on You for the leading of Your Holy Spirit and as I seek You to listen for the leading of Your still, small voice, You fill me with the goodness of Your presence. You assure me of the goodness of Your will and Your plan for my life. You remind me of the goodness of Your nature in Your patience, protection, provision, and power. "For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations" (Psalm 100:5). Lord, give me patience to wait on You in the surrender of silence before You in these first moments of every day. Focus my thoughts and prepare my heart for the plans and purposes You have for me each day. Let me persist in prayer until Your goodness overtakes me and goes on before me. I want to live every day of my life filled with the peace of the presence of my God who is so good to me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I am going to be leading a one day inner healing conference of teaching, worship, and healing ministry, in Lexington on Saturday, October 14th: "From Brokenness to Breakthrough -- healing from grief, sorrow, trauma, and pain in a broken world." We will hold this in The Foundry at my home church, Centenary UMC, 2800 Tates Creek Rd from 9 am to 9 pm (Morning and Afternoon teaching, worship, and ministry; Evening healing service). Please come if you can and please keep us in prayer. Pre-register by contacting Marilyn Walker, our Director of Ministries at 859-317-1591 or email at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Please forward this note and spread the word to your church and friends! To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, 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.orgDaily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Sing a New Song 10-1-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak Your name and sing Your praise here at the beginning of another day. ... Lord Jesus I come to seek Your face, To hear Your voice and follow Your ways. I speak Your name and sing Your praise Here at the beginning of another day. Awaken my spirit and cleanse my soul, Fill me with Your Light and make me whole. Teach me Your Word and let me know Your grace and love forevermore. Thank You, Father, for sending Your Holy Spirit to sing this song of praise to Jesus from my heart and soul. "O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; tell of His salvation from day to day" (Psalm 96:1-2). Thank You for the fullness of Your salvation. Your mercies are "new every morning" and Your steadfast love endures forever; "great is Your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22-24). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! 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

Knowing the True God 9-30-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call You "Lord" because I choose, by the grace You have given me, to surrender every area of my life to Your Lordship. I surrender all. … "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many deeds of power in Your name?' Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away from Me, you evildoers' " (Matthew 7:21-23). There are those who strap explosives packed with nails to their bodies and walk into markets and onto buses crowded with men, women, and children going about their lives to reap maximum carnage and grab maximum media coverage. They say it is the will of God and shout "God is great!" as they murder innocent lives and sacrifice their own to a god whose nature is terror, horror, cruelty and fear. They never knew You. And there are those who prophecy and cast out demons and do all sorts of religious works seemingly in service to others to appease their consciences and labor to earn Your love or try to atone for their sins and failures. They say it is the will of God as they go about working and serving a god whose nature is demanding, oppressive, unforgiving, and stern. They never knew You. Father, it is Your will to love us and nurture us, to conform us into the nature of Your Son by the indwelling presence of Your Spirit. You patiently teach us Your ways and lovingly correct us when we stray. You created us for a relationship of love with You and with one another. You humbled Yourself in the nature of Your Son to show us the way to live a life in Your love by the power of Your Holy Spirit living in us. You want us to You, to know the true nature of the true God. "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). Lord Jesus, You perfectly reveal the Father heart of God, for You are in the Father and the Father is in You; You are One, making us one with You, as You abide in us by Your Holy Spirit (John 14:1-31). We come to know You and Your nature as we surrender our will to Your will and allow You to conform our nature to Your nature by Your Spirit living in us. This is the relationship of love with us You desire; this is the relationship of love with You and with one another for which we were created. Anything else and anything less is a distortion and a perversion of Your truth and Your nature. You desire humility, not horror; love, not hatred; self-sacrifice, not murder; life, not death. You desire loving relationship that leads to willing, joyful obedience to offer our lives in love to You and in the service of love to others. This is how Your name and Your nature is glorified in our lives and throughout the earth (John 14:13). God my Father, help me know You and Your true nature more every day. Lord Jesus, help me surrender more of life to You every day. Holy Spirit of the Living God, come fill me with Your Life and conform me to Your nature more every day. I offer my life as a willing sacrifice of love to God who is love. Use my life to lead others more deeply into a relationship with the God who loves them and longs to know them. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please join me in prayer that the eyes of those who are blinded to the true nature of God would be opened to see Him as He is, to renounce every false god, and receive the One True God into their hearts and ours. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to a knowledge of the truth and know the One who is Truth (2 Peter 3:9; John 3:16). God bless you and thank you for joining me in this journey of prayer! Also, I am going to be leading a one day inner healing conference of teaching, worship, and healing ministry, in Lexington on Saturday, October 14th: "From Brokenness to Breakthrough -- healing from grief, sorrow, trauma, and pain in a broken world." We will hold this in The Foundry at my home church, Centenary UMC, 2800 Tates Creek Rd from 9 am to 9 pm (Morning and Afternoon teaching, worship, and ministry; Evening healing service). Please come if you can and please keep us in prayer. Pre-register by contacting Marilyn Walker, our Director of Ministries at 859-317-1591 or email at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Please forward this note and spread the word to your church and friends! To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, 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.orgDaily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Beauty for Ashes, Joy for Mourning 9-29-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Anointed One of God, the Word made flesh, now reigning in glory as King of kings and Lord of lords. Come reign in my heart and my life today. … "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified" (Isaiah 61:1-3, NKJV). Lord Jesus, You fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy of the ministry of the coming Messiah (Luke 4:21). You are the perfect fulfillment of all Scripture (Matthew 5:17). You are the Word of God (John 1:1 and 1:14). And You are "the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). By Your Holy Spirit living on in Your disciples of all generations, You continue to fulfill the Word of God in proclamation and power. As the Father sent You, so You send us in the power of Your Spirit in accordance with Your Word (John 20:21-23). We are Your body, filled with Your Spirit, continuing Your ministry, to display Your glory (1 Corinthians 12:27). Continue Your ministry of love and power through me today. Send me out with all Your disciples throughout all the earth as Your hands with Your heart in Your power to comfort those who mourn, to offer them Your beauty for their ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of the spirit of heaviness. You are still changing lives and displaying the glory of God. Thank You for changing my life, so that my life may bring You glory by Your grace. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I am going to be leading a one day inner healing conference of teaching, worship, and healing ministry, in Lexington on Saturday, October 14th: "From Brokenness to Breakthrough -- healing from grief, sorrow, trauma, and pain in a broken world." We will hold this in The Foundry at my home church, Centenary UMC, 2800 Tates Creek Rd from 9 am to 9 pm (Morning and Afternoon teaching, worship, and ministry; Evening healing service). Please come if you can and please keep us in prayer. Pre-register by contacting Marilyn Walker, our Director of Ministries at 859-317-1591 or email at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Please forward this note and spread the word to your church and friends! To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, 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 Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

From Brokenness to Breakthrough -- Inner healing Conference in Lexington, KY Oct 14

From Brokenness to Breakthrough Healing from Grief, Sorrow, Trauma, and Pain in a Broken World Saturday, October 14, 2006 A day of Teaching, Worship, & Healing Prayer Ministry with Rev. Tommy Hays Spiritual Director, Messiah Ministries www.messiah-ministries.org Grief, Sorrow, Trauma, and Pain -- the emotional wounds of our past can define and determine the rest of our lives unless we find ways to express them and release them to God. One way is through compassionate and gentle healing ministry of prayer. Together, we will seek to understand God's healing principles and welcome His healing presence to draw out the pain and pour in His love, releasing us to live out our destiny in freedom from the pain of the past. All are welcome! Please come join us and spread the word! Pre-register by October 12 $15/person; $25/couple; lunch included; ($5 more at the door) Full Scholarships to cover the full cost are available where needed, so that all who seek prayer ministry may come. To Register with Credit Card by Phone: Call Marilyn Walker, Director of Ministries: 859-317-1591 Or Send Check/Money Order to:Messiah Ministries2800 Tates Creek Rd.Lexington, KY 40502 Where:The Foundryat Centenary United Methodist Church2800 Tates Creek Rd.Lexington, KY When:Saturday, October 14th, 20069:00 am-9:00 pm (morning and afternoon worship/teaching/ministry; evening worship and healing service) For information about Rev. Tommy Hays and Messiah Ministries of Lexington, KY: www.messiah-ministries.org Order our DVDs or CDs on Spiritual Transformation through inner healing and deliverance prayer ministry on-line or Email Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com or call 859-317-1591 Please forward this note to everyone who would be interested and please include this note in your church bulletins, newsletters, announcements, and other contacts. God bless you and I hope to see you there! Tommy Hays Messiah Ministries

Child of God through Christ 9-28-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, I welcome the Holy Spirit of Your Son in my heart this day. … "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' So you are no longer a slave, but a child, and if a child, then also an heir of God through Christ" (Galatians 4:4-7). My little boy Josiah woke us up early this morning. He's almost six months old and not yet sleeping through the night. I don't think he was crying out 'Abba!' in Aramaic, but it got his father's attention. It seems You have created us to long to be comforted and to cry out for the presence and the touch of those who love us and have been entrusted with our care. Our need and desire for our earthly parents in the physical realm is a picture our need and desire for our heavenly Parent in the spiritual realm. Sometimes we need to get out a good cry. And sometimes You come in to touch us and comfort us, but not always lift us up out of our circumstances. Those are times when You are teaching us that You never leave us nor forsake us, even when we don't always get what we want or think we need (Hebrews 13:5). We are still Your children, with the Spirit of Your Son in our hearts and all the inheritance of the kingdom of God in our hands, but You help us grow up into maturity in the fullness of Your timing and Your way. You are a wise Father, who loves Your children enough to help us grow into the maturity of our calling and destiny, even if we don't always understand why you let us cry and don't always give us what we want. And in the security of Your presence and the power of Your touch, You continue to promise us, "As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you" (Isaiah 66:13). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I am going to be leading a one day inner healing conference of teaching, worship, and healing ministry, in Lexington on Saturday, October 14th: "From Brokenness to Breakthrough -- healing from grief, sorrow, and pain in a broken world." We will hold this in The Foundry at my home church, Centenary UMC, 2800 Tates Creek Rd from 9 am to 9 pm (Morning and Afternoon teaching, worship, and ministry; Evening healing service). Please come if you can and please keep us in prayer. Pre-register by contacting Marilyn Walker, our Director of Ministries at 859-317-1591 or email at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Please forward this note and spread the word to your church and friends! To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, 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.orgDaily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

My Heart, Your Home 9-27-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call upon Your name and count upon Your nature. As You increase, help me decrease. Conform my will to Your will, my thoughts to Your thoughts, my desires to Your desires. Make me more like You each day. … "Jesus answered him, 'Those who love Me will keep My word, and My Father will love them, and We will come to them and make Our home with them. Whoever does not love Me does not love My words; and the word that you hear is not Mine, but is from the Father who sent Me. I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you' " (John 14:23-26). I love You, Lord, because You first loved me (1 John 4:19). You said my love for You would be revealed in my obedience to keep Your word. And how can I keep Your word, unless I know Your word? Give me a hunger for Your word -- for Your written Word and for Your spoken Word. Open my eyes to see it and open my ears to hear it. Then give me the courage to obey it. Your Word is Your Scripture, "inspired by God" (2 Timothy 3:16). And at the same time, Your Word is so much more than these written, holy words. You are the Word -- the Word of the Father, and the Word of Truth (John 1:1). You are the living fulfillment of all Scripture and all Scripture testifies on Your behalf (John 5:39). Now Your Word comes to life for me by living in me by Your Holy Spirit, as my heart becomes Your home. Make me more sensitive to the leading of Your Word living in me every day. "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God" (Romans 8:14). By Your grace, I am a son of God because the Word of God and the Spirit of God live in me -- loving me and leading me in Your will and Your ways. You are conforming my nature to Your nature a little more each day as I choose to yield my life to Your life, living in me. "And it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). By Your grace, You are making my heart Your home. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I am going to be leading a one day inner healing conference of teaching, worship, and healing ministry, in Lexington on Saturday, October 14th: "From Brokenness to Breakthrough -- healing from grief, sorrow, and pain in a broken world." We will hold this in The Foundry at Centenary United Methodist, 2800 Tates Creek Rd from 9 am to 9 pm (Morning and Afternoon teaching, worship, and ministry; Evening healing service). Please come if you can and please keep us in prayer. Pre-register by contacting Marilyn Walker, our Director of Ministries at 859-317-1591 or email at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Please forward this note and spread the word to your church and friends! To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, 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 Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Through Tragedy and Triumph 9-26-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You, Lord, to be with me through the tragedies and triumphs of every moment of my life. ... "But now thus says the Lord, He who created you O Jacob, He who formed you O Israel: Do not fear for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior" (Isaiah 43:1-3). While I was away this weekend, tragedy struck our community again. Two young women were swept under the flood waters at the edge of the University of Kentucky campus. Their lives on earth are over. When I heard the news, I wondered -- as I always do -- were their hearts right with you? Will their families and friends have a firm faith to hold on to through the hard days and hard questions ahead? We are not promised immunity from pain and tragedy in a broken, fallen world longing and groaning for the redemption and restoration of all things and to be "set free from its bondage to decay" (Romans 8:18-25). Instead, You warn us that in the brokenness of this world, there will be waters and rivers and fires that we must pass through. But we need not pass through them alone. And we need not fear even when we face them and endure them if You have redeemed us through our faith in You. You are with us through them all. Lord, continue to build my faith in You now so that I am ready to endure the floods and fires of a fallen world. Let me face them all with the peace to know You are with me through them all. Though my life on earth may end one day, my life in You will never end. I can live my life free from the fear of death, knowing You are with me now and You will be with me then. By Your grace, I will triumph over tragedy, with my heart and faith secure in You (Psalm 112:7-8). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, in light of so many recent tragedies in our community, I am going to be leading a one day conference of teaching, worship, and healing ministry, in Lexington on Saturday, October 14th: "From Brokenness to Breakthrough -- healing from grief, sorrow, and pain in a broken world." We will hold this in The Foundry at Centenary United Methodist, 2800 Tates Creek Rd from 9 am to 9 pm. Please come if you can and please keep us in prayer. Pre-register by contacting Marilyn Walker, our Director of Ministries at 859-317-1591 or email at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Please spread the word to your church and friends! To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, 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 citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Iron Sharpens Iron 9-25-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You into my heart and my life again this day. … "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens the countenance of his friend" (Proverbs 27:17, NKJV). What a gift You have given me the past few days away with over eight hundred men opening up their hearts and getting on their knees together at the Rock Eagle Methodist Men's Retreat in North Georgia. You taught us and loved us. You taught through us and loved through us in the shared experiences of our journeys and the shared hope in the journey ahead. I thank You for the man who came to the praise and healing service I was leading Friday night. I had a message in mind, but didn't get very far into it before he interrupted me and my message with tears flowing down his face and his heart crying out with a desperate yearning that wouldn’t let me go on. He cried out in a mixture of brokenness, desperation, determination, and faith in a way I'm not sure I've ever seen, "I need to be filled with God's Holy Spirit and I need Him to fill me now!" I was going to preach on the blind, beggar who stopped Jesus as He was passing by crying out in desperation and faith for healing, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Mark 10:46-52). Friday night, You stopped and healed the wounded broken spirit of this man crying out to You for mercy in desperate faith as we gathered around him to stretch out our hearts and hands as we pressed in and pressed through on our knees with Him before You. You gloriously filled Him with the fullness of Your Holy Spirit, as he became Your message to us that night (Acts 1:4-8; Ephesians 4:14-21). What an amazing countenance of peace and joy was shining from his face the next morning at breakfast! Thank You, Lord God, for Your grace and Your power You long to pour out in abundance into hungry hearts who humble themselves to desperately cry out to You in trusting faith. Thank You for friends and brothers in the body of Christ who will come along side us like iron sharpening iron to seek Your face and receive Your grace. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for covering us in your prayers at this retreat. Because of storms and air connections, I've not made it home yet and would appreciate your continued prayers. 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

Iron Sharpens Iron 9-25-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You into my heart and my life again this day. … "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens the countenance of his friend" (Proverbs 27:17, NKJV). What a gift You have given me the past few days away with over eight hundred men opening up their hearts and getting on their knees together at the Rock Eagle Methodist Men's Retreat in North Georgia. You taught us and loved us. You taught through us and loved through us in the shared experiences of our journeys and the shared hope in the journey ahead. I thank You for the man who came to the praise and healing service I was leading Friday night. I had a message in mind, but didn't get very far into it before he interrupted me and my message with tears flowing down his face and his heart crying out with a desperate yearning that wouldn’t let me go on. He cried out in a mixture of brokenness, desperation, determination, and faith in a way I'm not sure I've ever seen, "I need to be filled with God's Holy Spirit and I need Him to fill me now!" I was going to preach on the blind, beggar who stopped Jesus as He was passing by crying out in desperation and faith for healing, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Mark 10:46-52). Friday night, You stopped and healed the wounded broken spirit of this man crying out to You for mercy in desperate faith as we gathered around him to stretch out our hearts and hands as we pressed in and pressed through on our knees with Him before You. You gloriously filled Him with the fullness of Your Holy Spirit, as he became Your message to us that night (Acts 1:4-8; Ephesians 4:14-21). What an amazing countenance of peace and joy was shining from his face the next morning at breakfast! Thank You, Lord God, for Your grace and Your power You long to pour out in abundance into hungry hearts who humble themselves to desperately cry out to You in trusting faith. Thank You for friends and brothers in the body of Christ who will come along side us like iron sharpening iron to seek Your face and receive Your grace. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for covering us in your prayers at this retreat. Because of storms and air connections, I've not made it home yet and would appreciate your continued prayers. 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

"Mighty Warriors" 9-21-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Awaken my spirit this day to rise and follow You wherever You lead. … "The following are those who came to David at Ziklag … they were among the mighty warriors who helped him in war…. They helped David against the band of raiders, for they were all warriors and commanders in the army. Indeed from day to day people kept coming to David to help him, until there was a great army, like an army of God" (1 Chronicles 12:1-22). Peace within and war without -- this is to be the constant state of Your disciples in these days. We are to know the peace of Your presence and the favor of Your grace within our hearts even while we are a people at war. We are at war with the ways of the world, the flesh, and the devil. We are at war with this "band of raiders," the spiritual forces of wickedness who seek to steal our peace (Ephesians 6:12).You come to bring us the fullness and abundance of Your life and peace, but we must fight for our peace as "mighty warriors" against our enemy who "comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10). You are the God who "trains my hands for war" (Psalm 18:34). You are the God who calls me to come and take my place in Your "great army, like an army of God." You are "the Word of God" who is "Faithful and True," who "in righteousness He judges and makes war," followed by Your "armies of heaven" (Revelation 19:11-16). Teach us how to have Your peace within, even as we war without in the army of God in our life-long battle against the spiritual forces of wickedness and against the rebellious flesh of our own souls. In You, we are "mighty warriors." In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will probably not have Internet access for my prayers the next few days. This weekend I will be ministering with men from across North Georgia at the United Methodist Men's Retreat at Rock Eagle. Please pray for us as I lead a preparatory time of prayer, fasting, and prayer walking Thursday afternoon through Friday morning, lead a Friday night praise and healing service, teach several workshops Friday and Saturday on topics of healing, deliverance, fasting, prayer, and spiritual warfare. I will be busy, but I'm sure I will be receiving as much as I give in such a Spiritually-charged atmosphere and with Maxie Dunnam, one of my spiritual mentors, leading the general sessions this year! Please cover my family in prayer at home while I'm away. 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

Good Treasure 9-20-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Purify my heart, clarify my thoughts, and sanctify my words. … "… For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. I tell you on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:34-37). Keep changing my heart, O God. Keep creating in me a clean heart (Psalm 51:10). Keep cleansing my heart from my old nature and transforming me into Your nature. As You promised Your people long ago, "I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you will be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new Spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:25-26). By Your grace, let me speak words of life and truth today from the abundance of a heart that is cleansed and yielded to You. Apart from You, there is nothing good in me; but I praise You that I am no longer apart from You. You are with me and Your Holy Spirit is within me, bearing the good fruit from the good treasure You have given me by Your grace. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, this weekend I will be ministering with men from across North Georgia at the United Methodist Men's Retreat at Rock Eagle. Please pray for us as I lead a preparatory time of prayer, fasting, and prayer walking Thursday afternoon through Friday morning, lead a Friday night praise and healing service, teach several workshops Friday and Saturday on topics of healing, deliverance, fasting, prayer, and spiritual warfare. I will be busy, but I'm sure I will be receiving as much as I give in such a Spiritually-charged atmosphere and with Maxie Dunnam, one of my spiritual mentors, leading the general sessions this year! Please cover my family in prayer at home while I'm away. 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

M*A*S*H Unit 9-19-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I offer to You the first-fruits of my thoughts and prayers. Your name is my first thought. Your name is my first word this new day. … As I center my thoughts on You and wait in the silence for the leading of Your Spirit, I hear these words: "Strengthen. Establish, Encourage, Comfort." Yes, Lord. What do You mean? In my spirit, I see a picture of an old Army tent like the ones the helicopters always flew over at the beginning of the television show M*A*S*H -- for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. It seems I hear You say: "Strengthen the stakes and cords of the tent of Your heart. Establish a safe perimeter in the power and authority I have given you to go where I send you. Encourage those You find there to come in to the place of my healing and grace. Comfort them with the comfort I have given you, My son." Yes, Lord. I think of Your Word in Isaiah 54: "Enlarge the site of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitation be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left, and your descendants will possess the nations and will settle the desolate towns" (54:2-3). And I think of the prayer of Jabez: "Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from hurt and harm" (1 Chronicles 4:10). Thank You for establishing me and strengthening me in trusting faith of Your goodness and grace. Thank You for encouraging me and comforting me so that I may be an encouragement and comfort to others whenever You send me into battle to minister Your healing life and transforming power on the front lines of the enemy in a broken, fallen world. "As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving" (Colossians 2:6-7). 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

M*A*S*H Unit 9-19-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I offer to You the first-fruits of my thoughts and prayers. Your name is my first thought. Your name is my first word this new day. … As I center my thoughts on You and wait in the silence for the leading of Your Spirit, I hear these words: "Strengthen. Establish, Encourage, Comfort." Yes, Lord. What do You mean? In my spirit, I see a picture of an old Army tent like the ones the helicopters always flew over at the beginning of the television show M*A*S*H -- for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. It seems I hear You say: "Strengthen the stakes and cords of the tent of Your heart. Establish a safe perimeter in the power and authority I have given you to go where I send you. Encourage those You find there to come in to the place of my healing and grace. Comfort them with the comfort I have given you, My son." Yes, Lord. I think of Your Word in Isaiah 54: "Enlarge the site of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitation be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left, and your descendants will possess the nations and will settle the desolate towns" (54:2-3). And I think of the prayer of Jabez: "Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from hurt and harm" (1 Chronicles 4:10). Thank You for establishing me and strengthening me in trusting faith of Your goodness and grace. Thank You for encouraging me and comforting me so that I may be an encouragement and comfort to others whenever You send me into battle to minister Your healing life and transforming power on the front lines of the enemy in a broken, fallen world. "As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving" (Colossians 2:6-7). 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

Ambassadors of Christ 9-15-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Speak, and I will listen. Lead, and I will follow. Send me, and I will go. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I submit my will to Your will, my thoughts to Your thoughts, and my desires to Your desires. … "Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal" (Luke 9:1-2). As You send me out today to proclaim Your kingdom and to heal, Lord Jesus, I pray You would anoint me with Your power and Your authority over demons and diseases. Help me decrease as You increase. Help me be a vessel emptied of myself and filled with You, allowing the living waters of Your love and Your life to flow freely through me (John 7:37-38). "All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has given us this ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. For we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). Send me forth, filled with faith, empowered by Your Spirit, to proclaim Your kingdom in Your power as Your ambassador this day and every day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be one of Christ's Ambassadors to Texas this morning to teach and minister at a weekend conference on healing and deliverance hosted at my good friend, J. Paul Bruhn's church in Columbus between Houston and Victoria at Columbus United Methodist Church. Come join us if you can and please pray for us if you can't. 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. Doris and Bob McCray will be leading in prayer, while Brooke Perkinson and Shannon Barrett will be leading in worship. 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

Word Made Flesh 9-18-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Word of God. Word of God, speak. Help me to hear and obey. … "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth" (John 1:1-14). Lord, let Your Word become flesh in me. Let Your truth become my truth, let Your ways become my ways. Continue to increase in my life, as I decrease -- more of Your will and less of mine, more of Your ways and less of mine (John 3:30). Fill me full of Your grace and truth by the glory of Your Spirit living in me. "To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). Spirit of Christ, come live in the flesh in me (Romans 8:9). Word of God, come live in the flesh in me. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I choose to submit my will to Your will and my life to Your life a little more each day -- morning by morning, and day by day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for your prayers for us this weekend in Texas. God moved in our hearts in a deep way, bringing healing and deliverance out of our brokenness and bondage for His glory! Please continue to keep each one in prayer as He brings to completion all He has begun. I pray the same for His work of grace in each of your 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

Go Tell Your Friends 9-14-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- You are One and You are good. Thank You for being so good to me. Help me share Your goodness with others today. … "As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus refused and said to him, 'Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy He has shown you.' And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed" (Mark 5:18-20). Sometimes we want to come away with You in the stillness and quiet of the morning and just stay there. Sometimes we want to think of our faith as intensely personal and we want to think of Your power to heal us and free us of the pain and bondage of our lives as a discreet and private matter. Yet You call us to set aside our vanity and proclaim boldly the goodness of Your mercy and the power of Your love. Sometimes we object and say to ourselves, "I'm not like that. I'm shy. I'm more introverted. I'm a private person." But in this story of freedom and restoration, You sent the man to share his testimony with his "friends." It's in these relationships of trust where we have credibility and where those around us can literally see the change in our lives by the power of Your love that we are the most effective witnesses of Your glory. So let me be thankful for the times of intimacy with You in the privacy of prayer and also let me be courageous to share the mercy You have shown me with those You have prepared to hear my testimony of Your power and grace. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be traveling to Texas in the morning to teach and minister at a weekend conference on healing and deliverance hosted at my good friend, J. Paul Bruhn's church in Columbus between Houston and Victoria at Columbus United Methodist Church. Come join us if you can and please pray for us if you can't. 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

I Will Take My Stand 9-13-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open the eyes of my heart to see You and open the ears of my heart to hear You. … As I woke this morning, I heard my heart saying, "I will take my stand." Lord, what does this mean? It seems I hear You say, "Stand in the strength of the Lord. Apart from Me, you cannot stand, you cannot endure. When all is shaken that can be shaken, there will be no security apart from Me. Learn now to stand secure in Me and you always will." Yes, Lord. No flesh can stand in the presence of a holy God (Exodus 3:5). By Your grace and in the mercy of Your patience, crucify my flesh and uproot my pride. Break away my self-sufficiency on which I am tempted to stand in the illusion of my own strength. I have no strength that will sustain my spirit through the battles of the day and the challenges to come. Teach me how to take my stand in You. "So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near…. Be on guard that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:31-36). By the love and mercy of God my Father that calls me Your son through repentance and faith, by the blood of Jesus that cleanses my soul and makes me whole, and by the power of the Holy Spirit that strengthens me to stand in the strength of the Lord, I take my stand in You. "As a result, Christ will make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy when you stand before God our Father on that day when our Lord Jesus comes with all those who belong to Him" (1 Thessalonians 3:13). As I learn to stand in You and welcome You to stand in me, You are making my heart "strong, blameless, and holy" in the grace of God. 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

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