Our Spiritual War 10-27-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Through the victory of the cross and the glory of the resurrection, You said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me" (Matthew 28:18). I willingly submit in trusting surrender to Your authority in my life again this day. … "For who is God except the Lord? And who is a Rock besides our God? -- the God who girded me with strength, and made my way safe. He made my feet like the feet of a deer, and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand has supported me; You help has made me great. You gave me a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip. I pursued my enemies and overtook them; and did not turn back until they were consumed. I struck them down, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet. For You girded me with strength for the battle; You made my assailants sink under me. You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and those who hated me I destroyed. They cried for help but there was no one to save them. I beat them fine like dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets" (Psalm 18:31-34). By Your Spirit, I taught on spiritual warfare at our Alpha Course at church last night. Our faith is not a feeble faith, and the battles of our faith are not won through passivity, complacency, or ignorance in denial of spiritual truth. We have a real enemy who is like a roaring lion seeking to devour our souls; he is the ancient serpent who comes to "make war" against the children of God who "hold the testimony of Jesus" (1 Peter 5:8-9; Revelation 12:17). But we are commanded to confront him and his kingdom of darkness in the authority of Your name and in the power of Your blood, steadfast in our faith to overcome the enemy of our souls (Matthew 10:7-8; Revelation 12:11). As we do, the gates of hell cannot prevail against You and Your people who fight for the freedom of those who were bound by the darkness but are set free in Your light (Matthew 16:18; Colossians 1:11-14). Our enemies are not flesh and blood; they are the spiritual forces of wickedness of this present darkness (Ephesians 6:12). But they are defeated by the victory of the cross, and You call us to enforce that victory in every area of our lives in the lives of others in the power and authority of Your name (Colossians 2:8-15). This is "the good fight of the faith" we are called and empowered to wage as we pursue our spiritual enemies without mercy until they are beaten fine like dust and crushed under our feet in the name of Jesus, before whom all things must bow and submit to Your Lordship and Your authority (1 Timothy 6:12; Philippians 2:9-11). As we do, You have promised, "The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you" (Romans 16:20). Thanks be to God! In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To order my DVD and CD set of teaching on biblical principles of spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please see our resources page at www.messiah-ministries.org or send us a note at MessiahMin@aol.com . The Lord is preparing our hands for war as He advances His kingdom of light in the midst of the darkness of these days. Also, I am attaching my power-point presentation from my week of teaching at Christ for the Nations in Dallas, Texas a couple of years ago called "Holy War -- Fighting the Good Fight of the Faith." I will be teaching on this topic of spiritual warfare at the Minister's Conference for the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church in Lake Junaluska, NC on July 11-12 this summer -- please come if you can: www.sejumc.org 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. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Two Become One 10-26-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Abide in me and I abide in You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. … "Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner' " (Genesis 2:18). In the beginning, You created the heavens and the earth and all that dwell within them. You looked upon all You had made and said "it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). Yet even in the sinless perfection of creation, undefiled before the fall of man through sin, You looked and saw that it was "not good" for man to be alone. You created us to need You and also to need a partner. Even when we might say, "God is all I need," that does not mean that we don't also need one another. You love us directly, and at the same time, You love us through one another. So from the foundations of the earth, You have created us to experience life with a helper as our partner in the journey. "Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). Last night I ministered the covenant of marriage to a young couple I've come to know and love through their ministry of healing and love in leading others in worship of You. They've walked their journeys alone, until last night, in the fullness of time and the perfection of Your timing, You joined the two as one. One gifted with passion, one gifted with perseverance; one gifted with tenderness and mercy; one gifted with boldness and strength -- You knitted their hearts and lives together as helpers and partners of one another. You sealed their lives and destinies together eternally in the holy covenant of marriage, bound together in the power of the bond of Your unfailing love. "Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. It's flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it" (Song of Solomon 8:6-7). "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate" (Matthew 19:6). Lord, bless them and all of Your children with the helper and partner You have chosen for the joy of the journey together. 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 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. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Politicians or Prophets 10-25-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the "King of kings and the Lord of lords" (Revelation 19:16). Be my King and be my Lord this day. … "Samuel said to all Israel, 'I have listened to you in all you have said to me, and have set a king over you. See, it is the king who leads you now; I am old and gray but my sons are with you. I have led you from my youth until this day" (1 Samuel 12:1-2). This is the season of politics in our country, with national and local elections in just a couple of weeks. I'm reminded of the pleading of Israel to be led by a politician rather than a prophet, by an earthly king rather than the heavenly King. The prophet Samuel declared to the people, "You shall know and see that the wickedness you have done in the sight of the Lord is great in demanding a king for yourselves" (1 Samuel 12:17). Their demand for the leadership of a king was a rejection of the leadership of God. "But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and distresses; and you have said, 'No, but set a king over us' " (1 Samuel 10:19). Their choice set in motion a pattern of politics and government that has continued in one form or another throughout the generations to this day. Though it broke Your heart to know all that would come to pass as the hearts of Your people turned to their king to be their savior and deliverer rather than the Lord their God, You honored the choice of their will. But even so, You did not abandon them or reject them. Even in their sin of choosing a king to lead them rather than the voice of the Lord through Your prophet, You gave them grace to cover their sin if they and their king would seek Your face and obey Your voice. "If you will fear the Lord and serve Him and heed His voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord, it will be well; but if you will not heed the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king" (1 Samuel 12:14-15). Lord, I pray for those who have been given authority to reign over us. Though we may call them senators, representatives, mayors, governors, presidents, or prime ministers rather than kings, they have been entrusted to rule and reign in the governance of our lives. The voices they heed and the decisions they make affect us all. Though this was not Your first choice of government for Your people, You meet us where we are in the choices we have made throughout the generations, giving us grace as we seek to follow You in the system of government we have. "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God" (Romans 13:1). So we are to pray "for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity" (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Lord, establish those in authority who will seek Your face and obey Your voice. And remove those who will not. Purge and cleanse from our governments those who will not lead us in "all godliness and dignity" by heeding the voice of the Lord. Give us humility to seek and courage to obey Your will and Your ways in the choices we make about the kings we anoint with authority to reign in our lives. Only as we follow You -- both ourselves and our kings -- will it "be well" with us. 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 . 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

Transformation from Humiliation to Glory 10-24-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As a worship song of trusting surrender says, "Take my heart and form it; take my mind, transform it; take my will, conform it … to Yours, to Yours, O Lord." … "But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of His glory, by the power that enables Him to make all things subject to Himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved" (Philippians 3:20-4:1). Transformation is the steady process of conformation into the image of Christ. As I continue to stand firm in You by grace through faith, You stand firm in me. From humiliation to glory, You are changing me -- my thoughts, my desires, my will, and my ways -- little by little and day by day as I look to You and yield to Your nature. "And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18). Lord in Your power, keep transforming me, keep conforming me, as You make all things -- including my heart and soul -- subject to Yourself. 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 . 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

"Your Steadfast Love in the Morning" 10-23-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I watch and wait for You and welcome Your Spirit and Your Word in my heart and throughout my day. … "Let me hear of Your steadfast love in the morning, for in You I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul" (Psalm 143:8). I was speaking with a woman who has walked in faith through many adversities and afflictions throughout her life. We were sharing with one another how important we have found it to be for us to begin our days with our thoughts and hearts turned to You before anything else. She begins each day by speaking out these words of dedication and trust to You from Psalm 143. Yes, Lord. As I choose to put my trust in You each morning, You speak to me of Your steadfast love. As I choose to lift up my soul to You each day, You teach me the way I should go. As I wait for Your manifest presence and watch for Your faithful leading, You are my Teacher and Guide. As I lift my eyes to Your face, You open my eyes to see You. As I open my ears to Your voice, You open my ears to hear You. "You Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And when you turn to the right or turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, 'This is the way, walk in it'" (Isaiah 30:20-21). 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

"Filled with Joy and the Holy Spirit" 10-22-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good morning, Heavenly Father. Good morning, Holy Spirit. Lord, You are One and You are Holy. Help me know You and embrace You in every Dimension of Your Being more fully each day as my Lord and my God. … "And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 13:52). This weekend was our "Holy Spirit Weekend" on the Alpha Course we run at our church to teach the foundational principles of our faith to lead people into a relationship with Christ -- either a new relationship or a deeper relationship. On this weekend we get away to learn more specifically about the nature and ministry of the Your Holy Spirit and many prayed for the first time to be filled and refreshed and renewed in the love and peace and joy of Your infilling presence. Thank You for Your desire to fill us with Your presence and conform us to Your nature. Thank You for giving us a hunger and thirst for more of You. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). Lord, keep filling me afresh every day with Your Holy Spirit. This is a deep part of the joy in the journey with You. Thank You for the gift of helping lead others along in the joy of the journey together. 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

Signs of Good News 10-20-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I love You Lord, and I choose to begin this new day with my first thoughts on You. … "And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it" (Mark 16:20). Lord, You are faithful and gracious and good. You send us out in obedience to Your call and in the authority of Your name to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God everywhere we go. You take our brokenness and our limitations of human flesh and blood and let the light of Your glory shine through us as we lead others to You. When we are weak, You are strong; and You power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). According to Your Word, You humble Yourself to work with us and to work through us in Your ministry of love. Every day this week, I've seen or heard from someone who came to our Brokenness to Breakthrough conference last Saturday. You have been confirming Your message with Your signs of changed hearts and transformed lives. The steady process of healing and restoration of our lives into Your order is continuing to take place. Your kingdom is coming and Your will is being done in our hearts and in our lives as You continue to bring us from brokenness to breakthrough in the power of Your love. Some has been instantaneous and miraculous like the woman who immediately felt and incredible lifting of her burdens and the settling in of Your peace as we prayed. Most are sensing the steady and sure process of transformation through the healing and freedom You continue to bring step by step and day by day as they walk out the truth of Your Word in the power of Your love. And at the same time, there was the lady who has not yet been able to receive the good news of Your love and grace who said God was not with us or even in the building that day. I especially pray for her, that You would continue to go to the root and source of her pain and disappointment with You and Your messengers to draw out her pain and pour in Your love until she is free from the bondage of the past and experiences the fullness of the grace of God. Help this lady and each of us continue to turn to You to hear and receive the good news of Your Kingdom being made manifest in our lives every day. "The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news!" (Mark 1:15). Yes, Lord, I do. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! 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

I Become as I Think 10-19-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek Your face and call on Your name. I open my spirit to be filled afresh with Your Spirit. … "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7, NKJV). Lord, cause the thoughts of my heart to line up with Your truth. Let me see You as You are. Let me see myself as You see me and see others as You see them. Bring my mind and my heart into agreement with Your will and Your ways. Transform me by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2). Continue to mature my thinking as You patiently form in me "the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16). Cause my thoughts to become more like Your thoughts and cause my desires to become more like Your desires. "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned as a child; when I became an adult I put an end to childish ways" (1 Corinthians 13:11). As I go on in the journey with You, I'm asking You to make me more like You each day. As I think in my heart, so I will become. Let Your nature become my nature as I willingly entrust my mind and my heart to Your will and Your ways. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! 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

Steps Made Firm 10-18-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I need You and I choose to be desperately dependent upon You this day and every day. … "Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when He delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand" (Psalm 37:23-24). Lord, I want You to delight in my way so that You may make firm my steps along the journey of this day. You delight in my way as I commit my way to Your way and my will to Your will. You know what is best because You know what is to come. Help me trust You and Your leading as I entrust myself to You way and Your will for my life this day. "I delight in Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart" (Psalm 40:8). Then even if I stumble over the stones of the struggles of this day, I will not fall because You will be with me, holding me by the hand. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! 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

Trials, O Joy! 10-17-06

Morning by Morning, Tuesday Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek Your face and call on Your name as I begin this day. … "My brothers and sisters, 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). Trials -- O joy! Tribulation -- O joy! Counter-attacks of the kingdom of darkness against every act of faithful obedience -- O joy! Lord, sometimes it is really hard to hold on to Your Kingdom perspective that is so different from our worldly perspective. In Your Kingdom, the last shall be first, the greatest of all must be the servant of all, to live we must die, etc., etc., etc. You turn the principles of this world on its head and inside out. But if we keep our eyes on You and listen for the leading of Your voice, You turn even our trials and tribulations into a means of Your grace to draw us nearer to You and to grow us up in spiritual maturity. "We must through many tribulations enter the Kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22, NKJV). Thank You for the power of Your healing presence throughout the day and evening at our inner healing conference Saturday, "From Brokenness to Breakthrough." You touched us deeply to free us from the hidden and unhealed wounds of the past to free us to fulfill our destiny in Christ. I praise You for the testimonies of Your power and grace we've already heard and I praise You for the ones to come as You are faithful to bring to completion all that You have begun. And You gave me many opportunities to practice what I preach -- trying to press through Friday evening and Saturday with aches and chills, hoping to spend Sunday in bed to rest and heal, but then being called away for a family crisis out of town for two days, finally making it home late last night. On the outside, I still feel wrung out and tired, but inside I choose to keep looking to You. "So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set you mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:1-3). Yes, Lord. Give me grace to practice what I preach and give me faith to walk where I call others to follow, looking to the One who redeems my brokenness into breakthrough. 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 . Come to The Fountain! this Friday Night -- 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

Brokenness to Breakthrough 10-14-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Anoint me with Your presence and Your power to teach Your Word and minister Your love today. … "David inquired of God, 'Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand? The Lord said to him, 'Go up, and I will give them into your hand.' So he went up to Baal-parazim, and David defeated them there. David said, 'God has burst out against my enemies by my hand, like a bursting flood' " (1 Chronicles 14:10-11). You are the God who bursts out against our enemies -- the God of the breakthrough. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of wickedness (Ephesians 6:12). Our Philistines are the places where the enemy of our souls seeks to hold us in bondage to the past and break our spirits from walking in the authority and victory of the fullness of life You long for us to have (John 10:10). But You come to bind-up the broken-hearted; You come to set the captives free. You heal our brokenness and breakthrough against our enemies. And You do it all by Your grace and power. The battle belongs to the Lord. But You also choose to do it through us -- You give our enemies into our hands. We have a part to play and a stand to take. We must be active and not passive, choosing to press though and press on in the power of You grace, as You burst out against our enemies in response to our choices and our prayers that You lay on our hearts. You lead us from brokenness to breakthrough. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please keep our Lexington area community in prayer and join us if you can for our conference Today, Saturday October 14, "From Brokenness to Breakthrough -- Healing from Grief, Sorrow, Trauma, and Pain in a Broken World." I'll include again our flyer below. Please forward this on to those who may need it and to those who would stand with us in the agreement of prayer. God bless you and thank 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 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 Rob Poindexter leading worship for Evening Healing Service Brooke Perkinson & Shannon Barrett leading worship for the day 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, an d other contacts. God bless you and I hope to see you there! Tommy Hays

Destined for Glory 10-13-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I rise today to follow You. … "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (from Colossians 1:27). "Destined for Glory" were the first words that came to mind as I woke this morning. I went to bed last night thinking about the theme of a week of spiritual renewal I'll be leading in early November in western Kentucky. The pastor asked me to share messages about our calling to holiness of heart and life, and I guess my spirit was at work seeking the leading of Your Spirit as I slept. We are but dust, yet we destined for glory -- Your glory shining through us with Christ in our hearts. Peter wrote his first letter as an apostle "to the exiles of the Dispersion" throughout that part of the world "who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with His blood" (1 Peter 1:1-2). But those exiles who had been dispersed by the persecution of the early church of mostly Jewish believers who received Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah, were not the only ones who were "chosen and destined by God" to be "sanctified by the Spirit" and "obedient to Jesus Christ." You are "not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Your invitation and promise of grace is always that "whosoever believes" in the Son of God "should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16, NKJV). But You were reminding those who were exiled as strangers in a foreign land to remember their destiny despite their dispersion, to remember their calling despite their circumstances. They were chosen by God and destined for glory. You were reminding them that though they would experience dark days, Your Spirit would arise upon them and shine through them with the light of Your glory. In Christ Jesus their Messiah, they were the fulfillment of the prophecies of Your Word of a people to come who would be sprinkled by the blood of the Lamb as a holy people of God. "Arise, shine, for your Light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you" (Isaiah 60:1). And Your call to arise and to shine with the light of Your glory has not changed. You choose all who will answer Your call by Your grace to the destiny of Your glory -- "Christ in you, the hope of glory." I choose to keep answering Your call to holiness of heart and life, to be "sanctified by the Spirit" through Your grace. I welcome the light of Your glory, the glory of the manifest presence of God my Father living in me by the Holy Spirit of the Living Christ. "For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live in Him." Thank You for waking me from my sleep to remind me again that though I am a stranger living in a foreign land in this broken, fallen world, my "citizenship is in heaven." From there, my Lord and Savior comes that I "may be conformed to the body of His glory" (Philippians 3:20-21). By Your grace, I am sprinkled by Your blood, sanctified by the Spirit, and destined for glory. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please come join us for several days of Spiritual Renewal if you are in the area from November 5-8 at the First Methodist Church of Madisonville, Kentucky -- named "Destined for Glory" this morning. And please keep our Lexington area community in prayer and join us if you can for our conference this Saturday October 14, "From Brokenness to Breakthrough -- Healing from Grief, Sorrow, Trauma, and Pain in a Broken World." I'll include again our flyer below. Please forward this on to those who may need it and to those who would stand with us in the agreement of prayer. We'll also be gathering for prayer to prepare the way this Friday Night October 13 at 7:00 pm (in the Hospitality Room). God bless you and thank 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 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 Rob Poindexter leading worship for Evening Healing Service Brooke Perkinson & Shannon Barrett leading worship for the day 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, an d other contacts. God bless you and I hope to see you there! Tommy Hays Messiah Ministries

Anointed by the Holy One 10-12-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Teach me Your Word and fill me with Your Spirit as I wait in Your presence and watch for Your leading. … "But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and all of you have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and you know that no lie comes from the Truth. Who is a liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; everyone who confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard in the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is what He has promised, eternal life" (1 John 2:20-25). Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- You are the Holy One. You are the Truth and You are the Spirit of Truth (John 15:26). Your truth sets me free of all deception (John 8:32). And Your anointing breaks every yoke of every burden (Isaiah 10:27, KJV). Anoint me with Your Truth, abide in me with Your Spirit, Holy One of God. I confess my trust and surrender to my life to You. I embrace the knowledge of Your grace and the fullness of Your promise of eternal life through Jesus the Christ. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, the anointing of the abiding presence and power of God is the key to Breakthrough in our lives. Please keep our community in prayer and join us if you can for our conference this Saturday October 14, "From Brokenness to Breakthrough -- Healing from Grief, Sorrow, Trauma, and Pain in a Broken World." I'll include again our flyer below. Please forward this on to those who may need it and to those who would stand with us in the agreement of prayer. We'll also be gathering for prayer to prepare the way this Friday Night October 13 at 7:00 pm. God bless you and thank 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 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 Rob Poindexter leading worship for Evening Healing Service Brooke Perkinson & Shannon Barrett leading worship for the day 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, an d other contacts. God bless you and I hope to see you there! Tommy Hays Messiah Ministries

God's Perspective 10-11-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I love You, Lord and I thank You for loving me. … "What is impossible from a human perspective is possible with God" (Luke 18:27, NLT). Like Peter and Your first disciples, I can get caught up and bogged down in the difficulties of the day and the frustrations of the moment. But You want to lift my eyes to You, not ignoring my problems but also seeing beyond them with Your perspective. You reminded Peter as You continue to remind me, there is no challenge I can face and nothing I can lose on this earth that will not be redeemed beyond all human possibilities "in this age and in the age to come" if I keep following You and living my life in Your grace "for the sake of the kingdom of God" (Luke 18:28-30). Lord, give me Your perspective. My human perspective often gets me focused on the trees instead of the forest, on the tyranny of the trials of the moment instead of on the bigger picture of Your purposes and Your kingdom. Keep opening the eyes of my heart to see You as You are and to see the world around me from Your eternal perspective, as I live out the hope of my calling for the sake of Your kingdom (Ephesians 1:17-19). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, as I prepare for our inner healing conference this Saturday "From Brokenness to Breakthrough" in Lexington, the Lord keeps showing me that a key to breakthrough is to see our brokenness through His perspective, to see Him taking our pain and healing our past so we can fulfill our purpose. I believe His is giving me fresh insight and anointing in preparation for this day, and I thank you for your continued prayers for all us. Please come join us if you can. God bless you! 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 Rob Poindexter leading worship for Evening Healing Service Brooke Perkinson & Shannon Barrett leading worship for the day 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 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

Bow Low to Stand High 10-10-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good morning, Heavenly Father. Good morning, Holy Spirit. Lord God Almighty, You are One and You are Holy. I worship You in every dimension of Your Being -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ... "Then Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice" (2 Chronicles 20:18-19). I bow my heart low before You in prayer so I can lift my heart up high to You in praise. Humility before You in the reverent fear of God must precede intimacy with You in the awesome presence of God. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up" (James 4:10, NKJV). First humility and then intimacy, the fear of God prepares the way for the presence of God in our hearts and lives. As I acknowledge You for who You are and entrust myself to You for who You are to me, You draw me near and draw me up into Your presence in Your love and by Your grace. "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" (v. 4:8). Through both humility before You and intimacy with You, I choose to bow low to stand high, to live my life drawing near to You in response to Your love and by the means of Your grace. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please come if you can and pray for us if you can't this Friday night October 13 for Worship and Intercession to prepare our hearts and our region for a day of Brokenness to Breakthrough this Saturday October 14 in Lexington. These have been troubling days of tremendous grief, sorrow, and pain in our community and in some form or another throughout all of our lives, but there is One who heals our pain and turns our Brokenness to Breakthrough. I'll include some details below -- please pass the word to invite anyone who might benefit or stand with us in prayer. God bless you and I pray for the breakthroughs to come in your lives and ours! Rob Poindexter and Tommy Hays of Rob Poindexter Ministries and Messiah Ministries Leading a Time of Worship & Intercession for our City & Region Friday Night October 13 at 7:00 at The Foundry of Centenary UMC 2800 Tates Creek Road in Lexington, Kentucky "As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against [the enemies of His people] so that they were routed" (2 Chronicles 20:22). Many voices among the worshippers and warriors of our community are calling for times of corporate prayer and worship together in the unity of the Body of Christ in our city and region. We know from the forces of destruction and devastation on many levels that things are not right in the heavenly realms over our region. Come join us for a time of Spirit-led worship and intercession, corporate repentance and proclamation along with the many streams and traditions of the city-wide Body of Christ in our community and region. All are welcome to come worship and pray as the Lord leads us in worship and warfare. Contact Marilyn for details: DirofMinsitries@aol.com 859-422-1794 Then Come Join Us on Saturday October 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 Rob Poindexter leading worship for Evening Healing Service Brooke Perkinson & Shannon Barrett leading worship for the day 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

"Arise and Eat" 10-8-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your Word and Your Spirit are my Light and my Strength. ... We've been studying the stories of Elijah in church. In the wilderness, You touched him and called to him, "Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you" (1 Kings 19:7). It seems I hear You saying, "Arise and eat. Come rise into My presence through your spirit in prayer. Come eat of My Word as I meet you there." Now it seems I hear Your Spirit singing to my spirit: "Arise, My son, arise! Come rise into My presence through your spirit in prayer. Arise, My son, arise! Come eat of My Word as I meet you there. Arise, My son, arise! Come follow my steps through this day. Arise, My son, arise! Come follow Me and I'll show you the way." Yes, Lord. You are a God who sings to my spirit with gladness and renews my spirit in love (Zephaniah 3:17). I thank You for the times of rest and renewal, and I thank you for the times of calling and commissioning to send me on in the light of Your Word and the strength of Your Spirit. "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). Thank You for speaking Your words of life and truth to me today. Help me keep listening and obeying and You keep leading throughout this day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please come join us Saturday 10/4 if you can and pray for us if you can't: 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 Rob Poindexter leading worship for Evening Healing Service Brooke Perkinson & Shannon Barrett leading worship for the day 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. See attachment God bless you and I hope to see you there! Tommy Hays Messiah Ministries 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

"Eternal in the Heavens" 10-8-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Before the thoughts of the day come racing into my mind, I come racing to You to focus my first thoughts of a new day on You alone. ... "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling" (2 Corinthians 5:1-2). Though I live out my life on earth in my earthly body, at the same time I have a heavenly body which is "eternal in the heavens." Today -- like all days past, present, and future -- is included in eternity. One day my faith will become sight, and my eyes will be opened to fully see the substance of all the reality of Your creation. But for now, I engage that eternal dimension of my being through the communion of prayer, as my human spirit seeks Your Holy Spirit. I long to encounter and experience Your presence, because You've placed that desire in my heart to be near to Your heart. In this earthly dimension, I groan and long for the heavenly dimension of Your eternity, never satisfied and never fulfilled with anything less. And that's how You created me -- to never be satisfied and never be fulfilled apart from You. Thank You for the gift of longing to be who You created me to be throughout eternity. Thank You for "the hope of eternal life that God, who never lies, promised before the ages began" (Titus 1:2). 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

Enforced Insomnia & Sabbath Rest 10-7-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. It's a little earlier in the morning to join you in prayer than I had hoped, but I take this moment to welcome Your presence into my heart and home again this day. ... "In the morning, while it was still very dark, He got up and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed" (Mark 1:35). The voice of our little "angel" -- six month old Josiah Benjamin Hays -- has woken me up twice this morning already while it is "still very dark." His mother and I have gone in to comfort him but not to feed him, as he learns to sleep through the night (and as we try to re-learn how to sleep through the night). He's done it three times this week -- Praise the Lord! -- but not tonight. The Kingdom of God to come is already breaking in, but not yet fully consummated in it's fullness! "So then, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God" (Hebrews 4:9). I find it hard to get back to sleep after these times of answering the call of our beloved son who is like the voice of one crying out in the wilderness -- loudly and persistently until we repent of our sleepy ways and arise from our slumber to sing the song of rest over our little saint, "Hush little baby, don't say a word; Daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird, etc., etc., ...." So since I can't go off to a deserted place to sleep, I often go ahead and slide into my prayer chair to spend some time with You before I slip back into sleep for a little nap before the dawn of a new day. You seem to be redeeming this season of enforced insomnia to deepen my life of prayer. You don't waste a moment of our suffering to cause all things to work together for good (Romans 8:28). But even so, Lord, I pray for the day when I can arise to meet You in the morning again -- when it is not so "still very dark." Let that day come quickly, Lord Jesus, like a thief in the night. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for joining with us in prayer for breakthrough in the sleeping patterns for Josiah Benjamin Hays and his family. 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

Justice, Mercy, and Faith 10-6-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I fall so short of Your glory and I am forever in need of Your grace. Help me grow in the knowledge of Your nature and Your ways as You lead me through the steps of this day. ... "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting others. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!" (Matthew 23:23-24). The weightier matters of the law are justice and mercy and faith. These are weighty matters because there are no easy answers. Sometimes we find ourselves in need of justice and sometimes in need of mercy, but always in need of faith to trust You to lead us through the decisions and challenges of our lives. To become legalistic or dogmatic in demanding either justice or mercy without seeking to follow You in faith is to be a blind guide, bound up in rules rather than relationship, subjecting ourselves and others to law without grace or grace without law. But in Your holy ways, You do both. Even in Your judgment, You remember mercy (Habakkuk 3:2). As both a prayer minister and trial lawyer, I have often found myself wrestling between these two equal, guiding truths and spiritual principles -- to seek both Your justice and Your mercy for myself and for others. You call us to "hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God" (Hosea 12:6). Which means there are no easy answers in these weighty matters. So faith in Your wisdom and trust in Your nature brings me to my knees to seek Your face and Your leading, spreading each matter as it comes before the throne of Your will in humility and prayer. There You remind me of Your high standards that I can only live out in the power of Your grace: "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8, NKJV). Help me walk humbly with You, Lord, looking to You in faith and prayer so I can walk before You and others in both justice and mercy as You lead. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please come join us if you can and spread the word about 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.org Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Celebrate Recovery 10-5-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I celebrate Your goodness and praise Your for Your presence in my heart and my life. ... "Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of my poor people not been restored? (Jeremiah 8:22). Last night at my home church, I was overwhelmed with the sense of Your heart for restoration of Your people. First I met with those You are calling to be equipped and empowered to minister Your healing and life at the altar of our church in the Prayer Ministry Team. And then I joined the meeting with those You are calling to come along side those suffering from the addictions and struggles with every form of hurts, habits, and hang-ups in the ministry of Celebrate Recovery. You want You people healed and whole, free and filled, saved and sanctified. You are the Balm of Gilead. You are the Great Physician. But we have to humble ourselves to acknowledge we need Your healing of our spirits and souls and bodies, that we all have hurts, habits, and hang-ups, that we all need recovery and restoration. As You said long ago, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick" (Luke 5:31). Help us humble ourselves to admit our need and then come to You in faith to restore our health in every area of our lives. Then we can minister to others out of our healed hearts and not our hurts, with fresh faith and not our wounded spirits. Then others will be drawn to the light of Your glory shining through a people who have humble themselves at the foot of Your cross and allowed You to lift us up in Your arms, heal our hurts, break our bondage, and fill us afresh with life of Your Spirit to shine with the light of Your glory. Then we will be a church and a people who display Your glory -- not because we were not broken or bound; but because we were and we called on Your name in humility and faith so that You healed us and set us free! Thank You for letting me be part of a church like that. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please come join us if you can and spread the word about 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

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