Let the Scales Fall Off 4-29-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I settle down in the silence and center my heart and soul on You alone in these first moments of my morning. ... "So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.' And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored" (Acts 9:17-18). What are the scales that cover my eyes? What keeps me from seeing You as You truly are? Though I see You now, I only see "dimly" compared to the day to come when I see You "face to face" (1 Corinthians 13:12). In the daily battle for my sight and soul, my enemy tries to veil my face and blind my mind from "seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). He uses the smoke and mirrors of confusion and deception to distract me and distort my image of You and my image of myself. But Your Spirit keeps lifting the veil and opening my eyes to see You more clearly each day as You are, filling me with truth and faith to seek Your face and see Your glory. So each day I choose by Your grace to seek You, more scales fall off and the veil between heaven and earth, between how You really are and how I see You becomes a little thinner each day. Not only do I see Your image more clearly, but as I seek You, You are changing me to become more like You "from one degree of glory to another" each day (2 Corinthians 3:18). You restore my sight and my soul. You fill me with Your Spirit and send me forth. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

April 2008 Messiah's Messenger -- Newsletter for the Friends of Tommy Hays & Messiah Ministries

Dear Friends of Messiah Ministries and Tommy Hays, I'm excited to have just sent out our April 2008 Newsletter -- Messiah's Messenger. We want to let you know some of the exciting things the Lord is doing through Messiah Ministries these days. And we are are so grateful for all your prayers and support that make it possible to go through the gates of ministry the Lord is opening for us to fulfill our calling and destiny in Him. If you would like me to send our Newsletter to you by email attachement, please send me a note with your email address and I'll be glad to send it on: MessiahMin@aol.com Thank and God bless you! Tommy Hays Spiritual Director and Founder Messiah Ministries 2800 Tates Creek Rd. Lexington, Kentucky 40502 http://www.messiah-ministries.org/

"This is the One" 4-28-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father and Son, come abide in me by Your Holy Spirit. ... "The Lord said, 'Rise and anoint him, for this is the one.' Then Saul took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward" (1 Samuel 16:12-13). Spirit of the Lord, You came mightily upon David. And he was known to all by Your presence in his life. They said he was "skillful in playing (the lyre), a man of valor, a warrior, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence; and the Lord is with him" (v. 16:18). David was a worshiper and a warrior, who spoke well in the presence of others because he spent time in the presence of the Lord. The anointing of Your presence rested upon him and identified him as "the one" (v. 16:12). And in these days, You have poured out Your Spirit on all flesh (Acts 2:17). Now, in this age, the Spirit of the Lord rests upon and dwells within all who call upon Your name and welcome You into our hearts and lives. You say of each of us, "This is the one." We are each anointed by Your Spirit. "But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and all of you have knowledge.... As for you, the anointing that you received from Him abides in you" (1 John 2:20-27). By the abiding presence of Your Holy Spirit anointing each one of us, we are worshippers and warriors, speaking words of truth and life because we are drawn near to spend time with the One who is Truth and Life. As we do, You come mightily upon us and rise up within us, making us one with You, one with each other, and one in ministry to the people and places of the world You send us in the power of Your Spirit and glory of Your presence. As You said to our Father, "The glory that You have given Me I have given them, so that they may be one, as We are One, I in them and You in Me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me" (John 17:22-23). In Jesus' name I Pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Overflow of Love 4-27-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I love You, Lord; and I thank You, Lord, for loving me. ... "And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God" (Philippians 1:9-11). How do I know "what is best"? How do I keep my focus fixed on the true goal? How do I give my heart, and time, and resources to what really matters? According to Your Word, it's by the overflow of love. As I allow Your love to fill me and overflow through me, "knowledge and full insight" come. True knowledge comes from knowing You. True wisdom comes from knowing the One who is wise. The "day of Christ" will come. And in that day, I want to be one who is "pure and blameless." I want to have "produced the harvest of righteousness" in the field that You gave me with the seeds of love and truth You've given me to sow. In the sin of my flesh, I know I fall short of the glory of God in so many ways. So I need You to keep reminding me of the true goal and the true means of Your grace to "press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). And that means is love -- the overflow of love. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Mindful of Me 4-26-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me into the deep place of surrender and rest in You. ... "When I look at heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars that You have established; what are human beings that You are mindful of them, mortals that You care for them? Yet You have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor. You have given them dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under their feet" (Psalm 8:3-6). You are mindful of the heavens, yet You are mindful of me. You hold all things in Your hands, yet You have chosen to put them under the feet of mortal men and women. You have all power and authority in heaven and earth, yet You have given dominion over Your creation to Your created ones. You are crowned with all glory and honor and power, yet You honor us and crown us with Your glory. You have entrusted so much to us, as if we were Your children -- sons and daughters of God himself. And so we are. We "have received a Spirit of adoption. When we cry, 'Abba! Father! it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ -- if, in fact, we suffer with Him so that we may also be gloried with Him" (Romans 8:15-17). Cleanse me in Your blood and fill me with Your Spirit. Hold me in Your arms and lead me in Your ways. Remind of who am I am what You've sent me to do. You've entrusted so much to me; give me the power of Your grace to honor You in all I do with it today. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Messiah Ministries Celebration Dinner May 2nd

Friends of Messiah Ministries & Tommy Hays Please come join us for our 2008 Celebration Dinner Friday Night, May 2nd 7-9:00 pm Celebrate stories of God's glory; Hear our Calling; Join our Vision Contact Marilyn Walker: DirOfMinstries@aol.com 859-317-1591 If you're unable to come but would like to join with us financially,

please send your contribution to:

Messiah Ministries

2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org

Anything. Anytime. Anywhere. 4-25-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lord of heaven, Lord of earth, Lord of my life, I bow with my knees and confess with my tongue that You are Lord of all. ... "And he got up, left everything, and followed Him" (Luke 5:28). I spent time yesterday with two different men at two different times Your Spirit sent to our city with a mission and ministry for each -- John from Ireland and Abraham from India. I know You sent them for many reasons, but one reason was to speak to my heart by the witness of their lives. These men of God were willing to literally get up, leave everything, and follow You -- not just one time, but every moment of every day. One literally signed a pledge as a young man, along with the woman of God who would become his wife and life-long partner in the journey, "Lord Jesus, I will follow You: Anything. Anytime. Anywhere." This is the mind of Christ (Luke 22:42). This is the heart of Mary (Luke 1:38). This is the will of Peter, Matthew, Mary Magdalene, and everyone of Your true disciples (Luke 9:23). When You call me to follow You, it seems it's not so much to a place of destination but to a place of surrender. You call me to surrender all, to entrust all, to leave all and follow You in trusting faith and humble obedience. I could never do that in my power and self-determination. And I don’t have to. It's all by the power of Your grace. You give me the grace to desire it, the grace to do it, and the grace to keep on doing it. Then, if I fail when the spirit is willing and the flesh is weak, You even give me the grace to repent, receive Your forgiveness, and be restored in my heart to be ready to surrender all and follow You again. And above all, the reason You want me to follow You is because You love me so much You want me to be with You wherever You go. You know that down in my heart, I will only be truly happy and truly fulfilled when I do. Yes, Lord. By the power of Your grace I choose to follow You. Anything. Anytime. Anywhere. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'll be teaching a workshop this weekend on ministry to others with freedom from spiritual blockages at the 2008 International Conference for Lay Pastors Ministry April 25-26, being hosted in Lexington at my home church this year. Please come join us: www.laypastors.com Laura Beach of our ministry and one of my spiritual mentors Margaret Therkelsen will also be teaching. My good friends Rev. Greg Gallaher and Mary Beth Ludt will be keynote speakers. Call Centenary Church for details at 859-269-2800 Please come join us if you can for our Messiah Ministries Celebration Dinner May 2nd. Our friend and prophetic psalmist Heather Butler from Wales will be with us to give an inspiring word and we'll hear stories of God's glory. If you're not able to come but sense the Lord's leading to join in our vision and calling with your giving or your prayers, please send us a note of encouragement. We're a faith-based ministry raising all our own support to fulfill our calling -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." Please RSVP by 4/25 to Marilyn Walker at 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com (reservations required for planning). Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Signs of the Coming of the Kingdom 4-24-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your Word wash over me. Let Your Spirit fill me. ... "To Him who loves us and freed us from our sins by His blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever" (Revelation 1:5-6). You have already made us to be a kingdom through the power of Your love and the victory of Your cross. We are the kingdom of heaven on earth, a kingdom possessed by the faith of the children of God (Matthew 19:14). Our heavenly Father "has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:13-14). This kingdom of the Son is now within us (Luke 17:21). And as Your Word declared long ago, "The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed" (Daniel 2:44). You are my King. And with every choice I make by Your grace to embrace Your kingdom, Your kingdom comes. When I forgive instead of resent, Your kingdom comes. When I sacrifice what is rightfully mine for the sake of another, Your kingdom comes. When I willing entrust my thoughts to Your thoughts, my desires to Your desires, and my ways to Your ways, Your kingdom comes. These are the signs of the coming of the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. "How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His sovereignty is from generation to generation" (Daniel 4:3). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'll be teaching a workshop this weekend called "Healed and Free to Let the Spirit Flow" at the 2008 International Conference for Lay Pastors Ministry April 25-26, being hosted in Lexington at my home church this year. Please come join us. Register on-line www.laypastors.com Laura Beach of our ministry will also be teaching and my good friends Rev. Greg Gallaher and Mary Beth Ludt will be the plenary speakers. Call Centenary Church for details at 859-269-2800 Please come join us if you can for our Messiah Ministries Celebration Dinner May 2nd. Our friend and prophetic psalmist Heather Butler from Wales will be with us to give an inspiring word and we'll hear stories of God's glory. If you're not able to come but sense the Lord's leading to join in our vision and calling with your giving or your prayers, please send us a note of encouragement. We're a faith-based ministry raising all our own support to fulfill our calling -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." Please RSVP by 4/25 to Marilyn Walker at 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com (reservations required for planning). Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Love Never Ends" 4-23-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I wait on You in the silence of surrender to the leading of Your Spirit. ... "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ love the church and gave Himself for her.... In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.... Each of you, however, should love his wife as himself, and a wife should respect her husband" (Ephesians 6:25-33). Love, respect, honor, devotion, sacrifice, faithfulness, forgiveness, commitment, patience, daring to entrust your heart to another, risking rejection, fearing failure, but denying self for the sake of another. Marriage is as much a refiner's fire as a warm glow. Lord, forgive me when I fail to love, fail to give, fail to forgive. "Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends ..." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). Who can love, but by the grace of God? And who can be loved, but by the grace of God? Lord, give me grace to love and be loved, to respect and be respected. Love must be pursued (1 Corinthians 14:1). Love must be held in the flames by faith and hope until all the impurities are burned away. But the blessing and joy of the gold that comes through the refiner's fire is worth the pursuit. "And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please come join us if you can for our Messiah Ministries Celebration Dinner May 2nd. Our friend and prophetic psalmist Heather Butler from Wales will be with us to give an inspiring word and we'll hear stories of God's glory. If you're not able to come but sense the Lord's leading to join in our vision and calling with your giving or your prayers, please send us a note of encouragement. We're a faith-based ministry raising all our own support to fulfill our calling -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." Please RSVP by 4/25 to Marilyn Walker at 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com (reservations required for planning). Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Celebration of Unleavened Bread 4-22-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me get quiet enough to hear, focused enough to see, and sensitive enough to follow. ... "Your boasting is not a good thing. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch, as you really are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and of evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). As I begin a new day, clean out the old yeast from the mistakes and regrets, sorrows and sins of all the days before. Let this day begin with a new batch of dough, untainted and undefiled. "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10). Let my life throughout this new day be a pleasing aroma to You (2 Corinthians 2:15). Give me the attitude to celebrate it as a festival, as You "restore to me the joy of my salvation" (Psalm 51:12). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Holy Communion with the Passover Lamb 4-21-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Living Word, speak to my heart. ... "While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it, He broke it, gave it to His disciples, and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.' Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks He gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it with you in My Father's kingdom' " (Matthew 26:26-29). On the night You gathered with Your first disciples to share the Passover meal, You revealed that You are the fulfillment of the Passover (Matthew 26:19). The bread is Your body; the wine is Your blood. You are the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:21; Mark 14:12). You are the Lamb of God, slain for us, who takes away this sins of the world (John 1:29). And as we join together to celebrate the fulfillment of the Passover through the Lord's Supper we "come together as a church," as one body in our Lord (1 Corinthians 11:18). We come together in this Holy Communion with seeking hearts and trusting faith to be filled afresh with the living Presence of the living Christ -- to become one with You, one with each other, one in ministry to all the world. We proclaim Your sacrifice of love for us and remember the covenant of Your eternal love for us (1 Corinthians 11:26). It is more than a memory of something that happened two thousand years ago; it is a means of Your grace for us today. You fill us with Your Spirit and remind us of Your love and our calling to love others with Your love that now fills our hearts. "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). Sunday morning we finished our Alpha retreat with a time of Holy Communion, experiencing a deep encounter with You as You filled all who asked with Your Holy Spirit. Then I joined with other friends Sunday afternoon to celebrate the Passover meal in the tradition of the Jewish sedar, but with the eyes of our hearts opened to see our Messiah through the words and actions of our meal. What a wonderful day of remembering who You are, what You have done, and all You desire to do in me and through my life in communion with Your Spirit and the body of Christ. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we're already hearing some amazing testimonies of God's presence and power in the hearts of many during our weekend Holy Spirit retreat on the Alpha Course. Thank you for your prayers and I pray for a fresh move of God's Spirit in your heart and the heart of all those in your spheres of ministry. God bless you! Our Messiah Ministries Celebration Dinner is May 2nd to celebrate stories of God's glory, hear our calling, and join His vision! Please come and bring some friends who may have a heart for the vision of our ministry -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." RSVP by 4/25 to Marilyn Walker at 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com (reservations required). Please spread the word and God bless you for joining with us to accomplish our calling and fulfill our destiny! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"The Things of the Spirit" 4-20-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Come cleanse my heart and shape my thoughts. ... "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit" (Romans 8:5). You use the Alpha ministry at our church to bring many people to Christ. And You also use it to bring many people at our church who already know Christ to become more passionate, committed disciples of Christ. This weekend we're away with the seekers and the followers of Christ on our spring Alpha course to learn more about Your Holy Spirit, how to be filled with the Spirit, and how to live a life setting our minds on the things of the Spirit. And as I teach, I will also learn. As I give out, I will also receive. As I help lead others to You, I will become a more passionate, committed follower of You. Keep crucifying my flesh. Keep filling me with Your Spirit. Keep changing me and renewing me as You keep reminding me how much I need You. Soak me like a dry sponge in the living waters of Your Spirit as I hunger and thirst for more of You. I can't live this Christian life without the presence and power of Your Spirit living in me. And I praise You that I don't have to if I keep making room for more of Your Spirit in more of my soul (Ephesians 5:18). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Sail On 4-19-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Word of God, soak my mind and mold my soul. ... "Your rigging hangs loose; it cannot hold the mast firm in its place, or keep the sail spread out" (Isaiah 33:23). A sailboat is created to fly with the wind, as our souls are created to fly with Your Spirit. But the rigging must be right and the mast must be firm. The sail must be stretched out wide to catch the wind and ride the waves. The bow must be set on its course and the sails must be trimmed and positioned to advance. Otherwise the wind comes but the boat does not sail and the destination is never reached. Lord, this season of alignment and realignment, set the rigging right in my soul. I want to be right and ready, prepared and positioned to advance in the destiny You've set before me. Remove the clutter, batten down the hatches, and make taunt the lines of my sensitivity to Your leading. As I stretch out my arms in worship and spread out my heart in praise, fill my soul with Your Spirit. Your cross is my mast and Your Spirit is my wind. By the power of Your grace alone, I will sail on. I will cut through the waves of adversity and navigate the course of destiny You've set before me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, our Messiah Ministries Celebration Dinner is May 2nd to celebrate stories of God's glory, hear our calling, and join His vision! Please come and bring some friends who may have a heart for the vision of our ministry -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." RSVP by 4/25 to Marilyn Walker at 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com (reservations required). Please spread the word and God bless you for joining with us to accomplish our calling and fulfill our destiny! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

The Mat 4-18-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Give me a right heart, renew a right spirit in me. Bring my thoughts, my desires, and my actions into line with Yours. ... "When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized Him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was" (Mark 6:54-55). Mockers and skeptics of the faith say it's just a crutch for those who are too weak to stand by themselves. It's more like a mat. It's only vain pride and arrogance that makes me think I can stand up at all without You. Faith doesn't call us to do our part and then let You do the rest. Faith requires me to humble myself to admit I can do absolutely nothing apart from You that has any lasting value at all. I'm even totally dependent upon You for the very will to want to be healed of the sickness of my sin and freed from the bondage of my will that rebels against Yours (Philippians 2:13). I'm not like the man who can stand up on his own but needs a crutch to walk. Rather, I'm like the man who was completely paralyzed, who couldn't stand up at all, and had to be carried on a mat into the presence of the only One who could forgive him, heal him, free him, and empower him to rise up and walk out his faith in Your power and by Your grace (Mark 2:1-12). I renounce the deception that I can stand at all apart from You, that I have any strength or power to will or to do what is right apart from You. Apart from You, without total, desperate dependence on You, I can do nothing (John 15:5). So I throw down my crutch and lay down on my mat. I renounce my pride and embrace the truth that it's only to the degree that I'm willing to humble myself in Your sight, that You will lift me up (James 4:10). You don’t come to those who claim they are well, but to those who admit their sickness; You don't come to those who claim they are righteous, but to those who admit they have not righteousness apart from You (Mark 2:17). But by the power of Your steadfast love and ever-enduring mercy to all who seek You, I will arise and take up my mat and walk (Mark 2:11). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to the Fountain Tonight! Friday Night 4/18 at 7 pm -- the 3rd Friday Night of every month -- for our ministry's monthly gathering of people from many different churches and streams of the body of Christ across our city for prayer, praise, and healing worship. This month Sandra White of Bethlehem Farm Ministries and I will lead in prayer while Phil Jackson will lead in worship. Hosted in the chapel of Centenary: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY. Please come early for Intercessory Prayer at 6:15. Contact Marilyn at dirofministries@aol.com or 859-422-1794. All are welcome! Friends, our Messiah Ministries Celebration Dinner is May 2nd to Celebration Stories of God's glory, Hear Our Calling, and Join Our Vision! Please come and bring some friends who may have a heart for the vision of our ministry -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." RSVP by 4/25 to Marilyn Walker at 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com (reservations required). Please spread the word and God bless you for joining with us to accomplish our calling and fulfill our destiny! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Got Oil? 4-17-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Take me by the hand and lead me by the heart into this new day. ... "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps" (Matthew 25:1-4). Many have been willing to come out to meet You, Lord, in one form or another. Maybe they've listened to a friend talk about You, picked up a Bible from a hotel room drawer and read a few words about You, or even gone to a church and heard a sermon about You. But how many have ever truly welcomed You into their hearts? How many have truly opened their lives to be emptied of themselves and filled with the oil of Your Spirit? How many came looking for You, willing to have an experience in the moment, to take what came easy, but weren't willing to hold on and press through the times where it seemed like Your presence and Your promises were forever delayed? "And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8). You warned us from the beginning that "the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 24:12-13). I want enduring hope and persevering faith. I want to be prayed up, poured out, and prepared. I want to "be ready" (v. 24:44). Only "those who are ready" will enter into the fulfillment of our destiny in You (v. 25:10). So keep filling my lamp with Your Oil -- the Oil of Your Spirit that will last through every dark night of the soul and every moment the promise of Your coming seems to tarry. One day I'll see You come in glory. "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him," I'll be watching and waiting with open arms and expectant faith by the grace of Your Spirit who fills my soul (v. 25:31). And before that day, I want to be found faithful, letting the light of Your glory burn brightly in me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, our Messiah Ministries Celebration Dinner is May 2nd to Celebrate Stories of God's glory, Hear Our Calling, and Join Our Vision! Please come and bring some friends who may have a heart for the vision of our ministry -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." RSVP by 4/25 to Marilyn Walker at 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com (reservations required). Please spread the word and God bless you for joining with us to accomplish our calling and fulfill our destiny! Come to the Fountain! this Friday Night 4/18 at 7 pm -- the 3rd Friday Night of every month -- for our ministry's monthly gathering of people from many different churches and streams of the body of Christ across our city for prayer, praise, and healing worship. This month Sandra White of Bethlehem Farm Ministries and I will lead in prayer while Phil Jackson will lead in worship. Hosted in the chapel of Centenary: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY. Please come early for Intercessory Prayer at 6:15. Contact Marilyn at dirofministries@aol.com or 859-422-1794. All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: http://www.shop.messiah-ministries.org/ Daily Archives: http://www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com/

First Responder 4-16-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak Your name, seek Your face, and listen for Your voice. ... "The Lord protects the simple; when I was brought low, He saved me" (Psalm 116:6). My heart was racing when I woke this morning, with vivid images of the closing scene of a bad dream in my mind. By Your grace, that doesn't happen very often. So I began to ask whether this was from You or from the enemy. Sometimes the enemy tries to terrify us and sometimes You show us something terrifying to move us to intercession against it. And either way, I want to know what You would say and show me through this experience no matter what the source. As I prayed, the idea of vulnerability came to mind -- extreme, radical vulnerability. And not that somehow this was something new or that this was a warning of something to come and to prepare. Instead, what comes this morning is a profound sense of just how incredibly vulnerable we are every moment of every day. Apart from You, I simply have no protection at all. Any sense of protection and peace I ever experience is a gift of God from You. Any thought that somehow I can protect myself or my alarm system can protect me or my nation's military can protect me is foolish folly and false pride. You bring me low to the humble place to realize that apart from You, I simply have no protection at all. But I thank You that I am not apart from You. I thank You that I "live in the shelter of the Most High" and "abide in the shadow of the Almighty" (Psalm 91:1). I can call 9-1-1 anytime I need to -- Psalm 91:1 -- and You will always be my First Responder. In You, I "will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day, or the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday" (v. 91:5-6). My God is with me; whom then shall I fear? (Psalm 27:1). You never leave me and never forsake me. And the more I realize the simple truth of my complete vulnerability apart from You, my total dependence upon You, the more I can rest in the peace and security of Your presence. "Those who love Me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know My name. When they call to Me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. With long life I will satisfy them, and show them My salvation" (Palm 91:14-16). No matter what may ever come, nothing can ever take that away from me; nothing can ever take You away from me. As I choose in humility and faith to abide in You and allow You abide in me, nothing "will be able to separate (me) from the love of God in Christ Jesus (my) Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to the Fountain! this Friday Night 4/18 at 7 pm -- the 3rd Friday Night of every month -- for our ministry's monthly gathering of people from many different churches and streams of the body of Christ across our city for prayer, praise, and healing worship. This month Sandra White of Bethlehem Farm Ministries and I will lead in prayer while Phil Jackson will lead in worship. Hosted in the chapel of Centenary: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY. Please come early for Intercessory Prayer at 6:15. Contact Marilyn at dirofministries@aol.com or 859-422-1794. All are welcome! Come to the Mountain this Monday Night 4/21 to Celebrate Passover Seder at 6:30 pm First Southern National Bank Community Room(Corporate Center on Harrodsburg Road)Vicky Welch from "With A Heart For Israel" will be leading. Reservations are necessary as seating is limited.Contact Marilyn Walker with Messiah Ministries: DirOfMinistries@aol.com or Bob and Doris McCray: bndmccray@windstream.net Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Render unto Caesar 4-15-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Come, Holy Spirit. Welcome, my Father God. With every dimension of my being, I embrace every dimension of Your Being into my life this day. ... " 'Show Me the tax money.' So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, 'Whose image and inscription is this?' They said to Him, 'Caesar's.' And He said to them, 'Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's' " (Matthew 22:19-21, NKJV). Today is tax day in America, the deadline to file our federal income taxes. Though it's easy to the negative, I choose to see the positive. Though I don't agree with all my government does with all my money, I am grateful for all the amazingly wonderful things my nation is able to do for our citizens and untold millions of people around the world by the gathering and strategic distribution of our tax money. While I repent on behalf of my nation for all the extravagant waste and misuse of our money, I also rejoice in the spirit of compassion and generosity that still lives in the heart of our nation. But also, I believe paying my taxes gives me spiritual authority in this land where I live and work. The seat of governmental authority "invites" me and gives me "permission" to participate in the rights and responsibilities of the government of our nation through paying my taxes. You call me to "seek the welfare of the city (and nation)" where You have sent me and positioned, and to "pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare (I) will find (my) welfare" (Jeremiah 29:7). So I pray over my contributions of taxes and proclaim they be used for the purposes of the kingdom of God, "for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God" (Romans 13:1). As my government willingly receives my money, that gives me all the more authority and responsibility to pray for the stewardship of that money -- money that my God has entrusted to me to use for His glory. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come Celebrate Passover Seder April 21st at 6:30pmFirst Southern National Bank Community Room(Corporate Center on Harrodsburg Road)Vicky Welch from "With A Heart For Israel" will be leading. Reservations are necessary as seating is limited.Contact Marilyn Walker with Messiah Ministries: DirOfMinistries@aol.comor Bob and Doris McCray: bndmccray@windstream.net. Come to The Fountain! this Friday Night -- 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. Phil Jackson will be leading in worship. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

An Excellent Spirit 4-14-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let everything else fall silent, as I sit before You and listen for Your leading. ... "Soon Daniel distinguished himself above all the other presidents and satraps because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king planned to appoint him over the whole region" (Daniel 6:3). Lord, Your excellent Spirit is in me and in all who are called by Your name. You have anointed us with the greatness of Your presence. And You desire to accomplish through us Your purposes in the cities and regions where You appoint us. As we grow in Christ and the maturity of Your Spirit grows in us, we will distinguish ourselves from the wisdom and ways of the world. By Your grace, Your excellence in us will abound. We will be salt and light in the marketplace and the public square, as well as our neighborhoods and homes. Together, we will be agents of transformation as we live out our lives day by day because the Agent of transformation lives in us. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays 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 Come to the Mountain! every Monday night at 7 pm to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray of our ministry. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

By Cloud and Fire 4-13-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me start this day the right way with my eyes on You alone. ... "For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, before the eyes of all the house of Israel at each stage of their journey" (Exodus 40:38). At each stage of my journey, You are with me -- covering me in the cloud of Your presence, refining me in the fire of Your Spirit, leading me in steps of Your will. Give me eyes to see what You're doing and ears to hear what You're saying. Give me wisdom to recognize the stage of the journey I'm in, the courage to move forward when it's time to arise and go, and the patience to sit and wait when it's time to be still. You have taught me much in the journey thus far. And this much I know for certain -- I don't want to go anywhere that You are not going with me and I don't want to stay anywhere that You are not staying with me. As Moses said, "If Your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here." (Exodus 33:15). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come Celebrate Passover Seder April 21st at 6:30pm First Southern National Bank Community Room (Corporate Center on Harrodsburg Road). Vicky Welch from "With A Heart For Israel" will be leading. Reservations are necessary as seating is limited. Cost of $8.00 for adults, $5.00 for children to cover suppliesand kosher refreshments. Contact Marilyn Walker with Messiah Ministries: DirOfMinistries@aol.com or Bob and Doris McCray: bndmccray@windstream.net Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Glory of God Come Down 4-12-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I open my heart as You open Your heavens and welcome Your presence into my day. ... "O that You would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at Your presence --" (Isaiah 64:1). Let the glory of God come down Let Your mercy and grace abound Open Your heavens I welcome Your presence in me ... As I open my heart to Your heaven, heaven comes down. As I embrace the ways of Your kingdom, Your kingdom comes. As I surrender my will to Your will, Your will is done on earth as it is in heaven. "The kingdom of God is within (us)" (Luke 17:21). You are "the King of heaven" coming to dwell in hearts of Your people and establish Your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven (Daniel 4:27). Your glory comes down and Your grace abounds as we are willing choose to embrace the glory of Your manifest presence in us -- "Christ in (us), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come Celebrate Passover Seder April 21st at 6:30pm First Southern National Bank Community Room(Corporate Center on Harrodsburg Road) Vicky Welch from "With A Heart For Israel" will be leading. Reservations are necessary as seating is limited. Cost of $8.00 for adults, $5.00 for children to cover suppliesand kosher refreshments.Contact Marilyn Walker with Messiah Ministries: DirOfMinistries@aol.com or Bob and Doris McCray: bndmccray@windstream.net Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: http://www.shop.messiah-ministries.org/

Into the Arms of the One Who Loves Me So 4-11-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I seek Your face and welcome Your embrace, my Daddy Abba, Father God. ... O how I love You O how I need You O how I want You to know You are my comfort You are my peace You are the healer of my soul So come now and show me So come now and hold me So come now and make me whole I trust in You I rest in You I fall into the arms of the One who loves me so ... "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in mortals" (Psalm 118:8). "For great is His steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever" (Psalm 117:2). Though human beings fail us, and we fail them, You never fail. You never leave us. You never forsake us. You never harden Your heart to us and refuse to let us in. You never shame us or reject us or mock us. You are faithful and true, worthy of all my faith and all my love. And somehow, in Your enduring mercy and steadfast love, despite all my sin and needs, You keep loving me, keep reaching out to me, keep embracing me to the very degree that I will let You. And I do let You Lord my God, healer of my soul, the One who loves me so. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: http://www.shop.messiah-ministries.org/

The Boundary Oak 4-10-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill my mind with Your thoughts; fill my heart with Your desires; fill my spirit with Your Spirit. ... "They will called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord to display His glory. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations" (Isaiah 61:3-4). The "Lincoln Boundary Oak" marks a corner edge of the property of the old Kentucky home where Abraham Lincoln was born. The ancient tree is now felled, but the stump remains. A craftsman from the area has honored many American Presidents with a hand-carved gavel from the oak of this tree that has marked the history of our land. We gathered there to pray righteousness to be restored to our land and devastation of many generations to be cleansed and healed, as You raise up a people who will stand in faith and display Your glory from this land. New life will come forth from the dead stump (Isaiah 11:1). The old things have passed away and all things have become new in You, as You establish the government of Your kingdom in the hearts of Your people. What was dead, but now purified by the fire of Your Spirit will come to life and flourish for Your glory. "Even if a tenth part remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak whose stump remains standing when it is felled. The holy seed is its stump" (Isaiah 6:13). With Your righteousness being restored in our hearts and our land, You are setting new boundaries in our lives and our spheres of influence and authority for the glory of Your name and Your kingdom. And with faith and joy we give out a shout of praise, proclaiming, "The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a godly heritage" (Psalm 16:6). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, many from around the world will be coming to Kentucky over this two year celebration of Lincoln's bicentennial birthday: www.KyLincoln.org We feel we should be returning to this area to continue to pray to cleanse the land through repentance, confession, prayer, and proclamation and release the destiny of this land and people. Please contact us or Linda Whitaker at PrayKentucky@aol.com if you would like to be included. I pray the same for you and the anointing of God upon the people of your land. God bless you! 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 Come to the Mountain! every Monday night at 7 pm to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray of our ministry. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

The Great Emancipator 4-9-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father and Son, abide in me through Your Spirit I pray. ... "For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1). Yesterday I joined with other ministry leaders, pastors, and people of prayer from across our state at the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln in Hodgenville, Kentucky. Through this man with such humble beginnings, You proclaimed freedom to the slaves of our nation. From his seat of authority granted by You, President Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation, proclaiming an end to slavery in America, to be enforced by the full authority of the government and power of our nation. Through him and his courageous stand at great cost, You were setting the captives free. Many say You are beginning to release a great anointing of freedom through Your people in this land again. You are the Great Emancipator, the Great Deliverer. You are still binding up the broken-hearted and setting the captives free, proclaiming the coming of the kingdom of God, and enforcing the victory of the cross with all the governmental authority and power of heaven (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18). And You are doing through Your people who are called by Your name and willing to rise and stand firm in the unity of the Spirit with You and one another to break the yoke of slavery (Isaiah 61:3-4; John 20:21). I held a Lincoln penny yesterday, as You led me to pray and proclaim. Three different inscriptions on it seemed significant for us: First are the words "In God We Trust." We must trust in You alone, not in our power or our strength for this move of great deliverance of the people and the land coming to us in these days. Second are the Latin words "E Pluribus Unum" -- "Out of the Many, One." We must come together in the unity of faith, as one body, in one Spirit, under one Head, as one church to accomplish what none can do alone or apart from one another. Third is the word "Liberty." Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty -- freedom to worship You in Spirit and Truth; freedom to pursue You with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength; freedom from the world, the flesh, and the devil to live out our calling and destiny in Your power for Your glory. On one side bears an image of the head of Lincoln and on the other bears an image of the pillars of a monument of government. You are setting Your government of Your kingdom in order. For the government of Your kingdom is being set in order and will increase without end (Isaiah 9:7). Thank You, Lord. From this birthplace of Lincoln, You are birthing a time of great deliverance and a people who are freed to free others in the power of Your Spirit and the authority of Your name. It is for freedom that You have set us free. As a pastor from Hodgenville proclaimed yesterday, Lincoln embraced the anointing that rested upon this land. Let this anointing increase and go forth to touch all the earth, just as You are releasing the anointing of Your presence and power in so many ways in so many lands across the earth in these great and awesome days of the Lord. As You have promised, Your glory will arise upon Your people and cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 60:1; Habakkuk 2:14). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, many from around the world will be coming to Kentucky over this two year celebration of Lincoln's bicentennial birthday: www.KyLincoln.org We feel we should be returning to this area to continue to pray to cleanse the land through repentance, confession, prayer, and proclamation and release the destiny of this land and people. Please contact us or Linda Whitaker at PrayKentucky@aol.com if you would like to be included. I pray the same for you and the anointing of God upon the people of your land. God bless you! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Revival Fire through Forgiving Hearts 4-8-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Welcome into my heart; welcome into every moment of my day. ... "Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other, just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful" (Colossian 3:13-15). "I'm sorry; I was wrong; please forgive me; I love you." Those are powerful words if they can be spoken from the heart in forgiveness of one another, releasing hurt, offense, and bitterness to God. And when they are spoken personally and publicly among ourselves in the body of Christ, in an atmosphere of hunger for Your presence and in response to Your conviction, the flames of revival fire are rekindled and fanned into flame. If so, revival began in our hearts this Sunday at the close of our week-end retreat with St. Mark's Church in England. We celebrated Holy Communion together with clean hands and pure hearts, following heart-felt, humble confession to You and to one another. You are binding everything and everyone together "in perfect harmony" through "the peace of Christ" that only comes through speaking the truth in love to one another and being willing to hear the truth in love from one another. We may not always agree, but we can always forgive and choose to move forward in faith and love together. And that is revival -- the transformation of hearts and souls to reveal the heart of Christ in this world. That is the coming of the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. Praise You and thank You, Lord God Almighty! In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I made it back home to Kentucky last night from our incredible weekend retreat in England where I was so thrilled to be speaking on the Kingdom of God and then see it come in our hearts in such powerful ways -- "Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). Thank you for all your prayers with us. May the Kingdom come in every heart and every church. God bless you! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Kingdom of the King of Love 4-6-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of the kingdom, come rule and regain in me today. ... "For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself' " (Galatians 5:14). Yes, Lord. Your kingdom is a kingdom of love. We show our love for You by loving one another. We know You are King of our hearts when our hearts are filled with love. Everything is summed up in this simple, single commandment. As You said to Your first disciples long ago, so You continue to say to us each day, "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12). This is commandment of Your kingdom, the kingdom of the King of love living in me. It's just that simple. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Invasion of the Kingdom 4-5-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. My soul arises to seek Your face and listen for Your voice. ... "... But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11). We've come now to the spiritual retreat of Ashburnham in the English countryside near the village of Hastings. St. Mark's Anglican Church brought me over to speak with them during their weekend away on "The Kingdom of God." Here we are near the site of the famous 1066 Battle of Hastings, the last invasion of England that established the reign of the English kings. King of kings and Lord of lords, come invade our hearts. Come establish Your kingdom and reign in our lives. As we willing embrace You as King and surrender to the will of Your kingdom, You wash us in Your blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and sanctify us in the Spirit of our God. You confront us and cleanse us as You overcome us with Your mercy and love. As we are willing to yield to Your Lordship, You purge us of all things that would hinder us from inheriting "the kingdom of God" (v. 6:10). As we begin this day, it seems I hear You say: "You seek Me, allow Me to search you, and I will sanctify you." Yes, Lord. Come, Holy Spirit. Invade our hearts. Empower us to pursue "the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." We want are hungry to see You and Your kingdom come, here in our hearts and here in this land. Invade us this day and every day, Holy Spirit of the Living God, the Spirit of "Christ in (us), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, sorry to have missed my devotionals for a couple of days due to travel and technical issues. Please cover us in your prayers to encounter God in deep ways. May the Lord invade your life with a fresh wind of His Spirit this day. God bless you! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Repent and Believe 4-2-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name is above every name. You are worthy of all my praise. And I worship You this day. ... "Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the good news' " (Mark 1:14-15). Your kingdom is so near, so close at hand. How do we take hold of it? We repent and believe. We turn away from ourselves and turn to You. We quit believing that things will always be the way they are and begin believing in the way You want them to be. We open our eyes to see the potential of all Your promises fulfilled and choose to believe by faith that the time is fulfilled now. You are the King of the kingdom; and You are here. You are at hand, stretching out Your hands to ours, offering the potential of hope with a future, inviting us to join in Your perspective and embrace Your promises. As we do, Your kingdom comes and Your will is done, on earth as it is in heaven. And we move closer to the day of the Lord when the angels declare, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He will reign forever and ever" (Revelation 11:15). By Your grace, I choose to repent and believe in this good news of Your kingdom. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Save the Date for May 2 to come join us for our annual Celebration Dinner in Lexington! Details will follow soon. Please let us know if you'd like to help or have some materials to invite others to join us to share our vision and celebrate all God has done this year! Friends, my devotional may come at irregular times the next few days while I travel overnight to London, England and am away teaching at a retreat this weekend. I'll be teaching a series on "The Kingdom of God" for St. Marks Anglican Church's annual weekend away spiritual retreat. Please pray for me to hear and share the Lord's word for His people as we encounter God together. This is the church with such an incredible history where I was able to minister briefly at a women's retreat last year with my good friend Heather Butler from Wales. Your prayer cover makes this kind of ministry possible. God bless you! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Strive First for the Kingdom of God" 4-1-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the King of the kingdom of God, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. You are One with the Father and One with the Spirit. And You are One in me through the communion of prayer. ... "But strive first for the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). Teach me how to strive for the kingdom, and at the same time, rest in the King. Teach me how to strive for Your righteousness, and at the same time, trust in Yours alone. I know these are "keys of the kingdom" that You've placed into my hands and want to seal into my heart. Your kingdom does not just passively come, that's why You taught us we have the responsibility to pray for Your kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10). That's why You taught us to strive for the kingdom. It's all by Your grace and according to Your will, but we have a part to play in the sovereignty of Your plan. It seems I hear You say: "My son, to strive for Me and My kingdom is to seek Me with all your heart. Let seeking Me and submitting your will to Mine be your priority and your perspective as best as you can and all by My grace. Then you will have found My kingdom. My kingdom is within you to the very degree you welcome Me as your King." Yes, Lord. Yes, my King. Come in to Your kingdom within me. "The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There it is!' For, in fact, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20-21). Trusting in You and resting in You power, I choose by Your grace to strive for Your kingdom and welcome You as my King. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'm excited to be invited on short notice to go to London, England this weekend to teach a series on "The Kingdom of God" for St. Marks Anglican Church's annual weekend away spiritual retreat in the English countryside. Their scheduled speaker fell ill and they've invited me to come stand in. Please pray for me to hear and share the Lord's word for His people as we encounter God together. This is the church with such an incredible history where I was able to minister briefly at a women's retreat last year with my good friend Heather Butler from Wales. Your prayer cover makes this kind of ministry possible. God bless you! Save the Date for May 2 to come join us for our annual Celebration Dinner in Lexington! Details will follow soon. Please let us know if you'd like to help or have some materials to invite others to join us to share our vision and celebrate all God has done this year! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

True Image 3-31-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I seek You and welcome You and embrace You in my spirit, soul, and body. ... "So God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:27). You created me in Your image. Though that image has been distorted and tainted by sin through the generations and in my life, You have restored me through the blood of Christ and redeemed me in newness of life. Now, every day, You open my eyes to seek Your face and open my heart to receive Your grace. As I look to You and behold Your face, the perfect image of God, I am "being transformed into that same image from one degree of glory to another" (2 Corinthians 3:18). You want me to see myself as I am, not as I was. You me to see myself created in Your image, not distorted by sin. "Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when He is revealed, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. And all who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure" (1 John 3:2-3). With a trusting faith and repentant heart, You "cleanse (me) from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). As I continually turn to You, You continually remind me that I have become "the righteousness of God" in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). As I see You more as You are, I begin to see myself more as I am. Though I am forever in need of Your grace to forgive me of sin and restore me to the image You have of me, at the same time, right now, I have the fullness of Your grace. I am forgiven and free, accepted and loved, holy and pure through the blood of the Lamb. This is my true identity and the true image You have of me. Help me see myself, throughout this day and throughout my life, as You see me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Seek Me with All Your Heart" 3-30-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Awaken me and arise within me. ... "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon Me and come and pray to Me, I will hear you. When you search for Me, you will find Me; if you seek Me with all your heart, I will let you find Me, says the Lord ..." (Jeremiah 29:11-14). I hear the longing in Your heart for me to seek You with my heart -- with all my heart. Forgive me when I have not sought You; and forgive me when I have not sought You with all my heart. You gave Yourself completely for me; and You long for me to give myself completely to You. Increase my sensitivity to Your longing. You are God; You are all powerful; You hold all the world in Your hands. And yet, You long for my love. You long to see my face seeking Your face in prayer. As You said to Your people long ago, so You say to Your people of every age: "I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, 'Here I am, here I am,' to a nation that did not call on My name" (Isaiah 65:1). Here I am, Lord. I have heard Your call and sensed the longing in Your heart. By Your grace, I will seek You with all my heart. I will call upon Your name. I will come to You and spend time with You in prayer. And I ask You, out of love for You, to not let me forget the longing I sense in Your heart this day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'll be speaking on prayer at my home church in Lexington today. Please keep us in prayer as we grow to become the house of prayer we are called to be. And I pray the same for your church. Thank you for all your prayers for my twelve year old daughter Maddie and me for our adventure in California last week. I wouldn't trade our special time together for anything in the world! God bless you and thank you for joining me in the journey of prayer. Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Teach Them to Your Children" 3-28-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You and listen for Your leading. ... "You shall put these words of Mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and fix them as an emblem on your forehead. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you arise. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gate, so that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth" (Deuteronomy 11:18-21). Lord, let me teach Your words to my children by living them out with integrity before them. Let them see me desperately dependent upon You, rising to pray and living the prayer throughout the moments of my day. When I fail, let them see humility and repentance, as they learn how to seek and receive mercy. When I succeed, let them see celebration and honor for the life of God within me. When I'm saddened, let them see me seek Your comfort; and when I'm filled with joy, let them see Your joy is my strength. May my days and theirs be multiplied in the places and promises You've given us to possess together. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Legacy of Love 3-26-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. At Your name, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that You are Lord. On my knees in prayer and with my tongue in praise, I declare You are my Lord in every area of my life and every moment of my day. ... "And Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, for you have wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God' " (Joshua 14:9). I want all my children to know You and to follow You wholeheartedly -- without hesitation, without limitation, without reservation. And I want them to see I know You and follow that way. And may they go everywhere I have gone and farther. May they receive a full inheritance and add it to and pass on the legacy of loving You and following You wholeheartedly to their children and their children's children throughout all generations. Thank You for the legacy of love You've given me, but let that only be the beginning point for each succeeding generation. "In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of Him who accomplishes all things according to His counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:11-12). Before You and before my children, let me live for the praise of Your glory. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Pastoring Kids in Revival 3-26-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let the focus of my thoughts now turn to You alone. ... "Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy wearing a linen ephod.... And the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord" (1 Samuel 2:18-21). This morning, Maddie and I will join others from around the world for equipping and encouragement at our leadership conference called "Pastoring Kids in Revival." You are pouring out Your Spirit in the hearts of our kids to minister before You with purity and passion. I know I have much to learn and to listen to what Your Spirit is saying to Your church in this hour about raising up and releasing our young people to step into their places of ministry with the calling and gifts You've given them. Teach me how to facilitate that with wisdom, courage, and sensitivity in the settings where You send me to minister before You. Let my generation not hinder their generation, but let the children come freely and boldly into Your presence to find and live out their purpose in You. As You "sternly" commanded Your first disciples, "Let the little children come to Me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs" (Mark 10:14). Not only should we not hinder them, we should learn all we can from them. "Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it" (v. 10:15). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Humbled by the Enormity of Creation 3-25-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and lift up Your praise. ... "A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever" (Ecclesiastes 1:4). My daughter Maddie and I spent the day exploring the northern California coast yesterday. We saw giant redwood trees stretching up to the heavens. We saw massive waves of the sea crashing against the beautifully jagged rocks and cliffs of the shore. We saw herds of wild elk lumbering along the grassy fields. And all of these marvelous wonders of Your creation have remained and endured for untold centuries. Generations of visitors like us have come and gone to behold their beauty, yet they remain. In light of the enormity and longevity of Your creation, I am humbled by the sense of my own limitations of time and space, the fleeting opportunities I'm granted for my earthly life among Your immense creation to make a difference and fulfill my destiny. In the end, "our years come to an end like a sigh" (Psalm 90:9). So help me use the time I have and give it to the things that are important. But no matter what I do or fail to do in the time I have and in the places I go, keep reminding me of who I am in You. "Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God" (v. 90:1). Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Many Convincing Proofs" that He's Alive Morning by Morning, Monday 3-24-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Through the intimate surrender of worship and the tender communion of prayer, I arise in You and You arise in me. Arise, my Lord, arise. ... "After His suffering He presented Himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3). You endured the suffering of the cross "for the sake of the joy that was set before (You)" (Hebrews 12:2). And part that joy is presenting Yourself alive to the world to display the power and proclaim the coming of the kingdom of God here on earth as it is in heaven. And part of that joy is presenting Yourself alive through us, Your disciples who are called to continue Your ministry -- teaching the things You taught, doing the things You did, in the power that You had (John 14:12). In the mystery and grace of Your kingdom, the same "Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in (us)" (Romans 8:11). I want to see more and more of Your kingdom come on earth in my generation. I want to see "many convincing proofs" of Your presence, Your power, and Your kingdom in the realms of the earth You have entrusted to me. You brought my daughter Maddie and me out to Bethel Church in Redding, California this week where the consider Your miracles to be part of the "normal Christian life" and many are saved and come into Your kingdom because they see the reality of Your presence and Your power. Last night we heard testimony of the fourth child that's been healed of autism through the prayers of Your people in the "house of prayer", a pastor who was healed from a stroke attack that very morning, and an aids victim who now miraculously no longer has aids! I praise You for the pockets of Your power being displayed in the earth. What You've been doing in many parts of the rest of the world, You are beginning to do here in my nation as well. What You are doing in Mozambique, You are doing in California; and what You are doing in California, You can do in Kentucky and everywhere else where Your people call on Your name to see Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. There is no sin or suffering or sickness or bondage in heaven; so we are praying, in the Lord's prayer as You taught us to pray, for there to be none on earth as it is in heaven. So I ask for more; I want to see more -- more of You, more of Your power, more of Your kingdom breaking into earth. Teach me how to participate with You in Your kingdom coming, Your will being done in every increasing displays of Your glory. This is part of the joy for which You endured the suffering of the cross -- Your joy and even mine: "Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete" (John 16:24). I am asking, Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I have a rare chance this week to spend some on-on-one, father daughter bonding time with my youngest daughter Maddie. We're at the "Pastoring Kids in Revival" Leadership Conference at Bethel Church in Redding, California: http://www.ibethel.org/ Pastor Bill Johnson prayed for the two of us at church yesterday and I would appreciate your prayers for us to have life-changing spiritual experiences together this week. I pray the same for you. God bless you! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"He has been Raised, As He Said" 3-23-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. On this Resurrection Sunday morning, I declare with all heaven and earth, You're alive! And by Your Spirit, You're alive in me! ... "After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became as dead men. But the angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He has been raised, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him.' This is my message for you" (Matthew 28:1-7). "For He has been raised, as He said" -- in the moment of their deepest grief, You sent Your word to remind Your disciples that Your words are true and they will come to pass. No matter how disappointed or discouraged we may be by the circumstances we face, no matter how impossible it may seem for Your promises to come to pass, Your Word will prevail. "So shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11). The heavens may tremble and the earth may quake, but Your words will remain. As You said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away" (Matthew 24:35). And when we see Your promises prevail and Your words come to pass, You send us out to share and declare what we have seen and heard with passion and joy. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Happy Easter my friends! He is risen indeed! My morning prayer will come out a little later this week. I'm excited to be in Redding, California at Bill Johnson's church with my youngest daughter Maddie. We'll be growing in the Lord together and having some great father and daughter bonding time. We'd appreciate your prayers to experience all the Lord has for us here. God bless you! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Sealing the Stone" 3-22-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I wait before You in the silence of surrender. ... "The next day, that is, after the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, 'Sir, we remember what that imposter said while He was still alive, 'After three days I will rise again.' ... So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone" (Matthew 27:62-66). Satan moved in the hearts of men to try to hold You down by sealing the stone. So it is in our lives. He tries to crush our hopes and destroy our dreams, then bury them for dead and seal them shut. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10). He fears the power of the resurrection. He fears the power of the seed that falls to the earth and dies as a single grain, but then rises to produce an abundant harvest of life in the redeeming, resurrection power of God. The enemy of our souls tries to bury the dead and seal the stone. And while we wait in silence, he trembles in fear. On this day between the crucifixion and the resurrection, let the enemy of my soul tremble in fear. You are the God of the Resurrection who breaks the seal of death and rolls away the stone. You hold the key of life and what You choose to open no one can seal shut (Revelation 3:7). And for every hope and dream that You have sown into my soul, You declare with the authority of heaven, "Break the seal and roll away the stone!" (see Mark 16:4). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"When I Survey the Wonderful Cross" 3-21-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I hear the old hymn rising up in my heart as I think about the day You died for me: "When I survey the wonderful cross, on which the Prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride." ... "They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on His head. They put a reed in His right hand and knelt before Him and mocked Him, saying, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' They spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. After mocking Him, they stripped Him of the robe and put His own clothes on Him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him" (Matthew 27:28-31). They poured contempt on You. They mocked You and spat on You and defiled You, then they led You away to a place of shame and disgrace where they stripped You of all human dignity and tortured You to death. And You did it all for me -- for me and for all. All the suffering I will ever face, all the sin I will ever commit, You took upon Yourself for me that day. "But He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the punishment that made us whole, and by His bruises we are healed.... He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is lead to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. By a perversion of justice He was taken away.... Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush Him with pain....because He poured Himself out to death, was numbered with the transgressors, yet He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors" (Isaiah 53:5-12). In my spirit now, with the eyes of my heart opened to You, I stand at the foot of the cross. And I look up to the face of the One who died for me. And I hear in my heart what You speak to the heart of all who will come and see and listen: "I did this all for you. And I would do it again, because I love you and I want you to spend eternity with Me. There was no other way. I AM the Way." Yes, Lord. "I pour contempt on all my pride." "May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ ..." (Galatians 6:14). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to the Fountain! for Good Friday this Friday Night 3/21 at 7 pm -- the 3rd Friday Night of every month -- for our ministry's monthly gathering of people from many different churches and streams of the body of Christ across our city for prayer, praise, and healing worship. This month Sandra White of Bethlehem Farm Ministries and I will lead in prayer while Jeff Greene will lead in worship. Hosted in the chapel of Centenary: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY. Please come early for Intercessory Prayer at 6:15. Contact Marilyn at 859-422-1794. All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org