Into the Unknown 11-7-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In these first moments of my morning alone with You, be the centre of my thoughts and the foundation of my day. ... "I will lead the blind by a road they do not know, by paths they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I will do, and I will not forsake them" (Isaiah 42:16). As I wait upon You this morning and listen for the leading of Your voice, it seems I hear You say, "Into the unknown. You have not passed this way before. But in the unknown, I will make Myself known to many." Yes, Lord. These seem to be days of darkness and rough places, of crisis and concern, of many questions and few clear answers. These are humbling days that humble our pride and any false sense of self sufficiency apart from You. But as we seek Your face and linger to listen for Your leading, You will lead us by Your road and guide us down Your paths. "A highway shall be there, and a road; and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast go upon it; it shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (Isaiah 35:8-10, NKJV). You make Yourself known in the journey -- whether through times of joy and gladness or darkness and gloom. I don't know the nature of the days we are entering. There's little I could do about it if I did, besides prepare and pray. But I do know the nature of the One who will walk with me through these days -- the One who will never leave me nor forsake me, the One who will be faithful to redeem all things for my good and Your glory. I know You will continue to make Yourself known to me, even as You are making the true nature of myself known to me as well in the journey. This Highway of Holiness is the path of seeking to follow the High and Holy One, as best as I can and all by Your grace, entrusting my heart and life to You. "For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:14). But all who seek to find and follow You will know Your peace and joy down deep inside, even on this journey into the unknown. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, Registration is Still Open. Please Come and Spread the Word: The Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry - November 12-15, 2008 hosted by Messiah Ministries in Lexington, Kentucky Wednesday 6-9pm; Thursday 6-9pm; Friday 9am-9pm; Saturday 9am-9pm"The Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry" is a focused time of teaching, mentoring, discipleship, personal ministry, equipping, impartation, worship, and prayer led by Tommy Hays of Messiah Ministries. We will study and experience a biblical perspective of the ministry of healing and wholeness of spirit, soul and body, and apply the foundational principles of the Kingdom of God for prayer ministry. The course combines dynamic classroom teaching in a small group setting with personal hands-on experience as students receive personal ministry and are equipped and empowered in ministry for others. For more information or to register Please Click RegisterNow or contact Marilyn at 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com Invitation for our Inspirational Caribbean Cruise with Tommy Hays, hosted by "The Haven" Ministries Feb 23-28, 2009 Some additional cabins have just become available! If you would like to join us for the cruise at a great price, please contact Jeannie at The Travel Authority (937-684-9046 or 800-727-7277 OR Jeannie.Anderson@thetravelauthority.com) to receive further information. Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources On-Line -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502

"Change is in the Air!" 11-06-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Word of God, speak, I pray, as I wait and watch and listen. ... "At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' He called a child, whom He put among them, and said, 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in My name welcomes Me" (Matthew 18:1-5). If there is one word that seems to express the heart and desire of our age, it is "change." Our newspapers, radios, televisions, conversations, and thoughts have been saturated will the cry and call for change: "Change we can believe in." "We need change." "Things must change." "Change is gonna come." "Change has come." As one of our government leaders prophesied not long ago, "Change is in the air!" And so it is. What is being proclaimed, decreed, and declared in the physical realm is also true of the spiritual realm. "But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual" (1 Corinthians 15:46). Our words have power. "The power of death and life are in the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits" (Proverbs 18:21). In Your sovereignty as our Creator, You have chosen to entrust incredible responsibility and authority to the children of Your creation. "The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth He has given to human beings" (Psalm 115:16). What we speak and do and believe in the earthly realm affects the heavenly realm, according to the spiritual principle of "dominion" (Genesis 1:26). "Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 18:18 and 16:19). Yet You entrust this all to us with the desire we would exercise the dominion of our responsibility and authority in trusting submission to Your dominion of our lives, always seeking Your will, always relying upon Your wisdom, always depending upon Your power. So as we proclaim "change" and see it manifested in our lives and throughout our land, let it be the change You desire, the change You know we need. Give us wisdom and courage to humble ourselves in trusting, obedient faith as the children of God we are created to be, in personal relationship with You (John 1:12; Galatians 3:26). Let us change our pride for humility, our knowledge for Your wisdom, our desire for independence from Your authority for our willing submission to Your dominion. Let us surrender our agenda to Your agenda, and our plans to Your plans (Jeremiah 29:11). You will change the direction of our nation and our world as we allow You to change us. We will be changed by the renewing of our minds and the transformation of our hearts, as we seek You, honor You, and worship You alone as God (Romans 12:1-2). "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 33:12, KJV). We will enter into the kingdom of heaven as we allow the King of the kingdom of heaven to enter into us. As we take our eyes off of ourselves and our desires to lift our eyes to You and Your desires, we will be changed. "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18, KJV). Change our hearts, O God. Change, my heart, O God (Ezekiel 35:26). "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10, KJV). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, Registration is Still Open. Please Come and Spread the Word: The Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry - November 12-15, 2008 hosted by Messiah Ministries in Lexington, Kentucky. Wednesday 6-9pm; Thursday 6-9pm; Friday 9am-9pm; Saturday 9am-9pm"The Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry" is a focused time of teaching, mentoring, discipleship, personal ministry, equipping, worship and prayer led by Tommy Hays of Messiah Ministries. We will study and experience a biblical perspective of the ministry of healing and wholeness of spirit, soul and body, and apply the foundational principles of the Kingdom of God for prayer ministry. The course combines dynamic classroom teaching in a small group setting with personal hands-on experience as students receive personal ministry and are guided in ministry for others.For more information or to register Please Click RegisterNow or contact Marilyn at 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com Invitation for our Inspirational Caribbean Cruise with Tommy Hays, hosted by "The Haven" Ministries Feb 23-28, 2009 Some additional cabins have just become available! If you would like to join us for the cruise at a great price, please contact Jeannie at The Travel Authority (937-684-9046 or 800-727-7277 OR Jeannie.Anderson@thetravelauthority.com) to receive further information. Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources On-Line -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502

Prayer for Our New President 11-5-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Nations and economies and political leaders may rise and fall, but You are on Your throne. Be enthroned in my life and our land today. ... "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we are all baptized into one body -- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free -- and we were all made to drink of one Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). Our nation elected Barak Obama as President of the United States of America yesterday. And as one nation, under God, may we be united as one in prayer for Your hand to anoint him, Your Holy Spirit to fill him, Your Word to guide him, and Your ways to lead him. Form Your thoughts in his mind and Your desires in his heart. Draw him daily in humility to his knees in prayer and grow him to maturity in the faith in Christ he proclaims (Ephesians 4:13). Protect him from the influences of power and deception as You pour into him Your wisdom and revelation, that he may grow, as every Christian must, in his personal relationship and desperate dependence upon You alone as his Source of inspiration, guidance, and strength (Ephesians 1:17-19). As the first African-American President, his election is a sign of redemption from our national, generational sin of slavery and prejudice. In his Christian faith and dynamic leadership, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. drew from the inspiration of Your prophet Isaiah in his longing and praying for a day like this in America: "I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain made low ... and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together" (from Isaiah 40:4). Your teaching from the Sermon on the Mount inspired the "dignified social action" and the "creative suffering" of the non-violent revolution that would lead to a day where our nation would freely choose to elect a Black man as the leader of our nation. In his last speech before Rev. King lost his life waging the war of hearts and minds for racial justice and unity in our nation, he remembered the story of Moses on Mt. Nebo overlooking the promised land he longed to see: "Like anybody, I would like to live a long life ... But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain, and I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land." He's watching from the "great cloud of witnesses" in the communion of saints of heaven as we cross over into history as a nation today (Hebrews 12:1). We have far to go, as a people and a nation, to fully cross over into the fullness of the promises of God, to fulfill our inheritance and destiny as a nation. We do not fully honor life and the authority of Your Word for our lives in many ways that will continue to necessitate Your correction and discipline, but always out of Your love and will for our redemption (Hebrews 12:5-13). But may we come together as one body in Christ, united by the one Spirit of Christ, to pray for our President -- the one leaving office and the one coming into office -- to follow You and walk in Your ways. Like Rev. Dr. King, may he live his life and use his influence "to do God's will." Then, as a follower of Christ, growing in the mind and nature of Christ, may he "increase in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with men" (Luke 2:42, NKJV). Let the things that break Your heart break his heart and things that bring You joy bring him joy. And may he lead us, as he follows You, into the land of Your promises, so that the best days of our destiny may be yet to come. 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com 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. Meeting at Southland Evangelical Methodist Church 2601 Clays Mill Rd (corner of Clays Mill and Hill n' Dale). All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at 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 my book and our resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Make Your Call and Election Sure" 11-4-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. On this presidential election day, I choose to put my hope and trust in You. You are the Chosen One, the Anointed One, the only One worthy of all glory and honor and praise. ... "Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen in whom My soul delights; I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up His voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick He will not quench; He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for His teaching" (Isaiah 42:1-4). Eight hundred years before You stepped out of heaven and down into the darkness of our broken, fallen world, Isaiah prophesied of Your coming as Messiah and Lord. In the fullness of time, You willing humbled Yourself of the glory of heaven with the Father, "being born in human likeness" as the Son, in order to live Your life in the Spirit and lay down Your life in the flesh, being "obedient to the point of death -- even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:5-8). Now and forever, You alone are the "highly exalted", anointed and chosen One of God, having "the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11). You alone will establish justice in the earth and bring forth justice to the nations. You alone will establish Your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, so that "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). And at the same time, in the sovereignty of Your will, You have chosen to use human men and women to be Your servants and instruments to pray for the coming of Your kingdom and have a part in Your answers to our prayers through our obedience and faith, in submission to Your will. You desire our governments and leaders to be instruments of Your righteousness, justice, and mercy in the earth as "God's servant for (our) good" (Romans 13:1-7). As we honor our governmental leaders by choosing them with our votes, You will honor our choices by given us what we have chosen. Let us choose well, humbling the pride and self will of our own desires to obediently seek the wisdom of Your will and Your desire. As in every generation, You continue to set before us the freedom to choose the path of our destiny as a people and a nation: "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying Him, and holding fast to Him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord sword to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob" (Deuteronomy 30:19-20). This day, let America choose well by choosing Your will. Let every citizen seek Your face, listen for Your voice, and follow the leading Your Spirit. Let us not assume Your choice, but let us humble ourselves in prayer so that we can know Your choice. As each one seeks to find and follow the will of God as best as we can and all by Your grace, You will honor our choice. Let us choose life, not death; blessings, not curses; Your will, not our will; Your ways, not the world's ways. The destiny of our nation hangs in the balance of our choices today. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 33:12, NKJV). Lord, let our nation be blessed as we choose You and elect the leaders You have chosen. "Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:10-11, NKJV). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I join with you and all who are fasting and praying for America today. May we choose the one God has chosen. And whoever we choose, let us unite in prayer that our leaders will seek the face and follow the will of the Lord our God. In the gift of freedom, God has given us great authority and responsibility to use our freedom to honor Him. "The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth He has given to human beings" (Psalm 115:16). May we honor Him with the freedom of our choices today. God bless you, God bless America, and God bless all people of all nations of the earth! 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 My Book and Our Ministry Resources at www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Counting the Cost in India 11-3-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. It's good to be home from my journey. And it's good to know You are always at home in my heart on my journey with You. ... "Whoever does not carry the cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? ... Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? ... So therefore, none of you can become My disciple if you do not give up all your possessions" (Luke 14:27-23). I've spent most the past two weeks in south India with my good friend and faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, Ghuna Kumar of Gospel Friends ministry. With all of his gifts of wisdom, passion, leadership, and energy, he could be a wealthy man, overseeing his own kingdom in any culture. But his heart burns with a passion for You and Your kingdom. He has humbly and faithfully counted the cost and surrendered his all to use every gift You've given him to spend all his energy and pour out his life for the poor, the downtrodden, the hopeless, and forgotten, to bind up the brokenhearted and set the oppressed free in the power of Your name and Your love. Through this ministry You've entrusted to him, they send out evangelists to the villages and regions that have never heard the good news of Your gospel, establishing houses of prayer that become churches and shelters of refuge, life, and hope. They gather the outcasts and the orphans and bring them to Living Hope, where they learn they are loved, learn practical skills to live productive lives, and learn the Word of God and the One who is their Living Hope. They teach students in the Bible College who are now coming from remote areas of India to teach and preach and pray as they return with the passion You impart and fan into flame in this army of the kingdom You are raising up. I was so humbled and honored that You would allow me to come alongside them to help encourage them and pray for them, and that You allowed them to encourage and pray for me. You've given me a great gift to have a small share in the glorious work You are doing through these faithful disciples in this distant land. As our team from Fishhook International met with many of Ghuna's pastors and evangelists who spread the gospel through the seven hundred and fifty churches they've established in places that had never heard Your name before, we were amazed to see all You are doing and all the lives You are changing in this land. We heard stories of incredible faith in the face of fierce persecution, of Your faithful disciples literally willing to lay their lives down for You and Your gospel. We heard story after story of how You have used Your miracles of Your power and the miracles of sacrificial love to lead people to Christ despite the grave cost of being cast out of their villages and rejected by their own families. Yet the light of Christ in their eyes and the joy of the Lord in their hearts is so clearly worth every cost they've been willing to pay for the deep peace that now fills their souls. Thank You for letting me see this and be a small part of this. Thank You for letting me see an altar filled with souls who heard and responded to the message of Your salvation in our outdoor meeting one night. Thank You for letting me minister Your healing love and deliverance in the power of Your name, as You filled Your disciples afresh with Your Holy Spirit and encouraged them in their calling and gifting in Christ. Thank You for letting me bow on my knees and stand in faith with Ghuna and his Bible students from the southernmost tip of India one morning to stretch out our hands and pray for revival fire to burn north throughout this land as we proclaimed India for Jesus. Thank You for letting me see the joy in the little faces of the children who were once rejected, abandoned, and without hope until You brought them to this place of Living Hope. And thank You for inspiring me through these faithful lives to keep giving You all I have and keep carrying the cross of the calling You've given me to fulfill my part for the glory of Your name and Your kingdom. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you! for all your prayers for us on this journey and the lives that were touched and changed, including our own. I couldn't do begin to do this kind of ministry without you! And you share with me in it in every way as you join with me in prayer! Please continue to pray for Ghuna Kumar and the ministry of Gospel Friends. Please prayerfully consider sponsoring a child in their orphanage, a Bible student, a pastor or evangelist, or other way as the Lord leads to support this ministry of such integrity and passion, bearing such tremendous fruit for the kingdom of God in India: http://www.fishhook.org/ghuna/gospelfriends Please continue to pray for the persecuted church in India, where it's estimated at least 40,000 Christians are remain in hiding in the jungles in the Orissa region, where Ghuna Kumar also has ministry workers and Christian families. Pray for their faith to stay strong in the face of threats and torture to renounce their faith. God bless you! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources On-Line -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502

From Doubt to Faith in India 10-21-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are Lord of all nations, God of all creation, my Lord and my God. ... "Thomas answered Him, 'My Lord and my God!' " (John 20:28). In a unholy but understandable mixture of confusion, fear, doubt, and unbelief, Thomas said he wouldn't believe in the glory of Your resurrection, declaring, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in His side, I will not believe" (v. 20:25). And about "a week later" there You were, standing before him, offering Your hands and side for him to touch and see (v. 20:26). You turned his fear into faith and his declaration of doubt in to the declaration of "my Lord and my God!" You don't always respond immediately, or even in a week to all of our doubts and unbelief. Sometimes You let our questions linger for a season to make us more hungry for the truth of Your answers, for the One who is Truth and the Answer. But in Your perfect timing and way, perfectly suited to our personal journey of faith, You always respond to true spiritual hunger and honest questions. "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 29:13-14). Yesterday, we went to place upon a mountain in India where they say Thomas gave his life for the faith he came to belief. At the place where they buried him, there's a sculpture of his body with the place in his side where he, like You, was pierced by a spear in his side. He was willing to declare his faith with his life. "The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple, that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord" (Matthew 10:24-25). "Doubting Thomas" became a man of faith from a moment in Your presence. And then he lived his life, always ready and willing to lay it down for You, sharing the good news of Your love and mercy with even those who hated to hear it and hated those who came to share it. Today I'll be speaking at a conference of pastors, evangelists, teachers, and their families who have given You their lives to share You love to the people of India. Some in this ministry of Gospel Friends have faced literal threats of death and severe persecution in recent weeks. Yet they keep seeking You, keep serving You, keep being willing to lay down their lives for You. I will be humbled in their presence, and we will all be humbled together in Yours. "We know love by this; that He laid down His life for us -- and we ought to lay down our lives for one another" (1 John 3:16). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please pray for our family and ministry team while we're in the Tamil Nadu province of southern India, where I'll be preaching at 2 pastors' conferences and teaching at a Bible School on healing and deliverance for my friend Ghuna Kumar, who leads Gospel Friends Ministry ( http://www.fishhook.org/ghuna/gospelfriends.html ) These kinds of ministry opportunities are only possible through all your prayers, support, and encouragement. These are troubled days of much persecution of Christians in India. Some of the pastors and families coming to these conferences have recently escaped severe persecution, so please keep us all in prayer. Thank you and God bless you! Our schedule and travel will likely limit my ability to send my morning prayers by email. Thanks for joining with me in the journey through prayer! 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com 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. New Location for "Come To The Mountain" Israel prayer! Starting Monday October 6th we will begin meeting at Southland Evangelical Methodist Church 2601 Clays Mill Rd (corner of Clays Mill and Hill n' Dale). All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at 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 Ministry Resources: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

The Fountain of Healing Worship 10-18-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me into the deep waters of Your Spirit; release in me the flow of Your river of life. ... "In that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, the hills shall flow with milk, and all the stream beds of Judah shall flow with water; a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord ..." (Joel 3:18). We drank deeply from Your Living Waters at The Fountain last night. We experienced the gift of the glory of Your manifest presence in our spirits and souls and bodies as we worshipped You. Through Heather and Phil, You sang the song of Your Spirit over us and into us. You refreshed us and renewed us, and You called us into a deeper place of rest in the security of Your peace and the embrace of Your love. Together we experienced You and Your ministry of healing worship. As You sang over me in prophetic psalm through Heather last night about my journey to India today, You were reminding me that's where You first spoke to me the words "healing worship" and planted the seeds that have become "The Fountain." When I was there on my first trip to teach and minister Your healing love and freedom at the Jabatotham prayer garden, I saw how You used a man called Father Berkman to sing over the people who were hungry for Your presence and humbly seeking You for their healing. As they worshipped, they were healed. And I knew You were calling me to help create a place and an atmosphere where we could simply look to You and experience the glory of Your presence in healing worship. Once a month, we gather together in an expression of Your city-wide church, from many different streams and traditions of the body of Christ to simply seek Your face and embrace Your grace of healing and freedom in the manifest presence of Your glory. Hearts and minds, relationships and bodies, spirits and souls are mended and molded in Your presence. Sometimes it's miraculous in a moment, many times it's a step in the journey and the process of Your healing grace, but we are always changed as we behold You (2 Corinthians 3:18). We drink deeply of Your living waters drawn from the well of Your salvation. Then they flow freely from our hearts, as a fountain stream and river of life flowing from the house of the Lord (John 7:37-38). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please pray for our family and ministry as I leave Today for my fourth ministry trip to southern India, where I'll be preaching at 2 pastors' conferences and teaching at a Bible School on healing and deliverance for my friend Ghuna Kumar, who leads Gospel Friends Ministry ( http://www.fishhook.org/ghuna/gospelfriends.html ) These kinds of ministry opportunities are only possible through all your prayers, support, and encouragement. These are troubled days of much persecution of Christians in India. Some of the pastors and families coming to these conferences have recently escaped severe persecution, so please keep us all in prayer. Thank you and 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com 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. New Location for "Come To The Mountain" Israel prayer! Starting Monday October 6th we will begin meeting at Southland Evangelical Methodist Church 2601 Clays Mill Rd (corner of Clays Mill and Hill n' Dale). All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at 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 Ministry Resources: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

New World Order, One World Government 10-17-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lord of heaven and earth, King of kings and Lord of lords, be King and Lord of every area of my life today. ... "Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, '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). One day there will be a new world order, a one world government. It will be Your order and Your government. There will be "a new heaven and new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth (will have) passed away" (Revelation 21:1). Even now, as from the beginning, You are aligning and redeeming and creating all things in accordance with Your eternal plans for the government of Your eternal kingdom. "And the One who is seated on the throne said, 'See, I am making all things new.' Also, He said, 'Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.' Then He said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be My children' " (Revelation 21:5-7). As was said of Your coming as Messiah, King, and Lord long ago, "The government will rest upon (Your) shoulders" for You are our "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" and the kingdom of Your government will increase and "never end" (Isaiah 9:6-7, NLT). As from the beginning, Your Holy Spirit continues to move over the waters and the ways of earth, bringing order out of chaos and light out of darkness (Genesis 1:1-3). By a grace and love for us we can't fully imagine or understand, You have humbled Yourself to live among us and lay Your life down for us so that we can live our lives forever in You (Philippians 2:5-11; Galatians 2:20). And every moment of every day that we choose to humble ourselves in trusting faith and complete surrender to Your authority, Your kingdom comes and Your will is done on earth and in our lives, as it is in heaven. In this way, we respond to the call for Your one world government and new world order: "In your hearts, sanctify Christ as Lord ... so as to live the rest of your earthly life no longer by human desires but by the will of God" (1 Peter 3:15 through 4:2). And at the same time, though Your kingdom has come with Your first coming, it will not fully come on earth as it is in heaven until Your second coming. There is still a battle for the hearts and minds of men and a war within our souls (Romans 7:23). There is still an enemy of our souls seeking whom he will devour (1 Peter 5:8). He appears as an angel of light; he comes with false wonders, false signs, and false promises, as a false messiah with his false apostles, prophets, and followers (2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Matthew 24:24). For a season it will seem that he prevails on the earth as he tries to establish the government of his kingdom, but he will not ultimately prevail (Daniel 7:21-27). There is only the false because there is the truth; there is only the counterfeit because there is the real thing; there is only a false new world order and one world government because there is the true world order and government; and there is only an antichrist because there is a true Christ. To this day, the so-called "god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4). "Every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of antichrist, of which you have heard that is coming; and now it is already in the world" (1 John 4:3). You alone are our true Savior and Lord. You alone are "the Anointed One of God" -- "Messiah" in the Hebrew language of the Old Covenant and "Christ" in the Greek language of the New Covenant. You alone are "the Ancient of Days" who will be "coming with the clouds of heaven" so that Your "dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and (whose) kingship is one that shall never be destroyed" (Daniel 7:13-14). The identity and deeds of this false Messiah and his false government will be exposed and destroyed in the light of the glory of Your coming, when You fulfill and fully establish the true kingdom of Your new world order and one world government (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). All creation "waits with eager longing" for the coming of that day and the revealing of the glory of Your kingdom in Your children and throughout all the earth (Romans 8:19-21). In the certain hope and knowledge of Your eternal truth and plan for Your eternal kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, we choose to believe by grace "that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18). Lord Jesus, You said, "See, I am coming soon; My reward is with Me, to repay according to everyone's work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end" (Revelation 22:12). The Spirit and the bride say, "Come, Lord Jesus, come!" (Revelation 22:17). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please come join us if you can Tonight at The Fountain 10/17 to hear our special guest, our friend Heather Butler, prophetic psalmist from Wales, who leads the Healing Rooms there. The Fountain is our monthly gathering of the city-wide church where all are welcome from every tradition and steam of the body of Christ to come together as one to worship the Lord in spirit and truth. Come to the Fountain! and drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. We gather in the chapel at Centenary at 7 pm, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington, KY. Call for details: 859-422-1794 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com All are welcome! Click this link... to Register for or get more information about our next Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry on November 12-15, 2008 in Lexington. I would appreciate your prayers for our family and ministry as I prepare to leave Saturday for my ministry trip to southern India, where I'll be preaching at 2 pastors' conferences and teaching at a Bible School on healing and deliverance for my friend Ghuna Kumar, who leads Gospel Friends Ministry ( http://www.fishhook.org/ghuna/gospelfriends.html ) These kinds of ministry opportunities are only possible through all your prayers, support, and encouragement. These are troubled days of much persecution of Christians in India. Some of the pastors and families coming to these conferences have recently escaped severe persecution, so please keep us all in prayer. Thank you and God bless you! Subscribe free by email to me at 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 Ministry Resources: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

As Best as I Can 10-15-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As best as I can, I give all that I am into Your hands. ... As best as I can I give all that I am Into Your holy, healing hands That's where I've gone That's where I belong That's where I long to be Is here in Your hands As best as I can ... Yes, Lord. Thank You for this new song You're writing on my heart and singing in my spirit. Your Holy Spirit is always leading me to entrust myself to You. No matter what circumstances I face, no matter where I am on the journey of faith with You, there is always a level of myself I can entrust to You, by Your grace. Anything more would be impossible, anything less would be sin. So in this moment and in every moment, by Your grace I choose to give as much of me to You as I can and receive as much of You in me as I can. I choose to "entrust (myself) to a faithful Creator" (1 Peter 4:19). I choose to "guard the good treasure entrusted to (me),with the help of the Holy Spirit living in (me)" (2 Timothy 1:14). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please come join us if you can This Friday Night at The Fountain 10/17 to hear our special guest, our friend Heather Butler, prophetic psalmist from Wales, who leads the Healing Rooms there. The Fountain is our monthly gathering of the city-wide church where all are welcome from every tradition and steam of the body of Christ to come together as one to worship the Lord in spirit and truth. Come to the Fountain! and drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. We gather in the chapel at Centenary at 7 pm, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington, KY. Call for details: 859-422-1794 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com All are welcome! Click this link... to Register for or get more information about our next Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry on November 12-15, 2008 in Lexington. Subscribe free by email to me at 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 Ministry Resources: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Stand Firm in Faith 10-14-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Center my thoughts and settle my soul, as I watch and wait in the silence of surrender to You. ... "If you do not stand firm in faith, you shall not stand at all" (Isaiah 7:9). Faith is a matter of trust -- trusting You, trusting Your nature, trusting that You who You say You are and You will do what You say You will do. "And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). To "stand firm in faith" is to stand firm in You. Really, it's to allow You to stand firm in me. As I seek Your face in humble faith and entrust myself to Your will in trusting surrender, all that I need is given to me (Matthew 6:33). Trusting in You, believing in You, putting my faith in You is both the most humbling and most powerful thing I can ever choose to do. When I am weak, then I am strong, for Your power is made perfect in my weakness, and Your grace is sufficient for me (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). That's that faith that moves mountains, because that's putting my faith in the power of the One who moves the mountains, the One who makes every mountain low, who lifts every valley, and who makes every crooked place straight (Isaiah 40:4; Luke 3:5). Lord, where I am too high or proud, trying to trust in my own strength or put my faith in my own power apart from You, come bring me low. Where I am too low, worried or weary, discouraged or depressed, lacking in faith or losing my patience, come lift me up. Where I am out of order or out of alignment with Your will and Your ways for my life, come make my crooked places straight. Come arise and stand in me as I put my faith and trust in You. By faith, I trust You and welcome You to come fill me afresh with Your Spirit and empower me each day for Your purposes. "May the God of hope fill (me) will all joy and peace in believing, so that (I) may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" this day and every day (Romans 15:13). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! this Friday Night on October 17, the 3rd Friday night of every month to hear Heather Butler, our friend from Wales, for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Heather Butler, prophetic psalmist from Wales, who leads the Healing Rooms there, will be ministering with me this month on Oct 17th, with Phil Jackson leading us in worship. 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Click this link... to Register for or get more information about our next Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry on November 12-15, 2008 in Lexington. Subscribe free by email to me at 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 Ministry Resources: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

The River of God makes Glad the City of God 10-13-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are mighty to save. ... "There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of the city, it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns" (Psalm 46:4-5). Yesterday afternoon I drove up to a high place on the hill overlooking the city of Claremore, Oklahoma where I've been leading a prayer revival. As I was praying and preparing for the closing message of deep surrender of our human spirits for a fresh and overflowing filling of Your Holy Spirit, You lead me to these words from Psalm 46 about the streams that come together in a city form a mighty river of God. As I read these words out loud, suddenly a mighty rushing wind came blowing through the open windows. I knew it was supernatural. I knew You were doing something in the heavenly realm over this city of calling, purpose, and destiny. This is a city of refuge, a safe place for people to come and be refreshed, renewed, healed, and freed in the power of Your Spirit, in the authority of Your name, to the glory of our Father. A city of God is a city where the people come together from every stream of the church of Jesus Christ under the banner of Your name for the praise of Your glory alone. "How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity.... For there the Lord ordained His blessing, life forevermore" (Psalm 133:1-3). There You pour out the oil of Your Spirit (v. 133:2). There the river of Spirit, the living waters of Your life, the river of God, flows freely, bringing healing and life to all it touches (Ezekiel 47:1-12). Last night, for ourselves and for all those for whom You allowed us to stand in the gap and magnify our prayers over this city and region and as far as Your grace will go, we entered into to Your river, into the living waters of Your Spirit. We stepped in up to our ankles, and allowed Your waters to wash our feet, that we might bring the beauty of Your good news everywhere we go. We stepped in up to our knees, that we might spend more time on our knees in prayer in intimacy and intercession. We stepped in up to our waist, that we might bow more deeply in humility and desperate dependence upon You alone for the fullness of our peace and provision. And we stepped in until the water ran over our heads and we could no longer stand at all in our own control, but allowed You to have complete control over our lives, letting the river of God carry us wherever You will (Ezekiel 47:3-6). These are the streams that make glad the city of our God. This is the river of God that bears fruit in every season -- the seasons of brokenness and the seasons of blessing, the seasons of suffering and the seasons of joy. This is the river that will touch the nations and heal all creation (Revelation 22:1-5). This is the river of Your Holy Spirit, the river of Your eternal of life, flowing out of the hearts of Your people (John 7:37-39). This is the river of God will continue to rise in the glory of Your manifest presence in the hearts of all who will drink deeply of Your Spirit allow Your living waters to flow in us and through us throughout the earth until Your glory covers the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). Yes, Lord. Let Your river flow. Let Your streams make glad every city of our God. We will rejoice and be glad. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for covering us in prayer for our Prayer Revival and Time of Healing in Claremore, Oklahoma, hosted by several churches and held at the Methodist Church on the hill overlooking this city ( www.claremorefumc.org ). We had an incredible representation of the streams of the church in this city coming together in prayer, praise, and proclamation. In the unity of the Spirit, the people of this city of Claremore will continue to Declare More of the truth and word of God to be released in the life of His Spirit on earth as it is in heaven. I pray the same for your city and region. God bless you! Click this link... to Register for or get more information about our next Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry on November 12-15, 2008 in Lexington. Come to The Fountain! this Friday Night on October 17, the 3rd Friday night of every month to hear Heather Butler, our friend from Wales, for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Heather Butler, prophetic psalmist from Wales, who leads the Healing Rooms there, will be ministering with me this month on Oct 17th, with Phil Jackson leading us in worship. 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com 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. New Location for "Come To The Mountain" Israel prayer! now meeting at Southland Evangelical Methodist Church 2601 Clays Mill Rd (corner of Clays Mill and Hill n' Dale). All are welcome! There's still room to join us in February for our Inspirational Caribbean Cruise. Please contact Marilyn, our Dir. of Ministries, DirOfMinistries@aol.com Subscribe free by email to me at 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 Ministry Resources: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Trail of Tears 10-11-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and lift up Your praise, as I offer myself and my day to You. ... "By the rivers of Babylon -- there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung our harps" (Psalm 137:1-2). You've sent me to Claremore, Oklahoma to lead a Prayer Revival and Time of Healing, hosted by several local churches this weekend. This is the home of the famous political humorist Will Rogers and the setting of the Broadway musical "Oklahoma!" But it's also the heart of what became the Cherokee Nation of the Indian Territories following the Trail of Tears. I feel deep sadness and grief in my spirit to even write the words. Along with slavery, the Trail of Tears is one of the darkest moments of the history of our nation. In the dead of winter of 1838, our government forced the relocation of the Cherokee Native American Tribe from their homes in Georgia to this region of Oklahoma, under provisions of "The Indian Removal Act of 1830". Over the 2,200 miles of this trail of tears, over 4,000 graves of the men, women, and children who died along the way mark this trail of our national sin. It's said those among them who had come to know You as Savior and Lord sang over and over again "Amazing Grace" in their grief and sorrow, but also in their hope of Your redemption of the cruelty and injustice of this broken, fallen world. Lord, forgive us. "Open shame, O Lord, falls on us, our (leaders), our officials, and our ancestors, because we have sinned against you.... We do not present our supplication before You on the ground of our righteousness, but on the ground of Your great mercies. O Lord, hear, O Lord, forgive; O Lord, listen and act, and do not delay" (Daniel 9:8-19). Lord, would You cleanse us and our land from the sins of the generations. Would You break any curse of sorrow and sadness upon this land through our acknowledgement and repentance of our sins and through Your great mercies. "You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb, without defect or blemish" (1 Peter 1:18-19). Lord, let what was sown in tears and sorrow be reaped in joy (Psalm 126:5). "And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (Isaiah 35:10). Lord let it be so in Zion, in Oklahoma, and throughout the earth. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I would appreciate your prayers for us this weekend while I lead a Prayer Revival and Time of Healing in Claremore, Oklahmoma, being hosted by several churches in the city and held at the First United Methodist Church, http://www.claremorefumc.org Click this link... to Register for or get more information about our next Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry on November 12-15, 2008 in Lexington. Come to The Fountain! this Month on October 17, the 3rd Friday night of every month to hear Heather Butler, our friend from Wales, for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Heather Butler, prophetic psalmist from Wales, who leads the Healing Rooms there, will be ministering with me this month on Oct 17th, with Phil Jackson leading us in worship. 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com To our friends in Pennsylvania, Laura Beach will be leading a retreat in Millerstown, PA on Thursday, October 23 from 9:00 AM till 4:00 PM. The theme of the day is Kaleidoscopes of Restoration. This day will be a gentle time of healing using the familiar image of the kaleidoscope, a word that comes from the Greek words kalos [beautiful] and eidos [form]. The kaleidoscope takes broken pieces and fits them together. As light shines through its lens, we see a thing of beauty. Through guided prayer, Scripture and reflection, the broken pieces of our lives can be illumined by the light of Christ. It is in that light that we experience restoration. For more information or reservations, contact the Center for Spiritual Formation, via email: formation1@embarqmail.com or phone: 717.240.0678. 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. New Location for "Come To The Mountain" Israel prayer! now meeting at Southland Evangelical Methodist Church 2601 Clays Mill Rd (corner of Clays Mill and Hill n' Dale). All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at 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 Ministry Resources: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

From Worry to the One Who is Worthy 10-10-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me beside Your still waters in these first moments of my morning, as You renew my spirit and restore my soul. ... "Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls; I will exult in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and makes me tread upon the heights" (Habakkuk 3:17-19). In the times of lack, You are still worthy of praise. In the times of temptation to give in to worry, anxiety, and fear, You are still worthy of praise. In the times of turmoil, uncertainty, and confusion, You are still worthy of praise. Praising You lifts our eyes from worry and onto the One who is worthy. The arms of our Father are stretched out wide to quiet the hearts and calm the fears of Your children. And the abiding presence of Your Holy Spirit lifts our eyes and our spirits to the One who is our hope and strength, steadying our feet beneath us and guiding our steps forward. I saw an image of traders on the floor of the stock exchange with heads lifted up to watch the numbers rise and fall, along with their hearts and stomachs. That's a picture of much of our nation and the growing impact upon the nations of the world in this time of economic turmoil. Our faces are lifted to the focus of our security and hope. And that exposes the degree of idolatry of our hearts. What is the source and focus of our security and hope -- the strength of our economy, the value of our investment account, the stability of our financial institution, the rescue plan of our politicians, the economic intervention plan of our government, or the certainty of our job? As important as any of these things may be, they cannot be our source or focus of our security and hope. "What use is an idol once its maker has shaped it -- a cast image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in what has been made, though the product is only an idol that cannot speak! Alas for you who say to the wood, 'Wake up!' to silent stone, 'Rouse yourself!' Can it teach? See, it is gold and silver plated, and there is no breath in it at all. But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him!" (Habakkuk 2:18-20). In the hours of uncertainty, You remind me to look to the One who is always certain. In the days of discouragement, You call me to look up to the One who encourages me by Your Word and guides me by Your Spirit. "Set your minds 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 3:2-3). By Your grace, "I will lift up my eyes to the hills -- from where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let (my) foot be moved; He who keeps (me) will not slumber... The Lord will keep (my) going out and (my) coming in from this time on and forevermore" (Psalm 121:1-8). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we stand in agreement in prayer with one another and for one another through these troubled times. Humility before God and dependence upon Him alone to guide us through these days will be keys of the kingdom of God for us (Matthew 18:18-20). I would appreciate your prayers for us this weekend while I lead a Prayer Revival and Time of Healing in Claremore, Oklahmoma, being hosted by several churches in the city and held at the First United Methodist Church, http://www.claremorefumc.org Click this link... to Register for or get more information about our next Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry on November 12-15, 2008 in Lexington. Come to The Fountain! this Month on October 17, the 3rd Friday night of every month to hear Heather Butler, our friend from Wales, for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Heather Butler, prophetic psalmist from Wales, who leads the Healing Rooms there, will be ministering with me this month on Oct 17th, with Phil Jackson leading us in worship. 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com To our friends in Pennsylvania, Laura Beach will be leading a retreat in Millerstown, PA on Thursday, October 23 from 9:00 AM till 4:00 PM. The theme of the day is Kaleidoscopes of Restoration. This day will be a gentle time of healing using the familiar image of the kaleidoscope, a word that comes from the Greek words kalos [beautiful] and eidos [form]. The kaleidoscope takes broken pieces and fits them together. As light shines through its lens, we see a thing of beauty. Through guided prayer, Scripture and reflection, the broken pieces of our lives can be illumined by the light of Christ. It is in that light that we experience restoration. For more information or reservations, contact the Center for Spiritual Formation, via email: formation1@embarqmail.com or phone: 717.240.0678. 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. New Location for "Come To The Mountain" Israel prayer! now meeting at Southland Evangelical Methodist Church 2601 Clays Mill Rd (corner of Clays Mill and Hill n' Dale). All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at 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 Ministry Resources: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Choose Well the Way 10-9-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be Lord of my thoughts, Lord of my desires, Lord of my day. ... "Who are they that fear the Lord? He will teach them the way that they should choose. They will abide in prosperity, and their children shall possess the land. The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He makes His covenant known to them" (Psalm 25:12-14). My oldest son, Zach, will graduate from high school this year. So I've spent the past few days with him visiting colleges, filling out applications, and talking about his future. He has some important choices to make that will influence the rest of his life. I've tried to help guide him without getting in his way, tried to encourage wise choices of his will without giving in to the temptation of imposing my will. His thoughts are not always my thoughts and his ways are not always my ways. But I love him and want the best for him. One of the most important things I can offer my son is a life teaching by living example of seeking Your face, listening for Your voice, and waiting on Your will. This is the way of those who fear the Lord, the way of those who choose well. They are those who honor You as Lord -- who willingly bow their will to Your will, willingly allow You to form Your thoughts in their minds and Your desires in their hearts, willing choose to believe that You know what's right and what's best for every choice of their lives. As they do, You "teach them the way that they should choose." And as they continue to choose to walk with You in both "the fear of the Lord" in honor and "the friendship of the Lord" in love, You make the blessings of obedience to Your will and Your ways known to them. Along the journey, they will "abide in prosperity" as their generations "possess the land" in the timing and in the way that You determine are best for them. That's God's best that I want and pray for my son and for myself. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Click this link... to Register for or get more information about our next Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry on November 12-15, 2008 in Lexington. To our friends in Pennsylvania, Laura Beach will be leading a retreat in Millerstown, PA on Thursday, October 23 from 9:00 AM till 4:00 PM. The theme of the day is Kaleidoscopes of Restoration. This day will be a gentle time of healing using the familiar image of the kaleidoscope, a word that comes from the Greek words kalos [beautiful] and eidos [form]. The kaleidoscope takes broken pieces and fits them together. As light shines through its lens, we see a thing of beauty. Through guided prayer, Scripture and reflection, the broken pieces of our lives can be illumined by the light of Christ. It is in that light that we experience restoration. For more information or reservations, contact the Center for Spiritual Formation, via email: formation1@embarqmail.com or phone: 717.240.0678. Come to The Fountain! this Month on October 17, the 3rd Friday night of every month to hear Heather Butler, our friend from Wales, for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Heather Butler, prophetic psalmist from Wales, who leads the Healing Rooms there, will be ministering with me this month on Oct 17th, with Phil Jackson leading us in worship. 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com 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. New Location for "Come To The Mountain" Israel prayer! now meeting at Southland Evangelical Methodist Church 2601 Clays Mill Rd (corner of Clays Mill and Hill n' Dale). All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at 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 Ministry Resources: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Humbled by Hunger 10-8-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look up and reach out to the One who's already, always looking and reaching out to me. ... "He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 8:4). When I'm hungry for a sense of direction, hungry for a sense of security, hungry for a sense of assurance that everything will work out for my good and Your glory, You are blessing me to remind me that I need You, that I'm desperately dependant upon you, despite any slight, momentary allusion that I can completely depend upon myself or anyone else but You alone. Your Word is my bread. Your Spirit is my breath. You are "the bread of life;" You are "the living bread that comes down from heaven" (John 6:48-51). Whoever hungers for the bread of this world for direction, security, and assurance, only hungers for what can never satisfy or sustain. But "whoever eats of this (living) bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh" (John 6:51). Lord, keep humbling me in hunger for more of You. Keep teaching me how to eat of the bread of the Your Word and breathe the breath of Your Spirit. Keep teaching me the truth of my desperate dependence upon You that keeps freeing me of my dependence upon myself or anyone or anything else but You. As You fed all who have gone before me in the faith, so You will feed me and lead me into the fullness of Your blessings of eternal life. "For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams ... a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing.... You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that He has given you" (Deuteronomy 8:7-10). This is the fulfillment and feast of the blessing You give out of the hunger You humble me to have. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6). 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. Our friend Heather Butler, prophetic psalmist from Wales, who lead the Healing Rooms there, will be ministering with me this month on Oct 17th, with Phil Jackson leading us in worship. 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com 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. New Location for "Come To The Mountain" Israel prayer! Starting Monday October 6th we will begin meeting at Southland Evangelical Methodist Church 2601 Clays Mill Rd (corner of Clays Mill and Hill n' Dale). All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at 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 Ministry Resources: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Listen for Me" 10-5-08

Good Morning, Lord Jesus. You meet with me in these morning moments, then walk with me throughout my day. ... "Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God" (John 8:42). Lord, am I from God? It seems I hear You say, "My son, I created you and formed you, I knitted you together in your mother's womb. And you are Mine. You are from Me. Through the blood of My Son, you are My son." Lord, do I hear Your words? "You hear My words. And I have put the desire in your heart to hear Me and to grow in your desire to hear Me more clearly." Lord, how do I hear You more clearly? "Listen for Me. When you read My written Word, listen for Me. When you wait in the stillness of the morning and throughout the moments of your day, listen for Me. When you look up at My creation and see My hand in the design of all things, listen for Me. When you hear the cry of the needy, when you see the inward heart of a person far beneath the surface of their actions and their appearance, listen for Me. When you sense the comfort or conviction or counsel of My Holy Spirit living in you, listen for Me. When you dream in the night or see visions in the day, when you seek to know the meaning of the images I show you about how to pray and what to say, listen for Me. When you lift your eyes to things above and look beyond the veil of the things of this earth into My heavenly realm, listen for Me." Yes, Lord. That's what I desire. Thank You for putting this desire in my heart. Help me grow in my sensitivity to Your words and in my obedience to Your will. You say, "My sheep hear My voice. I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27). I want to know You and hear You and follow You. Give me grace to hear You, to discern that I have heard You, and then to trust You and follow You wherever You lead me by Your words and Your voice. "But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves" (James 1:22). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Morning by Morning, Saturday 10-4-08 -- "Cords of Human Kindness" Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me in Your paths for my life today. ... "I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them" (Hosea 11:4). You don't drive us like a herd of cattle, You lead us like a flock of sheep. You don't force us to follow You or love You or even honor You for who You are, You draw us to You by Your grace and out of Your love. "No one can come to Me unless drawn by My Father who sent Me" (John 6:44). And we are drawn to You, Lord Jesus, by our Father who sends His Holy Spirit to draw us and lead us into the fullness of Your embrace and to be filled and fed by the fullness of Your Word and Your Spirit. "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God" and we "have received a spirit of adoption" so that "we cry, 'Abba! Father!" by Your "very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:14-16). You don't stand off afar, aloof and distant, You bend down low into the depths of our humanity to gather us up into the kindness and comfort of Your arms. And though You are the source of all our encouragement, affirmation, and nurture, You often choose to lead us and love through the "human kindness" of those who have Your heart and who are willing to be Your arms. You fill and mature Your sons and Your daughters with the Father's heart, the mind of Christ, and the loving power of the Holy Spirit. Then You send us forth as Your hands and feet, with Your words and heart to be Your "bands of love" in the lives of one another. To love You and love one another, to be loved by You and to be loved by one another, is at the heart of the message of Your gospel and Your kingdom (Matthew 22:36-40). "Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and His love is perfected in us" (1 John 4:11-12). Lord, lead me and empower me to love and be loved with Your "cords of human kindness" today. 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. Our friend Heather Butler, prophetic psalmist from Wales, who lead the Healing Rooms there, will be ministering with me this month on Oct 17th, with Phil Jackson leading us in worship. 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com 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. New Location for "Come To The Mountain" Israel prayer! Starting Monday October 6th we will begin meeting at Southland Evangelical Methodist Church 2601 Clays Mill Rd (corner of Clays Mill and Hill n' Dale). All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at 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 my book and our resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Cords of Human Kindness" 10-4-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me in Your paths for my life today. ... "I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them" (Hosea 11:4). You don't drive us like a herd of cattle, You lead us like a flock of sheep. You don't force us to follow You or love You or even honor You for who You are, You draw us to You by Your grace and out of Your love. "No one can come to Me unless drawn by My Father who sent Me" (John 6:44). And we are drawn to You, Lord Jesus, by our Father who sends His Holy Spirit to draw us and lead us into the fullness of Your embrace and to be filled and fed by the fullness of Your Word and Your Spirit. "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God" and we "have received a spirit of adoption" so that "we cry, 'Abba! Father!" by Your "very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:14-16). You don't stand off afar, aloof and distant, You bend down low into the depths of our humanity to gather us up into the kindness and comfort of Your arms. And though You are the source of all our encouragement, affirmation, and nurture, You often choose to lead us and love through the "human kindness" of those who have Your heart and who are willing to be Your arms. You fill and mature Your sons and Your daughters with the Father's heart, the mind of Christ, and the loving power of the Holy Spirit. Then You send us forth as Your hands and feet, with Your words and heart to be Your "bands of love" in the lives of one another. To love You and love one another, to be loved by You and to be loved by one another, is at the heart of the message of Your gospel and Your kingdom (Matthew 22:36-40). "Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and His love is perfected in us" (1 John 4:11-12). Lord, lead me and empower me to love and be loved with Your "cords of human kindness" today. 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. Our friend Heather Butler, prophetic psalmist from Wales, who lead the Healing Rooms there, will be ministering with me this month on Oct 17th, with Phil Jackson leading us in worship. 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com 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. New Location for "Come To The Mountain" Israel prayer! Starting Monday October 6th we will begin meeting at Southland Evangelical M ethodist Church 2601 Clays Mill Rd (corner of Clays Mill and Hill n' Dale). All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at 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 my book and our resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Power in Praise 10-3-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me under the shadow of the Almighty and into the secret place of the Most High (Psalm 91). You are the Almighty, You are the Most High, in every dimension of Your Being -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ... "I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify Him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs. Let the oppressed see it and be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive. For the Lord hears the needy, and does not despise His own that are in bonds" (Psalm 69:30-33). There's power in praise. You give me grace to praise You through every problem, to thank You through every trial. When I'm tempted to fix my eyes on my circumstances, Your Holy Spirit revives my heart with a song of praise as I seek my God. The breath of God moves my spirit to open my mouth, lift my face, and fix my eyes on Christ. As I worship You and praise Your name, I remember Your steadfast love and faithful presence through every moment of my past and I'm assured of Your love and presence with me today and throughout all eternity. It's not ritual sacrifice but a living relationship of trusting surrender that pleases You and revives me. You hear the needy and help those who humble themselves to seek You and ask You for help. "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.... Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.... Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will exalt you" (James 4:6-10). As I surrender my heart and submit my circumstances to the power of Your love and grace, You free me from oppression and break my bonds asunder. You empower me to face every challenge of my day in the confidence of "Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com 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. New Location for "Come To The Mountain" Israel prayer! Starting Monday October 6th we will begin meeting at Southland Evangelical Methodist Church 2601 Clays Mill Rd (corner of Clays Mill and Hill n' Dale). All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at 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 my book and our resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Benjamin's Blessing of Safety, Rest, and Peace 10-2-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call on Your name and lift up my praise. ... "Of Benjamin he said: The beloved of the Lord rests in safety -- the High God surrounds him all day long -- the beloved rests between His shoulders" (Deuteronomy 33:12). As Moses spoke his final blessings of prophetic destiny over the tribes of Israel, he released the blessing of safety and rest over Benjamin. And in the generations to come, the land of Benjamin would be set apart as holy ground for the place of the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem (Joshua 18:21-28). So even today, we are to continue to pray for the fulfillment of this prophetic blessing upon the people and the land of Benjamin. "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers. For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, 'Peace be within you.' For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good" (Psalm 122:6-9). The land of Benjamin and the city of Jerusalem have not yet known the fulfillment of this blessing. It seems this land has known the very opposite for so long through wars, terror, and conflict of every kind. So often it seems we must walk through a wilderness of the opposite of our destiny as we learn to pray and hold fast to Your promises in order to grow into spiritual maturity. Yet Your Word will come to pass and Your blessing will be fulfilled, in Your timing and in Your way, both literally and spiritually (Isaiah 55:11). One day, as the Prince of Peace, You will personally fulfill this blessing of safety and rest in Jerusalem, the city of peace (Zechariah 9:9-17). "Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of the Lord (Zechariah 8:20-23). Until the ultimate fulfillment of that day, Your blessing of safety and rest is fulfilled in the lives of all who welcome the dwelling of Your Spirit in the temple of our bodies and allow Your home to be in our hearts (1 Corinthians 3:16). Like the land of Benjamin that would lie in the shadow of Your earthly temple, we will know Your blessing as we seek to dwell in the shadow of Your heavenly temple. "You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress; my God in whom I trust" (Psalm 91:1-2). You welcome each one of us into that blessing through Christ. "Abide in Me as I abide in you" (John 15:4). So by Your grace, I choose to receive that blessing of Benjamin and all "the blessing of Abraham" now available to all who will seek it and receive it by faith in You (Galatians 3:14). As I live in You and You live in me, today and everyday, may I know the blessing of safety and rest in the peace of Your abiding Presence dwelling in me. Even in the times where it seems like I'm living in a wilderness of the opposite, I know You are leading me into all the blessings of all Your promises fulfilled in Christ. 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com 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. New Location for "Come To The Mountain" Israel prayer! Starting Monday October 6th we will begin meeting at Southland Evangelical Methodist Church 2601 Clays Mill Rd (corner of Clays Mill and Hill n' Dale). All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at 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 my book and our resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Ever-Surpassing Peace 10-1-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, fully abide in me -- spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). ... "Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). Guard my heart and my mind in Your peace. Your peace does not promise the absence of problems or perils. Your peace does not provide some sort of spiritual immunity from spiritual and mental battles for the serenity of my soul. Your peace promises, "The Lord is near" (v. 4:5). And because You are near, You speak gently, but firmly to my heart and mind, "Do not worry .... Do not be afraid ..." (Luke 12:22-34). The truth is that all the worry, anxiety, stress, and fear that I could possibly muster if I were to give in to every distressing thought from every alarming source cannot "add a single hour to (my) span of life" (Luke 12:26). "If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest?" (v. 12:26). You know just how I am and You know just what I need. You will never leave me and never forsake. You will walk through every valley with me. When things get scary, I don't have to get scared. When everything around me is getting shaken up, I don't have to get shaken up with them (Hebrews 12:27). In all the things that may ever come upon this earth in the days ahead and throughout my span of life, I need not fear or worry or be anxious for anything, for You are with me (Isaiah 43:2). And You are my Peace -- the "Prince of Peace" abiding in me and continually filling me with Your Spirit of Peace (Isaiah 9:6; Ephesians 5:18). That's the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding. So I pray You would keep surpassing my understanding with Your ever-surpassing peace. 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 My Book and Our Ministry Resources at www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Our Burden Bearer, Debt Breaker, and Jubilee 9-30-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me let Your life be expressed through my life today. ... "Do not be one of those who gives pledges, who become surety for debts. If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?" (Proverbs 22:26-7). Overwhelming debt seems to be crushing the economy of our nation, crushing the peace and sense of security of all who are touched by it. Some are overwhelmed because they've borrowed beyond their means. Some are overwhelmed because they've enticed others to borrow beyond their means. And some are overwhelmed because everybody around them is overwhelmed. Our economy needs divine correction. Our leaders and our people don't have the answers because apart from You, there are no answers. But we don't have to be apart from You, we don't have to try to fix our overwhelming human mess in our underwhelming human wisdom. We can humble ourselves to seek Your face and Your wisdom. "If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be give to you. But ask in faith ..." (James 1:5-6). Lord, give us faith as a people and a nation to turn to You and trust in You, desperately depending upon You alone to give us Your wisdom. Let us not try to explain away or cover up our sins of material lust, self-centered indulgence, predatory lending, greed, and rebellion against the wisdom of Your Word and Your ways. Let us admit the sin for the sin that it is and repent before You, personally and as a people of a nation humbling themselves before God (2 Chronicles 7:14). Though You warn us against becoming ensnared by debt, You also always provide a means of rescue. Under the Old Covenant, You provided a year of jubilee. "Every seventh year you shall grant a remission of debts" (Deuteronomy 15:1). You called Your people to have a heart to give to the needy, but also never to take more than is needed (v. 15:7-11). And every seven of seven years was a year of jubilee, with complete restoration of all that was lost through foolishness, deceit, calamity, or sin (Leviticus 25:8-55). There is wisdom in Your ways. And when we stumble and are ensnared by following the foolishness of our own wisdom and ways, You want us to turn to You alone as our Wisdom, our Rescue Plan, our Deliverer, our Bearer of our burdens. You are the only Bail-out Plan that we will ever need and that will ever work. The year of jubilee speaks of "the year of the Lord's favor" (Isaiah 61:2). And under Your New Covenant in Christ, our jubilee is fulfilled in You alone (Luke 4:18-19). "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). In this season of shaking, pruning and correction, have mercy upon us as we humble ourselves to turn to You. In You, we will not be overwhelmed or overcome, but we shall overcome. "For whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 John 5:4-5). "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37). You are our Burden Bearer, our Debt Breaker, and our Jubilee. 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com 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 at Southland Evangelical Methodist on Clays Mill Rd starting in October). Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at 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 my book and our resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org