Friday, March 13, 2020

Morning by Morning, March 13 - "A Different Spirit"
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You here in my heart and every moment of my day. I'm listening now for Your leading -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God ...
 
"My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed Me wholeheartedly, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it" (Numbers 14:24).
 
Caleb, along with his companion Joshua, had "a different spirit" than the others who went into the land to see what You had set before them. The others saw the land, but what they saw above all else were the giant enemies that seemed too big and too powerful to overcome (Numbers 14:28-33). 
 
Caleb and Joshua were full of faith, ready for the adventure, and excited for the opportunity to trust in You, to take the land and take hold of the promises of God. They had a spirit of faith, while the others gave in to "a different spirit," to a spirit of fear and all that it brings -- faithlessness, discouragement, hopelessness, and despair. Soon their fears fed their mistrust and rebellion, until they found themselves on the opposite side of the favor of God for not trusting You and Your word. "And the Lord said to Moses, 'How long will this people despise Me? And how long will they refuse to believe in Me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? I will strike them with pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they" (Numbers 14:11-12). None of those who gave in to fear instead of trusting in faith would ever be able to enter into the Promised Land (14:22-23).
 
Whatever giant enemies we face in our day -- coronavirus, concern of economic collapse, challenges in the midst of chaos and panic, and all that comes with it -- let us be a people of "a different spirit." Let us be a people filled with the Holy Spirit -- full of faith and not fear, trust and not terror, peace and not panic.
 
Instead of fixing our eyes on the giants, let us turn our eyes to the potential fruit of a great harvest. Yes, this is a crisis and a challenge, but it's also an opportunity and an invitation to arise and shine in the midst of the darkness, to stand firm in the faith in the midst of the fear. Let a world overwhelmed with fear see faith in us and turn to the One in us who gives us "a different Spirit."
 
This is our time to shine! This is our time to lead the way to the One who's not afraid and who's always in control to bring us through whatever we face. "Arise, shine! For your Light has come, and the Glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and His glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your Light and kings to the Brightness of your dawn!" (Isaiah 60:1-3) 
 
That Light that shines before us, that Glory of the Lord that rises upon us, that Brightness of our dawn that draws others to You through us, is "a different Spirit" within us -- the Holy Spirit of the Living God, who gives us courage and faith to live into the fullness of our Promised Land. And who empowers us to see the potential of the harvest and gives us opportunities to lead all who will come into their Promised Land in You as well. There's no enemy we'll ever face between us and our Promised Land that's too big or too powerful for us to overcome when our eyes are fixed on You! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


My friend, may you be filled with "a different Spirit" -- with the Holy Spirit of the Living God, to overcome all you face and lead many into their Promised Land in the opportunities before us, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!


 



 

   


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

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Thursday, March 12, 2020

Morning by Morning, March 12 - A "Distinction" in the Response of God's People to Panic
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are One with the Father, One with the Holy Spirit; be One within me, as I abide in You and You abide in me (John 17:21). From this place of unity and surrender, I watch and wait for Your leading. ...
 
"On that day (of the plague) I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people live, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I the Lord am in this land. Thus I will make a distinction between My people and your people" (Exodus 8:22-23).
 
This Coronavirus pandemic is like a plague of panic in our day, now investing nearly nation on earth. But You call us to faith and not fear, to trust and not terror, to peace and not panic. For those who turn to You, who find their Refuge in You, under the shadow of the Almighty and in the secret place of the Most High, "where (Your) people live," there will always be calm in the midst of the storm and clarity in midst of the chaos (Psalm 91).
 
There should be "a distinction" in the response of Your people who are called by Your name and those who do not yet know You. We should be different. We should respond differently. Even as we acknowledge our struggles with anxieties or fears, worries or concerns, we can release them to You as they rise up in us. "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). "In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comfort delights my soul" (Psalm 94:19 NKJV).
 
You are our "Land of Goshen." You are our Rock and Refuge, our Stronghold and our Shield of Protection. As we abide in You and You abide in us, we are safe in You (John 15:4). "The name of the Lord is a Strong Tower; the righteous run into it and are safe" (Proverbs 18:10).
 
Give us courage come into agreement with Your Word and declare Your Truth into our hearts and into the land You entrusted to us with both responsibility and authority. Let Your perfect love cast out fear (1 John 4:18) and let Your perfect peace steady our hearts. You will bring us through this plague of panic and whatever else we face, as we seek to "live and move and have our being" in You (Acts 17:28). "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You" (Isaiah 26:3 NKJV). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


My friend, may you be kept in perfect peace as your heart and mind are stayed on the Lord through whatever you face, letting there be a great distinction and witness in your response to the response of the world around you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

 



 

   


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

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Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Morning by Morning, March 11 - The Glory of the Presence  of the Lord Fills the Temple of Our Hearts
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name is the name above every name (Philippians 2:9). I lift up Your name and bow my knees and confess You as Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11). Now I look and listen for the leading of Your Spirit to begin my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit.  ...
 
"Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes ... in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.... Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the most holy place, underneath the wings of the cherubim.... And when the priests came out of the holy place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. Then Solomon said, 'The Lord has said that He would dwell in thick darkness. I have built You an exalted house, a place for You to dwell in forever!" (1 Kings 8:1-11)
 
In Christ, my heart is Your house. My body is Your temple. My spirit is Your inner sanctuary. "(We) are God's temple and God's Spirit dwells in (us)" (1 Corinthians 3:16).
 
Come, Holy Spirit of the Living God. Come fill Your temple afresh today. Just as the ark of the covenant of the Lord speaks of the Presence of the Spirit of the Lord in the most holy place of the temple, I welcome Your Presence here in me, here in my heart, made holy by the cleansing blood of Jesus and the purifying fire of the Holy Spirit to the glory of my Father. You be exalted in this house, You be lifted high in my heart. Through surrender and faith, I open wide to You a "place for You to dwell in forever!"
 
Just as the priests could not stand in Your Presence, neither can I. "You indeed are awesome! Who can stand before You!" (Psalm 76:7) "Who is able to stand in the Presence of the Lord, this holy God!" (1 Samuel 6:20 NLT)
 
So I bow down on my knees, I bow down in my heart, to cry out to You Holy! Holy! Holy is the Lord! Worthy! Worthy! Worthy of all praise! Blessed and mighty, holy and pure, faithful and true, is the One who was and who is and who is to come! You are worthy of all glory, majesty, honor, and praise, now and forever, here in my heart and here in my world! With all Your angels and all Your children and with all Your creation, I cry Holy! Holy! Holy is the Lord! And by the mercy of Your grace and the mystery of faith I cry Welcome! Welcome! Welcome is the Lord! Let the glory of Your Presence come fill this most holy place of my heart, prepared as a temple for You! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


My friend, may the glory of the Presence of the Lord fill your heart, prepared as temple for Him, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

 \
 



 

   


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

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Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Morning by Morning, March 10 - Freed from Fear in Our Father's Arms of Love
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You and listen for Your leading -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...
 
"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).
 
When fear says to me, "You better worry; you don't know what going to happen; you'll probably get sick; your security will probably crumble; you'll probably lose your job or your house or your family or whatever you're the most afraid of losing," I will say to the Lord, "My Refuge and my Fortress; my God, in whom I trust!"
 
How does my faith overcome my fears? Because I "live in the shelter of the Most High," because I "abide in the shadow of the Almighty." Because I trust in the One who's greater than my fears, in the One who's with me through whatever I face, in the One who will never leave me nor forsake me. Because I trust in the One who fills me with the peace of His Presence, in the One who even prepares a table for me of all I need and anoints my head with the Oil of His Holy Spirit even in the presence of my enemies of fear, worry, anxiety, doubt, discouragement, depression, hopelessness, and despair.
 
As I live in You and abide in You, "(You) will deliver (me) from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; (You) will cover (me) with (Your) pinions, and under (Your) wings (I) will find refuge; (Your) faithfulness is a shield and buckler. (I) will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day, or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at (my) side, ten thousand at (my) right hand, but it will not come near (me)" (Psalm 91:3-7).
 
I don't have to give in to fear; I don't have to give in to panic; I don't have to allow those things to be Lord over any area of my life, because You are Lord over all of my life. "Because (I) have made the Lord (my) Refuge, the Most High (my) Dwelling Place, no evil shall befall (me), no scourge (shall) come near (my) tent. For (You) will command (Your) angels concerning (me) to guard (me) in all (my) ways. On their hands they will bear (me) up, so that (I) will not dash (my) foot against a stone. (I) will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent (I) will trample under foot" (Psalm 91:9-13).
 
There's no safer place than Your Presence. And there's no more dangerous place than out of Your Presence. And by the grace and mercy and love of God, I never have to spend a moment out of Your Presence. 
 
I love You, Lord. I love Your Presence. And I love all the peace and protection You provide for me as I press in to You. "Those who love Me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know My name. When they call to Me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. With long life I will satisfy them, and show them My salvation" (Psalm 91:14-16).
 
Thank You, Lord, for Your Love and for Your Presence, with me through every trouble. "There is no fear in love, but Perfect Love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). In the embrace of Your love, I'm safe and secure in "the Shelter of the Most High" and in the "Shadow of the Almighty" (Psalm 91:1). I'm freed from fear in Your arms of love. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


My friend, may you be free from fear in our Father's arms of love -- safe and secure in the Shelter of the Most High, in the Shadow of the Almighty, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

 



 

   


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Please share this word to encourage a friend!
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Monday, March 09, 2020

Morning by Morning, March 9 - Prophetic Insight and Apostolic Execution
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart to make me more like You today. ...
 
"Elisha said to (King Joash), 'Take a bow and arrows;' so he took a bow and arrows. Then he said to the king of Israel, 'Draw the bow;' and he drew it. Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. Then he said, 'Open the window eastward;' and he opened it. Elisha said, 'Shoot;' and he shot. Then he said, 'The Lord's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram! For you shall fight the Arameans in Aphek until you have made an end of them'" (2 Kings 13:15-17).
 
The prophet, Elisha, speaks to us today of prophetic ministry. The king, Joash, speaks to us today of apostolic ministry. "Together, we are (Your) house, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in Him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord" (Ephesians 2:20-21).
 
We need both prophetic insight and apostolic execution to be the house of God, the temple of the Lord, as the body and bride of Christ on this earth in our day. Elisha heard the word of the Lord and spoke it to Joash. Joash acted in response to the prophetic word with apostolic execution. At the battle of Aphek, there would be victory over the Arameans -- the Lord's victory, through the Lord's people, established ahead of time through prophetic insight and apostolic execution.
 
Lord, teach us how to recognize and operate in the gifts and calling You've given us for the building of Your church and the advancing of Your kingdom. Teach us how to trust one another and join with one another in the unity of Your Holy Spirit, as we grow up in the maturity of Christ. Deliver us from our insecurities, jealousies, fears, and mistrust, as You develop within us Your character, confidence, humility, and love. Then we will rightly display Your nature with Your authority to rightly represent Your heart and make Your name known to our world.
 
"Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church:  the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love" (Ephesians 4:11-16 NLT).
 
With prophetic insight and apostolic execution, along with evangelistic zeal, pastoral care, and authoritative teaching -- all grounded in Your Word and infused with Your Spirit -- we will be the body and bride of Christ You'll called us to be. You're making us one with You and one with each other, "so that the world will believe" (John 17:21 NLT). "Christ in (us), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). Then "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea!" (Habakkuk 2:14) Then "this Good News of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come!" (Matthew 24:14) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


My friend, may you recognize and grow in your gifts and calling, growing in unity and maturity to the full measure of the stature of Christ, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!



 

   


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

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