Honor the One "Who Sits in the Heavens" - January 12, 2021

Morning by Morning, January 12 - Honor the One "Who Sits in the Heavens"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You rule and reign from Your throne in the heavens, and I welcome You to rule and reign form Your throne in my heart -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

 

"Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?

The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,

'Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.'

 

He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.

Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:

'Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.'

 

I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
'You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.

Ask of Me, and I will give You 
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'

 

Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.

Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him" (Psalm 2:1-12).

 

Lord, the nations are raging. The people are plotting. The kings of the earth are setting themselves in their positions of power and the rulers of our world a taking counsel together to accomplish their purposes and their plans.

 

But You still sit in the heavens. You still rule and reign in Your sovereignty. Though they seek to come against You and Your plans and purposes, seeking to "break" of all constraints of Your authority, seeking to "cast away" all limitations of the principles and precepts of Your Word as the foundational law of the land, You're not worried. You're not afraid. 

 

You're still full of Your peace and Your joy. You can even "laugh" from the heavens, even in the midst of all that breaks Your heart and kindles Your wrath, because You already see how You will redeem it all, even use it all, to fulfill Your Word and work out Your will in the fullness of time.

 

So by the power of Your grace, by an outpouring of Your Spirit, let us and our leaders "be wise" and "be instructed." Let us "serve the Lord" in the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord, honoring You alone as our King of kings and Lord of lords, honoring You as the Anointed One, the only-begotten One, the Son of God, set upon Your holy hill and set as King of All upon our hearts. Let us honor You. Let us draw near to You in both the fear of the Lord and deeper intimacy with the Lord to "kiss the Son."

 

By a move of Your Spirit, break down the strongholds over our land with Your "rod of iron." "Dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel" all that's been created and exalted in the minds of man and over our land, rather than molded by the hand and heart of God. Uproot and remove all that would resist Your will that we would honor the inalienable right of all to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. And establish Your prophetic decree that we would be "one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all." "Declare (Your) decree" of Your redemptive destiny over this land and over us all.

Even now, let this nation still be part of “Your inheritance” of the “sheep nations” rather than the “goat nations” to fulfill our calling and destiny in Your plans to send Your Word and the Gospel of Your Kingdom to “the ends of the earth for Your possession.” For “blessed are all those who put their trust in (You).” In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you draw near to the Lord in both the fear of the Lord and deeper intimacy with the Lord to kiss the Son and trust the Lord to be at work in all we're going through to still fulfill His plans and purposes in your life and our land and all the earth, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. And I continue to join with you in prayer for our nation through these challenging times. God bless you, my friend! 

 

 

Standing firm with you in faith,

in our hearts and in our land.

Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Messiah-Ministries.org

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Our "Strong Tower" where We Are Safe - January 11, 2021

 Morning by Morning, January 11 - Our "Strong Tower" where We Are Safe

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Rock and my Refuge, my Savior and Strong Tower. ...

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
    the righteous run into it and are safe" (Proverbs 18:10).

 

In both humility and faith, in both the deepest intimacy I have with You as a child of God and in the fear of the Lord as a bond-servant of the Most High God, I draw near to You in worship and prayer, in confidence and trust -- as best as I can and all by Your grace. Your name is my strong tower. Your embrace is what keeps me safe.

 

A strong tower withstands the onslaught. A strong tower perseveres and prevails through every battle. A strong tower does not crumble and fall, but endures to the end. And You are my Strong Tower.

 

At the same time, it's the "righteous" who run into it and are safe. ...

 

I thank You that by the blood of Jesus, by the grace of God, You have made me righteous, forgiven and free, to draw near to You. "For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).

 

Come, Holy Spirit. Keep setting things right in me -- right with God, right with others, right within myself. Give me Your right thoughts, right desires, right words, right actions, that I "might become the righteousness of God."

 

"The name of the Lord is (my) strong tower" as the nature of the Lord is formed in my heart.

 

So I "run into it" -- not holding back, not holding out. No surrender and no retreat. Pressing in and praying through, as You make me more like You.

 

From this Strong Tower of Your name, Your nature, Your righteousness being formed in my spirit and soul and body, in all my mind and heart and soul and strength, in every dimension of my being, seeking to be fully surrendered to You and every Dimension of Your Being, I am safe. I am secure. I will stand firm and overcome and endure to the end, no matter what comes, by the power of Your grace at work within me.

 

And now is the time to stand firm. Now is the time to keep the faith. Now is the time to hold fast to our trust in You and Your word and Your will in all that affects our lives. No shrinking back. No surrender. No retreat. We don't run away from the fight, but run into the Strong Tower who sets things right. 

 

Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be those who call upon His name and allow Him to form His righteous nature in their hearts. And blessed be the nation whose God is the Lord. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be safe and secure in the Strong Tower of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ -- pressing in and praying through, enduring to the end in His righteousness formed in you, with no surrender and no retreat, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. And I continue to join with you in prayer for our nation through these challenging times. God bless you, my friend! 

  

Standing with you and keeping the faith,

in our hearts and in our land.

Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Messiah-Ministries.org

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"Who is the God Who will Deliver Us?" - January 8, 2021

Morning by Morning, January 8 - "Who is the God Who will Deliver Us?"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You and You alone as the Rock of my Salvation -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

 

"Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought in; so they brought those men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar said to them, 'Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods and you do not worship the golden statue that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble to fall down and worship the statue that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire, and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?'

 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defense to you in this matter. If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let Him deliver us. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up'" (Daniel 3:13-18).

 

Their faith was tested, but they did not falter. They were sentenced to death and then sought to be put to death, along with their faith and their voice against the will and ways of the ruler of the age -- painfully and publicly. But they would not surrender nor retreat from the passion You placed in their hearts to stand firm for Your Word and Your ways in the midst of a world out of their control. 

 

These faithful sons of Israel were faithful to the God of Israel and would bow down to no other -- not even in the face of "a furnace of blazing fire" and the "furious rage" of the ruler of the land that sought to constrain them and consume them, to silence them and destroy them. Their faith was not in a person or an institution; their faith was in You.

 

The ruler of their age asked, "Who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?" They responded to his fury with their faith. They endured the fiery furnace with their eyes on the One who is "a Consuming Fire" (Hebrews 12:29). And they overcame the fiery furnace in the embrace of the One who was with them always, even in the midst of the fire and the fury of the ruler of their age. Even he had to look and see the salvation of their God: "'Look!' he answered, 'I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God!" (Daniel 3:25 NKJV)

 

You are the God who delivers us. You are the God who is always with us. And You are the God who continues to empower us to stand firm in our faith with You, no matter what we go through.

 

We may have to go through the fire. But it's often in the midst of the fire that our faith is truly tested and purely refined. "The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure, silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times" (Psalm 12:6).

 

Let us not bow down to any god but You. Let us stand firm in the faith You've put in our hearts -- not faith in any person or any institution, but a faith in You.

 

^"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for (us), who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this (we) rejoice, even if now for a little while (we) have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of (our) faith --being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed!" (1 Peter 1:3-7) 

 

Yes, Lord. Let it be so. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you keep looking to the God who will deliver you through every fiery trial you face, faithfully trusting in Him alone, with no surrender and no retreat, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. And I continue to join with you in prayer for our nation through these challenging times. God bless you, my friend! 

  

Standing with you and keeping the faith,

in our hearts and in our land.

Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Messiah-Ministries.org

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

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Fighting Our Battles Only in the Ways of the Lord - January 7, 2021

 Morning by Morning, January 7 - Fighting Our Battles Only in the Ways of the Lord

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Rule and reign as Sovereign Lord in my heart and in my land, for You are our King of kings and Lord of lords. ...

 

Lord, You look and see all that's going on in our land. We yearn for Your righteousness and justice. We pray for Your mercy and miracles. And as we do, give us faith and faithfulness to pray and act from our spirit and not our flesh, in the ways of Your Word and not the ways of our world. Give us boldness to storm the gates of hell, not the gates of private or public property (Matthew 16:18). Give us discipline to fight with the spiritual weapons of our warfare, not the carnal weapons of our world (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

 

The battle belongs to the Lord (2 Chronicles 20:15). So give us wisdom and discernment, courage and boldness, humility and faithfulness, to join the battle only in the ways of the Lord, looking to You alone as Lord, Redeemer, Commander, and Savior of all:

 

"To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

 O my God, in You I trust;
    do not let me be put to shame;
    do not let my enemies exult over me.

Do not let those who wait for You be put to shame;
    let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

Make me to know Your ways, O Lord;
    teach me Your paths.

Lead me in Your truth, and teach me,
    for You are the God of my salvation;
    for You I wait all day long....

 

Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore He instructs sinners in the way.

He leads the humble in what is right,
    and teaches the humble His way.

All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
    for those who keep His covenant and His decrees.

 

For your name's sake, O Lord,
    pardon my guilt, for it is great.

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.

 

My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
    for He will pluck my feet out of the net.

Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.

Relieve the troubles of my heart,
    and bring me out of my distress.

 

Consider my affliction and my trouble,
    and forgive all my sins.

Consider how many are my foes,
    and with what violent hatred they hate me.

O guard my life, and deliver me;
    do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in You.

 

May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
    for I wait for You.

Redeem Israel, O God,
    out of all its troubles" (Psalm 25:1-25).

 

If we're willing to wait and listen for You, You will teach us and lead us in the right way -- the right way to fight, the right way to pray, to right way to hold fast in the faith for all that is right and true, righteous and just. 

 

"Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide Himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it'" (Isaiah 30:20-21).

 

There's a right way and a wrong way to do everything. Even when we seek to do the right thing, we can do it in the wrong way. Then even what was right becomes wrong. The ends do not justify the means. Both the ends of what we desire and the means of how we get there must be right. And You're the One who determines what is right -- both the right ends and the right means.

 

You're our Teacher and our Leader. Teach us Your ways that lead to life. Lead us in Your ways that are right and true and prevail:

 

"Those who are wise understand these things;
    those who are discerning know them.
For the ways of the Lord are right,
    and the upright walk in them,
    but transgressors stumble in them" (Hosea 14:9).

 

Encourage us and empower us to keep seeking You in wisdom, to keep discerning Your ways and only walking in them, as we hold fast to the faith You've put in our hearts to be a people and a nation under God. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be empowered by the Spirit to join the battle of the Lord in the ways of the Lord, looking to the Lord alone as our Redeemer, Commander, and Savior of all, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. And I continue to join with you in prayer for our nation through these challenging times. God bless you, my friend! 

 

  God bless you as you pray for America

and the nations of our world today!

Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Messiah-Ministries.org

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Anyone can sign up for free to receive them at:

Messiah-Ministries.org

 

Holding Fast to Our Redemptive Calling and Purpose - January 6, 2020

 Morning by Morning, January 6 - Holding Fast to Our Redemptive Calling and Purpose

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my heart, here at the foundation of my day, and every step along the way. ...

 

"Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
    who formed you in the womb:
I am the Lord, who made all things,
    who alone stretched out the heavens,
    who by Myself spread out the earth;

who frustrates the omens of liars,
    and makes fools of diviners;
who turns back the wise,
    and makes their knowledge foolish;

who confirms the word of His servant,
    and fulfills the prediction of His messengers;
who says of Jerusalem, 'It shall be inhabited,'
    and of the cities of Judah, 'They shall be rebuilt,
    and I will raise up their ruins';

who says to the deep, 'Be dry-
    I will dry up your rivers';

who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd,
    and he shall carry out all My purpose';
and who says of Jerusalem, 'It shall be rebuilt,'
    and of the temple, 'Your foundation shall be laid'" (Isaiah 44:24-28).

 

In the days when Your messenger, the prophet Isaiah, spoke these words, they were days full of trouble, with days full of trouble to come. Yet You reminded him and You reminded his nation to keep the faith, to keep looking up to the One who "made all things" and "formed (them) in the womb" for Your purposes in the world.

 

And You are the same yesterday and today and forever. You're still the Creator, the Redeemer, the One who sends "the word of (Your) servant" and "fulfills the prediction of (Your) messengers." You're still the One who "frustrates the omens of liars" and "makes fools of diviners," who "turns back the wise" and "makes their knowledge foolish."

 

You're still the One "who says to the deep, 'Be dry.' It's still Your heart as our Shepherd to dry up the swamp, to expose the deep, to reveal the darkness, to rebuild and raise up Your people and Your nations to "carry out all (Your) purpose" -- no matter what troubling times we're in or what troubling times we'll go through.

 

You spoke to Isaiah and his nation Your Words of Spirit and Life, full of truth and hope, to get them through the times of trouble, without wavering in their faith in all they would go through, secure in their identity to fulfill their destiny. You reminded them that just as You were with them in the past, You would be with them now; and You would be with them until every word came to pass and every purpose was fulfilled, declaring:

 

"Remember these things, O Jacob,
    and Israel, for you are My servant;
I formed you, you are My servant;
    O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me.

I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud,
    and your sins like mist;
return to Me, for I have redeemed you" (v. 21-22).

 

Even before they saw Your words and Your promises spoken through Your servants and messengers fulfilled, You encouraged them to look up and even sing out with all Your creation what You would do for Your glory in their nation and for their world, declaring:

 

"Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it;
    shout, O depths of the earth;
break forth into singing, O mountains,
    O forest, and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
    and will be glorified in Israel!" (v. 23)

 

Yes, Lord. Let it be so! Here in our hearts, here in our nation, here in our generation to fulfill our calling and destiny, secure in our identity! Let us hold fast and not give up hope! Let the redemptive calling and gifting of our land in our times be fulfilled -- that the Gospel of the Kingdom may go forth, with freedom and fervor, from the shores of this nation to the ends of the earth! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you hold fast to the redemptive calling and purposes of God for you and your nation, not wavering in your faith, until every word of Spirit and Life from the Lord comes to pass, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. And I continue to join with you in prayer for our nation through these challenging times. God bless you, my friend! 

  God bless you as you pray for America

and the nations of our world today!

Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Messiah-Ministries.org

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Anyone can sign up for free to receive them at:

Messiah-Ministries.org

 

Give Voice and Vote for Righteousness - January 5, 2021

 Morning by Morning, January 5 - Give Voice and Vote for Righteousness

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart to guide my steps this day -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

 

"Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!

For praise from the upright is beautiful....

 

For the word of the Lord is right,

And all His work is done in truth.

He loves righteousness and justice.... 

 

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,

And the host of them by the breath of His mouth....

 

Let all the earth fear the Lord;

Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

For He spoke, and it was done;

He commanded, and it stood fast.

 

The Lord brings the counsel of nations to nothing;

He makes the plans of the people to no effect.

The counsel of the Lord stands forever,

The plans of His heart to all generations.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

The people He has chosen as His own inheritance....

 

No king is saved by the multitude of an army;

A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.

A horse is a vain hope for safety;

Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.

 

Behold the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,

On those who hope in His mercy....

 

Our soul waits for the Lord;

He is our Help and our Shield!

For our heart shall rejoice in Him,

Because we have trusted in His holy name!

Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,

Just as we hope in You!" (Psalm 33:1-22)

 

Many of the citizens of our nation will speak their voice and cast their votes in the State of Georgia today. Many already have. And I join in the prayer of agreement that the voices of righteousness will be heard and the votes for righteousness will be counted. 

 

I join in prayer and proclamation, with a decree of righteousness and justice over our land in the name of Jesus. Let life and liberty, freedom and justice in what is right and true according to Your Word be affirmed. Let principles grounded in Your Word and guided by submission to Your authority in the fear of the Lord be defended in the government of our nation. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord!" (v. 12)

 

O Lord, our Father, look from heaven (v. 13) See the heart of a nation crying out to You, calling upon Your name, desperately depending upon You alone as our Salvation and Hope (v. 18) We don't put our trust or our hopes in horses or chariots, nor the plans of people or the counsel of nations -- we put our trust and our hope in You! (v. 16)

 

O Lord, send forth Your Word! Send forth Your Spirit! Send forth Your hosts of heaven! (v. 6) Speak, and it shall be done! Command, and it shall come to pass! (v. 9)

 

And now we trust that You are our Help and our Shield, because we have trusted in Your holy name (v. 20) This day, and every day throughout this continuing battle for the soul of this nation as a nation under God, "Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You!" (v. 22) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be guided by the Holy Spirit and authority of God's Word, in the fear of the Lord and trusting in the power of His name in your prayers and proclamations, in your attitude and actions in all things, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. And I continue to join with you in prayer for our nation through these challenging times. God bless you, my friend! 

  

God bless you as you pray for America today!

Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Messiah-Ministries.org

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Anyone can sign up for free to receive them at:

Messiah-Ministries.org