I Surrender All 4-9-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are faithful and true, worthy of our trust and worthy of our praise. I praise You now in the trusting surrender of my life today. ... You prepared Your disciples for the troubled times to come. They would need to stand firm in the power of Your strength as everything around them would be shaken to its foundations. Before You told them of the things to come, You told them of the heart they would need. Ironically, you pointed them to the brokenness and surrender of an old woman: "He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; He also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said truly I tell you, truly this widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on" (Luke 21.1-4). That was the key to survive and to triumph through troubled times -- "she put in all she had." She held nothing back, but gave You her all. Where our hearts are, there our treasure will be also. When our hearts are completely surrendered to You, we have nothing to lose. We when are standing completely in Your strength, we have nowhere to fall. When we are emptied of ourselves, we can be filled with You. When we recognize the poverty of our own power apart from You, we are prepared to receive the riches of Your provision for our every need. Then we will not merely survive, we will triumph in the power of Your strength. And those whose hearts are failing for fear of the shaking of heaven and earth around them will turn to the One they see standing firm in us. Give us the wisdom and the grace to prepare for troubled times -- to put in all we have to give of ourselves now so that we will always have all You have to give of Yourself. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouaraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for your prayers for our revival in Georgia. Last night we came to a place of deep surrender of ourselves to be filled with the fullness of Him. I pray the same for each of you. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory 4-8-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. One-on-one, my hand in Yours, Your heart in mine, make us one, in the communion of prayer. ... "For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever" (Matthew 6.13). Our Father, we are Your sons and daughters; we are children of God. You have honored us by giving us Your name. You have called us to give us Your nature. Let Your kingdom come here in our hearts, here in our thoughts, here in the encounters of our lives. Your kingdom comes wherever and whenever we bow to Your authority and submit to Your will and Your ways in trusting surrender. When we put our hand in Yours, the kingdom of God is at hand. Then Your power is released in us and in every circumstance we face. The glory of Your manifest presence fills our hearts and covers our lives, as Your light shines through Your people (Isaiah 60.1-3). Your kingdom comes as Your will is done. "Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head above all. Riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all. In Your hand are power and might; and it is in Your hand to make great and to give strength to all. And now, our God, we give thanks to You and praise Your glorious name!" (1 Chronicles 29.11-13). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Press On and Press Through 4-7-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Cleanse my heart and purify my thoughts, as I humble myself in silence before You, to watch and wait for Your leading. ... Many start well, but You have called us to finish well. Many do well for a season, but You have called us to be ready and available for Your purposes in all seasons. Let us never grow satisfied with what we have done, but always eager to see what more You will do. Increase our desire to press on; intensify our resolve to press through. Let every obstacle we face become an opportunity to grow. Let every challenge before us become a lesson we learn. Anoint us with the power of perseverance. As You have said, "The one who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10.22; 24.9). Let us keep on seeking and receiving the fullness of Your salvation with our Your glory in our sight and Your resolve in our hearts. Let us settle for nothing less than the eternal pleasure of hearing Your words, "Well done, My good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25.21). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Life and Death 4-6-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Giver of life, for You are Life. Breathe Your life afresh into my spirit and soul and body this day and every day. ... The headlines are flooded with a tidal wave of death in these days -- the deaths of Pope John Paul and Terry Schiavo; victims of earthquakes, tsunamis, famines and disease; massacres and murders of terrorism; the tragedy and casualties of war; the shock of shootings even in our children's schools. We are awash in a sea of blood throughout the earth. The darkness of destruction and death is on the march. "Who can live and never see death? Who can escape the power of Sheol? (Psalm 89.48). Yet, Life lives on in the face of death. As we turn our eyes to You, Life leads us through the valley of the shadow of death. You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14.6). It is the thief who comes to steal and kill and destroy, but You have come that we might have life and have it abundantly (John 10.10). In the victory of Your cross, "death has been swallowed up in victory" (1 Corinthians 15.54). Yet victory must be enforced, soul by soul, nation by nation, generation by generation, as Life marches on and "the last enemy to be destroyed is death" (1 Corinthians 15.26). You have won the victory over death for us by embracing life through death, by enduring the shame of death for the sake of the joy of life beyond the gate of death (Hebrews 12.1-2). "Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death (Hebrews 2.14-15). Praise You, Lord Jesus, for Your victory over death and the one who wields the power of death. You have captured the thief and put him under Your feet. Though we may have to pass through the gate of the death and live our lives through the valley of the shadow of death, we need not fear. You snatch us out of the hands of death and place us into the hands of our Father. Death is one of the gates of hell that cannot prevail against You and Your church (Matthew 16.18). There is a generation who will see the fullness of Your Kingdom and the ultimate consummation of Your victory -- who will not even "taste of death" (Matthew 16.27-28). There will soon come a day of the world-wide display of Your victory over death when You return in glory. "For the Lord Himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel's call and with the sound of God's trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4.16-18). "My son, embrace Life and not death. Death is to be endured, not glorified. Death is a passing moment of apparent victory for the one who delights in the marring of My creation, yet he is defeated and I am enforcing My victory for all those who entrust their lives to Me. This is how I delight even through the death of My precious ones, for death becomes a door into the fullness of life." Yes, Lord. We overcome death though life in You. Thank You for helping us to grow in understanding. Death is a step in the journey through a broken and fallen world, but our hope is not in this world or its ways. Our hope is in You. Let us be encouraged by Your Word: "I have said this to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!" (John 16.33). "Thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" (1 Corinthians 15.57). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouaraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Steady as She Goes 4-5-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Here I am to worship. Here I am to pray. Here I am to watch and to wait as we begin a new day. ... "Steady as she goes." Yes, Lord. In a way, our lives are like a ship at Your command. We may encounter troubling seas or dangerous waters, but we are to stay the course, moving forward with caution, at Your command. We are to move steadily forward and we are to move cautiously; but we need not fear, for we will not waver as we continue to place You at the helm. "To be steady, is to be consistent and persistent. Keep your eyes fixed on Me, and I will direct your course. Keep your ears tuned to the sound of My voice, and you will hear My commands. Though you traverse troubled waters, you will not crash upon the shoals, but will fulfill the calling of your journey." Yes, Lord. You are the Master and Commander of our vessel. You are the Lord of Hosts and the Captain of our command. Give us the wisdom to seek You, the sensitivity to hear You, and the courage to obey. "Keep my steps steady according to Your promise, and never let iniquity have dominion over me" (Psalm 119.133). Then we will be steady and secure through these troubled times. Then we will know Your peace in the journey and finish our course for our generation with valor and honor, by Your grace. "Those of steadfast mind, You keep in peace -- in peace because they trust in You" (Isaiah 26.3). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'd appreciate your prayers for our revival this weekend at Hickory Flat United Methodist Church in Canton, Georgia. May the Lord stir His revival in your hearts and cities. To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Open Our Eyes 4-4-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Take my thoughts and lead me near to You -- from the outer court, to the inner court, to the Holy of Holies beyond the veil. ... When we come inside a room from the outside, our eyes have to adjust so that we can see. The same is true when we go from the inside to the outside. The same vision that serves us well in one realm is not sufficient for the other. For these days, our eyes must adjust to see more clearly the spiritual realities beyond the veil of the physical circumstances. For the carnal mind steeped in the ways of the world, this is foolishness; but for the worshippers and warriors who will be Your heart and hands upon the earth by Your Spirit in these days, this is essential. "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5.7). Lord, increase our faith, our wisdom, and our discernment that are necessary to bridge the realms of the spiritual and physical. "The discerning person looks to wisdom, but the eyes of a fool to the ends of the earth" (Proverbs 17.24). You are Spirit and You lead us by Your Spirit, so we must learn to be as comfortable in the spiritual realm as in the physical realm of our lives. We must learn how to see more clearly with our spiritual eyes. As You opened the eyes of Elisha's servant to the spiritual realities beyond the surface of the physical circumstances, open our spiritual eyes, that we may see to worship and to fight as You lead (2 Kings 6.15-17). You only did what You saw our Father doing (John 5.19). May Your Holy Spirit open our eyes to see what our Father is doing -- for that is what we are called to do and that is where we are called to go, all by Your power and by Your grace. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Spiritual Fathers 4-3-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be high and exalted throughout the earth and here in my heart. ... Pope John Paul II passed through the gates of death into the presence of Life yesterday. He sees You face to face in the glory of eternity as he takes his place among the great cloud of witnesses who have run their race and finished their course on earth (Hebrews 12.1-2). Though all do not agree with all of his teachings and interpretations of Your Word as the leader of the stream of Christianity known as the Roman Catholic Church, all may agree that he sought to be an "ambassador of Christ" with humility, integrity, and faith. Not being from that stream, I have been reflecting on the idea of the Catholic office of Pope. As I understand it, the title of "Pope" comes from the Latin word for "papa," meaning a term of affection for "father." As in our journey of life in the natural realm, it is true that we are to grow in maturity in the spiritual realm as well. You spoke of these levels of spiritual maturity through the apostle John: "I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven on account of His name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him Who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have conquered the evil one. I write to you children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know Him Who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one" (1 John 2.12-14). As the church moves forward at Your command, those who have grown from children in the faith to young men and women of the faith, are now being called to take their places as spiritual fathers and mothers in the Lord. Father, give them grace to lead with humility, integrity, and faith. When Moses passed on to be with You, Joshua was ready to take his place of leadership and to move forward in the advance of Your kingdom. Though You are our Father, You also bless us with spiritual fathers to help us grow in maturity. Though You are our Teacher, You also bless us with spiritual teachers to help us understand Your Word and Your ways. Help us grow in grace so that we will each be ready to take our place in our generation, as You fulfill Your purposes in us and through us to Your glory. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Moving Forward 4-2-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. May You increase and I decrease. Let my thoughts be still, so that I can hear Yours'; let my heart be quiet so I can sense the leading of Yours'. ... "Move forward. Do not hesitate as I give the command. This is why I have been training you to hear My voice, to sense My leading, to know My Word. I have been preparing you, sanctifying you, equipping you. Now I am moving you forward. Though it will be one step at a time, there will be steps. Your steps will not be alone, for I am moving My people forward in unity and in agreement. Steady steps, in agreement, directed by My voice, will become a march." Yes, Lord. Doors in line with our dreams will begin to open that have not been open before. Thoughts that seemed like distant visions will become reality as they grow in intensity and we hear them confirmed in the mouth of witnesses You send across our paths. Your Kingdom is advancing as You move Your people forward. Before the walls of Jericho fell down, You first called Your people to march, but when You gave the command, "the people charged straight ahead in to the city and captured it" (Joshua 6.20). Give us discernment to hear You and courage to obey You, as the march begins. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Jesus is Lord 4-1-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I actively welcome You into my heart and my thoughts in whole-hearted surrender and single-minded devotion. ... " 'The Word is near to you, on your lips and in your heart' (that is the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The Scripture says, 'No one who believes in Him will be put to shame' "(Romans 10.8-11). Lord, let our lips and our lives come into agreement; let our minds and our hearts be one. Release in us the kind of knowing faith that truly transforms our lives rather than a superficial level of identity with You. Knowing the right doctrines or understanding with our minds Who You are and what You have done is different from living a life in surrender to the leading of Your Lordship in every area of our lives. As Your Word warns us, "You believe that God is One; you do well. Even the demons believe -- and shudder" (James 2.19). Let our faith not be a facade. Let our lives be a reflection of our hearts, and let our hearts be fully surrendered to You. You give us the right and the responsibility to choose whether to fully surrender our lives to You or not, and You hold us accountable for our choices. As best as I can, I willingly submit to Your Lordship in every area of my life. You are Lord of my spirit, my soul, and my body. You are Lord of my marriage, my family, and all my relationships. You are Lord of my identity and Lord of my destiny, Lord of my work and my ministry, Lord of my gifting and calling and anointing. You are Lord of my finances and resources. You are Lord of my hopes, my dreams, my plans. You are Lord of my past, my present, and my future. You are Lord of all, as far as Your grace will go. I choose to declare now with my lips and my life, by Your grace, what all will declare sooner or later -- as every knee bows and every tongue confesses -- that "Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2.9-11). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we'll be at the regional conference for Aglow International in Lexington, KY this weekend, where I serve as one of the advisors. Please cover us in your prayers and may the Lord cover you in His love. God bless! To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Deliver Us from Evil 3-31-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let the peace of Your presence settle over me, as You draw me in to the place of prayer. ... "Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified everywhere, just as it is among you, and that we may be rescued from wicked and evil people; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one" (2 Thessalonians 3.1-3). In this broken and fallen world, where we face the challenges of suffering and sickness and death each day, we also face evil. According to Your Word, there are "evil people" and there is "the evil one." Help us to keep the distinction clear. We are to love the people and hate the evil one. You call us to love the people and to forgive them, while confronting them by speaking the truth in love -- even when they are doing evil things that hurt others and hurt us (Matthew 5.43-48). But we are to war against the evil one. "For our struggle is not against enemies of flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6.12). Thank You for Your faithfulness. You are always there to strengthen us and to guard us from the evil one. You deliver us from evil as we entrust ourselves to Your care -- not passively, but actively, as we take up our armor to be clothed in Christ in order to take our stand against our true enemy. "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Ephesians 6.10-11). What peace You bring even in the midst of the battles -- battles we win by Your grace as we keep loving the people even in the face of evil. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Come to Me 3-30-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I humble myself in Your sight to watch and wait for Your leading. Fill my heart with the fullness of Your presence, I pray. ... Thank You for Your promise to sustain us when we become weary and renew us when we are weak. There is so much pain and so much need in this broken and fallen world, as time continues to accelerate to the fulfillment of all things. Yet in Your grace, You remind us that we are but the instruments in Your hands. We are not to bear the burdens on ourselves, but we are to bear them to You. We are not the answer, but we are to lead others to the One Who is. "Come to Me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light" (Matthew 11.28-30). You are singing a new song of the Spirit over us, as You lift these burdens we've been bearing from our shoulders and take them onto Yours: "Come to Me; Come rest in Me; Come lay your head down. As I arise; Though I had died; I rise up in you. I am your strength; Your friend in deed; I supply your every need. Just trust in Me; Believe in Me; With your mind and with your heart. Then you will see; I'm all you need; Your Master and Your King. I'll walk with you; I'll see you through; I'll lead you in My ways. Give Me your sorrows; Give Me your pain; I free you from all shame. Come seek My joy; Come know My peace; I fill you with My love. Receive My life; Let go of strife; Be made one and whole in Me. For I am Love; And I love you; Come receive My love. Forevermore; And for every day; I am always here. I never leave; So just believe; Put your trust in Me. There's no other way; To face each day; Apart from My love for you. So come and rest in Me." Yes, Lord. Thank You for this new song You've written in my spirit. We come to You this day to rest in You as You arise in us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please feel free to use any of these songs, peoms, or words that come from the Lord as He may lead. They belong to Him. The words in quotes in my devotionals, not referenced by a Scripture, are from the Lord in prayer that day. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Touch Me 3-29-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill me afresh with Your Holy Spirit, as You abide in me and I abide in You. ... As You walked into the room where Your disciples hid, You've come to walk into the room of our spirits, in the closet of prayer. You humbled Thomas' pride and unbelief by offering the body of Christ to him that day (John 20.19-25). Now, You call us to humble ourselves to receive Your body and Your blood in the communion of prayer with Your Holy Spirit every day: "Touch My hands -- they were nailed to the cross for you. Touch My side -- it was pierced to let the water and the blood flow down for you. Touch My feet -- as you humble yourself in My sight, I will lift you up. Touch My head -- the crown of thorns has become My crown of glory. Touch my back -- the stripes I bore were for your healing and the punishment that should have been laid up you has been laid upon Me, that you might be made whole. I am the fullness of your salvation by the sacrifice of My love for you. Touch Me with your hearts, welcome Me in your spirits, and receive the full measure of all I have suffered for you to receive." Yes, Lord. You don't want us to hold back, but to draw near -- with humble hearts, in trusting faith. Let us honor You by receiving all that the sacrifice of Your life has given. Remove our pride that causes us to hesitate, though we think it is humility. Remove our doubt and unbelief that causes us to question, though we think it is wisdom. "For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1.18). Thank You for the power of God released to us through the sacrifice of Your cross and the glory of Your resurrection. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Resurrection Power! 3-28-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Arise in my heart as we begin this new day together. ... Today begins the season of forty days we remember how You appeared in Your resurrection glory, beginning to point Your disciples to the Holy Spirit, Who would come lead them in Your ways to fulfill their destiny. "After His suffering He presented Himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the Kingdom of God. While staying with them, He ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. 'This,' He said, 'is what you have heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now' " (Acts 1.3-5). Thank You, Lord, for the many convincing proofs of Your life and Your power when we turn our eyes to You and call upon Your name. You lift the burdens we can't bear alone, You turn our mourning into joy, You free us from the bondage of the world, the flesh, and the devil. And You give us the gift of Your Holy Spirit, as our Father has promised to send in Your name, to dwell in our hearts and empower us to live our lives in Your resurrection power. Breathe the breath of Your Spirit into our spirits afresh this day and every day, that we may fulfill our destiny in our generation, as Your first disciples did in theirs'. As was said of those first believers, let it be said of us: "These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also!" (Acts 17.6). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be preaching a revival in Canton, Georgia the weekend of April 8-9 called "the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory." If you're in that area, please come, and if not, please cover us in your prayers. God bless! To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

He is Risen! 3-27-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Consume my thoughts in these moments alone with You at the start of a new day. ... "He is risen!" "He is risen indeed!" Since the beginning of Your church, Your disciples have greeted one another this way on the day we celebrate Your resurrection. You were crucified, dead, and buried, but on the third day, You arose! Death could not hold You, Satan could not defeat You -- You are Life itself, and life always overcomes death just as light always overcomes darkness. "But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again" (Luke 24.1-7). Roll away the stones of doubt and unbelief, and arise in our hearts in the power of Your resurrection. We've been looking for the living among the dead for too long. Free us from the hold of mediocrity in our lives, trying to live the life of faith without being crucified in our flesh and dead to the ways of this world. You are not there in those places and in those ways, You are here before us in Your resurrected glory calling us to arise with You. "If the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through His Spirit that dwells in you" (Romans 8.11). "Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you" (Ephesians 5.14). Yes, Lord. Let this day be our third day, as we arise in newness of life with You. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

The Day of Silence 3-26-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let my body be still; let my soul be quiet; let my spirit soar, as I settle in to the place of prayer to follow where Your Spirit leads. ... You breathed Your last on Good Friday and they laid You in the tomb behind the stone. On Resurrection Sunday the stone would be rolled away and You would rise in the victory of resurrection power. What of Saturday -- the day the silence of the grave must have been deafening? "For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which He also went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you--not as removal of dirt from the body, but as a appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to Him" (1 Peter 3.18-22). "But they will have to give an accounting to Him Who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does" (1 Peter 4.4-6). Though the tomb was silent on the day between the first day and third day, You were not. The One Who would rise to the highest heaven also descended to the depths of hell (Ephesians 4.8-10). You were proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom of God, as "the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead." You are relentless in the sacrifice of Your love for us; You are relentless in Your pursuit of our hearts for You. Open the blinded eyes to Your truth and soften the hardened hearts to Your love, so that through repentance and faith, even "death is swallowed up in victory" by the power of Your resurrected Life (1 Corinthians 15.54). Thanks be to God! In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

It is Finished 3-25-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open my eyes to see You and open my ears to hear you, as I wait and watch for Your leading. ... "It is finished" (John 19.30). On a Friday long ago that we now call good, You poured out Your blood and gave up Your spirit for us all. You Who knew no sin were made to be sin for us. Everything that could keep us from receiving the fullness of our salvation and living in deepest intimacy in relationship with our God was laid upon You that day -- as You hung naked and alone, rejected and despised upon the cross for us. "Surely He has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the punishment that made us whole, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53.4-6). Though it did not seem good that day, it would be revealed to be the greatest day. Death would give way to life, despair would give way to joy, and defeat would give way to victory. Your light overcame the darkness, and the Kingdom of Heaven was eternally established upon the earth. The plan and purposes of God were finished, accomplished, and fulfilled. Give us the faith to believe it and the courage to live it. The power of Your blood is available to overcome every obstacle to the fullness of our salvation through the victory of Your cross, but You have left it to us to enforce the victory and apply the blood, by Your grace. Let us fulfill our responsibility, because You have already fulfilled Yours. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

The Place of Surrender 3-24-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Teach me Your ways and lead me in Your paths -- the truth is I have so very far to go. Yet You are my example, my light, and my strength as I choose to follow in Your steps, by Your grace. Strengthen me for the journey each day in our time of prayer together. ... Your steps on this earth led You to a garden called Gethsemane -- the place of absolute surrender to the will of our Father. "Then He said to them, 'I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here and stay awake with Me.' And going a little farther, He threw Himself on the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not what I want but what You want" (Matthew 26.38-39). There is a cup for each of us to drink, just as there is a cross for each of us to bear. "If any want to become My followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for My sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it" (Mark 8.34-35). Blinded by their own insecurities and puffed up in their own pride, Your first disciples thought they were ready to drink of the cup, as they revealed the blind-spots in their vision of themselves. "And they said to Him, 'Grant us to sit, one at Your right hand and one at Your left, in Your glory.' But Jesus said to them, 'You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized with?" They replied, "We are able" (Mark 10.37-39). They said they were able, but they were not. They thought they had come a long way, but they had far to go. We cannot share in the glory of Your resurrection without first sharing in the crucifixion of Your death. We cannot rise up and follow You until we bow down and surrender. Show us what is our cup to drink, what is our cross to bear. Open our eyes to see the flesh that still needs to be crucified in our soul and the hardness of our pride that still needs to be humbled. Bring us each to the place where we surrender and submit to Your will and Your way. This is the place where we say with You, by Your grace, "Not my will, but Thy will, be done." In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Freely Receive, Freely Give 3-23-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I enter in to the place of prayer with this praise song on my heart: "He gave His life, what more could He give? -- O how He loves you; O how He loves me; O how He loves you and me." ... You gave Your life freely for us so that we can give our lives freely to others. As You sent out Your first disciples to lay down their lives for others in ministry, You told them"...Freely have you received, freely give" (Matthew 10.8). Then, as we give our lives away for others as You have given away Your life for us, there is no limit to the blessings and favor and grace You lavish upon our lives in Your ways and in Your timing. It's an application of Your spiritual principles: "For with the judgment you make, you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get (Matthew 7.2). "Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow" (Galatians 6.7). It would be wrong to try to manipulate these principles for our own gain; and, at the same time, it would be foolish not to know these principles apply to our lives. Praise You for the beautiful and amazing revelation of these principles last weekend. A lady named MaryAnn came up to the team for prayer because of the pain in her shoulder from severed tendons, where she couldn't lift her arm. Her livelihood was as a woodworker and she had just restored and refinished a communion table for the local Baptist Church. Though she didn't have much, she felt You laid it on her heart to write across their bill, "No Charge." As she asked for prayer Friday night and tried to describe what she couldn't do, she was doing it as she lifted her arm straight up in the air. Soon she was lifting it up with joy and praise! It was as if You said from heaven, "No Charge," as You restored and refinished her. Then, if that were not enough to make Your point, another lady named Dianne ran up to her Saturday morning after hearing the testimony. She said she knew about the joy and blessing of giving in response to Your call to give when it seemed there was nothing to give, as she put several twenty dollar bills in MaryAnn's hand. It was a humbling moment for all of us. Then some of us heard "the rest of the story" Sunday morning at Dianne's local Methodist Church! She had come home Saturday night and her kids immediately noticed a fresh joy and peace in their mother's heart. Then she opened the mail to find a letter from Eastern Kentucky University offering a full, four-year scholarship for her oldest child. She couldn't quit shouting from the front of the church, "You can't out-give God!" No, we can't. It might not always happen so quickly and so directly from our limited perspective, but it is one of the ways You have called us to be like You. You gave Your life, what more could You give? Freely have we received, now we are to freely give. Whether it's our love, our time, our resources, or our forgiveness, any gift we have to give is just a gift you've first given to us. Give us the wisdom and the courage, the humility and the faith, to give our lives away to one another as You lead. For as we give to one another with grateful hearts, we are giving to You (Matthew 25.40). In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com God bless you!

Holy Week 3-22-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You in to the temple of my body; be exalted on the throne of my heart. ... Changed hearts; changed lives -- You did not come to die on the cross to start a new religion; You came to change us into the people You created us to be. We are created for relationship, not religion; we are created for intimacy, not independence. Yet You can only change us to the degree that we admit we need to be changed. We confess we are often blinded by our pride and our wounds have grown calloused so that we lose our sensitivity to Your touch and dull the discernment of Your voice. Sometimes we need You to come bursting into the temples of our lives and turn over the tables. We need You to come drive out the moneychangers we've allowed to come in and set up shop in the holy ground of our hearts (Matthew 21.12-17). That's when we'll know that Holy Week is more than a few days on the calendar before Easter Sunday. Come set up Your house of prayer in our hearts. Come let judgment begin in the house of the Lord (1 Peter 4.17). Come slay our pride, cleanse our hearts, and change our lives in the power of Your coming. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!

Every Day Matters 3-21-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open my eyes to see You in the Word; open my ears to hear You in the still, small voice. ... It seems You are saying, "In these days, every day matters. When I call you to rest, then rest for you will need your rest in the day I call you to arise. When I call you to go, then go for I have already prepared the way. When I call you to wait, then wait for I am ordering your steps and the steps of others. Every encounter is a divine encounter; every moment is a holy moment, if you will entrust each day to Me." Yes, Lord. Give us this perspective that every day matters, every moment matters. Yet as we look to You as our guide and our source of provision, it is not a burden we cannot bear because You bear it for us. It's not a responsibility we cannot fulfill because You fulfill it through us. In the wilderness, they sought You and Your provision every day. "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not" (Exodus 16.4). Every day mattered to them and every day must matter to us. As You taught us to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread" (Luke 11.3). You are the source of our provision and You provide all we need. You call us to be ready to do our part, each day, so that all the parts come together to accomplish Your purpose in these days. Let us not waste a single day. Every day matters, because every life You would touch through us every day matters. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for your prayers for our weekend retreat. There were incredible testimonies already of God's healing love and the desire to pray for others to recieve it. May you recieve His healing love and give it away to others each day. To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!