"Whatever you do" 10-15-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I turn my eyes and my heart to You. ... "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). My oldest son, Zachary, and I are away this weekend for his soccer tournament. We will both have many opportunities to blend in with the world and its ways in our words and actions or to be faithful to Your ways and Your nature. Someone has said that your character is defined by what you do when no one is looking. And someone has said a Christian's character is truly revealed Monday through Saturday, rather than Sunday. Our character is our nature and You call us to have Your nature -- not just in church, but also in the marketplace; not just around our friends, but also around our enemies; not just when things are going well, but also when they're not. "Thus He has given us, through these things, His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature" (1 Peter 2:4). Give us grace to face the challenges and opportunities to reveal Your nature through our lives each day. Strengthen us when we are tempted; and convict us when stumble, that we may return to You in repentance -- learning and growing through every experience. Help us grow up into the full measure of the stature of Christ, to bring You glory with our lives in all that we do. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Lovc of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Knowing You, Jesus" 10-14-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me start this day well -- seeking Your face and receiving Your grace. ... "May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of our Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness" (2 Peter 1:2-3). To know Your power, we must know You. Through knowing You, we receive everything needed for life. You have not called us to merely know about You, but to know You. How can we know You unless we spend time with You -- not just with Your Word, but with You. Not just through reading of the experiences of others with You, but through having our own experiences of Your presence with us. Then we will not only have Your grace and Your peace, we will have it "in abundance." In the words of the worship song: "Knowing You, Jesus. There is no greater thing. You're my all, You're the best, You're my joy, my righteousness, and I love You, Lord...." We love You, Lord, and we want to grow more every day in knowing You. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, if you are in the Lexington area, please Come to The Fountain this Saturday night for our monthly, citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship -- 7pm in the chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. People come from all traditions and denominations for a time of intimate worship in the presence of the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads. Paul Cooper from Liberty Worship Center will lead in worship and Doris McCray will lead in prayer. Our prayer ministry team will be availble throughtout the evening. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Gift of Mothers 10-13-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your Living Waters flow through my soul. ... " 'Honor your father and mother' -- this is the first commandment with a promise: 'so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth' " (Ephesians 6:2-3). Since I was a little boy, my mother's favorite gift from me was for me to write a few words in a poem from my heart. I see now that You were teaching me then to listen for the leading of Your voice and write the words You would give me to touch the heart of another. Thank You for teaching us and equipping us in the journeys of our lives to find our place in the body of Christ and to share the gifts You've given us with one another. Let these words You have given me touch the hearts of our mothers today: You conceived me and carried me Before I breathed my first breath of life. You held me and nurtured me Before I could crawl. You sang to me and played with me Before I could speak a word. You laughed with me and cried with me Before I could understand what it meant. You corrected me and disciplined me Before I could choose for myself. You encouraged me and taught me Before I could think for myself. You blessed me and released me Before I could bless the children of my own. You lived your life in as an example of love before me Before I could honor you by trying to live out my life in the example of your love. Thank You for the gift of mothers. Thank You for the gift of my mother. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

We will Overcome 10-12-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You and call upon Your name. ... As my alarm clock went off this morning, I was in a dream, standing before the people of a church. I was saying: "Turn in your Bibles to Revelation 1, verse 1. The Apostle John was writing this letter to the Christians of the first generation, but God was writing the letter through John to the Christians of every generation. He was encouraging them and encouraging us to take courage in Him through every tribulation. We need not fear, for God is with us. God will not leave us, no matter what we face. We will endure, we will persevere, we will overcome -- through Jesus Christ our Lord." Thank You, Lord, for Your words of encouragement. You are Faithful and True. And You are preparing Your people to stand firm in the faith and the courage You give by Your grace. You are deepening our revelation of the person and nature of Jesus Christ, deepening our dependence upon our Father in heaven who is perfectly revealed in Christ, deepening our intimacy with the Holy Spirit of God who fills us with the heart of the Father and the mind of Christ. We will stand firm in You when everything around us is shaken. "We must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22, KJV). But by Your grace, we will not fear, for You are with us (Isaiah 43:1-7). Neither the trials nor tribulations that we will ever face "will be able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 8:39). In Christ, we are more than conquerors; we are overcomers. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, if you are in the Lexington area, please Come to The Fountain this Saturday night for our monthly, citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship -- 7pm in the chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. People come from all traditions and denominations for a time of intimate worship in the presence of the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads. Paul Cooper from Liberty Worship Center will lead in worship and Doris McCray will lead in prayer. Our prayer ministry team will be availble throughtout the evening. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Yielded and Still" 10-11-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I choose to please you and not people, to submit to Your will and not mine. Form Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. I entrust my life to You intentionally, deliberately because You are worthy of my obedience and my trust. ... "Yet, O Lord, You are our Father. We are the clay, and You are our potter; we are all the work of Your hand" (Isaiah 64:8). When the clay is centered on the potter's wheel, there is no wobbling or bending. The clay is yielded and still. All resistance is smoothed away, as the shape of the vessel and the will of the potter become one. Water us with Your Word, Lord. Center us in Your Spirit. Shape us into the vessels of Your choosing for the purposes of Your will. Turn us through the challenges and struggles of this broken, fallen world as You smooth away our resistance and mold us into the work of Your hand. Give us courage to embrace Your hands without resistance, sensing the gentle pressure of Your Word and Your ways. Let the old hymn be our prayer: "Have Thine own way, Lord. Have Thine own way. Thou art the Potter; I am the clay. Mold me and make me, after Thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still." In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, if you are in the Lexington area, please Come to The Fountain this Saturday night for our monthly, citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship -- 7pm in the chapel at Centenary, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. People come from all traditions and denominations for a time of intimate worship in the presence of the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads. Paul Cooper from Liberty Worship Center will lead in worship and Doris McCray will lead in prayer. Our prayer ministry team will be availble throughtout the evening. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Frequency and Intensity of Birth Pangs 10-9-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. My rock and my refuge, my strong tower and strength. I rest in You and trust in You -- secure in the power of Your presence. ... "For God alone my soul waits in silence; for my hope is from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us" (Psalm 62:5-8). What a picture of this age we have seen this weekend: Earthquakes in India and California, mudslides in Mexico, devastation from hurricanes in the Gulf Coast, famine in Sudan, war in Iraq, terror in Israel, and the global threat of a world-wide plague of avian flu. All the earth is groaning in the pangs of birth for the revealing of the glory of God (Romans 8:18-25). All that can be shaken is being shaken, so that only what cannot be shaken remains (Hebrews 12:25-29). Your presence is Your glory. Faith in You is our hope. While all that can be shaken is shaken, You are teaching us to stand firm in the power of Your strength, upon the Rock of our refuge in You. As each day passes and as the earthquakes and famines and wars and plagues increase in the frequency and intensity of the pangs of birth, the eyes of the world and the eyes of our hearts are being opened to the truth of our only Hope. Our hope is in You, and in You alone. Everything else will tremble and crumble and fall -- everything else but the mighty Rock and Refuge of our God. We pour out our hearts before You and find our refuge in the peace and the power of Your presence in our hearts through it all. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Well-Worn Path 10-8-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Teach me Your ways, reveal to me Your truth, live Your life through me. ... As I close my physical eyes to wait on You, the eyes of my spirit are opened to see a man walking down a path. It winds through a field and a forest, over a hill and through a dry creek bed. Then it rises up to cross an open plain of green grass before ending at the porch of his home. Then I see the same man going down the same path, but this time it is dark. His pace is a little slower but still steady as he confidently moves along the path to his home. It seems You are saying, "Learn to walk in My paths while it is light. Then you will know how to walk when it is dark. Let your feet learn to follow the well-worn paths of righteousness in the light of the day, then they will not fail you during the darkness of the night. As surely as there is day, there is night. Yet my path remains the same through both the darkness of night and the light of day." Yes, Lord. "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" (Psalm 25:4-5). Lead us in the paths of righteousness until they become well-worn and familiar beneath our feet. We don't have to travel this journey alone. You are with us and You are within in -- our Way, our Truth, and our Life. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Cleans Hands and Pure Hearts 10-7-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As the song says, "Give us clean hands, give us pure hearts, let us not lift our souls to another." I lift my soul to You and to You alone, my Lord and my God. ... "Who will ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully. They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of their salvation. Such is the company of those who seek Him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob" (Psalm 24:3-6). We have no righteousness apart from You. We have clean hands and pure hearts only by the washing of Your Living Water, only by the cleansing of the Blood of the Lamb. "In Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So, we are ambassadors of Christ, since God is making His appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:19-21). In Christ, we "become the righteousness of God." In Christ, we have clean hands and pure hearts. In Christ, we ascend the hill of the Lord to worship the Lord our God in spirit and in truth. This is our blessing and vindication, this is our hope and our peace, as we seek You and find You in this holy place of prayer. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Holy Spirit of God 10-6-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good morning, Heavenly Father. Good morning, Holy Spirit. ... "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:30-32). Bitterness grieves You, but kindness welcomes You. Wrath and anger push You away, but tenderness and gentleness draw You near. Wrangling and slander and malice resist You, but forgiveness embraces You. Holy Spirit of God, we need You. Forgive us for all the ways we have grieved You and resisted You, rejected You and dishonored You -- often with the theologies of our minds and more often with the hardness of our hearts. Your nature is holy. You are the Spirit of Holiness and You come into our minds and hearts to correct us and convict us, so that You can make us more like You. You are the Spirit of God in Christ; and You desire to be the Spirit of God in us --"the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). "Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:1-2). As we confess and repent of our unholy ways, we receive Your Holy Spirit and embrace Your holy ways. We surrender our lives to You as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God, to live our lives for the hope of Your glory. In Jesus' name we, pray. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please let me know if you would like to order my new teaching dvd's called "Preparing the Way of the Lord -- Prayer Ministry of Inner Healing and Deliverance." This is my most recent teaching on the biblical principles of healing and deliverance in the context of the Holy Spirit preparing the bride of Chirst and empowering the people of God to shine as lights in the midst of the darkness in these days before the return of Christ. Please send a check or credit card information to "Messiah Ministries" for $50 plus $3 shipping, and spread the word to those who might be interested. I'm very grateful to Mikal and Tammy Watts of Corpus Christi, Texas for helping make this possible. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Fill Me with Your Spirit 10-5-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit and fill me with Your Life. I listen for Your leading at the dawn of a new day. ... Fill me with Your Spirit, Fill me with Your Life. Lead me through the darkness, Lead me to Your Light. Let me taste the Living Waters, Let me drink deeply from Your Well. As You strengthen me in Power, As You storm the gates of hell. Teach me Your holy Wisdom, Teach me Your holy Ways. I will live for You forever, I will live for You today. Yes, Lord. Thank You for this song You are writing on my heart. Sing it through our souls and declare it through our lives this day. "Be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:18-20). Thank You, Father. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Song of Moses 10-4-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Arise in my heart and arise in my thoughts. Let the glory of Your presence and the peace of Your power fill my life. ... "Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: 'I will sing to the Lord for He has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider He has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my might, and He has become my salvation. This is my God and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is His name' "(Exodus 15:1-3). We sing the song of Moses over our enemies of stress and strain, worry and fear, discouragement and depression. We sing the song of Your deliverance over our spiritual adversaries who pursue us to torment us to the death -- death of our vision, our hope, our calling, our lives. But You have triumphed in the victory of Your cross and the glory of Your resurrection. You are our might, our strength, and our salvation. You are a warrior, mighty in battle, casting our enemies into the sea of Your wrath, consuming them in the fire of Your fury. And we sing Your praise even now in the midst of the battle, for the battle in won and the victory assured. "Your hand, O Lord, glorious in power -- your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of Your majesty You overthrew Your adversaries; You sent out Your fury, it consumed them like stubble" (Exodus 15:6-7). Send the fire of Your fury. Send the waters of Your wrath. Shatter the enemy of our souls, the pursuer of Your people. Deliver us into the safety of Your mighty arms as in the days of Moses. There is no safety, no security, apart from Your presence and Your power. So we praise You and thank You for the peace You bring in the knowledge of Your power and the arms of Your presence. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Happy Day 9-29-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. When the earth and all that can be shaken is being shaken, You are the Rock on which I stand. My hope is not in my government, my possessions, my power, or my wisdom; my hope is in You. In the words of the old hymn, "On Christ the solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand." ... "I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a Rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. Happy are those who make the Lord their trust...." (Psalm 40:1-4). My youngest son, Elijah (youngest so far -- our fifth child in our blended family is now on the way!), has been starting his mornings with a little phrase that no one could have taught him but You, Lord. He will poke his head in the door and declare with his little three-year old voice, "It sure is a happy day!" If I'm not careful, sometimes the thoughts will come to mind, "Son, haven't you been watching the news? Don't you know about all the earthquakes and hurricanes and famines and terrorism and wars?" Then I realized the other day, he does sit down with us and watch the news. He does hear us, and everyone around us, talking about the upheaval of all creation in these days. But his little eyes are not on all of that. His eyes on are You. In the midst of it all, there's Your Holy Spirit rising up in his little human spirit to declare to the world, "It sure is a happy day!" He's not deceived; he's just full of the Holy Spirit. He's not confused, he's just confident that the little prayers he prays before he goes to bed at night are that same prayers that You've answered when he gets up in the morning. Lord, lift us up out of the miry bog of worry and fear, out of the desolate pit of our "pit-i-ful" attitudes of pessimism and doubt. Keep us compassionate for the hurting and honest with our own pain, but keep our eyes fixed on You. Keep our feet steady in the faith on the solid Rock of Your love. Happy are those who trust in the Lord. No matter what the day holds, every day that begins and end with You by our side sure is a happy day. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Pressing On 9-28-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In the dawn of a new day, I commit my life and this day to You. It belongs to You now. I give You permission to guide my thoughts and plans, as I embrace Your will for this day, as best as I can by Your grace. ... "Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord; His appearing is as sure as the dawn. He will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth" (Hosea 6:3). You call us to know You, but then call us to press on the know You more, as we grow in the intimacy of a personal relationship of trust and love. You bring us to salvation, but then call us to press on to sanctification, as we continually submit and surrender every area of our lives to Your will and ways. If we seek You, we will find You (Jeremiah 29:13). If we call to You, You will come. If we commit to You, You will receive our commitment. If we embrace You, You will embrace us. Your answer is sure -- as sure as the dawn of a new day. Give us the will and the power to press on in our relationship with You. Let us be like the seed that finds good soil and grows up into the fullness of maturity. Let our lives bear fruit for Your glory. Deliver us from complacency and compromise. Free us from settling for anything less than Your best for our lives. Then we will know the satisfaction and fulfillment of a life completely surrendered and submitted to Your purpose and plan. We will be refreshed and renewed in the spring showers of Your pleasure, the spring rains of Your peace. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Living Icons of Christ 9-27-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I choose to live my life in the power of Your strength and in submission to Your will, as best as I can. Help me humble myself enough to ask for it and help me rise up in faith enough to receive it. ... An icon is something that points us beyond itself to the reality that it represents. We don't worship the cross, but it points us to the One who was crucified for us. We don't worship the bible, but it points us to the One who gives us the words of life and truth. As the body of Christ, we are icons. We point others to the One we represent. Remind us of our responsibility to represent You well, but also remind us of our identity that we are only the representatives. We are "ambassadors for Christ," but we are not Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). We are no one's savior or messiah, no one's healer or deliverer, no one's answer to every question and need; but You are. You are the Reality that we represent as Your body -- submitted to Your will, filled with Your Spirit, committed to live for Your glory. Let us not forget who we are; let us not forget Whose we are. "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it" (1 Corinthians 12:27). "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). "And He died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died and was raised for them" (2 Corinthians 5:15). We have chosen in humility and in faith to be dead to the ways of the world and alive to the will of God, all by Your grace. In Christ, we now belong to You -- "to Him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God" (Romans 7:4). Let our lives bear the fruit of pointing others to You as faithful ambassadors and living icons of the true nature of Christ, who lives in us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Be Thou my Vision" 9-26-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. The ancient words of the Irish hymn rise up in my spirit as my prayer this morning, as I settle in to my prayer chair to seek Your face and listen for Your voice: "Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart." ... It seems every moment counts in these days. Open the eyes of our hearts to see where You are leading, and open the ears of our spirits to hear where You are calling. Time is short and we can't afford to do what is merely good or helpful or even biblical -- we must do only what You command us, follow only where You lead us, and go only where You send us. Anything else is wasted time that we can't afford to waste. How gracious that You redeem all things, even our mistakes and missteps, if we commit them to You; but how much better to trust and obey to begin with? Paul thought he was doing a good thing by wanting to spread the gospel to Asia -- surely that was good and helpful, certainly that was biblical. But that was not the leading of Your Holy Spirit for him and his team at that time. You had a different direction to send him with the same message. He thought doing the obvious was Your perfect will; but in Your mercy and grace, You closed the doors of the direction he was headed and open the door of Your will through Your vision. "They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us.' When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convicted that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them" (Acts 16:6-10). Holy Spirit of Jesus, we need You to direct our lives into the perfect will of our Father. We need the mind and vision of Christ, that we may be the obedient body of Christ, led by the Spirit of Christ, to follow Your heart in Your timing and Your way, and not merely our own. You must be our Vision and our true Light. "Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Though my best Thought, by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my Light." In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Name of the Lord 9-25-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak Your name as the first word from my mouth this day. I turn my thoughts and heart to You and welcome the communion of Your Holy Spirit in the arms of my Father. ... As I scan through the passages of the gospels for Your name, I see that so often they speak Your name as they describe what You did: "Jesus said, Jesus went, Jesus healed, Jesus taught." When they would address You, they most often spoke to You by Your titles, "Rabbi, Teacher, Messiah, Master, Lord." As I look more closely, there are just a few times where someone spoke to You directly and simply called You by Your name, "Jesus." Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, shouted out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Mark 10:47). The thief on the cross cried out, "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom" (Luke 23:42). The man tormented with an unclean spirit who lived among the tombs ran to You and bowed down before You, "and he shouted at the top of his voice, 'What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?' " (Mark 5:6-7). It seems desperation of circumstances and unquestioning faith in who You are mark the times when You become the most personal to us -- when we focus on You and not just Your title or what You do. Awaken within us a deeply personal relationship with You, Jesus. Draw us beyond the impersonal titles we use at times to keep a little distance, even if we think that is from our sense of reverence or the fear of the Lord. Lord Jesus, You are a deeply personal God -- not a distant deity or an impersonal force. You have a name and it seems there are times when You want us to just speak Your name -- "Jesus" from the Greek, "Yeshua" from the Hebrew. You are the God who calls us Your "friends" (John 15:15). Though we reverence You and honor You in the fear of the Lord, we also worship You and adore You in the intimacy of a personal relationship of trusting faith. Let us not wait for desperate times to know You this way and to call You by name. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Shelter of the Most High 9-24-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good morning, Father. Good morning, Holy Spirit. I want to know You and receive You, to welcome You, to trust You, and to worship You in every dimension of Your Being. You are the Lord my God, my Refuge and Strength and Shield. I put my hope and trust in You, and in You alone. ... "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.' For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You 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" (Psalm 91:1-6). Lord, You warn us that there will be times of snares and pestilence, times of terror and darkness and destruction. Yet You call us to fear not, but to trust in You. We do not have immunity from the consequences of the sins of the generations in a broken and fallen world that has given access to the kingdom of darkness and destruction in our lives and our nations. There is a community nature and generational dimension to all things that causes us to be bound together in all humanity and in all creation. And within the body of Christ, "if one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it" (1 Corinthians 12:26). Our Father "makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45). But You are the God who has willingly suffered all that we suffer in this world, taking upon Yourself all the consequences of the sins of the world. "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). From the whole counsel of God, Your promise is clear -- You have promised to shelter us with Your peace in the midst of the turmoil, to hold us tight in the embrace of Your arms in the midst of the shaking of the kingdoms of this world. Though the floodwaters and fires of destruction may come, they will not overwhelm us nor consume us (Isaiah 43:1-5). And You use it all and redeem it all, from whatever source it may come, to bring us near to You in trusting surrender and persevering faith. We draw near to You this day, under the shelter of the Most High, into the arms of the Almighty. We pray that for ourselves and for those we love. And we pray that for those You love, but who do not yet know how to trust in You through every dark day. Use even the dark days to teach us all to trust in You, how to entrust ourselves to You. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address is 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month at 7pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Standing Firm in Faith 9-23-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Steady my soul upon the Rock of my salvation. By Your grace, I put my hope and my trust in You. ... "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among the nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory" (Luke 21:25-27). The powers of the heavens are being shaken. The ancient strongholds of the spiritual realm are beginning to crumble under the siege ramp of prayer and the battering ram of repentance. No matter how it may appear in the natural realm, darkness is being overcome by the Light. But our enemy, who is "the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient" will fight and retaliate with his last gasps of breath (Ephesians 2:1-2). "Rejoice then you heavens, and those who dwell in them. But woe to the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you with great wrath, because he knows his time is short" (Revelation 12:12). Strengthen us to stand in these dark days where the darkness is growing darker, but at the same time, the Light is shining brighter in the midst of the darkness. "Finally be strong in the Lord. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, 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. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm" (Ephesians 6:10-13). As we stand firm in the strength of Your power, no matter what distress and destruction we face in these days, the light of Your glory will shine as a beacon of hope through Your people of faith. "Now in all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:37-39). Give us faith to stand firm in You to the end of days and throughout eternity. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

City of Prophetic Destiny 9-22-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your Word come alive in my heart, as I watch and wait for the leading of Your Spirit to focus my thoughts on You this day. ... Jerusalem is a city of prophetic destiny. And the destinies of the cities of the world are intertwined and even determined by our hearts and our prayers toward this city that is eternally on Your heart. We may disagree in our politics, in our perspectives of history, in our theologies of understanding of Your Scripture, but we dare not disagree with the clear and certain command of the Word of God: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you" (Psalm 122:6). "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country ('Ur of the Chaldeans' -- modern day Iraq) and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you ('Canaan' -- modern day Israel). I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed' " (Genesis 12:1-3). This is why thousands of years later the eyes of the world remain on this region. This is why the religions and the governments of the world stand or fall, whether we like it or not, based upon our heart and our obedience to Your command to pray for, to bless, and to love this city and this nation. To love does not mean to agree with all that the leaders and people of this nation do or say -- like each of us, they are human beings consumed and bound by the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Like us, they need Jesus. Like us, they need deliverance from the deception and destruction of the devil. That's why You've called us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. There is no peace without the Prince of Peace. And our prayers that You have placed on our hearts for Your people will be answered. As Your Word declares, there will come a day of a city-wide, nation-wide revival when Israel receives her Messiah: "And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, 'Out of Zion will come the Deliverer; He will banish ungodliness from Jacob.' 'And this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins' " (Romans 11:26-27). "And I will pour out a spirit of compassion and supplication upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that, when they look upon the One whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over Him, as one weeps over a firstborn" (Zechariah 12:10). But the sorrow and mourning of repentance will turn to the joy and deliverance of salvation! "On that day, a Fountain shall be opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity" (Zechariah 13:1). Open the seals of understanding about these things in our generation, that we may take our place as watchmen on the wall of Your Word. Put Your prayers on our hearts and Your vision in our spirits to stand with You and fight for Your people. As we fight in prayer for them, You fight as the Lord of hosts in the heavens for us. And through this means of grace, "all the families of the earth shall be blessed." In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we join in prayer for the people and cities of the Texas coast as we stand against the forces of destruction and death being focused in Huricane Rita. We join in the declaration of Jesus against the wind and waves of destruction, "Peace. Be still!" We pray for mercy in any way the door for destruction to the one who comes to steal, and kill, and destroy has been opened by the sins of the generations of our nation. We pray for Life to prevail over death, and Peace to prevail over destruction, and mercy to triumph over judgment. Father, we ask You now to redeem all things, to bring good out of evil, and life out of death, for Your glory and Your ultimate purposes, in the name of Jesus. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem" 9-21-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Prince of Peace. As I entrust my life to You, You entrust Your peace to me. ... "For a Child has been born for us, a Son given to us; authority rests upon His shoulders; and He is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and His kingdom. He will establish it and uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this" (Isaiah 9:6-7). There is a peace that only the Prince of Peace can give. There is a kingdom of peace that only You can establish. There is a "City of Peace" named "Jerusalem" that only You can build in the millennial reign of Your Kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven. Then the city of bloodshed and war, division and strife, will become the City of God, the dwelling place of God in our midst on earth (Psalm 46). "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the seas was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'See the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be His peoples and God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more, for the first things have passed away' " (Revelation 21:1-4). This day will come as Your Spirit continues to put the prayers for the coming of this day on our hearts. As John Wesley said, "God does nothing except through prayer." Jerusalem will be the City of Peace -- the City of God, the Holy City of the throne of David, which will have no end but will be eternally established and upheld with justice and righteousness forevermore -- through the power of "the zeal of the Lord of hosts" in response to the prayers of Your people. Therefore, You have commanded us, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you" (Psalm 122:6). This is a command with a promise. As we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we will prosper. We will prosper throughout all the ages of eternity, for obedience brings blessing. There is no greater blessing of peace than the peace of God through faith in the Prince of Peace established in our hearts and in our midst, on earth as it is in heaven. This is the hope and the promise of an eternal kingdom of Your peace that You have placed in our hearts and called us to pray forth on the earth as You lead. Teach us how to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, that we may know the fullness of Your peace on earth. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, Lexington was chosen as one of the host cities in America for the 2006 Jerusalem Prayer Summit. Yesterday I agreed to serve as chairman for our city and would appreciate your prayers for our team that will be forming soon. Please let me know if you would like to help with prayer or any other way as we discern the leading of the Lord and obey His call to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our address for ministry and contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Come to The Fountain the 3rd Saturday night of every month. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com and www.morningbymorning.injesus.com