The Present of Your Presence 12-26-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. It's good to be with family and friends, and it's good to slip away for a moment alone with You. ... This is the day after Christmas. The presents are opened and the families are heading home. In all the giving of gifts, I hope we've remembered that it's Your birthday we've been celebrating and not ours. I hope we've remembered we enjoy our families because You've welcomed us into Your family. Christmas is over now, but Christ remains. It's the day after Christmas, and the tree is bare, The sound of children playing with their new toys now fills the air. We've laughed and cried and enjoyed one another, We've feasted with goodies, 'Till we thought we would smother. Some presents we'll take home and some we'll take back to the mall, But the gift of Your Presence is the greatest Gift of all. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16, KJV). Thank You for my Christmas Present, the gift of Your Presence in my heart all year long. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, 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

A Child is Born for Us 12-25-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Happy birthday! Though no one knows the exact day of Your birth, many people throughout the earth will celebrate the birth of Christ today. I join with their songs and praises to welcome You in the earth and into our hearts today. ... "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" (Isaiah 9:6). In the words of the classic hymn, I join Your faithful, joyful and triumphant to come and behold You, singing praises to Your name -- "Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning, Jesus, to Thee be all glory given; Word of the Father, now in Flesh appearing! O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!" Welcome, Lord Jesus -- You are the Everlasting Father, Son of God, Holy Spirit of the Mighty God; You are my Wonderful Counselor, my Prince of Peace; You are the Child of God's Promise, Messiah and Christ, the Word made Flesh. I welcome Your Spirit and Your Word in me on this day of celebration and joy. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Merry Christmas, my friends! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, 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

Preparation and Anticipation 12-24-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me get quiet and still as I watch and wait for the leading of Your Spirit. ... To me, Christmas Eve speaks of preparation and anticipation. In our Christmas hymns of Joy, we proclaim the call to preparation with joy -- "Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing..." As John the Baptist cried out in the wilderness, "Prepare the way of the Lord," I open my heart to Your Holy Spirit to prepare the way for Your coming in anticipation and joy. I prepare You room in the manger of my soul. I join with heaven and nature to repeat the sounding joy. You are the God who humbled Yourself from heaven to earth to be born in a lowly manger and You continue to humble Yourself from heaven to earth to live in the hearts of men. "Joy to the world! The Lord is come! Let earth receive her King!" In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, 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

Crucified with Christ 12-23-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit and lead me in Your ways. ... I long for You to be formed in me, for Your nature to become my nature and Your ways to become my ways. Though it is painfully obvious how much of my flesh still needs to die, I thank You for the grace of Your reassurance that I am on the journey. The journey begins again each day as I choose to take up my cross and follow You or set it aside and follow me. Give me the humility and the courage to choose well. To call You "Lord" is to submit to Your "Lordship," to continually decrease as You continually increase. By Your grace and the power of Your Spirit, I choose again today to die to the will of self and live to the will of God. Let me say with Paul more confidently and more truthfully today than yesterday that I "live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:19-20). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, 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

Crucified with Christ 12-23-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit and lead me in Your ways. ... I long for You to be formed in me, for Your nature to become my nature and Your ways to become my ways. Though it is painfully obvious how much of my flesh still needs to die, I thank You for the grace of Your reassurance that I am on the journey. The journey begins again each day as I choose to take up my cross and follow You or set it aside and follow me. Give me the humility and the courage to choose well. To call You "Lord" is to submit to Your "Lordship," to continually decrease as You continually increase. By Your grace and the power of Your Spirit, I choose again today to die to the will of self and live to the will of God. Let me say with Paul more confidently and more truthfully today than yesterday that I "live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:19-20). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, 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

I am a son of God 12-22-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You and our Father are One, and You abide in my heart by Your Spirit. Come live in me and live through me, as I submit and surrender my life to You again this day, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ... "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' So you are no longer a slave, but a child, and if a child then also an heir of God through Christ" (Galatians 4:4-7). As You promised Your first disciples, so You promise each of us who submit and surrender our lives to You, "I will no leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will also live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in Me, and I in you" (John 14:18-20). Lord, give me the faith and the courage to live my life in the truth of these words. Let the astonishing reality and powerful significance of Your words and Your will for my life sink into the depths of my spirit -- "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7, NKJV). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's on life-changing spiritual principles of inner healing and deliverance, 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

"No greater joy" 12-21-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I turn my eyes toward You, open my heart to the leading of Your Spirit, and entrust my soul into the arms of our Father. ... In his latter years, John said of his spiritual children, "I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth" (3 John 1:4). Paul said of those he was discipling in the ways of Your truth, "My little children, for whom I am again in the pain of childbirth until Christ is formed in you" (Galatians 4:19). We are all on this journey of growing up in to the maturity of knowing You and knowing Your truth. We learn from those who have gone before us and we pass it on to those who follow after us -- from generation to generation of the faith. Lord, help me be faithful to learn and to teach in my generation. Above all, I want to see Christ formed in me and Christ formed in those You have entrusted to my care. What is true of our spiritual children is true of our natural children as well. It's good to have the blessing of all my children with us in these few days before Christmas -- two daughters, two sons, and another son on the way, and remembering the three who have gone on before us through miscarriage in the sacred season of life before birth. Thank You for the gift of children. As You know, Father, children are not always easy to raise because You've given them minds and wills of their own. But there is no greater joy than to hear them call upon Your name in prayer and to see the moving of Your Spirit in their hearts. Give me the grace to embrace the times of pain and joy in this ministry of true fatherhood -- to see Christ formed in each of them. Along the way, may Christ be formed in me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, 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

Come and Drink Deeply 12-20-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. This time with You in the moments of the morning is a fountain of Life that begins to flow throughout my day. Thank You for the gift of drinking deeply from the Living Waters of Your Presence. ... "On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, He cried out, 'Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me, and let the one who believes in Me drink. As the Scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.' Now He said this about the Spirit, which believers in Him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:37-38). Every day is a great day when I take the time to come to You and drink of Your Word and Your Spirit, to be immersed and baptized afresh in Your Presence. As You fill me up, then You can pour me out. As I decrease and You increase, emptied of myself and filled with You, Your Holy Spirit glories You in my life. I am thirsty, Lord; and I come to You to drink deeply of Your Living Waters. Make me more thirsty for more of You every day. In Jesus' name I pray Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's on healing and wholeness in the process of sanctification, 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

Process of Surrender and Sanctification 12-19-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit afresh this morning. May I decrease as You increase. As I am emptied of self-centeredness, let me be filled with Christ-centeredness -- little by little, layer by layer, degree by degree, morning by morning, and day by day -- in this life-long process of surrender and sanctification. ... "For this is the will of God, your sanctification" (1 Thessalonians 4:3). "And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may He so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints" (verse 3:12-13). "May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and my your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do this" (verse 5:23-24). Yes, Lord. Let me never be satisfied with where I am in my spiritual journey. You are always calling me higher and deeper and closer. You desire to make me more like You each day -- to daily strengthen my heart in holiness. I have so far to go, yet by Your grace, I choose to accept this call again today as You use the circumstances of my life to expose the things remaining in my heart that are not yet like Jesus. But as I look away from myself and look to You, I become more like You as Your Spirit sanctifies my heart "from one degree of glory to another" (1 Corinthians 3:18). This is the work of the Spirit of Christ -- the Spirit who comes to make me more like Christ. This is the work of the Holy Spirit -- the Spirit of Holiness who comes to fill me and desires to possess me and conform me in His nature as I welcome Him and embrace Him in this journey of surrender and sanctification. Father, this is the journey You have set before me. This is the purpose of my earthly life -- to conform me into the image of the Son of God by the ministry of the Holy Spirit in my spirit and soul and body every day (Romans 8:29). You are faithful and You will do this, as I choose to embrace You by the grace You give me to take up my cross of death to self-centeredness and follow You in this journey of Christ-centeredness by the leading of Your Holy Spirit every moment of every day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's on healing and wholeness through the process of sanctification, 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

Silent Night, Holy Night 12-18-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I praise Your name and I seek Your face. ... Things don't always go as we plan, but You have a way of working out all things to fit together into Your plan. Our regular worship leader couldn't come to The Fountain last night. Then the others who were going to lead couldn't come either. So we sang the simple songs of Your birth from our hearts -- no piano or keyboard, no guitar or drums -- just our voices, imperfect but pure, in our love for You. And there You were, as we welcomed You into the manger of our hearts. Though the music and the instruments were silent, it was a holy night. "Silent night, holy night Son of God, love's pure light Radiant beams from Thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord at Thy birth, Jesus, Lord at Thy birth." Like Mary, I want to treasure these moments of Your presence and ponder them in my heart (Luke 2:19). Like the shepherds, I want to carry this treasure in my heart to go and share it with others, "glorifying and praising God" (Luke 2:20). In Jesus' name I 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

Face to Face by Grace 12-17-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Give me a humble heart that does not approach You in arrogance, give me a tender heart that draws near to You in love, and give me a bold heart that comes before You in faith -- all by Your grace, and all as Your Holy Spirit leads. ... Father, when Moses saw You as the Flame of Fire burning in the bush, You called to him to turn to You, but at the same time told him, "Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." And Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look at God (Exodus 3:1-6). In Your love for us, You call us to come as near as we can; and in Your mercy for us, You know how far we can come into the holiness of Your presence without being consumed. Our sinful flesh cannot stand in the presence of a holy God. Only by the Blood of the Lamb may we draw near. It is by the measure that we have allowed You to crucify our flesh, that Your Spirit may live in our hearts, and we may draw near to You. It is a good and merciful thing when the fear of God will not let us draw any nearer than our submission to God will allow. But by Your grace, the Blood of Christ "sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified" so that we may draw near to You in repentance from our sin and trusting faith to "worship the living God" (Hebrews 9:11-14). Continue to expose the sin in my heart and crucify the flesh of my soul. Continue to humble my pride and burn away all that cannot stand in Your holy presence. Give me the courage to face what You reveal, the humility to turn it to You in repentance and faith, and the perseverance to keep pressing through and pressing in to deeper levels of intimacy with You. Moses grew to a place where You "used to speak to Moses face to face" even under the old covenant (Exodus 33:11). Do all You have to do in me to bring me to that level of intimacy and even more that is available to each of us under the new covenant in the Blood of Christ. In Jesus' name I 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 -- 7 pm 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. Our prayer ministry team will be available throughout the evening for prayer ministry. Come and bring a friend. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, 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. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Turn Aside to See 12-16-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As the song says, "Light of the world, You stepped down into darkness; open my eyes, let me see." ... Moses "led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked and the bush was blazing, yet not consumed. Then Moses said, 'I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.' When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am' "(Exodus 3:1-4). As I go through the wilderness of this broken, fallen world, facing the challenges of the circumstances of my life, You are calling in my spirit to come up to the mountain of God. You are calling me to take time to turn aside and seek You. You are the Flame of Fire that is not consumed. You are the greatest sight my eyes could see. Open my eyes, and let me see. It was only when You saw that Moses turned to see, that You spoke to him, that You called to him by name. By the desire that You've placed in my heart, I'm turning away from the cares and burdens of this world in this moment to seek Your face and listen for Your voice. Here I am, Lord. ... In Jesus' name I 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 -- 7 pm 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. Our prayer ministry team will be available throughout the evening for prayer ministry. Come and bring a friend. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's on Biblical principles of inner healing and deliverance, 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. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Come along with Me" 12-15-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill my heart with Your Spirit, focus my thoughts on Your face, open my ears to Your voice. ... It seems You are saying, "Come along with Me. Look for My lead. As you commit your mind to My thoughts and commit your heart to My desires, you will be following as I lead. The choice of commitment is the first step of taking up your cross and following Me." Yes, Lord. I commit to You my mind and my heart, as best as I can and all by Your grace. Give me faith to believe You will be placing Your thoughts in my mind today and Your desires in my heart today. Let Your supernatural leading become natural to me as I grow in maturity as Your disciple. As You said to Your first disciples, so You continue to say to every disciple, "Whoever does not take up the cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for My sake will find it" (Matthew 10:38-39). Let my life be found in You -- dead to self and alive to Christ as I choose the path of willingly embracing Your thoughts and Your desires, as best as I can, each day. In Jesus' name I 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 -- 7 pm 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. Our prayer ministry team will be available throughout the evening for prayer ministry. Come and bring a friend. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's on inner healing and deliverance, 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. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Citywide Prayer Breakfast 12-14-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I was sorry to miss our regular time together this morning before hurrying out early to the prayer breakfast, but I know You've been with me and I thank You for being here to have a time together now. ... We gathered early this morning for our city-wide prayer breakfast for business, ministry, and community leaders, and anyone who wanted to come and pray for the people of Lexington, Kentucky and the surrounding areas. I praise You for the blessing of living in a nation where we can pray in the name of Jesus and wish one another a Merry Christmas as an expression of our freedom and our faith -- even if the mayor and former mayor are leading in prayer and the tables are filled with police officers, firemen, judges. Thank you for the homeless man who stood to pray and remind us of our God-given responsibility to pray for and care for the least of these" among us (Matthew 25:40). Pat Day, the legendary horse jockey and Kentucky Derby winner who won more races than any other rider stood to speak without pretence from his life of brokenness, hurt, and anger that began to change when he made You Lord of his life. He praised Your name from the first word to the last. Pat said, until recently, he never sensed You leading him out of his line of work, even though the sport of horse racing is infused with gambling. He said we are to grow where we are planted. And to do all we do to the glory of God, giving You the credit for every gift we have. So without endorsing gambling or the broken lives and misery it often fuels, he endorsed You as the Healer, Deliverer, and Savior of all who would bow their knees and hearts to call You Lord. And many did today. It will be a joy to follow up with them as they turn the corner for the home stretch of their lives in Christ. And now for Pat, he said You've removed his passion for winning races and given him a passion for winning souls. You've planted him in a new place now for him to grow. Bless his ministry and ours -- as we share from our hearts and our hurts of Your redeeming grace and mercy in our lives. Give me a passion for winning souls and give me the grace to grow where I'm planted until You choose to plant me somewhere else. In Jesus' name I 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 -- 7 pm 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. Our prayer ministry team will be available throughout the evening for prayer ministry. Come and bring a friend. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, 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. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Intelligent Design of an Intelligent Designer 12-13-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You in spirit and truth -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You are my Creator and I affirm Your Lordship in the creation of my life this day. ... "For we are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life" (Ephesians 2:10). I was moved by an article in our local newspaper yesterday -- moved by the arrogance and mockery of those scoffing at my Creator and His creation. I should not be surprised by the acceleration of blatant ridicule of Christ and Christians in these last days. Through Your words and Your prophets, You warned us long ago: "In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts. It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions. But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life" (Jude 18-21). I chose to respond, but since my comments may never be published in the paper, I ask You to publish them in heaven: Today's paper carried a cartoon on the "Kentucky Voices" page from a guy in Palm Beach making fun of people who hold the conviction of teaching our children the possibility of an Intelligent Design for our existence. Predictably, we are mocked as foolish clowns wearing dunce caps, worthy of ridicule and scorn for believing the intricacies of life cannot be explained by random chance and that our children deserve more than the shallow thinking of evolution theory alone. In the accompanying article, a science professor says some of the best minds of our generation have concluded "the universe came into being 13.7 billion years ago with a massive, explosive expansion of pure energy, the Big Bang." Yet what dunce would believe that pure energy can be created out of nothing. The flaw of any theory of evolution is that it can never explain the beginning. Where does the energy come from? There are no verifiable, testable conditions -- nor can there be -- where energy is either suddenly or eventually formed from the nothingness of a vacuum of time and space to start the process of evolution. To leave out that little detail is arrogant and irresponsible teaching, and our children deserve a better education in critical thinking than that. What kind of dunces do they think we are, and what kind of dunces do they want our children to grow up to be? Tommy Hays Lexington lawyer and spiritual director December 12, 2005 There is "Intelligent Design" because there is an Intelligent Designer. You said it best: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). You are the giver of life because You are Life. And I pray in the Holy Spirit, by the love of God, that You would open our eyes to see You as You are -- full of mercy and love, creating us all for a relationship of love with You and one another, but unwilling to tolerate the arrogance and pride of the sinful people You love. In Jesus' name I 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 -- 7 pm 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. Our prayer ministry team will be available throughout the evening for prayer ministry. Come and bring a friend. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my dvd's of teaching and prayer on Biblical principles of inner healing and deliverance, 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. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Humility and Intimacy 12-12-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I draw near to You, You draw near to me. ... You call us to "approach the throne of grace with boldness" (Hebrews 4:16). Yet at the same time, we are not to come before You in arrogance or pride. Humility must precede intimacy. Obedience must overcome independence. Knowing the fear of God is as important as knowing the love of God. "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded" (James 4:8). As You prepared Your people to enter into the land of Your promises, You reminded them that worship is about You and not about us. "Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings at any place that you happen to see. But only at the place the Lord will choose in one of your tribes -- there you shall offer your burnt offerings and there you shall do everything I command you" (Deuteronomy 12:13-14). Forgive me when I take Your grace for granted and fail to honor You in the reverence and worship You are worthy to receive. Forgive me when I let my own priorities prevail over obedience to Your will in responding to Your call to worship and prayer -- when and where and how You desire it. Yes, worship is a matter of the heart -- a heart that is yielded to You in both humility and intimacy, in the fear of God and in the love of God. You lift me up high into the intimacy of Your presence as I first humble myself low in the humility of obedience (James 4:10). Draw near to me as I draw near to You -- in Your timing and in Your way. In Jesus' name I 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 -- 7 pm 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. Our prayer ministry team will be available throughout the evening for prayer ministry. Come and bring a friend. All are welcome! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching dvd's on healing and wholeness, 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. Daily archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Continually Seeking Him 12-11-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let the light of Your Word come and fill my heart. ... Let the light of Your Word come and fill my heart Let the power of Your Blood come and cleanse my soul Let the thoughts of Your Mind come transform my mind Let the plans of Your Will come and make me whole. Let the fire of Your Spirit come and purify my life Let the sound of Your Voice come and lead my way Let the peace of Your Touch come take away my strife Let the joy of Your Life come arise in my praise! "Sing to Him, sing praises to Him, tell of all His wonderful works. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who rejoice! Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His presence continually!" (1 Chronicles 16:9-11) I sing this song of praise to You, my Lord and my God. I seek Your face continually and welcome Your presence with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I rejoice that You are with me and Your Holy Spirit is within me. Nothing else in this world is as important as the intimacy of my relationship with You. In Jesus' name I 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

Willing Worship 12-10-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. "O, Come let us adore Him -- Christ, the Lord." ... Moved by Your Spirit, David called out to the people of Israel to give freely of themselves and of all they had to You for the building of the temple in Jerusalem, saying, "Who then will offer willingly, consecrating themselves today to the Lord?" (1 Chronicles 29:5). The false gods demand worship and sacrifice through the manipulation of fear and deception, so that their threatened wrath is appeased. But You stand in marked contrast. You desire worship from the heart and the sacrifice of praise offered willingly in sincere adoration and devotion. We find true joy in true worship -- willingly offered and joyfully received. "Then the people rejoiced because had been given willingly, for with single mind they offered freely to the Lord; King David also rejoiced greatly!" (v. 29:9) Even the gift of our love we give to You, we can only give because You first loved us. As David recognized, "For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You" (v. 29:14). I offer the gift of my adoration and worship to You this day, my Lord. I love You, Lord and I thank You for first loving me. All that I am and all that I have belongs to You and I willingly and joyfully consecrate myself to You again today. In Jesus' name I 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 Lord's Discipline 12-9-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me humble myself to hear what You would say. Help me trust that Your word of comfort or Your words of conviction are all words of Your love. ... "My child, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of His reproof, for the Lord reproves the one He loves, as a father the son in whom He delights" (Proverbs 3:11-12). "He disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share His holiness. Now discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:10-11). You love us enough to discipline us -- loving us as we are, but never leaving us as we are. You want us to share in Your nature, that we may share in Your purposes. You allow us to stumble and fall through the sin of our pride, You allow us to feel the pain of Your disappointment and the sharpness of Your conviction of our conscience. But these are marks of Your love. Our wounded hearts will heal and our wounded pride will break. And there You are -- holding us even closer than before, even trusting us more than before, because we are learning Your ways and receiving Your nature in the process of Your discipline. Ironically, this is how we know when You truly delight in us. I receive Your discipline, Lord, knowing it is the mark and seal of Your love for me. Keep my conscience sensitive to Your conviction and keep my pride humbled under the hand of Your reproof. I am a son of God love, one in whom You delight, growing in the nature of Your holiness, all by Your grace for Your purposes through my life. In Jesus' name I 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

Merry Christmas, Lord 12-8-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I choose to begin this day with You. As best as I can, I focus my thoughts on You alone in these first moments of the morning. ... This year there is so much discussion about whether this is the "Christmas season" or the "holiday season." We debate whether it is appropriate to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy holidays." Editorials and radio commentators argue about whether the decorated trees we display are "Christmas trees" or "holiday trees." Of course, the truth is You are the reason for the season -- if it were not for Christ, there would be no Christmas. Even the word "holidays" comes from "holy days". The days are holy because Your Holy Spirit is drawing our attention and our hearts to the Holy One. For me, the tree speaks of the One who came as a Child born in a manger to bring hope to all who would hear, but died as a Man hung upon a tree to bring life to all who would receive. "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us -- for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs upon a tree' -- in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Galatians 3:13-14). We all have the freedom to celebrate whoever and whatever we want in our hearts -- if not on the lawns of our courthouses -- no matter what nation we live in. I choose to celebrate You in my heart. And every day I celebrate the gift of life and the blessings of God available to me through the sacrifice of Your love on the cross and Your resurrection in glory is a holy day. I choose to keep Christ in my Christmas. I choose for this day to be a holy day in my heart. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Lord Jesus. In Jesus' name I 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