Buildings of Blessing 6-28-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me get quiet and listen for Your leading as I spend the first moments of this morning with You. ... Our church needs a new roof. The estimates for repair have been staggering, and the idea of diverting funds from ministry to materials is overwhelming. But as we use the building You have entrusted to us, You are reminding us it is not a building we honor, but You. It's not a building we serve but the people You bring to the building as a place and a means of Your ministry to them. Our building is a blessing only to the degree we use it to bless those outside our building who need to come inside a living and personal relationship with You. As we were praying about that and the other challenges we face as a church yesterday, the image came to me of another building where You were ministering. That building was an obstacle to ministry for the friends of a paralyzed man who couldn't get in to see You and receive Your healing words and Your healing power. So they tore the roof off of that building (Luke 5:18-19). Lord, tear the roof off of everything in our lives and our churches that hinder us from our mission of sharing You and Your Word and Your power with all who need You. Remove the false ceilings, break down the barriers, and open up the heavens over our heads -- even if You have to tear the roof off to do it. Let this challenge not be a distraction but a means to our destiny. In the ways of Your kingdom, You'll give us a new roof as we pray for open heavens. Long ago, a torn-up roof led to a mighty demonstration of Your power to forgive sins and heal lives. "Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe" (Luke 5:26). We glorify You for Your goodness. We stand amazed in Your presence. We are filled with awe at Your grace to forgive and Your power to heal. Let our lives be Your temple and let our hearts be open to Your heavens, so that our buildings will be blessings for all people. 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 and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Welcome 6-27-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good morning, Father God. Good morning, Holy Spirit. I welcome You, Lord, in every dimension of Your Being here into dimension of my being this day. ... "Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him" (Luke 8:40). In the original language of this verse, the word "welcomed" means to receive gladly. Every day, I want to be waiting for Your return and every day I want to be receiving You gladly into my life. One day You will return in glory in the skies, and every day between now and then You want to return in glory in our hearts. Your glory is Your manifest presence. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- come manifest the glory of Your presence in my life today. I wait for You eagerly and welcome You gladly. 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 and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Riches of Life 6-26-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call You Lord, because I choose to submit to Your lordship in every area of my life, as best as I can and all by Your grace. You are the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Be my King. Be my Lord. ... "As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life" (1 Timothy 6:17-19). The two riches men in the world recently announced they are giving incredible proportions of their time and their riches to help the lives of others. Whatever their motives or their circumstances, one thing seems clear -- they are seeking to find fulfillment in something other than what they have. And they each seem to have so very much. In the journey of my life, there have been times when I have been rich and times when I have been poor. But You have shown me over and again the measure of my wealth is not the measure of my joy. My treasure is found in trusting You. You know just what I need to find fulfillment, peace, and joy. And when I am willing to trust You in that, letting my focus be Your focus and my priorities be Your priorities, You richly provide everything I need for my enjoyment of life -- "the life that really is life." That kind of life may be lived out even in the most horrendous circumstances and challenging struggles, but it is a life of the joy of Your presence and Your pleasure that I have found my "good foundation for the future" in the treasure of trusting You. 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 and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Power of the Word of God 6-25-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are mighty. You are powerful. You are the King of kings and the Lord of lords. I trust in the might of Your power. I submit to the authority of Your name. ... In the struggles of ministry, Moses questioned the extent of Your power, and therefore doubted the authority of Your word. But You simply looked at him and loved him, then You resolved to show him the power of Your name and the faithfulness of Your word. "The Lord said to Moses, 'Is the Lord's power limited? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not' " (Numbers 11:23). Forgive me for the times I question Your power and doubt Your word. Forgive me for the times I look at the struggles longer than I look to You, submitting to their lordship rather than Yours. You are not a weak God, nor a complacent God. You are involved in every area of my life and in the lives of those around me. You are mighty and You are powerful. And every word You have ever spoken to me in my spirit and to me through Your Scripture will come to pass. In Your perfect timing and in Your perfect way, I will see that Your word for me is true. I will see the glory and the power of Your Word and my King. "For the Kingdom of God depends not on talks but on power" (1 Corinthians 4:20). 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 and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Steady as a Rock 6-24-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As the old song says, "Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee."... "I love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold" (Psalm 18:1-2). Like a solid rock that never moves, You are steadfast and true, unchanging and unmoving. I find my strength in Your strength, my courage in Your courage. As I look to You, my heart is steadied and still. I am comforted and encouraged in the security of the stronghold of Your covenant with me. In You, "I shall not be moved" (Psalm 62:6, NKJV). In You, I take my stand to face with faith whatever comes -- steady as a rock, stead in the Rock. 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 and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Love Casts Out Fear 6-23-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. By Your grace and in Your power, I choose to depend on You. Be my wisdom, be my strength. Be my Father and my Savior. Be my Lord, my God, and my Best Friend. ... "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, 'Abba! Father!' it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ -- if, in fact, we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him" (Romans 8:14-17). It is the spirit of slavery that always tries to draw me back in to fear -- fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of trusting. But it is the Spirit of Adoption -- the Holy Spirit of the Living God living in me -- who is always trying to draw me forward into the fullness of the future to fulfill my calling and destiny in You. I am a son of God, and You are my Father. I am an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ. Your Spirit bears witness with my spirit of the deepest bonds of relationship with You in every dimension of Your Being -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. By grace, You have chosen to identify Yourself with me; and by faith, I have chosen to identify myself with You -- in suffering and in glory, in failure and in success, in this world and in the world to come. Keep giving me faith to live in this truth. Keep giving me grace to live in this bond of trust by Your love for me as Your child. Faith in Your love for me breaks the power of all fear and delivers me from every spirit of slavery. "Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:17-18). Abba, Father! Keep casting out my fear and keep filling me with Your love. As You do, You are casting out every unholy spirit and filling me with Your Holy Spirit, for You are Perfect Love. "God is love, and those who abide in God abide in love, and God abides in them" (1 John 4:16). Lord God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- keep abiding in me as I keep abiding in You, all by Your grace and all in Your love. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Dear Friends of Tommy Hays and Messiah Ministries, Please prayerfully consider giving joyfully and generously to the ministry of the Lord through Messiah Ministries as He leads you. Like a missionary, I raise my own funds for the work of our ministry. Our calling and vision is to do our part in the power of His Spirit to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God, to bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free (Isaiah 61; Luke 4)! Messiah Ministries ... Ministering the Healing Love of God, Preparing the Way of the Lord. Our Address for Contributions and Ministry is: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. Our website: www.messiah-ministries.org Thank you and God bless you! Subscribe/Unsubscribe at MessiahMin@aol.com Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Kingdom is Near 6-22-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I submit and entrust my life to You, let there be more of You and less of me, more of Your nature and less of my nature -- morning by morning and day by day. ... You sent out seventy disciples -- not just twelve -- into Your harvest of souls, saying, "Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs in the midst of wolves" (Luke 10:1-3). But even though You warned them You were sending them to "the wolves," You told them to begin their ministry to the people by speaking words of peace rather than judgment, first giving people the chance to welcome Your disciples and Your message of hope and life through faith. "Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you" (verse 10:5-6). The peace of Your presence is within us, as Your disciples. As we go to the places You send us, we are not offering people ourselves, we are offering them You. But at the same time, we offer them You through us -- through the peace of Your presence living in us and flowing through us by Your Holy Spirit. As we abide in You and allow You to abide in us, our nature becomes more like Your nature, our words become more like Your words, and then the peace we offer is Your peace You are offering through us. It's all about You -- but amazingly, You offer Yourself through us -- those You have called and discipled and sent to proclaim with authority and to demonstrate with power that "The kingdom of God has come near to you" (verse 10:8-9). By the grace and the mystery of Your Spirit living in us, You said, "Whoever listens to you listens to Me, and whoever rejects you rejects Me, and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me" (verse 10:16). And there are consequences for our choices -- the choices we make to go where You send us and to do what You command us, as well as the choices they make to welcome us or reject us, to share in Your peace or not. There will come a day of Your "judgment" for each of us, based upon the choices we make in the light of Your grace (verse 10:14). Lord, give me grace to choose well -- first in welcoming and receiving those You send to bring Your peace, and then in going out into Your harvest to share the peace of Your presence I have welcomed into my soul with others -- even to "the wolves" You warned me I would encounter along the way. Keep me close to You, starting each day and continuing each day in You, so that it is more and more Your true nature and Your true message that others have a chance to welcome or reject. Let it be Your kingdom and not my kingdom that "has come near" (verse 10:9 and 10:11). 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 and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Laborers of the Harvest 6-21-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I entrust my life and this day to You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ... "After this, the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place where He himself intended to go. He said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest' " (Luke 10:1-2). Lord of the harvest, send out laborers into Your harvest. Send us out ahead of You to every town and place where You intend to go. Send us out in pairs, teamed together in relationships of interdependence and trust, complimenting one another's gifts and callings, temperaments and strengths. You don't just tell us to go, You also tell us to pray -- to pray for the others who will labor with us in Your harvest. And as we answer Your call, we become the answer to the prayers of others who are asking for Your harvest. For a great harvest, there must be ripe grain and ready laborers. Lord, let the grain be ripe and let the laborers be ready. Prepare their hearts and prepare ours. Your Word seems to say the harvest is already plentiful, but it is the laborers who are not ready. The laborers are few. This day we pray for the laborers. I pray for those called to labor alongside me, and I pray I would be ready to labor alongside others, as You send us ahead of You into Your harvest. 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 and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Friends of the Bridegroom 6-18-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Form Your thoughts in my thoughts, Your desires in my desires. Cleanse me from my sin and fill me with Your Spirit. Make me more like You each day. ... John the Baptist "grew and became strong in the Spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day He appeared publicly to Israel" (Luke 1:80). He listened for Your leading and prepared for Your coming. Some thought he was the Messiah, but his calling and ministry was always to point others to the Messiah. Some came to listen to the leading of his voice, but he always called others to listen for the leading of Your voice. He said, ' "I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of Him.' He who has the bride is the Bridegroom. The friend of the Bridegroom, who stands and hears Him, rejoices greatly at the Bridegroom's voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease " (John 3:28-30). Help me mature and grow in Your Spirit, Lord. Let me be one of Your witnesses preparing for Your coming in my heart and in our land and throughout the earth. Let my voice lead others to Your voice. Let my words lead others to Your Word. You are the Bridegroom coming for Your bride -- a bride made "holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the Word, so as to present the church to Himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind -- yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:25-27). Let me stand and hear You, rejoicing greatly at Your voice. Help me grow in a relationship of trust and obedience to You as a "friend of the Bridegroom." As I wait this morning for Your leading and the inspiration of Your Spirit, it seems I hear You say: "Awaken, arise. Do not hesitate; do not look back. Look to Me and follow My lead. Be still and listen for my leading, then move quickly at the command of My voice. Many pieces are in place; many more are coming into place. Your part is to make sure your piece is in place. Only I see all the pieces in all their places, but I am opening the eyes of My children to see more than they have ever seen. You will need to see more to see where I am leading in these days. Fear not, and follow Me." Yes, Lord. Help me stay in a place of stillness in the silence of surrender to listen for Your leading. Help me find my place and do my part as You call others to find their places and do their parts. Fit us together and purify our souls. You are calling Your bride and preparing her for Your coming -- coming first in our hearts and one day in the fullness of Your glory to receive the glorious bride You have prepared. Those who will come to follow Your lead and learn Your ways, You call Your "friends" (John 15:15). As we do our part in our generation -- all by Your grace and Your Sprit, preparing Your bride for Your coming -- we are Your friends, friends of the Bridegroom. "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' " (Revelation 17:17) 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 and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Rooted and Built Up in Him" -- 6-16-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill my spirit with Your Spirit, draw me up into the heavenly dimension of Your presence I pray. ... "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving" (Colossians 2:6-7). We've been staying with my mom in the little village of Ruidoso tucked away in the mountains of central New Mexico. It's a unique setting of rocky mountains covered with tall, cool pines, surrounded on every side by vast desert. This region is ruggedly beautiful, but suffering a severe drought. Though the rocky soil is hot and dry, the pine trees seem to smell just as fresh and stand just as tall as they do every summer when we come out here. They've been built up be the cycles of winter snows, spring rains, and summer droughts for years. Their roots sink deeply into resources of water beneath the surface of current circumstances. Keep teaching me how to live my life in You, rooted and grounded in the faith, built up in praise and prayer. Teach me how to flourish with the fragrance of Christ even in the dry seasons -- "the fragrance that comes from knowing Him" (2 Corinthians 2:14). Teach me how to abound in thanksgiving for the hidden resources of Your Word and Your Spirit that sustain me and empower me to stand firm in the faith through every season until the rains of blessing come again. 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 and cd's for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. http://www.messiah-ministries.org Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain This Friday Night 6/16 -- the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel at Centenary United Methodist, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington. All are welcome!

"The Present Age" 6-15-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. The closer I get to You, the closer I want to be. The more of I see of Your glory, the more I see how far I fall short of Your glory and how much I need You and Your grace every day. But here You are -- answering my need and my desire. ... "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of His own who are zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:11-14). There is a present age and there is an age to come. While I wait with eager anticipation for the age to come, I don't want to be passive or complacent about my part in my generation of the present age. By Your grace and love, You desire to bring "salvation to all" and then to convict us and redeem us from "all iniquity" as You purify us and empower us to live our lives for Your glory and Your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. As the body of Christ on earth, being cleansed from our sins and being filled with Your Spirit, we are created and called to be "the manifestation of glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." We wait for the hope of Your coming, but at the same time, we embrace the coming of Your kingdom and Your nature in our lives now. This is "the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). Thank You, Lord, for saving me and forgiving me. Thank You for purifying me and redeeming me. Thank You for convicting me of my need for Your grace every day. Thank You for calling me and empowering me to keep welcoming the glory of Your presence in my heart and my life a little more each day. Make me more "zealous for good deeds" for Your kingdom to come and Your will to be done in my life and through my life for the hope of Your glory. 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 and cd's for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. http://www.messiah-ministries.org Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain This Friday Night 6/16 -- the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel at Centenary United Methodist, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington. All are welcome!

Multiply the Moments 6-14-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Before the day begins, it's good to come away with You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I give to You my first thoughts, my first emotions, my first words. ... As I watch and wait for Your leading in the silence of surrender, it seems I hear You say, "Multiply the moments." I think of these moments with my children and family during our time away. Yes, Lord. Multiply the moments -- these moments together with one another, set apart from the intensity of our regular daily lives. Multiply the investment of love and time in these moments with my children. "Then Peter said, 'Look, we have left our homes and followed You.' And He said to them, 'Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not get back very much more in this age, and in the age to come eternal life' " (Luke 18:28-30). These few weeks near the beginning of each summer have become some of the most important weeks of my life. These are the times when I "get back very much more in this age" some of what I seem to have lost "for the sake of the kingdom of God." As those who have known me in the journey of my life and those who have come to know me in the journey of my prayers have found, I share the pain and the joy of both a broken family and a blended family. After my first year of ministry in the transition of my worlds from lawyer to minister and from Texas to Kentucky, my first wife divorced me, despite all the counseling and prayers and offers to return to the our old world. My three older children from that first marriage -- Elizabeth, Zachary, and Madison -- are only able to be with me part of the time now. So this block of time when I bring them "back home" to see my family out here in Texas and New Mexico and to spend uninterrupted weeks rather than days and hours with them carries a significance far beyond a family vacation. These moments of talks and laughs, arguments and prayers -- these moments of real life together -- are worth their weight in gold. This year has been a little harder without my two youngest children -- Elijah and Josiah -- since it seemed a little too early to travel for my wife with our newborn son. But at the same time, it's allowed a little more focused time with my older children in a rare gift we seldom share. Somehow by the power of Your grace and Your love, You have brought us through and are bringing us through the journey of brokenness and healing, blending our old life into our new life -- our redeemed life. I have no idea how anyone could try to make it through this kind of journey without You and I'm so glad we have never had to try. Multiply the moments, Lord. Thank You for putting this prayer of Your will on my heart this morning. Do in these moments what might otherwise take months that we no longer have to give and to share with one another. Thank You for the gift of "very much more." 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 and cd's for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." Address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. http://www.messiah-ministries.org Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain This Friday Night 6/16 -- the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel at Centenary United Methodist, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington.

The Breath of Your Spirit 6-13-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I come away from the world for a moment to seek You alone and wait in the silence to listen for the leading of Your Spirit. ... "We look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). I cannot see the air I breathe, but it is real. And it is essential for my life. I cannot see You, but You are real. And You are essential for my life. If in my pride I were to stubbornly insist that I would not allow air into my lungs because I could not see it and therefore could not believe it was real, I would surely die. Having known the Breath of Life, I know my life would be as dry as a bone and my spirit would surely die if I were to stubbornly refuse to allow the life breath of Your Spirit to fill me afresh every day. The same Hebrew word for breath is the same word for spirit -- ruach. As the worship song says, "You are the Air I breathe. I'm desperate for You." From the very the beginning, we have lived by the breath of God alone: "The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7). You are Spirit (John 4:24). And Your Spirit brings new life to dry bones and weary souls. "Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live" (Ezekiel 37:5). By Your grace and my faith, I choose to believe and I choose to receive the breath of Your Spirit, the breath of Your Life. Breathe Your life into my spirit afresh and let these bones live for You today. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.orgCome to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Before All Things" 6-12-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let me see You in Your Word and hear You in my spirit. ... "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers -- all things have been created through Him and for Him. He himself is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything" (Colossians 1:15-16). Come to "have first place" in my life, Lord Jesus. I know there are still so many areas where I turn to myself and my will before turning to You and Your will. There are still so many times that You come in second -- or far worse -- on my list of priorities and guiding principles for my decisions. Not only is that sin, it's also foolish, because in You "all things hold together." When things are not holding together well in my life, I know it's time reorder my priorities, seek the wisdom of Your ways, and look to You and Your leading "before all things." In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

More Fruit of Your Spirit 6-11-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your desires on my heart and Your thoughts in my mind. Lead me in prayer and throughout my day by Your Spirit. ... "The fruit of the Spirit is love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things" (Galatians 5:22-23). Lord, let me see more fruit of Your Spirit in my life. But even as I pray this prayer, I know You will be doing Your part by providing Your power through Your grace, and calling me to do my part by faith and obedience to Your will. Your answer will come as You bring the circumstances into my life that will become the opportunities for me to choose to bear this fruit or not. Your Word calls us each to "live lives worth of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, as you bear fruit in every good work as you grow in the knowledge of the Lord" (Colossians 1:10). It is our choice how we chose to lead our lives, but You are there to provide the desire and the power to live a life that pleases You. You have put this prayer on my heart because You want to bring this answer in my life. It's only possible by Your grace, but Your grace is sufficient for me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribewrite to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Times of Refreshing 6-9-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Awaken my hunger for the fullness of Your presence in my heart again today. ... "In this way God fulfilled what He had foretold through all the prophets, that His Messiah would suffer. Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through His holy prophets" (Acts 3:18-21). Times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord. We prepare the way of the Lord as we repent of our sins and turn to You. So repentance brings refreshing. Returning to You allows You to return to us in the fullness of Your presence, unhindered by sin. May the hunger for Your presence intensify to the time of universal repentance when You send Your Messiah for the time of universal restoration. You long to restore every heart that turns to You in repentance. You long to refresh every heart that longs for Your presence. Father God, send your Messiah. Fulfill the fullness Your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Come, Holy Spirit. Convict us of our sin. Convince us of our need for the refreshing and restoration that only the coming of our Messiah can bring. Call us to repentance as we turn to our God and cry out in prayer for the presence of the Lord in measures of intensity that touch the heart of heaven. Come, Lord Jesus. Refresh us and restore us with the fullness of Your presence in our hearts and throughout the earth. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Faithfulness as Firm as the Heavens 6-8-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me entrust all things to You. ... "I will sing of Your steadfast love, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations. I declare that Your steadfast love is established forever; Your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens" (Psalm 89:1-2). Steadfast and steady, faithful and true I find my rest and security in You. Others may falter and others may fail But Your goodness and mercy will always prevail. Why do I doubt and why do I fear? Through every challenge, You're always near. So help me let go and help me to trust To rest in You and not worry so much. You hold my life in Your hands, from beginning to end Every hope and dream, every struggle with sin. Keep lifting my eyes to see as You see Not looking around or looking at me. I give You my burdens and release them to You I find rest in Your peace as You want me to. There's no better place than the security of Your presence Your faithfulness to me is as firm as the heavens. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's (and now cd's) for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com"Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Dominion 6-7-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open the eyes of my heart to seek You. ... "When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars that You have established; what are human beings that You are mindful of the them, mortals that You care for them? Yet You have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor. You have given them dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under their feet" (Psalm 8:3-6). You are the Creator and we are the created. Yet You created us with love and given us glory and honor in measures we could never deserve and never earn just becuase it is Your will to do so. You have entrusted the rest of Your creation to our care. In Your dominion, You have given us dominion. Forgive us for failing to care for Your creation as You have cared for us. Give me grace to see that part of Your creation You have put under my feet. Give me Your heart to love it and Your wisdom to steward it with glory and honor. This is not pride, this is obedience -- not to honor ourselves, but to honor You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Away with You 6-6-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I have come away from my world for a couple of weeks of vacation, but I don't want to come away from You. Though my mornings may start a little later, I still want to start them with You. ... "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning and settle in the farthest limits of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me fast" (Psalm 139:7-10). Wherever I go, You are there. And in a truth that is beyond my comprehension, You are there waiting for me. You are there waiting for each of us to acknowledge Your presence and welcome Your life into our lives. The moment I lift my face to Your glory and open my heart to Your Spirit in worship and prayer, You are there. You have been there all along, but I come to know that truth more surely as I consciously and deliberately direct my thoughts to know and acknowledge Your presence with me. It's not getting away from work and daily responsibilities on vacation that will bring me the deepest rest. It's having a little more time to linger in Your presence and look more deeply into Your glory that will renew me and refresh me to return home in a fresh power of Your Spirit. As You said to Moses, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest" (Exodus 33:14). The last thing I did at "work" was to preach and pray on Pentecost Sunday for all of us to be filled afresh with Your Holy Spirit. Now You are answering my prayers as I have a little more time to pursue Your presence. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Dear Friends, I will be away on family vacation for a couple of weeks and will send out my devotional as I am able. We usually take the kids out to spend time with my family in Texas and New Mexico each summer. But I will be keeping you in prayer and ask you to please keep us in prayer. God bless you and thank you for coming along with me in the journey! To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's (and now cd's) for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com"Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Omen of 666 6-2-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let the truth and light of Your Holy Spirit shine in my soul. Bind back the darkness and deception of these days and open my eyes to see the One who is the Truth. By Your grace, You are my Way, my Truth, and my Life. ... "False christs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be alert; I have already told you everything. But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory. Then He will send out the angels, and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven" (Mark 13:22-27). Last week, all the famous "double-decker" buses in London we saw had advertisements pasted on their sides for the movie coming out on 6-6-06 called "The Omen." It is an obvious reference to the antichrist and the mark of the beast "who performs great signs" and "deceives those who dwell on the earth" (Revelation 13:11-18, NKJV). "Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666" (verse 13:18). He comes looking "like a lamb" but speaking "like a dragon" (verse 13:11). But You have warned us to hold fast to what is true, to test everything against the truth of Your Word and Your Spirit. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:15-16). The enemy of our souls "is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). His fruit is doubt and unbelief, confusion and fear. He is a counterfeiter of the truth. The movies and books in the media of our day are flooded with deception and distortion of the truth. "The DaVinci Code" book and movie present as facts a litany of outrageous lies easily contradicted by even the secular, historical record; yet the faith of many is being shaken by the false appearance of objectivity and supposed revelation of hidden conspiracy. "The Gospel of Judas" has surfaced as an ancient document but also an ancient distortion of the truth in line with the Gnostic philosophies that were asserted in contradiction to the truth of the Gospel. These are days of relentless and accelerating deception. "Then from his mouth the serpent poured water like a river after the woman, to sweep her away with the flood" (Revelation 12:15). But Your truth will prevail over every counterfeit and deception for those who choose to seek Your face and stand firm in Your Word by Your grace. "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him" (Isaiah 59:19, NKJV). A counterfeit only has significance because it is a counterfeit of what is real. There are false signs and wonders because there are true signs and wonders. There are false christs and prophets because there is a true Christ and His true prophets. "And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved" (Mathew 24:11-13). These are exciting days! The seeds of truth and deception, of good and evil have grown into maturity for the time of harvest (Matthew 13:36-43). Lord, give me grace to stand firm in the faith. Give me grace to endure to the end. Let the banner of Your cross, the standard of Your Word, and the power of Your Spirit be the true omens of our day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, one good web site with excellent material on these issues is: www.JesusAndDavinci.com Also, one of the professors I had at Asbury Seminary, Dr. Ben Witherington has written an excellent book called The Gospel Code on this subject. Please check out the Global Day of Prayer events this Sunday June 4th in your area: http://www.gdop-usa.com/ Our events in the Lexington, Kentucky area for the 3:00 gathering at Rupp Arena and the prayer sites across town for the 10 Days of Preparation are at: http://www.metrolexprayer.org/ Messiah Ministries will host the Friday prayer time focused on healing at 12:00 noon and 7:00 pm at the Prayer Tower at Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. Please come join us! Also, I am very excited to be joining in the preaching on Pentecost this Sunday at Centenary for all three services -- please come join us if you can and pray for us if you can't. To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's (and now cd's) for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com"Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.org Come to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com