Judgment is Decreed 1-25-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name is above every name. Be exalted, O Lord -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- in my heart and in my life. I bow in my soul and confess with my mouth that You are Lord of me and Lord of all. ... "As I looked, this horn made war with the holy ones and was prevailing over them, until the Ancient of Days came; then judgment was given for the holy ones of the Most High, and the time arrived when the holy ones gained possession of the kingdom" (Daniel 7:21-22). By the blood of Jesus through the sacrifice of the cross, I am a holy one of the Most High (1 Peter 2:9-10; Colossians 1:22). The evil one has been making war with me all of my life, seeking to prevail over me, seeking to establish his kingdom in my soul and in the souls of men and women throughout the earth and throughout all generations (Genesis 3:15; Revelation 12:17). But You are the Ancient of Days. Your kingdom is without end, from everlasting to everlasting. You are the King of the kingdom and You have come and established Your kingdom in my soul (Luke 17:20-21). By Your grace and in the authority of Your name, I have "gained possession of the kingdom" You have promised and entrusted to me as an inheritance of the sons and daughters of the King, the holy ones of the Most High. The verdict is in. You held court and "sat in judgment" (Daniel 7:10). You have ruled and over-ruled, eternally decreeing Your judgment in my favor. My adversary is getting the justice he deserves, and I am getting the mercy I don't, because of the sacrifice of Your love by Your blood for me. Lord, these are eternal truths, already established in the eternal, heavenly dimension where all time and space is already present to You. In that eternal dimension, everything that will ever be true is already true. I choose by Your grace to bring my life into agreement with Your truth. In the name of Jesus, I agree with the judgment You have eternally decreed in my favor against my adversary. He will not prevail, for "the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and His Messiah, and He will reign forever and ever" (Revelation 11:15). Let Your kingdom come; let Your will be done, in me and throughout the earth. Come reign in me now and forever, O Ancient of Days. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Vision and Provision 1-24-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. "Be thou my vision, O Lord, my God." ... "Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours; it brings a great reward. For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. For yet 'in a very little while, the One who is coming will come and will not delay; but My righteous one will live by faith. My soul takes no pleasure in any one who shrinks back.' But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved" (Hebrews 10:35-39). At my home church, the pledges of our provision have not matched the vastness of our vision. But as many of us gathered last night on our knees in prayer to cry out to You in both desperation and in faith, Your Spirit was reminding us that it's not our provision, any more than it is our vision. It is Your vision and You will make provision. So our most important step of discernment is to first determine whether is it Your vision or our own that is in our hearts. If it is Your vision, it would be the sin of faithlessness to shrink back. If it is not Your vision, it would be the sin of presumption to proceed. So in humility and faith, we turn to You in determined desperation and trusting dependence. We have no confidence apart from the faith You stir up in our hearts and the peace You settle in to our souls. We have no righteousness apart from the cleansing of Your blood and mercy of Your grace. But as we look back upon the move of Your Spirit in our midst, we see the name of Jesus being exalted and the Word of God being proclaimed; souls are being saved and lives are being changed; we are being transformed into Your image a little more each day. What we have discerned as faith in Your vision seems to be bearing fruit for Your kingdom. There is more excitement and anticipation for what You are doing and for what You are going to do in our hearts and church and community than ever before. You seem to be crucifying our flesh and filling us with Your Spirit. Lord, give us courage and endurance in the confidence that comes from knowing we are looking to You alone as our vision maker and our provision provider. Great will be our reward as we are filled with the joy of those who "live by faith" and who "have done the will of God." You are our Reward and You are all we need. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

God said, "See" 1-23-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open my ears to hear what You are speaking and open my eyes to see what You are showing for me and my life this day. ... "God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.' God said, 'See, I have given you every plant ... every tree ... every beast ... every bird ... everything that has the breath of life, I have given ....' And it was so" (Genesis 1:28-30). Father God, You are our Creator. And in Your sovereignty and wisdom, beyond our understanding, You chose to entrust the dominion of Your creation to us. Though we have stumbled and fallen in the rebellion and pride of sin, You made provision for our selfishness in the self-less sacrifice of Christ "through the blood of His cross" (Colossians 1:20). Now, by Your grace, You continue to call us to "have dominion" over Your creation, but to exercise our dominion in submission to Your will and Your ways, as Your children in the name of Your Son and the power of Your Spirit (Romans 5:1-21). "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable" (Romans 11:29). As You entrusted dominion of Your creation to Your people in specific ways at specific times, You also taught them the spiritual principle of vision. You told them to "see" what You had given them. When You spoke to Abraham of the gifts and calling You were giving him through Your covenant, You said, "Raise your eyes now ... all the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever" (Genesis 13:14-15). You call us to see with the eyes of Your Spirit that You are redeeming and restoring all things. "See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them" (Isaiah 42:9). We are blessed to be born in this age of Your grace and power when we can see Your Word coming to pass. "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it" (Luke 10:23-24). Lord, open my eyes to see with the eyes of Your Spirit. To look and see not only the reality of things as they are, but the reality of things as they shall be -- redeemed and restored, healed and free, in the dominion of Your kingdom forever. "When you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near" (Luke 21:31). Teach me to see as You see and to hear what You say, that I can fulfill my purpose in the nature of Your name and the power of Your Spirit. "This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this that you may both see and hear" (Acts 2:32-33). Lord, let me see and hear as I trust and obey. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Misunderstand like my Master 1-22-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me lay the foundation for my day as I centered my heart and thoughts on You first and on You alone. ... "The Jews answered Him, 'Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?' Jesus answered, 'I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me' " (John 8:48-49). At times You were misunderstood. And at time, so am I. "Servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them" (John 13:16). People tend to see others in the same way they inwardly see themselves and judge others in the same way they inwardly judge themselves. Wounded people wound people, and rejected people reject people. So the ones who desperately need help often desperately push away the ones who want to help. Lord, forgive me when I've done that to others. Help me forgive those who have done that to me. Help me keep my heart tender and open even toward those who may misunderstand me and wound me. I know it makes me vulnerable and I know there will be times when I need Your healing love to redeem the pain and wounds that come. But this is the example You've set before me and the path You've called me to follow, if You are to be my Teacher and I am to be Your disciple. You endured the suffering of Your ministry for the sake of the joy set before You to come (Hebrews 12:1-2). And so must I, in Your power and by Your grace, in response to Your call. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Path to Life" 1-21-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Form Your thoughts in my mind; form Your desires in my heart. Make me more like You each day. ... "Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but one who rejects a rebuke goes astray" (Proverbs 10:17). Give me a teachable heart to heed instruction -- from You and from You through the teachers You choose. Give me a humble heart to receive needed rebuke and wise correction -- from You and from You through the leaders You choose. I want to walk in truth, not self-deception. I want to increase in godliness, not increase in worldliness. We are all on the path of life, but I want to be on the path to life. By Your grace, I choose to find my path in You. You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Covenant of Friendship 1-19-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I choose to commit my thoughts and desires to You today. ... "Who are they that fear the Lord? He will teach them the way that they should choose. They will abide in prosperity, and their children shall possess the land. The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He makes His covenant known to them" (Psalm 25:12-14). Those who turn to You to be taught are those You teach. Those who fear You are those You befriend. Your blessings are for those who seek Your blessings by choosing to bring their lives under submission to Your ways and Your will. You teach us the way, but we must choose to walk in it. Obedience is a condition to this covenant of friendship: "You are My friends if you do what I command you" (John 15:14). Lord give me the wisdom and the grace to seek You and honor You in the fear of the Lord. I need Your leading and I need Your teaching. I want to know Your friendship and the blessings of Your covenant of friendship with me. So help me to know You and fear You, trust You and obey You. Help me be Your friend. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! Tonight 1/19 at 7 pm for our ministry's monthly city-wide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship in the chapel of Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Road in Lexington. We come together from many different traditions to worship in the Spirit and welcome the presence and power of God in our lives. Come be refreshed and renewed as we drink deeply from the Living Waters. All are welcome! Call us for information at 859-317-1591 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Conditions of the Covenant of Revival 1-19-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. At the leading of Your Spirit, I come humbly to Your feet and call boldly on Your name. You are my Lord and Savior. I submit to Your lordship and surrender to Your salvation in every area of my life -- as best as I can and all by Your grace. ... "If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray, seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). Some have called these words Your Covenant of Revival. We need Your forgiveness and healing in our hearts and in our land. We need Your revival every day -- a fresh breath of Your life in every weary and dead place of our souls. And You want to bring it. You have covenanted with us to bring it. But there are conditions to Your covenant. There is and "if" to the "then" of Your promise. You hear from heaven when there are cries from earth -- cries from the hearts of Your people humbled in repentance and persistent in prayer. O Lord, start a revival in my spirit today. As in the days of Ezekiel, speak new life to these dry bones. Let a fresh wind of Your Spirit blow through my soul and my land. Move in my heart to call on Your name. I want to be surrendered and saved, submitted and sanctified, cleansed in Your blood and filled with Your Spirit, more and more every day. You hear the humble and answer those who call in repentance and faith -- daily turning away from ourselves and toward You. These are the conditions of Your covenant of revival. Keep reminding me of Your conditions; keep calling me to prayer; and keep coming in the power of revival in my soul and my land. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for covering us prayer yesterday as I joined pastors and ministry leaders having the broader vision of the Kingdom of God rather than only our own churches and ministries from Lexington and Wilmore on the campus of Asbury College. I couldn't help but speak on revival in this historic place where God has moved in the power of revival to transform hearts and lives in this land so many times. Together, we humbled our hearts in the unity of prayer for the healing of our land. I pray the same for you and your land. May the Lord God Almighty break through in revival power in every area of your life as you commit to the conditions of the His covenant of revival in humility and faith. God bless you! Come to The Fountain! this Friday night 1/19 at 7 pm for our ministry's monthly city-wide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship in the chapel of Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Road in Lexington. We come together from many different traditions to worship in the Spirit and welcome the presence and power of God in our lives. Come be refreshed and renewed as we drink deeply from the Living Waters. All are welcome! Call us for information at 859-317-1591 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Made Worthy and Welcome 1-17-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Humble my heart and cleanse me of sin, lift up my face and draw me within. Lead me down the path of surrender in prayer to a deeper place of intimacy where I've never been. ... "And Jacob said, 'O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, 'Return to your country and your kindred, and I will do you good,' I am not worthy of the least of all the steadfast love and all the faithfulness that You have shown to Your servant ...' " (Genesis 32:9-10). If it depended upon me alone, I could never draw near to You or welcome You to draw near to me -- in Your holiness and in my un-holiness, in Your perfect worthiness and in my perfect un-worthiness. But by the sacrifice of Your love and the cleansing of Your blood, it doesn't depend upon me. So by Your Holy Spirit and through the blood sacrifice of Your Son, Lord God my Father, draw me close to You as I welcome You to draw close to me. In the mercy of Your grace, I can receive Your call and obey Your command in response to Your love: "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations" (Psalm 100:4-5). You have made me worthy and made me welcome. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I am excited to be invited by the Provost of Asbury College to speak there today for a Lexington Ministry Leaders' Luncheon. The Lord has moved in revival many times among the hearts of students hungry for His presence on this campus -- even as recently as last February, 2006. As ministry leaders, may we join them in the cry for revival in our hearts and throughout our land. Let's stand with one another in the agreement of prayer for God's revival of His people throughout the earth. God bless you! Come to The Fountain! this Friday night 1/19 at 7 pm for our ministry's monthly city-wide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship in the chapel of Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Road in Lexington. Come be refreshed and renewed as we drink deeply from the Living Waters. All are welcome! Paul Cooper from Liberty Worship Center will be leading in worship and I will be leading in prayer. Call us for information at 859-317-1591 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Persistent Pursuit of God's Pleasure 1-16-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I don't know where my choices today will lead me, but I want my first choice to be a good choice. I choose to look to You first, before any others, to call upon Your name first, before any others. ... "O Lord, remember in David's favor all the hardships he endured; how he swore to the Lord and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, 'I will not enter my house or get into my bed; I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob' " (Psalm 132:1-5). David was tenacious and persistent in making Your pleasure his priority. I want that kind of tenacity and persistence. I want David's priority to be my priority. He was a man after Your own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). He opened his heart to be Your dwelling place. He sought You first, above everything else -- enduring the hardships of hardened hearts and misunderstood motives. He kept pressing in and pressing through. He was not perfect, but he was persistent in the pursuit of Your pleasure, in his tenacious desire to honor You with his life. Forgive me for all the times that my pleasure has been my priority, when my comfort has been my commandment. Forgive me when I've been complacent about Your presence. It's all about You. It's not about me. As I seek You first, all I need will be given to me (Matthew 6:33). As I honor You with a heart hungry for Your presence, You honor me with Your presence in my heart -- a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! this Friday night 1/19 at 7 pm for our ministry's monthly gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship in the chapel of Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Road in Lexington. Come be refreshed and renewed as we drink deeply from the Living Waters. All are welcome! Call us for information at 859-317-1591 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Enemies of the Cross" 1-12-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I center my thoughts and open my heart to You. ... "For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ, I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:18-20). There are enemies of the cross of Christ who are not radical followers of another faith or fanatical persecutors of the Christian faith. There are enemies of the cross of Christ who actually claim the name of Christ. For these, it's not Christ they hate; it's the cross they hate. Somewhere along the way they have prayed the sinner's prayer, made a decision for Christ that the gospel is true, go to church on Sunday, and even have a Bible on display in their home. But down inside, they hate the cross of Christ. They hate the very idea of dependence on You, of obedience to You and Your Word, of standing apart from the ways of the world, of standing up for the way of the cross -- the way of death to self will and submission to Your will. Beneath the veneered surface of their hypocrisy, they are inwardly disgusted by very words of humility, meekness, sacrifice, and submission. Forgive me, Lord, where I have been an enemy of the cross of Christ. You continue to warn Your would-be disciples, "Whoever does not take up the cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me" (Matthew 10:38). Give me the courage and humility to take up the cross and follow You -- not just hang one on my wall or wear it around my neck, or let someone keep it shiny and polished at the front of my church. Let it be a call to be crucified to this world, to come apart and take a stand -- in dependence on You and in defiance of the ways of the world. "Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God. Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God" (James 4:4). I don't want to be an enemy of God or Your cross. I don't want to submit my life to any God but You. So give me courage to embrace the cross and follow You as a faithful friend rather than a faking foe. Let my life be true and truly Yours. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com . Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Place of Provision 1-11-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As the song says, "I bow down, I lay my crown, at the feet of Jesus. ... I cry 'holy, holy, holy' ... holy is the Lamb. ... "Isaac said to his father Abraham, 'Father!' And he said, 'Here I am, my son.' He said, 'The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?' Abraham said, 'God Himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.' " (Genesis 22:7-8). Abraham committed his will to Your will in obedience and faith. His faith was revealed in his willingness to obey. In obedience, he was willing to surrender to You all that was important to him. And in faith, he was willing to believe that You would provide all he would need. His willingness to provide the lamb of his son in obedience to Your will and in faith of Your nature made the way for Your provision of the Lamb of Your Son on that very place -- the place he prophetically named Jehovah Jireh -- " 'The Lord will provide;' as it is said to this day, 'On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided' " (v. 22:14). At that place of Your provision that would later be called Golgatha, The Place of the Skull, Abraham committed his son to an altar of wood (v. 22:9). And so did You (John 19:16-18). In the nature of Your Son, You Yourself provided the Lamb -- our Creator humbling Yourself in an incomprehensible sacrifice of love for Your creation. Abraham had no idea that day all that his act of obedience in faith would mean. But his life affected my life that day. "And by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed My voice" (Genesis 22:18). And I have no idea how you will use my acts of obedience in faith by Your grace to touch the lives of others. But give me the courageous faith of Abraham to trust and obey Your nature and Your will. As I do, You Yourself will provide all I need. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com . Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Cleansed of "All" Unrighteousness 1-10-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Cleanse my soul by the blood of the Lamb, that I may draw near to You in worship and prayer, as a forgiven friend, faithful son, and willing servant through the promise and power of Your grace. ... "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery" (Luke 16:18). After nine years of marriage and three children, my first wife divorced me. I disagreed, but under our law it takes two people to choose to get married and only one to choose to get divorced. Though we both shared in many choices and circumstances along the way that may have led to that decision, ultimately it was a decision made without my consent and out of my control. Yet I also bore the sin of a broken covenant with You, no matter whose choice it was. And I bore the sins for all my failings along the way. For a long time, I bore the shame of the sin and carried the burden of the failure under the weight of rejection and regret. I was broken and crushed, feeling rejected and ashamed, but You were there through it all -- even in the times where it may have seemed like You weren't. You kept drawing me to You to draw out my sin, to lift off my burdens, and to cleanse my shame. You used the brokenness of those days to go far deeper in my soul to touch many places of sin and shame, woundedness and pain, bondage and oppression, in many areas of my life. Through my times of surrender and repentance in prayer with You and through the ministry of prayer from the others You sent who listened with me and prayed with me, You loved me through it all. Finally I came to the place of accepting and embracing the fullness of Your forgiveness and grace, refusing to reject it any longer. By Your amazing love and Your amazing grace, I knew I was accepted, forgiven, and cleansed "from all unrighteousness" -- from "all" unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). But even so, I continued to encounter the attitudes and understandings of Scripture of others who believed the sin of my divorce tainted me forever, cancelled my calling, hindered my leadership, and limited my options for ministry, for marriage, and for intimacy with You. I wrestled with Your Word and Your will, with the opinions of others; and like Jacob, I wrestled with You. But moment by moment through the hard journey of those days, it seemed You kept saying to me: "What part of 'all' don't you understand, My son. I have forgiven you and cleansed you of 'all' unrighteousness. My law is just and true, but it is for the purpose of bringing conviction of sin that leads to confession and repentance. Honest confession and true repentance always leads to My mercy and grace. There is no sin for which I will not convict You in My mercy and there is no confession of sin I will not hear in My grace. I delight in restoring and redeeming all who turn to Me with repentant hearts and trusting faith. Do not resist My grace and do not reject the sacrifice of My blood. Believe it and receive it and never let it go. What gift is more beautiful than the gift of My grace? What treasure is more valuable than the treasure of My mercy? It is freely available to you and to all who earnestly repent of their sins and call upon My name. I find joy in forgiving you and I find joy in restoring unto you the joy of your salvation." Yes, Lord. Through Your constant, consistent presence and leading, with breakthroughs and encounters of Your goodness and power along the way, I came to the place of grace and peace in the freedom of Your forgiveness and the healing of Your love. Then in time, I began to sense my heart moving toward another in love. Once again I went to Your Word and wrestled with Your Scriptures about marriage and divorce and remarriage. And once again, I seemed to sense Your Holy Spirit speaking to my human spirit: "What part of 'all' don't you understand? You now have clean hands and a pure heart through the power of My blood and unfailing promise of My mercy and grace. You are cleansed of 'all' unrighteousness. You have a clean slate and a fresh start. My grace means nothing if it does not mean this." Yes, Lord. Without repentance, remarriage would be sin. But by Your grace, I was not without repentance and I was purged of my sin. Though I'm sure many sincere believers would disagree, I believe this is all part of the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ -- the gospel of the kingdom of God where there is no sin You will not forgive and no soul You will not cleanse through repentance and faith in submission to You. The only unpardonable sin is the sin of resisting the conviction of the Holy Spirit to admit it our sin and turn to You in repentance and faith. Divorce, whether chosen or not, is not the unpardonable sin. "For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far He removes our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:11-12). That's how far, O Lord, no matter what the accuser or anyone who agrees with the accuser has to say. As the praise song says: "Thank You for Your blood, Lord Jesus. Thank You for Your victory. Thank You, Lord, for loving me." So today, I can celebrate with joy my tenth anniversary of a new marriage from a fresh start. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who has faith" (Romans 1:16). The road of redemption and restoration has not always been easy these past ten years -- as we would all acknowledge, some days have been unbelievably hard and even impossibly doomed apart from the power of Your grace -- but we have never been apart from Your grace or Your power for a moment. Now I have the joy of a partner who willingly chooses to walk with me though the journey -- in sickness and in health, through selfishness and sin, sacrifice and patience, in good times and hard times, 'til death do us part, in complete dependence on Your grace. We also celebrate a blended family of five children -- who have seen the power of Your redeeming grace to cause all things, even divorce and remarriage, to work together for good for those who love You and who are called according to Your purpose (Romans 8:28). Not everybody understands that kind of grace, that kind of a clean slate and fresh start, that kind of good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ -- but as for me and my house, we do. And we thank You on this day of celebration, thanksgiving, and joy. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com . Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

"Understand and Know Me" 1-9-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and seek our Your face, as I narrow my thoughts and open my heart to You alone in these early moments. ... "Thus says the Lord: Do not let the wise boast in their wisdom, do not let the mighty boast in their might, do no let the wealthy boast in their wealth; but let those who boast boast in this, that they understand and know Me, that I am the Lord; I act with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord" (Jeremiah 9:23-24). Help me understand You and Your ways. Help me know You and Your nature. I don't want to just understand You, I want to know You. And I don't just want to know You, I want to understand You. You perfectly manifest the balance and fulfillment of love, justice, and righteousness. And You seek that balance and fulfillment in me. You find no delight in my own wisdom or might or wealth -- I have none apart from You -- but You find delight in my desire to seek You and seek to live in the nature of Your love and justice and righteousness. "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. For it is not those who commend themselves that are approved, but those whom the Lord commends" (2 Corinthians 10:17-18). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Snatched Away 1-8-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me yield to Your will and walk in Your ways, in every area of my life. I have so far to go, but You are taking me there -- step by step and morning by morning. ... "When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea" (Acts 8:39-40). Philip was so yielded to You that Your Holy Spirit was able to literally snatch him away from one place of ministry and position him instantaneously in another. There are no restrictions of time and space to You. Help me become so yielded to You that there are no restrictions in me. I want to proclaim the good news in the preaching of the Word and in the authority of prayer, whether in the spirit or in the body, everywhere I find myself positioned by You. I want to be so available to You and Your will that You can even snatch me up and send me out in Your supernatural ways. Where You lead me, I will follow. Where You send me, I will go -- all by Your grace and all in Your power. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com .Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Breaking Free 1-7-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Lord and Savior, my Healer and Deliverer and Redeemer. I bow before You, worship and adore You, as I watch and wait now for You in these first moments of a new day. ... "Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress; He brought them out of darkness and gloom, and broke their bonds asunder. Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wonderful works to humankind. For He shatters the doors of bronze, and cuts in two the bars of iron" (Psalm 107:13-16). This morning my pastor plans to begin a new series of messages for our church called "Breaking Free." And by Your grace and in Your power we will be breaking free from everything that holds us back for the fullness of our calling and destiny in You, personally and as a church. "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36). But we must humble our hearts to acknowledge our need. You are the One who shatters our doors of bronze and cuts in two our bars of iron, who breaks our bonds asunder in the power and anointing of Your presence, but we must find the humility to admit we need it, to admit we need You. You save from distress those who cry out to You in their trouble. Help us be transparent in our troubles, open with our struggles, and desperate for deliverance from our darkness and gloom. "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18). As never before, help us personally admit where we are broken and acknowledge where we are crushed, as we welcome You to draw near in Your power and presence. Come, Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus and steadfast love of our Father with the grace to forgive and the power to heal -- in my life and my church and as far as Your grace will go. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com . Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Impoverished and Empowered 1-6-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name is above all names. You are worthy of all praise. I praise Your name and seek Your face, entrusting my soul to mercy of Your grace. ... "He raises up the poor from the dust; He lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor" (1 Samuel 2:8). As I encounter the challenges of my life, I am increasingly aware of my poverty of power apart from You. As I encounter the pain and wounds, the bondage and shame of others crying out to You through the ministry of prayer for healing and deliverance, I am continually confronted with the knowledge of Your truth that I have absolutely nothing to give or say of any help at all apart from any gift of Your grace and power of Your word You choose to offer through me. Those words of wisdom You spoke long ago ring more true to me every day: "I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in Me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). But as I acknowledge my poverty and humble my pride, You open wide the windows of grace over every problem and pain, every burden and barrier I entrust to You in the surrender of faith. My troubles and the troubles of those I come alongside in prayer don't always immediately vanish -- but they are vanquished in the power of Your promises and the peace of Your presence. Fear is overcome by faith and stress is overcome by the sense of security You impart to our souls. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). You humble the proud, but empower the humble. You empower the impoverished. "Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that He has promised to those who love Him?" (James 2:5). Yes, Lord. I love You and I need You. Keep me poor in deepening dependence on You, that You many continually demonstrate Your power through my poverty. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, it seems lately the Lord and/or our baby have been waking me up early. Then I find myself concerned, even almost overwhelmed with concern for myself, my family, my clients, and my world. Sickness and disease, terrorism and hunger, Israel and Islam, earthquakes and hurricanes, lost souls and poverty, abortion, addictions, and preparing the way of the Lord and the coming of the King. As soon as I can, I try to allow the Lord to draw me to prayer and entrust it all to Him. Peace comes through prayer. His grace is sufficient for me. And it comforts me to know that by morning's light, you are joining me in prayer. Thank you and God bless you for joining me in the journey. I pray the Lord's peace through prayer in your journey. These are dark days, but the Light has never shined brighter for those with eyes to see and hearts to hear (Isaiah 60). The prayers of God's people led by His Spirit are some of the most significant ways His Light is shining in the midst of the darkness. (Now I can rest and get back to bed for a little "nap" before morning. Thanks for listening to this little extra prayer this morning. -- your friend and brother in the Lord, Tommy To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Covenant of Salt 1-5-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. With the words of an old hymn, I lift up my heart in worship and prayer to begin this day with You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: "Holy, holy, holy. Lord God Almighty. Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee." ... "All holy offerings that the Israelites present to the Lord I have given to you, together with your sons and daughters, as a perpetual due; it is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord for you and your descendents as well" (Number 18:19). In ancient times, salt was a mineral of great worth. It speaks of purity and preservation. The covenant of salt with the priests of God speaks of a calling to a persistent commitment of purity before You. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but You desire all to have a heart seeking holiness -- a persistent holiness of heart and life, lived out day by day by the grace of Your blood cleansing our sins and purifying our hearts. The priesthood of the Old Covenant is now fulfilled in Christ. And so now it is fulfilled by the Holy Spirit of Christ living through us, the priesthood of all believers (Romans 8:9). "To Him who loves us and freed us from our sins by His blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever" (Revelation 1:5-6). Just as all the holy offerings the priests presented to the Lord were offerings You Yourself gave them to present, all I have to offer You is what You have given me to offer. All that I am and all that I have belongs to You. I am no longer my own, but "bought with a price" by the blood of the Lamb, now living in me as "a temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Anything in me that is holy and pure is only holy and pure by the cleansing of Your blood and the filling of Your Spirit. But through Your blood and by Your grace, I offer my life a living sacrifice in an eternal covenant of commitment to You, preserved forever in the power of Your love and commitment to me. In Jesus' name I pray. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com . Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Always Here 1-4-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak Your name, seek Your face, and listen for Your voice. ... It seems I hear You say, "I am here. I am always here, always near. Don't question that, don't doubt that. You don't have to do anything or say anything. I am always here. I never leave you. I never forsake you." Yes, Lord. Thank You for Your constant presence, here in my life and here in my heart. Thank You for the power of Your promise: "I will never leave you or forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). Even in times when it seems You are distant or absent or indifferent, it is the limitation of my perception, not the reality of Your truth. As You said to Israel ever in a time of her rebellion and sin, so You say to each of us each day: "I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, 'Here I am, here I am,' to a nation that did not call on My name' " (Isaiah 65:1). Thank You for Your persistent grace and unfailing love. By Your grace, I want to persistently seek You and call on Your name. Without any limitations of false perceptions, I want to know that You are always near -- because You always are. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ Daily Archives: http://www.morningbymorning.injesus.com/ . Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

"Wait Quietly" 1-3-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I bow my head and my heart before You to listen for the leading of Your Spirit. ... "The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord" (Lamentations 3:25-26). Before I rise and go about my day, I wait for You. Before I look at what lies before me today, I seek You. I quiet my soul in the silence of surrender, watching and waiting for the leading of Your Spirit. My flesh wants to get up and go, but my spirit says, "Wait." It humbles my pride and crucifies my flesh, but it brings my body into submission to my soul and my soul into submission to my spirit and my spirit into submission to Your Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Now the mind, will, and emotions of my soul will not lead, but will follow the lead of my spirit, in communion with Your Holy Spirit. Now I can better sense Your leading and better hear Your voice as I go about my day, discerning Your will to choice my way. This is a blessing of waiting quietly before You in the first moments of my morning. Thank You, Lord, for the gift of this blessing. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ Daily Archives: http://www.morningbymorning.injesus.com/ . Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Unveiled Faces 1-2-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You into my heart so I can follow You into my day. ... "As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding Your likeness" (Psalm 17:15). Apart from You, I have no righteousness. But I am not apart from You. You are abiding in Me and I am abiding in You. By the cleansing of Your blood and the mercy of Your grace, You cause me to become "the righteousness of God" in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). You have lifted the veil of my sin so that I may behold Your face. "And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit" (v. 3:18). As I awake this morning to seek Your face and behold Your glory, You are changing me into Your image. We become like what we worship. I worship You, that I many become more like You. Thank You for being patience with me as You transform me in this life-long process of sanctification "from one degree of glory to another." And thank You for blessing of incredible breakthroughs and baptisms of Your Holy Spirit in the moments of complete surrender and complete sanctification along the way. As I follow You in the journey, keep my heart sensitive to the conviction of my sin and hungry for the consuming of Your Fire. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you all for your prayers for Nanny. She's doing great now! I pray you are off to a great start this new year. No matter what circumstances we face, God is with us through them all! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com . Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794