Father and Son 2-25-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You perfectly reveal the Father heart of God, for You and Father and the Holy Spirit are One. Make my heart more like Your heart each day. ... "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother" -- this is the first commandment with a promise: 'so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.' And fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:1-4). This weekend, I had to have one of those father-to-son talks with oldest son, Zach, who's now sixteen. As we pressed through the fluster of attitudes and emotions, You allowed us to get down to the root of the matter. As he began to see it and come to the place of being willing to release it to You, I was just thanking You in my spirit for the all seeds of truth and life You have planted in his heart along the way. Down inside he knows right from wrong, truth from lies, and what will bring freedom from what will bring bondage. His brokenness and humility before You in prayer caused a holy pride to fill my heart. And I think it filled Your heart too. Thank You for bring us both up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. These are the moments when it matters and when it's easy to see it was worth it all. 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

Days of Purim 2-23-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me be emptied of myself and filled with You. ... "Mordecai recorded these things, and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both far and near, enjoining them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same month, year by year, as the days on which the Jews gained relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and form mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and presents to the poor.... Therefore, these days are called Purim" (Esther 9:20-26). Haman, "the enemy of all the Jews," sought to destroy them in a single day, casting the lots, called "Pur," to determine the day of their destruction. But You called Your people to fast and pray, that the schemes of the enemy would be exposed and cancelled. "When Esther came before the king, he gave orders in writing that the wicked plot that he had devised against the Jews should come upon his own head" (v. 9:24-25). The enemy of our souls devises his schemes "to steal and kill and destroy," but You reverse his curse of destruction and death into our blessing of restoration and "abundant life" (John 10:10). You love to our sorrow into gladness and our mourning into a holiday. Give us humility to fast and pray. Give us faith to come before the King. Then Your decree with go forth, thwarting the plans and schemes of our enemy, bringing judgment upon his own head. "The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under your feet" (Romans 16:20). What he intends for evil, You will turn around and use for good (from Genesis 50:20). In Your time and in Your way, You turn our fasting into feasting, and our days of pain into days of Purim. 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

Season of Easter, Season of Esther 2-22-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of kings and King of my heart, I bow before You, worship and adore You, watching and waiting for You call to come into the fullness of Your presence this day. ... "Then Esther said in reply to Mordecai, 'Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.' Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him" (Esther 4:16). Fasting is a "weapon of our warfare" (2 Corinthians 10:4). It is a physical act of a spiritual attitude -- the attitude of humility and desperate dependence on You. "I humbled my soul with fasting" (Psalm 69:10). And it is a means to prepare our hearts to "go to the King" on behalf of our people. As we humble ourselves in Your sight, You lift us up (James 4:10). You called Esther to fast and pray because Haman sought to destroy her people (Esther 3:5-6). The spirit of Haman persists today, seeking to destroy the Jewish people of Esther and Mordecai. By grace, through faith, I am now grafted in to the tree of Esther's people (Romans 11:17). "Just as Abraham 'believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,' so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, 'All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you.' For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed" (Galatians 3:6-9). As I receive the blessings of Abraham through faith in the Messiah and God of Abraham, so I also sense the call to fast and pray on behalf of the people of Abraham, who are now my people as well, having been grafted in to the tree of faith. For two days, it seems You have been impressing the date of March 20th on my heart. I don't know yet if this may be a date of a great move of Your power or a date planned by the spirit of Haman as a date of planned destruction, or something else all together. But I choose to receive this as a call for me to fast and pray until that day in the way You lead. I pray for the humility of my soul and I pray for the safety of my people -- my people and Your people. As in the days of Esther, let the day planned for destruction become the day of thanksgiving and praise, "a day of feasting and gladness" (Esther 9:18). With Ash Wednesday yesterday, we began the season of Easter. Lord, let this season of Easter be like the season of Esther. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, our new dvd's and cd's are available now for distribution from the recent conference I led in Lexington: "From Brokenness to Breakthrough -- healing from grief, sorrow, trauma, and pain in a broken world." Please let us know if you would like to order one for yourself, a friend, or a study group. ($20, plus shipping; discounts available when necessary so that these are available to everyone). 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

Times and Seasons 2-21-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You and wait for You. Lead me by Your still, small voice. ... "The Lord said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?' Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah will have a son' " (Genesis 18:13-14). O Lord, there are set times and due seasons according to Your promises and Your plans. I need discernment to see the times and wisdom to recognize the seasons. Give me patience when it is time to wait for the fulfillment of Your promises. Give me courage when it is the season to engage in the unfolding of Your plans. There is a time for sowing and a time for reaping, a season for persevering in prayer and a season for the harvest of the promises. "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Nothing is too wonderful for You. Forgive me for doubting the wisdom of Your timing and for failing to recognize the purpose of Your seasons. Peace comes, no matter the times or seasons, when I simply trust the nature and power of Your love for me. As we say in the Serenity Prayer, "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference." In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, our new dvd's and cd's are available now for distribution from my recent conference: "From Brokenness to Breakthrough -- healing from grief, sorrow, trauma, and pain in a broken world." Please let us know if you would like to order one for yourself, a friend, or a study group. ($20, plus shipping; discounts available when necessary so that these are available to everyone). 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

Times and Seasons 2-21-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You and wait for You. Lead me by Your still, small voice. ... "The Lord said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?' Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah will have a son' " (Genesis 18:13-14). O Lord, there are set times and due seasons according to Your promises and Your plans. I need discernment to see the times and wisdom to recognize the seasons. Give me patience when it is time to wait for the fulfillment of Your promises. Give me courage when it is the season to engage in the unfolding of Your plans. There is a time for sowing and a time for reaping, a season for persevering in prayer and a season for the harvest of the promises. "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Nothing is too wonderful for You. Forgive me for doubting the wisdom of Your timing and for failing to recognize the purpose of Your seasons. Peace comes, no matter the times or seasons, when I simply trust the nature and power of Your love for me. As we say in the Serenity Prayer, "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference." In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, our new dvd's and cd's are available now for distribution from my recent conference: "From Brokenness to Breakthrough -- healing from grief, sorrow, trauma, and pain in a broken world." Please let us know if you would like to order one for yourself, a friend, or a study group. ($20, plus shipping; discounts available when necessary so that these are available to everyone). 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

"Together in Unity" 2-20-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Alpha and Omega, Lord of all and Lord of me. ... "How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity.... For there the Lord ordained His blessing, life forevermore" (Psalm 133:1-3). Last night, a revival of hearts and souls took place in our city. The dividing wall between Catholics and Protestants began to fall, as we came together in worship and prayer, in Spirit and in Truth, under the banner of Your name alone. We heard the personal story of a humble man who was selected by John Paul II to be the pastor to the Pope, sharing messages of encouragement and devotion of faith in You for over twenty-seven years, in such a spiritually strategic assignment. Fr. Ramiero Cantalamessa, "Apostolic Preacher to the Papal Household," said he was "sent" by the Spirit to Lexington, Kentucky. Then he was led to set aside his notes last night at our church to share from his heart of his personal journey of faith -- coming to Christ, called to the priesthood, spiritually renewed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit at a Kansas City prayer meeting, now sharing his heart for You and the unity of Your body in strategic places throughout the world as Your Spirit leads. Of all that he said, what struck me the most where the words he spoke at the dinner to encourage the Alpha ministry among Catholics and Protestants. He said it is the Holy Spirit that brings us together in unity, because the Holy Spirit points us to Jesus. Then he said, "Jesus is more important than Christianity." What powerful words. Our faith is not in a religion, it is in a Person. The gospel is not just good news, it is "the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1:1). More important than all the traditions and forms of religion created through the centuries to express and experience our faith is the Person who is the source of our faith -- Jesus Christ, the Son of God. You are "the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). You are "the Author and Finisher of our faith" (NKJV). You are "the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End" (Revelation 21:6). Lord Jesus, Your name unites us and identifies us. And as we come together as one under the banner of Your name, there You "command" Your blessing (Psalm 133:3, NKJV). Lord, command Your blessing -- the blessing of Your presence dwelling among us -- in our city and throughout the earth as the dividing walls come down and Your body becomes one in Christ. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for praying for us for our city-wide ecumenical service with Fr. Cantalamessa hosted at my home church, Centenary United Methodist in Lexington, Kentucky last night. www.centenarylex.com/alpha/cantalamessa/ We are very grateful to Dr. Tory Baucum of Asbury Seminary and national leader of the Alpha Course ministry who arranged this visit. He will also be speaking several times today 2/20 at the seminary I attended in Wilmore, Kentucky -- Asbury Theological Seminary www.ats.wilmore.ky.us/news/archive/12152006.php One dimension of our vision at Messiah Ministries is see the city-wide church come together as the body of Christ, and this seems to be a very historic and spiritually significant event toward that end in our community. Please stand with us in prayer for the unity of the body of Christ in our region and in yours. God bless! 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

"One Body" 2-19-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Bread of Life. Though we are many, there is one bread and one body in You. ... "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we are all baptized into one body -- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free -- and we were all made to drink of the one Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). The city-wide church of our community will come together as one body tonight for an ecumenical service at my home church. We will be greatly honored to host Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa from the Vatican. He is the priest to Pope Benedict, having been appointed by Pope John Paul II as Preacher to the Papal Household. You have given him a great passion to preach the gospel, to encourage the teaching of core, foundational Christian principles through the Alpha Course, and to help Catholic Christians around the world seek to be Spirit-filled and alive in Christ. You are bringing together the body of Christ from every tribe and tongue and nation throughout the earth. Though we are many members, we are one body. Though our many traditions do not agree about all doctrines and interpretations of Your Word, we believe in our hearts and proclaim with our mouths the essential core -- "Jesus is Lord" (Romans 10:9). "And no one can say, 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:3). The more Your body throughout the earth is filled with Your Spirit, the more we will proclaim "Jesus is Lord" with one heart and soul as one body. We will see Jesus in one another and the world will see Jesus in us. As these world-wide strongholds of division, insecurity, and pride crumble and fall, we will see in our lifetime the Father answer Your high priestly prayer: "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one. As You, Father, are in Me and I am in You, may they also be in Us, so that the world may believe You sent Me" (John 17:20-21). Your Word calls us to humble ourselves before You, looking beyond the differences that divide us to the One who unites us. This is a unity of diversity, not conformity, grounded in the common truth of the Word of God and growing in the understanding of the One who is the Truth by the Spirit of Truth living in us. Your Word calls us "to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling -- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all" (Ephesians 4:1-6). Father, answer the prayer of Jesus in the power of Your Spirit in our hearts and our community and throughout the earth -- Lord, let us learn to be one, so that the world will know that the Father has sent His Son. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please join if you can and pray for us if you can't for our city-wide ecumenical service with Fr. Cantalamessa hosted at my home church, Centenary United Methodist in Lexington, Kentucky tonight, Monday 2/19 at 7:00. www.centenarylex.com/alpha/cantalamessa/ He will also be speaking several times tomorrow 2/20 at my seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, Asbury TheologicalSeminary www.ats.wilmore.ky.us/news/archive/12152006.php One dimension of our vision at Messiah Ministries is see the city-wide church come together as the body of Christ, and this seems to be a very significant spiritual event toward that end in our community. Please stand with us in prayer for the unity of the body of Christ in our region and in yours. God bless! 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

"Sleep in Peace" 2-18-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I lift up my heart and soul to You, and welcome Your Spirit in me. ... "I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for You alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety" (Psalm 4:8). Night before last I slept more soundly than I have in years, and last night I hardly slept at all. Our baby son seems to cry out in frustration and my spirit seems to cry out in intercession -- all night long. I guess we both need our Daddy. "And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' " (Galatians 4:6). Daddy Abba, Father God, Josiah and I are Your children, sons of God through the blood of the Lamb. Our safety and security is in You. You are our peace. Hear our cries and comfort our souls. Give us rest in Your arms, as we lie down and sleep in peace. Bring order to our nights and our days. Multiply the moments of our sleep, that we may rise each day refreshed and renewed to live our lives for You. 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

"Here in the Presence of God" 2-17-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Thank You for the gift of Your love and treasure of Your presence. ... "So now all of us are here in the presence of God to listen to all that the Lord has commanded you to say" (Acts 10:33). In a few moments, I'll leave to go down to the Shaker Village, where the Shakers of centuries past made a home along the Kentucky River, set apart from the ways of the world. Today our prayer ministry team at church is coming away with You for the day to seek Your face and listen for Your voice, as we commit ourselves to discern Your vision for our ministry. So the most important part is to come together with humble hearts that welcome the presence of God so that we may hear all You have to say. Help us get quiet enough to hear Your thoughts and sense Your leading beyond our own. Let us not waste a moment following our vision, but Yours alone. 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

"Here I am" 2-16-07

"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). Last night was an awesome night of ministry at our church. In one end, many people came seeking to know Your saving grace at Alpha. At the other, many came seeking to know Your healing power at Celebrate Recovery. And in the middle, many came seeking Your refuge and shelter from hunger and cold at Room at the Inn. You are the Answer to all our needs. Your grace is all we need. You answer when we call, coming in grace and power when we cry out to You. Thank You, Lord, for Your presence in our hearts and in the heart of our church. By Your grace, we are becoming the church You created us to be. "Is this not the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and He will say, 'Here I am' " (Isaiah 58:6-9). Thank You, Lord, for being here with us. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for covering us in prayer as He continues to build our teams to minister His grace to all who come seeking His face. I pray the same for you and your churches and ministries. God bless you! Come to The Fountain! tonight 2/16 -- 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. Sandra White of Bethlehem Farm Ministries and Center for Women in Racing will be leading in prayer and Paul Cooper of Liberty Worship Center will be leading in worship. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 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 .

Restoration and Recovery 2-15-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are good, Lord. And You are good to me. I come to You now in these first moments of the morning, seeking the goodness of Your grace and the glory of Your face. I watch and wait now, in the silence of surrender, for the leading of Your Spirit. ... "Thus says the Lord: In this place of which you say, 'It is a waste without human beings or animals,' in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without inhabitants, human or animal, there shall once more be heard the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord: 'Give thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!' For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the Lord" (Jeremiah 33:10-11). As my wife Tricia was saying last night, these are as the days of Jeremiah. Since the fall of creation, devastation and destruction have come upon the earth and its people throughout the generations from our choices of rebellion against Your ways and resistance of Your grace. Yet throughout the generations, You have never wavered in Your love and Your call to repentance and faith. You have never wavered in Your promise of restoration for the people and the land of all Your creation. Destruction may come, but so does restoration. Judgment may come, but so does mercy. All that has happened and all that will happen to the people and the land of Israel teaches us Your heart and Your ways. "These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the end of the ages have come" (1 Corinthians 10:11). As we turn to You and call on Your name in desperation from the destruction of creation "with eager longing," O God restore, O God heal (Romans 8:19-21). Free us from the forces of desolation. Let the voice of gladness and the songs of praise be heard again in Israel and throughout the lands of the earth. As You promised Israel, so You also promise all who are the children of Abraham by faith (Galatians 3:29). "I am going to bring it recovery and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against Me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against Me. And this city shall be to Me a name of joy, and praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them; they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it" (Jeremiah 33:6-9). Lord, I "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Psalm 122:6). And I pray for the peace of my soul, the soul of my city, and the souls of all the cities of the earth. Let the voice of Your prophets, the prays of Your intercessors, and the cries of Your watchmen go forth until our hearts turn to You in repentance, that Your heart may turn to us in restoration. "Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, to 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 3:19-21). Let the voice of the bride and the voice of our Bridegroom be heard again throughout the earth. "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come' " (Revelation 22:17). Come, Lord Jesus, come! In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we launch Celebrate Recovery tonight -- Thursday 2/15/07 at my home church, Centenary, in Lexington, Kentucky www.CRlex.com Please come if you can and pray for us if you can't. Each Thursday night, we will have a meal, worship, hear a teaching and testimony on recovery and healing in every area of life, have small group confidential discussion and sharing, and get to know one another at the Solid Rock Cafe. I'll be helping provide a pastoral presence at both Celebrate Recovery and our Alpha ministry on Thursday nights www.CentenaryLex.com . Tonight, I will be teaching on prayer at Alpha and most Thursday nights helping lead a small group called Breaking Free with my prayer partner, Dr. David Hager, at Celebrate Recovery. Please keep us in your prayers and spread the word if you are in our area. God bless you! Come to The Fountain! this Friday night 2/16 -- 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 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 .

Day of Love 2-14-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. "I love You, Lord. And I lift my voice to worship You." ... "I love You, O Lord, my strength" (Psalm 18:1). Throughout the earth, today is considered a day of love -- Valentines Day -- named after a saint of God, know for his love. And whatever is real and holy will always be distorted and defiled by the one who is false and unholy. But there is only a counterfeit, because there is the real thing. You are the Real Thing. You are Love. "Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:8). So on this day of love, as we express our love to one another, let us not forget to express our love to You, the source and perfect expression of all love. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). I love You, Lord. And I believe in You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. By Your grace You have lavished upon me through Your love, I will not perish, but I will live with You forever. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Happy Valentines' Day, my friends! Love and blessings from Messiah Ministries and me. 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! this Friday Night -- 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

"Jesus is Lord" 2-13-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In this moment, I consciously choose to think of You alone and listen for Your voice alone. ... "But what does it say? 'The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:8-9). The most ancient creed of all who are called Christians is the confession of faith, "Jesus is Lord." This is the heart and soul of our faith. Everything else is secondary. "But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence" (1 Peter 3:15-16). "Lordship" is a relational term. If You are my Lord, then I am not. If You are in charge and in control of my life, then I am not. By Your grace, help me willingly choose to surrender and submit to Your will and Your ways in every area of my life. You don't want to be "Lord" in general or "Lord" of some of the specific areas of my life -- You want to be "Lord" of all. Are You? Have I surrendered and submitted every area of my life to Your Lordship? Have I yielded to Your control and put You in charge of my thoughts and desires, my will and ways, my hopes and plans? To the very degree that I have not, I am lord and You are not. To that degree, there is an idol on the throne of my heart -- and that idol is me. Convict me of my idolatry. Lead me to repentance and full surrender by Your grace through faith -- trusting, obedient faith. Help me "sanctify Christ as Lord" in every area of my heart. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24). Be Lord of all. Let me confess it with my mouth and believe it in my heart because it is true. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I would be glad to send you the PowerPoint of my teaching called "Preparing the Way of the Lord" with Scriptures and diagrams which are included in the dvd for my foundational teaching on spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance. Sanctifying Christ as Lord in every area of our lives is the key to this perspective of healing, wholeness, and freedom in our spirit, soul, and body. If you would be interested in the dvd or cd version of this teaching and prayer ministry from a healing prayer retreat I led at Cumberland Falls, Kentucky, please let us know. Scholarships are available to help cover the cost where needed. We want to make these available to everyone, as part of the calling of our ministry. 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! this Friday Night 2/16 -- 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

Well with My Soul 2-12-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Before I rise and go into a world of noise, let me first soak in the silence, as I wait on You in prayer. ... "Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul" (3 John 2, NRSV). "I pray that you may prosper ... just as your soul prospers" (NKJV). The condition of my soul affects the condition of my body. What goes on inside manifests itself outside. In the same way, "The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). Lord, bring me to the place of peace and trust in You, that all anxiety, stress, worry, and fear is drawn into You and out of me. This is the rest that "restores my soul" (Psalm 23:3). This is "the peace of God that surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7). Then I will prosper in all I do by Your grace, even as my soul prospers. Then I will say in spirit and in truth, "It is well with my soul." In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! this Friday Night 2/16 -- 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. Spread the word and bring a friend, if you can. Call for details: 859-422-1794 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 .

Trees of Life 2-11-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the King of the kingdom of God. Come rule and reign in my heart and life today. ... "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.... For in Him the whole fullness of Deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness in Him, who is the head of every ruler and authority" (Colossians 2:6-10). My life is like a tree and You are like the good soil in which I am planted. The more deeply I am rooted in You, the more I can be built up in You. I want to "come to fullness" as my roots grow deep in Your words of truth and life, while my branches stretch high in thanksgiving and praise. Let my life bear fruit for Your kingdom and Your glory. "You have heard of this hope before in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God" (v. 1:5-6). And I am not planted alone. You have established me in the faith as part of an orchard of many trees bearing many different kinds of fruit. Some are just saplings and others have grown into great maturity, being nurtured and strengthened through every season in accordance with Your purpose and plan. Together, You prune us and empower us to "live lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God" (v. 1:10). You are the Tree of Life, and as we live in You and You live in us, we become trees of Your life. Keep nurturing me, keep pruning me, keep growing me into maturity, as I come to fullness in You in the orchard of Your kingdom to display Your glory. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! this Friday Night 2/16 -- 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. Spread the word and bring a friend, if you can. Call for details: 859-422-1794 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 .

This Slight Momentary Affliction 2-10-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You increase, as I decrease. Let me be filled up with You, as I am emptied of myself. You lead, as I follow. You speak, as I listen. ... "For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen in temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). This "slight momentary affliction" is my life on earth. It is the unending series of choices that make up the moments of my day, every day of my life, as I continually choose selfishness or selflessness, rebellion or obedience, taking or giving, pride or humility. Every choice is an opportunity to grow up in Christ -- or not; to be matured in faith -- or not; to be sanctified in spirit, soul, and body -- or not. These are Your means of preparing for me to display Your glory through my life, now and forever. "They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display His glory" (Isaiah 61:3). In the struggles of the day and the tyranny of the moment, I can become absorbed in what is seen, rather than what is unseen, in what is temporary, rather than what is eternal. But help me keep looking beyond natural realm into the spiritual realm -- not blinded to realities of today, but fully aware of the realities of eternity. As I keep my hope and focus on the things to come, I will not become discouraged and mired in the things that are. "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). Day by day, You desire to fulfill Your heavenly call in me, to conform me to the nature of Christ (Romans 8:29). This is the "eternal weight of glory beyond all measure." In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the name of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, if you would like to hear more of my perspective on these matters, you might consider ordering my teaching "Preparing the Way of the Lord" in dvd or cd from the order page our web-site: www.messiah-ministries.org 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

Old and New 2-9-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. By Your Holy Spirit, I come to the Father, through Jesus the Son. I give You the glory, great things You have done. As the old hymn says, I praise You, Lord, and I rejoice. ... "He also told them a parable: 'No one tears a piece from a new garment and sows it on an old garment; otherwise the new will be torn, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the old wine skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, 'The old is better " (Luke 5:36-39). Lord, You speak to me in many ways. Yesterday You were speaking to me in a very simple way through my new office chair. I have had my old one for nearly ten years, since the first days of our ministry. The old one was very comfortable, but it didn't really ever match the rest of my furniture. Of all the people who have come through my office for prayer ministry and spiritual direction through the years, I don't think anyone has ever commented about whether my furniture matched or not, and probably no one ever cared. But the honest truth is, I did. It mattered to me. But I always would think I should spend the money on other things, that my old chair was pretty comfortable, that I didn't have the time to spend trying to find something else, and on and on. Finally, after ten years, I ordered a new chair -- one that perfectly matches my new side chair, but amazingly also perfectly matches my old blue leather couch. As I sat back in it for the first time, I sensed a settled peace in the new beauty of my cozy little office. And it seems I heard You say to my heart: "My son, I am setting all things in order. I am blending the old with the new in the ministry I have entrusted to you, and it will match beautifully. Do not fear letting go of some of the old things that have served you well for their season, but gladly receive the new things I am bringing into Your life and ministry for My purposes. You are a prayer minister and a spiritual director. I am teaching you to serve and to lead. Keep seeking Me in prayer and teaching others to pray; keep seeking My direction and helping others find theirs'. And I will keep pouring the new wine of My Spirit into your spirit. And you will know the settled peace of My presence and My order, as I conform your heart and your ministry to Mine in ever increasing measures." Yes, Lord. Give me the courage to release the past where I need to, and the faith to embrace the future where You lead me. Conform every area of my life and ministry into the plans and purposes You have desired for me since "before the foundation of the world" to "accomplish all things" according to Your wise "counsel and will" -- all in accordance with Your perfect "plan for the fullness of time" (Ephesians 1:3-14). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be teaching on Spiritual Warfare dimension of prayer as one of the afternoon workshops for the regional missions conference my home church is hosting this Saturday, February 10 called "Gear Up! Reach Out!" All are welcome. Call Centenary United Methodist Church in Lexington for registration details 859-269-2800 or www.centenarylex.org 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

Wisdom, Access, Authority 2-8-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I turn my eyes toward You, as I wait and listen to sense Your leading. ... "Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14). It seems I hear You gently speaking these words to my spirit over and over: "wisdom, access, authority." Yes, Lord. Help me listen and understand. ... It seems Your Holy Spirit is lifting these words from my spirit as thoughts in my mind: "My son, I am forming My wisdom in My people -- a wisdom they learn as I work My Word in the experiences of their lives. I am positioning My people in places of access and influence to share My wisdom with authority. This is my means of transformation of souls and cities. All who will hear and respond to the wisdom of My ways will be changed. They will be instruments of My grace to display My glory, shining as lights in the midst of the darkness. I desire to draw all people out of darkness and into My light, transforming them into My image and conforming them to My nature." Yes, Lord. Like all Your sons and daughters, I have come to "royal dignity" for just such a time as this. "Then the King will say to those at His right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world' " (Matthew 25:34). "For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith" (Galatians 3:26). "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of Him who called you out of darkness and in to His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9). My Father God, keep working the wisdom of Your Word in my life. Position me in places of access and influence for Your plans and purposes, not mine. Empower me to pray and proclaim Your Word and Your will in the ways You choose to change souls and cities wherever You send me as an instrument of Your grace -- whether in the spirit in prayer or in person in the flesh. "Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever" (1 Peter 4:10-11). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be teaching on Spiritual Warfare as one of the workshops for the regional missions conference my home church is hosting this Saturday, February 10 called "Gear Up! Reach Out!" All are welcome. Call Centenary United Methodist Church in Lexington for registration details 859-269-2800 or www.centenarylex.org 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

The Mercy Seat 2-7-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I bow before You, love and adore You. As Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, You are my Lord and my God; You are my Father, my Savior, and my Best Friend. Now, in the way You are teaching me, I wait in the silence of surrender for the leading of Your Spirit, focused on You alone, as You draw me into Your presence through the blood of the Lamb. ... "But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which He has loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ -- by grace you have been saved -- and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-7). By the great love and kindness of Your mercy and grace, I am already seated with Christ in the heavenly dimension of the spiritual realm, even though, at the same time, I am also seated here in this earthly dimension of the physical realm. I am grounded on earth, but I am also soaring in heaven. Time is unfolding day by day in this earthly dimension of time and space, but time has already unfolded in the heavenly dimension of eternity where You hold all time and space present in Your hands and see the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end. By Your Holy Spirit, You are in me and I am in You (John 14:20). Somehow by the mercy of Your grace and the mystery of faith, You are seated here with me on earth and I am seated with You in heaven -- I am "alive together with Christ" (v. 2:5). "For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite" (Isaiah 57:15). Holy Lord, teach me how to live my life with my feet grounded in this world and with eternity soaring in my heart. Help me humbly know my place on earth and faithfully receive my place in heaven. My seat in Christ "in the heavenly places" is "the mercy seat," because it is only by Your mercy and grace that I am seated there in You and You are seated here in me. Of this seat of mercy, now fulfilled in Christ, You have promised: "There I will meet with you" (Exodus 25:22). Thank You, Lord, for humbling Yourself to meet with me and lifting me up in Your presence by Your grace to meet with You. 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

The Lamb's Burdens 2-6-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I love You, Lord. And I thank You for loving me. ... "The people of Israel said to Samuel, 'Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, and pray that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.' So Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord; Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him" (1 Samuel 7:8-9). The needs of the people for deliverance from their enemies were great, and so was the burden of prayer on Samuel's heart. As he cried out to You, he offered the lamb. As I cry out to You for the deliverance of myself and others, I offer the Lamb -- I plead the blood of Jesus, the holy Lamb of God who takes away our sins and shame, heals our hurts and wounds, and delivers us from our enemies of darkness and destruction. "How much more will the blood of Christ who through the Holy Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God" (Hebrews 9:14). Your Word calls us to "bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). The burdens are heavy, but I bear them to You, entrusting their needs and mine to Your care and Your power. You chose to be the Lamb led to slaughter for burdens and needs (Isaiah 53:7). And through Your sacrifice of love, all the burdens that should be upon us have been laid upon You, that we might be made whole (v. 53:4-5). Thank You for lifting these burdens now, as I release them to You, knowing Your answer and Your peace will come in Your timing and Your way by Your grace. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be teaching on Spiritual Warfare as one of the workshops for the regional missions conference my home church is hosting this Saturday, February 10 called "Gear Up! Reach Out!" All are welcome. Call Centenary United Methodist Church in Lexington for registration details 859-269-2800 or www.centenarylex.org 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