Firm Steps of Faith 10-15-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Steady my thoughts and my heart in the peace of Your presence and the assurance of Your faithfulness. ... "Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when He delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand. I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are ever giving liberally and lending, and their children become a blessing" (Psalm 37:23-27). Lord, sometimes my steps don't feel so firm. So, by faith, I entrust my steps and my decisions to You. Confirm the steps I have taken in line with Your leading and correct my missteps I have taken in line with the leading of my own desires and plans. Give me the peace that comes from knowing I bring each day to You, as I commit my path to You (Proverbs 3:5-6). Free me from fretting and fill me with peace. You are my Security and my Provider. You are worthy of all my trust and Your grace is sufficient for me (Philippians 4:19). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays My Friend Heather Butler from Wales will join us at The Fountain this Friday night at 7:00 to share a prophetic word for Kentucky with us. She leads The Healing Rooms at Anglesey, Wales. Please join us if you can and pray for us if you can't. 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 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. 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

"The Road is Hard" 10-14-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Lord, my Light, and my Life. Come live in me today. ... "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14). The road is hard And the choices are not easy. But Your grace is near And You will show me the way. So Lord, lead on Down this long, hard road. And whenever I stray You are there to show me the way. As Your Spirit sings this song in my spirit, it seems I hear You say, "You don't know this road. You weren't meant to. Those who travel this road must learn to trust Me. Though it is hard, one day You will know it is worth it all." Yes, Lord. By Your grace, I do trust You. Help me listen as You speak and follow as You lead. Help me make the right choices and correct me when I'm wrong, to keep bringing me back onto the path that leads to life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays My Friend Heather Butler from Wales will join us at The Fountain this Friday night at 7:00 to share a prophetic word for Kentucky with us. She leads The Healing Rooms at Anglesey, Wales. Please join us if you can and pray for us if you can't. 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 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. 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

Morning and Evening Sacrifice 10-13-07

"Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old regularly each day. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer in the evening ... for a pleasing odor, an offering of fire to the Lord. It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there" (Exodus 29:39-42). Everything in the laws of Moses, the words of the prophets, and the prayers of the psalms points to You and is fulfilled in You (Luke 24:44). As You said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill" (Matthew 5:17). And all of the rituals of the Old Covenant point to the relationship of the New Covenant. The sacrifice of the lambs points to the Sacrifice of the Lamb; the command to holiness in action points to the call to holiness of heart; the fire poured out on the altar points to the Fire of the Spirit poured out on a people who have prepared their hearts and souls for Your power and purity and passion. Let my morning sacrifice of worship and prayer be an offering of my life and this day to You. Let my evening sacrifice be a cleansing and releasing of all that has passed through my life that day, entrusting it all to You to cause Your goodness and Your grace to worked out in it all. Then, I can rest in You through the night and arise the next day with clean hands and a pure heart, forgiven and free to come to You again in the morning to begin my day in worship and prayer with You. Let this be my offering of fire and a pleasing odor, morning by morning, and day by day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, Heather Butler who leads The Healing Rooms in Wales will be with us at The Fountain this month (Friday Night, October 19th) to speak and minister in prophetic worship and intercession. The Lord has given her a word for us during this coming season. Come join us if you can and please spread the word! 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 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Humility and Faith in Prayer 10-12-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In these first moments of my morning, set the course for my day. ... "He was praying in a certain place, and after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.' He said to them, 'When you pray ....' " (Luke 11:1-2). I talked about prayer at our Alpha Course last night, which is mostly for unbelievers to come join us for a meal, hear a talk about the basics of the faith, then ask questions and have discussions about the things we've come to believe and depend upon in our life with You. At the heart of the journey of faith is prayer. You didn't say, "If you pray," or "Maybe you should pray," You said, "When you pray." Prayer is not optional because prayer is at the heart of our relationship with You. Prayer is not a ritual, but a relationship. And it's the most important thing I do. As I seek You and make time for You and listen for You, You draw me into communion with You. In prayer, You change me, because it draws out of me humility and faith -- humility to set aside everything else but You and faith to believe that in a sense, You are there setting aside everything else but me. While You are everywhere and in all things, at the same time, in the mystery of the communion of Your presence, You are here with me alone in these moments of humility and faith in prayer. Lord, increase these moments, until I'm living my life in constant communion with You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, Heather Butler who leads The Healing Rooms in Wales will be with us at The Fountain this month (Friday Night, October 19th) to speak and minister in prophetic worship and intercession. The Lord has given her a word for us during this coming season. Come join us if you can and please spread the word! 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 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

The Reward of Heaven 10-11-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. More of You in my life. ... "Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets" (Luke 6:22-23). You are the Reward of Heaven. Everything I endure along the journey through this broken, fallen world will not be worth comparing to the joy of the Reward set before me in heaven. Keep giving me that heavenly perspective now, keep moving my heart to seek Your face now, so that one day I will stand in Your presence in heaven and see You face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12). There will be no more sadness, no more sickness, no more sorrow; there will be the joy of Jesus, revealed to me in the fullness of Your glory -- my Reward and the Destination of my journey (Revelation 21:1-8). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, Heather Butler from Wales will be with us at The Fountain this month (Friday Night, October 19th) to speak and minister in prophetic worship and intercession. The Lord has given her a word for us during this coming season. Come join us if you can and please spread the word! 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 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. 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

"Heavenly Things" 10-10-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Come walk with me now in the cool of the morning and throughout this day, I pray. ... "If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?" (John 3:12). I find myself thinking more about heaven -- not necessarily that I'm ready to go there just yet, Lord, but that I'm beginning to sense I need to understand it more. You have called us to pray for Your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). If I am to pray specifically so I can praise You specifically for the answers that come, I need to know more specifically what it is I'm praying for. I need to know more of what it looks like when Your will is done in heaven so I can pray more accurately for Your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. So help me see and help me believe, as You tell me about heavenly things. 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 -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"As He is, So are We" 10-9-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Come be the Center of my thoughts and desires, as I watch and wait for Your leading. ... "God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:16-17). Lord, let the truth of this Word seep more deeply into my soul -- "because as He is, so are we in this world." This statement would sound like blasphemy if it were not the Word of God. But Your nature is to be my nature; Your ways are to be my ways (2 Peter 1:4). As You are in heaven, so I am to be on earth. As You are in my heart, so I am to be in the world. And at the center of Your nature and Your ways is love. This is the gauge and only standard by which to judge how much I am abiding in You and allowing You to abide in me -- the nature of Your love expressed in my life. This is Who You are and how You are; so this is how I am to be in this world. Give me grace to see this, embrace this, and live this. As my daily actions reflect, I still have far to go; but I choose to believe Your Word and submit to this goal as the standard for my life. As You are, so I choose to be in this world -- all by Your grace and all in Your power. "Lord, let it be with me according to Your Word" (Luke 1:38). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To order our cd's and dvd's on-line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org 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 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. 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 See what's new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.

Forever Changed, Not Chained 10-8-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for Your voice. ... "Then David rose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes. He went into the house of the Lord, and worshiped; he then went into his own house; and when he asked, they set food before him and he ate" (2 Samuel 12:20). David's son was ill and dying. With emotional, spiritual, and physical intensity, he fasted and prayed for the life of his child (v. 16). He often drew away to himself, not really wanting to be around other people in his grief (v. 17). But in the fullness of time, You gave him peace to release it all to You, with the wisdom to know the things he could not change. "Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me" (v. 23). It was time to rise and move on with his life and calling -- forever changed, but not forever chained to all that had happened. He turned his thoughts from himself to others. And as he comforted his wife, You bore them another son -- a son of promise and destiny, loved and blessed by the Lord, named Solomon (v. 24-25). I have found it surprisingly hard to come out of the emotional, spiritual, and physical intensity of my grandmother's illness, death, and resurrection. My father was their only child and preceded her in death long ago, so I have been both a son and grandson to her. With all the intensity of that relationship of love, I entered in to the intensity of this battle. I tend to become focused and intense in whatever I perceive to be the mission at hand. I was like that as a trial lawyer, and now I seem to be like that as a prayer minister -- pressing in and pressing through with tenacity and perseverance until the battle is over or the burden is lifted. It's often rewarding with a sense of faithfulness, purpose, and significance, but also exhausting. You've now lifted the burden in my grandmother's battle through this last stage of her life, and it's time to rise and move on -- forever changed but not forever chained to what has happened. Help me take my eyes off of myself and turn them to You, not ignoring what has happened, but allowing what has happened to shape me in the fulfillment of Your purposes and my destiny to come. As I begin to minister to others again, help me come out of isolation and into community, out of sorrow and into service -- morning by morning and step by step as You lead. Help me trust in Your wisdom and walk in Your ways. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays 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 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. 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

Land of the Presence of the Lord 10-7-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I lift up my eyes and open up my heart to welcome the gift of Your presence that is laid up for me. ... "Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden" (Genesis 4:16). Though You are everywhere, we can turn away from Your presence. Though You are never far from us, we can choose to live our lives on our own terms as if You were not there. Whether it's for a moment or a day or a lifetime, there is a cost for the exercise of our freedom. We forfeit the peace of Your presence, the strength of Your power, and the guidance of Your Spirit. So Your Holy Spirit is always moving on our human spirits to draw us near and bring us home. You created us to yearn for Your presence, to sense the dryness of our souls apart for the life Your presence brings, "so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:20). By Your grace, I choose to consciously seek Your face and welcome the refreshing of Your presence into the dryness of my soul. I choose to turn from the inward focus of self-pity and lift up my eyes to Your hills from where my help comes from (Psalm 121:1). I choose to obey Your command and trust Your call to "seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually" (Psalm 105:4). I don't want to wander in my own strength or wallow in my own self-pity, I want to settle in the land of Your presence and drink from the wells of Your refreshing. 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 -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Woman of Great Faith and Authority 10-5-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me see more as You see, hear more as You hear, and be more as You are. ... "Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was" (Romans 16:7). Today my good friend, mentor in spiritual leadership and prayer, and board member of our ministry, Dr. Sandra Gray, will be inaugurated as the President of Asbury College. As in the days of Junia, she will be "prominent among the apostles" who will establish Your order in Your church in our generation, as You pour out Your Spirit on all flesh and as Your sons and daughters prophecy Your Word and live out Your kingdom in Your power (Acts 2:17). She will be a woman of great faith and authority. Lord, give her Your wisdom to lead with both Your humility and Your boldness, always sensitive to the leading of Your Spirit, and always faithful to the foundation of Your Word. Inspire and impart through her the flames of revival You have released through the students of this college so many times. Use her life and ministry as a model of spiritual leadership and maturity for the leaders You are raising up and positioning in the marketplace and public square and church in our day. Thank You for the blessing of knowing her, praying with her, and learning from her. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please join in me in prayer for Dr. Sandra Gray and her leadership of Asbury College: www.asbury.edu/inauguration 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 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. 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

Spend Some Time 10-4-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I've come to spend some time alone with You. ... "Seven times a day I praise You for Your righteous ordinances" (Psalm 119:164). I've been away from home for awhile, so yesterday I stayed home to spend some time with my family. Elijah wanted to go for a long walk before he went to school and another one when he got home. He calls them "adventures," whether we're walking in the woods or just down the sidewalk. Last night as he got ready for bed, he looked up and said, "I like spending time with you, Dad." It made me wish I could stay home every day. Amazingly, You like spending time with me too. You never leave me and never forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). You are with me "always" (Matthew 28:20). But it's when I consciously, intentionally turn my thoughts and open my heart to You that I seem to experience the nearness of Your presence. David set apart seven times every day to seek Your face and listen for Your voice, to deliberately praise You for Your goodness and guidance in his life. Even though he blessed You "at all times" and Your praises were "continually in (his) mouth," he also set aside times throughout his day to come away with You alone. It brings You joy when we deliberately choose to spend some time 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 -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Take Hold of Life 10-3-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your Spirit flow through mine. ... "Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; give me life in Your ways" (Psalm 119:37). Tune my perception and focus my attention on the things that matter to You. Take away my desire to spend my time on worthless and meaningless distractions. Deliver me from vanity. Let the moments of my days matter. Let Your ways become my ways, Your thoughts become my thoughts, and Your desires become my desires. By Your grace, I want to "take hold of the life that really is life" and live it well in the time I have (1 Timothy 6:19). You are Life (John 14:6). Come live Your life through me each day. 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 -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Eternal Memories 10-2-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Unchanging One, I find my peace in the steadfastness of Your security and love. ... "Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on Him that God the Father has set His seal" (John 6:27). In a few moments, I'll be leaving Nanny's little apartment for the last time. It's been both hard and good to sleep here among her things. But all these things will either be sold off or given way. A few will be passed down. Sooner or later, they will all perish. The sum of her life is not the things she left behind, but the lives she touched and the memories she made for us. Relationships are what matter most -- our relationships with one another, and most of all, our relationship with You. These are the things that are eternal. I just put my favorite little coffee in my bag to take home -- not because it has any value to anybody but me, but because of all the memories if carries. It was filled with about three-fourths milk and a little bit of coffee when I was a little boy their kitchen table at the farm. I wanted to be a big boy and drink coffee like the grown ups and listen to all the stories and soak in all the love of my grandparents. Those things are eternal and will not pass away. Those are the things I just put in my bag and will carry away in my heart. 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 -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com See what's new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.

Ready for "the Day of Christ" 10-1-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I begin this day, like every day, with the eyes of my heart seeking Your face and the heart of my soul receiving Your grace. ... "For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God" (Philippians 1:8-11). Thank You for those who have prayed for me with the compassion of Christ -- for my love to overflow, for my thoughts to grow in godly wisdom and insight, for my heart to be pure and blameless, for my life to bear the fruit of one who lives life each day by Your grace in right relationship with You. As I have received, let me give. What has been imparted to me by grace from the spiritual generations before me, impart through me by grace to the spiritual generations to follow me (Romans 1:11). Heavenly Father, You have sent Your Holy Spirit to prepare a holy bride for Your Holy Son -- a people "pure and blameless," eagerly longing for "the day of Christ," to be eternally joined in union with You, in every dimension of Your Being -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let it be true in our day, that "the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready" (Revelation 19:7). In Christ, I am part of the bride and I am also a "friend of the Bridegroom" preparing the bride to be (John 3:29). I want to be ready for the marriage of the Lamb on the day of Christ to come. And I want to do my part in my generation to help make Your bride ready -- pure and blameless, whole and free, burning with a passion for You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays 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 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To Purchase our Teaching and Prayer Ministry Resources On-Line: www.shop.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

Resurrection Faith 9-30-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the hope of the glory to come. You are the promise of the glory of Your presence with me and in me now -- "Christ in (me), the hope of glory" (from Colossians 1:27). ... "When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed; but others said, 'We will hear you again about this.' At that point Paul left them. But some of them joined him and became believers ..." (Acts 17:32-34). The life and faith of my grandmother, Edna Hays, were honored yesterday at her funeral -- the celebration of her resurrection. But above all, You were honored. And I pray from the testimonies of her life and the certainty of her peace and trust in You to through the end, that some will become believers -- especially some of those closest to me and being pursued by the Holy Hound of Heaven. Nothing would honor Nanny's life and faith more than that. It's time for me to leave behind this season and place in my life now, with all its grief and joy, fully expressed, lived out, and prayed through. And I pray that somehow my time back here in west Texas has made a difference; I know it's made a difference in me. I leave here changed by this mysterious journey of life, death, and life beyond death. By Your grace, as I seek to keep looking to You and listening for the leading of Your Spirit, may I be more compassionate, more trusting, more bold in my faith and giving of my life, to become a little more like You each day (2 Corinthians 3:18). 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 -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Fully Alive 9-29-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me in to the arms of my Father. My Father God, fill me fully with the peace and presence of Your Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit of the Living God, lift my eyes and open my heart to Jesus, my Lord and Savior, my Best Friend and King. Lord God, I worship You and need You in every dimension of Your Being. ... "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in Me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?' " (John 11:25-26) On the morning of the day Nanny died, my little five year old boy Elijah said to me, "Daddy, I'm praying for Nanny to die today." I was a little stunned to hear him say so plainly what Nanny was praying too. She was ready to go home to heaven, but were we? He had been praying so hard for her healing and life; and her prayer had been for complete healing -- whether on this side of heaven or the other. Then he said with the peace and confidence of the pure, child-like faith of one who sees the kingdom of God, "But I think even if she dies, she will live forever." I told him, "Son, the Holy Spirit showed you that. That's just what Jesus said. If we trust in Him, even though we die, we will live forever. And Nanny trusts in Him with all her heart." Today, we will lay Nanny's earthly body to rest in the little plot of land out by the cotton field on the edge of town. But her spirit is soaring in heaven. Even though she died, now she is fully alive. She is experiencing eternally the glory of her healing in the resurrection. "So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body" (1 Corinthians 15:42-44). Nanny's spiritual body now shines eternally in the light of Your glory forever. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for honoring my grandmother, Edna Marie Hays (February 19, 1919 to September 25, 2007), by your prayers with me in this journey of faith. I pray for the peace of the presence of the Lord with you and your loved ones in your journey. God bless you. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Come Comfort Me 9-28-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Take my hand, lead me on; heal my heart, help home. ... "Let Your steadfast love become my comfort" (Psalm 119:7). Take my hand, lead me on Heal my heart, help me home Lord I need You to come comfort me. Let me hear Your gentle voice Let me sense You through the storm Lord I thank You; You come and comfort me. For I know that only You Can come and lead me through Every valley and heartache I face. I'm so thankful for Your touch And Your Presence is enough To come and comfort my soul. ... Thank You for this song of comfort You're singing in my spirit and over my soul. Thank You for Your promise that "I, I am He who comforts you" (Isaiah 51:12). "As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you" (v. 66:12). Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, my "Comforter," who lives within me to lead me continually in the steadfast love of Your constant Presence (John 14:26 KJV). My heart is Your home; heal it now as I welcome You home. Lord, I need You to come comfort me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we'll have visitation tonight at Brannon Funeral Home in Lamesa, Texas and the Celebration of the Life and Resurrection of Edna Marie Hays ("Nanny") on Saturday morning. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers. May the Lord use this time to touch hearts, including mine. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

I'll Fly Away 9-27-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me beside Your still waters, through the valley of the shadow of death, and into the green pastures of Your peace as I trust and rest in You each day. ... "The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty, if we are strong; even then their spin is only toil and trouble; they are soon gone and we fly away" (Psalm 90:10). Everywhere I go in this little west Texas town, people say about Nanny, "We're sure gonna miss her." She had that rare quality of being able to touch people in all walks of life. Though she didn't get to finish high school, she had her own drapery business as a seamstress. She ran a saw mill with my grandfather in east Texas and then farmed cotton and cut grain and raised chickens with him in west Texas. In her later years she handed out samples of food in the grocery store, led a noon prayer group at the senior's center, and grew the prettiest flowers in town. After she moved into town a few years ago into the senior's center where her little apartment was, everybody said Danny was the manager, but she was the boss. She had a sharp wit and made everybody laugh because she loved life. But in these past couple of weeks, she grew weary of this world and longed for the world to come. And though we're all gonna miss her in ways we only feel in waves of emotions now, she's loving life in a way we can only imagine right now. She was ready to fly away. In those last hours of singing the old songs at her bedside, one that made me smile with joy for her and cry with sadness for me at the same time was "I'll Fly Away." Thankfully, I had Alan Jackson to sing along with me on CD when I couldn't sing because of one of those waves of emotions that have helped me keep releasing this all to You as we go over these mountains and through these valleys of both sadness and joy: "... Just a few more weary days and then I'll fly away; To a land where joys will never end, I'll fly away. I'll fly away oh glory I'll fly away When I die hallelujah by and by I'll fly away" Fly away, Nanny, into the arms of Your Savior. Your spirit is now in that land where joys will never end -- where there are no more tears (Revelation 21:4) and where there is only everlasting joy and gladness because all the sorrow and sighing of the weary days of this world have fled away from you forever (Isaiah 35:10). 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 -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ Daily Archives: http://www.morningbymorning.injesus.com/

Sacred Moment 9-26-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As the old song says, " 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus. ... "I'm so glad I've learned to trust Him, Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend; And I know that He is with me, Will be with me to the end." ... "But, as it is written, 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). I was standing by her side, stroking her white hair, when I noticed there was now almost an eternity between Nanny's last breathes. As I sat back and held her hand, I saw her eyelids slightly squeeze tight and the corners of her mouth slightly rise in just a fleeting moment. And her spirit was gone. Her mortal body put on immortality (v. 15:53). Oh, to have seen what she saw in that fleeting moment! One day I will. But she sees You now face to face. Her faith has become sight, and she has received all that You have prepared for this woman of faith who love You so. Until I reach that place in the journey where she has finally reached, my eyes can't see it, my ears can't hear it, my heart can't conceive it -- but hers' can and will, for all eternity. Thank You for letting me have just a glimpse in this sacred moment. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for walking with me in prayer through this part of my journey. Nanny (my grandmother, Edna Marie Hays) and I have always been very close, so I am very happy and very sad all at once. Please keep our family in friends in your prayers. We will likely have her a time to celebrate her life and resurrection into glory on Saturday morning, September 29, 2007 at her home church of First Baptist Church of Lamesa, Texas. Though I've had hardly any chance to respond, thank you for all your love, thoughts, notes, and prayers. God bless you and thank you for joining me in the journey! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Come Home 9-25-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Softly and tenderly, I hear You calling. ... "Come to Me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). Through the words of the old hymn, I hear the words of Your Spirit -- "Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me. See on the portals He's watching and waiting, waiting for you and for me. Come home, come home, ye who are weary come home." Home is where the heart is, and Nanny's heart is already home with You. Now let her physical heart catch up with her spiritual heart. Thank You for the peace and process of these sacred moments. Softly and tenderly lift from her the burden of this earthly, temporary body as she enters into the rest of her heavenly, eternal body. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com