Before I Was, You Were I Am 6-13-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. My Father, My Friend, My Lord and My God, You are I Am. ... "Jesus said to them, 'Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am' " (John 8:58). Before my day began, You were here. Before my life began, You were here. Before the beginning of all things, You were here. "All things have been created through Him and for Him. He himself is before all things, and in Him all things hold together" (from Colossians 1:15-17). So I have been created through You and for You. You hold me together. And You hold together all the challenges I'll face and the choices I'll embrace this day and the days to come. In Your hands, You will continue to create me and conform me into Your image (Romans 8:29). Then one day, all by Your grace, through the process of Your creation, I will be like You, according to Your Word: "Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: When He is revealed, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2). That's hard to believe. But I choose to believe You and Your Word. I choose to live my life as if it were true -- because it is. Before I was, You were I Am. And You saw who I would be -- a child of God, created to be conformed to the image of God. Your Word is faithful and true. It will not fail, but will accomplish all that You have said -- even what You have said about me (Isaiah 55:11). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com

One Church, One Body 6-12-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open the eyes of my heart and open the ears of my spirit. I want to see what You're doing and hear what You're saying to me today. ... "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which you were called in the one body" (Colossian 3:15). "How many churches are there in Kerrville?" the pastor asked. "One!", everybody in the sanctuary shouted back as they all held up a single finger in the air. "Who's church has the most members?" "Jesus!", they declared. That's the kingdom of God, a kingdom perspective of the body of Christ. "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 4:4-5). There are many streams, yet one river; many gifts, yet one Spirit; "many members, yet one body" (1 Corinthians 12:20). Sometimes we need to forgive one another so we can move forward with one another. We can't love one another unless we are willing to embrace one another. We can't speak the truth in love to one another unless we're willing to speak to one another -- and listen to one another. But if we will humble ourselves to hear one another's heart and humble ourselves to forgive and be forgiven, there is a bond that You form out of the brokenness that becomes stronger than ever before. The strongest part of the steel becomes the very place where the broken pieces were welded together. As You bind up our broken hearts and set free our captive souls, You open up Your heavens and "proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18-19). We cross over into the land of our destiny as one (Joshua 3:1-17). Then the world sees the Son in us, as Your name is the banner over us and Your nature is the love within us (John 17:22; Song of Solomon 2:4). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Spirit of the Living and Loving God 6-11-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I love You, Lord. And I thank You for first loving me. ... "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV). A good father loves to give good gifts to his children. You are my perfect Father; and You have given me the perfect gift of Your Spirit (Matthew 7:11). In the gift of Your Holy Spirit, You have given me the power to overcome by Your grace everything that would try to steal my peace and joy. In the gift of Your Spirit, You have given me the love that casts out every fear of rejection, unworthiness, and failure. In the gift of Your Spirit, You have given me the sound mind of Christ that keeps me from being tossed to and fro with every question and challenge. "The Spirit gives life" (2 Corinthians 3:6). So I welcome the life of Your Spirit in me. I welcome Your power, Your love, and Your mind. I welcome You into me. "Spirit of the living God," Spirit of the loving God, come fall afresh on me today (v. 3:3). "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we had tremendous testimonies and experiences of God's healing love in our lives last night in Kerrville, Texas (What a great birthday present!). We'll have a time of celebration and continued dedication tonight. I pray the same for you and thank you for praying for us. We've had great interest in the cruise next February from Florida to the Cayman Islands where I've been invited to be the inspirational speaker. The cruise line extended the deadline for deposits ($25 of the $500 price for a five day, all-included cruise). So please let us know right away if you'd like to come. We'd love to have you! DirOfMinistries@aol.com Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Joy Comes with the Morning" 6-10-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be lifted up and draw me near to You. ... "May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying theirs sheaves" (Psalm 126:6). Tear flow when You touch the tender places of our soul. They are like cleansing streams drawing out the toxins of our pain. Yesterday and last night, as we allowed You to touch those tender places of unhealed wounds, it seemed those streams became rivers and rivers became oceans as You ministered Your healing love to Your people personally and as a church. And now as You continue to draw out the pain and the shame, resentment and regret, disappointment and anger from hearts and souls, let Your healing waters continue to flow. But all that is sown in tears will be reaped with joy. "Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes with the morning" (Psalm 30:5). My wife tells me that when I'm in prayer ministry, I just like to see people cry. And I guess it's true! But it's true because I love to see You draw out the pain and pour in Your love, lift off the shame and pour in Your grace. I love to see You uproot the bitterness and replant Your righteousness, to see the broken become whole, the bound become free, the depressed and discouraged arise into newness of life. I love to see You give Your beauty for our ashes, the oil of gladness for out mourning, the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3). The praise is worth the pain. The joy of the morning is worth the mourning of the night. And I look forward to the testimonies of rivers of joy I'll hear about today. "You have turned my mourning into dancing; You have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever" (Psalm 30:11-12). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please continue to cover us in prayer for our daily prayer ministry seasons and evening healing prayer meetings this week at the First Christian Church in Kerrville, Texas. The Lord is healing hearts and changing lives. And I pray the same for you. God bless you! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Union Church 6-9-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Form Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart, as I watch and wait for the leading of Your Spirit. ... "Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying, 'You know that my father David could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor misfortune. So I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God ..." (1 Kings 5:2-5). You've sent me this week to pray with Your people, proclaim the coming of Your kingdom, and help prepare the way of the Lord in Kerrville, Texas. We're meeting at the First Christian Church, one of the original four churches of this community. Your city-wide church began with the blessing of unity in this hill country community. People of faith and prayer from four different denominations came together to build the Union Church -- shared jointly by the Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Christian churches. All four traditions of Your body in this city came together in this house of the Lord for its first service on Christmas Eve, 1885. You crushed the enemy of sectarianism and division under the feet of the unified body of Christ in this region. Under the name of Jesus, they came together "to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," declaring by word and action that Your church is of "one body and one Spirit ... one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all" (Ephesians 4:3-6). It's in the unity of the body and the bond of the Spirit that You establish Your victorious church and give us "rest on every side" from the warfare of adversity and misfortune. In the city-wide witness of Your city-wide church we win the city-wide war in the heavenly realms. The principalities and powers of the kingdom of darkness are displaced by the light of the glory of Your kingdom shining forth through Your people who choose to love You and love one another. You release Your power through the union of Your church. On Your high priestly prayer to our Father during Your ministry on earth, You prayed that we "may become completely one, so that the world may know You have sent (Your Son)" (John 17:23). Restore the church of this city to that deep and strong root of unity. Bring together Your church in every city in the bonds of love and peace in Your Spirit to display Your glory. In that bond, the enemy of our souls and Your church will be crushed under our feet by the power of Your name (Romans 16:20). Though Your church, the lost will be found, the broken will be healed, and the bound will be free because the world will know that the Father has sent His Son in His love for them. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Rugged Beauty 6-8-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that You are Lord. ... "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth" (Psalm 50:1). Yesterday I drove up from the serene beauty of the coastal plains up into the rugged beauty of the Texas hill country. Both are just a beautiful in their own right, but splendidly diverse. As my friends and I sat out on their front porch in our rocking chairs admiring the rugged beauty of these hills, creeks, and valleys tucked away in the heart of Texas, we couldn't help admire our Creator. Just as You create the earth with such diversity and beauty, so You create each of us. We are "fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works" (Psalm 139:14). And whether we are more rugged or more serene, we are each created to display Your beauty with our lives. And there is nothing more beautiful than a heart fully surrendered to You, passionately seeking the glory of Your presence, and coming alive to the uniqueness of Your calling and their destiny to share Your beauty with others. "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns' " (Isaiah 52:7). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'll be preaching this morning and teaching this week on inner healing and spiritual warfare at the First Christian Church of Kerrville, Texas. Please keep us in your prayers. We've had a lot of interest in our Caribbean Cruise for next February where I've been invited to be the inspirational speaker. Please let Marilyn know right away if you'd like to come: DirOfMinistries@aol.com God bless! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

The Ride of My Life 6-7-08

Morning by Morning, Saturday Good morning, Lord Jesus. I want to be Christ-centered and Christ-consumed. You are my "all in all" (Ephesians 1:23). ... "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in Him all things in heaven and earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers -- all things have been created through Him and for Him. He himself is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross" (Colossians 1:15-20). I stopped by to see some old friends in Corpus Christi yesterday, one of my old law partners and his wife and family. They were all together under a big tent in the front yard of their church -- along with over seven-hundred and fifty kids screaming and singing about Jesus at the top of their lungs! The Vacation Bible School they lead every year just keeps growing, with kids and helpers and parents from all different churches and neighborhoods in their city. By Your grace and the power of Your Spirit, they are fulfilling Your commission to go and make disciples of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19). For these kids, You are personal and real; and You have "come to have first place in everything" in their lives. And as they go out from their big tent in their neon green t-shirts bolding declaring, "Choose Jesus for the ride of your life!" their lives and their city will never be the same. Lord Jesus, keep awakening that kind of passion in me. As a disciple of Christ, I want to be consumed with the "Spirit of Christ" more every day (Romans 8:9). Keep coming into the center of my life to have first place in everything. By Your grace, I want to be a Spirit-filled, Christ-centered disciple of Jesus Christ, busy "turning the world upside down" in the ride of my life (Acts 17:6). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'll be leaving Corpus Christi today after our annual ordination service to go preach and minister at the First Christian Church of Kerrville in the Texas hill country for the next few days. Please keep us in your prayers. We've had a lot of interest in our Caribbean Cruise for next February. please let Marilyn know right away if you'd like to come: DirOfMinistries@aol.com God bless! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Potter's Clay 6-6-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Like clay in a potter's hands, I entrust my heart and my day to You. ... "Yet, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our potter; we are all the work of Your hand" (Isaiah 64:8). You see the end from the beginning. You already see every choice that will ever be made and all the consequences thereof. All eternity is already present to You. And in the mystery of both Your sovereignty and my free will, You set before me true choices every moment of every day (Deuteronomy 30:19). Yet at the same time, You have always known every choice I would ever make before I ever made the first one (Psalm 139:16). In Your sovereignty, You give me the freedom to choose to seek You or not, trust You or not, obey You or not. You have dreams and hopes and plans for my life (Jeremiah 29:11). Let them become my dreams and hopes and plans as well. You are a master Potter, but Your are also a loving Father. And into Your hands, I willingly choose to entrust the clay of my heart for the shaping of this day and my life for Your purpose. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"The Day Approaching" 6-5-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I watch for Your face and listen for Your voice in the silence of surrender before You. ... "And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:24-25). Sometimes I hear someone of the generations before me say, "I remember back in the day ...." And then they tell of something that was a lot better than how it is today -- like gas being fifty cents instead of four dollars a gallon or children respecting their elders or most people going to church on Sunday mornings. It's good to look back and remember the stories of our lives, especially to look back and see Your hand weaving together the threads of relationships and events that have made us who we are (Exodus 13:3; John 12:16). "I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; I will remember Your deeds of old" (Psalm 77:11). And it's good to meet together to share our war stories and Your glory stories, as we honor You in our journeys. But as we remember the days that have passed, let us also remember the Day approaching. On that Day, we "will have to give an account for every careless word" (Matthew 12:36). We will "give an accounting to Him who stands ready to judge the living and the dead" (1 Peter 4:5). As we look forward to that Day, let us encourage and inspire one another to live each day for You, "so as to live for the rest of your earthly life no longer by human desires but by the will of God" (1 Peter 4:2). We thank You for Your grace that covers our sin of wasted time, and we thank You for Your grace to redeem our time to come. Let us choose now to entrust our time to You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Reporting the Praises of God 6-4-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I give my heart and this day to You. ... "When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them" (Acts 15:4). Since the beginning of the revival that burned through England over two hundred years ago, John Wesley called his Methodist preachers together each year. It was a time to worship and pray together, encourage one another, wrestle with issues of doctrine, and sort out the practical matters of sharing the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. No doubt "they reported all that God had done with them." And so we continue today, reporting the praises of God. Pastors, evangelists, and the "circuit riders" of our day with gather with one another and church leaders in regions across the nation in these first weeks of summer. Because of the prayer ministry You've called me to, I'm more of a circuit rider and an evangelist than a pastor of a local church; and I look forward to gathering with those who have been seeking to fulfill their calling in the places and ways You've sent them. Though You've called me to a broad ministry that crosses all denominational lines to help "prepare the way of the Lord" and "minister the healing love of God" through prayer ministry, You've chosen to keep me rooted in the Methodist movement. And as we come together to pray and praise and wrestle with the practicalities of ministry, may we all remain rooted in You -- "the pioneer and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). Let us remember that all that we have done that will carry any eternal significance is only what You have done through us by Your Spirit for Your glory. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to the Mountain! every Monday night at 7 pm to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray of our ministry. This coming Monday Night June 9th, Vicky Welch will lead in a Feast of Pentecost Celebration -- all are welcome. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net All are welcome! 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 Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"The Whole City" 6-3-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me close to You and never let me go. By Your grace, I'll never let go of You. ... "Then next sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. ... Thus the word of the Lord spread throughout the region. ... And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 13:44-52). Lord, let this be the day that whole cities are filled with a hunger for God and whole regions are filled with the word of the Lord. Fill us with Your joy and Your Spirit as You awaken our generation to our destiny. The day is soon coming and may already be dawning that "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the seas" (Habakkuk 2:14). You are moving mightily in earth in our day. Lord, move in me. Move in my city, in my region, and as far as Your grace will go. I hear the cry of the old hymn rising up in my heart with the hunger and passion You're stirring in me: Pass me not, O gentle Savior,Hear my humble cry;While on others Thou art calling,Do not pass me by. Savior, Savior,Hear my humble cry;While on others Thou art calling,Do not pass me by. Do not pass me by, Lord. In this great awakening to arise and be filled with Your Spirit and equipped with Your word to reveal the good news of Your salvation in the great harvest to come, do not pass me by. Don't pass by my city and my region. Make us hungry and thirsty to settle for nothing less than the fullness of Your presence in our midst. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'll be going to Corpus Christi, Texas today for my Annual Conference where I'm under "special appointment" from my bishop there to lead Messiah Ministries. That's where I used to practice law before the Lord called me into the ministry. Though our ministry is interdenominational and based in Lexington, Kentucky, I'm ordained with the United Methodist Church in the Southwest Texas Conference (the area that covers Austin, San Antonio, San Angelo, Corpus Christi, Laredo, and most of the region between Houston and Mexico. Please pray that the Lord will not pass us by, for it's His heart to fill all hearts with the glory of His presence. Next Sunday, I'll be ministering at a Church of Christ in the Texas hill country of Kerrville, praying for the Lord to fill us afresh with His Spirit there as well. Thank you for your prayers! And I'm praying for you! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Prepare the Way of the Lord" 6-2-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Take me by the hand and lead me by the heart into the light of this new day. ... "A voice cries out: 'In the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all the people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken' " (Isaiah 40:3-5). Lord, let me hear the voice of Your Holy Spirit calling to the depths of my human spirit. "Deep calls to deep" (Psalm 42:7). You are preparing my heart for more of Your heart, emptying me of more of my self and filling me with more of Your Self (Ephesians 3:19). You are preparing the way of the Lord, preparing the way for the glory of the Lord to be revealed in me and in every one of Your people, according to Your will and Your Word -- "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). So the same Holy Spirit who brings comfort, but also bring conviction (Isaiah 40:1-2). In Your mercy, You convict us; in Your love, You correct us (Hebrews 12:5-6). In Your desire for unhindered relationship with us, You seek to remove everything that separate us (Romans 8:39). So You bring down every mountain and idol that we would lift up to take Your place on the thrones of our hearts. You lift up every valley of discouragement and disappointment that would keep us for seeing You and the horizons You've set before us in Your plan for our lives. You make every crooked place straight that would lead us astray with distraction or deception. And You remove everything that might cause us to stumble and fall on the path of the destiny You've set before us. So help me hear and help me listen. Help me wait for the leading of Your Spirit, then arise and shine in the light of the glory of Your presence to follow You wherever You lead each day (Isaiah 60:1). Give me wisdom to listen for the voice of the One crying in my soul, trying to prepare the way of the Lord in me. Give me courage to welcome You into the wilderness of my ways so You can lead me into Yours. Then "the wilderness and the dry land shall be glad" (Isaiah 35:1). Then, with all those who are called by Your name and surrendered to Your will, we will look and see together what You are doing and hear what "the mouth of the Lord has spoken" into our human spirits by the voice of Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for your prayers for our gathering at the Billy Graham training center at The Cove in NC last weekend. Margaret Therkelsen led us by the Spirit into deeper depths of surrender and intimacy with God to be available as instruments in His hands in our world. And I was so thrilled to be able to preach and share my testimony in their beautiful chapel in the mountains with my friends from Margaret's city-wide prayer group she's led now for 29 years of faithful ministry to the Lord in Lexington. I pray the blessing of your connection with a vital praying group as the Holy Spirit prepares the way of the Lord in your city and region. God bless you! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

You're Invited for an Inspirational Cruise!

Friends of Messiah Ministries and Tommy Hays, I've been invited by The Haven as the inspirational speaker for a 5 day Caribbean Cruise in February 2009 You are Invited to Come! Sponsored by The Haven INSPIRATION CRUISE -- FEBRUARY 23-28, 2009 Cruise with Messiah Ministries & Tommy Hays · From Tampa Bay, FL to Cozumel, Mexico and Grand Cayman (Carnival Cruises). · Interior Cabin: $473.00/person; Ocean View: $543.00/person (includes taxes & port fees) · Accommodations, meals, & on-board entertainment included. · Worship and Teaching with Tommy Hays & Team after dinner each evening

Payment Schedule: • Initial deposit of $25 per person due by June 10, 2008. • Second deposit of $200 per person due Oct 20, 2008. • Final payment is due Dec 19. 2008.

There is a $25 per person cancellation fee after the second deposit. There are penalties after the final payment. Checks should be made payable to: The Travel Authority PASSPORTS ARE REQUIRED (Subject to change). Application and mailing will be sent to you by email at your request. If you are interested, please contact us right away: DirOfMinistries@aol.com or call Marilyn Walker at 859-317-1591 Fax or mail completed form to: The Travel Authority, Jeannie Anderson 175 E. Alex Bell Rd., Suite 272 Centerville, Ohio 45459 Fax (937) 610-0475 God bless you and I hope you can come! Tommy Hays Messiah Ministries http://www.messiah-ministries.org/

Blessed to See and Hear 5-30-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I know You and trust You. Help me know You and trust You more each day. ... "Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately, 'Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it' " (Luke 10:23-24). We are entering into an amazing time on the earth -- where darkness, suffering, and evil increase, but at the same time, the light increases even more in the midst of the darkness (Isaiah 60:1-3; Philippians 2:14-15). So we don't need to deny the darkness or the suffering, but we do need to embrace the light. We don't need to deny our disappointments, but we do need to celebrate Your victories. Prophets and kings have longed for these days. And those who kept seeking You and trusting You despite their disappointment and discouragement that the promises of Your Word seemed to tarry, kept doing their part in their generation by Your grace and their faith to prepare the way for what we are beginning to experience (Hebrews 11:39-40). Even when those of past generations saw the move of Your mighty hand in their own hearts and in the lives of others, You kept reminding them to keep their hearts focused and their eyes fixed on the goal of a personal relationship with You. "Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:20). It's in the eternal blessing and certain hope of that relationship that we can endure the suffering of our disappointments where Your kingdom has not yet fully come and celebrate with excitement and praise where it is coming in ways we can hardly believe. Keep increasing our faith to believe in You and all You want to do in our lives and on the earth. Heaven is invading earth; Your kingdom is coming (Luke 17:20-21). Keep lifting from us the disappointment when it doesn't seem heaven is invading earth fast enough, that Your kingdom is coming soon enough. Let that make us even more hungry, more thirsty, more determined to align our hearts with heaven and pray with unfaltering faith for more of heaven to be manifested on earth and in us (Luke 11:2 and 17:20-21). In the trusting faith of a personal relationship with You, our names will be written on Your heart in heaven and Your name will be written on our hearts on earth. And we will be amazed to see and hear all You do in our days and all You are in us (Colossians 1:27). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'll be at joining a group to hear one of my spiritual mentors, Margaret Therkelsen, at The Cove this weekend, the Billy Graham Training Center in NC: www.thecove.org I'll be sharing my testimony of faith and prayer and leading in the Lord's Supper Sunday morning. Please keep us in your prayers and I pray for the coming of the kingdom in God's power in your hearts and your region. Please send us a note right away to come join us in February. I've just been invited to be the inspirational speaker for a five day cruise (Tampa Bay/Cozumel/Grand Cayman) next February hosted by The Haven. You are invited to come join us! But a reservation and initial deposit ($25) must be made right away (total cost about $500 per person). Please send a note for details or call Marilyn Walker at 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Picked Up Dead" but "Taken Away Alive" 5-29-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Align my thoughts with Your thoughts, my will with Your will, and my ways with Your ways. ... "A young man named Eutychus who was sitting in the window, began to sink off into a deep sleep while Paul talked still longer. Overcome by sleep, he fell to the ground three floors below and was picked up dead. But Paul went down, and bending over him took him in his arms, and said, 'Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.' Then Paul went upstairs and after he had broken bread and eaten, he continued to converse with them until dawn; then he left. Meanwhile they had taken the boy away alive and were not a little comforted" (Acts 20:9-12). My friend Palma could hardly contain herself testifying to the power and glory of Your name yesterday. She was visiting her aunts in eastern Kentucky a few days ago when one of them suddenly turned dark, her body went stiff, and she quit breathing. They tried to give her CPR to resuscitate her body. But my friend Palma felt led to boldly pray to resuscitate her spirit. She said she rebuked the spirit of death in the name of Jesus and prayed for the breath of life to fill her aunt's body (John 10:10; Acts 2:24). And life returned. Some would say that was an accident; some would say that was a miracle. Some would say that she was not dead, only passed out; some would say she was raised from the dead by the power of God. I'm sure they had the same discussions around the young man who was "picked up dead" but then "taken away alive" after Paul prayed for him. What matters most to me is what You say, Lord. What is Your theology of life and death, healing and deliverance, heaven and earth? Correct me where I'm wrong and encourage me where I'm right. I don't want to lead anyone astray and I don't want anything less than the fullness of Your will in my life. But it seems Your Word says Your disciples will heal the sick, cast out demons, cleanse the lepers, and raise the dead in the authority and power of Your name to display Your glory on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 10:8). This is part of Your command and commission to Your church: "As you go, proclaim the good news, 'The kingdom of heaven has come near' " (v. 10:7). You said, "The one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do" and "As the Father has sent Me so I send you" (John 14:12 and 20:21). Lord, has the kingdom of heaven come near? Are You beginning to release the signs and wonders in America we hear about you releasing in other parts of the world? Are You pouring out Your Spirit and opening up Your heavens at a new level we've never seen since the first apostolic generation? Is Your kingdom coming and Your will being done in answer to the prayer You taught us to pray? Is the revival we've long for and prepared the way for beginning to be released in our generation? Is the great harvest finally at hand? Word of Your wonders is spreading from Florida, South Carolina, and California. I'm hearing of healing revival breaking out in western Kentucky and now this testimony from eastern Kentucky. Even in our own ministry we're seeing You accelerate the healing process of spirit, soul, and body as You bind up the broken-hearted and set the captives free (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Isaiah 61; Luke 4). And we are praying for more miracles of salvation, healing, and deliverance. "God added His testimony by signs and wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, distributed according to His will" (Hebrews 2:4). We are all hungry for more, Lord -- more of You, more of Your presence, more of Your power made manifest to the glory of Your name in our lives. And while I'm heartbroken over what has not yet been happening, I'm also celebrating what is happening. While I plead with You for the breakthroughs in what it seems You are not doing, I praise You for the breakthroughs in what You are doing. More, Lord. As in the days of Paul and as in the days of my friend Palma, let us not hold back from "speaking boldly for the Lord, who testified to the word of His grace by granting signs and wonders to be done through them" (Acts 14:3). This is the good news of the kingdom of heaven. This is the good news that the kingdom of heaven has come near. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, for those who are interested, here's a link to Rick Joyner's thoughts on this current revival in his most recent prophetic bulletin just released. I'm a member of the MorningStar Fellowship of Ministries that he leads: MorningStar Ministries : #7 - The History and Future of the Present Revival - Part 4 I've just been invited to be the inspirational speaker for a five day cruise (Tampa Bay/Cozumel/Grand Cayman) next February hosted by The Haven. You are invited to come join us! But a reservation and initial deposit ($25) must be made right away (total cost about $500 per person). Please send a note for details or call Marilyn Walker at 859-317-1591 or DirOfMinistries@aol.com Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: http://www.shop.messiah-ministries.org/

Follow the Path 5-28-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, You are One and You are welcome in moments of my day. ... "You must therefore be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn to the right or to the left. You must follow exactly the path that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you are to possess" (Deuteronomy 5:35-36). There is a path You have set before me to walk each day. And I have a choice to walk that way or not. If I persistently choose to walk in that path by the grace and the light that You give, it will go well with me. It does not mean that it will go easy for me or go without heartache and pain for me, but it will go well for me. For You will go with me, and whenever You go with me, it is well with my soul. Though I go through the challenges of a fallen creation, filled with fallen people, surrounded by fallen spirits, I will not fear nor fail, for You go with me (Isaiah 43:2). If I am to do what You command and follow where You lead, I must know Your Word and listen to Your Spirit. I must begin the journey each day entrusting the day to You. Like Moses, I must resolve in my heart that unless You go with me, I don't want to go; and I don't want to go anywhere You are not leading (Exodus 33:15). Apart from Your grace, I can't hear Your Word or obey Your will. But I never have to be apart from Your grace. You give freely of Your Spirit to all who ask (Luke 11:13). By the leading of Your Spirit, I will not turn to the right or to the left, but follow the path that You set before me today. If I step off the path, You will correct me. If I follow the path, You will encourage me. And by Your grace I will live out this day possess the land You lay on my heart and entrust to my care. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I've just been invited to be the inspirational speaker for a five day cruise (Tampa Bay/Cozumel/Grand Cayman) next February hosted by The Haven. You are invited to come join us! But a reservation and initial deposit must be made right away. Please send a note for details or call Marilyn Walker at 859-317-1591 Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"New Every Morning" 5-27-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I wait for Your word and listen for Your leading. ... "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in Him.' The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord" (Lamentations 3:22-26). I sleep, but You never do. I rise to face a new day, but You are already there, preparing the way. You already know every challenge I'll face and every choice I'll make. You see the end from the beginning and everything in between. So wisdom calls me to seek the One who sees it all. And humility calls me to wait on the One who is willing to walk with me as a sure guide and trusted friend. Why is it so hard to wait and to seek? Why is it so hard to first listen for Your leading? The wisdom is worth the wait. The finding is worth the seeking. And the peace is worth the persistence. You ways are higher than my ways and Your thoughts are higher than my thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). So it would only be wise to humble myself in the silence of surrender before You at the beginning of each new day to seek Your ways and listen for Your thoughts. And in Your steadfast love and tender mercies that are new every morning, You are always here to be found by each one who will take the time to seek You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Remembering Our Warriors 5-26-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my strength and shield, a mighty warrior and loving God. ... "These are the names of the warriors whom David had ..." (2 Samuel 23:8). Today is Memorial Day in our nation, a day to remember those who sacrificed their lives in the call of service to our nation. We honor those who honored us with their lives, even unto death. And we honor those who sacrificed by releasing them to their duty and are now grieving their loss. May their souls rest in the arms of our Father through the blood of Jesus, who willing made the greatest sacrifice of all for each one of us. You are a God of love and peace, but You are also a God of war when war is required in response to the violence of sin in our fallen world. "The Lord goes forth like a soldier, like a warrior He stirs up His fury; He cries out, He shouts aloud, He shows Himself mighty against His foes" (Isaiah 42:13). "In righteousness He judges and makes war" (Revelation 19:11). And though we long for the day when all wars will cease and Your peace will reign overall the earth, between now and then, "there is a time for war" (Ecclesiastes 3:8). So there is a time for warriors. And when our warriors have fallen, fighting our battles for our sakes, we honor their lives, we remember their names, and we thank them for their service to us all. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"See the Heavenes Opened" 5-25-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. King of heaven, come be King in me on earth as You are in heaven. ... "When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 'Look,' he said, 'I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!' " (Acts 7:55-56). When Stephen was encircled by the rage of violence and injustice, God the Holy Spirit lifted his eyes to heaven. And there he gazed into the glory of God the Father and God the Son. As he opened his heart, You opened the heavens. As he lifted his eyes, You lifted his spirit. You gave him the courage and the confidence to keep his eyes fixed on things above rather than below, on the things that are eternal rather than temporary (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). They stoned his body, but his spirit soared to heaven (Acts 7:57-60). I hear in his heart and see by his witness that he learned by Your Spirit to know he could always lift up his eyes to the One who was his strength and courage. "I will lift up my eyes to the hills -- from where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:1). Even in the face of fear and death, Stephen was secure in Your peace because he knew the source of his strength and the destination of his soul. "With the Lord on my side, I do not fear. What can mortals do to me? ... Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord" (Psalm 118:6-19). And by Your grace and Your Spirit, so do I. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'll be preaching at my home church in Lexington today, Sunday 5/25 at two of our services (9:45 and 5:15) as the first sermon of a new series on Heaven www.CentenaryLex.com Please come join us anytime you can and please keep us in your prayers. May our hearts be prepared and your eyes be lifted to heaven! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Heaven's Home 5-24-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good morning, Heavenly Father. Good morning, Holy Spirit. It's a good morning because You're a good God. ... "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going" (John 14:1-4). You have prepared a place for me -- a place called heaven, a place called home. For "our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20). We are "strangers and foreigners on the earth ... seeking a homeland" because we "desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one," where You "have prepared a city" for us (Hebrews 11:13-16). So as I journey through the challenges that humble me and the opportunities that mature me in this broken, fallen world, I choose by Your grace to look to heaven. "Since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:1-3). I look beyond the brokenness to the wholeness to come, beyond the bondage to decay toward the freedom and joy of all You have prepared for me in heaven's home. By Your grace, I will live out all my days, learn all my lessons, endure all my trials, and fulfill all my destiny. But all the while, I will be looking forward to all that is to come. "For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for 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 is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). So though my feet are on earth, my heart is in heaven. And no matter what I will endure through this short but eternally significant journey, it will all be worth it. "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I'm excited to be preaching at my home church in Lexington this Sunday 5/25 at two of our services (9:45 and 5:15) to begin a new sermon series on Heaven http://www.centenarylex.com/ Please come join us anytime you can and please keep us in your prayers. May our hearts be prepared for heaven! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" http://www.messiah-ministries.org/ 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Resources On-Line: http://www.shop.messiah-ministries.org/