"Without Dread of Disaster" 9-18-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Less of me and more of You, less of my will and more of Yours. ... "But those who listen to Me will be secure and will live at ease, without dread of disaster" (Proverbs 1:33). These seem to be days filled with the potential for dread of disaster. Economic disasters, natural disasters, personal disasters -- there seems to be a perfect storm building for a disaster of faith. But You are not blind to our struggles and You are not indifferent to our needs. You are at work in ways we cannot see. And You are reminding us to turn to You in our times of crisis, trusting You to bring us through. Though we would like You to bring us around our troubles, You often seem to bring us through our troubles instead. Your goal is not that we live a life of ease and security without any challenges to our faith or our independence and self-centeredness. Your goal is our sanctification, the willing and trusting surrender of our lives into Your hands to conform us into the image of the Son of God. "For this is the will of God, your sanctification" (1 Thessalonians 4:3). And that doesn’t happen on a bed of ease, in world without suffering, in times emptied of the temptation to be consumed by dread of disaster. That happens in times just like these. So give us faith to turn to You, trusting in Your heart that is good toward us, trusting in Your promises that You are with us through it all (Isaiah 43:2). Our world is being shaken "so that what cannot be shaken remains. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks" (Hebrews 12:27-28). We give thanks for Your Presence in the midst of the shaking and Your peace in the midst of every dread of disaster. Let Your perfect love keep casting out our fear (1 John 4:18). Let Your perfect peace keep surpassing all our understanding (Philippians 4:7). As we look and listen to You through that comes, You will keep establishing us firm and secure in the ease of Your arms, even as You sanctify our souls in the process. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to the Fountain! This Friday Night 9/19 at 7 pm -- the 3rd Friday Night of every month -- for our ministry's monthly gathering of people from many different churches and streams of the body of Christ across our city for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Ann Peterson, my friend from the Healing Academy at Asbury Seminary, will be leading in prayer, while Brooke and Shannon Barrett lead us in worship. Hosted in the chapel of Centenary: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY. Please come early for Intercessory Prayer at 6:15. Contact Marilyn at dirofministries@aol.com or 859-422-1794. All are welcome! 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. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Special Guest Stan Goodenough from Israel next Monday Night 9/22. Contact Vicky Welch at VickyWelch77@yahoo.com All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources On-Line -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502

"Right Sacrifices" 9-17-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be the center of my thoughts, be the foundation of my day. ... "When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and put your trust in the Lord" (Psalm 3:4-5). When my circumstances disturb my peace and controversies try to could my sense of direction and purpose, give me grace to seek Your face. Settle the emotions of my soul and breathe Your life and peace into my spirit. Lead me to be silent before You. Let me pause to give You time to form Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. Let Your nature overcome my nature. "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always accuse, nor will He keep His anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.... For He remembers how we are made; He remembers that we are dust" (Psalm 103:8-14). The right sacrifices You desire are that I would trust in You, surrendering my will to Yours, allowing You to use every challenge of every circumstance to keep conforming my nature to Your nature (Romans 8:29). Show me how to speak the truth in love, how to see the heart beneath the surface of those who hurt me or offend me, how to allow You to set the boundaries of relationship You know are best for me instead of the boundaries I think are best for me, how to wait for Your wisdom, and how to walk in Your ways. "Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger, for your anger does not produce God's righteousness" (James 1:19-20). Apart from You, I can't do any of that. But by Your grace, I am not apart from You. And as You abide in me and I abide in You, every disturbance only becomes an opportunity for me to grow in grace and maturity of spirit. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to the Fountain! This Friday Night 9/19 at 7 pm -- the 3rd Friday Night of every month -- for our ministry's monthly gathering of people from many different churches and streams of the body of Christ across our city for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Anne Peterson, my friend from the Healing Academy at Asbury Seminary, will be leading in prayer, while Brooke and Shannon Barrett lead us in worship. Hosted in the chapel of Centenary: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY. Please come early for Intercessory Prayer at 6:15. Contact Marilyn at dirofministries@aol.com or 859-422-1794. All are welcome! 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. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Special Guest Stan Goodenough next Monday Night. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources On-Line -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502

I am Yours, You are mine 9-16-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I am Yours and You are mine. I hear Your Spirit forming the words of a new song of deeper surrender in my soul. ... I am Yours, You are mine I am bought with a price Come and live Your life Through me every time That I give You my heart Right here from the start Of this day And every day Of this life That I live In You ... "The Lord is my portion; I promise to keep your words. I implore your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to Your promise. When I think of Your ways, I turn to Your decrees" (Psalm 119:57-59). O Lord, how I need Your help to trust in Your ways and turn to Your Word to live my life in You. Give me grace to keep making the choice every day to submit my will to Your will, to seek You above all else, to embrace Your call and live Your vision for my life. I am "bought with a price," freed from the bondage to my own will or the will of anyone but You (1 Corinthians 7:23). So as I face the choices and challenges of this day, remind me all along the way to turn to Your decrees in the favor of Your grace. Remind me that my life is not my own, that "it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to the Fountain! This Friday Night 9/19 at 7 pm -- the 3rd Friday Night of every month -- for our ministry's monthly gathering of people from many different churches and streams of the body of Christ across our city for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Ann Peterson, my friend from the Healing Academy at Asbury Seminary, will be leading in prayer, while Brooke and Shannon Barrett lead us in worship. Hosted in the chapel of Centenary: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY. Please come early for Intercessory Prayer at 6:15. Contact Marilyn at dirofministries@aol.com or 859-422-1794. All are welcome! 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. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Special Guest Stan Goodenough next Monday Night. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources On-Line -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502

Hasten the Coming of the Day of the Lord 9-15-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Align my mind with Yours. Impart Your heart to mine. Guide my steps along the path of Your purposes for my life today. ... "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything on it will be disclosed. Since all these things will be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God" (2 Peter 3:10-12). When we pray for the fire of God and the fire of revival to fall, what are we really praying for? And are we ready for the answer to our prayers? It is Your Spirit who moves us to pray with fervency and urgency for the fire. It's part of Your plan for the redemption of the earth and the souls of men. "I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" (Luke 12:49). Your burning passion for a people who are saved and sanctified, purified in our souls to be "leading lives of holiness and godliness," able to endure Your eternal Presence in our midst is part of Your nature. "Our God is a consuming Fire" (Hebrews 12:29). By seeking Your Presence and praying for Your coming, we are giving You permission to expose and purify our true motives and intents, those we know and those we don't. We are embracing Your plan to prepare our hearts for the coming of the glory of the Lord, living in us and in the midst of our world, the "new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home" (2 Peter 3:13). Our Father has poured out His Holy Spirit to prepare for You a holy bride, a holy people, purified in our souls by Your fire, burning with a passion for Your coming, and prepared to embrace Your eternal Presence here on earth as it is in heaven (Ephesians 5:25-27). We wait for that day with longing hearts. But we also, by Your grace, have the amazing calling and power to hasten the coming of that day (2 Peter 3:12). We hasten it by allowing You to purify us and prepare us for Your coming. Our flesh must be crucified in Christ, our self-centeredness must be slain, our hearts must be consumed with Your all consuming fire. That's how we kindle the flame and prepare the way of the Lord. As we allow You to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts, we are able to "draw near to God" so that You can "draw near to (us)" (James 4:8). And the fire of God will fall. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we join our hearts together in the agreement of prayer for the people of Texas and the Gulf Coast as the endure the sufferings from the destruction of Hurricane Ike. May the people of God be light in the midst of the darkness, as He redeems the suffering and brings hope through Christ for all. Come to the Fountain! This Friday Night 9/19 at 7 pm -- the 3rd Friday Night of every month -- for our ministry's monthly gathering of people from many different churches and streams of the body of Christ across our city for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Hosted in the chapel of Centenary: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY. Please come early for Intercessory Prayer at 6:15. Contact Marilyn at dirofministries@aol.com or 859-422-1794. All are welcome! 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. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Special Guest Stan Goodenough next Monday Night. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources On-Line -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502

"Wings of the Wind" through Texas 9-13-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I know my Redeemer lives. ... "He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under His feet. He rode on a cherub and flew; He came swiftly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness His covering around Him, His canopy thick clouds dark with water. Out of the brightness before Him there broke through His clouds hailstones and coals of fire. The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered His voice" (Psalm 18:9-13). My heart breaks for all the destruction of lives and property taking place on the Gulf shores of Texas today. Though I was born on the plains of west Texas, I worked several summers in Houston and started my family and law career at the shores of Corpus Christi. As this huge Hurricane called Ike, as huge as the state, enters in through the southeast gate of Texas at Galveston Bay on its way up the Port of Houston, I know the wind and water is waging war against the people and places of much that I've known. So I pray. I pray in agreement with all the prayers storming the gates of heaven to stand firm as a sea wall undercutting the violent water and waves, reducing the intensity of this storm and its destruction as far as Your grace will go. And I pray for all the redemption to come. I pray for how I know You'll stir up Your people with courage and compassion, with self-less sacrifice and tenacity of spirit to be Your hands and heart in the midst of all the suffering to come. This storm, no matter how huge, will not overwhelm and will not overtake the heart and spirit of the people You've been preparing and positioning to be in place during this time You've always known would come. "Do not fear for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.... Do not fear for I am with you" (from Isaiah 43:1-5). Though You don't cause all things, You do redeem all things as we entrust them to You (Romans 8:28). You are a redeeming God (Job 19:25). And all that is intended for evil, You will use for good. And that is suffered, You will use to strengthen faith and encourage relationship with You and one another in bonds of self-sacrificing love. "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come ..." (Isaiah 59:19-20, KJV). It seems I hear You say: "The hurricane is the counterfeit of My true storm of My Spirit that is surging ashore through this gate of this nation. I am coming in like a mighty rushing wind. I am sanctifying by the washing of My word. I am bringing down strongholds of pride and presumption, I am rebuilding the walls of My cities with passion and purpose for My people and My kingdom. All the earth will watch and see how I display My glory through My people." Yes, Lord. Let every word that is of You go forth. I know it will never return void, but will accomplish all that You have purposed. The false floods and false winds will don't prevail. Where the thief comes in to steal and kill and destroy, You will bring forth abundant life (John 10:10). When "the earth was formless and void and darkness covered the face of the deep ... a wind from God swept over the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2). I believe You will do the same as You coming riding in on the wings of the wind. Let Your true storm of Your Spirit surge through gates of our hearts and our land. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for standing with me and all who are praying for the people of southeast Texas. The Lord will turn all this into good, but we pray for the fullness of His mercy and grace for all those who will suffer greatly through the process. I believe destructive storms are a part of fallen nature, longing to be redeemed (Romans 8:19). I pray for the Lord's redemption of all your suffering and the suffering of those you love. God bless you! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com Order our Ministry Resources On-Line at www.shop.messiah-ministries.org -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com

Wisdom is There in the Beginning 9-12-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You were before all created things, and yet here You are with me. I am amazed and undone in the immensity of the glory of Your Presence. ... "Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth -- when He had not yet made earth and fields, or the world's first bits of soil. When He established the heavens, I was there, when He drew a circle on the face of the deep, when He made firm the skies above, when He established the fountains of the deep, when He assigned the sea to its limit, so that the waters might not transgress His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside Him like a master worker; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing before Him always, rejoicing in His inhabited world and delighting in the human race" (Proverbs 8:24-31). Scientists in Switzerland are testing a nuclear collider to try to simulate the beginning of the world. In a sense, science is simply a search for truth -- to find it, verify it, and share it. And since You are the Truth, science is a pursuit of You, whether we know it or not. All things we find and verify and share are the things You have put there for us to find. There's something in the searching that forces us to acknowledge our lack of the fullness of knowledge and wisdom. No matter how hard we may search, no matter how much we may boast that we already know what the answer will likely be, in the end, the searching is an admission we don't really know. Searching for truth is part of the adventure of life we were created to share with You. "Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice? ... Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you desire cannot compare with her" (Proverbs 8;1-11). Longing and searching for truth is part of being fully alive and fully engaged in our journey to spiritual maturity on Your earth. "It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out" (Proverbs 25:2). And if our nuclear collider were to recreate or simulate "the big bang" at the beginning of time, there You would be -- with Your wisdom by Your side, rejoicing and delighting in the handiwork of the creation of Your "inhabited world and delighting in the human race. Our science would have led us to Your wisdom. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight" (Proverbs 9:10). "In the beginning" ... there You are (Genesis 1:1). 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com 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. Special Guest Speaker Stan Goodenough Monday Night Sept. 22. Contact Vicky at vickywelch77@yahoo.com for this event. 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! Subscribe free by email to me at 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 Ministry Resources at: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"With You" 9-11-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Each day as it comes, let it come find me here with You. ... Each day as it comes Each step as I go Each breath that I take Each moment I know I'll be with You And You'll be with me You're with me everywhere You're always there ... "It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed" (Deuteronomy 31:8). Many of my friends along the south Texas coast are boarding up their windows and loading up their families to head out of harm's way from the coming storm. And on this infamous and tragic day a few years ago, there was no warning and no time to prepare from the coming storm of terror unleashed against our land in the name of a false god of hatred and evil. In a broken, fallen world that "lies under the power of the evil one" so often made manifest through the sinful and cruel choices of deceived human beings, You never leave us nor forsake us (1 John 5:19). You're always there -- fighting for us in ways we can't yet see, redeeming our lives in ways we can't yet know. Our pain and the power of evil is real, but "greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4, KJV). One day when we see You face to face, we'll see all the towers that didn't fall, all the hurricanes that didn't come, all the accidents that didn't happen, and all the plans and schemes of the enemy of our souls that never came to pass. But for those that do, one day we will also see how You were with us through them all. Comforting us in ways we couldn't always feel, leading us in ways we couldn't always see. But Your were there, loving us and leading us through the pain and tragedy and fear of life in a world, broken and yearning for Your redemption of all things (Romans 8:19). And with perfect justice, perfect mercy, and perfect wisdom in Your perfect ways, You will redeem all things for Your purposes and our good, not wasting a moment of our suffering -- or Yours (Romans 8:28). It's only that perspective that can give us any peace through the tragedies we face before that day comes when You wipe away every tear, heal every hurt, and calm every fear (Revelation 7:17 and 21:4). 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 Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources On-Line -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502

"In His Right Mind" 9-10-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are good, a great God in every dimension of Your Being -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ... "Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.... The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with Him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, 'Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.' So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him" (Luke 8:35-39). There's a war going on in our souls, a battle being waged for our minds (Romans 7:23; 2 Corinthians 10:5). We are ensnared and enslaved through the sin that opens the door to the enemy of our souls, "sold into slavery under sin" (Romans 7:14). Through the weapons of his warfare, our spiritual enemy seeks to deceive us and confuse us, trying to trick is into agreeing with his lies and submitting to his ways. And his ways always lead to destruction and death, whether immediate or most often, through the painful process slowly stealing our peace and joy. He seeks to corrupt our minds and mar the image of God we were created to reflect. He knows too well the spiritual principle that "as (a person) thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). His lies become our reality to the degree we accept them as our truth. But You come to set the captives free. You love to answer the prayer You taught us to pray, "Deliver us from evil" (from Matthew 6:13). You come to expose the darkness and deception, to reveal the truth in the light of Your glory and free us from destruction and death. Darkness cannot overcome the light; light always overcomes the darkness, just as truth always overcomes the lies. You are the Truth (John 14:6). And You promise us that when we humble ourselves to call on Your name, we shall know the Truth and Truth will set us free (John 8:32). "So if the Son make you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36). You win the war of our soul and the battle for our mind as You give us grace to agree with You and Your truth. You transform us by the renewing of our minds and restore us to our right mind in You (Romans 12:2). As we willingly choose by the grace of God to submit to You, agreeing with the truth of Your Word and Your ways, You empower us to "resist the devil and he will flee" (James 4:7). Then You send us out, restored in our right mind, renewed in Christ, to tell everyone we know how much You have done for us." Some will be afraid of that kind of power and some will take offense at the idea that they need deliverance from evil (Luke 8:37). But many will see and believe, and put their faith in the Lord. Many will humble themselves to seek Your help of healing and deliverance, being restored and renewed with "the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for your prayers for our ministry session of inner healing deliverance yesterday. God was amazing! The Holy Spirit is cleansing and freeing the bride of Christ, restoring us to our right mind through the love of our Father's heart to fulfill our destiny in these amazing days. I pray the same for you. Let us know if you our church would be interested in our teaching resources on Biblical, spiritual principles of inner healing and deliverance prayer ministry called "Preparing the Way of the Lord." God bless you! 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com 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. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. (Moving in October to Southland Evangelical Church on Clay's Mill Road). Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at 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 Ministry Resources On-Line at www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Inner Healing from the Inside Out 9-9-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Live Your life through my life today. ... "Many Samaritans from that city believed in Him because of the woman's testimony, 'He told me everything I have ever done' " (John 4:39). You saw and touched the depths of the Samaritan woman's soul -- her pain, her shame, her past. You brought it all out of the darkness, into the light, and under Your blood. You didn't do it to condemn her or shame her or remind her of all the things that she was not. You did it to heal her and free her from every hold of her past so she could be released into the fullness of her destiny in You. You were binding up the brokenhearted and setting the captives free (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18). And as soon as she was whole and free, she couldn't wait to tell everybody about You. Thank You for letting me join with You in Your ministry of inner healing and deliverance -- healing from the inside out, freedom from the pain, shame, and spiritual oppression of our past, to have peace and joy in our present, and to fully embrace and fulfill our future destiny in You. It's exciting to see Your Holy Spirit bring up those things that are holding Your people back and them lift them off and replace them with Your Father's love and peace and joy. You cleanse the wounds, heal the hurts, lift the burdens, and break the bondages, while You revive the spirit, awaken the gifts, encourage the faith, and empower the people with Your purposes for their lives (Hebrews 12:1-2). "Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goad for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14). Later this morning, our little team for today will be following the leading of Your Holy Spirit, filled with the Father's heart, to minister the healing love of God as we help one who has been wounded, broken, and bound look to You for her healing and deliverance by power of Your grace. As we help her look to You from the depths of her soul, her life will be forever changed (2 Corinthians 3:18). Sometimes it happens instantly and miraculously, most of the time it's little by little and step by step in the healing process of transformation into wholeness and holiness (1 Thessalonians 5:23). But when she's healed and free, she'll be telling everybody about You. How exciting! How fun! How awesome You are to let us join with You in Your ministry of grace and love in the power of Your name (John 20:21 and 14:12). 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com 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. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. (Moving in October to Southland Evangelical Church on Clay's Mill Road). Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at 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 Ministry Resources On-Line at www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Book of Remembrance" 9-8-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. It's all about You. ... "Then those who revered the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord took note and listened, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who revered the Lord and thought on His name" (Malachi 3:16). Lord, let my name be found in Your book of remembrance. I want to be known by You as one who sought Your face, called on Your name, revered Your word. Let me live this day as if You are taking note and listening. You are. "For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:14). You reminded Your first disciples that our lives are an open book before You -- every thought, every word, every action. "I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter" (Matthew 12:36). We are no different. "For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God" (Romans 14:10). And on that day when You open Your book of remembrance, when all are "judged according to their works, as recorded in the books," let my name be found in Your "book of life" (Revelation 20:12). In that moment, when all is said and done, when all is laid bare before You, when "all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth," my relationship with You will matter more than anything else (Isaiah 64:6). In fact, it will be the only thing that matters (Matthew 7:21-23). So keep drawing me into Your Presence each day, keep leading me to revere You and think on You, always knowing You and entrusting my life to You. Let Your record reflect my continuing choice, by Your grace, to live my life in relationship with You. I thank You now that my name will be found sealed in the eternal ink of Your blood in Your book of remembrance. 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com 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. 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! Subscribe free by email to me at 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 Ministry Resources at: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Suddenly and Steadily 9-5-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I want to know You personally, hear You personally, and obey You personally. I thank You for pastoral counsel, prophetic guidance, and intercessory prayer cover, but even those wonderful blessings and means of Your grace to me can never substitute or even compare to my personal relationship and responsibility to seek You and follow You as best as I can. So here I am again in our morning time together to begin my day seeking You for myself. ... "For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay" (Habakkuk 2:3). I've been hearing recently that You have been speaking to Your prophets and prayer warriors that September will be a month of "suddenlies." And it is true that there is a strong sense that doors of destiny seem to be opening and the heaven seems to be shaking as we tremble with anticipation of all that this season holds. But as I lay this word "suddenly" before You in my personal times of prayer, You seem to impress upon my spirit the word "steadily." I've seen sparks of the fires to come. I've heard rumblings of the sound of heaven to be released. I've tasted of the living waters to flow. But I know that there is so much more to come -- "abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20). Behold, You stand at the door and knock (Revelation 3:20). And You are seeking a people who are purified and prepared, through the washing of the water of Your Word and cleansing of the blood of the Lamb, who will have clean hands, pure hearts, and a pursuing passion to be able to open the door and let You in to depths of our lives and our world as never before. You will suddenly come in, but we must steadily prepare (Malachi 3:2-7; Psalm 24:3-6; Revelation 22:14). When You walked this earth as Son of Man in the Spirit of God, You humbled Yourself to be baptized by the Holy Spirit in the waters of Israel's Jordan River. And though You spent thirty years of Your earthly life in preparation for that moment, "suddenly the heavens were opened" (Matthew 3:16). The suddenlies come as we steadily prepare, as we steadily seek to trust and obey -- as best as we can, by the power of Your grace, all in Your perfect timing and Your perfect way. I join in prayer for the suddenlies of God and the suddenlies of September. And at the same time, I'll continue to persist by Your grace in pursuing Your call to me and to others to keep preparing the way of the Lord (Isaiah 40:3; 57:14; 62:10; Mark 1:1-3). I'll keep trembling with anticipation for all that is about to break in and break through every life and every barrier in this exciting season at hand. And I'll keep trusting in Your perfect timing, trying by Your grace, to keep fulfilling my part of Your perfect plan. "See, I am sending My messenger to prepare the way before Me, and the Lord Whom you seek will suddenly come into His temple. The messenger of the covenant in Whom you delight -- indeed, He is coming, says the Lord of hosts" (Malachi 3:1). "The One who testifies to things says, 'Surely I Am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I have an intense Fall season of ministry engagements in helping "prepare the way of the Lord" to move in breakthrough revival and awakening of His holy and passionate bride and to join in the great harvest of souls and nations to come, and would appreciate your prayers for our ministry and family: Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Georgia, 2 Pastor and Leader Conferences in India (just between now and the end of October). Please join with us in your prayers and provision in every way the Lord may lead. God bless you and thank you for joining with us to make it possible to fulfill our part of the Lord's plan as best as we can and all by His grace! If you'd like to be aware of prayer events taking place near our local region of Lexington, Kentucky, please send us an email to be on our list at PrayLexington@aol.com Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources On-Line at: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502

Long Way Home 9-4-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I entrust my life and my day to You. ... "Remember the long way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments" (Deuteronomy 8:2). Character counts. The intents and desires of our hearts matter. Though You meet us where we are and love us as we are, You are never content to leave us as we are. You have a land of blessing and fulfillment before us, where You want us to "live and increase," when we "go in and occupy the land" (v. 8:1). But You want us to go into that land different in character and heart that when we began the journey. And the truth is, our hearts need to be humbled. Our character needs to be changed. We need to learn that Your ways are the best ways, that Your love includes Your conviction, correction, and discipline, that our wisdom and our strength will always fall short of getting where we know down inside we want to be. So we have to learn to trust You to bring us through every challenge of adversity, every storm of suffering, every shame of sin, every temptation of trusting in ourselves apart from You. And whether we like it or not, that most often happens in the wilderness. The wilderness times, the wandering times, the waiting times are where You humble us and test us and teach us. You lead us by the long way home. That's how we learn to walk in "the Way of the Lord" (Acts18:25). As we begin the journey, You begin to show us that our ways are not Your ways and our thoughts are not Your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). But as we continue our journey each day, as You bring us through the wilderness of our world on this side of heaven, letting you humble us and test us and teach us, You patiently and graciously renew our minds and change our hearts (Romans 12:2). And with the hope of home in our hearts, You keep building our character and changing our nature, making us more like You each day all along the long way home. "You have made know to me the ways of life; You will make me full of gladness with Your Presence" (Acts 2:28). The long way home is Your way home prepared for each us to prepare us and produce in us al that is needed to display Your life and nature and character through us. "And not only that, we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Romans 5:3-5). So even though I walk through the valley and wander through the wilderness, even though I endure the sufferings while learning to wait patiently for the promises, Your Spirit is here with me, living within me, all along the way into the fullness and gladness of Your Presence. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for praying for my computer problems. Miraculously, they fixed it for me in one day! I'm excited to be leading a men's retreat at Camp Loucon, Kentucky this weekend and would appreciate your prayers for us. God bless you! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources On-Line -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502

In You Alone 9-2-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In You alone There I will not fear In You my own There I know I'm free In You I belong There I'll always be Safe and secure in You ... "For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken.... Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us" (Psalm 62:1-8). Yes, Lord. I thank You for all those You bring into my life as a means of Your grace and love to me. I thank You for the words You speak to me through them and the prayers You move them to pray for me. Each one is an extension of Your grace and love to me. But let me never become confused that any of them are the source of my security, freedom, or peace. You alone are my rock and my salvation, my fortress and my strength. Anything less would be unhealthy for me and for them. So I honor them and thank You for them, but I do not cling to them or become dependent upon them. I cling to You and depend upon You alone. Then I am free and they are free to continue to grow in freedom, health, and maturity in You. So give me the courage and grace to let go when I'm tempted to cling to another too tightly and the courage and grace to say no when others are tempted to cling too tightly to me. As I do, I honor You as my rock and my salvation. Only You are worthy of that place in my life. By the power of Your grace, only You will have that place in my life. You alone are my Father, my Friend, my Savior, Healer, and Lord. Set Your boundaries in the right places in all my relationships, as we honor You and honor one another. "We depend on the Lord alone to save us. Only He can help us, protecting us like a shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we are trusting in His holy name. Let Your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in You alone" (Psalm 33:20-22, NLT). 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 Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources On-Line -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502

Labor Pray 9-1-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I watch and wait before You this day, bring to my heart what to pray and bring to my mind what to say. ... "But oh, my dear children! I feel as if I am going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives" (Galatians 4:19, NLT). Paul's passion as spiritual leader was to see the nature of Christ formed and fully developed in all who came to know You through his prayers, his writing, and his words. That's the heart of our Father, moving in the hearts of Your leaders by the heart of Your Holy Spirit dwelling in each one. This Labor Day, I remember and thank You for each of Your spiritual leaders You've sent into my life to labor through prayer, through their writing, and through their words to see the nature of Christ formed and fully developing in me. I pray they will nog "labor in vain" (Philippians 2:16). But rather, that they would find Your joy and fulfillment in their ministry as a "labor of love" (1 Thessalonians 1:3). Lord, give them Your wisdom to handle my heart and mind with care, patience to persevere through the pain of the contractions, and courage to push when You say the time is right. And give me grace to honor them for all they do by Your hand with Your heart in my life. "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing -- for that would be harmful to you" (Hebrews 13:17). As I remember them and pray for them, let this Labor Day be a day of rest for those who watch and labor over my soul. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, let's continue to join in prayer for all those along the Gulf of Mexico region facing this hurricane and the storms lining up to follow. I'm including below a word on prayer from the Presidential Prayer Team. Come to the Mountain! This Monday Night (meeting on Labor Day) and every Monday night at 7 pm to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray of our ministry. 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! 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 Daily Archives: http://www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com/ From Presidential Prayer Team: THE PEOPLE OF THE GULF COAST NEED YOUR PRAYERS! August 30, 2008 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."--Psalm 91:1-2 Dear Tommy, I’m writing to ask you to pause now to pray for the people of the Gulf Coast—for a safe and successful evacuation. Pray for those who lack resources to receive the help they need, and pray for the storm to dissipate quickly. Throughout the day we’ve watched the advance of Hurricane Gustav across the Gulf of Mexico. Mayor Ray Nagin has ordered the mandatory evacuation of the City of New Orleans and there is a warning for all coastal areas from eastern Texas to the Florida state line. It was just three years ago this week that the same region was hit by Hurricane Rita first and then, the devastating storm known as Katrina. I saw that devastation firsthand and I can only imagine the flashbacks that some residents are having. President Bush has already declared a state of emergency in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and he continues to monitor the situation. Thus far, it’s estimated that one million citizens have begun evacuation and Gustav’s winds are topping out at 135 mph as a Category 4. Thank you for your concern. As this storm advances, I urge you to continue to lift the situation before God in prayer and let’s thank Him together for His answers. Prayerfully yours, Sincerely, Prayerfully yours,John LindPresident/CEOThe Presidential Prayer Team P.S. Remember to forward this email to all your praying friends. Tell-A-Friend Join The Presidential Prayer Team. How to contact The Presidential Prayer Team:1. By Mail: PO Box 15040 Scottsdale AZ 85267-50402. By Phone: 1-866-433-PRAY Our Member Service Center is open Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm (MST)3. By Email: Info@PresidentialPrayerTeam.org4. By Fax: 480-998-3662Your Subscription Information:You receive weekly Prayer Updates from PPT by email to inform you on how to pray each week for our President and National Leaders. To ensure you receive these Prayer Updates each week, ADD this email into your ADDRESS BOOK: PrayerTeam@PresidentialPrayerTeam.net and be sure your current email address is on file with PPT.To UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, visit here.To UPDATE YOUR EMAIL MESSAGES from The Presidential Prayer Team, visit here.The email address you signed up with is messiahmin@aol.com To discontinue receiving all email messages from The Presidential Prayer Team: unsubscribe.Membership in The Presidential Prayer Team is free, but PPT operates due to generous Members who support our nationwide prayer efforts. To say “thanks’ for your support, we like to send you helpful Prayer Resources to assist you in your prayer life. You may also want to join our President’s Club for more details, go here.

Preparing for the Storm 8-31-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. My Rock and my Refuge, My everlasting God. ... "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock" (Matthew 7:24-25). Many are preparing for the storm along the Gulf Coast. It seems that almost three years to the day, another major hurricane is poised to come ravaging through New Orleans. Seas of people are boarding up their homes, loading up their cars, and moving north to safety ahead of the storm. Cities of refuge, including my own, will be welcoming the refugees of the storm -- people just like us with families and homes and fears -- into our communities and churches to stand with them through the storm. But moved with compassion and the stirring of Your Spirit, we will not merely watch the news and wait for the storm. We will pray. First, we take our stand with those who are taking their stand against the storm -- that it would dissipate and die, without causing destruction and death. And secondly, we pray that the faith of Your people will be strong to endure whatever may come, that no matter what forces are set in motion against them, they will know that You are with them through all that comes, that You will use and redeem all that happens for their good (Isaiah 43:2; Romans 8:28). And thirdly, we pray many would come to put their trust and hope in You as they see You reaching out to them through Your people You position in their lives through any trials or tragedies to come. And just as we pray this for them now, others will pray this for us when we face our own trials and tragedies to come. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to the Mountain! This Monday Night (meeting on Labor Day) and every Monday night at 7 pm to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray of our ministry. 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! 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

"In Our Image" of Love 8-30-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- Lord, I want to know You more in every facet, dimension, and person of Your Being. ... "The God said, 'Let Us make humankind in Our image, according to Our likeness ....' So God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:26-27). For thousands of years, we have tried to grasp the concept of Your nature as one God, revealed in three persons. We've pondered the mystery and wandered through history trying to receive this truth by faith and trying to make sense of it at the same time. There is a oneness in the diversity and a diversity in the oneness of Your being. There is perfect unity, not uniformity. And not one facet, not one dimension, not one person of Your being reveals the fullness of Your essence and nature. As You have progressively revealed Yourself to us through Your Word and the experience of Your people, even the first chapter of the Old Testament contains these seeds of truth of Your multi-faceted, multi-dimensional nature. You are not many Gods, You are One God with much depth to the essence of Your personhood and nature. Part of what this means to me is that at the very core of Your essence, You are a relational God. "God is love" (1 John 4:8). That's not just one of Your attributes or just something You do. That's the core of Who You are. And love is relational. You cannot truly love without relationship. So, I suppose, You cannot truly be God Who is Love without existing in a perfect relationship of love. And being perfect Love, You created us for a relationship of love with You. You created us in Your image, in Your nature, in the image and nature of love. That's must be why loving You and loving one another is at the heart of You calls to do and all You call us to be (Matthew 22:36-40). Love is at the heart of Your revelation of Your nature to us, and love is to be at heart of our understanding of ourselves. When You bring us in to union with You in every dimension of Your being -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- is at the heart of that union. "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of Truth.... He abides with you and He will be in you.... On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.... and those who love Me will be love by My Father, and I will love them and reveal Myself to them" (John 14:15-21). As we become "completely one" in the unity of the bond of Your love with You and with one another, You display the glory of Your nature to all the world through Your creation (John 17:20-26). Lord, let it be so. 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

Calm and Quiet My Soul 8-29-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Guide my thoughts and my heart. ... "But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul within me is like a weaned child" (Psalm 131:2). Some mornings it's easy to awake and arise and enter into to the deep place of prayer and peace in Your Presence before my day begins. Other mornings it seems like all the world is in uproar and chaos around me and I'm ready for Your to return and step into the storm and declare, "Peace! Be still!" (Mark 4:39). Either way, peace of spirit and calmness of soul is, in many ways, a simple choice. Even in the midst of chaos, I can choose to be calm. By the power of Your grace, I can choose to quiet my soul. Or I can choose to get caught up in the chaos. Lord, send Your angels to guard my morning time with You. Post them as watchmen on the wall around these first moments of my day as I choose to humble my soul, yielding my mind and will and emotions to my spirit to arise in the communion of prayer with You. There will be plenty of chaos to come in my day, plenty of swirling storms to confront in the authority of Your name. So in these first moments of my morning with You, I pray for supernatural protection so that Your supernatural peace prevails. Give me Your divine wisdom and revelation insight to set Your order in place and experience Your peace. You are the "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). Let Your peace that surpasses all understanding guard my heart and mind as I choose to calm and quiet my soul (Philippians 4:7). 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

Freedom and Fulfillment 8-27-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Increase. ... "Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, 'I brought you up from Egypt, and brought into the land that I had promised your ancestors. I said, 'I will never break My covenant with you. For your part, do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land; tear down their altars.' But you have not obeyed My command. See what you have done! So now I say, I will not drive them out before you; but they shall become adversaries to you, and their gods shall be a snare to you' " (Judges 2:1-3). You brought the Israelites out of Egypt and into the land of Your promise in fulfillment of Your covenant. And You warned them that though they were free, they would be tempted to compromise their faith and forfeit their freedom. Yet in disobedience -- either out of rebellious defiance of the authority of Your word or out of doubt and unbelief of the truth of Your word, they chose to dishonor their part of the covenant to be faithful to You. And as You said, they were ensnared and enslaved by the false gods they served and failed to destroy. Instead of living in the joy of their salvation and the blessings of Your promises, "the people lifted up their voices and wept" (Judges 2:4). Their story is our instruction. Their wavering is our warning. "These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall" (1 Corinthians 10:11-12). Our Father God, by the power of Your grace, You delivered us from our Egypt, saved us from our sins, and released us into the fulfillment of Your promises. You "enabled (us) to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light" and "rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of (Your) beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:12-14). Like those who have gone before us, we are also tempted to squander our blessings and forfeit the freedom and fulfillment of Your promises. We compromise our faith and bow down at the altar of the false gods of our culture and our sin. We become ensnared and enslaved by the adversary of our souls through the sin we befriend and fail to drive out from our lives through obedience and faith in the power of Your grace (Romans 6:6). "You are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness" (Romans 6:16). But even in the bondage of our choices in rebellion or doubt of Your word and wisdom for our lives, we can turn to You for freedom and fulfillment of the promises You long for us to have in You. "For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1). Come, Lord Jesus. Deliver us in the power of the Holy Spirit that we may again embrace the promises of our Father. Our covenant is sealed in Your blood and received through faith and obedience to Your word. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, in these strenuous economic times, please keep our ministry in mind in your giving to the ministries of the kingdom of God as the Lord leads. We raise all our own financial support and I would be very glad to share the vision and calling of Messiah Ministries with you or anyone who may have heart for "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" according to Isaiah 61 and Luke 4, our Scriptural vision for ministry. All contributions to "Messiah Ministries" are tax-deductible and greatly appreciated to help fulfil our calling: Messiah Ministries; 2800 Tates Creek Rd.; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org 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

"Integrity of Heart" 8-26-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me close to You. Fill my mind with Your words and fill my heart with Your desires. ... "For who has stood in the council of the Lord so as to see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word so as to proclaim it?" (Jeremiah 23:18). It's only as I come to stand in Your council that I can see and hear Your word. It's only as I heed it and live it that I have any integrity to proclaim it. I want that integrity, that authenticity. In the council of prayer each day, draw my mind and my heart into the purifying fire of Your Presence. Wash me in the water of Your word. Let me learn to see what You're doing and hear what You're saying in these first moments of the morning with You. Then, in the power of Your grace and by the leading of Your Spirit, I will arise and go about my day. "I will walk with integrity of heart" (Psalm 101:2). 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com 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. 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! Subscribe free by email to me at 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 Ministry Resources at: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Giddiness of God 8-25-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Simply and deliberately, I specifically direct and entrust my spirit to You. ... "Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, 'The Lord has done great things for them.' The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced" (Psalm 126:23). As I was teaching and ministering at our conference on healing the past few days, there were a lot of times when a kind of childish giddiness bubbled up inside of me. Even as we were talking and learning about deep and serious topics, it would bubble up and come pouring out. It was even contagious. And we had a lot of fun even as You were showing us how You uproot the sin and shame and pain of our lives to replace it with the planting of new life in Your peace and joy. That's all part of the coming of the kingdom of God in our lives. "For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). Sometimes we tend to take ourselves too seriously, and Your Holy Spirit seems to say, "Lighten up a little. Laugh a little more. Enjoy Me even in the midst of this slight, momentary affliction of your journey through this broken, fallen world. That's part of what I'm forming in you, as I conform you to My nature." Yes, Lord. "The joy of the Lord is (our) strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). "Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You. Let those who love Your salvation say evermore, 'God is great!' " (Psalm 70:4). You anoint us with the joy of Your Spirit and give us "the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit" (Isaiah 61:3). So I will not be embarrassed or ashamed when the giddiness of God overcomes me. By Your grace, I will not push it down or shut it off, but it overflow in streams of gladness as You release the joy of the Lord through my life as You will. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you so much for covering us in prayer at the healing conference I was leading in Winchester, Kentucky, "Preparing the Way of the Lord." People came from many different churches and traditions in the city, so it was a time of unity and blessing of the city-wide body of Christ in the region. And it was an amazing time of much inner healing -- healing from the inside out. I pray the same for you and your city! 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 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com 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. 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! 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 Ministry Resources at: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org