Riots and Mobs just Make More Room for the Message of Jesus - June 26, 2020

Morning by Morning, June 26 - Riots and Mobs just Make More Room for the Message of Jesus

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. Make me more like You today. ...

 

"As was Paul's custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, 'This Jesus I'm telling you about is the Messiah.' Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women. But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot" (Acts 17:2-5).

 

Mobs and riots didn't keep Paul and Silas from preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and spreading the Message of hope and healing, freedom and grace in Jesus Christ everywhere they went! While all the country was in an uproar, they just keep using every opportunity to point people to Jesus.

 

The crowds accused Paul and Silas of "causing trouble all over the world" and feared that "now they are here disturbing our city, too" (v. 6). The mobs demanded them to be silent and tried to intimidate them into sitting back and shutting up about their Message and their Messiah and this talk about God's mercy and grace through Jesus Christ. They screamed and shouted that these followers of Jesus were "guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another King, named Jesus" (v. 7).

 

But all the while, the Message went forth. Hearts and minds were changed. And this Good News of the Gospel of the Kingdom kept going forth to the ends of the earth. One day, It got to me. And since that day, It's been changing my heart and my mind every day. 

 

While the mobs and riots of my day seem to want to turn my world upside down, there's a Spirit who's moving in me with increasing desire to see my world turned upside down for Jesus. Just as in the days of Paul and Silas, riots and mobs just make more room for the Message of Jesus. So Lord, help me not waste my moments of spreading your Message of hope and healing, freedom and grace in Jesus Christ everywhere I am and everywhere You send me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

My Friend, may you be empowered with the Spirit of Christ to spread the Message of healing and hope, freedom and grace in the mighty name of Jesus everywhere you are and everywhere He sends you, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

 

        

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Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

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"Confident of Better Things" - June 24, 2020

Morning by Morning, June 24 - "Confident of Better Things"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Rule and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords in my heart and my life and every moment of my day. ...

 

"Beloved, we are confident of better things in your case, things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust; He will not overlook your work and the love that you showed for His sake in serving the saints, as you still do. And we want each one of you to show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope to the very end, so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises" (Hebrews 6:9-12).

 

Even with all that going on in the bitter days of our world right now, we can be "confident of better things" to come. Even when it seems our world is being tossed to and fro on the seas and ready crash hard on the rocks, You steady our hearts with Your "full assurance of hope to the very end."

 

You don't "overlook" us; You see us. You're not ignoring us; You're at work within us. You see our work; You know our love; You remind us to remember that You're the One who is at work within us and the One who loves through us by Your Spirit to be "imitators" of You.

 

Looking to You, taking hold of You, letting You take hold of us, we find our security and strength to withstand the turmoil and turbulence of our days. "We who have taken refuge (in You are) strongly encouraged to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a Forerunner on our behalf, has entered..." (from Hebrews 6:17-20).

 

By the power of Your grace, I choose to "seize the hope" that is set before me today. I "seize" the One who is my Hope, the One who is my Rock, my Refuge, my Strong Tower, and my Strength forever. And in that Hope, in my hope in You, I am "confident of better things" to come and better days ahead. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

My Friend, may you be confident of better things to come and better days ahead, as You keep looking to the One who is your Hope and letting Him take hold of you, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

        

Listen and join me in today's Morning by Morning

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New Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries

Messiah-Ministries.org

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"The Spirit of Glory" - June 23, 2020

Morning by Morning, June 23 - "The Spirit of Glory"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me, as I seek You and embrace Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. Uproot and remove all that's in me that's not yet like You. ....

 

"Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same intention (for whoever has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin), so as to live for the rest of your earthly life no longer by human desires but by the will of God.... The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.... Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when His glory is revealed. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of Glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you.... Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God's will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good" (1 Peter 4:1-19).

 

I'm hearing much these days about "the glory" -- about "the glory realm" and entering into a deeper place of Your Presence and experiencing a greater measure of Your power in our lives and in our world. And I praise You for awakening revelation and insight to take hold of all You've planned and purposed for us as the Body of Christ, filled with the Spirit of Christ, to continue the ministry of Christ in our generation in increasing measures of Your Glory and Your Presence.

 

And at the same time, there is "a Spirit of Glory" -- "which is the Spirit of God" that is "resting on (us)" that comes when we are "blessed" and "reviled for the name of Christ" (v. 14).

 

When's the last time I was "blessed" by "the glory" in that way? (v. 14) When's the last time I took such a stand for my faith in my Lord that it could be said of me that I was "sharing Christ's sufferings, so that (I) may also be glad and shout for joy when His glory is revealed" through "the fiery ordeal" I'm enduring for the sake of the name of Jesus? (v. 13)

 

Many have -- in generations past and even in our day in many parts of our world. And it would seem there's increasing opportunity to embrace and experience "the Spirit of Glory" right here at home and right here in our hearts.

 

Lord, prepare my heart for "the Spirit of Glory." You will have a people on this earth who have the authority of the name of Jesus in the power of our words and prayers and proclamations, but also have the nature and character of Jesus in our hearts. "Christ in (us), the hope of glory" has as much to do with my willingness to share in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of Your name as it does with the glorious power for miracles and manifestations of Your glory in us and through us on earth as it is in heaven (Colossians 1:27).

 

It's not "either/or" -- it's "both/and." It's not either the glory of demonstrating Your power in Your name or the glory of sharing the sufferings of Christ; it's both the glory of demonstrating Your power in Your name and the glory of sharing in Your sufferings. Help us, help me, be prepared for both, as we seek to embrace "the Spirit of Glory."

 

"Fiery ordeals" will come (v. 12). "Tests" of our faith will come (v. 12). Opportunities to learn to "love" in the way that "covers a multitude of sins" will come (v. 8). And in the power of Your grace at work within us to make us more like You each day, we will "be glad" and even "shout for joy" through it all, as "(Your) glory is revealed" (v. 13), and as Your "Spirit of Glory" arises and shines through us (v. 14).

 

"For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon (us), and His glory will appear over (us)... Then (we) shall see and be radiant; (our) heart shall thrill and rejoice" (Isaiah 60:2-5). So in the power of Your grace, in the Spirit of Your Glory, may we "Arise, shine; for (our) Light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon (us)!" (Isaiah 60:1) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

My Friend, may you be filled with the Spirit of Glory, prepared by the glory and grace of God at work within you to have the character of Jesus in your heart and the authority of His name in your words, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

      

  

Listen and join me in today's Morning by Morning

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New Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway

Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries

Messiah-Ministries.org

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Setting Twisted Things Straight - June 22, 2020

Morning by Morning, June 22 - Setting Twisted Things Straight

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I look to You and listen for Your leading, help me begin this day grounded in Your Word and filled with Your Spirit. ...

 

"On that day the Lord with His cruel and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and He will kill the dragon that is in the sea" (Isaiah 27:1).

 

On a day when it seems our world is swimming in a sea of confusion, struggling for stability, crying out for security against wave after wave of anarchy, we find ourselves finally turning to You. You alone are our Strength and Strong Tower, our Wisdom and the One who leads us in the ways of life, grounded in Your truth and guarded in Your love.

 

While it may look like cultural wars and political battles and social turmoil, the deeper truth is that we're in the midst of an epic spiritual battle. We're in the midst of days where good is called evil and evil is called good, where what is true is called a lie and what is a lie is called the truth. And without the grounding of Your Word and the guidance of Your Spirit, we are doomed to lose our discernment to know the difference.

 

"Ah, you who call evil good

    and good evil,

who put darkness for light

    and light for darkness,

who put bitter for sweet

    and sweet for bitter!

Ah, you who are wise in your own eyes,

    and shrewd in your own sight!" (Isaiah 5:20-21).

 

While the twisting serpent wants to twist our sense of what is true and what is false, what is good and what is evil, what's of the Spirit and what's of the flesh, what will stand the test of time and what will be consumed in the Fire of the Lord like wood and hay and stubble, we turn to the One who defeats the twisted lies with the truth. We cry out to the One who cuts off the head of the serpent with the Sword of the Lord, the very Word of God, wielded in the power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:17).

 

Come, Holy Spirit! Set the twisted things straight. Make our paths straight. Set us free from this twisting serpent of our times! Set our hearts right on the path that is straight and true, even though it's the way that's more difficult to walk against the headwinds of our world. "For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many go by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14).

 

Lord, let us find it! Lord, let us live into it! Lord, let us see in our day Your mighty defeat and manifestation of Your eternal victory over this ancient and twisted serpent! As we stand firm in You and walk in Your ways, You will crush his head under our feet (Roman 16:20) and You will cut off his head with Your strong sword in Your mighty name! (Isaiah 27:1) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

My Friend, may you be strengthened and encouraged, filled with the Holy Spirit to stand firm in the Lord and walk in His ways, as He sets twisted things straight and cuts off the head of the twisting serpent in your world, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

      

  

Listen and join me in today's Morning by Morning

Prayer Devotional Podcast

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New Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway

Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries

Messiah-Ministries.org

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

"He Who Sits in the Heavens Laughs" - June 19, 2020

Morning by Morning, June 19 - "He Who Sits in the Heavens Laughs"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I love You, Lord, and I listen for Your leading to begin my day seeking to follow You and even become more like You today -- all by Your grace at work within me and within all who open their hearts to trust in You. ...

 

What I hear in my heart this morning is this bold declaration -- "He who sits in the heavens laughs!" ...

 

Immediately Your Word comes to mind from Psalm 2:

 

"Why do the nations conspire,

and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth set themselves,

and the rulers take counsel together,

against the Lord and His Anointed, saying,

'Let us burst their bonds asunder

And cast their cords from us.'

 

He who sits in the heavens laughs! 

The Lord has them in derision.

Then He will speak to them in His wrath,

and terrify them in His fury, saying,

'I have set My King on Zion, My holy hill'"

(Psalm 2:1-6).

 

The question comes to mind, "Lord, why are You laughing? Right now our world is full of poverty, injustice, sickness, fear, hatred, and greed. Right now there are millions of souls bound in spiritual darkness and given over to hopeless despair. I know You are good and the very essence of love. I know righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne. I know You hate evil in every form and Your heart breaks at the brokenness of our broken and fallen world. So Lord, why are You laughing?" ...

 

And what comes immediately to mind is the rest of the Psalm....

 

"I will tell of the decree of the Lord:

He said to Me, 'You are My Son; 

Today I have begotten You.

Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your heritage,

and the ends of the earth Your possession.

You shall break them with a rod of iron,

and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.'

 

Now therefore, O kings, be wise;

be warned, O rulers of the earth.

Serve the Lord with fear,

with trembling kiss His feet,

or He will be angry, and you will perish in the way;

for His wrath is quickly kindled.

Happy are all who take refuge in Him!"

(Psalm 2:7-11).

 

Yes, Lord! You're not laughing at our misery; You're laughing at Your victory! You're not laughing at all we're going through; You're laughing at all You're bringing us through! You already see the day when Your Word will be fulfilled here on earth as it in heaven: "The kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdom of our God and of His Christ!" (Revelation 11:15)

 

You're the God who sees the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end. You're the God who already knows how it all turns out, how You turn it all around for our good and Your glory. You're the God of whom it is said "For the sake of the joy that was set before Him (He) endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).

 

That's the joy that fills Your heart! That's the joy that flows out of Your belly laugh from the heavens like Rivers of Living Water washing over our world. Wicked people and evil kings of this world may laugh now. The wicked and evil "ruler of this world" and so-called "god of this age" who "knows his time is short" and goes about our world "like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" may think he's winning, as he's defying the will and breaking the heart of the Most High God. "But He who sits in the heavens laughs!" He who sits in the heavens already sees the day when all will be well and all will be right and all will be just and all will even say, "It was worth it all to receive what we have and become who we are, forever and ever and ever!"

 

Yes, Lord! As You said long ago through Your prophet Nehemiah to Your people so troubled by all they were going through in their world, "Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!" (Nehemiah 8:10) And in the strength of Your joy we declare: "The Lord is my Strength and my Shield; in Him my heart trusts and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him!" (Psalm 28:7) And now "May the God of hope fill (us) with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit (we) may abound in hope!" (Romans 15:13) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

My Friend, may you be comforted and filled with hope, strengthened in the joy of the Lord, as you believe and trust in the One who is at work in our world and in our hearts in the power of His love and joy even in the midst of all we're going through, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend! 

     

  

Listen and join me in today's Morning by Morning

Prayer Devotional Podcast

https://anchor.fm/morningbymorningtommyhays

New Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway

Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries

Messiah-Ministries.org

Please share this word to encourage a friend!