Why, God? 8-30-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I wake this morning to press through in prayer and praise through the heaviness of heart of our community for myself and for them. Yesterday, we celebrated the life and mourned the passing of a young woman in our community who was full of life until the day she died at the end of her battle with cancer. This week the funerals will begin for forty-nine lives whose day began and suddenly ended in the crash of their plane on their way to another day in the journey of their lives. Just a few months have passed since a young mother on her way to work among us was crushed under a falling slab of cement from the parking garage above her, carrying her unborn child in her womb. I bring to You my questions and listen to You for answers, as I entrust to You our heaviness of heart this day. … "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?" (Psalm 22:1). "Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?" (Psalm 10:1). Some say we should never ask, "Why?" But that's not my theology. That's not my four year old, Elijah's theology either. "Why, Daddy?" and "Dad, how come?" make up more than half his vocabulary. "Why?" is an expression of the deepest yearnings You have placed in our spirits to know and understand. And as we seek to know and understand the principles and problems, the tragedies and triumphs of our lives, the question of "Why?" ultimately leads to the question of "Who?" It may begin with "Who did this?" and "Who allowed this?", but sooner or later, it leads to "Who will walk with me through this?" Finally, one day -- after the journey of shock and denial, anger and pain, forgiveness and healing -- it even becomes, "Who will use this in my life and in the lives of others?" In my own journey through the suffering and brokenness of living in a broken, fallen world in need of a Savior, I have come to find peace in the One Who wrestles with me through the questions and walks with me through the journey. Thank You for giving me permission to ask the question "Why?" You asked it of our Father as You hung upon the Cross in Your unfailing love for me -- "And about three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' that is, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?' "(Matthew 27:46). There, You bore upon Yourself for us "our griefs and carried our sorrows" (Isaiah 53:4, NKJV). Then You entrusted Your spirit into the hands of the Father (Luke 23:46). The question of "Why?" led to the Answer of "Who" -- to the One Who sees the end from the beginning and causes all things to work together for good -- even the things that break our hearts and Yours. Keep giving me grace to keep asking the question and giving me faith to keep finding my Answer. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, my home church will be hosting a Community Prayer Gathering Tonight -- Wednesday night 8/30 at 7:30 pm at Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome! We understand the Governor of Kentucky and our Bishop are coming to join in prayer. Please come join us in prayer for our community if you can, and join us in prayer from where you are if you can't. Please spread the word. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

A Compassionate God 8-29-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As the old song says, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning, new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness, O Lord. Great is Your faithfulness." … "For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but My steadfast love shall not depart from you, and My covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord who has compassion on you" (Isaiah 54:10). The eyes of the world seem to be on Kentucky these past few days -- not because of the Kentucky Derby or the World Equestrian Games or another National Championship of the UK Basketball Team, but because the world feels our pain and carries a measure of our shock and sadness. The tragedy of this plane crash and loss of forty-nine lives has touched almost everyone in our community in a personal way. As the Mayor of Lexington said, "We not only grieve with the family and friends of those who died; we are the friends and family of those who died." Yet as the world watches, let them also see our faith, our hope, and our love. Let them see us comforting one another with the comfort that only You can give us. Let them see the compassion of our God whose heart breaks over the brokenness and suffering of this tragic loss of life. And let them see the mercy of our God who will not waste a moment of our suffering to draw others to Him. Everyone who lost a loved one or friend or saw someone else lose a loved one or friend Sunday morning was reminded that any moment could be our last moment. Life is short and time is precious. There is no time to waste in receiving and sharing the grace of Your love revealed in Your Gospel with one another. Lord, while the prayers of the world are opening the heavens above our community, let us not squander these sacred moments to share Your hope and demonstrate Your love to those who need Your compassion. As they receive Your grace and enter in to Your covenant of peace, Your steadfast love shall not depart and Your mercies shall not fail. No matter what the morning brings, Your mercies will be new every morning. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, my home church will be hosting a Community Prayer Gathering this Wednesday night 8/30 at 7:30 pm in the Chapel of Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Please come join us in prayer for our community if you can, and join us in prayer from where you are if you can't. God bless you!

Lamentation in Lexington 8-28-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Comforter when it seems there is no comfort. You are the Healer when it seems there is no healing. … "Thus says the Lord: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more" (Jeremiah 31:13). Our community is in mourning and grief, wailing in sadness and sorrow. Yesterday morning, the six o'clock flight from Lexington to Atlanta crashed in a field not far from the end of the runway. That's a flight many of us have taken many times. Forty-nine people lost their lives; only one survived. A voice is heard in Lexington. There is lamentation and bitter weeping, as our hearts are broken with Yours over the loss of these lives and anguish of their families and friends. These are our neighbors and we join with them in their pain. In these days of grief and anguish, where there is no comfort, You fill us with compassion and caring for those who are numbed by the pain and dazed by the shock of such wrenching tragedy. Though we are a large city, we love one another like a small town. And every life of our community will be touched by the loss of these lives. Before the recovery efforts began, our emergency workers gathered around the plane to pray. Without prayer, what would we do? Without You, how could we bear the burden of such sadness and sorrow? "My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to Your word" (Psalm 119:28). Father, we offer ourselves to You to be as Your arms and Your heart those who are grieving. Help us be silent when we should not speak, but listen and love. Help us hold them tight when their emotions burst out with no words to express their pain. As You are there through us, let them know You are there for them. Though we live our lives in a broken, fallen world full of tragedy and sorrow, we do not live our lives without love. You are love, and You love through us. "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:7-8). Give us Your love to love our hurting neighbors through our prayers and our presence in their lives this day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I was scheduled to be leading a prayer walk from our Church's prayer room out to our community tonight at 7:00. But now I feel we should spend our time praying for the family and friends of those who are suffering from this tragedy. So, please come join us in person if you can and join us in prayer if you can't at the Prayer Room in the back of the Chapel of Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Rd in Lexington tonight (Monday 8/28 at 7:00 pm), or in the Chapel if we need more room. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Teammates and Teamwork 8-27-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me listen for Your leading and go where You send me. … "Then one who plants and the one who waters work as a team with the same purpose. Yet they will be rewarded individually, according to their own hard work. We work together as partners who belong to God" (1 Corinthians 3:8-9, NLT). In a team, each part does their part. We use our uncommon gifts for a common goal. Lord, reveal to me my part and my place in the teams You have called me to for the work and glory of Your kingdom. Reveal to my teammates their part and their place, as we hear Your call and obey Your commands, working together as partners in pursuit of Your common purpose for our lives. We each have a part in this purpose, and each part must do our part. And as we do we will find fulfillment of our purposes in You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Blessed be Your Name 8-26-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. This song of praise has been in my spirit for days, "Blessed be the name of the Lord… Blessed be Your glorious name!" … "O how abundant is Your goodness that You have laid up for those who fear You, and accomplished for those who take refuge in You, in the sight of everyone! … Blessed be the Lord, for He has wondrously shown His steadfast love to me when I was beset as a city under siege" (Psalm 31:19-21). You are a good God. You love me and care for me as I find my refuge in You. You give me faith and courage to press in to the place of peace in You. Your part is to do it; my part is to choose it. I can't make it happen, but as I choose to rest in You and the abundant goodness of Your steadfast, unfailing love and power, You make it happen. I am not to sit back in passivity, allowing waves of worry to wash over me, but I am to rise and seek Your face and receive Your grace with thanksgiving and praise for Your power and Your provision for my every need. This is the character of faith and tenacity of spirit You are working in me through every challenge I face. This is the Sabbath rest You have prepared for the people of God. "Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest" (Hebrews 4:11). Your part is to do it; my part is to choose it -- all by Your grace and all in Your power. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Life Hidden in Christ 8-25-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You, Lord God my Father. Welcome Holy Spirit of the Living God. … Lord, take my thoughts off of myself and turn them to You. Let my life be hidden in Yours today. "For you have died and, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:3-4). In a moment I'll have a chance to go and share a word of encouragement to Your servants from across our community who are spending their time and their labor to build a home for a family who doesn't have one. Through the ministry of Habitat for Humanity, they are looking beyond themselves and looking to You to serve others. While there are building a habitat for humanity, You are building a habitat for Your presence in their hearts. Your nature is to love and to serve, and when we are serving in love, Your nature is becoming our nature. "The only thing that counts is faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6). Let Your life and Your love work to serve others through me today. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for your prayers for me and our ministry. The Lord is pouring out His encouragement and blessings. He is faithful and He is good! I pray He returns a hundred fold and more of every seed of His love He has sown through you into our lives. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

I Lift My Eyes Up 8-24-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. "I 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 121:1-2). You are my help and my strength. I lift my eyes and seek Your face; I open my heart and receive Your grace. ... This morning a good friend of mine is coming to town to pray. Leading a prayer ministry, I pray for others every day. And I am thankful for the blessing of this calling. But these times of getting away for the morning with a trusted friend with no plan and no agenda but to seek Your face and receive Your grace, to worship You in spirit and in truth, to watch and wait for Your leading and then to rise in our spirits to follow You in prayer wherever You lead are moments when Your strength fills my soul. These are moments when You renew my vision and encourage my heart. "But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life" (Jude 20-21). I look forward to Your mercy today. I look forward to coming to You and calling on Your name and being filled afresh with Your Spirit in prayer with my friend and brother in the Lord. "When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:31). Let us speak Your words of life into one another's spirits with holy boldness and receive the strength and help that comes only from You. Together we will lift our eyes up to the hills and we will ascend the mountain of the Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Dear Friends, thank you for your prayers. They are worth more to me than gold. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

I Lift My Eyes Up 8-24-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. "I 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 121:1-2). You are my help and my strength. I lift my eyes and seek Your face; I open my heart and receive Your grace. ... This morning a good friend of mine is coming to town to pray. Leading a prayer ministry, I pray for others every day. And I am thankful for the blessing of this calling. But these times of getting away for the morning with a trusted friend with no plan and no agenda but to seek Your face and receive Your grace, to worship You in spirit and in truth, to watch and wait for Your leading and then to rise in our spirits to follow You in prayer wherever You lead are moments when Your strength fills my soul. These are moments when You renew my vision and encourage my heart. "But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life" (Jude 20-21). I look forward to Your mercy today. I look forward to coming to You and calling on Your name and being filled afresh with Your Spirit in prayer with my friend and brother in the Lord. "When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:31). Let us speak Your words of life into one another's spirits with holy boldness and receive the strength and help that comes only from You. Together we will lift our eyes up to the hills and we will ascend the mountain of the Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Dear Friends, thank you for your prayers. They are worth more to me than gold. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Tenacity of Spirit 8-23-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Worries and concerns, disappointments and fears have been coming against my mind, trying to steal my sleep and my peace. But I hear You calling to rise and come to press in to the peace of Your presence. ... "Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer" (Romans 12:11-12). These words are not suggestions, but commands. There is a tenacity of spirit You desire in me -- zealous, ardent, persevering. Like a battering ram that continues to pound away until breakthrough comes; like a bulldog that grabs on and doesn't let go until victory comes; like a baby that cries through the night until somebody gets up out of bed to change him and feed him until sleep comes -- You call us to press on and press through. Passivity is sin. When You saw the temple was no longer a house of prayer and saw that ministry was being merchandised, the tenacity of the Spirit rose in You to drive out the money-changers and cleanse the temple. Your first disciples "remembered that it was written, 'Zeal for Your house will consume me' " (John 2:17). When You saw the lame and the blind, You healed them. When You saw the oppressed and the bound, You freed them. When You saw the broken and hurting, You loved them. You were not passive and complacent; You were tenacious and aggressive in obedience to the will of the Father, no matter the cost. When Your spiritual zeal embarrassed the spiritually lazy, You didn't back down, but persistently replied, "My Father is still working, and I am working" (John 5:17). And when Your message was not heard and Your sacrifices were not received, You kept loving and serving and forgiving. The plans and purposes of God prevailed. So when I am discouraged, I choose to rejoice in hope. When I am suffering, I choose to be patient in endurance. When I am disappointed, I choose to persevere in prayer. It's all by Your grace and all in Your power, but my part is to choose -- and to keep on choosing as I press on and press through in obedience and faith. This is the attitude that will prevail even against the gates of hell (Matthew 16:18). You have not given me a spirit of fear, but of love and power and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Thank You for the gifts of perseverance of faith and tenacity of spirit. Thank You for the peace of Your presence. As I keep trusting in You, You will cause all things to work together for good (Romans 8:28). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Dear Friends, please prayerfully seek the Lord's leading about taking a stand with me and our ministry at this particular time with both prayer and provision. The Lord has always been faithful to provide for almost 10 years of ministry, and it seems He often provides through one another giving joyfully and generously to His Kingdom and His Kingdom workers. Like a missionary, I raise my own support for the work of Messiah Ministries. If the Lord has used our ministry of spiritual direction for you personally or for your church or your community, please consider sending a note of encouragement and a check of provision. May we all be filled with the joy of the Lord and the grace of His provision. "May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from His glorious power, and my you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the Light" (Colossians 1:11-12). I would be glad to speak with you personally about our vision and our needs: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." Our Address for Ministry and Contributions: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Prayer Walking 8-22-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I proclaim Your name as Lord over my life, my family, my church, and my community. ... "And the Lord said to Joshua, 'Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you' " (Joshua 10:8). For the past few weeks, a group of intercessors from our church have been meeting for prayer and then prayer walking through our church and our community. Last night we walked and prayed through the campus of the University of Kentucky as You led us. Everywhere we went, we welcomed Your presence and Your power, we offered thanksgiving and praise, we prayed and prophesied Your will and Your ways. We proclaimed the name of Jesus over the students, teachers and staff, over the walkways, buildings, and stadiums, over all time and space and every dimension as far as Your grace would go. And You gave us the faith to believe our prayers made a difference. Along the journey, a curious group of graduate students from Hyderabad, India came near. Before long, we were inviting them to a meal at our Thursday night Alpha Course to ask questions about faith and to join us on Sunday morning for worship. We were amazed at the opportunity to touch the nations just by walking down the street from our local church. We need not fear to share the love of God in Jesus Christ. Your Word and Your Spirit go before us to prepare the way for the message of Your love and offer of Your grace. Prayer pushes back the darkness to let the light of Your love shine through. Thank You for letting the light of Your love shine through us. Let these young men be among many who will come to the light of Your love this year. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Passion to Pursue Righteousness 8-21-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me close to You and make me more like You each day. ... "The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but He loves the one who pursues righteousness" (Proverbs 15:9). Build in my spirit a passion to pursue righteousness -- to be in right relationship with You, with others, and within myself. Let the encounters of my day expose the wickedness that remains in my heart. Search my heart and reveal the wickedness of my ways (Psalm 139:23-24). Let me see it; let me hate it; let me give it to You. It's not something to fear; it is something to welcome and something to actively and aggressively pursue. You don't expose my wickedness because You hate me, but because You love me, because You want to help me to know the peace and joy that comes with the pursuit of righteousness. "For the kingdom of God is … righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. …Let us then pursue what makes for peace" (Romans 14:17-19). "Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life and honor" (Proverbs 21:21). Let me find life and honor in the pursuit of righteousness this day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Holy and Wholly Yours 8-20-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- You are One and You are holy. Help me be wholly Yours. ... "His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Thus He has given us, through these things, His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:3-4). Give me faith to call upon Your name and desire to participate in Your nature -- all by Your grace and all in Your power. I hear Your Spirit rising up in my spirit to sing a new song of surrender and faith: You are holy. You are holy. You are a holy, loving God. And You call me. And You change me. More and more every day. And You cleanse me. And You free me. You make my holy and wholly Yours. Yes, Lord. "For it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy' "(1 Peter 1:16). Though there is nothing good in me apart from You, I am not apart from You. "For our sake, He made Him sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Let the truth of Your Word settle into my soul. Let the truth of Your calling and Your will for me and my life awaken my soul to arise into newness of life -- a life that desires to be holy and wholly Yours -- more and more every day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Freedom from Fear of Others 8-19-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I find my strength and my identity in You. Strengthen me today in the power of Your Word; remind me again who I am in You. ... "The fear of others lays a snare, but one who trusts in the Lord is secure" (Proverbs 29:25). By Your grace, I choose to trust in You. I choose to find my security in You. Forgive me for the times I have given in to the fear of man, when I have been more concerned with what others thought of me than what You thought of me. Deliver me from insecurity and establish me in the confidence of who I am in You. "So we can say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?' " (Hebrews 13:6). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Pray for Our Leaders 8-18-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Shape my will as I submit my will to Yours. ... "Joash was seven years old when he began to reign; he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; his mother's name was Zebiah of Beer-Sheba. Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of the priest Jehoida" (2 Chronicles 24:1-2). You positioned Joash in kingly authority to lead the people of Israel. And You positioned Jehoida in priestly authority and to encourage and intercede for the king, as well as the people. Jehoida was a humble and godly priest, who encouraged the people and the king to seek You and obey You (v. 23:16). With the spiritual leadership of Jehoida, King Joash "restored the house of God to its proper condition and strengthened it" (v. 24:13). And King Joash "did what was right in the sight of the Lord," but only "all the days of the priest Johoida." After the death of Jehoida, the spiritual leaders compromised their convictions and failed in their devotion to You. Soon their divided hearts were hardened against You, as they turned to the false gods of the cultures around them. The king and priests and people "abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and served the sacred poles and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs" (v. 24:18). Sincere devotion to You alone leaves no room for compromise. And the devotion of those in spiritual authority affects those in governmental authority. So we are to pray "for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity" (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Every person, weather in positions of authority or not, is responsible for their own actions and their own life of devotion to You. Yet at the same time, our prayers led by Your Spirit affect them and their choices. And their choices affect each of us under the authority of their government. So remind us to pray for our leaders, to encourage them and intercede for them, to speak the truth in love to them, and always to cover them in a blanket of prayer. Then they will do what is right in Your sight and we will lead lives of godliness and dignity. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Walk in the Will of Your Ways 8-17-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, make my paths straight in line with Your will for my life today. ... "For all the peoples walk, each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever" (Micah 4:5). By the grace of the faith You have given me, I choose to walk in Your ways and in the nature of Your name. Forgive me when I stumble. Correct me when I get confused. Turn me back around when I turn the wrong way. Strengthen me when I grow weary. Encourage me when I grow faint. Keep reminding me of the way and leading me in the steps that lead to life in You. You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life that I have chosen. Help me keep choosing You every day. Help me walk in the will of Your ways this day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain this Friday Night -- on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

The Hand of the Lord 8-16-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Welcome into my heart and my life again today. ... "The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabus to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord" (Acts 11:21-24). Lord, what is "the hand of the Lord?" It seems I hear You say, "My hand is My favor. In part, it speaks of My authority and My grace resting upon My sons and My daughters to bring others into a relationship of trust and love with Me." Lord, help me humble myself under Your mighty hand. Use my life to bring others to You -- to know You and to know the peace and pleasure of a relationship with You of trusting love. Let Your authority and Your grace rest upon me to bring a great many people to the Lord. Like Barnabus, let me be "full of the Holy Spirit and faith," ever rejoicing in Your grace, exhorting others to seek Your face, and encouraging them to pursue Your presence "with steadfast devotion" and trusting faith. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain this Friday Night, August 18th -- on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Ministry Together 8-15-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me humble myself to listen for Your leading and wait for Your word. ... Paul spoke often of those who worked alongside him in the ministry of Your love and power and grace. He spoke of Timothy, who "like a son with a father he has served with me in the work of the gospel," and of Epaphroditus as "my brother and co-worker and fellow soldier" (Philippians 2:19-30). He spoke of Philemon as a "dear friend and co-worker" and of Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke as "fellow prisoners in Christ Jesus" and "fellow workers" (Philemon 2, 23). He spoke of Titus as "my partner and co-worker" in ministry (2 Corinthians 8:23). By Your Holy Spirit, You brought Your disciples together in diverse relationships of trust and respect as teams of ministry for various seasons to be "co-workers for the kingdom of God" (Colossians 4:11). Before their season of missionary journeys together, You brought together Paul and Barnabus for ministry together to the people of the church at Antioch. "So it was for an entire year they met with the church and taught a great many people, and it was at Antioch that the disciples were first called 'Christians' " (Acts 11:25-26). Over these past ten years of ministry, You have brought me alongside many men and women who have been my co-workers for the kingdom of God. We've learned from one another, grown in maturity with one another, fought for one another and at times -- I hate to admit -- even fought with another. But You have used it all to strengthen us and encourage us, to equip us and prepare us to fulfill our destiny in our generation for Your glory. And Your Word makes Your will very clear that You do not intend for us to minister in Your kingdom alone. You call us to find our place and affirm the place of others around us in the relationships of trust and respect You are forming for Your purposes in every season. As we do, let our eyes be open to Your vision, let our ears be open to Your leading, let our minds be open to Your wisdom, let our hearts be open to Your desires. And there we will find that our arms must be open to embrace one another in the risk of relationship and the bonds of trust You are forming for the work of Your ministry of love and power and grace. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, I will be meeting and praying with one of my dear friends and co-workers in the gospel of the kingdom today about some exciting plans for ministry together this coming year between our ministry and my home church in Lexington. Please cover us in prayer to hear the leading of the Lord. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Ministering the Healing Love of God, ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain this Friday Night 8/18 -- on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome! Call for details: 859-422-1794

Wonderful in Counsel 8-14-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Make my ways more like Your ways; make my thoughts more like Your thoughts. I yield my ways and my thoughts to You. ... "I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I keep the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved" (Psalm 16:7-8). They say that even as we sleep, our minds are working. As our bodies rest, our thoughts are developing strategies and solving problems. Our minds are one of Your most amazing creations! Lord, remind me to begin and end each day with You. Let my mind continually look to You and let my heart continually be led by You. Then it will be Your strategies that are developed and Your answers that come, as You counsel me through the day and even through the night. Then I can be steadfast and confident in the wisdom that comes from the wisest One. You are "wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom" (Isaiah 28:29). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

The Anger of the Lord 8-13-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Your name is above every name. At Your name, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father (Philippians 2:9-11). ... "But You indeed are awesome! Who can stand before You when once Your anger is roused? From the heavens You uttered judgment; the earth feared and was still when God rose up to establish judgment, to save all the oppressed of the earth" (Psalm 76:7-9). Yesterday I sensed Your anger was roused in me. I saw the oppressed of the earth face to face and could do nothing about it, and I was angry at those who could. We took my children to a National Park for the day to see Mammoth Cave, and there were people there from many different nations and cultures. Two men were there with their wives, veiled in black clothe from thier head to their feet with only slits for their eyes to see how to walk and take care of their children. My anger rose and my heart broke that a husband could do that to his wife, that a religion could do that its people. So I continued to release my anger to You and let the anger turn to intercession. I continued to remember that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of wickedness who come to deceive and confuse, to oppress and destroy (Ephesians 6:12). You desire to save "all the oppressed of the earth," whether they know they are oppressed or not. Lord God, let Your anger be roused against the injustice and oppression of our spiritual enemy who comes to deceive and work his destruction through those he has blinded to truth of Your nature. The gospel of Your truth "is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Let the earth fear God and be still before You, as You rise to establish Your judgment and justice to save all the oppressed of the earth. "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794

Evil Exposed by the Light 8-12-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let the light of Your life shine in my soul and throughout the earth. … "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them" (Ephesians5:11). Thank You for exposing the plans and schemes of the terrorists who sought to explode ten passenger planes on their way to America. I join in the prayers of Your people throughout the earth that the works of darkness will be exposed and the works of evil will be thwarted. Terrorism is the enemy's perversion of the fear of God. "Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in their hearts; there is no fear of God before their eyes. They flatter themselves in their own eyes that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated. The words of their mouths are mischief and deceit; they have ceased to act wisely and do good. They plot mischief while on their beds; they are set on a way that is not good; they do not reject evil" (Psalm 36:1-4). The true fear of God is honor and reverence for You and Your ways. Your ways are life and light, not death and darkness. I pray for the souls of those who are confused and deceived by this false fear, who worship a god who is not God. Open their eyes to see You as You are. Let the true fear of God come upon them that leads to humility and repentance, then Your mercy and grace. "For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light" (Psalm 36:9). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-17694

Promise of Restoration in the Days of Amos 8-11-06

Morning by Morning, Friday Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me be quiet so I can hear. Help me listen so You can speak. … Though Your Word through Amos speaks of judgment without measure for the people of the nations and for Israel who will not humble themselves in repentance and turn to You in obedience, Your Word also speaks of the healing and restoration that comes through Your mercy for those who do (Amos 9:11-15). "On that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen, and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; in order that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by My name, says the Lord who does this" (9:11-12). Lord, raise up the booth of David -- the tabernacle of worship and praise and prayer "before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister regularly before the ark as each day required" (1 Chronicles 16:37). Draw Your people before the ark of Your presence. Let us seek You and Your face for Your protection and Your grace as each day requires. Only the power of Your presence will bring peace and protection. Open our eyes and our hearts to seek You and receive You. Rebuild Your tabernacle of prayer and praise in our hearts. Let it be so in Israel and in Islam, in the hearts of all people of all nations who humble themselves to seek Your face, welcome Your presence, and obey Your will. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-17694

The Days of Amos 8-10-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call upon Your name and seek the fullness of Your salvation for myself and for all who need to know Your name. ... Are these not the beginning of the days seen by Amos long ago? Through Your prophet You declared Your judgments on the nations of the earth to come. "The Lord roars from Zion, and utters His voice from Jerusalem; the pastors of the shepherds mourn, and the top of Carmel withers" (Amos 1:2). I join those You are calling to intercede throughout the earth for salvation of the people of our nations, the people of all nations, and especially the people of these nations and cities You have named by name under Your judgments to come in the fullness of time: Damascus (Amos 1:3), Gaza (1:6), Tyre (1:9), Edom (1:11), Ammon (1:13), Moab (2:1), Judah (2:4), and Israel (2:6). "Surely the Lord does nothing, without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets. The Lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?" (Amos 3:7-8). In the fear of the Lord, I pray. In the love of God, I pray. I pray for the blessing of the fear of God to fall upon every heart that brings conviction of sin -- especially the sin of hardened, rebellious hearts of doubt, unbelief, and pride that resist the grace and mercy of God available to all through Your unfailing love revealed and released through the blood of Christ. "This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth" (1 Timothy 2:3-4). You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). Through the sacrifice of Your love and Your offer of grace to all, You have prepared the way for each of us to know the truth and live our lives eternally in You. Though judgment will come, Your "mercy triumphs over judgment" for all who will humble themselves in Your sight (James 2:13). "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). I pray for all who need to call on Your name before judgment and even in midst of the judgment to come. Even Your judgments are Your mercy if the humble hardened hearts and bow rebellious knees to ask for the grace You long to give. "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. 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 be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done in it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to 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, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? But in accordance with His promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home" (2 Peter 3:9-13). Come Lord Jesus, be at home in my heart today. Come be at home in every heart who calls on Your name today. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-17694

You are I AM 8-9-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob -- Maker and Master of Heaven and Earth -- You are I AM. ... "But Moses said to God, 'If I come to the Israelites and say them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM." Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'I AM has sent me to you.' " God also said to Moses, 'Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has sent me to you: This is My name forever, and this is My title for all generation' " (Exodus 3:13-15). You are all I need. I need all of You. By Your grace, I give all of me to all of You. Open my eyes to see You clearly as You are. Open the eyes of Israel and Islam to see You clearly as You are. Open the eyes of all nations to behold the One who rules all nations. "He calls to the heavens above and the earth, that He may judge His people: 'Gather to Me My faithful ones, who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice!' The heavens declare His righteousness, for God himself is judge. 'Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you, I AM God, your God' " (Psalm 50:4-7). Forgive each of us, Lord God, when You call to us and we do not answer, when You come to us and we do not receive You, when You lead us and we do not follow, when You reveal Yourself to us and we do not see You for Who You are. You are I AM. You said, "For the sake of My servant Jacob, and Israel My chosen, I call you by your name, I surname you, though you do not know Me. I AM the Lord and there is no other; besides Me there is no god. I arm you, though you do not know Me, so that they may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is no one besides Me; I AM the Lord and there is no other" (Isaiah 45:4-6). By Your grace and mercy, You arm and protect the people of Your covenant and call them by name, though they do not yet know Your Name. You are I AM. You said: "I AM the Bread of Life" (John 6:35); "I AM the Light of the World" (v. 8:12); "I AM from above" (v. 8:23); "I AM the Gate" (v. 10:9); "I AM the Good Shepherd" (v. 10:11); "I AM God's Son" (v. 10:36); "I AM the Resurrection and the Life" (v. 11:25). To Your first disciples, You said, "You call Me Teacher and Lord -- and you are right, for that is what I AM" (v. 13:13). To the Samaritan woman at the well who said, "I know Messiah is coming and when He comes He will proclaim all things to us," You said to her, "I AM He, the One Who is speaking to you" (v. 4:25-26). And when the children of Abraham could not see You as the One who was to come to fulfill their hopes through the sacrifice of Your love, You said, "Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I AM" (v. 8:58). Thank You for Your grace that has opened my eyes to see You, my ears to hear You, and my heart to receive You as You are. You are my protection and my provision, my Lord and my Savior, my God and my King. You are All I need. You are my "All in All" (1 Corinthians 15:28). You are I AM. And I pray the eyes of all people of all nations in all generations would be opened to see You are You are. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-17694

"The Remnant of the Noble" 8-8-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill my thoughts with Your thoughts and fill my desires with Your desires as I decrease and You increase, as I watch and wait for Your leading and Your command. … "Then down to the gates marched the people of the Lord. Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, lead away your captives, O son of Abinoam. Then down marched the remnant of the noble; the people of the Lord marched down for Him against the mighty" (Judges 5:11-13). There are those who are "the mighty," but You are the Almighty! There are those who take their stand against the will of the Lord, but You are the One whose will stands over eternity. Let Your sons and Your daughters hear Your call to awake and to arise! Let us hear Your call to march in the authority of Your Word and the power of Your Name. We are the remnant of the noble, the people of the Lord who refuse to bow down to the enemies of our King -- the world, the flesh, and the devil. These false gods seek our worship and seek our appeasement. Then those around us who give them place and honor in their lives, give them strength and courage to advance against the gates of the kingdom of God. "When new gods were chosen, then war was in the gates" (Judges 5:8). By Your grace, we will not sit back; we will answer Your call. We will arise and march down to the gates -- the gates of our hearts and minds, the gates of our thoughts and desires. There we will worship You alone as God and bow before You alone as King. And there our God will arise and our enemies will be scattered (Psalm 68:1). There we will proclaim as the remnant of the noble, "How the mighty have fallen in the midst of battle!" (2 Samuel 1:25). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Clean Hands and a Pure Heart 8-7-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lord I give You my heart, mind, soul, and strength. Help me hold nothing back from You today. … Saturday night at the conference, a little child prayed for me at the altar that I would have clean hands and a pure heart before You. Sunday morning, the pastor and the people of the little country church where I stopped to worship on my way home circled around me to pray for me at the altar. As they laid a "mantle" in the form of a prayer shawl across my shoulders, someone prayed that I would have clean hands and a pure heart before You. I receive Your call to holiness of heart and life. By the love of the Father and the blood of Jesus and the fire of the Holy Spirit, cleanse my hands and purify my heart by Your grace and Your power in accordance with Your Word. "Who will ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully. They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of their salvation. Such is the company of those who seek Him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob" (Psalm 24:3-6). By Your grace, I seek Your face. By the blood of the Lamb that cleanses my sins and sanctifies my soul, I ascend this hill and come in to this place -- the place of Your presence -- with clean hands and a pure heart. Thank You for this gift of grace beyond words. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Women on the Frontlines 8-5-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call upon Your name as You call upon my heart. … "At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. … She sent and summoned Barak …and said to him, 'The Lord, the God of Israel commands you, 'Go, take possession of Mount Tabor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of Zebulun. I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.' ' Barak said to her, 'If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.' And she said, 'I will surely go with you; nevertheless the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman' "(Judges 4:4-9). I'll be going to a conference in Ohio this weekend with my mother-in-law Beverly called "Women on the Frontlines of Battle." Prepare my heart to hear Your Word from Heidi Baker, Jim Goll, and the others You will use to speak Your Truth and impart Your Spirit. In these days, You are humbling the men of Your kingdom to make room for the leadership of Your women. There are battles we need to fight that cannot be won unless we go out with them into battle. There is land You have given to us to possess we cannot take unless we take both Your sons and Your daughters with us into battle. We have different roles, but our roles are of equal significance and value in Your kingdom. Let them be the roles You have determined rather than those we have determined by the traditions of men rather than the Word of God. Let our positions be those You have assigned at Your command rather our own. The Word of God says, "In these last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon My slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out My Spirit; and they shall prophesy" (Acts 2:17-18). From the day Your poured out Your Holy Spirit upon all flesh -- male flesh and females flesh -- on the day of Pentecost, these days have been "these last days." You have called "both men and women" to hear and to speak Your Word with Your authority at Your command. Forgive us where we have misunderstood Your Word, failed to consider the whole counsel of God, heard what we wanted to hear, and ignored the rest. This road on which we are going will not lead to our glory but to Yours. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Peace and Power 8-4-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Peace and Your are my Power. Fill me with Your Power and Your Peace to follow You in Your ways this day. … "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 42:10). You are not a passive God, sitting back waiting for the world to unravel as time unfolds. You are both the Lamb that takes away sins of the world, but Your are also the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. There are times when You are silent as a Lamb before the shearers and times when the mountains tremble with at roar of a fierce Lion. You abound in mercy, but You are also righteous in judgment. You are the "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6) and You give us Your peace, but not the peace "as the world gives" (John 14:27). This is not a peace of appeasement or complacency, not the cessation of conflict at any cost, but the peace that comes only from the wisdom of the One who establishes peace with the sword of His Word and the authority of His name. In this way, You said, "Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34). You have not come to bring the pacifistic peace of the world that chooses the compromise of conscience rather risk confrontation and challenge to injustice, persecution, and oppression. We will only know when to lay down our lives and our weapons and know when to stand and fight when we know the One who is our Peace. Then we will be led by Your Spirit rather than our flesh and unholy spirits. "I have said this to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you may face persecution, but take courage; I have conquered the world!" (John 16:33). Yes, Lord. Only in You do we have true peace. Only in You do we have true power. As they say, "No Jesus; No peace. Know Jesus; Know Peace." In Jesus name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

War in the Heavenlies 8-3-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You call me to draw near to You in the morning in the intimacy of prayer so I can rise and go forth into the battle of the day in the authority of Your presence. Now is when I listen, so that I will be ready when You call me to speak. Now is when I bow low in humility before You, so that I will be ready to rise and take my stand in faith to follow You. … There is war in the heavenlies, and that war is being manifested in the realms of the earth. Israel is ground zero, as You have prophesied in Your Word from the beginning and through the end. Though the nations gather for destruction and war, true peace will come, but only after a false peace comes first. Let us not be deceived and let us not be complacent. Let us be ready and vigilant with our eyes to the heavens and our ears to Your heart to pray and war in the Spirit as Your lead. "For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, 'There is peace and security,' then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape. But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief, for you are all children of light and children of the day, we are not of the night or of darkness. So than let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober, for those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, as indeed you are doing" (1 Thessalonians 5:2-11). You are my Breastplate; You are my Helmet. You are my Warrior and my Peace; my Encouragement and my Hope. Let me be awake and alive in You to obey Your command in the war at hand. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

God at Work 8-2-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good morning, my Father. Good morning, Holy Spirit. I settle my soul to seek Your face and listen for the leading of Your voice. … "From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, who works for those who wait for Him" (Isaiah 64:4). What an amazing thought! My God works for me as I wait for Him. Of course, You are not working for me in the sense that I am Your boss and You are at my command -- that would be arrogant blasphemy. But as I wait for You, You are at work moving in my life, ordering my steps, preparing the path before me for Your purposes. Yet if I fail to wait, I won't leave room for You to work to prepare the way. If I hurry to go my way, it will be my way rather than Your way that I'm going. So give me the grace of patience to wait -- to sit in the silence of surrender before You, to humble myself in Your sight, to listen for the leading of Your voice, then to rise and follow in the path You have prepared in Your work for me this day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Possessing the Land, Embracing the Kingdom 8-1-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Each day is another day of being conformed to the image of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit in submission to the will of my Father God (from Romans 8:29; 12:1-2). … "Do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may go in and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give you, thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has promised" (Deuteronomy 6:18-19). The literal realities of the events of those living under the Old Covenant also speak of the spiritual encounters of those living under the New Covenant. "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" (1 Corinthians 10:11). Under the New Covenant, my true enemies are not the human beings but the spiritual beings who will be at work to try to hinder and delay, to defile and distort Your purposes in my life today. "For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). And the true land You have given me to possess is not marked by metes and bounds, rivers and mountains; it is the land of living in the kingdom of God. And Your kingdom comes in the hearts of all who bow to Your will and Your ways as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. "But strive first for the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). "For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). Give me grace to do what is right and good in Your sight today. As I submit my heart and mind to Your will and ways today, let my enemies be scattered and let me enter in to the good land of Your promise and provision. To possess the land is embrace Your kingdom. Then it will go well with me, despite all I may encounter and all I may endure. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, in my life today. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Peace like a River" 7-31-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me in to Your presence, my Father. Come, Holy Spirit. Lord God, I seek all of You with all of me -- as best as I can and all by Your grace. … "Peace like a river." You brought these words to mind to pray into someone's spirit last night during the prayer time of our New Life Community -- our gathering of a couple of small groups that meet on Sunday nights from my home church. With these words came an image of a gently flowing river, but the waters were flowing underground in an underground stream. It seemed You were saying, "Beneath the surface of Your life, I am always here, always moving like a steady flow of peace no matter what things look like on the surface. Don't worry. Be anxious for nothing. Receive my peace like a river." Yes, Lord. "Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved" (Psalm 55:22). "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). You are my Peace, Peace like a River flowing through my life -- steady and pure, always moving, always there, always ready to carry me through every trouble I face. Help me not resist Your flow, but freely give myself to You in trusting surrender and to flow with You wherever You take me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Desert Place of Prayer 7-30-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, You are One and You are the One I seek in the quiet of the morning and in the desert place of prayer. … "In the morning, while it was still very dark, He got up and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed" (Mark 1:32). My deserted place for prayer is most often the deserted hours of the early morning, while it is still very dark because no one else is up yet. Here in my prayer chair with my laptop journal and my Bible, You meet me in the communion of prayer. Here I can get quiet in my soul -- my mind, my will, and my emotions -- and my spirit can rise into the heavenly places of prayer where I am seated with You, by being seated in You through the communion of Your Spirit and in submission to Your Lordship at the right hand of my Father. "But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which He has loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ -- by grace you have been saved -- and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-7). Out of these desert places of surrender in the silence of prayer as I wait for Your presence and listen for Your leading, Your living waters of life begin to flow. The desert makes me thirsty and desperate for the life of the water of Your words. "For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and steams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water" (Isaiah 35:6-7). Here in the wilderness, I watch and wait for You alone. Here in the desert, I thirst for Your words of life and Your will for my life. And here Your living waters break forth. "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6). You are my Righteousness and I thank You for filling me afresh with Your living waters in the desert place of prayer. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"To Know Christ" 7-29-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I want to know You and hear You and follow You. … "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the sharing of His sufferings by becoming like Him in His death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:10). To become like You in Your death is the key to knowing the power of Your resurrection -- not just resurrection from the dead when I die, but the power of Your resurrection living in me every day. And to become like You in Your death is to be completely submitted in trusting surrender to the will of our Father no matter what the cost. "Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who … humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death -- even death on a cross" (verse 2:5-8). The words of complete submission and trusting surrender are: "Nevertheless not my will, but Yours, be done" (Luke 22:42 NKJV). Help me know You and become more like You every day -- in obedience to the will of our Father. As I do, by Your grace, I will know the power of Your resurrection in my life more every day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"To Know Christ" 7-29-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I want to know You and hear You and follow You. … "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the sharing of His sufferings by becoming like Him in His death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:10). To become like You in Your death is the key to knowing the power of Your resurrection -- not just resurrection from the dead when I die, but the power of Your resurrection living in me every day. And to become like You in Your death is to be completely submitted in trusting surrender to the will of our Father no matter what the cost. "Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who … humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death -- even death on a cross" (verse 2:5-8). The words of complete submission and trusting surrender are: "Nevertheless not my will, but Yours, be done" (Luke 22:42 NKJV). Help me know You and become more like You every day -- in obedience to the will of our Father. As I do, by Your grace, I will know the power of Your resurrection in my life more every day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Pleasing God, not People 7-28-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Form Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart. Guide my steps in the way that pleases You today. … "For to the one who pleases Him, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy" (Ecclesiastes 2:26). Show me how please You with my life today. Let that be my standard and my goal. I need Your wisdom and knowledge; I want to experience Your joy. Let me focus not be pleasing people but pleasing God. As I please You, some people may be pleased and some may not. Give me the grace and the wisdom to know that I will only find joy as I seek to please You above all else. Anything less will only steal my joy. Disappointed people that I have not made it my aim to please may condemn me, but my heart will not condemn me if I seek to live my life to please You. "Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we obey His commandments and do what pleases Him" (1 John 3:21-22). So, we should not make it our aim to please others; "we make it our aim to please Him" (2 Corinthians 5:9). Then let others be pleased that they see me seeking to please You above all else. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Protector of Widows" 7-27-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I began this day flying home toward the glorious sun rising in the east over the Texas plains. You are the Son of glory and I thank You for the gift of beginning every day flying in my spirit toward You in prayer. … "Sing to God, sing praises to His name, lift up a song to Him who rides upon the clouds -- His name is the Lord -- be exultant before Him. Father of orphans and protector of widows is God in His holy habitation. God gives the desolate a home to live in; He leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a parched land" (Psalm 68:4-6). You are a Father to the fatherless and You are a Husband to the widow. In her time of rejoicing for my grandfather's spiritual healing and in her time of grieving for the loss of his physical presence, I know You are holding my grandmother near in Your strong arms and tender mercies. Nanny is eighty-seven years old and the day before PaPa's funeral was their sixty-eighth anniversary of marriage. You have filled their long lives with much grace and mercy. I pray that Nanny's later years will be even greater than her former years (from Haggai 2:9). Edna Marie Hays is amazingly active and deeply spiritual woman of God, still full of much life to give. Give her the grace to live out the richness and fullness of these grandest years of her life for Your glory. "And the disgrace of your widowhood you will remember no more. For your Maker is your Husband, the Lord of Hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth He is called" (Isaiah 54:4-5). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Go Rest High" 7-26-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Good Shepherd. Your sheep hear Your voice and follow where You lead -- from day to day, from one life to the next. Take my hand and I will follow Speak Your words, I will obey. Lead me on and I will follow Every step of every day. … Thank You for that song, Lord. You said it this way in Your Word: "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cups runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever" (Psalm 23). This morning we will return my grandfather's body to the dust. PaPa has no more need of it now. He has heard the voice of His Good Shepherd and he has followed. Now he's resting in Your green pastures, beside Your still waters. You have lead him through the valley of the shadow of death, and he has had no need to fear, for You are with him. The last few days, I've been thinking of song written by Vince Gil that makes me think of PaPa's passing form this life to the next: "Go rest high on that mountain. Son your work on earth is done. Go to heaven a shoutin' Love for the Father and the Son." Walking with him through this journey of earthly life, through the fleeting grip of death, into Your arms of eternal life have made me realize even more deeply the critical significance our relationship with You. How else could we face death with peace and even joy? And every day between this day and that one in my own journey, I can come to You in prayer by Your Spirit. Every day in prayer, I can "go rest high on that mountain." Every day in prayer, I can "go to heaven a shoutin' Love for the Father and the Son." In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Away from the Body 7-25-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Fill my mortal body with fresh breath of Your Holy Spirit, as I look to You and listen for the leading of Your voice. … "So we know that we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord -- for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we aim to please Him" (2 Corinthians 5:5). These earthly bodies of flesh and blood are not our true home. They are but dust (Psalm 103:14). And one day, these mortal bodies of dust will return to dust -- "the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the breath returns to God who gave it" (Ecclesiastes 12:7). These bodies are Your means for us to live out our earthly lives until the joyful day we come "home with the Lord." We were never meant to take up permanent residence in these bodies subject to decay and the weight of sin and death in a broken, fallen world. We are not permanent citizens of this world. "But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of His glory, by the power that also enables Him to make all things subject to Himself" (Philippians 3:21-22). My grandfather's faith has become sight because he is now "away from the body and at home with the Lord." He can now hear and see perfectly, his mind is clear and his heart is pure. He has run his course and fought "the good fight of the faith" (1 Timothy 6:12). He has heard Your words, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter in to the joy of your Lord!" (Matthew 25:23). Until that day comes for me, give me grace to keep running my course and fighting my fight, doing all with the aim to please You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy In honor of my grandfather Nolan Bradford Hays (January 13, 1909 - July 23, 2006). His body will be buried on Wednesday in Lamesa, Texas, but his spirit is at home with his Lord in heaven. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Resurrected into Life 7-24-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You said to Martha in the midst of her grief from the loss of her bother and friend, "I am the Resurrection and the Life. Those who believe in Me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die" (John 11:25). I believe in You. So did my PaPa. And in You, we know we will never die, but live forever in the power and the glory of Your resurrection and life. … Yesterday morning, as I finished my morning prayer, so did PaPa. In a little while I realized he had breathed his last breath on earth. He passed effortlessly through the hands of death into the arms of eternal Life. "For this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' 'Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" (1 Corinthians 15:53-56). Nolan Bradford Hays lived out his ninety-seven years on earth with us and now he will live out eternity in heaven with You. Father, You have given him the victory of life over death through our Lord Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God! His lungs no longer strain to breathe. His aged body no longer strains under the weight of this world. He is home and he is free. Like Abraham, he "breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people" (Genesis 25:8). Ninety-seven is pretty good old age. He is now gathered up with that "great cloud of witnesses" cheering us on to live our lives in the fullness of our years for Your kingdom and Your glory, all by Your grace. Like PaPa, one day we will be resurrected into eternal life; but even now, let the power of Your resurrection Life live on in us (Romans 8:11). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Dear Friends, thank you for your prayers for my family through this time of both grief and joy, of death and resurrection. My grandmother has asked me to preach at PaPa's funeral at the First Baptist Church of Lamesa, Texas this coming Wednesday morning, July 26th. I would appreciate your prayers for all of the friends and family of Nolan and Edna Hays. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

PaPa's Song 7-23-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. My brother Greg and I have been taking turns keeping the night watch over my PaPa as he draws nearer to the fullness of Your glory with each passing breath. As the night watch moves into the morning watch today, I am moved by the sense of Your watch over our lives every night and every morning and every day. … "He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by Him you were called into fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:8-9). Thank You, Lord, for Your persevering faith and unfailing grace that has strengthened PaPa and kept him near to You to the end. In these last days and moments of Your earthly grace, we are not able to see all he sees nor hear all he hears of Your heavenly grace. But in that realm that he is surely now beginning to experience in a measure far beyond what we could ever ask or imagine, I know he is finding deep assurance of Your forgiveness of sin, complete cleansing from shame of any failures or regrets, healing from the brokenness and pain of ninety-seven years of life through a broken and fallen world, and the sense of peace in the final fulfillment of every promise of Your Word to him. Sometimes You heal us in the power and glory of a moment, sometimes in the process of a journey in the means of grace You choose, and sometime You heal us in the glory of our resurrection into the fullness of Your presence. You are the Healer and Savior of our spirits and souls and bodies, sanctifying us fully in the joy and peace of Your presence (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Life is a journey of faith, "but the one who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 24:13). Thank You for holding my PaPa safe and sound in the grip of Your grace to the end. In the fading strength of his earthly body, PaPa can't pray with words anymore. So I join with him in my prayers to You, spirit to spirit, deep calling to deep, in the strength of Your Spirit. As I include him in my morning prayer today, I seem to sense Your Holy Spirit rising up in his human spirit in a trusting song of peace: You are my Healer You heal my hurt and pain You are my Healer You heal my brokenness and shame. Sometimes You heal in power Sometimes You heal in glory And sometimes You heal in the glory to come. You are my Savior You save me from my sins You are my Savior You save me through the end. Sometimes You save in power Sometimes You save in glory And Sometimes You save in the glory to come. So come now and heal me Heal me in the wholeness of Heaven So come now and save me Save me in the fullness of Your glory to come. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.org

Resting in the Promise of Resurrection 7-21-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I journey through the moments of my life, You are with me. As we begin the journey today, I welcome Your wisdom, I trust in Your truth, and I rest in the promise of Your resurrection power. … "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all His benefits -- Who forgives all your iniquity, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with love and steadfast mercy, Who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's" (Psalm 103:1-5). With just a little strength of life left in one lung, my PaPa finds strength in these last steps of the journey in You alone. Amazingly, there is still strength in his hugs and firmness in his handshake. Through ninety-seven years of life, he is a soul who has been blessed with Your goodness as long as he has lived. Thank You for the many blessings seen and the countless blessings unseen. Thank You for the benefits of being a son of God through faith in You -- forgiveness, healing, redemption, love, mercy, and fulfillment. In Your perfect timing and in Your perfect way through the mercy of faith in You, his youth will be renewed in the full measure of Your glory. "Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the Man of heaven" (1 Corinthians 15:41). Because we trust You and Your Word, we join in faith with PaPa in committing and commending his spirit and soul and body to You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Dear Friends, thank you for covering our family in prayer as we walk out the last steps of the journey with my PaPa. At home, our ministry will still be leading The Fountain this Friday Night 7/21 at 7 pm. Doris McCray will lead in prayer and Paul Cooper will lead in worship. Please come if you can and join in prayer if you can't. To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Each Day 7-20-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Prince of Peace. I welcome Your peace in my soul this day. … "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out gather enough for that day" (Exodus 16:4). Thank You for the grace we need each day. Thank You for a peaceful night for PaPa and thank You for the grace of Your peace this morning as we continue to entrust him into Your hands. As one of his favorite old songs goes, "One day at a time." You give us each day our daily bread as we welcome You to walk through each day with us (Luke 11:3). You are "the Bread of Life" that rains down from heaven (John 6:35). You are enough for every day. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Dear Praying Friends, thank you for all your prayers and notes. Though I probably can't respond to them all any time soon, I'm grateful for each one of you in the journey. With much love, Tommy To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "... Preparing the Way of the Lord, ... Ministering the Healing Love of God." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.org