Forever Changed, Not Chained 10-8-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for Your voice. ... "Then David rose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes. He went into the house of the Lord, and worshiped; he then went into his own house; and when he asked, they set food before him and he ate" (2 Samuel 12:20). David's son was ill and dying. With emotional, spiritual, and physical intensity, he fasted and prayed for the life of his child (v. 16). He often drew away to himself, not really wanting to be around other people in his grief (v. 17). But in the fullness of time, You gave him peace to release it all to You, with the wisdom to know the things he could not change. "Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me" (v. 23). It was time to rise and move on with his life and calling -- forever changed, but not forever chained to all that had happened. He turned his thoughts from himself to others. And as he comforted his wife, You bore them another son -- a son of promise and destiny, loved and blessed by the Lord, named Solomon (v. 24-25). I have found it surprisingly hard to come out of the emotional, spiritual, and physical intensity of my grandmother's illness, death, and resurrection. My father was their only child and preceded her in death long ago, so I have been both a son and grandson to her. With all the intensity of that relationship of love, I entered in to the intensity of this battle. I tend to become focused and intense in whatever I perceive to be the mission at hand. I was like that as a trial lawyer, and now I seem to be like that as a prayer minister -- pressing in and pressing through with tenacity and perseverance until the battle is over or the burden is lifted. It's often rewarding with a sense of faithfulness, purpose, and significance, but also exhausting. You've now lifted the burden in my grandmother's battle through this last stage of her life, and it's time to rise and move on -- forever changed but not forever chained to what has happened. Help me take my eyes off of myself and turn them to You, not ignoring what has happened, but allowing what has happened to shape me in the fulfillment of Your purposes and my destiny to come. As I begin to minister to others again, help me come out of isolation and into community, out of sorrow and into service -- morning by morning and step by step as You lead. Help me trust in Your wisdom and walk in Your ways. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

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

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

Woman of Great Faith and Authority 10-5-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me see more as You see, hear more as You hear, and be more as You are. ... "Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was" (Romans 16:7). Today my good friend, mentor in spiritual leadership and prayer, and board member of our ministry, Dr. Sandra Gray, will be inaugurated as the President of Asbury College. As in the days of Junia, she will be "prominent among the apostles" who will establish Your order in Your church in our generation, as You pour out Your Spirit on all flesh and as Your sons and daughters prophecy Your Word and live out Your kingdom in Your power (Acts 2:17). She will be a woman of great faith and authority. Lord, give her Your wisdom to lead with both Your humility and Your boldness, always sensitive to the leading of Your Spirit, and always faithful to the foundation of Your Word. Inspire and impart through her the flames of revival You have released through the students of this college so many times. Use her life and ministry as a model of spiritual leadership and maturity for the leaders You are raising up and positioning in the marketplace and public square and church in our day. Thank You for the blessing of knowing her, praying with her, and learning from her. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please join in me in prayer for Dr. Sandra Gray and her leadership of Asbury College: www.asbury.edu/inauguration Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Spend Some Time 10-4-07

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

Take Hold of Life 10-3-07

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

Eternal Memories 10-2-07

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

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

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I begin this day, like every day, with the eyes of my heart seeking Your face and the heart of my soul receiving Your grace. ... "For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God" (Philippians 1:8-11). Thank You for those who have prayed for me with the compassion of Christ -- for my love to overflow, for my thoughts to grow in godly wisdom and insight, for my heart to be pure and blameless, for my life to bear the fruit of one who lives life each day by Your grace in right relationship with You. As I have received, let me give. What has been imparted to me by grace from the spiritual generations before me, impart through me by grace to the spiritual generations to follow me (Romans 1:11). Heavenly Father, You have sent Your Holy Spirit to prepare a holy bride for Your Holy Son -- a people "pure and blameless," eagerly longing for "the day of Christ," to be eternally joined in union with You, in every dimension of Your Being -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let it be true in our day, that "the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready" (Revelation 19:7). In Christ, I am part of the bride and I am also a "friend of the Bridegroom" preparing the bride to be (John 3:29). I want to be ready for the marriage of the Lamb on the day of Christ to come. And I want to do my part in my generation to help make Your bride ready -- pure and blameless, whole and free, burning with a passion for You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To Purchase our Teaching and Prayer Ministry Resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Resurrection Faith 9-30-07

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

Fully Alive 9-29-07

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

Come Comfort Me 9-28-07

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

I'll Fly Away 9-27-07

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

Sacred Moment 9-26-07

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

Come Home 9-25-07

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

"I'll Love You Forever" 9-24-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are faithful and true. I trust You and love You. ... "Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'I am about to die; but God will surely come to you, and bring you up out of this land to the land that He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.' So Joseph made the Israelites swear, saying, 'When God comes to you, you shall carry up my bones from here' " (Genesis 50:24-25). As Joseph neared his final moments of life, his thoughts were on You and Your promises to the generations to come. He loved You and trusted You, knowing future generations would see Your promises fulfilled in measures he could only trust to come to pass by faith. And he just wanted his bones to be carried home to that place where the promises of Your Word would be faithfully fulfilled. These final days for my grandmother, "Nanny," have been like that. She had an amazing burst of clarity, energy, and joy yesterday, as we prepared her to come home from the hospital. Her doctor brought his little girl into the room to see this woman of faith with such a remarkable spirit of peace and courage in the face of death. Though Nanny's simple words of blessing to this little girl were nothing religious or formal, they were simple words of blessing from one generation to the next nonetheless. Then I loaded her up and carried her home. We wheeled her by her cherished flowers and set her in her favorite chair next the wall where her collection of crosses hang, reminding her and us of the sacrifice of love for the generations to come. "Oh, my beautiful flowers! Oh, my beautiful crosses!" -- It was worth it all to hear her heart sing with joy of being able to come home, if even for a short while, all in trusting surrender to Your perfect timing and will. As I see her resting peacefully just before the dawn of yet another day here in her home where I've carried her bones, I remember a child's story I used to read to my children with a measure of the love she's given me: I'll Love You Forever by Robert Munsch A mother held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she held him, she sang: I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living my baby you'll be. The baby grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was two years old, and he ran all around the house. He pulled all the books off the shelves. He pulled all the food out of the refrigerator and he took his mother's watch and flushed it down the toilet. Sometimes his mother would say, "This kid is driving me CRAZY!" But at night time, when that two-year-old was quiet, she opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor, looked up over the side of his bed; and if he was really asleep she picked him up and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. While she rocked him she sang: I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living my baby you'll be. The little boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was nine years old. And he never wanted to come in for dinner, he never wanted to take a bath, and when grandma visited he always said bad words. Sometimes his mother wanted to sell him to the zoo! But at night time, when he was asleep, the mother quietly opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor and looked up over the side of the bed. If he was really asleep, she picked up that nine-year-old boy and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she rocked him she sang: I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living my baby you'll be. The boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was a teenager. He had strange friends and he wore strange clothes and he listened to strange music. Sometimes the mother felt like she was in a zoo! But at night time, when that teenager was asleep, the mother opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor and looked up over the side of the bed. If he was really asleep she picked up that great big boy and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. While she rocked him she sang: I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living my baby you'll be. That teenager grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was a grown-up man. He left home and got a house across town. But sometimes on dark nights the mother got into her car and drove across town. If all the lights in her son's house were out, she opened his bedroom window, crawled across the floor, and looked up over the side of his bed. If that great big man was really asleep she picked him up and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she rocked him she sang: I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living my baby you'll be. Well, that mother, she got older. She got older and older and older. One day she called up her son and said, "You'd better come see me because I'm very old and sick." So her son came to see her. When he came in the door she tried to sing the song. She sang: I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always... But she couldn't finish because she was too old and sick. The son went to his mother. He picked her up and rocked her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And he sang this song: I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living my Mommy you'll be. When the son came home that night, he stood for a long time at the top of the stairs. Then he went into the room where his very new baby daughter was sleeping. He picked her up in his arms and very slowly rocked her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while he rocked her he sang: I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living my baby you'll be. Thank You, Lord, for the promises of Your love and allowing us to see them fulfilled in our lives. And thank You for allowing us the gift and joy of passing on the promises of Your love to the generations to come. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God " 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com Purchase our DVDs and CDs of Ministry Resources Online: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Stroll Across Heaven 9-23-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In these first moments of the morning, narrow my focus to Your face. Your face alone, do I seek, O Lord. ... "Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than You. My flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Psalm 73:25-26). Somewhere along the way, Nanny heard a country song about strolling across heaven. Some of those words keep finding their way into her conversations that have become part talk, part prayer, and part song. She took her doctor by the hand and said, "I want You to be in heaven with me. I want You to stroll across heaven with you." He expressed the desire to go one day but wasn't wanting to go today. She said, "I just want you to be ready, because I want you to be there with me." Yes, Lord. We need to be ready. We need to have our relationship right with You. We need to desire to walk with You more than any other. Then when a day comes that our flesh and heart may fail, when the things of earth fade away and the things heaven become perfectly clear, we will just keep strolling with You, out of this world and all through the next. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please keep my family back home as well as my family out here in your prayers. This time in Texas in taking much longer than we thought. Though I know I should be here, it's also hard to not be at home. God bless you. Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Home to Glory 9-21-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be the center of my thoughts and the anchor of my soul this day. ... "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 3:20-21). With each passing day, the things of this earthly, temporary realm grow vaguely dim, as the things of Your heavenly, eternal realm grow brighter for Nanny in these final days of her journey among us in the flesh. The doctor said, "Ms. Hays, we want to do everything we can to make you as comfortable as possible. Is there anything I can do?" She said, "I just want to go home." He said, "You want to go home to your own house?" She said, "No. I want to go home to glory!" and raised her feeble hands above her head in the declaration of her victory to come. Yes, Lord. I want to face my final battle with that much courage and faith. Like Timothy, let me receive a generational blessing of this spiritual legacy of faith from my grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5). Last night I saw the sign for "Healing Rooms" outside the Lamesa Christian Fellowship Church and dropped in for prayer. I hadn't been there before, but I was greeted by a man who farmed just a few miles from my grandparents in west Texas and knew my family well. As they prayed for me and our family, a man named Gabriel prophesied that I needed to keep close to my grandmother in these final days to receive something from the Lord through her in the Spirit, like Elisha received from Elijah. May it be this gift of faith and all else that You would impart, Lord. And even before the day I come home to glory, may the eyes of my heart see more clearly the things that are eternal, to experience body of Your glory in the journey of my faith now. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! this Friday Night -- the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Sandra White of Bethlehem Farm Ministries will be leading in prayer and healing prayer ministry. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"Into Your Hands" 9-19-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I want to choose well and live right in all I do today, so I yield my life and my will to Yours' as best as I can and all by Your grace. ... "Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God" (Psalm 31:5). Nanny called to say, "Honey, could you come back?" So here I am in this same little hospital where I was born forty-six years ago in this same little town on the plains of west Texas. I was coming into this world then, but my eighty-eight year old grandmother is leaving this world now. As soon as I walked in the door, she took me by one hand and my brother by the other and prayed for You to take her home. She's a woman of faith and prayer, and she seemed a little surprised to still be looking at us instead of You when she opened her eyes. Her heart is ready, but I'm not sure her body has caught up with the idea just yet. Her healing of the resurrection my come more in the process than the instantaneous miracle, but we all know You and trust You to lead her home in Your perfect timing and Your perfect way. We thank You for rebuking pain, fear, and death from having any say in the timing and means of her passing from this world to the next, from glory to glory. "So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). So we willingly submit our will to Yours' and join our prayer to hers'. We commit and commend her spirit and soul and body into Your hands, Almighty Father God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, Redeemer, Lord, and Savior of my Nanny's soul. As she has prayed with courage and faith throughout this journey, "Have Thine Own way, Lord. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven." May she soon experience the fullness of the eternal weight of glory You have prepared for her. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Dear Friends, I would appreciate your agreement with this prayer, as Nanny passes in peace into the arms of her Lord to behold Him beyond the veil of this earthly realm face to face. This is her desire, so this is mine. God bless and thank you for standing with our family in prayer and I stand in agreement for the fullness of God's blessings for yours. Come to The Fountain! this Friday Night -- the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Sandra White of Bethlehem Farm Ministries will be leading in prayer and healing prayer ministry. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

"With Me" 9-18-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me close to Your side; fill me up with Your Spirit. ... "Father, I desire that those also, whom You have given Me, may be with Me where I am, to see My glory, which You have given Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world" (John 17:24). You desire for us to be with You where You are. Right now, You are in heaven at the right hand of the Father (1 Peter 3:22). We are thankful for Your Spirit, whom You have give us to fill our hearts and bodies on earth with Your heavenly life (Romans 8:9). But at the same time, we long to be with You. "For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain... I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, far that is far better" (Philippians 1:21-23). So let me live out the fullness of my destiny and calling and purpose here on earth, but don't let me remain a moment longer. To be away from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). And I long to be as present to You as I can be, whether at home or away. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Worries and Wonders 9-17-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I center my thoughts and open my heart to seek You. ... "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today" (Matthew 6:34). You are my Wisdom and my Strength. Help me entrust each day into Your care, along with all the challenges and troubles that become opportunities to trust You. That's how You cause my faith to grow -- as I keep finding You faithful to be with me through the worries and wonders of each day. As I keep entrusting my troubles, You keep working Your wonders, and my "faith is growing abundantly" (2 Thessalonians 1:3-4). Last week was a hard week. I had just returned from the funeral of the parents of a close friend only to get word of my grandmother's heart attack. So we left to be by her side, while entrusting my ministry engagements to others. You moved in power and peace in both places -- the power of Your love and the peace of Your presence. After a week at her side, I came back to minister this weekend, to proclaim Your kingdom and see You come in power to heal heart and changes lives, while our family and friends sought Your kingdom and power for my grandmother. This week will be another hard week as I go back to her side to see her healed on earth or in heaven in the power of Your kingdom. I'll have to make choices of where to be each day and when to entrust my engagements to others. But even in this, You keep reminding me, it's always about You and Your presence and Your power. My troubles become Your troubles as I entrust them all to You. And in Your hands, they are no trouble at all. Thank You for the peace that brings for tomorrow and for today. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for all your prayers. My grandmother -- "Nanny" -- is under hospice care and the Lord's care, strong in her faith and relying completely on His grace, as are we. I'll be seeking the Lord's leading for where I am to be each day this coming week between Kentucky, Texas, and Tennessee -- but no matter where I am or what I'm doing, I want to be in His will and remember it's all about Him. I pray that for you and for me. God bless you! Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com

Flames of Fellowship 9-15-07

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Messiah, the Anointed One of God. Anoint me with the Spirit of Your Presence today. ... "For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands" (2 Timothy 1:6). You are the Gift of God (John 4:10). Your Living Presence in our human hearts by Your Holy Spirit is "the Promise of the Father" (Acts 1:4). This is the Promise of our Perfect Heavenly Father who loves to give the Good Gift of His Spirit to His children (Luke 11:13). And one of the means of Your grace by which You give us this Gift of Your Presence is through one another. As we stretch out our hands and our hearts to one another in the fellowship and friendship of loving one another and comforting one another, You rekindle the Gift of God within us. The coals of our hearts burn more brightly as Your Spirit stirs the coals together and fans them into flame. These are the flames of fellowship and the fires of Your comfort, as our hearts burn together for You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Please join Bob and Doris McCray of our ministry who are helping host A Night to Honor Israel this Sunday Night 9/16/07 at 7 pm in the Singletary Center for Performing Arts on U. of Kentucky campus: Christians United for Israel: Night To Honor Israel (859-257-4929) Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794Come to The Mountain! on Monday Nights for our ministry's weekly prayer for the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray. 7 pm in the upstairs Community Room at First Southern National Bank on Harrodsburg Rd. in Lexington. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 To subscribe/unsubscribe, please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Ministering the Healing Love of God ... Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com See what's new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.