Our Burden Bearer, Debt Breaker, and Jubilee 9-30-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me let Your life be expressed through my life today. ... "Do not be one of those who gives pledges, who become surety for debts. If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?" (Proverbs 22:26-7). Overwhelming debt seems to be crushing the economy of our nation, crushing the peace and sense of security of all who are touched by it. Some are overwhelmed because they've borrowed beyond their means. Some are overwhelmed because they've enticed others to borrow beyond their means. And some are overwhelmed because everybody around them is overwhelmed. Our economy needs divine correction. Our leaders and our people don't have the answers because apart from You, there are no answers. But we don't have to be apart from You, we don't have to try to fix our overwhelming human mess in our underwhelming human wisdom. We can humble ourselves to seek Your face and Your wisdom. "If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be give to you. But ask in faith ..." (James 1:5-6). Lord, give us faith as a people and a nation to turn to You and trust in You, desperately depending upon You alone to give us Your wisdom. Let us not try to explain away or cover up our sins of material lust, self-centered indulgence, predatory lending, greed, and rebellion against the wisdom of Your Word and Your ways. Let us admit the sin for the sin that it is and repent before You, personally and as a people of a nation humbling themselves before God (2 Chronicles 7:14). Though You warn us against becoming ensnared by debt, You also always provide a means of rescue. Under the Old Covenant, You provided a year of jubilee. "Every seventh year you shall grant a remission of debts" (Deuteronomy 15:1). You called Your people to have a heart to give to the needy, but also never to take more than is needed (v. 15:7-11). And every seven of seven years was a year of jubilee, with complete restoration of all that was lost through foolishness, deceit, calamity, or sin (Leviticus 25:8-55). There is wisdom in Your ways. And when we stumble and are ensnared by following the foolishness of our own wisdom and ways, You want us to turn to You alone as our Wisdom, our Rescue Plan, our Deliverer, our Bearer of our burdens. You are the only Bail-out Plan that we will ever need and that will ever work. The year of jubilee speaks of "the year of the Lord's favor" (Isaiah 61:2). And under Your New Covenant in Christ, our jubilee is fulfilled in You alone (Luke 4:18-19). "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). In this season of shaking, pruning and correction, have mercy upon us as we humble ourselves to turn to You. In You, we will not be overwhelmed or overcome, but we shall overcome. "For whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 John 5:4-5). "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37). You are our Burden Bearer, our Debt Breaker, and our Jubilee. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Come to the Mountain! every Monday night at 7 pm to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray of our ministry. Hosted at Southland Evangelical Methodist on Clays Mill Rd starting in October). Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order my book and our resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Men of God 9-29-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You increase as I decrease; more of Your will, less of my will; more of Your ways, less of my ways. ... "But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, gentleness, endurance. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses" (1 Timothy 6:11-12). I spent the weekend with nine hundred men from Methodist churches all across north Georgia, who came together for a spiritual retreat, away from the world and into Your Presence. Many were on a journey that would lead them out of their comfort zones and mindsets and into a deeper place of surrender to You and the mind of Christ. After our time of Communion Sunday morning, in our final moments of prayer and praise together, arm to arm and hand to hand, lifted high together in a giant circle around the auditorium, we all knew we were among men of God -- real men honoring God. We made our good confession of our faith, taking hold of eternal life, taking our stand for You and for one another in the presence of many witnesses. Today, every man is back in the battle, taking their stand to fight the good fight of the faith for their families and their communities in their work and their ministries in the power and authority of Your name. May we be continually filled with Your Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). May we continually walk in Your steps (1 Peter 2:21). May we continually choose, by Your grace, to have the mind of Christ and display the nature of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). With Your power and our persistence, may we pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, gentleness, and endurance. May we "purse peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord" and "see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God" (Hebrews 12:14-15). That's who men of God are; that's what men of God do. So let it be; so let it be done. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, Thank You! for covering us in prayer at the annual Rock Eagle Men's Retreat in Georgia this weekend ( www.ngcumm.com ) For the past several years they have invited me to come to teach and minister on prayer, fasting, healing, and deliverance. This year there seemed to be an especially deep hunger with openness and brokenness before the Lord and there was deep spiritual transformation in many lives that will now influence a huge region. I pray the same for your region. I also had a chance to connect with superintendents from Brazil and Mexico who are very welcoming of our ministry. God bless you and thank you for all your prayers and provision that help make this kind of ministry possible! Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Come to the Mountain! every Monday night at 7 pm to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray of our ministry. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. (Moving to Southland Evangelical Methodist on Clays Mill Rd in October). Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order My Book and Our Ministry Resources: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Sudden Destruction of Pride 9-25-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your Word take me deeper, let Your Spirit take me higher. ... "Is this your exultant city whose origin is from days of old, whose feet carried her to settle far away? Who has planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth? The Lord of hosts has planned it -- to defile the pride of all glory, to shame all the honored of the earth" (Isaiah 23:7-7-9). Suddenly, it seems, they say our nation's economic system is on the verge of collapse and catastrophic failure. The President spoke to the nation last night about dire consequences if our national leaders do not act soon. And the first act must be to humble ourselves in our hearts and on our knees before God, renouncing the pride of all self-honor, self-exaltation, and self-glory apart from the acknowledged grace and favor of God for all the blessings we've ever had. We need Your divine wisdom and we are desperately dependent upon You alone as the only Answer to or economic and moral survival as a nation. Yes, we want our national leaders to bow and pray, but we are the ones -- those who are called by Your name -- who have the primarily responsibility to humble ourselves in repentance and prayer on behalf of the nation. "If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray, seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). You resist the proud, but give grace to the humble (James 4:6). Your steadfast love and Your mercy endures forever. You turn tragedy into triumph and brokenness into breakthrough when we humble ourselves of all our pride and acknowledge our need of Your wisdom and Your strength in desperate dependence upon You alone. Then even Your judgments become Your mercy, because the severity of Your judgments humble us and lead us to kindness of Your mercy. We behold both "the kindness and the severity of God" (Romans 11:22). And then Your "mercy triumphs over judgment" as we entrust ourselves to You (James 2:13). Symbolically, the city of Tyre seems to speak of the spirit and stronghold of pride. But after a time of judgment, even the prideful city of Tyre is restored to be a blessing to the people and purposes of God. "Her merchandise and her wages will be dedicated to the Lord; her profits will not be stored or hoarded, but her merchandise will supply abundant food and fine clothing for those who live in the presence of the Lord" (Isaiah 23:18). In this hour of the potential of sudden destruction, we pray for Your wisdom to prevail in response to humble prayers. But even through any measure of judgment, cleansing, or correction that may come, we know it is Your heart to work all things together for good for those who love You and call upon Your name (Romans 8:28). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, from America and around the world, please join in prayer for godly wisdom and decisions to be made in these coming days. As believers we are one nation in Christ, gathered from every tribe and tongue and nation (Revelation 7:9; 1 Peter 2:9). Also, please keep us in prayer this weekend for ministry in Georgia. I'll be leading an overnight retreat of prayer and fasting, then speak at workshops on healing and deliverance, and lead the healing praise service at the Annual Rock Eagle Men's Retreat with men from all across the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. Please pray that men's lives will be changed and then impact their families, churches, and communities for the Kingdom of God. Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order My Book and Our Ministry Resources at www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Daily Archives: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com

"Believe in God" 9-24-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I believe You are the Son of God, that You were raised from the dead, that You sit at the right hand of my Father in heaven, and that You live in me and in all who welcome You to live in them by Your Holy Spirit. ... "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in Me" (John 14:1). Believing in You means more than acknowledging and agreeing to a statement of belief or a creed of faith. Believing You means to trust You -- to trust that You are who You say You are, that You do what You say You do, that I have become who You say I have become in You. Believing is choosing to live my life in dependence upon You as the source of my salvation, my strength, my wisdom, my protection, my provision, my identity, and my destiny. "Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by the water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit" (Jeremiah 17:7-8). Believing in You by trusting in You brings peace to my soul in the midst of panic and steadiness to my spirit in the midst of uncertainty. Believing in You brings me through it all, even strengthening my faith through every challenge and temptation to turn to myself or to something else to be my savior and strength. Believing in You is what brings me into right relationship with You. "Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,' and he was called the friend of God" (James 2:23). By Your grace, I believe in You, I believe in God -- my Father, my Savior, and my Friend. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources On-Line

Treasure in Heaven 9-23-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father and Son, abide in me by Your Holy Spirit, I pray. ... "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21). Lord, how do I store up treasures in heaven? ... It seems I hear You say, "My son, in a sense, heaven is My heart. Have My heart, and you will have heaven -- not only in the heaven to come, but in your heart right now." Yes, Lord. How do I have Your heart? ... "By opening your heart and asking. By letting Me put My thoughts in your mind and My desires in your heart, by letting Me change your nature into My nature. Treasure My heart. Seek to have it with all the grace that I give you, with all the grace that you need, and you will have treasure in heaven." Yes, Lord. That's what I want. That's what I choose. That's what I ask -- a heart transplant, a heart transformation. A little more each day, as much as I can bear, form Your heart in mine. "A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you ..." (Ezekiel 36:26-27). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources On-Line

God of All Comfort 9-22-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Arise in newness of life in me today. ... "Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves have been comforted by God (2 Corinthians 3:1-4). You care about us and comfort us and heal us and free us because You love us. You are a good Father, an "everlasting Father," the Father of mercies (Isaiah 9:6). And we are Your children. What parent can bear to see their children in pain, broken or bound, living life in anything less than their full potential. So You call us to Yourself, You hold us in Your arms, You heal our hurts and break or bonds, binding up the brokenhearted and setting the captives free (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18). Because that what a good and loving Father does. But You also comfort us so that we can comfort others. You heal us and free us so we can go in the authority of Your name and in the power of Your Spirit to heal and free others. In the same way we have seen and known Your comfort, we have understanding, wisdom, empathy, and faith to see You bring that same comfort to others. You are "no respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34, KJV). You love each of us the same and You desire the same comfort and healing and freedom for each of us. So You empower us and send us to be Your "ambassadors," Your healing hands and heart in the lives of others who need Your comfort just like we did when You sent someone to us (2 Corinthians 5:20). "Freely you have received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8, NKJV). Thank You, Lord. I am Yours to be sent to freely give the comfort of Your love as You lead today. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Come to the Mountain! Tonight for hear special guest speaker from Israel, Stan Goodenought at 7 pm. -- Join our prayer team every Monday night at 7 pm to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray of our ministry. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Ministry Resources at: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Precious Pearls 9-21-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lord of Heaven, Lord of Earth, be Lord of my life today. ... "Because you are precious in My sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life" (Isaiah 43:4). Each of Your children are chosen and precious. Each one is unique, different from all others. Each one is a "pearl of great price" and a diamond in the rough (Matthew 13:46). Though others may not see our great value and immeasurable worth, You do. And You want us, each one, to know it -- to know that we are precious in Your sight, that You love us beyond our imagination, and that You would pay and You have paid a great price for our lives. A pearl is created through suffering, though a response of the oyster to turn irritations into something of great worth. And that hidden treasure that's only formed through the process and patience of time is only yielded and released through death. Through Your death, we are Your treasure. Through our death, as we die daily to this world and our will apart from Yours, letting You redeem our sufferings through the process and patience of time, the testimony of our lives become a precious treasure to You. And You don't cast your pearls before swine, You hold them close in Your heart. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, the presence of the Lord is so strong with us at our prayer retreat in Pennsylvania this weekend, as He is healing deep wounds and freeing us to be more like Him. I pray the same for you and I than you for praying for us. God bless you! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources On-Line -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502

Mighty Warrior Within 9-20-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. All I have and all I am belongs to You. ... "Now Jephthah the Gileadite, the son of a prostitute, was a mighty warrior" (Judges 11:1). Jephthah didn't choose his parents. He didn't choose his circumstances. Before he ever breathed his first breath or made his first choice, there were issues he would have to face, far beyond his control. Yet he was never beyond Your control. He was never beyond the calling and destiny You had for his life. Yes, he was the son of a prostitute, but he was also a mighty warrior. One day You would use him to deliver the very people who shamed him and rejected him (Judges 11:2-11). The world looked at Jephthah and saw the son of a prostitute. You looked at him as saw a mighty warrior. He was a diamond in the rough, a mighty warrior within. "For the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). You love turn our places of greatest shame into the places of greatest honor, to redeem the places of our brokenness into the very places of our blessing. "Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord' " (1 Corinthians 1:26-31). Thank You, Lord. Give me eyes to see myself as You see me. Let me not look on the outward appearance, but look deep within to see who You created me to be. Redeem the circumstances and challenges of my life to release Your blessings through my brokenness, to bring honor to Your name out of the places of my shame. And give me grace to look and see that same potential of the transforming power of God in the lives of others. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please keep us in your prayers. I'm speaking and ministering on inner healing and deliverance at the Jumonville Christian Retreat Center in the Pennsylvania countryside south of Pittsburgh this weekend with Western PA Aldersgate Renewal Fellowship: www.jumonville.org I pray the Lord's renewal, refreshing, and redemption for you. God bless you! Subscribe free by email to Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com Please Click Here to Order our Ministry Resources On-Line -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502

"Without Dread of Disaster" 9-18-08

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

"Right Sacrifices" 9-17-08

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wisdom is There in the Beginning 9-12-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You were before all created things, and yet here You are with me. I am amazed and undone in the immensity of the glory of Your Presence. ... "Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth -- when He had not yet made earth and fields, or the world's first bits of soil. When He established the heavens, I was there, when He drew a circle on the face of the deep, when He made firm the skies above, when He established the fountains of the deep, when He assigned the sea to its limit, so that the waters might not transgress His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside Him like a master worker; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing before Him always, rejoicing in His inhabited world and delighting in the human race" (Proverbs 8:24-31). Scientists in Switzerland are testing a nuclear collider to try to simulate the beginning of the world. In a sense, science is simply a search for truth -- to find it, verify it, and share it. And since You are the Truth, science is a pursuit of You, whether we know it or not. All things we find and verify and share are the things You have put there for us to find. There's something in the searching that forces us to acknowledge our lack of the fullness of knowledge and wisdom. No matter how hard we may search, no matter how much we may boast that we already know what the answer will likely be, in the end, the searching is an admission we don't really know. Searching for truth is part of the adventure of life we were created to share with You. "Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice? ... Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you desire cannot compare with her" (Proverbs 8;1-11). Longing and searching for truth is part of being fully alive and fully engaged in our journey to spiritual maturity on Your earth. "It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out" (Proverbs 25:2). And if our nuclear collider were to recreate or simulate "the big bang" at the beginning of time, there You would be -- with Your wisdom by Your side, rejoicing and delighting in the handiwork of the creation of Your "inhabited world and delighting in the human race. Our science would have led us to Your wisdom. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight" (Proverbs 9:10). "In the beginning" ... there You are (Genesis 1:1). Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Come to the Mountain! every Monday night at 7 pm to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray of our ministry. Special Guest Speaker Stan Goodenough Monday Night Sept. 22. Contact Vicky at vickywelch77@yahoo.com for this event. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Ministry Resources at: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"With You" 9-11-08

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

"In His Right Mind" 9-10-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are good, a great God in every dimension of Your Being -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ... "Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.... The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with Him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, 'Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.' So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him" (Luke 8:35-39). There's a war going on in our souls, a battle being waged for our minds (Romans 7:23; 2 Corinthians 10:5). We are ensnared and enslaved through the sin that opens the door to the enemy of our souls, "sold into slavery under sin" (Romans 7:14). Through the weapons of his warfare, our spiritual enemy seeks to deceive us and confuse us, trying to trick is into agreeing with his lies and submitting to his ways. And his ways always lead to destruction and death, whether immediate or most often, through the painful process slowly stealing our peace and joy. He seeks to corrupt our minds and mar the image of God we were created to reflect. He knows too well the spiritual principle that "as (a person) thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). His lies become our reality to the degree we accept them as our truth. But You come to set the captives free. You love to answer the prayer You taught us to pray, "Deliver us from evil" (from Matthew 6:13). You come to expose the darkness and deception, to reveal the truth in the light of Your glory and free us from destruction and death. Darkness cannot overcome the light; light always overcomes the darkness, just as truth always overcomes the lies. You are the Truth (John 14:6). And You promise us that when we humble ourselves to call on Your name, we shall know the Truth and Truth will set us free (John 8:32). "So if the Son make you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36). You win the war of our soul and the battle for our mind as You give us grace to agree with You and Your truth. You transform us by the renewing of our minds and restore us to our right mind in You (Romans 12:2). As we willingly choose by the grace of God to submit to You, agreeing with the truth of Your Word and Your ways, You empower us to "resist the devil and he will flee" (James 4:7). Then You send us out, restored in our right mind, renewed in Christ, to tell everyone we know how much You have done for us." Some will be afraid of that kind of power and some will take offense at the idea that they need deliverance from evil (Luke 8:37). But many will see and believe, and put their faith in the Lord. Many will humble themselves to seek Your help of healing and deliverance, being restored and renewed with "the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you for your prayers for our ministry session of inner healing deliverance yesterday. God was amazing! The Holy Spirit is cleansing and freeing the bride of Christ, restoring us to our right mind through the love of our Father's heart to fulfill our destiny in these amazing days. I pray the same for you. Let us know if you our church would be interested in our teaching resources on Biblical, spiritual principles of inner healing and deliverance prayer ministry called "Preparing the Way of the Lord." God bless you! Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Come to the Mountain! every Monday night at 7 pm to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray of our ministry. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. (Moving in October to Southland Evangelical Church on Clay's Mill Road). Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Ministry Resources On-Line at www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Inner Healing from the Inside Out 9-9-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Live Your life through my life today. ... "Many Samaritans from that city believed in Him because of the woman's testimony, 'He told me everything I have ever done' " (John 4:39). You saw and touched the depths of the Samaritan woman's soul -- her pain, her shame, her past. You brought it all out of the darkness, into the light, and under Your blood. You didn't do it to condemn her or shame her or remind her of all the things that she was not. You did it to heal her and free her from every hold of her past so she could be released into the fullness of her destiny in You. You were binding up the brokenhearted and setting the captives free (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18). And as soon as she was whole and free, she couldn't wait to tell everybody about You. Thank You for letting me join with You in Your ministry of inner healing and deliverance -- healing from the inside out, freedom from the pain, shame, and spiritual oppression of our past, to have peace and joy in our present, and to fully embrace and fulfill our future destiny in You. It's exciting to see Your Holy Spirit bring up those things that are holding Your people back and them lift them off and replace them with Your Father's love and peace and joy. You cleanse the wounds, heal the hurts, lift the burdens, and break the bondages, while You revive the spirit, awaken the gifts, encourage the faith, and empower the people with Your purposes for their lives (Hebrews 12:1-2). "Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goad for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14). Later this morning, our little team for today will be following the leading of Your Holy Spirit, filled with the Father's heart, to minister the healing love of God as we help one who has been wounded, broken, and bound look to You for her healing and deliverance by power of Your grace. As we help her look to You from the depths of her soul, her life will be forever changed (2 Corinthians 3:18). Sometimes it happens instantly and miraculously, most of the time it's little by little and step by step in the healing process of transformation into wholeness and holiness (1 Thessalonians 5:23). But when she's healed and free, she'll be telling everybody about You. How exciting! How fun! How awesome You are to let us join with You in Your ministry of grace and love in the power of Your name (John 20:21 and 14:12). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Come to the Mountain! every Monday night at 7 pm to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray of our ministry. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. (Moving in October to Southland Evangelical Church on Clay's Mill Road). Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Ministry Resources On-Line at www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

"Book of Remembrance" 9-8-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. It's all about You. ... "Then those who revered the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord took note and listened, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who revered the Lord and thought on His name" (Malachi 3:16). Lord, let my name be found in Your book of remembrance. I want to be known by You as one who sought Your face, called on Your name, revered Your word. Let me live this day as if You are taking note and listening. You are. "For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:14). You reminded Your first disciples that our lives are an open book before You -- every thought, every word, every action. "I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter" (Matthew 12:36). We are no different. "For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God" (Romans 14:10). And on that day when You open Your book of remembrance, when all are "judged according to their works, as recorded in the books," let my name be found in Your "book of life" (Revelation 20:12). In that moment, when all is said and done, when all is laid bare before You, when "all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth," my relationship with You will matter more than anything else (Isaiah 64:6). In fact, it will be the only thing that matters (Matthew 7:21-23). So keep drawing me into Your Presence each day, keep leading me to revere You and think on You, always knowing You and entrusting my life to You. Let Your record reflect my continuing choice, by Your grace, to live my life in relationship with You. I thank You now that my name will be found sealed in the eternal ink of Your blood in Your book of remembrance. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome. Call for details: 859-422-1794 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Come to the Mountain! every Monday night at 7 pm to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray of our ministry. Hosted in the upstairs community room of First Southern National Bank at 3060 Harrodsburg Rd in Lexington. Contact Doris at bndmccray@windstream.net All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order our Ministry Resources at: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org

Suddenly and Steadily 9-5-08

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

Long Way Home 9-4-08

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