A Small World 9-10-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit is lifting up a new song of praise to You from my heart this morning. ... Jesus, my Lord. Jesus, my Lord. Receive my heart in praise. Jesus, my Lord. Jesus, my Lord. I give my heart to You in praise. Thank You for the gift of spending some time on our journey with two old friends yesterday, Father Berchman and Pastor Joseph. Joseph is a gifted pastor and teacher with a compassionate heart and powerful prayers You use as our translator when we teach inner healing and deliverance to the pastors in India. Father Berchman was a Catholic priest You baptized in Your Holy Spirit and gave the gift of healing and deliverance as he worships You in spirit and in truth and sings Your songs over the people. It was during our teaching retreat at his Jabatotham Prayer Gardens three years ago that You spoke to my heart the words "healing worship" that become The Fountain -- our monthly time of prayer, praise, and healing worship as we come together from the different traditions of our city to worship You in spirit and in truth as Your healing comes to our spirits, souls, and bodies. What an indescribable gift You gave me yesterday through an evangelist named Francis! As we were on our way with the IJM team through the villages of southern Tamil Nadu to encourage some of victims recently freed from forced labor, we stopped to buy a few clothes for the children. I don't even know the name of the little village where we stopped, but I heard a voice call out from behind me, "Brother Tommy, Praise the Lord!" I turned around to be lifted in the air with a big bear hug from Brother Francis. Three years ago we prayed for him to receive inner healing and deliverance during our teaching at Father Berchman's. What a small world, but a world where we are one body and one family in Christ. He was so full of live and love, boldly sharing the gospel even with even the patch he wore on his shirt that proclaimed, "Praise Jesus!" Much of what You do through the ministry You've entrusted to us will never be seen until we stand in Your presence in heaven, but You blessed me with a little taste of the unspeakable joy that comes from knowing You use Your people to touch and to change the lives of others. All to this was just the morning of a glorious day of encouraging the people of India You love so much and praising Your holy name with old friends and mighty men of God. And none of these amazing gifts of grace were on the calendar for our mission trip. Jesus, my Lord, I give my heart to You in praise! In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays