Returning to the Good Shepherd and Righteous King - July 29, 2020

Morning by Morning, July 29 - Returning to the Good Shepherd and Righteous King

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me hear what's on Your heart -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

 

"Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture! says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd My people:  It is you who have scattered My flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord" (Jeremiah 23:1-4).

 

Shepherds who do not fear anyone but the Lord. Shepherds who gather instead of scatter. Shepherds who speak up for what is right instead of sitting back in silent endurance of all that is wrong. Shepherds who attend to the flock instead of their own agendas -- seeking Your kingdom instead of theirs, making disciples of the Good Shepherd instead of followers of themselves. 

 

Lord, forgive us. Whether we've been the false shepherds or followed the false shepherds. Whether we've made idols of ourselves or bowed down before the idols others have made. We all should have been following You, with no other gods before You.

 

Yet, You always call us to return and repent, to call on Your name, to humble ourselves in prayer, to seek You alone as our Salvation and Good Shepherd of our souls. You always remind us to remember Your kindness that leads to repentance, that we may once again receive Your mercy, as You heal our hearts and restore our land.

 

In repentance and prayer, You gather Your remnant who remember Your name. You bring us back to Your fold and under Your care. And there, in the forgiveness of Your mercy, You redeem us and restore us, You revive us and refresh us, so that once again we can be fruitful and multiply. 

 

None shall be missing. That which was lost will be found and that which was blind shall see again -- all by the power of Your grace at work within us.

 

As You went on to declare Your prophetic words of promise and hope for the days to come, You continue to declare into our hearts today:  "The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He shall reign as King as deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which He will be called:  'The Lord is our righteousness'" (Jeremiah 23:5-6).

 

All Your Prophecies of all Your Words are ultimately fulfilled in the One who is our Righteousness, in the One who is our Good Shepherd, our Righteous Branch, our soon and coming King. This is the only One who can "execute justice and righteousness in the land" as He rules and reigns, as He shepherds and leads.

 

Come, Lord Jesus. Good Shepherd and Righteous King. One day You'll come again from the heavens. But this day, would You come again in our hearts and come again in our land. Come again to rule and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, as we turn to You and call on Your name, in repentance and prayer, with expectant hope and obedient faith. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be filled with expectant hope in obedience faith, as you turn to the One who is our Good Shepherd and Righteous King, that He may revive and restore our hearts and our land, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

     

PraySA --Prayer for Revival in San Antonio!  www.PraySA.org

I'm excited to be part of a group of prayer warriors in our community planning times of prayer for awakening and revival in our community and beyond, being led by Max Lucado in San Antonio.

Watch our Short Video Call to Prayer here:  

Pray SA

Plans are coming together for a citywide prayer for revival gathering in the parking lot where the San Antonio Spurs play basketball and our city holds the San Antonio Rodeo at the Freeman Coliseum/AT&T Center. This will be a Solemn Assembly and Holy Convocation of heartfelt humility and repentance through citywide prayer for ourselves and our land on Sunday Nights, August 9th and 16th. Please keep us in prayer to follow the Holy Spirit's leading. If you would like to be involved and help spread the word, please send me a note: tommyhays@messiah-ministries.org

 

New Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries

Messiah-Ministries.org

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

Choosing to "Set" My Heart and Mind on Christ - July 28, 2020

Morning by Morning, July 28 - Choosing to "Set" My Heart and Mind on Christ

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart.... 

 

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.... And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (Colossians 3:1-17).

 

Your Word commands us "set your hearts on things above ... set your minds on things above." To "set" our hearts and minds requires a conscious choice, a deliberate action on our part. 

 

To "set" our hearts and minds "on things above" also requires us to consciously choose the object and target of our heart's desires and our mind's thoughts. What does that mean? What does that look like? How would my life be different if I were to obey Your command of Your Word to "set" my heart and my mind "on things above"? ...

 

As wait and listen, from Your Spirit to my spirit, Your words come to my heart. ...

 

"To look to Me is to prioritize Me. To set your heart on Me, to set your mind on Me, is to trust in Me, to yield to Me, to allow Me to put My desires in your heart and My thoughts in your mind. I AM the Thing Above. My thoughts and My desires are the things above. Choose this perspective. Embrace this priority. Your part is to willingly make this choice. My part is to enable your desire to want this and your power to do this. This is the power of My grace for you. As you do, you will be dead to the tyranny of this world, with it's worldly perspectives and priorities, so that your life will be hidden with Christ in God. You'll be lifted up and alive in Christ, as Christ is lifted up and alive in you. This is the life of Christ in you, the hope of glory. This is how I empower you to do all you do in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, full of thanksgiving, full of joy, full of My presence, My love, and My power being fully expressed through your life." ...

 

Yes, Lord. Your written Word comes to mind to confirm this spoken word I hear in my heart: "God has chosen to make know among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God..." (Galatians 2:20-21). "For it is God who works in (me) to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose" (Philippians 2:13).

 

So by the power of Your grace at work within me, I willingly, consciously and deliberately choose to look up to You, to set my heart and my mind on You and on the things above, on the things of Your will and Your Kingdom, rather than merely my will and the kingdoms of this world. Put Your desires in my heart and Your thoughts in my mind, so that Your perspective and priorities become my perspective and my priorities. I can't do any of this apart from You, but by the power of Your grace at work within me, I can do all these things through Christ who strengthens and empowers me (Philippians 4:13), through Christ who abides right here, right now within me (John 15:4); through Christ in me, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be strengthened and empowered to set your heart and mind on Christ, so that your life is hidden with God in Christ and all you do, you do in the name and in the nature of the Lord Jesus, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

    

PraySA --Prayer for Revival in San Antonio!  www.PraySA.org

I'm excited to be part of a group of prayer warriors in our community planning times of prayer for awakening and revival in our community and beyond, being led by Max Lucado in San Antonio.

Plans are coming together for a citywide prayer for revival gathering in the parking lot where the San Antonio Spurs play basketball and our city holds the San Antonio Rodeo at the Freeman Coliseum/AT&T Center. This will be a Solemn Assembly and Holy Convocation of heartfelt humility and repentance through citywide prayer for ourselves and our land on Sunday Nights, August 9th and 16th. Please keep us in prayer to follow the Holy Spirit's leading. If you would like to be involved and help spread the word, please send me a note: tommyhays@messiah-ministries.org

 

 

New Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries

Messiah-Ministries.org

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

"The Time of Darkness and Despair Will Not Go On Forever" - July 27, 2020

Morning by Morning, July 27 - "The Time of Darkness and Despair Will Not Go On Forever"

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart to lead my steps in Your ways today -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...

 

"Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever" (Isaiah 9:1 NLT).

 

Thank You, Lord!

 

In these days of darkness and despair, violence and vengeance, sickness and sorrow, where things seem out of control and people seem out of their minds, so many wonder if there's light at the end of this tunnel. So many wonder if there's any hope to hang on to. 

 

It was the same in the days of Israel when You spoke a word of hope through Your prophet Isaiah. At a time when the people could "see only distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish " (Isaiah 8:22), You spoke words of Spirit and Life, to turn their hearts to the One who would come in His Light in the midst of their darkness and shine His Hope in the gloom of their despair. Their time of darkness and despair would not go on forever! (Isaiah 9:1)

 

"The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice. They will rejoice before You as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder. For You will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burned from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor's rod, just as You did when You destroyed the army of Midian. The boots of the warrior and uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned. They will be fuel for the fire" (Isaiah 9:2-5).

 

Isaiah was speaking of the coming of Christ, the Messiah of Israel, the coming of the One who would be their Light and be their Hope. And they would rejoice at the harvest of their salvation.

 

"For a Child is born to us, a Son is given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders. And He will be called:  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice form the throne of His ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven's Armies will make this happen!" (Isaiah 9:3-7)

 

This was a Word of Prophecy fulfilled in part at Your first coming and a Word of Prophecy to be ultimately fulfilled at Your second coming (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 19:11-16).  And it's also a Word of Prophecy being fulfilled in our hearts and our land every moment we humble ourselves in Your sight to pray and to turn from our ways and everything that would overwhelm us in our world to call on Your name and cry out for the help and hope that only You can provide (2 Chronicles 7:14; James 4:10).

 

So in repentance in prayer, in faith and hope, we call on Your name and cry out to You on behalf of our communities and all our land. Come Lord Jesus! Come in revival! Come in awakening! Come in our hearts and our communities and all our land!

 

You're the Light at the end of this tunnel! You're the Hope that lifts us up out of darkness and despair! It will not go on forever! A great revival, a great harvest of salvation is on its way in the hearts of all who will call on Your name! (Matthew 13:39) All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved! (Romans 10:13; Acts 2:21) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be filled with hope to know this darkness and despair will not last forever, as you humble your heart to call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ with expectant faith for yourself, for your community, and for all our land, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

    

PraySA --Prayer for Revival in San Antonio!  www.PraySA.org

I'm excited to be part of a group of prayer warriors in our community planning times of prayer for awakening and revival in our community and beyond, being led by Max Lucado in San Antonio.

Plans are coming together for a citywide prayer for revival gathering in the parking lot where the San Antonio Spurs play basketball and our city holds the San Antonio Rodeo at the Freeman Coliseum/AT&T Center. This will be a Solemn Assembly and Holy Convocation of heartfelt humility and repentance through citywide prayer for ourselves and our land on Sunday Nights, August 9th and 16th. Please keep us in prayer to follow the Holy Spirit's leading. If you would like to be involved and help spread the word, please send me a note: tommyhays@messiah-ministries.org

 

New Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries

Messiah-Ministries.org

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

"One" with God - July 24, 2020

Morning by Morning, July 24 - "One" with God

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You're One with the Father, One with the Holy Spirit. And by the mystery of faith and the grace of God, You are One within me and with all who believe in You. ...

 

"After Jesus had spoken these words, He looked up to heaven and said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You, since You have given Him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent... As You, Father, are in Me and I am in You, may they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. The glory that You have given Me I have given them, so that they may be one, as We are One, I in them and You in Me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.... I have made Your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them" (John 17:1-26).

 

"One." How can it be that we could be "one" with You, "one" with God -- God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit -- "the only true God"? ... It's only by Your grace. Only by Your love -- Your love for us in ways we can't even begin to ask or imagine.

 

If these words were not in the Bible, these "red letter words" of Jesus Himself, it would almost seem like blasphemy or something surely less than the reverence and respect and fear of the Lord that You're so worthy to receive. But yet, here it is: "As You, Father, are in Me and I am in You, may they also be in Us.... The glory that You have given Me I have given them, so that they may be one, as We are One, I in them and You in Me, that they may become completely one" (John 17:21-23). As Your Words of Scripture confirm, "Anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him" (1 Corinthians 6:17).

 

Lord, give me grace to embrace this depth of intimacy with You. Give me faith to believe it's true and wisdom to understand what it means. Give me courage to live my life in the reality of this truth with the humility of heart to know this eternal expression of Your unfailing, unfathomable love for me and for all who believe in You. 

 

This is life. This is the purpose and meaning of life on this adventure of life we've each been given, from conception to consummation. "This is eternal life, that (we) may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3). 

 

Help me know You more. In knowing You, I am loving You. And in loving You, Your Word is being fulfilled in me:  "Righteous Father, the world does not know You, but I know You; and these know that You have sent Me. I made Your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them" (John 17:25-26). 

 

Knowing Your love is how I come to know You, how I become "one" with You and You with me. "By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.... God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:13-17). Lord, let it be so! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 

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

My friend, may you embrace by God's grace all His love for you as "one" with Him -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God -- in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

   

PraySA --Prayer for Revival in San Antonio!  www.PraySA.org

I'm excited to be part of a group of prayer warriors in our community planning times of prayer for awakening and revival in our community and beyond, being led by Max Lucado in San Antonio.

Plans are coming together for a citywide prayer for revival gathering in the parking lot where the San Antonio Spurs play basketball and our city holds the San Antonio Rodeo at the Freeman Coliseum/AT&T Center. This will be a Solemn Assembly and Holy Convocation of heartfelt humility and repentance through citywide prayer for ourselves and our land on Sunday Nights, August 9th and 16th. Please keep us in prayer to follow the Holy Spirit's leading. If you would like to be involved and help spread the word, please send me a note: tommyhays@messiah-ministries.org

 

New Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries

Messiah-Ministries.org

Please share this word to encourage a friend!

God Fills Our Empty Jars with the Oil of Hope - July 23, 2020

Morning by Morning, July 23 - God Fills Our Empty Jars with the Oil of Hope

 

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You're the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, so turn my eyes and my heart to You at the beginning of my day so I can go through my day and end my day well -- as best as I can and all by Your grace. ...

 

This morning in prayer, I'm also listening for a fresh word from Your heart to share with the people in Pakistan, where I'll be preaching through the internet in a couple of hours. This message of hope in the midst of hard times comes to mind:

 

"Now the wife of a member of the company of prophets cried to Elisha, 'Your servant my husband is dead; and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but a creditor has come to take my two children as slaves.' Elisha said to her, 'What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?' She answered, 'Your servant has nothing in the house, except a jar of oil.' He said, 'Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not just a few. Then go in and shut the door behind you and your children, and start pouring into all these vessels; when each is full, set it aside.' So she left him and shut the door behind her and her children; they kept bringing vessels to her, and she kept pouring. When the vessels were full, she said to her son, 'Bring me another vessel.' But he said to her, 'There are no more.' Then the oil stopped flowing. She came and told the man of God, and he said, 'Go sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your children can live on the rest'" (2 Kings 4:1-7).

 

This woman and her husband and her family loved the Lord and served the Lord. But even so, they're weren't immune to the struggles and heartbreaks of life in a broken, fallen world where sickness and death, where fears and debt, came pounding on the door to take away even what they had left.

 

But she was not alone. Her pain was not unseen and her cries were not unheard. You sent Your servant Elisha to hear her cries of grief but also to turn her heart to You in hope. She felt she had nothing left, but in speaking out her thoughts and feelings with the man of God, she discovered she still had something to offer -- a jar of oil. 

 

And as she offered up what she had, as she stepped out in obedience and faith at the word of the Lord, You began to multiply what she had. She didn't do it alone. By Your leading and at Your word, she reached out for help from her neighbors around her, she gathered her family to join with her in this adventure of faith, and she kept pursuing what she knew to do by the leading of Your word until there was nothing left to do.

 

Through obedience and faith, even in the midst of her grief and fear, You filled her jars with oil to pay all her debts and provide for all her needs.

 

Help us trust You, Lord. You see us and hear us; You care about us and all we're going through. We're not alone. And You'll bring us through, just as You always do.

 

Thank You for the grace to speak out our needs and even our hurts and disappointments. And thank You for the grace to help us not stay stuck in that place. Thank You for sending Your word of hope, Your words of Spirit and Life and Truth that lift us up and show us the way.

 

In a way, our hearts are the jar of oil that we have. In way, our hearts are really all we have to offer -- a heart surrendered to You, trusting in You, willing to hear and obey You, even when we feel empty and forgotten and alone. But if we're willing, You're so ready to fill our jars with Your oil -- the Oil of Your Spirit poured into our hearts. You fill our hearts with hope -- a living hope in the Lord our God who sees us and hears us and helps us through whatever we face.

 

"May the God of hope fill (us) with all joy and peace in believing, so that (we) may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit!" (Romans 15:13) And You fill our hearts with Your love. "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 5:5). Lord, let it be so in our hearts today! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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

My friend, may you be filled with the Oil of Hope in your heart, fully surrendered and trusting in the One who sees you and hears you and brings you through all that you face, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

  

Preaching in Pakistan Today through our Skype Internet Ministry. 

Friends, please keep us in prayer as I preach in Lahore, Pakistan through our Skype Internet Ministry in a new ministry partnership pastor and evangelist Haroon Masih of Power Prayer Ministry of Pakistan, in addition our monthly evangelistic crusades with Pastor Rizwan Fazal. We are praying for a mighty move of the Holy Spirit for salvation, healing, deliverance, and revival! We praise God for these open doors to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God at home and abroad to the nations! Thank you for all your encouragement and support for this evangelistic dimension of our ministry to be possible and continue!

 

  (Photo from one of our monthly crusades in Pakistan through our Skype Internet Ministry)

PraySA --Prayer for Revival in San Antonio!  www.PraySA.org

I'm excited to be part of a group of prayer warriors in our community plannin
g times of prayer for awakening and revival in our community and beyond, being led by Max Lucado in San Antonio.

Plans are coming together for a citywide prayer for revival gathering in the parking lot where the San Antonio Spurs play basketball and our city holds the San Antonio Rodeo at the Freeman Coliseum/AT&T Center. This will be a Solemn Assembly and Holy Convocation of heartfelt humility and repentance through citywide prayer for ourselves and our land on Sunday Nights, August 9th and 16th. Please keep us in prayer to follow the Holy Spirit's leading. If you would like to be involved and help spread the word, please send me a note: tommyhays@messiah-ministries.org

 

New Mailing Address for Messiah Ministries:

Tommy & Rocio Hays

Messiah Ministries

17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104407

San Antonio, Texas 78257

Tommy & Rocio Hays | Messiah Ministries

Messiah-Ministries.org

Please share this word to encourage a friend!