Sunday, January 23, 2005

Disciples of our Teacher 1-23-05

Sunday, January 23, 2005 -- Morning by Morning Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You with single-minded devotion and whole-hearted surrender. I humble my soul as You lift my spirit up into Your presence. ... "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle" -- James 3.1-2. Thank You, Lord, for allowing me the honor and the responsibility of teaching Your Word and Your principles of the Kingdom this week. May every word that was of You go forth with life and bear much fruit, and may every word that was of my flesh rather than Your Spirit fall to the ground and die. Help us all to grow in maturity and learn to walk in our gifts by the leading of Your Spirit, that we may see Your church grow up into maturity, to the full measure of the stature of Christ. Give us courage to move forward in the gifts You have given us and humility to receive Your correction with the wisdom to never stop learning. "We have gifts that differ according to the grace given us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness" -- Romans 12.6-8. You are the Giver of the gifts; You are the Teacher of the teachers; You are the Leader of the leaders. May we give and teach and lead by Your power to Your glory for Your purposes. Though we may teach as You lead, You are our Teacher and we are You disciples. "A disciple is not above the Teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the Teacher" -- Luke 6.40. You qualify us to the degree that we trust You and obey You. Then we may be Your vessels of love and Your instruments of grace as we humble ourselves to be used by You for Your purposes. "The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning He wakens -- wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught" -- Isaiah 50.4. Lord, let it be so in our lives as we learn the gifts You have given us and learn how to use them by Your power for Your glory. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, we closed our retreat for prayer ministry last night in Ruidoso, NM, with a beautiful and powerful healing service led by the Lord and many have given witness to changed lives. Thank you for your prayers and may you receive a double portion. God bless you! To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com God bless you!