Walk on the Other Side 4-24-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me listen; help me trust; help me obey. ... "Now when Jesus saw great crowds around Him, He gave orders to go over to the other side. A scribe then approached and said, 'Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.' And Jesus said to him, 'Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.' " (Matthew 8:18-20). Lord, give me courage to follow You and not the crowd. Give me the integrity to walk with You in the truth even when it's on "the other side" of popularity. It can be a lonely place without the security of the approval of the crowds. But let me not pledge with my lips to follow You wherever You go without determining in my heart to follow You when the road is hard and lonely and when the journey leads in a direction that is contrary to culture. A disciple is one who is disciplined to obey, one who is teachable to learn, one who follows freely in the steps of his teacher. "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it" (Luke 11:28). Lord, let me hear You and obey You. Discipline me and disciple me to be willing to follow You wherever You lead without fearing of rejection of the crowds and without living for the approval of others. By Your grace, let me be found faithful and true by Your side -- a side that was pierced by the spear of the very ones You died to save (John 19:31-37). Give me the grace to love those who reject me, to pray for those who mock me. Remind me that when I follow You, it's not me they are rejecting. As You said, "Whoever listens to you listens to Me, and whoever rejects you rejects Me, and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me" (Luke 10:16). In the power and courage of Your name, I renounce the fear of man and I choose to follow the Son of Man. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's (and now cd's) for spiritual transformation through inner healing and deliverance, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com"Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502. On the Web: http://www.messiah-ministries.orgCome to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer and worship in the chapel. Daily archives: http://morningbymorning.injesus.com