Knowing the True God 9-30-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I call You "Lord" because I choose, by the grace You have given me, to surrender every area of my life to Your Lordship. I surrender all. … "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many deeds of power in Your name?' Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away from Me, you evildoers' " (Matthew 7:21-23). There are those who strap explosives packed with nails to their bodies and walk into markets and onto buses crowded with men, women, and children going about their lives to reap maximum carnage and grab maximum media coverage. They say it is the will of God and shout "God is great!" as they murder innocent lives and sacrifice their own to a god whose nature is terror, horror, cruelty and fear. They never knew You. And there are those who prophecy and cast out demons and do all sorts of religious works seemingly in service to others to appease their consciences and labor to earn Your love or try to atone for their sins and failures. They say it is the will of God as they go about working and serving a god whose nature is demanding, oppressive, unforgiving, and stern. They never knew You. Father, it is Your will to love us and nurture us, to conform us into the nature of Your Son by the indwelling presence of Your Spirit. You patiently teach us Your ways and lovingly correct us when we stray. You created us for a relationship of love with You and with one another. You humbled Yourself in the nature of Your Son to show us the way to live a life in Your love by the power of Your Holy Spirit living in us. You want us to You, to know the true nature of the true God. "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:7-8). Lord Jesus, You perfectly reveal the Father heart of God, for You are in the Father and the Father is in You; You are One, making us one with You, as You abide in us by Your Holy Spirit (John 14:1-31). We come to know You and Your nature as we surrender our will to Your will and allow You to conform our nature to Your nature by Your Spirit living in us. This is the relationship of love with us You desire; this is the relationship of love with You and with one another for which we were created. Anything else and anything less is a distortion and a perversion of Your truth and Your nature. You desire humility, not horror; love, not hatred; self-sacrifice, not murder; life, not death. You desire loving relationship that leads to willing, joyful obedience to offer our lives in love to You and in the service of love to others. This is how Your name and Your nature is glorified in our lives and throughout the earth (John 14:13). God my Father, help me know You and Your true nature more every day. Lord Jesus, help me surrender more of life to You every day. Holy Spirit of the Living God, come fill me with Your Life and conform me to Your nature more every day. I offer my life as a willing sacrifice of love to God who is love. Use my life to lead others more deeply into a relationship with the God who loves them and longs to know them. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please join me in prayer that the eyes of those who are blinded to the true nature of God would be opened to see Him as He is, to renounce every false god, and receive the One True God into their hearts and ours. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to a knowledge of the truth and know the One who is Truth (2 Peter 3:9; John 3:16). God bless you and thank you for joining me in this journey of prayer! Also, I am going to be leading a one day inner healing conference of teaching, worship, and healing ministry, in Lexington on Saturday, October 14th: "From Brokenness to Breakthrough -- healing from grief, sorrow, trauma, and pain in a broken world." We will hold this in The Foundry at my home church, Centenary UMC, 2800 Tates Creek Rd from 9 am to 9 pm (Morning and Afternoon teaching, worship, and ministry; Evening healing service). Please come if you can and please keep us in prayer. Pre-register by contacting Marilyn Walker, our Director of Ministries at 859-317-1591 or email at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Please forward this note and spread the word to your church and friends! To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries.orgDaily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com