"Cords of Human Kindness" 10-4-08

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me in Your paths for my life today. ... "I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them" (Hosea 11:4). You don't drive us like a herd of cattle, You lead us like a flock of sheep. You don't force us to follow You or love You or even honor You for who You are, You draw us to You by Your grace and out of Your love. "No one can come to Me unless drawn by My Father who sent Me" (John 6:44). And we are drawn to You, Lord Jesus, by our Father who sends His Holy Spirit to draw us and lead us into the fullness of Your embrace and to be filled and fed by the fullness of Your Word and Your Spirit. "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God" and we "have received a spirit of adoption" so that "we cry, 'Abba! Father!" by Your "very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:14-16). You don't stand off afar, aloof and distant, You bend down low into the depths of our humanity to gather us up into the kindness and comfort of Your arms. And though You are the source of all our encouragement, affirmation, and nurture, You often choose to lead us and love through the "human kindness" of those who have Your heart and who are willing to be Your arms. You fill and mature Your sons and Your daughters with the Father's heart, the mind of Christ, and the loving power of the Holy Spirit. Then You send us forth as Your hands and feet, with Your words and heart to be Your "bands of love" in the lives of one another. To love You and love one another, to be loved by You and to be loved by one another, is at the heart of the message of Your gospel and Your kingdom (Matthew 22:36-40). "Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and His love is perfected in us" (1 John 4:11-12). Lord, lead me and empower me to love and be loved with Your "cords of human kindness" today. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Come to The Fountain! on the 3rd Friday night of every month for our ministry's gathering of the body of Christ from every tradition and stream to worship the Lord in Sprit and in Truth. Our friend Heather Butler, prophetic psalmist from Wales, who lead the Healing Rooms there, will be ministering with me this month on Oct 17th, with Phil Jackson leading us in worship. Come drink deeply from the Living Waters in the freedom of the Spirit. 7 pm in the chapel at Centenary. All are welcome! Call for details: 859-422-1794 or send a note to Marilyn at DirOfMinistries@aol.com Come to the Mountain! every Monday night at 7 pm to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem led by Doris and Bob McCray of our ministry. New Location for "Come To The Mountain" Israel prayer! Starting Monday October 6th we will begin meeting at Southland Evangelical M ethodist Church 2601 Clays Mill Rd (corner of Clays Mill and Hill n' Dale). All are welcome! Subscribe free by email to me at Messiah Ministries -- MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Order my book and our resources On-Line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org