Divine Mentor - Because she Lingered - by Laila Wahba

Because she lingered

John 20.10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

20.11-15 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking..

Peter and John did “what they had to do”: they saw the situation, believed and went back home. They did not do anything wrong; but Mary lingered. Being a woman  made her linger, being emotional, made her linger; being a woman with a past whom Jesus had free, made her linger and this very lingering blessed her: she saw angels, and she saw… Jesus.

I am a to do, goal oriented woman, God spoke to me this morning that Peter and John checked their “to Do” list, and no one could blame them, but Laila, checking the to do list sometimes makes you miss so may blessings. Take your time Laila, and linger a little bit longer: tell me about your feelings, your struggles, your fears. This is not wasted time: lingering gives me time to appear to you in ways that you would never experience if you stick to your check list; or if you stick to the proper way to do things, or if you hurry through your time with ME. Linger, wait, “waste” time and you will see things that no one else experienced, just like Mary Magdalene.

Lord, today I will linger a little bit longer, like a woman madly in love with her Savior, wanting to spend one more second with You, Jesus, the lover of my soul. I do not want to leave you Lord, let me linger to see YOUR lovely face, and hear you say “Laila, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking”? and my answer will be, “I seek you Jesus”. Amen

Divine Mentor: Which Kingdom do you Serve? by Debbie McGrath

As I was reading John 19, it was so obvious that Pilate made all the wrong decisions that day. Just like Pilate, we have many decisions to make. Our choices we make, tell which kingdom we serve.  The scriptures in John 19 reveal that Pilate chose to serve the Kingdom of Earth - he went for popularity, power, security of his job and  short-term comfort.  He tried to seek a middle way, a scheme in which he could serve both or neither without having to chose, but there is none.  

Just like Pilate we choose who we will serve!
Which kingdom do you serve?

Kingdom of the Earth           OR        Kingdom of Heaven

* Public Popularity                           Personal Integrity
*Way of the World                           God's Way
*Works                                          Faith/Trust
*Pride                                            Grace
*Power                                          Truth
*Riches on Earth                             Treasures in Heaven
*Short-term comfort                        Eternal Rewards
*Earthly Success                             Spiritual Purity 
*Tangible Rewards                          Intangible and delayed rewards

Each day, we must choose which kingdom we will serve.  

Divine Mentor- How Do I Love?

Today's Reading: Jeremiah 13-15; John 15

Scripture: John 15: 13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."

Observation: Jesus is the perfect picture of the greatest love. Every disciple, including Paul, gave up the life he had known and even his physical life so that others could know Jesus. Believers throughout the centuries that followed gave up their homes and families, many eventually their lives, to take Jesus to others. Even today, believers are placing their lives in danger for the sake of the Gospel, and many are tortured and killed.

Application: I am ashamed to think about how little, if anything, I lay aside for my friends (let alone people I don't know). Sacrifice!! What sacrifices do I make? Maybe occasionally my calendar, my time, my money and possessions? Not really. What about my choice of TV programs and books? A good night's sleep? Would my life really be any different from what it is right now if I were not a believer committed to follow Jesus in obedience?

Prayer: Jesus, I can do nothing without You, but I want to be willing to give up everything so that others may know You. Show me today how to lay down my life of comfort in ways I may not have known. Show me how to love.

Divine Mentor- Is Jesus Still Weeping?

Today's reading: Jeremiah 3-4; John 11

Scripture: John 11:35 "Jesus wept."

Observation: Jesus wasn't crying because his friend Lazarus had died. He knew He could raise him back to life. Jesus cried for everyone around Him, especially those closest to Him, because of their lack of faith and belief in Him.

Application: I believe in Jesus. I believe He has power over death and disease. I believe Him when He says I will never die but will live in eternity with Him. I echo Martha's words, " Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God." (v.27) Why, then, do I ever allow the events of my life to bring doubt, fear, or unrest into my heart and mind? How different would I be today if I truly believe and totally trust Jesus when He says, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" (v 40). How often is He weeping over me?

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I can remember so many times you must have wept over me, and that makes me heartsick. Just like Mary and Martha, I often think you could have prevented a crisis but can do nothing once it had happened. Please keep sending me to Romans 8:28 in all things.

Divine Mentor- My Shepherd's Voice

Today's Reading: Jeremiah 1-2; John 10
Scripture: John 10:3b,4:  "He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ...he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice."

Observation: Picture a huge sheep pen with many flocks. Sheep wandering around, noisily bleating, only the walls keeping them from wandering off. A shepherd comes in the door and calls his sheep by name (perhaps other shepherds are doing the same). He waits, then turns, and leads (not pushes) them out. Other shepherds are leading sheep in other directions, but his sheep follow him because they recognize his voice and his alone.

Application: I am a sheep living among sheep in a world of loud bleating and many calling voices. The noise is often deafening. Every time I watch TV, listen to the radio, read a book,  have a conversation, or even sit in silence, I can hear them, calling, looking for sheep to follow them. Many know my name. Some are calling me to "good" things- eat healthy, exercise, spend time with family. Others are calling me to waste my time with mindless activity, and far too many are calling me to reject what I know is God's truth. How do I distinguish His voice from all the others?  I must spend time daily in His Word and commune with Him in prayer throughout the day.

Prayer: Jesus, my shepherd, there are so many "voices" calling my name. Many even try to sound like You! I want to hear Your voice and Yours alone. Tune my ears to hear You. Amen.

Divine Mentor - Overcoming Blindness - Debbie Higginbotham

Overcoming Blindness

Scripture that spoke to me:

S. John 9:3  Jesus answered "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him".

O.The passage is speaking about the blind man that Jesus healed. He was born blind and the disciples wondered who in the family sinned for this man to be born blind. This is the thought process that most people have when bad things happen. They ask what sin did I commit, or did someone in my family commit that I deserve this hardship in life or just why me Lord? It's easy in our flesh to look for an answer in the trials and hardships of life, but sometimes we don't find the answer. We are blinded by circumstances in our life and fail to see how God works these circumstances into something good for us as well as others. When something happens to you it could bless someone else and when you step back to see that, you can thank our Father for using you to bless someone else. Don't ask why me, ask why not me?

A. I have the privilege of having met such a person. He is the blind man so to speak from John 9. He is a young man in his 20's and has lived with a disease most of his life. He spends a lot of time making trips back and forth to the hospital when he becomes sick, which is often. The minute he leaves the hospital though his first thought is I have to go to church. This is very important to him. He loves God and loves his church. Recently he suffered a brain aneurysm. It burst in his head and he was rushed to the hospital. He was in the hospital for weeks and through much prayer he is improving, but during that time he had to have a total blood transfusion. God has spared this young guy so that he is a blessing to others. He didn't get sick because of his or his parents sins, it's God's way of using him to bless others and this boy knows that God uses him for that purpose. He never complains about being sick or the frequent visits to the hospital, rather he looks forward to serving in his church. He has blessed the nurses in the hospital with his attitude and the prayers they witnessed that saved him. If these nurses did not believe their was a God, I think they must believe it now. This young man blesses people everyday through his circumstances.

P. Father please help me to see your blessings in every circumstance in my life as this young guy does. Help me to bless others in how I look at those circumstances and not feel as though I am being punished because of my or my family's sins. We are so blessed if we overcome the blindness to see again.

Divine Mentor - God is in Your Midst!! - Laila Wahba

Scripture Reading for Today: Zeph. 1-3, John 9

Scripture that spoke to me:

Zephaniah 3:17-20

The Lord your God is in your midst,

 a mighty one who will save;

 he will rejoice over you with gladness;

he will quiet you by his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing.

 I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival,

so that you will no longer suffer reproach.

 Behold, at that time I will deal

with all your oppressors.

And I will save the lame

and gather the outcast,

and I will change their shame into praise

and renown in all the earth.

 At that time I will bring you in,

at the time when I gather you together;

for I will make you renowned and praised

among all the peoples of the earth,

 when I restore your fortunes

before your eyes,” says the Lord.

Observation

The Lord is:

In your midst: just hit me how happy, and proud I should feel that God Himself is in my midst. Who else do I need? 

God rejoices over me with gladness: although He knows me through and through, yet He also rejoices over even the baby steps I take in my relationship with Him.

He will quiet me with His love: once more The Lord says shshshshshshs rest Laila, rest in My love.

He will exult over me with loud singing: come and see everybody, this is my daughter with whom I am we'll pleased (I have tears in my eyes just imagining this).

From then on He does EVERYTHING: deal with my oppressors, save my lameness gather me when I am outcast  or oppressed. What will God do with the oppressed, lame and outcast? He will not throw them away like the society does, NO He will change my shame into praise, change my shame into renown, bring me in welcoming me, and restoring my fortune.

Application

Lord, you do it all. You see me with eyes of love. Your love is awesome.

Prayer

Thank you Lord that you love me s much .