Divine Mentor: Remember this!!! by Debbie McGrath

Today's Reading:  Haggai 1, 2, Psalm 129, Luke 10

 Haggai 1:5 - Give careful thought to your ways.

The book Haggai is only two chapters but the content is so powerful!!
God calls Haggai to be His messenger. Haggai tells the people they need to rebuild the temple - it had been 15 years since anyone has worked on it.  God's people were too busy building their own luxury houses and they forgot about finishing the Lord's temple.  They were doing good things but they did not put God first. Amazingly - the people listened and they starting working on God's house!!

God has called us to serve Him first!

Remember this:

1. We are created by God and destined by God to transform and change the world around us. 

 2. When I think of myself, I have to remember, God choses the unlikely to do the unimaginable.  

God Made Me.

 God chose Me.

 God called Me.

 God saved Me.

 God is with Me.

3.  We are so much more than the limitations we often place on ourselves.

4.  You and I are the answer to someone else's prayer!!

Divine Mentor- Do I Ever Deny Self?

Ezra 4; Psalm 113, 127; Luke 9

Scripture: " ...'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.'"

Observation: I have heard Christ followers (and even non-believers) claim that their "cross to bear" is their sickness, or their wayward children, or their loss of a job. These are not crosses but circumstances. Very seldom are our circumstances the result of the denial of self, nor do we choose ("take up") them; however, the cross that Jesus carried was one that He willingly chose because He denied himself every earthly thing to which we feel we are entitled: comfort, personal time and space, family, financial stability, acceptance, job achievement, and finally, life itself.

Application: Christ plainly says this to me: " If you truly want to be my follower, you must be willing to see as unnecessary anything and everything that is more important to you than me." Definition of Sin--- Having my needs met by anyone or anything but God.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, You know what stands in the way of total surrender for me even if I don't. I confess that I think to "deny" myself an hour of sleep in the morning in order to read Your Word is a sacrifice. Please forgive me.  I pray for believers in countries such as Pakistan, India, and China who may today give their very lives to follow You. I want to follow You with that kind of denial of self, but it's usually the little things (such as just wanting my own private time and space) that get in the way. Show me what denying self means for me here in the life You have planned for me. Amen.

Divine Mentor: Single Minded by Laila Wahba

Luke 6.7
...and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor
This phrase stopped me, and let me think: when I leave this world, or even 
before I leave it; when I am not around and people want to describe me, what 
will they say? laila: who.....
I realized how my day to day living will always determine my final description.
Lord, as I live day in and day out, help me take wise choices, choices that will 
glorify you. Let people say about me like they did about Daniel (which we are 
still reading :)we shall not find any fault with her unless it is in connection 
to the law of her God.. What an honor that this would be my only fault.
Today Lord, let me walk closely to you, looking only at YOU. I Love you Lord

Laila

Divine Mentor- No Stone Unturned

Daniel 5-6; Psalm 130; Luke 3

Scripture: Luke 3:31 " the son of..., the son of Nathan, the son of David,"

Observation: Because it was critical that Jesus be of the lineage of King David (for so many reasons), God not only chose Joseph (descended from Solomon, Matt. 1:16) to be His earthly father but also made certain that Mary, His biological mother, was also in that line (through Nathan, 2 Sam. 5:14).

Application: Why is this the verse that speaks to me this morning when there are so many others in this reading--- the faithfulness of Daniel, the beautiful Psalm 130, John the Baptist, even the baptism of Jesus? As I watch the news (which I seldom do) or watch people try to make sense of their lives and the world around them, I cling to the absolute omnipotence of a God who is in total control. It would have been defensible for Jesus to be the legal Son of David (through Joseph, His father) or the natural Son of David (through Mary, His mother) ; however, God leaves no doubt, no stone unturned.

Prayer: Father, thank you for reminding me again today that You are in control and for giving me the confidence that You will leave no stone unturned in my life.

Divine Mentor- Jesus Really Is Coming Back!

Ezekiel 42-44; Revelation 22
Scripture: Revelation 22:12. "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give everyone according to his work."

Observation: Quickly? Soon? No wonder the early Christians really thought Jesus was coming back during their lifetime. We would definitely not have said "quickly" or "soon" if we meant more than 2000 years later!

Application: I am reminded by these final words of John in the last book of the Bible that Jesus IS coming back and  that our 24 hour time does not exist for God. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us " with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day." Today I want to live like the early Christians, believing that His return is imminent, because in God's timing it IS!

Prayer: Jesus, today I need You to help me keep my focus on You. Who can I tell today that You are ready and waiting to come back? Give me opportunities and a heart for people who do not know You and are not ready for Your return. Amen.

Divine Mentor- This is My God

Ezekiel 38-39; Psalm 145; Rev. 20

Scripture: Psalm 145
The Lord is gracious (8)
Compassionate (8)
Good to all (9)
Glorious (11)
Faithful (13)
Loving (13)
Righteous (17)
Near to all who call on Him (18)
Watches over all who love Him (20)
" Let every creature praise His Holy Name forever and ever" (21)

Observation: THIS is our God- there is none like Him.

Application: Why would I  ever put my trust in anyone or anything but this loving, righteous, faithful God who draws near when I call and watches over me?

Prayer: My Father, I feel Your glorious presence. Thank you for loving me.

Ex 20:17 10th commandment Thou shalt not covet b hutchinson

Saturday Sept 14th is YOM KIPPUR, the last day of ATONEMENT. Last day of the 10 days of  AWE, day of REPENTANCE.      so we are to reflect on the 10th commandment to see how we have done & how we can do better in the future to obey it in the strength of JESUS.   So have we coveted our neighbors house, wife or husband, manservant, maidservant, ox, ass, nor any thing that belongs to our neighbor, being brutally honest about our thoughts & actions. Making no excuses, remember an excuse is a sin wrapped in a lie so we will not hold ourselves accountable for our thoughts & actions of sin but blame everyone else around us, i did that because you made me do that, its your fault I did that. We do not play games, the blame game started in the garden of Eden & has marched itself down through every generation till this last one.
Dictionary describes covet: to long, to desire, to be greedy, selfish, yearn, LUST after, seeking immediate or RUTHLESS satisfaction by force. In Ezek. 36:3 references infamy which is dishonor, disgrace describes the heathen coveting Israel. In verse 7 GOD promises to punish the heathen for their shame of coveting the LAND OF ISRAEL, the heathens neighbor.       So coveting brings SHAME, DISGRACE.  I want us to be bathed in GOD'S GRACE so we do not want to be heathens in GOD'S EYES.   The heathen brings the curse of shame & disgrace upon themselves. BUT GOD BRINGS BLESSINGS UPON HIS BELIEVERS!  GOD tells Israel HE does this in 37:22 & from there to the last verse38 ending with reference to FEAST ending with 1 of the 70 some times in ezekiel GOD says YOU SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.
In Ezek 37:4-5 GOD said to Ezekiel to prophesy upon the dry bones etc. The dry bones are the victims of the ones the unbelieving neighbors had coveted. What GOD did for those who did not covet, GOD WILL CAUSE BREATH TO ENTER INTO SO THEY SHALL LIVE & NOT DIE. Ezek 37:26 GOD WILL MAKE A COVENANT OF PEACE WITH THEM.    GLORY HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!   AMEN.
Our GOD  is not a respector of persons, times, or generations. The same today with us as was with them yesterday & willbe tomorrow.  GODS covenants, commandments are everlasting promises for eternity.
In PS 23:1  The LORD is our SHEPHERD; we shall not WANT.      JESUS is all we could ever want, HE is everthing good pertaining to life eternal.  We need to concentrate on what we have in HIM  & all of Ps 23:1-6 is so GOOD explaining our richness in HIM, HE IS OUR BLESSING. Why or how would we want or need to covet anything of our neighbors possessions of this world supply that results in a curse of everything evil pertaining to our death.
Rev. 19:11 I want us to, SELAH, hope on our future of when we hear the trump & see heaven opened up & behold the white horse and our JESUS sitting upon the white horse, our JESUS called FAITHFUL & TRUE as HE calls up to meet JESUS in the air.
There is 5 days to the FEAST OF TABERNACLES, many jewish & gentile scholars know GOD IS A GOD order & we are HIS tabernacles, HIS temples, HE abides in us as we abide in HIM, together we abide in the FATHER, through the HOLY SPIRIT as a gift so we cannot be prideful or boast, just gratefully thankful for our salvation.     We will celebrate the FEAST OF TABERNACLES throughout eternity, the mightiest, most glorious family reunion celebration everlasting, GLORY HALLELUJAH!   MARANATHA COME QUICKLY LORD JESUS        AMEN!!!!!!
LOOK UP OUR REDEMPTION DRAWS NIGH, NEARER THAN WHEN WE FIRST BELIEVED.