Mood:  quizzical

S.Acts 18:14, 15 (NKJ) And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrong or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you. 'But if it is a question of words and names (character) and your own law (regulations), look to it yourselves (Greek; "GAZE BACKWARDS"); for I do not want to be a judge of such matters."

O. The Jews were about to learn a lesson from the governor of Achaia (Greek for 'governor of trouble'). The lesson was to LOOK TO THERESELVES...LOOK BACKWARD to see if they were DOING what they were PREACHING! He was not willing to judge them in right or wrong. They needed to judge themselves, first, by HOW THEY PRACTICED WHAT THEY PREACHED!

A.Am I living out what I say? Do I look backwards at myself to see if I'M living out what I tell others about? Do I judge others without judging myself first? If I am, then I have NO right! Keeping my eyes off others and onto myself when judging should be my way of life. My words, character and God's regulatons should not just be spoken of, they need to be LIVED OUT....by ME!

P.Father, help me to practice what I preach. Help me to live out what I know You want me to be...and in front of others. Help me be true to myself; YOU IN ME!

Mood:  spacey

S. Acts 17:16 (NKJ) Now while Paul waited for them (Timothy and Silas) in Athens ("Uncertainty"), his spirit was provoked (sharpened/stirred) within him when he saw that the city (place of warring/battle) was given over to idols. (full of too much devotion and obsession to false notions or to a visible thing of which has no substance)

O.Paul was expecting his friends, Timothy and Silas...but he waited with uncerainty, not knowing when they'd show up. As he waited, anger was stirred up in him because this great city was full of false idols and had THE God as just one of them. Could God's presence even dwell here?

A.Paul waiting for his friends reminds me when I wait on the presence of God. And when I wait, I never know when or where He'll show up. Sometimes what hinders my spirit from His presence is sin. These sins could be 'false idols or notions'. Am I putting worries higher than God? Am I giving fear or intimidation dominion over my thoughts instead of letting God have them? These are sins. Thoughts that BLOCK God's presence. My mind needs to be free of worry, fears, intimidation and anything that 'sets itself higher than God'. Then His presence, His very Spirit, can freely move in and around me.

P.Father, forgive me for setting my mind on anything but You. I ask that You raise up in me a hate for sin and any of the things that could try to set itself up higher than You in my mind and spirit. I want You alone to be first in my life!

Mood:  mischievious

S.Acts 16:37-39 (NKJ) But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans (Strong, Powerful), and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? And the officers told these words to the  magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard they were Romans (Strong, Powerful). Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out and asked them to depart from the city.  (the word 'city' comes from the Greek words for 'warfare, battle, fight, war')

O. In front of everyone, Paul and Silas had been beaten and scourged. Now, because the officers had found out Paul was a Roman, they knew they had made a mistake and that they would eventually be punished for it by their superiors. Romans held great statis and it was against the law to harm them when untried. These officers knew they had made a great mistake and now tried to cover it up by BEGGING Paul and Silas to LEAVE SECRETLY! As the story continues, Paul and Silas refused to leave in secret. They wanted the whole city to know they were FREE and that they had been IMPRISONED FOR UNJUDGED WRONGS. They DEMANDED to be SEEN as FREED because POWER and STRENGTH was in their DNA!

A.I want the enemy to BEG me to leave the battle because He knows I am the GUARANTEED WINNER! I want him to see that the power and strength of Jesus lives in me and know that he can not keep me in a battle. I ooze freedom! I want the power and strength of Jesus to bring the enemy 'fear and awe' of me. The enemy will know he's made a mistake in messing with me and Jesus! Like the Israelites being escorted out by their oppressors, Egypt, I want the enemy/oppressor to escort me out...BEG me to leave! All SEE and KNOW that they are FREE!

P. Thank You, Jesus, for the power and strength You have given me. Thank You that these cause the enemy/satan to shake in his boots! Raise up that power and strength in me, Lord, and the authority to use it so that the enemy will not even attempt to battle with us!

Mood:  lazy

S. Acts 15:38, 39

But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one (who was Mark, and in Greek means "Defense" which means 'justification') who had departed from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work/toil. Then the contention became so sharp that they parted/seperated from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus.

O. Paul and Barnabas got into a tift over taking Mark with them to visit the cities that they had already preached the Good News in. Paul insisted that Mark had left them in the middle of the 'work' and so he didn't deserve to go with them. Barnabas insisted that Mark should come anyway. In anger, they parted. They had a difference of oppinion on who DESERVED to be part of the reaping of this ministry.

A.When any of us pause to think about it, NONE of us deserve to work for God. We can not do anything that would be worthy of Him on our own; no amount of working/labor can get us closer to God. But we have been JUSTIFIED through Jesus! This means that Jesus is our DEFENSE and HE is our JUSTIFICATION! All we need to do is TRUST in Jesus, because He's ALWAYS doing HIS job! WE rest in HIS works! This is where the seperation comes in. We are to SEPERATE works from grace. God's grace is SUFFICENT for us!

P.Father, You made it so easy for me to follow You! And yet as a human I try to make it into work. But You have told me to 'rest' because it's all been done through Jesus! And so, Father, I pray for rest and trust in You...COMPLETELY! Teach me how to rest in You with complete trust. Seperate WORK and FAITH in my life, Father.

S.

Acts 14:2, 3  But the unbelieving Jews [who rejected their message] aroused the Gentiles and embittered their minds against the brethren. So [Paul and Barnabas] stayed on there for a long time, speaking freely and fearlessly and boldly in the Lord, Who continued to bear testimony to the Word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be performed by their hands.

O. The Jews, who were originally meant to be used by God, had rejected Him. Now, because they wouldn't comply with God, God rose up jealousy in the Jews through use of the Gentiles. The Jews wouldn't believe the good news of Jesus. These Jews tried to poison the minds of any who were listening to Paul and Baranbas. This was God's plan. It opened the perfect, set timing of God to use Paul and Barnabas as channels of His power and make His mark through miracles. This opened the door of opportunity to spread the Good News!

A. Sometimes we don't understand why we are put into certain situations. But when we look back, we can see that God has used those opportunities, pre planned, to display His glory. In times of persecution, God opens opportunity.

P.  Father, I pray for revelation of Your opportunities. Open my eyes to see Your opened doors and windows! 

Mood:  incredulous

S. Acts 13:51, 52 (AMP) But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium ("little image"). And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

O.Having just completed their mini-mission of preaching throughout this area, anger rose up in the Jews. They kicked the apostles out. This could have caused offense to raise up. Instead, the apostles 'shook it off' and were rewarded with joy and the Holy Spirit. They came into Iconium ("Little image:)...they became the very 'image' of Jesus because they chose to SHAKE OFF OFFENSE!

A.How many times have I taken on offense? How many times have I let it drive me out of God's perfect peace? Like the disciples, I am to shake it off and show that I am an example of Jesus. Offense only lets satan into my mind, twisting and turning truths into untruths and stretching them out into bigger things than they really are. Shaking off offense stops satan in his tracks. And joy and gladness can be released in me by Holy Spirit. So, I'm SHAKING!

P.Thank You, Lord, that You have shown me the choices of taking offense on or letting it go. I CHOOSE to dwell in joy and gladness and I CHOOSE to be 'a little image' of Jesus! Fill me full, Holy Spirit, so there is no room for offense...only Your complete joy!

Mood:  not sure

S. Psalm 15:1, 2 (AMP) LORD, Who shall dwell (temporarily) in Your Tabernacle? Who shall dwell (permanently) on Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteously and speaks the truth in his heart.

O. We who want to have God's dwelling place within us here on earth (in our earthly body, as the place where God's Spirit dwells) AND want a permanent place on 'God's holy hill' (a place of spiritual exhaltation) must go through this earthly life with thoughts of integrity, honesty and justice. We can not lie to ourselves. We must THINK HIS way, because then HIS way, becomes OUR way! God can not dwell in a place where dishonesty dwells. We must CHANGE OUR MIND to think like Jesus...to only THINK true and honest thoughts. 

A. I must constantly devote my way of thinking to the way Jesus thinks ! I can not believe lies that say 'some sin is ok'. Any form of sin or dishonesty ISN'T ok. I am to think morally, honestly, with fairness and with integrity! For my mind is the personal controller of my inner man. God's Word helps me to change my way of thinking and helps me know what is morally right and honest. I need the mind of Jesus! His thoughts hold ALL truth!

P. Father, I ask that thoughts of integrity, justice and honesty would dominate my thinking. I pray for the mind of Jesus! For then I will PERMANTELY dwell in Your spiritual exaltation! Help me to think only honest thoughts and not lie to myself. Jesus, THINK IN ME!

Mood:  d'oh

S. Psalm 10:7 (NKJ) The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

O.The instruction, direction and teaching of God through His Word is full of integrity and truth; completed. It returns our thinking, our will and our character back to the way God intended them to be at the beginning of the creation of man. The showing of proof by God (His Testimony), through His Word, is reliable and trustworthy. God's Word creates in us open minds and open morals. God's Word creates a seducible mind; opened minds to HIS way of thinking!

A. It's true! The more I read the more my mind becomes opened to God's ways! The more my mind thinks simply (no 'do-it-myself' thoughts), the more wisdom God can put in me, because His thoughts are higher than man's thoughts! He draws my mind to His, through His Word! 

P.Father, Your Word seduces my mind, will and character to the way You created me to be in the first place; YOURS! Show me how to 'dumb-down' human thoughts and morals and to receive ALL Your wisdom and ways, Father, through Your Word!

Mood:  special

S. Acts 10:40, 41 (AMP)  But God raised Him to life on the third day and caused Him to be manifest (to be plainly seen),  Not by all the people but to us who were chosen (designated) beforehand by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.

O. God awakens Jesus inside people He has pre-chosen. In these people, and in His perfect timing, Jesus is made obvious (SHINES). These people are to be 'martyrs', those who willingly die to 'self' rather than renounce their belief in God, His cause and His principles. These people are those who feed their spirits on God's Word (bread) and drink in His Spirit to become refreshed and strengthened (water). In doing so, they are able to soak up God's very thoughts, uniting with God's mind/Spirit. With all of these, Jesus stands up in us and comes into action within us.

A. I know this for a fact in my life. The more I read God's Word, the more I know Jesus! The more I unite with God's Spirit, allowing Him to point out in His Word what I need for each new day, the more I know Jesus! I can feel His action inside of me, giving me His thougts, His very thinking. I'm eating and drinking what causes life to grow and become stronger in my spirit. Uniting with Jesus, becoming one with Him in His Word, is the only way to REALLY know Him and allow His to grow me up into what I was pre-chosen to be in the first place. As I eat and drink, I desire more and more spiritual food. The more this desire grows in me, the more I die to self and want what He wants. I LOVE THIS! He is changing MY mind! And it is becoming easier and easier to desire what He desires in my life!

P.Holy Spirit, awaken within me more hunger and thirst for Your Word. Teach me how to think like Jesus and point to The Father always as He does! Stand up in me, Jesus! I want more room for You in my spirit!

Mood:  quizzical

S.

Act 9:13, 14 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.

O.

Ananias had heard the terrible things that Saul had done to all the Believers of Jesus. People were afraid because of all that was spoken about Saul in fear; fear breeds fear. But Ananias believed GOD more than MAN! Knowing God, Ananias knew that God would protect him in this assignment...why would God give Ananias a job without giving him the ways, means, and protection to fulfill it? What would have happen if Ananias HADN'T obeyed God? This one man could have changed the whole Bible...for the rejection of the 'assignment' from God would have slowed the process of the New Testament coming to us being that Saul/Paul would be the one who would eventually write it.

A.

When God gives me an assignment, He will also provide me with ALL I need (including NO FEAR) to complete it! I will trust in Him and obey what He tells me to do, knowing that no power in heaven or earth can stop God's plans. If I reject His jobs, He will find someone else to do it. I am just His vessel...and His plans will come about with or without me. Fear or no fear, I must listen to God and NOT man!

P.

Father, I pray for not only BIG ears to hear You, but for a heart of obedience! I desire You to use me, Lord. Put in me, Lord, Your boldness and desires to complete the jobs you give me...and the FIRST time!