Mood:  quizzical

S.

1 Corinthians 2:9,10 (NKJ) But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

O.

God's very own Soul searchs us who love Him, to find the secrets and mysteries that are hidden there by God and for God. God's Spirit seeks and investigates what isn't obvious within us; what is not on the surface; the things that are beyond the obvious.

A.

I believe that when Holy Spirit seeks out what is inside of us, that we know it! Our spirit feels Holy Spirit stirring up the exploration within us; our curiousity. When Holy Spirit stirs us like this, we hunger for the things of God; His hidden mysterys. And through our spirit asking Holy Spirit inner questions, He reveals God's answers. Uncovered to us is the mysterys of God not seen or understood by the unsaved man. Holy Spirit opens our understanding to the depths and heights of God.

P.

Stir up within me, Holy Spirit, the curiousity I need to help me see what God has hidden within for His use. Help me to understand more and more what was previously hidden.

Mood:  accident prone

S.

Psalm 40:1-3 (NKJ) 1 I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, and heard my cry.2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.3 He has put a new song in my mouth Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord.

O.

When I cry to God for freedom from my troubles, and then bind hope to 'waiting on God', God bends down and extends Himself to me. He gives me his attention and interest. He then mentally stirs me up and causes my thoughts to raise up out of the destruction of my 'thought-prison'; raises my thoughts up out of the intoxication and distraction of these 'sticky' thoughts of calamity. He then establishes each of my steps in my 'walk of life', fastening them in His securtiy (His fortress of protection). He fastens my steps to go straight forward, to prosper and to be happy. In this place of walking, He renews, repairs and rebuilds my 'joy of the journey'. He reveals the 'door'; the way to shine for Him and boast in Him. It is the 'door' of  adoration and thanksgiving to Him. When I walk through that 'door of praise' to God, many will see the shine that God puts on me, inspiring them to reverence  God and to seek God's refuge.

A.

Binding waiting with hope, causes God to listen to my cries of help! Many times I've been in this place of waiting and hopeing! But in this place, He teaches me many things; patience, obedience, longsuffering, praise, thanksgiving, watching and even joy. I know this is all part of learning to walk in 'the joy of the journey'. How can we know the joy of life if we only have good times? There would be no difference in joy and sorrow. Joy stands out in our life when we go through suffering. Then we learn to WATCH for God's joys in each little step in our lives, learning to identify what we need to be thankful for, and to give God the credit. I learn to turn my thoughts VERTICLE...out of my 'thought prison'. The results: a straight-forward walk of life, into 'the joy of the journey'.

P.

Father, I praise You for the troubles and sorrows in  my life. Without them, You couldn't teach me all that I need to know about You in my life. Thank You that YOU are soverign...I trust You, Lord, in all the joys and in all the troubles and trials! You take evil and turn it to good. And it's always in order that we can shine for You!

Mood:  a-ok

S.

Galations 6:2,3(NKJ) Bear one anothers burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

O.

Our reputation isn't certain when it comes to others 'seeing who we are in Christ'. If we think it is, than we are 'delusional'. We need to complete the faith, the moral instruction and especially, the love of Jesus. We can only complete these in ourselves by USING them. We use them by walking side by side with other Believers, sharing, equally, the troubles that they carry. This truly shows the Jesus inside of us.

A.

Who I am in Jesus isn't done revolving yet. It never will be, but I need to continue walking through my life using all He has taught me in order to become more like Him. If I think I'm 'getting close' to having the reputation Jesus had, I'm delusional...I'm misleading my mind.

Supporting other Believers is one way to become more like Jesus...and a VERY important one. Walking through life, standing side by side with other Believers, means sharing their troubles...EQUALLY, and as if they were my own. Using what Jesus has taught us, especially His love, gives us Believers a 'Jesus Reputation'. And we, students of Jesus, are to be KNOWN for our love!

P.

Jesus, help me to be like you. Help me to love my fellow Believers as You do. Show me how to share their burdens as if they were my own and walk, side by side with them in love and care.

Mood:  sharp

S.

Galations 5:24,25 (NKJ) And those who are Christs have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

O.

Paul is teaching the Galations what the evidences are of Christ in their lives. He teaches that those who belong to Jesus hold an inner change that overflows to the outside, being that His Spirit is so huge it has to overflow onto the outside of their lives. If the very Essence/Spirit of Jesus lives within them, than all human desires and emotions are impaled or staked on their personal cross; the 'animal nature' (selfishness and forbidden desires) of man has to be subdued and destroyed in a 'case to case'or personal basis. These changes come from the desire to be like Jesus and not by working to be like Jesus (trying to do it by themselves). These changes are a spiritual revolution and renovation that come from the inner desire to change and to please God; an inner desire to be like Jesus!

A.

I can picture my 'selfishness' impaled by a stake. It struggles and wiggles, trying to get free but it has to be subdued and destroyed. This is the way to stand beside Jesus. His desires and His plans have to be first in my life. His Spirit inside of me has to reign. My will has to submit to His; total surrender. This causes my spirit to become fully alive, the way God created it to be in the first place. The 'Jesus-shaped-hole' that was created in my spirit for just God can now be filled up. I become totally satisfied in my life. God gets ALL of me.

And it's all from driving a stake through my selfishness; my human/animal nature.

P.

Show me, Lord, how to drive the stake deeper into my selfishness. Create in me a new heart, Lord, that renovates me totally for Your use! I desire YOUR change in my spirit!

Mood:  special

S.

Galations 4:9 NKJ) But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?

O.

God knows us more intimately than we know Him no matter how well we think we know Him. He arranges every element in our lives, including each and every step we take in our walk of life. So why do we fight against that? Why do we desire to go back to the slavery of the flesh? Why do we wrestle, over and over, with God's walk vs a fleshly walk? It's all our choice. If God is with me, who can be against me. When I stand on the knowledge that God dwells in me, I have everything I need to choose not to wrestle; it's needless energy spent on what is already won. With God, we win! And who wants to fight being a winner? Silly...

A.

I need to remind myself that the more I surrender to God the more power He allows me to see in myself. It's already there, I have just allowed satan to cover my eyes in seeing it. The day I said ,"I'm ALL Yours, Jesus", was the day that He put in me all that is needed to overcome the enemy in every way. But it takes a complete surrender to Jesus in order that the weapons can totally be put into use by me. He has ordered ALL my steps...it's my choice to walk in them as the victor....THE WINNER! Even before the 'wrestling match' begins.

P.

Thank You, Jesus, that because You dwell in me everything that I give to You is returned in power and victory! Thank You, My Hero, for Your extreme acts of bravery and winning the war for me. I surreneder to You! Together, WE WIN! You have made me the victorer! And I will forever praise You, Lord!

Mood:  lazy

S.

Galations 3:13 (NKJ) Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us (for as it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'.)

 "Hangs"=suspends, to keep from falling or sinking

"tree": from the Greek word, "scetarius"= A Roman ("strength") measure of capacity. 'STRENGTH'S CAPACITY'

O.

The 'curse' was having to work/sacrifice/do-it-yourself, in order to be right with God. A 'curse' is the calling down of evil onto someone. From the time of Adam and Eve's disobedience to God, humanity was cursed. Disobedience to God causes an open door to satan messing with us. But Jesus, the Chosen of God, traded His life for the 'curse/the evil' for us. Jesus took that 'evil/curse' suspended it on the cross with Him, and it died with Him. He arose but the curse stayed buried....IF we leave it there! Jesus did all is needed to be right with God again. Humanity can NOT do ANYTHING, physcially, to be right with God. But JESUS can...and DID! We rely on His works, not ours. We don't have enough capacity in our strength to work hard enough to be right with God. But Jesus, being God Himself, has more than enough strength. We rely on HIS strength and NOT our own.

A.

Jesus killed the need to 'work' to be right with God. Now I am to just rely on Him. I can see myself hanging in the air, kicking and wiggling, trying to get to God. But when I allow Jesus' Spirit to blow me, I easily get to where I need to go. Resting in the wind of the Spirit, He blows me where I need to go, what and who I need to touch.

P.

Jesus, Thank You! You made it so easy for me to rely on You. Show me how to lay aside all my human works and rest in what You have already done. Show me, Lord, how to always point to the Father, as You do!

Mood:  accident prone

S.

Psalm 38:12-

15 (NKJ) Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, And plan deception all the day long.13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.14 Thus I am like a man who does not hear, And in whose mouth is no response.15 For in You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God.

O.

Our enemies: Those who actually study us, looking for ways to ruin us, use their words in their desire to destroy us. They ponder and plot fraud against us all the time. They may be 'in disguise' so they may be hard to identify.

Our response: I keep silent. I stay 'tongue-tied'. I give them no heed or regard; no attention. I don't loosen my words to vent. In this way, I am a person who doesn't argue, give proof of my defense, correct or listen to 'ensnarers'.

Lessons learned for spiritual growth: to identify an attack from satan, to patiently wait in hope and expectation in God; to trust for God to respond and give us His attention in HIS timing; to not be offended. (an enemy tactic)

I have learned the lessons of enemy-identification, hope, faith, trust, patience, expectation, how to stand in peace, and rejection of offense.

A.

The enemy has come into my life in different forms. I am learning to identify his ways in order to know how to fight him. When it comes to offense, I am to close my mouth and my ears. Taking on offense is a sin, but God shows us in this scripture how to fight offense. Shut up and don't listen! I am waiting on God, for HE is my Defense!

P.

Thank You, Lord, for teaching me to wait expectantly for You. I know You pay attention to all that goes on in my life. I am waiting on YOU, Lord, and Your perfect planned timing!

 
  

Mood:  happy

S.

Galations 1:4 (NKJ)....who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,...

O.

Jesus died for our sins. But He also died for us in order to draw us out of the path of satan in this world. He came to draw us out and take us for Himself. He chose us. It is imminent that spiritual blindness and spiritual disease will happen, and has happened, as the world continues. What God, our Father, had in mind was to actively choose US for His purposes and to PLUCK US OUT, RESCUE US out of evil; out of satan's clutches. And so, He sacrificed His Son for this purpose...and WE are that purpose!

A.

Not only did Jesus die for my filthy sins, but He died because God chose to pull ME out of this world for Himself. He chose me to SAVE me from all the evil in this world. ME! Wow! He pulled me out of this filthy world to give me all that is good and pure and right. He 'plucked' me out of this world in order that my spirit may SEE clearly and that I may become WHOLE and complete, spiritually! Just as He meant for me when He first created me...eyes to see spiritually, ears to hear spiritually, heart to know spiritually, mind to understand spiritually. Just as it was for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden! Nancy, in Eden, walking with God....WHAT A PICTURE!

P.

This is awesome, Lord, that You actually plucked me out by choice. You CHOSE me! Thank You, Lord! THANK YOU FOR SAVING ME! Help me to always KNOW salvation...what it means in every detail and to be always grateful! You, Jesus, are MY HERO!

Mood:  bright

S.

Mark 16:17, 18 (NKJ) And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.

O.

As read through Greek interpretation by me:

Jesus possitions me, by His authority and character (name) to be in a morally different course of nature than others in order to prove that He lives in me. If I trust in His conviction of Truth (believe) then I will eject from myself any evil minister or messenger of satan. ('cast out demons') I will speak with fresh, new words. (tongue) I will discern and receive cunning wisdom in my thoughts. ('take up serpents') I will receive into my soul (drink) only what nourishes it's eternal life, which sin can not harm or hinder. ('poison, deadly') With that kind of 'soul conditon', I am to pour out (lay hands on) onto the 'weaker souls of others'('sick') in order to create the appearance of moral beauty,('will recover') both on them and onto myself. This shows Jesus, both in me and those that are poured out onto.

A.

I've always been curious about this scripture. How can a person 'drink poison' and 'pick up snakes' and not be physically harmed? As I studied these scriptures out in Greek, it's meaning is clear! These are all spiritual things that have been hidden. They aren't to be taken to mean in the physcial sense, although God could do that if He wanted to. I had to dig these spiritual meanings out like hidden treasure. And now I understand! It's just what it says in my observation above! 'Drinking poison' is filling the soul with sin. 'Taking up snakes' is SEEING/THINKING like a snake...seeing with discernment or 'cunning wisdom'. And when my soul gets it, it is to pour out onto others the beauty it has found! ('lay hand on the sick (in spirit) and they will recover')

So NOW I get it!

P.

Thank You Father for giving me the tools and the curiousity that keeps me digging into Your Treasure Trove! Keep me curious, Father, for it feeds my spirit and gives me 'moral beauty'. And all because of Your Beautiful Son and Your Gorgous Spirit!

S.

Mark 15:15 (NKJ) So Pilate (''Armed with a Dart'), wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas ('Son of Shame/Confusion') to them; and he delivered Jesus ('Savior/Deliverer') after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.

O.

Pilate is a type of 'satan' here as one 'armed with a dart'. His desire and purpose was to impale God's 'Deliverer', Jesus, to keep Him inopperable. 'Satan' used the crowd as his 'vehicle'. They would publicly ask for 'Barabbas', the builder of the house of shame and confusion' to be freed and let loose on the earth. But Jesus, our Savior, took that 'shame and confusion' to the grave with Him. It is dead and buried!

A.

Satan uses people as vehicles. He uses them for his desires and purposes in order to let loose shame and confusion to people. But we, as lovers and believers of Jesus as our Savior, are to KNOW that Jesus took those to the grave and literally killed them. No shame or confusion has any right to us Believers because of Jesus. Satan tried to impale God's Salvation. But even through death, God gave our Salavation the victory. Jesus carried our shame and confusion to death with Him....and left it there as He rose again to bring us a new and free life.  

P.

Thank You, Jesus for freeing me from shame and confusion! Help me live fully freed in front of everyone I meet! Thank You for giving me victory! Because of You, I WIN!