Mood:  don't ask

S.

Matthew 12:33 (NKJ) Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.

O.

We each have a choice. We can either go through life, dying as worthless, or we can go through life in excellence. Each of us is dying. It's HOW we die that shows what carries us through this life. This is our character, or what lives inside of us. We are both worthless and decaying inside, or are excellent in stature and nature and building spiritual life inside. We get to choose how we die. Our choice determines our character and what is 'living' inside of us. We can die kicking and screaming, or by allowing God to put new life into our 'spirit-man'.

A.

Each of us is dying. When we were born, we started to physically die. It's HOW we die that shows what is inside of us. This shows our inner character and what REALLY is alive inside of us. If our spirit is dead, then we ARE dying. But if our spirit is living, then we are truly LIVING and living from the inside-out. This is our character. If life is inside our spirit, then we go through life knowing we aren't ever going to die.

This is what Jesus did for us on the cross. He gave us life by putting 'death of our spirit' in the grave. He was the first 'Man' to die and come to life again in His Spirit (resurrection). He paved the way for OUR spirits to follow Him. And all we have to do is BELIEVE in what He did for us. He left Holy Spirit on earth for us in order that He would teach our personal spirits/inner-men to LIVE...and HOW to live rightly!

I CHOOSE LIFE! I choose for my spirit to live even though I'm physically dying. That is what shows the 'action' of my spirit...my character. And that is the difference in a Believer in Jesus and an Unbeliever....it's all in our CHARACTER! (fruit of the spirit)

P.

Jesus, I thank You for dying for me....and showing me how to truly live. Holy Spirit, help my spirit to live fully. Teach my spirit to live the way YOU do!

Mood:  incredulous

S.

Matthew 8:8 (NKJ)  The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.

O.

This man, who leads and guides into full measure (a captain of 100 men) those who are at his control, responded for himself, saying: "Lord, You who are my Supreme Authority, I am not ideal in design or purpose that You should think of me or reveal to MY mind ("under my roof") Your revelations, ideas, plans, imaginations or designs. But, merely make Your thoughts, ideas, purposes and designs known to me! In that way, my attendant...my mind and thoughts, will be free from errors and sins!"

A.

We Believers could be this Centurion because we ARE the captain of our thoughts...our 'attendants or servants'....all that  we 'think'. When we Believers submit our thoughts and mind (soul) to Jesus, He reveals His plans, purposes, ideas and thoughts to our minds. We can then command the 'attendants' of our minds(our thoughts) to loose us from their influence of errors and sins in our lives! With the authority of Jesus, we are made free by using our spoken words over our thoughts. Faith in the 'spoken Word of God', as the Centurion in this scripture had, sets us free. We, as Commanders, speak God's Word outloud in faith over our own thoughts and we are set free, in the name (character and likeness) of Jesus.

P.

Father, Think with my mind. I want to know Your thoughts, plans, purposes and every imagination You have for my life! Teach me Your authority by and through Your Son, Father! For I want to think like Him! Teach me YOUR thoughts, Lord!

Mood:  a-ok

S.

Matthew 7:20 (NKJ)

Wherefore by their fruits you will know them.

O. 

To draw a conclusion, you will perceive and understand them by their influence on other people.

A.

If a person causes others to act badly, then the first person has evil in them. If a person causes others to do good, then the first person has good in them.

Influence is the "the effect of one thing (or person) on another". How I effect others determines what is inside of me.

P.

Father, help me to effect others as You have effected me. Touch my spirit with Yours so as I can touch others with Your Spirit.

Mood:  bright

S.

Matthew 8:22,23 (NKJ) The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness

O.

The clarity of morality and purity is in knowledge.

As a result, if your knowledge is simple, sound, fulfilling and clear...all woven together, than you are completely full of a knowledgable and of an understanding character.

BUT if your knowledge is labored for, bringing trouble and toil, and is hurtful and causing pain, than your character is hidden in ignorance...as uneducated, unaware, and uninformed...BLIND.

As a result, if the pinpointed knowledge and understanding of moral and spiritual truth is in an instrumental and fixed position in your mind as knowledge...and is ignorant, uneducated and unaware, then that ignorance is HUGE!

A.

My mind is my soul. It is my responsibility to educate my soul with truth. This is what brings my whole character into complete soundness. If I am ignorant of truth and morality, than my soul sits in the shadows...doesn't know the Light of Truth. And if my fixed position...my stubborn thoughts....stay on what I ignorantly think is truth...but it is just a shadow of truth...than I stay in darkness...my soul stays lost...and my whole character is wrong. Only God's Light of Truth, Jesus, can educate my soul/mind to what is really true and fulfilling. Only JESUS!

P.

Father, educate my soul and mind with Your knowledge....YOUR morality! Bring my mind into YOUR education....not the world's education. Take me from ignorance into full knowledge...spirit, soul and body. Complete me, Daddy!

Mood:  amorous

S.

Psalm 34:7(MSG) His angel guards those who honor the LORD and rescues them from danger.

O.

God's own representative (angel), who is God's 'substitute' and has been empowered by God to act for Him, dwells in the environment (surrounds) those who adore Jehovah. God's 'deputy' equips and arms those who honor God and hold Him in high esteem, with all they need to be protected, defended and for fighting the 'enemy'.

A.

God's very own 'deputy' guards me. He equips me with all I need to be safe and to fight the war of the flesh. What do I need to do to receive this amazing gift? ADORE GOD! What an amazing, giving Father I have!

P.

Thank You, Father, for making it easy to love and adore You. Thank You for Your kindness and for Your ever-giving heart! I praise You, Father. Show me how to love You more. Show me how to use Your gifts for the good of humanity.

Mood:  lyrical

S.

Psalm 59:16 (NKJ) But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble.

O.

I will travel and sing of God's might. Yes, I will shrilly shout for joy...rejoicingin tryumph of Your goodness, kindness, faithfulness, beauty, favor, and pity. I will do this with each bright joy that comes after a night of distress. for You have been my Retreat...my Cliff that is inaccessable to those who would try to 'get' me. You have been my 'Place of Escape' so that I can just vanish away from my enemies when they would have tried to bring me into a tight, narrow, oppressive and bound place.

A.

When troubles come, I hide. But God has said that He will be my Hiding Place, my Refuge, my Retreat! When I am 'squeezed' by life and it's living, I can hide in God. He is my Place of Escape, inaccessible to those who would try to hurt me. When I hide there, I am in His arms, held in safety and given the kindness, faithfulness and caring that I need. He is my Retreat!

P.

Father, help me to always know that I can hide in You. Help me to trust in Your mercy and run to You each time that trouble knocks on my door. Thank You for BEING my Hiding Place! Be pleased, Lord, with my song to You!

Mood:  incredulous

S.

Matthew 3:8 (AMP) Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart];

O.

Having been warned of the 'wrath to come', the Pharasees and Saducees came to John. John told them that they needed to produce results in their lives that showed they had 'changed their minds'; the result of obeying their consciences. This would be the 'fruit' of their feeling of remorse for their sins. This 'fruit' or a 'changing of their minds' would show in the way they lived their lives.

A.

When I feel bad about something, that's my conscience telling me that something isn't right. It's then my choice to change my thinking and putting that thinking into my life's action. I need to change my thinking to what God's word says is the right thing to do. When I change my thinking, my life should change in that same direction. If it doesn't, then something isn't true...isn't right. The way I live should be the way I think. For I have the 'mind of Christ'....what could be better than to 'think like Jesus'? Allowing Jesus to have my thinking is to think 'higher thoughts' and to think righteously. This is the beginning of 'repentance' and living the way Jesus thinks. This is living and thinking the right way.

P.

Jesus, help me to think like You. Show me how to give You all my thoughts, for I am to 'have the mind of Christ'. Then help me to live my life in YOUR way, Sweet Jesus! Holy Spirit, will You help me in this? In Jesus' name I ask this.

Mood:  surprised

S.

2 Corinthians 13:5,8(NKJ) 5.Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?unless indeed you are disqualified.....

8.For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

O.

This scripture is telling me to KNOW MYSELF and know who I am in Jesus, for He IS Truth; to be truthful to myself. I am to get to know myself, intimately and truthfully, because Jesus lives in me as Truth. To know myself truly, is to know that Jesus, the Truth, is in there!

A.

I am to scrutinise myself, looking at every minute detail, to see if I am worthy of Jesus within me. I am to search for truth and the REAL STUFF inside myself. I am to ask myself if I am allowing Jesus to do EVERYTHING deep inside of me, or am I stopping Him from the fullness of what He can do in and through me? Am I allowing TRUTH to show or am I hiding?

Am I living in full view of all eyes with nothing hidden? Am I truly full of integrity, ability and character that can be totally relied on by others?

Does God have confidence in me and can He see Truth inside of me?

Looking back over my life as I went through hard times and tests, did I come through without leaving deceit or scars? Do I SHOW everything, all truthfulness? What did I learn about myself during those times? Did I let Jesus show through me? Or did I hide Him and not allow His fullness of love and mercy and truth to show through me?

Getting to know who I am in Jesus is getting to know my ability and power through Him; His Truth. The proof is in the results of my life and my actions. The proof of who I am in Jesus is the fruit of my life and my living. TRUTH and what is truly REAL!

P.

Father, help me to know myself. Help me to see with clear vision what needs to be changed in my life. Show me the truth of me, Lord. Show me how to allow Jesus to be seen in me with nothing hidden. I pray for clear vision, Lord...with nothing hidden.

Mood:  incredulous

S.

2 Corinthians 10:3,4 (NKJ) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.

O.

The 'human/animal nature' is what we naturally prefer or choose inside ourselves. The 'human/animal nature' wants to be without a spirit or soul. Because of this, as Believers, we don't use our 'human/animal nature" to fight for our spirit or soul because it doesn't have the capabiltiy. We are given the ability and the possibilty to fight for our spirits/souls by God. We are given the 'tools/armour' to prepare ourselves by God. These 'tools' are for demolishing and destroying anything that the 'human/animal nature' clings to; what it holds to itself. (i.e. the mind in alarm, in agitation or in emotions, etc. for the mind is the soul)

A.

When I think correctly and allow God's 'thought-weapons' to give me the ability to control the soul/mind, then I CAN control my 'human/animal nature'. I can direct my thoughts to what my natural 'man' tries to control. I can knock down the fearful thoughts that come. I can demolish the anger that comes into my mind. I can extinguish over-loaded emotions. God gives me that ability if I choose to use it. And when I DO choose God's 'thought-weapons', I can feel His power in me. I hear HIS will, not mine. I am then on God's side, the winning side....and I WIN!

P.

Father, I thank You for YOUR weapons! I thank You for the 'helmet of salvation' that guards my whole head; my thoughts, my eyes, ears, nose, mouth, throat...all that I think, see, hear, discern, take in for 'food', all that I consume and chew on. I have the choice of how and who I fight. You gave me that choice out of Your love for me. I choose to fight all that sets itself as stronger than You in my life, Lord. I choose to fight for my soul and spirit with the weapons of 'thought' that You gave to me. I choose to think YOUR way!

Mood:  quizzical

S.

Psalm 77:19 (NKJ)  Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters, And Your footsteps were not known.

O.

God's mode of action is through human lives. ('sea'='restless masses of humanity' or 'human life with its instability of spirit, action and conduct) His passageway is in His abundant of 'danger'...the trials that humans go through; the 'changes' in life. God's 'footsteps' are the 'way we should go'. God's ways are not known to men but we are to follow Him in faith. We see what God does, but we aren't told why He does what He does. We are just to trust in Him.

A.

There are many things that I have had to endure in my life that I haven't understood. But as I come out the other side, I can look back and see what I had learned. This is following the 'footsteps' that God has left for me to follow. I haven't known the 'why' until I got to the end of that season in my life, and sometimes didn't even understand the 'why' even when the trials were over. But I have to walk the same path that God has shown me. If I don't, I will never learn what He is teaching me; how to be wiser in this life and grow in spirit to completeness.

P.

Father, I thank You for the personal pathway You have lead me on. I thank You for the continued pathway ahead of me. Help me to always trust in YOUR reasons, for You know what is best for me. Complete my spirit, Father, into what You created me to be in the first place! Help me to grow in YOU, Holy Spirit!