Mood:  hungry

S.

Ephesians 5:15,16 (AMP)

Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil.

O.

Discern, accordingly, in what way you regulate your life, making due use of your opportunities of life. Be cautious and wary of those opportunities, and not in the manner of being unwise, unskilled or unlearned, but in the manner of forming the best plan for those perfectly placed opportune times and then using that plan for the best means of execution/action. Make wise and sacred ('set apart for this specific use') choices for these opportunities. Do what is good. then your 'well doing' and you 'zeal for doing good' will be the 'purchase money'by which you make those times of 'opportunities' your own. This is a fixed and set time...a 'due season'...set in this time especially for you because these are times of 'diseased and blinded' spirits and souls; a time of hardships and labours.

A.

I know I am to be watchful for any opportunity God sets before me. He has chosen every season of my life for a purpose. When the opportunity, the 'set portion of time', is layed out before me to do good, I am to DO good! Because of this season that our country is in, a season of being 'blinded to knowing God's love' and a 'blackness and diseased soul'...a diseased world...our good stands out. Light shines very bright in the darkness in this season. And good will always overcome evil! Opportunities to shine our Light today are endless. And we 'buy' more opportunities to shine the Light by using each opportunity, one at a time.

My plan? To SHINE with the heart of Jesus into the opportunities set before me by God; to love with Jesus' heart, to hold others with Jesus' arms, to encourage with Jesus' words, to shine with the hope of God!...and anytime, anywhere that God sets that opportunity before me, with a prepared and watchful heart.

P.

Father, prepare me for Your 'suddenlys'. Fill me with Your wisdom and planning so I can shine the Light of Jesus into others at each and every opportunity that You have set before me. Show me how to always be 'good'.

Mood:  special

S.

Ephesians 2:15, 16 (AMP) By abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the enmity [caused by] the Law with its decrees and ordinances [which He annulled]; that He from the two might create in Himself one new man [one new quality of humanity out of the two], so making peace.

 And [He designed] to reconcile to God both [Jew and Gentile, united] in a single body by means of His cross, thereby killing the mutual enmity and bringing the feud to an end.

O. & A.

Jesus, by positioning Himself for the purpose of dividing the earthly/human nature from God's Divine influence, rendered the earthly/human nature entirely useless. He rendered useless the discord  toward the persecribed rules of God to us and the human/earthly nature that opposes God's perscribed rules to us. Jesus completely transformed, as our Manufacturer, these two 'ways of thinking' (God's perscription for us vs. human being ideas that say:'I don't need God') into ONE NEW KIND OF HUMAN BEING, setting this NEW KIND OF HUMAN in a usable and purposeful set position. He did this for the harmony and tranquility of our souls; to reconsile us, the NEW KIND OF HUMAN, to our Creator,and by killing our earthly/human nature full of hatred and opposition to God that is proned to sin. Jesus took man's earthly nature to the death with Him from the cross, and when He rose again, He brought with Him our NEW HUMAN NATURE, a NEW nature that can be intimate, once again, with God.

P.

aThank You, Jesus, for making US Your NEW KIND OF HUMAN BEING! Thank You that You have reconciled us to our Creator, our Father! I am a new 'creature' because of Your death on the cross!

Mood:  lyrical

S.

Ephesians 1:17,18 (AMP) [For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him,

  By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones),

O.

Paul prayed for the Ephesians (the "permitted" and "desirable" ones), that God would furnish them (us) with the mental dispositon that fills and governs us with full and broad intelligence. He prayed that these would be made clear, naked and uncovered to our minds/spirits. He prayed that this disposition and clarity would be known to us fully and accurately, with the understanding of God. He prayed that the 'eyes of our mind', our faculty of knowing in our thoughts and our imaginations (the ability to form images and sensations when they are not perceived by any other senses, i.e. sight, hearing, touch, etc.) would be rendered evident to us. This is so that we would discover the pleasurable anticipation of God's invitation to us, along with the fulfillment and abundance of the 'possessions' of His 'Chosen Ones', those 'set apart for His use'.

A.

God DOES use our imagination so as to communicate to us what our natural senses can not. Our imagination is the 'eye of our mind' and this is where my hope in God's calling is made real to me. I have been chosen by God and I need to know what He is calling me to do. This has to be made clear to me, supernaturally. Yes, my human senses can confirm what God tells me to do, but it is the 'eye of my mind' that is my 'heavenly sense'. It is the godly imagination that God uses to speak to me. He uses our minds to download HIS thoughts and make clear to us what our purpose is; in a lifetime and in daily life. He uses His Word to get those thoughts into our brains, and then gives us His supernatural understanding through the 'eye of our minds'. Confirmation for these 'thoughts' are then proved through our natural senses, the outside of us. We have to be open to all that God is telling us.

The tools? The Word of God, God's Spirit, Our minds and imaginations, and an openess and 'useability' to our Supernatural God!

P.

Father, use all of me for Your purpose and calling. Use the godly imagination inside my brain, the same imagination that YOU have, Father, to help me understand Your purposes. Keep my heart and spirit ever open to all that You want me to know. Fill me, Father, with Your revelation and understanding, keeping me ever closer to YOU!

Mood:  incredulous

S.

Romans 16:19,20 (AMP) ... I would have you well versed and wise as to what is good and innocent and guileless as to what is evil. And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet....               

O.

What Paul has in mind for us during troubles is that we would know what is useful and beneficial to us through skilled and cultivated learning; that the cultivated learning we have isn't mingled with useless or harmful knowledge.

He wishes that God would shatter the 'worn track' that Satan, the Accuser, uses on us, over and over.

Paul wishes that we would walk over that 'worn track of accusations' quickly, while stay in that 'quick walking' possition.

A.

Satan is known as 'the Accuser'. He likes to put thoughts in our mind that aren't true. He knows what our 'thought weaknesses' are and uses those thoughts over and over...a WORN TRACK.

Paul tells us that we can know the truth about satan. We can, through living our lives, learn from events in our lives, the events that satan uses to lie to us. We can become wiser than him, knowing his tactics. We can also believe satans lies, causeing us to get stuck in the 'WORN TRACK' of deceit.

BUT Paul also says that we SET the possition of walking quickly OVER that WORN TRACK of deceit. We, through using the wisdom and knowledge of walking through our lives (looking back on how satan has deceived us before, and learning from that) we can know satan's tactics and QUICKLY WALK OVER HIS LIES!

P.

Holy Spirit, I pray that You would remind me of satan's tactics in my life and that I would SEE what he uses to lie to me. Father, help me to quickly walk over that WORN TRACK of deceit using the wisdom You reveal to me through my life.

Mood:  happy

S.

Romans 15:2, 3 (AMP)  Let each one of us make it a practice to please (make happy) his neighbor for his good and for his true welfare, to edify him [to strengthen him and build him up spiritually].

For Christ did not please Himself [gave no thought to His own interests]; but, as it is written, The reproaches and abuses of those who reproached and abused you fell on Me.

REPROACHES: (dict.) criticism, shame, blame, to charge with a fault, to condemn

"FELL ON ME": to fall into ones embrace, to fall from higher position to lower position, to loose authority, to no longer have force/power, to remove from power by death (Strongs #G1968)

O.

In seeking to please everyone around us in order to build them up, spiritually, we don't seek to criticise or shame them. Those traits should be dead in us because when we accepted Jesus, submitted to him completely, He came to live in us and has killed those human traits. We don't give them out OR take them in!

A.

No shame or condemnation should be in my life...either to give it or take it. Jesus lives in me. He took my shame and blame. And I release all of the shame and blame "into His embrace"...because of His love for me. I am not to have these traits to give out or have these put onto me by someone else.

P.

Jesus, I thank You for Your arms, Your embrace. I give to You all my shame, blame and condemnation. Help me to live my life in the Truth of that! Help me to walk through this life as Your proof of freedom from blame, shame and condemnation....YOU KILLED IT! Thank You!

Mood:  quizzical

S.

Romans 14:19,20 (AMP) So let us then definitely aim for and eagerly pursue what makes for harmony and for mutual upbuilding (edification and development) of one another.

You must not, for the sake of food, undo and break down and destroy the work of God! Everything is indeed [ceremonially] clean and pure, but it is wrong for anyone to hurt the conscience of others or to make them fall by what he eats.

O.

As a result of knowing how and what to do or not to do before others, try to earnestly seek after the things that make harmony and tranquility in the souls of others (showing that we are assured in Christ's salvation, that we fear nothing from God, and demonstrating contentment with our earthly lot). Earnestly seek after the things that improve and teach morality and spiritual improvement...being construtive and showing wisdom, piety, happiness, and holiness as confirmation of God's freedom in you. 

 For teaching and promoting spiritual welfare doesn't halt a Believer's journey through life, depriving it of success. It doesn't deprive the success of God's business or accomplishments; the product of His work. Instead, EVERYTHING, in fact, is free from corruption, sin and guilt...EVERYTHING is innocent. But it is what OCCUPIES ONES ATTENTION OR THOUGHTS, destructively, that can be harmful and consume the soul. THIS is what causes humans to sin. THIS is what comes through in our actions in front of others.

A.

What consumes our thoughts is what causes us to act in the way we do. If our thoughts are destructive, ungodly and not of godly thoughts, then our actions show that. THESE are what can cause others to sin, tripping up their Christian walk. The actions of one Believer in front of another can cause a HUGE ROADBLOCK in the path, the "WAY", toward spiritual growth. Although Paul says that there is not one thing that is wrong in our actions (we are innocent in all things), it is what we let our mind be consumed on that is wrong. If our thoughts hold ANYTHING in priority over God, than THAT is what consumes our souls. Our actions reflect what our mind thinks. Others observe this in us and it causes them to question what they have believed, especially if they are a new Believer. We could cause a "ROADBLOCK" in their way, that blocks their spiritual growth and instead makes them question what is Truth. Instead, we should be a "ROAD SIGN" that points to the path and causes spiritual growth, wisdom, knowledge and a closer relationship with Jesus....all by the way that our actions reflect what is inside our minds.

P.

Father, set my soul with YOU as my priority. Help me to never put anything or anyone above You, Father. Keep me mindful of my actions before others. Don't let me be a ROADBLOCK to others, but to be a ROAD SIGN instead!

Mood:  incredulous

S.

Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

O.

As a result of work ceasing, and our weariness giving up to falling to sleep...and that these things grow with time....as a result of these things, the set time to abstane from these is ready and imminent. We are now to put aside these 'products/results of blindness'..the 'shade that causes blindness to intercept the Light'.

It's now the time to invest in proof of God/the Light. It's time to BE the clear evidence of God. it's time to clothe ourselves as the 'instrument of warfare' and of the 'power of understanding moral and spiritual truths'. 

A.

This scripture is saying that time has caused humanity's 'work and weariness' to grow; we think we have to work to get into God's good graces and grow more and more tired with this work as time goes on, working harder and harder and growing more and more tired. This causes us to be blinded to God's truth, obscuring our spiritual vison. But God says NOW is the time to become His proof that we KNOW morality and the Truth! Now is the time to put on that armor that helps us to fight the darkness. That armor is moral Truth! This gives evidence of God and we become that evidence. We become the Light because we hold the Light inside of us.

P.

Make me YOUR evidence, Lord! Clothe me with Your shining armor of Truth.

Mood:  lucky

S.

 Romans 11:29,36 (AMP) 

 For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. [He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.]

 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. [For all things originate with Him and come from Him; all things live through Him, and all things center in and tend to consummate and to end in Him.] To Him be glory forever! Amen (so be it).

O.

The reason that God ingrained into man FINAL and UNCHANGABLE natural talents, along with the inner drive to move into action (a stirring up with excitement) by God, is for these things to be  proofs to show to humanity (give humans the oppinion in their minds) that all things and every person proceeds from Him; that all things and every person exist on account of Him (it was HIS idea); and all things and every person go toward Him, in time, place and purpose...ending in Him.

A.

God gave every human being 'talents'. He gave us 'natural abilities' as favors and unmerited gifts. We didn't earn these 'talents'. He gave them to us to make us happy and full of gratitude to Him. God truly wants us happy and satisfied as proof that He loves us.

God also gave us an 'inner drive' to use these 'natural abilities'. Have you ever noticed that when you use your 'talent' you get inner joy? God wants us ALWAYS happy. Our happiness reflects HIM!

These 'gifts' are generated FROM Him, and are in us BECAUSE of Him (His love for us), and are completed FOR (HIS purpose), His glory!

They end with HIM as the purpose of having them, giving proof to all around us that we are loved by our Father, God!

Talents? Incentive? Our happiness is His joy, because He IS the joy within us!

P.

Father, reflect Your joy through my 'talents' and incite Your action in me! Thank You for Your joy, Your gifts, Your 'stirring up' inside of me. Reflect Yourself through my joy....You make me SO happy! Never let me forget that YOU are the 'from', 'because', and 'for' of ALL my joy!

Mood:  lucky

S.

Romans 10:4 (NKJ) For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

O.

Jesus, God's Anointed One, was sent for this exact purpose by God. Jesus was the Aim, Purpose, and Result of the 'perscription given by God from His logical thinking for being uncorrupted by evil'. Jesus is sent to everyone who is certain of God, relies on God and trusts in God, believing that God exists and is the Creator.

A.

God knows what is best for us. Through God's logical thinking, He knew that the only way we could be 'uncorrupted by evil' would be to follow His Perscription. The 'Result' of His Perscription, was Jesus. Jesus IS our 'Perscription' to being 'uncorrupted by evil'. So, HOW do we take this 'Perscription'? How do we accept and receive that 'Perscription'? By being totaly self-certain that THIS IS THE ANSWER to getting closer to God, totally relying on what God has 'logically thought out', and being unreserved in our surety in God and His ways. We take the 'trust test' with God. We totally let go and allow Him to 'catch us'. He knows best. He created us and 'logically thought out' what is our Perscription for right living; Jesus.

The results of our Trust Test? Falling right in the arms of Jesus!

P.

Father, show me how to trust in You more. I thank You that You are smarter than I am, have reasoned all things out in my life, and have given me Your Final Answer in my personal perscription to living; JESUS!

Mood:  energetic

S.

Romans 9:31,32 (NKJ) But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.

 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

O.

Israel means 'Those who Prevail/rule with God'. That's US! If we haven't become 'honest, just and right', then we are pursuing the wrong 'Way'. If we are trying to 'fill up our time' with the action of being 'honest, just and right' with God, then we are being 'tripped up' and caused to sin.

We can't DO anything to be close to God.

That is why, thinking as human-beings, we try to 'fill up our time' with works, acts and deeds' that we think will get us into right standing with God. If we keep our minds and hands busy WE CAN GET INTO RIGHT STANDING WITH GOD BY OURSELVES. NOT SO! That's SATAN'S TACTICS!

Our job, as human beings, is to TRUST in what Jesus, the Son of God, has already completed for us...we rest in that...and then allow that 'resting place' to fill our minds and our actions with what pleases God. THAT is our 'occupation' and what should be filling the time and space in our lives.

A.

There is a episode of the 'Flintstones' that parallels what I see in this scripture.

A 'Boy Scout' is trying to earn badges by doing 'good deeds'. He thinks he can earn more badges by the more deeds he does. The results is that he helps the same old lady to cross the street, over and over again, even if that isn't the direction she is needing to go. He is 'forcing' a good deed in order to get his 'feel good' badge.

Did he listen to what direction she REALLY needed to go? No...he didn't ask.

Yes, he earned his 'feel good' badge, but he didn't get any closer to pleasing that old lady because he didn't ask where SHE wanted to go. He couldn't 'work' his way into her heart. He did his deed to please himself...to earn that badge and be 'known'.

Like this 'Boy Scout', we think we can fill our time and space with good deeds to get closer to God. WE CAN'T! We may look good to man and feel good about what WE did, but that doesn't get us closer to God. Jesus already did all we need to get us closer to God. And we only need to ask HIM what and where we need to do and be to please God. He'll show us the way!

P.

Father, take away the 'badge' of of self-earned good deeds. Place in my heart the faith I need to rely on what Your Son has already done in order that I'm in right standing with You. Holy Spirit, remind me to ask what GOD wants, and not what MAN wants.