My Tea Time With Jesus

1 Timothy 1:5 "The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith."      How can we be filled with love that comes from a pure heart? What is a "pure heart" anyway?! I believe that it is a heart that focuses on the 'pure' things of God. Kindness, gentleness, service, peace, joy, self control, love, faithfulness, goodness, gentleness.... these things we are to focus on and share with others. We are to always be looking for good in others. We are to share the love of Jesus in all places and in all things that we do. THAT can only come from a "pure heart".      "A clear conscience" - well, now that is a bit different. A conscience is not seen by others. It is only personal to us, and us alone. Yes, God knows what we are thinking and feeling, LOL even before we realize it ourselves. However, just because He already knows it, doesn't make it ...

Exodus 4:11-12 Then the Lord asked Moses, "Who makes a person's mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say."      Chapter 4 is an interesting story of Moses and God interacting. Much like we act today with God LOL He instructs us to do something, and we shoot back with our doubts and concerns. Perhaps we even make a list of our flaws, and insist that He use someone else. What struck me in this chapter and chapters 5-7 as well, is that God had plans to move and work/speak through Moses. Just Moses. However, God being the gracious and merciful Father that He is - He allowed Moses to share his concerns and doubts. And like a father to an insistent child, that just doesn't see around the corners of life yet - God said "ok - I'll talk through you AND Aaron". God changed His plans and His "tools...

James 4:4 "You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with the world makes you and enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God."      Well now. I guess if I look at my relationship with God like I look at my own marriage - I do NOT want to be an adulterer!! No way! However, I guess I have been. When we get caught up in the desires of what we "think" we want, based on what the world shows us "to want" - then we start pulling away for God and His things, and are lured out into the night with these other things. This is 'sneaking around' - OUCH!! It is the things we do, the way we talk, the life we live - that show if we are 'of the world' or if we are 'of God'. Are you the same person in public that you are in private? Are you the same person on Monday to Friday that you are on Sunday? If not - then perhaps you are committing adultery on God. I know, OUCH again!...

James 3:5-6 "In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself."      These verses, popped a memory in my head. One that started out not so good. A lot of people that struggle with self-esteem and or their weight, have a "starting point" in their life where that happened. I believe with all of my heart, that is NOT what God had planned for us! That "people" make choices and decisions that affect others, in ways they may never know. Good and bad. Enter the memory at these verses.... When I was young, it only took a few comments from family members to affect me for MANY years to come! The sad thing is, that their negative words became the same talk I told myself, in my head, in private. The "tongue" is a great and mighty thing. Look how many ...

James 2:1-7 A Warning against Prejudice 2  My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? 2  For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes.   3  If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well,   4  doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives? 5  Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love Him?  6  But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?   7  Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble nam...

James 1:26 "If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless."      The strange thing about this verse, is that I personally, don't 'claim to be religious' - rather, I follow Jesus. I have a relationship with Jesus. However, in the eyes of someone that does not have that relationship, or doesn't understand the difference between different 'religions' - call ALL church people "religious". They use the term for people that they see that go to church, act different in situations, and or seem to follow a different standard or set of rules. Good or bad - "religion" can swing to both extremes.      What jumped out at me in this one, is that we can be just as fooled as outsiders. We can do what seem to be 'good works' and 'follow the rules' of what ever it is we believe in.... BUT, if we don't control our tongue.... well, it is like we shatter g...

James 1:22-24 (The Message - MSG) 22-24  Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other.  Act  on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like. James 1:22-24 (New Living Translation - NLT) 22  But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.   23  For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.  24  You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.  25  But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.      Do you remember what you saw this morning in the mirror? Now that you are on with y...

James 1:19-21 "Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls."      This is all so important for us to remember, and do! The verses all tie together for our good. The one that jumped out to me was "So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives" - and what jumped into my heart on this, was all of the 'hidden' filth and evil we have in our lives. Like, the way we talk in our head. Both towards others and towards ourselves. The thoughts that we hang on to, internally, that contribute to "dirty laundry". It doesn't matter that no-one else knows, because the One who DOES know, is God (and ourselves of course) - and He did NOT create you and I to be this way! Especi...

James 1:18 "He chose to give birth to us by giving us His true Word. And we, out of all creation, became His prized possession."      How are you feeling today? Do you "feel" like you are His 'prized possession'? Or are you "feeling" less than? Well, let me tell you - your "feelings" don't matter! They are lying to you if you think anything less than 'prized, valued, treasured'! We are Gods precious, valued, loved, and treasured children! Plain and simple - we are His children, and He doesn't make mistakes. He created us in His image - and in His likeness. Perhaps the question I should be asking you today is: what do you think of God? What is He to you? Is He just a "Sunday" thing? Is He just your go-to for 911 things? How about as a relationship - are you able to go to Him anytime, any place, with anything on your mind? Are you waiting until you are "all put together" before you start up a relationsh...

James 1:12-15 "God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death."      In the world of "blame" it seems much easier for us to 'blame' others verses taking responsibility for our own actions. We do it all the time, in many different ways. I too, have fallen to this habit. When I was totally engrossed in my ED (eating disorder), I would blame ALL sorts of people, places, and things for the choices and actions I did! Yup, I even blamed God for those temptations, which then lead to my actions. However, working on the "inner" m...

James 1:2, 5-8 Vs 2: Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. Vs 5-8: If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is on God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.     Wow! This totally made me think of life before my weight loss surgery! I kept begging and asking for 'wisdom' in the MANY diets I tried. However, I never actually had faith in God for the results, or for my abilities to carry it through. I most definitely was like the waves in the ocean, ebbing and flowing in and out in all sorts of directions! Tossed this way and that way, up and down on th...

Proverbs 6:12-13 "What are worthless and wicked people like? They are constant liars, signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye, a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers."      Well, if this doesn't describe just about every "bad guy" in the movies! Hopefully you don't have many of these people in your life. I pray that none of these type of people are in your inner circle of influence in your day to day life. The Lord is super good at revealing things to us! What came to my mind today, was how I used to have several people in my life like this, and I unfortunately listened to them and their advise. Yup, it lead to wrong choices, wrong actions and behaviors, and much heartache and trouble. It is NOT our "job" to straighten them out, or try and 'make them good'. Sadly, a lot of them are influenced by the enemy, and have hardened hearts towards the things of God.      Imagine you are on a rock, say 5 feet up (or as tall as you ar...

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