My Tea Time With Jesus

Mark 6:56 “Wherever He went—in villages, cities, or the countryside—they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged Him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of His robe, and all who touched Him were healed. ” Wow! Can you imagine?! No matter where you go, people hear about who you are and come running! Not just themselves, but bringing their friends or family members who are sick. With cold and flu season in full swing now – I can picture it now: People who are well, bringing people who are sick, to crowd around a Man that is known to heal. Talking about feeling ‘pressed-in’ – geez! My mind’s eye flash (MEF) is like I see pictures of people around celebrities, people coming out of a courtroom or the Pope! A LOT of people crowding around a person. What popped out at me today is ‘touch at least the fringe’ – like the lady who had a bleeding problem, and knew that if she could just touch His fringe, she would be healed. Then the very last part ‘all who touched Hi...

Mark 6:47-50   Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and He was alone on land.   He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn He went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw Him walking on the lake, they thought He was a ghost. They cried out,   because they all saw Him and were terrified. Immediately He spoke to them and said,  “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Verse 48 “He was about to pass by them” jumped out at me. What?! He was walking out towards them, then was going to pass them by?!?! Well, after reading and rereading this over and over. Praying for understanding. Researching ‘google’. I have come to the conclusion in two things. First, He was showing His deity. Second, He was waiting on their cry for help.   Jesus had been apart from them ALL night long. Remember the verses before? He was on a hill praying while H...

Mark 6:45-46 (NLT)  Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that His disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while He sent the people home.   After telling everyone good-bye, He went up into the hills by Himself to pray. This "Immediately after this" is the feeding of everyone there with the loaves of bread and fish that blessed everyone with/to their fill. We don't have a time frame here, but if Jesus experiences what I experience when we are leaving someplace and saying our 'good-bye's' - it can take an additional 30-90 minutes to actually leave LOL Because I know the next part in scripture, and I know that the disciples experience a storm out on the waters, I believe the time frame here is at least a few hours if not more, just to 'send the people home' let alone the amount of time that Jesus went up into the hills by Himself to pray. I like that the bible shows us that Jesus has compassion and grace towards everyone...

Hebrews 12:10-12 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. The beginning of Hebrews 12 is talking about discipline. How a father disciplines his children. How God, our ultimate Father, disciplines us, because we are His children. Verses 10-12 jumped out at me in both a spiritual and physical way. When we are disciplined in either of these ways, they don’t seem enjoyable at the time. Kind of like training for a sport or event. Or training for a debate or role in a play – they all are not enjoyable at first. Yet, when the training is done, and we are in the “practice mode”, then it can be enjoyable. This made me think of my weight loss journey. How “they” the s...

Mark 6:39-44 (MSG)   Jesus got them all to sit down in groups of fifty or a hundred—they looked like a patchwork quilt of wildflowers spread out on the green grass! He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted His face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples, and the disciples in turn gave it to the people. He did the same with the fish. They all ate their fill. The disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. More than five thousand were at the supper. First of all, the way the Message puts it here, is quite the visual for me! I love it! “Like a patchwork quilt of wildflowers” I can totally see that in my mind’s eye! When Jesus knew they were going to be feeding all of the people, I can only imagine the prayer He spoke up to God before blessing the food. This gave me a different perspective of “praying before we eat”. Opening up our “blessing” with prayer. I now picture a prayer something like this: “Father, these people have come to h...

Mark 6:16 (MSG)   But Herod wouldn’t budge: “It’s John, sure enough. I cut off his head, and now he’s back, alive.” Starting at Mark 6:14 is where the word of Jesus is spreading. Word of Jesus and all that He is doing has reached King Herod. What struck me here is just how certain he is, that Jesus is John the Baptist come back. Specifically to come back and haunt him! I think it was because when King Herod heard John, the Holy Spirit was moving in him, and even though King Herod would be VERY convicted by what John was saying, he just couldn’t get enough of him! He treated John special and kept having an audience with him. Well, due to some trickery from the enemy through Herod’s wife and daughter, the King had John beheaded. Can you imagine?!?! Someone you respect, admire even, that is “telling it like it is” even to the point of personal and internal convictions in your very heart and soul – and somehow you have a part in their death?!?! OR what about that time that ...

Mark 6:1-6 Jesus left there and went to His hometown, accompanied by His disciples. When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given Him? What are these remarkable miracles He is performing?   Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him. Jesus said to them,  “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”   He could not do any miracles there, except lay His hands on a few sick people and heal them.   He was amazed at their lack of faith. When I read these verses, I read them in all sorts of emotions. Jesus was coming home for a "home town visit" which has all sorts of emotions in that of itself . In verse 2 where they st...

Mark 5:18-20   As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with Him.   Jesus did not let him, but said,  “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.”   So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis  how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed . These verses are at the end of the verses that tell about this man who had been demon possessed for many years and was living in the tombs. He was bound often by chains, but had grown to be too strong for chains anymore. This reminds me of the people I have seen on drugs. They seem to have a super-human strength, and it is difficult even for the police to handle them. Anyway, this man, even in his worst state of mind, KNEW who Jesus was. Well, the demons IN him knew Jesus. I find it very interesting that the demons wanted to be sent into a herd of pigs, rather than bei...

Ephesians 1:18-20 "I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called - His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe in Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Hi in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms." WOW!! I love how God gives us scripture that we can pray right back up to Him!! I am totally praying this for YOU today!! If you can grasp one little tiny thing (which is a BIG thing) today, I am praying that you would grasp and hold on to: YOU have the power!! His power! Living inside of you! If you have faith even as tiny as a mustard seed, you can do amazing things for God!! Grab a hold of this truth today.Seek His word out to deepen your relationship with Jesus. I'm praying that He shines a "light"...

Mark 5:40-42 "The crowd laughed at Him. But He made then all leave, and He took the girl's father and mother and His three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. Holding her hand, He said to her, "Talitha koum," which means "Little girl, get up!" And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed." Well, ALL of this chapter is a GREAT read!! This story jumped out at me, due to the fact that the girl was resurrected. BUT before she was resurrected, Jesus "sent away" those that were mocking/laughing at Him. I believe they were mocking the parents as well, for even having an ounce of belief and trust that Jesus could or would DO something for the girl. THEN for Him to say, that she is not dead, but 'sleeping' - well, all sorts of ridicule, mocking and laughing took place! Here's the thing. When God puts in our hearts that He is going to do an amazing...

Mark 5:34 And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith had made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over." This is an amazing passage in scripture (Mark 5:25-34), where a woman who had been suffering with a bleeding problem ans suffering as well as at the hands of doctors, went to where Jesus was in a big crowd. Her faith was so strong in Him and His healing power, that she believed she would be healed even if she only touched his clothing! WOW!! That is BIG faith! What struck me was that when Jesus realized His healing power 'went out of Him' He looked around for the one who touched Him. (ok, another thing just popped in my head over this lol) Oh! I'll get back to this part of Him 'looking for her'. What struck me, was that as soon as she realized "He KNEW" she was embarrassed and afraid. What jumped out at me in this, was that she must have felt like she "stole" something. Which, she sort of did. She didn't ask for His healing...

Psalm 139:23-24 NLT - Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. MSG - Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; See for Yourself whether I've done anything wrong - then guide me on the road to eternal life. Are you willing to be known? I mean, REALLY known, inside and out? Thoughts and actions? Are you willing to have things pointed out to you, that can change? Are you willing to be lead on the path that leads to eternal life? Well, today, these verses had me asking myself these very questions. Actually examining myself with them. Honestly, it is a bit scary to "open up" fully like these verses say to. However, God is NOT like anyone here on earth! Jesus is ALL of the character attributes of everything God says in the bible. So, to even think of comparing Him ...

Psalms 73:25-26 NLV - Whom have I in heaven but You? I desire You more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and me spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever. MSG - You're all I want in heaven! You're all I want on earth! When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful. This is the cry of my heart. How I pray to be and feel every day. I do forget sometimes, but this is my normal way of thinking of things and putting God first in my day/life. I LOVE how direct the Message version puts it! LOL 'when my skin sags and my bones get brittle' - isn't that the truth of "getting more mature"?! The thing that jumped out at me in these verses, is that God remains the same. No matter what our circumstances, or any situation we are in, God remains the same. Honest, true, faithful, just, loving, kind, gentle, patient.... Only God is all of these things, all of the time! Yes, we are to strive to...