My Tea Time With Jesus

Have you ever put on certain clothes, and it totally changed the way you were feeling? Have you ever felt utterly and unbelievably good in something you put on? How about the opposite – have you ever put something on, and it brought your mood down? Romans 13:14 Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. Oh my goodness!! Can you imagine if we “put on Christ” EVERYDAY how much better we would feel?!?! Sure, things would still “happen” to and or around us, but the way we would deal with the circumstances would be totally different! Like in Ephesians 6, where we are instructed to “put on” the full armor of God – DAILY – if we added this main piece of armor, well, we can and would be able to handle anything that comes our way! I’m learning that following the Holy Spirits guidance, is a really good spot to be in. However, I do still keep thinking of things that are, well, self-indulg...

Do you ever feel like you are a character in a play, and you are wearing a "mask" all the time around others? Or do you feel like you are in the audience, and everyone around you is wearing a "mask"? Well, here is what "we" are told to do about that... Romans 12:9-10 NLT – 9   Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.   10   Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. MSG – 9-10   Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. TPT – 9   Let the inner movement of your heart always be to love one another, and never play the role of an actor wearing a mask. Despise evil and embrace everything that is good and virtuous. 10   Be devoted to tenderly loving your fellow believers  as members of one family . Try to ...

What happens to our body when we don’t stay active? When we don’t eat or sleep right? When we make unwise choices? It starts to break down and become un-useful. The same is true of our faith and spiritual gifts. When we stay close to God and build up our relationship with Him, our spiritual “muscles” get stronger and grow too! Romans 12:1-8 (NLT) 1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.   2  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 3  Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of ...

Have you ever wondered if you have “messed up” too much to ever regain control of yourself again? Have you ever wondered if God really sees what we are doing to ourselves? The verses He walked with me through today, are pretty darn promising and hopeful! Isaiah 57:14-15 & 18-19 (NLT) 14  God says, “Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so My people can return from captivity.” 15  The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. ” 18  “I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn, 19  bringing words of praise to their lips. May they have abundant peace, both near and far,” says the  Lord , who heals them. Wow! It is so awesome how the Lord leads me to thing...

Have you ever seen one of those quilts that you KNOW has taken MANY, MANY hours to do? One that shows pure artistry and skill at how each and every part was intentional by the creator? 2 Timothy 1:13-14 (NLT) Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you. Wow, the Lord blessed me with a MEF (minds eye flash) on this verse of a BIG elaborate quilt. I saw a pattern being drawn on what seemed like a very large piece of paper, but it had a texture like fine linen. As I saw the words “teaching” there appeared all sorts of things that I have learned in life, in school and at home. The as I read “from me” I saw gold pictures with words in the colors of all the most precious jewels I’ve ever seen. It started to shine and glow with a light that spread all around me in eve...

How do I know which way to go in life? A question I have asked myself MANY times! Isaiah 48:17 (NLT) Scripture – This is what the  Lord  says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the  Lord  your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow. Thought – Not just "the Lord" but my Redeemer! He has taken MY place and suffered a death I do not have to suffer when I die. He is THE actual Holy One of Israel – for me!! He is also WILLING to teach and guide me along the path of life teaching me what is good for me and showing me the paths I should follow. He suffered things I will never have to suffer now. He teaches and shows me things that are good for me. When I follow His guidance and direction, I will NOT get lost, turned around, or off track. It is when I try and do things “my own way” that things go wonky. Application – Remember, right now – that the Lord is MY Redeemer! He is the one that i...