My Tea Time With Jesus

What do you see when you look around you? Are you full of worry, or are you content? Matthew 6:33   (NLT) Seek the Kingdom of God  above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. (MSG) Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. What does it mean to “seek the Kingdom of God”? Well, to me, you just have to look at another version of the same verse, and it tells you. ‘Steeping your life’ literally means to put yourself all-in. Fully immerse yourself. Like we do a tea bag in hot water. Then let it “rest” there – “live” there. This means, that if we look for where God is and “go be in it” – then we are IN God’s Kingdom. We are looking forward to our journey to our “home” which is heaven. We are just foreigners here on earth, and our TRUE Home is in Heaven with God the Father and Jesus the Son. If you have ever visited anot...

What is the best way to have a clean slate before God? Making sure it is clean each night before going to bed. ;-) Using the "eraser" of confession!  Hebrews 10:30-31 “For we know the one who said, “I will take revenge. I will pay them back.” He also said, “The  Lord  will judge His own people.” It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. ” Have you ever had one of those days where nothing seems to go right? Have you ever thought it is due to unconfessed sin? Could be. Could be something from the past that perhaps you haven’t been fully aware of. Then again, it could also just be because we are still alive here on earth, living in a fallen world – nothing to do with us or our life at all. Yes, the enemy can and does try and “trip” us up a LOT! He TRIES to trip us up with things from our past, that we HAVE confessed, and the Lord HAS forgiven. That’s when we need to claim truth, and remind the enemy that he is the one that is the loser and the ...

Hebrews 10:35-36 35  So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!   36  Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised. This chapter in Hebrews is talking about when we first became Christians. How, some of us had to endure hardships because of our decisions. Back then, some ended up in jail, were badly beaten, of course they even lost all of their “things”. Well, here in America, we may or may not have suffered like people do in other countries or back in the bible times. However, I DO believe that we DID have this amazing confidence in what we chose to accept – the FREE gift of salvation through Jesus. I see it each year at the Harvest Crusades. People that hear a message that seems designed right for them – they come down to the field with all of their emotions, baggage, confessions… and they are ON FIRE when they leave the st...

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14   NLT The Bible Gateway is my favorite site to be able to see more than one version of the bible at a time! They also have a "verse of the day" that pops up. Well, here is today's verse. I love how this verse takes in all THREE aspects of the trinity and gives us a blessing and a promise with each One. Here is another promise that we can add to our list of promises that we have and can pray back to God at any time. The last part, "the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" hit me today because in order to have "fellowship" with Someone, we actually HAVE to spend time with Them. Right?!?! Thankfully, the Holy Spirit is with us anywhere and everywhere we are! Because He lives IN us! LOL but that doesn't mean we are always having fellowship with Him though. You know how you feel something, or get a whisper...

Genesis 12:7-8 7  Then the  Lord  appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the  Lord , who had appeared to him.   8  After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the  Lord , and he worshiped the  Lord . Altars are a memorial of the places where God meets us Altars represent the occasion and place where we have had a personal encounter with God. We may not always be able to make a physical altar, but there can be one established in our hearts. (Jack Hayford)      I have had the opportunity to “meet God” in a few places and special times in my life. I wish I had set up alters, then perhaps it would be easier to relive and share the changes that God did at those times. We have a couple of friends, that collect a rock at diff...

Luke 22:54-62 Unfailing Mercy I am constantly amazed and humbles at how many times the Lord forgives me for my mess-ups! Yes, there was a time that I “moved away from God” in an attempt to ‘do it on my own’ – well, that did not work out so well for me! Yet, really, it sort of did. That is what actually brought me back and made me see just how much mercy, forgiveness, and grace our loving heavenly Father has for us/me!! Better than ANY earthy example of love! He truly will NOT ever leave us, nor forget us!! NEVER! No conditions, no rules, no long lectures… just plain and simple acceptance and forgiveness! Today, as I read this passage from My Daily Bread from last year, another verse jumped out at me: Matthew 16:24 (Mark 8:34 & Luke 9:23) - Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. Which then lead me to realize that no matter what we go through WITH Jesus, it is WAY better than...

No matter what you are going through, where you have been, or where you dream of going - you will NEVER be left by the wayside, standing alone. This is a promise from God! One we can cling to and pray back to Him when we are feeling "alone". In the little but mighty book, Jesus Calling, today's message is super powerful! The part that jumped out at me, was that Jesus' LAST words to us, are that He is always with us, and will never leave us! Pretty stinkin' neat if I do say so myself! Yet, another "promise" we can add to our list of promises from God.  Then, I realized, that when God sent us the Holy Spirit, this is Jesus IN us, for us - WITH US! Again, wowzers! Even when life throws us curve balls, and we feel like no one understands or that no one is "with us" - we can be assured, that Jesus IS with us - each and every day. Remember that says, "When you feel like Jesus/God is far away from you - it isn't He who moved!" We are...

Today was taken from Our Daily Bread, September 5th, 2017 It struck me, that we are all too quick to "want it all" and yet, when we get little bits of "it all" we are still wanting something else! Well, I believe when we have a relationship with Jesus, our desires change. Sure, we still "want" things and want to go places and such - but they seem to take on new meanings and have a different "end goal" in mind. The part that jumped out at me today was "The only remedy for for hearts that "want it all" is the contentment found in the presence of the living God." Truly - Jesus is the ONLY way to have true, real, and complete contentment in this world. Contentment is not getting what we want but being satisfied with what we have. If more of us lived by this definition - we sure would have a LOT less crime as well as a lot less divorces. Something I learned to do a long time ago: use someone or something you WANT to be lik...

Ephesians 3:4-6 (MSG) “ As you read over what I have written to you, you’ll be able to see for yourselves into the mystery of Christ. None of our ancestors understood this. Only in our time has it been made clear by God’s Spirit through His holy apostles and prophets of this new order. The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of Him all their lives (what I’ve been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board. ” I LOVE verse 6 that tells us whether we have been a Christian all our life, or have just now heard of Jesus – we are ALL accepted, loved, cherished, given the same promises, the same help, the same accessibility to God through Jesus! Yes, we were ALL once “outsiders” in the kingdom of God. We ALL were once “outsiders” to this amazing family of God. Then, when the Holy Spirit o...

Psalm 29:11 (NLT) " The   Lord   gives His people strength.  The   Lord   blesses them with peace." I like this "address 29:11" it is another promise from God for us!! One that we can pray back to Him just like we can and do Jeremiah 29:11 " For I know the plans I have for you,” says the  Lord . “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."  The bible is FULL of hopeful verses! Full of promises! Full of the very words, the breath of God - that we can cling to and hold on to just as we would those of any wise father. Only, God is far wiser and unconditionally loving than any earthly father we could have.  Have you had a time where you just needed 'strength' to go on? Just one more step, or crawl, at a time? Where you felt and thought, there is NO way you can make it through this circumstance/situation? Did you cry out to God? Did you ask Him to help you make it through each step? Each hour? Shoot, each minut...

John 6:28-29 28  They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” 29  Jesus told them,  “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the One He has sent.” Funny how we all want to “work” for things. And we actually know how to do it pretty well. The thing that jumped out at me here, is that the “work” God requires of us, is to ‘believe in Jesus’ – that’s it. Well, in order to believe, we need to know Him, right?! In order to know Him, we have to spend time with Him. Right?! If you are married, or were married, or ever dated someone… you know that the only way to find a connection with that person is to spend time with them. If you are around married people at all, you will hear them say, “Marriage is hard work.” What is the hard work? Well, it is putting the other person and their needs above your own. Trying to out-do OR out-give kindness and love towards them. Spending time with this person 24/7 at times. Well, the same is tru...

Today, in my quiet time, I read a daily devotion from Pastor Greg. Wowzers! Hit the nail right on the head!! This is totally how I believe too! We DO have time to pray - we just need to make it a priority ;-) Start by making a New Choice at least one time today. Set a timer if you have to, and instead of looking at your phone or the computer - pray for a few minutes. Then just start talking to Jesus. Maybe you need to "text" it out to Him. Make a New Contact in your phone: Jesus - and then text Him. Or get a notebook and pen, and do it the old-fashioned way lol  The point is, just give some sort of time to Him, you'll be glad you did!! I'm praying that you "find" time today to pray, talk to God, share your heart with Jesus. Circumstance may not change, but your heart will. Be well, be safe, and be blessed in all you put your hands to today! <3 Time to Pray You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you...

A Song of Thanksgiving 67  God, be merciful to us and bless us;      look on us with kindness, 2  so that the whole world may know Your will;      so that all nations may know Your salvation. 3  May the peoples praise You, O God;      may all the peoples praise You! 4  May the nations be glad and sing for joy,      because You judge the peoples with justice      and guide every nation on earth. 5  May the peoples praise You, O God;      may all the peoples praise You! 6  The land has produced its harvest;      God, our God, has blessed us. 7  God has blessed us;      may all people everywhere honor Him. What an amazing passage!! This is one of those passages of scripture, that we CAN pray back to God! This is something that we can have hope for, that ALL the earth will ...

Romans 8:15 NLT - 15  So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children.  Now we call Him, “Abba, Father.” MSG - This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. See this promise?!?! We are children of God! Not grandchildren, nieces or nephews, step-children… but His CHILD, we are adopted, chosen, wanted, bought and paid for!! We are NOT to be afraid in things – we have His Spirit in us – so we can be confident in the things He leads us to and through! That is just so stinkin’ amazing to me!! AND – that we get to call Him Father, Papa, Daddy, Abba… whatever term you use for endearing Dad – THAT is who God is to us! Yes, to you, me, everyone that calls on Him and believes in Jesus! Wowzers!! Even bet...

Psalm 117 1  Praise the  Lord , all you nations.      Praise Him, all you people of the earth. 2  For His unfailing love for us is powerful;      the  Lord ’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the  Lord ! Short and simple today. What we are to do, and what His promise is. His love for us is SO powerful! He moves mountains to knock on the door of our heart. He waits patiently for us to open that door and invite Him in. The power that raised Jesus from the dead, lives IN us – through us, for us, because of us!! Amazing!! Today, I pray that you hear that knock on your heart’s door, and you open that door. If you have already, then I pray that you let Him into EVERY room in your heart (including in your home/body/mind). May you truly feel His love for you today! Be well, be safe and be totally blessed!!

Psalm 119 Vs. 11 (MSG) I’ve banked Your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt. Vs 15 (NLT) I will study Your commandments and reflect on Your ways. Now that I am back in school through an online course, I realize how much I have forgotten in how to “study” LOL Reading the beginning of Psalm 119 again, these verses jumped out at me. They are just so vivid in what I believe needs to be ALL of our first ‘study’ – God’s word. Banking God’s promises in a vault of our heart – struck me and made me think, “Why do we save money? What is it for?” Well, for our future – but ‘what in our future’ is it actually for? According to these verses, when we have God’s word in our hearts, and we pull from that vault – we get to use the promises ANY time they are needed! For comfort, direction, guidance, helping… for ourselves as well as for others. Like our savings accounts, we want to be able to provide for ourselves as well as others in our future. God’s word is an...

Psalm 119:71 “My suffering was good for me, because it made me learn Your commands.” Well, Psalms 119 is like a roller coaster in a life! It is also one of those chapters, that follows the ABC’s. Each little stanza is a part of the original alphabet. Hmmm, maybe this is where I got the idea of praising God through the ABC’s ;-) This verse jumped out at me today, because the words “suffering” and “learn”. When I/we am going through a test, trial, circumstance… how I/we come out on the other side, depends on me/us and my/our attitude. Our heart really. Our attitude is like the ocean and changes with each wave, but our hearts usually keep on track wanting to do what God wants and what will please Him. I know, I know – I have prayed MANY times for “healing” of something, or for Him to ‘remove’ things – but sometimes, it is the lessons we learn going through it, that are way better than being saved from it. If you are suffering today, please draw closer to Jesus. Seek Him out ...

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) 5  Trust in the  Lord  with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6  in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight . (MSG) Trust  God  from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for  God ’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; H e’s the one who will keep you on track. (GNT) 5  Trust in the  Lord  with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know.  6  Remember the  Lord  in everything you do, and He will show you the right way.  (NLT) 5  Trust in the  Lord  with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6  Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. They saying hearing things over and over, helps it to stick. Well, I REALLY like the way the Message and the Good News Translation have these verses!! Ju...