Category Archives: Admitting

We come before Jesus, admitting our sins and asking His forgiveness.

The Only Antidote

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And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:14-15 (NKJV)

Dear Ones, Today I share a heart-felt, timely message which I pray you will share with others. As I write this, the last week of July 2021, over 336 million people have received the experimental covid “vaccine” in the USA. Over 11,000 to 45,000 have died, depending on which article you read, with some estimating several 100,000 unreported or dying from “other causes.” But there is hope.

Many were coerced into receiving the poisonous poke by the media, their employers, family members, or peer pressure, not knowing the deadly side effects. In my small town alone, the obituary section of our paper has increased compared to other summers. One young friend died from a heart attack four days after her shot, and another young person had an emergency appendicitis the evening of his shot. These scenarios are repeated across the country and more are coming. But there is an Antidote.

For death has come through our windows,
Has entered our palaces,
To kill off the children—no longer to be outside!
And the young men—no longer on the streets! Jeremiah 9:21 (NKJV)

I point no fingers, because I could have been swept up in the vax craze, too. I cook new recipes, trying to improve my heath. I order new vitamins, hoping I will feel better. Last winter I had two rounds of steroid shots in my back to reduce pain, which did absolutely nothing for me, but they were highly recommended by friends and doctors. Such is the case with the new covid “vaccines.”

Only because I heard there was a connection between these shots and aborted babies (and I had gotten very sick the one winter I had a flu shot), God led me to do more research, pointing me to the truth about the covid “vaccines.” I was so saddened by what I learned that I shared the facts on my blog earlier this year in Esther’s Great Calling and Taking Care of the Temple and Sheep to the Slaughter. I even sent Sheep to the Slaughter to my local newspaper, but they didn’t print it.

I was so disappointed that the Church, my church, and so many pro-family, pro-life organizations were not speaking out because of fear or misinformation (though a few did, God bless Father Altman from Wisconsin!). One popular family radio program went so far as to say in a December 2020 broadcast that taking the vaccine is what Jesus meant when He said, “Love thy neighbor.” Now, one of our country’s leaders, who isn’t a follower of Jesus, is repeating that phrase. But the vaccine does not help our neighbors! It does not prevent the spread of disease! It actually weakens your body, resulting in many more covid cases among the vaccinated. No one needs a shot for a disease that has a 99% survival rate, and there are other known cures such as high doses of vitamins. For the unvaccinated, once you catch covid and recover (which there is an almost 100% chance you will!), your natural immunity is the best defense against ever catching it again.

Back to “Love thy neighbor,” I consider babies my neighbors and show my love to them by NOT getting the abortion-tainted vaccine (Romans 12:9, 2 John 6). Jesus said that whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone was hung around his neck and he were throne into the sea (Mark 9:42). And Paul tells us in Romans 12:2, right after saying “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God…”, “Do not be conformed to this world…” Would you consider that perhaps God had Paul pen those words for such a time as this?!

What else can you take to keep you healthy? The true health experts recommend Zinc, Vitamin D, Vitamin C and Quercetin. Don’t let loved ones be put on a ventilator, instead try a nebulizer with hydrogen peroxide added to the water. But most importantly, we need to PRAY!

Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Mark 2:17). Dear One, if you already got the vaccine, turn to Jesus. Ask His forgiveness for not knowing its origins or its consequences. Rest in His promises: Whoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved (Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21, Romans 10:13). Paul says, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). If you live, use your life to tell people about Jesus. If you die, you will live forever in His presence in heaven.

Dear One, if you have not gotten the “vaccine,” don’t get it! Remain steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58). We should have no pride that we did not get if, just thank Jesus for opening our eyes to the truth soon enough to spare us. We must use our lives for His glory, pointing all to the saving love of Jesus Christ. He is the Only Antidote, the One and Only Savior for all the world. Whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, Jesus is the answer!

Look to Me, and be saved,
All you ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other. Isaiah 45:22 (NKJV)

You know, a long time ago the Israelites had the same problem. They had turned away from God, just like the USA is doing today. So God allowed a plague of snakes to come through their camp and bite them. The people cried out to the Lord for help. So God told Moses to make a bronze image of the snake and put it on a pole. Whenever anyone was bitten by a snake, they could look to the bronze image and be saved.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” Numbers 21:8 (NKJV)

Today we don’t have the bronze snake, but we have Jesus, who was also lifted up on a pole, the wooden cross upon which He died for our sins. And now when we find ourselves in a plague, we also can look to Him and be saved.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:14-17 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: Dear One, we all need Jesus! He is the Only Antidote for the vaccine and for all our sins. Read Numbers 21 and John 3 and 1 Corinthians 3:16-19 for further study. Please turn to Jesus today, tell your friends, too, and pray without ceasing for our country…

Your covenant with death will be annulled,
And your agreement with Sheol will not stand… Isaiah 28:18 (NKJV)

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13 (NKJV)

Dear Jesus, I claim this promise against the evil politicians and corrupt vaccine makers. Annul their covenant with death! Save all those who got the vaccine. Turn hearts to You. Make us new bodies in heaven and even here on earth. Be our Antidote, Jesus! Like looking at the snake on the pole, we look to You, Jesus!…Amen

The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.  Jeremiah 18:7-8 (NKJV)

For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: “Seek Me and live.”  Amos 5:4 (NKJV)

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:13 (NKJV)

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12 (NKJV)

That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (NKJV)

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25 (NKJV)

Resources for Further Research:  Lifesitenews.com, Naturalnews.com, AboveRubies.org, OliveTreeViews.org, and America’s Frontline Doctors.

A friend just shared this prayer with me for people who got the vaccine, you can pray it for them and with them… https://www.freedomencounters.com/wp-content/uploads/PRAYER-and-Letter_Remove-Harmful-Vaccination-Elements.pdf.  It comes from the website: https://www.freedomencounters.com/
 

Scripture from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982

How Many Have We Broken?

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Then the Lord delivered to me two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.  Deuteronomy 9:10 (NKJV)

If God had given the Ten Commandments to Adam and Eve, how many did they break?  You know the story… Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden and God told them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Adam and Eve are found in Genesis in our Bibles, while the Ten Commandments first appear in the second book, Exodus, so Adam and Eve actually didn’t have these ten rules from God.  Besides God telling them to be fruitful and multiply and to watch over all the living things (Genesis 1:28), His only other command to Adam and Eve was this:

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. Genesis 2:17 (NKJV)

When the serpent came and told Eve to eat the fruit, she ate it and gave some to Adam to eat, as well.  But, I wonder, if they had been given the Ten Commandments, which ones would they have broken?

Here are the Ten Commandments as listed in Exodus 20…

  1. You shall have no other gods before Me. Did Adam and Eve make the serpent their God?
  2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image.
  3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
  4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
  5. Honor your father and your mother. Did Adam and Eve bring dishonor to their Father in heaven when they disobeyed?
  6. You shall not murder. (Their son Cain took care of this one)
  7. You shall not commit adultery.
  8. You shall not steal. Did Adam and Eve steal the forbidden fruit?
  9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Did Adam and Eve try to hide what they had done?
  10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s belongings. Did Adam and Eve covet the fruit?

Looks like Adam and Eve broke at least five of the Ten Commandments. Now let’s look at the track record for the USA…

  1. You shall have no other gods before Me. Sports, Hollywood, money…the list goes on.
  2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image.Seems like there are statues everywhere.
  3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Even conservative talk shows take God’s name in vain.  Lord help us!
  4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. How many stores and people don’t keep a Sabbath any more?
  5. Honor your father and your mother. How many kids even live with their fathers and mothers?
  6. You shall not murder. Countless babies are murdered every day by abortion.
  7. You shall not commit adultery. Don’t even want to go there. 
  8. You shall not steal. Crime is rampant.
  9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Even the politicians and judges tell lies.
  10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s belongings. Think we could do this one?

…I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” Romans 7:7 (NKJV)

If Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden for breaking only five out of Ten Commandments, how much more the USA for breaking all Ten Commandments?? No wonder we are hurting!  No wonder every day brings more bad news.  But there is Good News, dear sister in Christ.  For God not only punished Adam and Eve, but He also promised a Savior.  At the very time God gave Adam and Eve their punishment, He gave a promise that from Eve’s Seed would come a Savior to bruise the head of Satan (Genesis 3:15).  That Savior is Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins and rose again to eternal life in heaven.  Believe this Good News for yourself and for our country, dear one!

Every day in my Bible readings I find more verses to pray for our nation.  Just think how God could see the future and know that His Word would not only cover Adam and Eve and the Israelites,  but even us today, and also for the end of time.  For our National Day of Prayer, I prayed a prayer based on Isaiah 1.  I invite you to pray this prayer today…

Today’s TEA CUPP:  Dear Father in Heaven, …Our country is desolate, our cities are burned with fire; Strangers devour our land in our presence; and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. …Unless the Lord of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, we would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah. O help us hear Your Word, O Lord, you rulers of the USA. Give ear to the law of our God, you people of America. Our hands are full of the blood of unborn babies. Wash us clean, O Lord. We repent and put away all evil, we seek justice, We claim Your promise to make our sins white as snow. May we eat the good of the land again; Protect us from the sword of the enemy, Restore our judges as at the first. May we be called once again the city of righteousness, the faithful city. May we be a beacon of hope to the world. Send a revival across this land, O Jesus, put Your law in the hearts of Your people and be our God, the God of the United States of America. May the dark night be over!  We claim Your promise to help us at the break of dawn. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray.  Amen.

…Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all. Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NKJV)

...keeping the commandments of God is what matters. 1 Corinthians 7:19 (NKJV)

Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.  Romans 7:12 (NKJV)

He who despises the word will be destroyed,
But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.  Proverbs 13:13 (NKJV)

And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall be careful to observe forever… 2 Kings 17:37 (NKJV)

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  Hebrews 8:10 (NKJV)

And I will delight myself in Your commandments,
Which I love.  Psalm 119:47 (NKJV)

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)

Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“Let God be magnified!  Psalm 70:4 (NKJV)

Now do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you.  John 15:10 (NKJV)

(See also Deuteronomy 26:16-17, Deuteronomy 30:8-10, Psalm 119:60, Psalm 119:115, Psalm 119:127, Matthew 5:19, Revelation 22:14, )

Thank you for stopping by My TEA. CUPP Prayers!  If you enjoyed today’s devotion, you might also like to read Admitting with Eve and USA, Arise, Come Forth!

Scripture taken the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson

The Double Search

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…To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God… Mark 4:11 (NKJV)

I grew up in a family that loved mystery stories, from reading Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys, to playing the game of Clue, to sitting around the living room as my daddy read Sherlock Holmes. There is something about a mystery that enthralls us…the problem, the bad guys, and the search for clues.  More exciting perhaps than the conclusion is the actual search.  My friends, every time we open our Bibles, we are detectives on the path of a mystery.  Each day as we open God’s Word and pray, He shows us another clue.  And the neat thing is, it’s really a double search, for God searches our hearts as we search His Word.

Every morning, I rise early, pour myself a cup of tea, and sit down in the corner of my sofa with my Bible and Jesus. I pray Psalm 119:18 “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.” And I let Jesus speak first as I sip my tea and search His Word.  And, do you know what He shows me in His law?  He often shows me where I fall short, how I have erred, where there is sin in my life.  These sins are the “bad guys” in our life stories.

One of the first verses I learned to pray for admitting my sins was Psalm 139:23-24…

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24. (NKJV)

I would pray that verse every day, asking forgiveness for anything amiss that He showed me in my heart.  Since those early prayers, I’ve prayed many other verses, too, but “Search me, O God, and know my heart” remains a favorite. After He shows me my sins and I confess them, I pray, “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Psalm 51:10), and I claim Jesus’ promise in Luke 7:48, “Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

But who can discern their own errors?
    Forgive my hidden faults.  Psalm 19:12 (NKJV)

Examine me, O Lord, and prove me;
Try my mind and my heart.  Psalm 26:2 (NKJV)

I continue to read and search God’s Word for more wonderful verses about our Lord, about what He’s calling me to do, and about the promises He has for us.  Of course, there is a treasure at the end of every search.

When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”  Psalm 27:8 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: Dear Ones, I encourage YOU to join in this Double Search with Jesus each day! “Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6). For, “The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God” (Psalm 14:2).

O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off. Psalm 139:1-2 (NKJV)

Would not God search this out?
For He knows the secrets of the heart.  Psalm 44:21 (NKJV)

…for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. 1 Chronicles 28:9 (NKJV)

The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord,
Searching all the inner depths of his heart. Proverbs 20:27 (NKJV)

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:1-3 (NKJV)

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 25:2 (NKJV)

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory. 1 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson

Washed Clean Like Mary Magdalene

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 This week, I continue sharing keynote chapters from my next book, More TEA CUPP Prayers (Thank you for your prayers for me to finish it!). Each weekly devotion is focused on a Bible lady to draw you into your prayer time with Jesus.  I pray these are a blessing for you!

And certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons. Luke 8:2 (NKJV)

Seven.  Can you imagine it? Seven demons inside you? That’s how many Mary Magdalene had.  Perhaps you have had a rough life and a taste of Mary Magdalene’s demons.  Or, maybe there is just one demon that keeps coming back to visit, like a bad habit that won’t go away… anger, lust, greed, pride, selfishness, unforgiveness… there are so many.   

For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.  2 Timothy 3:2-4 (NKJV)

We all struggle with sin, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  Whether it’s pride or anger or bitterness or a loose tongue or any of the ones listed in these verses… we all have a “demon” we need Jesus to wash away.  My friends, this is what the “A” part of My TEA CUPP is all about, ADMITTING those sins to Jesus and asking Him to wash us clean.

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. Colossians 3:5-6 (NKJV)

The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly how and when Jesus sent the demons packing from Mary, it just tells us He did.  Jesus loved Mary Magdalene so much before she even knew Him. After her cleansing, she was with the disciples, following Jesus, weeping at the cross and tomb, and welcoming the Risen Lord Jesus from the grave first! (Matt. 27:56, 27:61, Mark 15:40, 15:47, Luke 8:1-2, John 19:25).  Our Bibles pick up her story at the cross where Mary looked on from afar with other ladies. 

There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome.  Mark 15:40 (NKJV)

Mary followed Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus when they laid Jesus in the tomb and rolled the stone to cover the entrance. Then she went home for the Sabbath.  But early Sunday morning, she came again to the tomb, hoping to anoint Jesus’ body with oil, only to find the stone rolled away and the tomb empty.  Mary cried out to the “gardener,” “Where have you put him?”  And the “gardener” replied, “Mary.”  Then she knew that Jesus was alive and ran to tell the disciples!  Mary Magdalene was the first witness of our Risen Lord!  (Matt. 28:1, Mark 16:1, 16:9, Luke 24:10, John 20:1, 20:11, 20:18)

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.  Mark 16:9 (NKJV)

My friend, there is help for us when the demons come knocking.  I know, for they try to visit me, too. They have names like “doubt” and “worry” and “eating disorder” and “accuser” — “You did the wrong thing, You said the wrong thing, You ate too much, Nothing will work out for you.”  And I cry out to Jesus, and He reminds me not to doubt, not to worry and that there is therefore NO condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).  He washes away our sins and doubts and worries and throws them into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).  He says, “Daughter, Your sins are forgiven (Luke 7:48).” And He fills us with HIs Holy Spirit so there is no room for the enemy.  For some there are very scary demons that cause dear ladies to hurt themselves.  In the name of Jesus Christ, I hereby proclaim, come out!  Be healed, dear daughter of the King! 

Today’s TEA CUPP:  Read Mark 5:1-20 for another person who had 2000 demons! Read Romans 1:28-32 for another list of sins that hurt us. Oh, sister in Christ, I want for you what Jesus did for Mary Magdalene.  JESUS LOVES YOU, TOO! We cannot have too many sins for Jesus to save us. Give Him your “demons” by confessing your sins.  Jesus died for those sins on the cross and rose again for you. Let Him wash you clean and fill you with His Holy Spirit. Then follow Him all your days as did Mary Magdalene. 

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.  John 20:18 (NKJV)

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. Mark 7:21-22 (NKJV)

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Psalm 51:10 (NKJV)

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NKJV)

…The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. Mark 1:15 (NKJV)

And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.  Acts 22:16 (NKJV)

My dear ones, the time is NOW to confess the sins of our nation, too.  Things are getting worse by the minute with more directives to kill innocent babies.  Other horrors are being done, as well.  Cry out to the God of heaven to have mercy on this land, to open hearts, to forgive our sins, to save the lost, to heal our land, to pour out His Holy Spirit, and to send a revival.  Come Lord Jesus, come! Amen.

…O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. Daniel 9:4-5 (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

Return to Jesus

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Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (NKJV)

Dear Friends, God has put something heavy upon my heart to share with you.  As Christians, we are called to be His ambassadors, taking the Good News of His salvation to the lost.  I plead with you, I implore you, be reconciled to God through the saving work of His Son Jesus who died for your sins.  

We live in a broken world, the evidence is all around us…aborting babies, riots, evil being called good, good being called evil, plagues, hurricanes, forest fires… the list goes on.  When God first created the world it was good, but then satan the snake tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit.  Eve shared it with Adam and our world hasn’t been the same since. God had to kick Adam and Eve out of His perfect garden and lock the gate because of their sin.

But God made a way to make things right again.  As the prophets foretold, He sent His only Son Jesus, who never sinned, to take on the sin of all the world.  Jesus died a very painful death, bearing all those sins because He loves us.  But that’s not the end of the story.  On the third day, Jesus rose from the grave, conquering sin and death forever and opening to all who believe in Him the gates of heaven and eternal life.  My friends, this is a free gift that we must accept NOW.  Now is the acceptable time, today is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2).

Return to Jesus with all your heart and soul and might.  Ask for His forgiveness. Accept His free gift of salvation.  Fill your heart with His Holy Spirit and Word by reading your Bible every day.  Tell others about Jesus, being an ambassador for Him.

There is a movement called The Return which I want you to check out.  Dedicated Christians have been planning this event for months. Though it may be smaller because of the COVID19 restrictions, our prayers can be BIGGER because we serve an awesome God who can do amazingly more than all we ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20).  The event runs September 18-28, with September 26 being the big day, but our prayers can continue 40 days to the election and even beyond.  Please check out the link above and invite others to join us in prayer for our nation.

Today’s TEA CUPP: Read Hosea 14. If you haven’t prayed the sinners prayer, please pray with me right now…Dear Jesus, I want to be in your family.  I want to be Your child and be washed clean from all the bad things I’ve done in my life, all the times I didn’t listen to You, all the times I went my own way.  Please scrub away all my selfishness and pride and everything else I’ve done that is not of You. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and be with me each day.  Help me walk on Your straight and narrow path.  I believe You are my Savior who died for my sins. I believe You rose again and are preparing a place for me in heaven. I believe You are the only Way, the only Lord, the only God.  Please help me live as Your daughter from this moment forward.  Thank you for loving me and dying for me and letting me be in Your family.  In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

…Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NKJV)

…for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him. 2 Chronicles 30:9 (NKJV)

If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up;
You will remove iniquity far from your tents.  Job 22:23 (NKJV)

…Yet when they returned and cried out to You,
You heard from heaven;
And many times You delivered them according to Your mercies. Nehemiah 9:28 (NKJV)

So you, by the help of your God, return;
Observe mercy and justice,
And wait on your God continually.  Hosea 12:6 (NKJV)

So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm. Joel 2:13 (NKJV)

Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 1:3 (NKJV)

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17 (NKJV)

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.  Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)

P.S. Please keep praying for THE GREAT REVIVAL, the last great revival before Jesus’ return, where many new hearts are brought into His Kingdom to welcome His coming.  

Scripture from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982

Of Course, There’s a Plague!

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We have sinned with our fathers,
We have committed iniquity,
We have done wickedly. Psalm 106:6 (NKJV)

Oh, what a year!  People will always remember 2020 as the year of COVID19, the coronavirus, quarantines, masks, closures… although we won’t want to remember it because of all the deaths, fear, loneliness, rules, and missed events.  We all wonder why this had to happen.  Yet, when we search God’s Word we find so many relevant verses. 

Psalm 106 is one that speaks to our current situation, summing up our nation and world’s troubles, “We have sinned…we have committed iniquity…” (Ps. 106:6). Psalm 106 goes on to list all those sins from so long ago.  Can we see all these in our country today?…

  • We did not understand God’s wonders (Ps. 106:7)
  • We did not remember the multitude of God’s mercies (Ps. 106:7)
  • We rebelled (Ps. 106:7)
  • We forgot His works (Ps. 106:13)
  • We did not wait for His counsel (Ps. 106:13)
  • We lusted (Ps. 106:14)
  • We tested God (Ps. 106:14)
  • We envied our leaders (Ps. 106:16)
  • We made idols and worshiped them (Ps. 106:19)
  • We forgot God our Savior (Ps. 106:21)
  • We despised the pleasant land (Ps. 106:24)
  • We did not believe God’s Word (Ps. 106:24)
  • We joined ourselves to the devil (Ps. 106:28)
  • We rebelled against His Spirit (Ps. 106:33)
  • We did not destroy God’s enemies (Ps. 106:34)
  • We followed the way of unbelievers (Ps. 106:35)
  • We served our idols (Ps. 106:36)
  • We sacrificed our children (Ps. 106:37)
  • We shed innocent blood (Ps. 106:38)
  • We defiled ourselves and played the harlot (Ps. 106:39)

Is it no wonder the plague broke out among us?  (Ps. 106:29). What can we do?  We can intervene like Phinehas (Ps. 106:30) and stand in the breach like Moses (Ps. 106:23) so God’s wrath is turned away.  We must pray for our country, for our neighbors, for our families. Pray for God to send a revival across this land.  

Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a reproach to any people. Proverbs 14:34 (NKJV)

There is HOPE, my dear friends.  We have the HOPE found in Jesus Christ.  Because of His saving work on the cross, all who believe in Him are rescued from this crazy world (John 3:16).  Jesus died for every sin listed above and for all the others, too.  Let’s pray for our nation to turn to Jesus! And God will hear our cries (Ps. 106:44)

Today’s TEA CUPP: Read and pray Psalm 106. Repent, turn to God. Ask His forgiveness through Jesus Christ for yourself and for our country. Turn over a new leaf this fall. Let’s give everyone something NEW to remember about 2020…the year of REVIVAL! Pray for our nation daily. Forgive us, O Lord.  

For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NKJV)

May this be THE GREAT REVIVAL, the last great revival before Jesus’ return, where many new hearts are brought into His Kingdom to welcome His coming.  Will you join me in fasting for the next 7 Tuesdays, though the USA election on November 3, 2020?  Our country needs our prayers now as much as ever.  Check out this event happening in the coming days… https://thereturn.org/

Save us, O Lord our God,
And gather us from among the Gentiles,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
To triumph in Your praise.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!” Psalm 106:47-48 (NKJV)

Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.  Psalm 106:1 (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 

Disqualified!

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Today I continue my series of running devotions for My TEA CUPP for Athletes & Runners Book & Journal. I pray these will be a blessing to you and you will be encouraged to PRESS ON! Hope you are inspired as you exercise your faith!

But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:27 (NKJV)


I remember the day like it was yesterday. It was my first big indoor track meet of my junior year of high school.  It was the first time I had qualified to run the Drake Indoor meet in Des Moines, Iowa.  I was so excited to run the race, though running distance runs on an indoor track can be tedious as you go around and around multiple times.  

It must have been a two mile race, because that was the longest distance for girls at the time.  The track was half the size of the outdoor track, making it 220 yards, or 200 meters.  Instead or running 8 times around the outdoor track, we would be running 16 times around the indoor track to make two miles (doesn’t sound so far if you’ve run the 5K or 10K on a track!).  

To make things easier on the judges, the race officials decided that if anyone was lapped, they would be knocked out of the race, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to monitor how many laps people had left to go.  With only a 200 meter track, that meant many girls could be lapped before the winner finished her two miles.  

The lead runner was so fast, it didn’t take her long to be 200 meters ahead of the pack. I was one of those girls who was lapped and disqualified from the race.  In tears I left the track, so sad to be out of the race I truly wanted to finish.  I was heartbroken, watching the other girls finish the race. The girl who lapped me was a star senior runner from Cedar Falls, Iowa, who only a few years later would become my friend and college teammate, pointing me to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Besides being lapped, there are many other ways an athlete may become disqualified… too many false starts, taking drugs, yelling at the line judges, etc.  But while in athletics we can try again the next year to follow all the rules of competition, in our spiritual lives we never want to be disqualified.  

If I say, “My foot slips,”
Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up. Psalm 94:18 (NKVJ)

What could disqualify us from receiving our crowns in heaven?  Not believing in Jesus (John 3:18).  Not allowing the Holy Spirit to do its perfect work in us (Mark 3:9, Luke 12:10).  Falling into temptation and lust and pride without repenting, when God has called us to serve Him (1 Peter 1:16).  Oh dear athlete, let us live our Christian lives even more carefully than we do as runners, that we may never be disqualified.

And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Romans 8:10 (NKJV)

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified. 2 Corinthians 13:5-6 (NKJV)

The Runner’s TEA CUPP: Have you been knocked out of the race?  Dear athlete, let Jesus pick you up!  He is coming again to judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42) Turn to Him for help while there is still time.  Confess your sins, let Him wash you clean and put you back on your feet.  Memorize 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. Start running for Him again.

 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NKJV)

Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects;
Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.  Job 5:17 (NKJV)

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Psalm 51:11-12 (NKJV)

Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified. 2 Corinthians 13:7 (NKJV)

Scripture from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. 

Plague Upon Plague, Hope Upon Hope

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If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)

Our country and world have been besieged by the Coronavirus and quarantines this spring, disrupting the lives of many and causing grief and depression to those who have lost loved ones and jobs. As I read my Bible, I see how plagues such as COVID-19 are not a new thing.

You are probably tired of hearing about plagues.  You would rather read about summer time and beaches and picnics and healthy children.  Yet here I am writing about plagues again, because God showed me some cool truths in His Word. And because He gives us HOPE.

Do you remember what God used to rescue His people from Egypt? PLAGUES!  Ten Plagues! (Blood, frogs, lice, flies, death of livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, death of firstborn son, Ex. 7-10).  Could God be using plagues to rescue His people again? After they escaped Pharaoh, the Israelites refused to enter the Promised Land because of the giant people, so God sent another plague upon them. During this plague, Moses prayed…

“Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” Then the LORD said: “I have pardoned, according to your word; but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.” Numbers 14:19-21 (NKJV)

Moses prayed for their forgiveness which ended the plague. We should be praying for forgiveness, too! During another plague when the people were grumbling against the two leaders…


Moses said to Aaron, “Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the LORD. The plague has begun.” Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped. Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the Korah incident. So Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, for the plague had stopped.Numbers 16:46-50 (NKJV)

The incense stopped the plagues. Our prayers are like that INCENSE! In both the Psalms and Revelation, our prayers are described as incense…

Let my prayer be set before You as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.Psalm 141:2 (NKJV)

Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. Revelation 5:8 (NKJV)

God sent another plague when David took an unnecessary census of the people…

So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel from the morning till the appointed time. From Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men of the people died. And when the angel stretched out His hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.” And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 2 Samuel 24:15-16 (NKJV)

And do you know what was built at the place where the plague stopped, on that threshing floor? The Temple of the Lord! And when King Solomon dedicated the Temple he prayed,

Whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and spreads out his hands toward this temple: then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men).1 Kings 8:38-39 (NKJV)

As King Solomon proclaimed, we all have a plague in our own hearts. We need to turn to the Temple and pray and He will forgive! Where is that Temple? Jesus is the Temple! (Rev. 21:22) Therefore…let us lay aside every weight and sin that so easily ensares us (Heb. 12:1). For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23).

Jesus is the cure, friends!  Jesus is the One to forgive our sins, end the plague, and heal our land.  He is the One who will put our lives back together.  Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Because of His saving work on the cross, we are washed clean by His blood.  Jesus is our Hope upon Hope! He gives us hope to make it through each day, and hope of eternal life in heaven. Turn to Jesus in prayer today!  

Today’s TEA CUPP: Prayer is the first step in stopping the plague across our land, first confessing our own sins to the Lord, and then confessing the sins of our nation. Our prayers are the incense that will end the plague. To God be the glory and may He heal our land!

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise. Psalm 51:17 (NKJV)

Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer. Romans 12:12

If you enjoyed today’s devotion, you might also like Tea by the Temple and The Door of Hope. Thank you for stopping by My TEA CUPP Prayers!

Scripture from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.



Beach Prayer

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Therefore glorify the Lord in the dawning light,
The name of the Lord God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea. Isaiah 24:15 (NKJV)

I’m hooked on beach running.  Sadly, I live in the land-locked (yet beautiful) state of Montana where the nearest ocean is a two-day drive.  If I had grown up near the beach, there might have been no moving me to higher ground. 

There is just something about the rhythmical crash of waves on the shore, the dodging of the tide as it ascends the beach, the warm sun shining down upon my face, and the joy of miles of sand upon which to run.

A few months ago, I experienced all this as we visited our son in California.  Each morning I slipped out of our tent before sunrise to have my quiet time on a bench overlooking the Pacific, praying Isaiah 24:15 (above).

Then donning my running shoes, I jogged down to the beach where I ran in the newly-washed sand on the shore, making fresh footprints with each step.  When I reached the turn-around point and came back, I witnessed a marvel,  most of my footprints had already been washed away!  This reminded me of Jesus washing away our sins.  Each footprint of doubts and worries and anger and wrong words is washed into the depths of the sea, gone forever!

…You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19 (NKJV)

And if you are concerned about those sins just floating around, waiting to be washed up onto another beach, find hope in Revelations 21:1 where we learn the entire sea disappears! First, our sins are drowned in the ocean and then the ocean is no more! That’s how complete is our forgiveness in Jesus Christ.

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Revelation 21:1 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP:  As you head into a new year, cast your sins of the old year at the feet of Jesus.  Confess your failings to Him in prayer, asking Jesus to wash you clean. Claim Jesus’ promise to throw your sins into the depths of the sea.  Ask Him to help you every step of the way this new year.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  1 John 1:9 (NKJV)

As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12 (NKJV)

Sing to the Lord a new song,
And His praise from the ends of the earth,
You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,
You coastlands and you inhabitants of them! Isaiah 42:10 (NKJV)

Scripture from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

 

Bible Mom: Admitting with Eve

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…she took of its fruit and ate… Genesis 3:6

And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. Genesis 3:20

Oh, Eve, why did you do it?

Oh, Eve, why did you listen to the serpent?

Oh, Eve, why did you even talk to that rascal the devil?

Oh, Eve, why did you look at the tree and then stretch out your hand?

Oh, Eve, why did you pluck the fruit and take a bite?

Oh, Eve, why did you give some to Adam?  And Adam, why didn’t you throw that fruit on the ground and be a strong spiritual leader for your family, asking God to forgive Eve?

Oh, Eve, why did you hide from God in the garden, didn’t you know He always see you?

Oh, Eve, why did you blame the serpent instead of admitting your sin?

Oh, Eve, how did you feel when God told you that in pain you would bring forth children?  Do you know a lot of moms would like to talk to you about that!

Oh, Eve, were your first clothes scratchy and heavy?  Weren’t you sad that God killed some of your animal friends to make those clothes?  That was the very first time blood was shed for sins.

Oh, Eve, did you hear in God’s curse on the serpent a promise?  (Genesis 3:15) From your Seed God will send a Savior to bruise the serpent Satan’s head!

Oh, Eve, how did you feel when God kicked you and Adam out of His beautiful garden and put cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the gate?

Of Eve, do you know how much all your daughters are just like you?  We all need the Savior from your Seed, Jesus, who shed His blood once for all and crushed the serpent’s head. 

Today’s TEA CUPP: Read the whole story of Eve and the serpent in Genesis 3. What forbidden fruit have you been eating? What sin do you need to cast off?  This is what the “A” part of the TEA CUPP is all about, admitting our sins to Jesus and asking for His forgiveness.  By using God’s Word to admit our sins, we are cleansed from all unrighteousness.

And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. Matthew 5:30