Today I rerun another favorite Christmas devotion for you from December 2017. Merry Christmas, dear TEA CUPP ladies!
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NKJV)
In his autobiography, Just As I Am, Billy Graham tells the story of a crusade at the Dallas Cotton Bowl in 1953. After a night of preaching, his friend John Bolton took a walk with Billy and commented, “Billy, you didn’t speak about the Cross.”
Rev. Graham’s friend went on to say, “How can anyone be converted without having at least one single view of the Cross where the Lord died for us? You must preach about the Cross, Billy. You must preach about the blood that was shed for us there. There is no other power than when we talk or preach about the Cross.” (Graham, 1997)
And so, as we celebrate Christmas, I exhort you to remember the Cross! When you look at your tree, decorated with tinsel and lights, remember the tree that held our Savior Jesus, as He gave His precious life for us.
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.Philippians 2:8 (NKJV)
As you give presents to family and friends, remember the Greatest Gift ever given, when God gave His only Son to us:
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.John 3:16 (NKJV)
As you toss out the wrapping paper and scrub the holiday dishes, remember how Jesus shed His blood for us on the Cross of Calvary, washing away the sins of all who believe in Him.
Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.Colossians 2:14 (NKJV)
And as you look upon the lights of Christmas, ooh-ing and awwh-ing at the displays in your town, remember to look to Jesus, the Light of the world, the author and finisher of our faith.
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”John 8:12 (NKJV)
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV)
Today’s TEA CUPP: Read Luke 2 and Luke 23. Remember today the Baby who came in a manger, God in the flesh, born to a virgin, to save the whole world. Remember that He didn’t stay in the manger. He grew to be a Man, fully perfect, without blemish, the only perfect sacrifice for our sins. And so He gave His life for ours on the Cross. When you look at the Cradle, remember the Cross of Christ this Christmas, my friend.
Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV)
An uncommon Christmas carol…
In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.
(John Bowring, 1825)
Graham, B. (1997). Just As I Am. San Francisco: Harper Collins/Zondervan (p.243)
Blessed are those who keep justice, And he who does righteousness at all times! Psalm 106:3 (NKJV)
Dear Ones, If you read my post last week entitled Without Hypocrisy, please click on the link below to visit Life Site News and watch the John Henry Weston’s video or read his article. Life Site News did an awesome job of researching all those medicines and learned that many of them were made before 1973 so they were not tested on aborted babies in their origin. I think you will be very glad to hear this news and I thank Life Site News for their excellent investigative reporting. I’m so sorry to have worried you, though perhaps you enjoyed cleaning out your cupboards (such a feeling of accomplishment when the world is spinning out of our control, but not out of God’s!).
I encourage you to sign up to receive the daily news from Lifesitenews.com. They bring you up-to-date information on many life issues, as well as current world events, all from a Christian perspective. God bless you, dear ladies. Be strong and steadfast! Jesus is coming soon!
…so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.1 Thessalonians 3:13 (NKJV)
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and BODY be PRESERVED BLAMELESS at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. Thessalonians 5:23-24
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.Romans 12:9 (NKJV)
For those of us who have been boycotting the covid vaccine, we now have a much longer list to boycott. For many, including me, one problem with the vaccine is its connection to aborted babies. My daughter did me the favor of sending a link to dozens of products that also use aborted fetal tissue in testing, some even for artificial flavorings, she is helping me to not be a hypocrite. And so I want to pass these lists on to you, dear sisters, who strive for holiness and righteousness.
Check out these links for abortion-tainted products. One article, while providing some very useful lists, defends the use of vaccines and all products, because if we give up one, we would have to quit them all. I say, “Amen, let’s give them all up for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom and His righteousness!” My dad always use to say, “Two wrongs don’t make a right.” Therefore, one hundred wrongs do not make a right either! You’ll be surprised to find many common products from Tylenol to Gatorade (which I am now removing from my house) listed here…
I equate this issue to the meat sacrificed to idols in the New Testament. The “weaker” believers did not want to eat meat sacrificed to idols, because they knew from whence it came. The “stronger” believers did not feel it was a problem, since the idols were not really gods. But for the sake of the weak or sensitive believers, everyone was to avoid the idol meat. And so it should be with these products, for the sake of all of us who are greatly troubled by these abortion-tainted foods, medicines, and cosmetics, we should avoid them all!
But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake…1 Corinthians 10:28 (NKJV)
If your pastor is not speaking out about this issue, dear sister, you can be the one to spread the word in your Bible study and prayer group. Ezekiel tells us that the job of the priests is to “teach My people the difference between the holy andthe unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean” (Ezekiel 44:23). Refuse to participate in the abortion industry and its products. May God be the glory and victory!
How do we get that victory, through Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Corinthians 15:57). As you read over the lists and are appalled and filled with sorrow as I am, wondering how people could even think of using aborted babies for their products, and how we have enabled them with the use of these products, give it all to Jesus. Let us ask His forgiveness, tell Him how sorry we are, ask Him to wash us clean and help us not to ever bring shame to His Name. Then accept His forgiveness, for there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
Dear Sisters, God calls us to love without hypocrisy, to abhor what is evil. I abhor abortion and the evil practice of killing babies and using their little bodies for research. I cling to all that is good: Jesus, life, and babies.
Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!Psalm 119:1-2 (NKJV)
Today’s TEA CUPP: Keep His commandments, dear sister. Now that we know the list, we can ask for Jesus’ forgiveness, share it with others, and strive to live holy lives in Christ Jesus without these products. Let us not be deceived. Here are more verses to encourage you today…
A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.Matthew 2:18 (NKJV)
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.1 John 5:3 (NKJV)
… it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16 (NKJV)
In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be put to shame. Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape; Incline Your ear to me, and save me. Be my strong refuge, To which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress. Psalm 71:1-3 (NKJV)
These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. John 16:1-4 (NKJV)
This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.Ephesians 4:17-19 (NKJV)
You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked. Psalm 97:10 (NKJV)
If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally by doing something against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be done, and is guilty, Leviticus 4:27 (NKJV)
Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Psalm 19:12 (NKJV)
And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.Colossians 2:13-15 (NKJV)
Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of LIFE, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Philippians 2:14-16 (NKJV)
You answered them, O Lord our God; You were to them God-Who-Forgives, Though You took vengeance on their deeds. Psalm 99:8 (NKJV)
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1 (NKJV)
God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day. Psalm 7:11 (NKJV)
Every age needs Jesus. Every age needs Jesus, not just every age of person, from babies to grandparents, but also EVERY AGE as in every time in history. Recently I was reading the book of Judges where people did “what was right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25). In this Bible book, God’s people continually strayed away from Him, so God sent prophets to call them back. Reading the book of Judges is much like reading a newspaper today, so many heart-breaking stories.
A long time ago, I made a list of Bible Stories I don’t like and Judges 19-21 was at the top of the list. If you want to ready the bizarre, you should read these passages. This story brings up so many questions, like why didn’t the man protect his wife? Why did he cut her up into 12 pieces? Why did the Israelites think it was okay to steal wives for the Benjaminites? These questions might spark your curiosity enough to read this Bible selection! Yet the answer for every question is the same, the people did “what was right in their own eyes.”
Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. Psalm 7:9 (NKJV)
Hundreds of years after Judges, Acts 25:13 shows us more wickedness. In this passage, the Apostle Paul was brought before King Agrippa and Bernice. This royal couple was another example of people doing “what was right in their own eyes” for Bernice was King Agrippa’s sister. Their marriage was against God’s law. Paul, like the prophets before him, took full advantage of his time before the king, giving his testimony and declaring, “…repent, turn to God, do works befitting repentance” (Acts 26:20).
Many times in the Bible we see where God honors the faithful and the wicked are punished. Jeremiah 35 is such a place. The Rechabites had been told by their father Jonadab to live in tents and not drink wine. They were obeying their earthly father. Jeremiah told them, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he commanded you, therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever” ’ ” (Jeremiah 35:16-19). What a blessing for this family because of their faithfulness!
Dear One, Let God’s Word reassure you. When Jesus was born, the Romans ruled that part of the world. Joseph and Mary had to travel miles to be counted by those Romans. And just at that time, the Father had His Son be born to a virgin, in a stable, because there was no room in the Inn. God sent GREAT HOPE at a time when it was needed most, to a poor couple, in a barn with animals, all living under Roman rule. That precious Baby grew to be the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ who gave His life for us on the cross and rose again on Easter morning, opening the door of heaven for all who believe in His Name.
Dear One, don’t you think He can do the same today? This certainly is another time in history when people are doing “what is right in their own eyes.” Ungodly marriages, abortion, murders, rioting, sinful leaders… As we look at the tragedy in Afghanistan, the damage of hurricane Ida, the fires and smoke in the West (shrouding our beautiful mountains daily), the continuation of vaccines and Covid, we might lose hope, but we won’t! We hold onto God’s promise to send His Son Jesus to right the wrongs and reign on high eternally! For every age needs Jesus!!!
Today’s TEA CUPP: Please pray with me…Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth we cry to You. Our hearts are overwhelmed for the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war have perished! We claim Your promise that the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning, for You are coming on the clouds. You are with us in every trial and tribulation, through every fire and storm. You are our Great Hope and Healer and Savior. Come, Lord Jesus, come. (Psalm 61:1-2, 2 Samuel 1:27, Psalm 49:14, Matthew 24:30, Revelation 22:20)
...We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. Acts 14:22 (NKJV)
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Revelation 22:20-21 (NKJV)
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God will shine forth. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; A fire shall devour before Him, And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him. Psalm 50:2-3 (NKJV)
Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner;my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’ Matthew 22:4 (NKJV)
“Come to the wedding!” Dear Sister, the wedding of all eternity is coming soon and YOU are invited! Jesus is making the crowning preparations right now, putting the finishing touches on His mansions, watering His garden of fruit trees, sending out the final invitations, praying for us as He anticipates the Day He will come to marry His bride, the Church.
Perhaps you missed a few weddings this past year. With plagues and shutdowns, many weddings were postponed or abbreviated. My son and his beautiful bride pared their wedding down from 200 friends and family to 25 close family members to celebrate within the guidelines of their town. I was very thankful to attend this lovely event, even with the smaller numbers, because we had missed his sister’s wedding when she eloped. I was sad about this for a long time until Jesus comforted me with these words:
Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’”Revelation 19:9 (NKJV)
Dear One, even if we miss every wedding this year, we can rejoice, for we are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb! Hallelujah! What a glorious Day that will be! Let us all be ready for that great and eternal Day! Let us prepare right now so that we are ready. Let us be forgiven and washed in the blood of Jesus and put on His pure white dresses (Revelation 19:8). Let us fill our lamps with the oil of His word (Matthew 25:1). Let us watch and pray for we don’t know when the time will come (Mark 13:33).
Until now, the Lord has been very gracious to us in waiting for more people to turn to Him (Isaiah 30:18). Yet we can see the Day of His coming approaching, as evil is called good and good is called evil, and our world heads in a downward spiral of moral decay, even within the Church. Listen to God’s Word from Saint Matthew…
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven,and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.Matthew 24:30 (NKJV)
Saint Luke also describes many of these signs that the Wedding is almost at hand. From wars to earthquakes to pestilences to persecutions and more… God’s Word says, “So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near” (Luke 21:31). Oh, Sister, the time is certainly near, won’t you please come to the Wedding?
Over and over, as we read our Bibles, Jesus invites us to “Come!” When you have TEA with Jesus each day and believe in His Name, you are accepting His call, and He quenches your thirst with His Living Water (Rev. 21:6, John 4:14). From the Old Testament to Revelation, the invitation is always there:
Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat…Isaiah 55:1 (NKJV)
Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.Psalm 34:11 (NKJV)
Come toMe, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Matthew 11:28 (NKJV)
And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.Mark 6:31 (NKJV)
…“Come and see.” John 1:46
Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ? John 4:29 (NKJV)
Oh, dear friend, won’t you please accept His invitation? Jesus so fervently desires you to be there, as He desired to eat the Last Supper with His disciples (Luke 22:15). RSVP “Yes” today! In recent years we have online wedding registries, where you can meet the bride and groom, view engagement photos, see the bridal party, RSVP you are coming, find a motel, look at the guest list and gift ideas, etc. Imagine if there were such a website for Jesus’ wedding! We could view photos of Jesus in heaven, see His Church, meet the Saints who will return with Him, say “YES!” we are coming, check out the mansion arrangements, see who else is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and admire the crowns we will bring to cast at the feet of our Groom, Jesus Christ. Fun as that sounds, our Bible, God’s Word, is the best place for us to get a glimpse of our Lord’s wedding.
Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.Revelation 19:7 (NKJV)
Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.Revelation 21:2 (NKJV)
As we read Revelation 21, I think of the old movies where the bride is married in her own home. At just the right moment, when all the guests are in place, she appears at the top of a long stairway, gracefully descending to take the arm of her groom. Saint John paints a picture for us, “Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). Imagine that Glorious Day when Jesus takes the Church to be His bride, will you be there?
Jesus tells the story of a Great Supper in Luke 14:15-24:
Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,andsent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and themaimed and the lame and the blind.’And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.For I say to youthat none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’” Luke 14:16-24 (NKJV)
Don’t make excuses, the time to say YES is TODAY! Accept Jesus! Come to the Wedding, my friend. Let us hasten the day of His Wedding by praying with John in Revelation 22:20, “Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus.”
…Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.2 Corinthians 6:2 (NKJV)
Today’s TEA CUPP: Dear Sister, there are so many beautiful wedding stories in the Bible. Spend time this week reading each of these: Matthew 22:1-14, Matthew 25:1-13, John 2:1-11, Revelation 21, and Genesis 24. Your daily TEA time with Jesus is preparing you for this Glorious Wedding Day. Rejoice that YOU are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb!
Thus says the Lord: ‘Again there shall be heard in this place…the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say: “Praise the Lord of hosts, For the Lordis good, For His mercy endures forever”…Jeremiah 33:10-11 (NKJV)
Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13 (NKJV)
The great day of the Lord is near; It is near and hastens quickly…Zephaniah 1:14 (NKJV)
They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. Luke 13:29 (NKJV)
…Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God! Luke 14:15 (NKJV)
Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,butwhoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give himwill become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:13-14 (NKJV)
I have two beautiful songs for you today, ladies! While looking up the second hymn, I came across this beautiful Catholic hymn based on Isaiah 55:1. I can just see all the faithful coming forward to receive the Bread and Cup, the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus, while hearing this song. The invitation is for all who hunger and thirst for righteousness and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And someday we will share the Cup anew with Jesus in the Kingdom of Heaven!
O let all who thirst Let them come to the water And let all who have nothing Let them come to the Lord Without money, without price Why should you pay the price Except for the Lord? (John Foley, 1978)
And Jesus said, “Come to the water, stand by My side, I know you are thirsty, you won’t be denied; I felt every teardrop when in darkness you cried, And I strove to remind you that for those tears I died.” (Hymn, author unknown)
…To you it has been given toknow themystery 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)
When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.Psalm 63:6(NKJV)
Dear TEA Friends,
If you’ve been reading My TEA CUPP Prayers devotions for awhile, you know my passion is for reading and praying God’s Word. Every day before sunrise, I fill my favorite morning mug and sit down with Jesus, letting Him speak first through His Word, the Bible. I underline my favorite verses (or the tough verses He shows me), and use those as conversation starters as I pour my heart out to Jesus in prayer.
Why do I use the God’s Word in prayer? For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Heb. 4:12).
A while back I shared a list of verses that fit with Tea in the Morning. A friend who owns a tea company told how she often has a cup of tea in the night when she can’t sleep. That caused me to search for verses for A Night Tea. Perhaps you are going through a “dark night of the soul” right now or would like Bible verses for when you are awake in the night. Here are some night verses for you…
T for Thanksgiving:
At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, Because of Your righteous judgments.Psalm 119:62 (NKJV)
E for Exalting:
I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.Psalm 16:7 (NKJV)
A for Admitting:
Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”Mark 14:30 (NKJV)
Butif one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.John 11:10 (NKJV)
C for Calling:
Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.1 Thessalonians 5:6 (NKJV)
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him…Psalm 37:7 (NKJV)
U for Understanding:
…My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. Psalm 16:7 (NKJV)
After this I awoke and looked around, and my sleep was sweet to me.Jeremiah 31:26 (NKJV)
You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.1Thessalonians 5:5 (NKJV)
P for Promises:
Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. Matthew 14:35 (NKJV)
I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.Psalm 4:8 (NKJV)
When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.Proverbs 3:24 (NKJV)
There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.Hebrews 4:9 (NKJV)
P for Petitioning:
Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.Luke 6:12 (NKJV)
Today’s TEA CUPP: Tuck theses verses and your Bible by your bed tonight. If you have trouble sleeping, have some “TEA” with Jesus in the middle of the night. Claim God’s promise to come to you “in the fourth watch.” God bless you, dear TEA friend!
The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.Romans 13:12 (NKJV)
I heard the voice of Jesus say, ‘Come unto Me and rest; lay down, thou weary one, lay down thy head upon My breast.’ I came to Jesus as I was, so weary, worn and sad; I found in Him a resting place, and He has made me glad.
I heard the voice of Jesus say, ‘Behold, I freely give the Living Water, thirsty one; stoop down and drink and live.’ I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life-giving stream; my thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in Him.
I heard the voice of Jesus say, ‘I am this dark world’s light; look unto me, thy morn shall rise, and all thy day be bright.’ I looked to Jesus, and I found in Him my star, my sun; and in that light of life I’ll walk till trav’lling days are done. (Horatius Bonar, 1846)
I remember Your name in the night, O Lord, And I keep Your law. Psalm 119:55 (NKJV)
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4 (NKJV)
Recently I was checking My TEA CUPP Prayers listing on Goodreads.com and discovered my daughter had left a comment! She said, “There could be another line in Ecclesiastes 3, ‘a verse for every purpose under heaven.’ Many good verses for any situation and encouragement in prayer. And my mom wrote it, so… :D”
So, of course, I had to return her compliment with Proverbs 31:29, “Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.”
Truly there is a Bible verse for every situation, even for COVID19! I’m sure many of you have found such verses as you’ve endured this year and read your Bibles. Here are just a few I found..
No hugging…
…A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing.Ecclesiastes 3:5 (NKJV)
Those stuck in quarantine…
You have put away my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an abomination to them; I am shut up, and I cannot get out; My eye wastes away because of affliction…Psalm 88:8-9 (NKJV)
The reason for the plague…
Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds, And the plague broke out among them.Psalm 106:29 (NKJV)
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!Isaiah 5:30 (NKJV)
God promises us…
Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence.Psalm 91:3 (NKJV)
No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.Psalm 91:10 (NKJV)
Let this be our petition and our story…
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. Psalm 107:19 (NKJV)
He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! Psalm 107:20-21 (NKJV)
Our prayer for the USA after healing…
That they may know that this is Your hand— That You, Lord, have done it! Psalm 109:27 (NKJV)
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 1 Peter 5:10 (NKJV)
Today’s TEA CUPP: What other verses can you find to help you through this COVID19 election year? Underline them in your Bible. Share them with a friend. Share them on Facebook. Most of all, use them as conversation starters as you share a TEA CUPP with Jesus.
The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined. Isaiah 9:2 (NKJV)
Dear Jesus, We ask that you shine Your light on our nation. We’ve been in the shadow of death this year with COVID19. We’ve been in the dark, wandering around in our sins. Forgive us, Jesus. Wash away our sins and hurts. Heal our land. Shine Your light into our hearts and clean out every corner. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and help us shine for You, so others will see Your light. Please keep healing our President and his wife and every person who needs Your healing. Today I pray especially for________________. In Jesus’s precious Name we pray. Amen.
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. Will you join me in fasting every Tuesday, though the USA election on November 3, 2020? Our country needs our prayers now as much as ever.
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)
Today I continue my series of running devotions for My TEA CUPP for Athletes & Runners Book & Journal. This devotion is one I ran five years ago. Water fits so well with the training we talked about last week. I pray these writings will be a blessing to you and you will be encouraged to PRESS ON in whatever God calls you to do!
Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”John 4:10 (NKJV)
I still remember the watering trough in our high school football practice field. Our cross country team ran practices around the field in the blazing sun and gladly stopped for breaks at the water fountain. It was a metal trough about 3 feet long, standing on posts about waist-high. Several spigots squirted water out for multiple athletes to be refreshed. The water, though I’m not certain of its origin, tasted like the coldest, freshest well water on earth. Perhaps it was those half-mile repeats on a sultry August afternoon that made the water especially quenching. We would gulp and guzzle the icy liquid, putting our heads under the stream, wishing we could just climb into the trough.
I was reminded of this water when praying and fasting an Esther fast (Esther 4:16). Though during many fasts I drink water, an Esther fast is no food or water for three days. Men can do a Paul fast, who also had no food or water when God called him on the way to Damascus (Acts 9:9). My fast came at the hottest part of summer, the kind of days where you would like to just sit in the shade and sip lemonade. Though a cool drink was what my body craved, I was determined to honor God by fulfilling my fast. As my thirst grew, my thoughts flew back over 30 years to that high school watering trough. It was the most refreshing place I could imagine.
And so I prayed to Jesus, the Living Water, to be that water for me, to quench my thirsty body and soul. And He did, and He continues each day.
For with You is the fountain of life…Psalm 36:9
The Runner’s TEA CUPP: My friend, our souls all thirst for something that only Jesus can quench. Let Jesus fill that thirst within you! Drink up His Word each day. John 4 is a great place to begin. The Bible satisfies our every need as we learn about God’s mercy and love for us. Be sure to drink both from His Word and a big water bottle when you go to exercise.
As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God… Psalm 42:1-2 (NKJV)
O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.Psalm 63:1 (NKJV)
Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”John 4:13-14 (NKJV)
Today I rerun another favorite Christmas devotion for you from December 2017. Merry Christmas, dear TEA CUPP ladies!
Blessed are those who keep justice,
God is a just judge,
Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner;
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4 (NKJV)
We have sinned with our fathers,
Jesus answered and said to her,