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Taste and See this Thanksgiving

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Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalm 34:8 (NKJV)

If ever there was a good time to “taste and see” that the Lord is good, it must be Thanksgiving. Taste buds are tempted with a tantalizing table of treats this time of the year. And for these gifts, we give the Lord thanks! For every good and perfect gift (especially our food) comes from above!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17 (NKJV)

What are you having for Thanksgiving this year? I pray that you are surrounded by loved ones and yummy things to eat! I know some may be struggling financially this year, with job lay-offs and high grocery bills. I pray someone delivers a casserole and pumpkin pie to your door! Our family is still homeless, but we do have a place to stay and food for the table and children coming “home,” so for that we are very thankful! And while we might want to be sad about this or that, Jesus tells me, “You give them something to eat!”

But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.” Luke 9:13 (NKJV)

And so I set my moldy brain to work on a little plan and divide up the menu and who is helping with what, and soon we have a scrumptious dinner, feasting like children of the King of kings in our borrowed cabin. Yes, the Lord is gracious!

 If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 1 Peter 2:3 (NKJV)

I love how Jesus always promises to feed us. Isaiah promises that He feeds us like a shepherd, for He is our Good Shepherd. And if this is a sad Thanksgiving for you, He is also carrying you in His arms. For the Lord has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted (Isaiah 49:13). And for the young families with little ones, He is gently leading us, too!

He will feed His flock like a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And gently lead those who are with young. Isaiah 40:11 (NKJV)

I was reminded of a few sad Thanksgivings lately. November 25, 2024 marked the 39th anniversary of the plane crash that took my college cross country team. Thanksgiving that year was a time of grieving. The other night we were driving home late after spending the day in the emergency room with my husband who thankfully only had vertigo, not a stroke. In the last few miles before our cabin, I hit ice on a bridge and spun our truck around and around before landing at the edge. Just two years after that plane crash, I had a similar accident with my parents’ car on my way home from a Thanksgiving gathering. May Jesus’ angels keep charge over all your loved ones this holiday season!

There have been happy Thanksgivings, too. I remember 1998 when my family all gathered at our church camp in Iowa. After the meal we had a talent show with my parents performing their famous skit of “Mabel and the Chewing Gum.” I remember 2006 when we were on a mission to Mississippi to help with rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina. We served a Thanksgiving dinner at a soup kitchen that day. I remember 2017 was the last Thanksgiving with my Daddy before he went to heaven. He was so thankful to have the family together. And in 2000, during the covid year, we spent Thanksgiving with Kennedy when she had cancer. And now she is a healthy third grader! Yes, there is always something for which to be thankful.

The first part of My TEA CUPP is T for Thanksgiving where we enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise (Psalm 100:4). How about if we all do that this Thanksgiving: Cut maples leaves from orange construction paper. Invite everyone to write and share blessings on the leaves. Then make a Thanksgiving wreath and pray 1 Chronicles 16 or a Psalm of thanks.

Today’s TEA CUPP: Let’s count our blessings instead of our bad days. Let’s count His praises instead of our pains. Let’s count our loved ones instead of our lack. And whatever you have on the table, taste and see that the Lord is good!

Here are a few of our Thanksgiving favorites:

Party Beans, Rice Con Queso, and Sweet Potatoes

Pumpkin and Pecan Pies

Give us day by day our daily bread. Luke 11:3 (NKJV)

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

Yes, Mandy, there really is a Hell

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 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Matthew 10:28

Our first summer in camping ministry, we had a potpourri of counselors from various church backgrounds.  One tall slim girl named Mandy grew up Lutheran and knew her Bible well.  As Mandy spoke with her campers during Bible study one week, the topic of hell came up. Mandy shared what she had learned from God’s Word.  When one of the campers went home, she told her parents, who told their pastor, who told the superintendent of camps at the head office, who called my husband to say our “counselors were not allowed to talk about hell since some churches don’t believe in it!” 

…whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.  Matthew 5:22 (NKJV)

We were astounded!  Yet being new to camping ministry and young Christians ourselves, we encouraged the counselors to just keep the focus on Jesus in their Bible studies.  But if there is no hell, why does anyone need Jesus who came to save us from our sins so that we won’t go to hell?!!  Well, I can tell you, if we were in that situation again, we would pull out our Bibles and march down to the head office to show the leaders God’s Word.  And so, to paraphrase the famous line from the 1897 New York Sun editorial by the aptly named Francis Church, I reply, “Yes, Mandy, there really is a hell!  You were right all along!  Here is the proof I’ve found in God’s Word which does not lie.” Oh head office, know the truth and the truth will set you free!

The wicked shall be turned into hell,
And all the nations that forget God.  Psalm 9:17 (NKJV)

Perhaps the best Bible story depicting hell is found in Luke 16:19-31. Here we meet a very poor man named Lazarus (a different Lazarus than the one Jesus’ raised from the dead). This Lazarus suffered throughout his life.  When he died, he went to Abraham’s bosom (a picture of being held in heaven in the arms of God).  At the same time, a wicked wealthy man died and was sent to hell.  From hell, this rich man could see across a large chasm into heaven, where Lazarus was being comforted on Abraham’s bosom.  The rich man begged for Lazarus to bring him some water, but Abraham said, “No, you had the good things during your lifetime, and besides there is this big chasm that separates us.”  The rich man begged for Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his family about hell, but Abraham replied, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.” And so the rich man was left in hell to suffer for all eternity (Luke 16:19-31). It is interesting that Jesus raises another Lazarus from the dead in John 11––were any persuaded by this miracle to repent?  

If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.  Psalm 139:8 (NKJV)

Oh, dear one, we don’t want this eternal torture for anyone, not our friends nor our family nor our worst enemies.  We want to bring them the Good News of God’s salvation through His only Son Yeshua Messiah (Jesus Christ)!  We want to show them through the scriptures how Moses pointed to a Savior.  Jesus is the Seed to crush satan’s head Whom God promised Adam and Eve in Genesis. He is the Passover Lamb who died for our sins in Exodus.  He is our High Priest and the Law fulfilled in Leviticus.  He is the Prophet foretold in Deuteronomy.  He is the Captan of our salvation in Joshua. He is the One the psalmist declared is poured out like water for all the world. He is the One wounded for our transgressions in Isaiah. He is the 4th person walking in the fire in Daniel. He is the ruler from Bethlehem as told by Micah.  He is Jesus Christ, the baby born to the Virgin Mary, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.  He is Yeshua Messiah, who bore our sins on the cross that all who believe in Him will escape hell, have our sins washed into the depths of the sea, and live eternally in heaven, with Lazarus on Abraham’s bosom!  (Genesis 3:15, Exodus 12:21, Leviticus 21:10, Deuteronomy 18:15, Psalm 22, Isaiah 53:5, Daniel 3:25, Micah 5:2,Micah 7:19,  Luke 2:7, Luke 2:12, 1Peter 2:24,  Pastor Tim Sheets, “Knowing Him,” Oasis Church, November 26, 2023).

Today’s TEA CUPP:  Read Job 33:23-30  and Jude 24-25 and see there is HOPE! Jesus is our Mediator, the One who keeps us from the pit!  Jesus’ blood He shed for us on the cross washes us clean so that we can be in heaven with Him for all eternity. Our citizenship is in heaven!  Make your salvation certain today by calling on Jesus and confessing your sins. Rejoice in our great hope, dear one!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  1Peter 1:3 (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)

Hell and Destruction are before the Lord;
So how much more the hearts of the sons of men. Proverbs 15:11 (NKJV)

I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.  Revelation 1:18 (NKJV)

If you’d like to learn more, you might enjoy reading We still need the Key and It is Finished and Leave no Doubt and My Dear Loved One. 

 …and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18 (NKJV)

And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.  John 20:28-29 (NKJV)

(See also Deuteronomy 32:22, Job 21:30, Job 26:6, Psalm 11:6, Psalm 21:9, Psalm 73:18-19, Psalm 140:10, Proverbs 1:12, Proverbs 5:5, Proverbs 7:27, Proverbs 9:18, Proverbs 23:14, Proverbs 27:20, Proverbs 15:24,  Proverbs 20:26, Isaiah 14:15, Isaiah 14:19, Daniel 12:2, Matthew 5:29-30, Matthew 13:24-49,  Matthew 18:8-9, Matthew 23:33, Matthew 24:29-51, Matthew 25:30-46, Mark 9:42-48,  Luke 3:17, Luke 12:5, John 5:22-30, John 5:46-47, John 8:32, 2Thessalonians 1:8-9, 2Peter 2:4-11, 2Peter 2:17, James 3:6, Jude 23, Revelation 20:15)

“Thus says the Lord God: ‘In the day when it went down to hell, I caused mourning. I covered the deep because of it. I restrained its rivers, and the great waters were held back. I caused Lebanon to mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted because of it. I made the nations shake at the sound of its fall, when I cast it down to hell together with those who descend into the Pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the depths of the earth. They also went down to hell with it, with those slain by the sword; and those who were its strong arm dwelt in its shadows among the nations.  Ezekiel 31:15-17 (NKJV)

For great is Your mercy toward me,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.  Psalm 86:13 (NKJV)

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

All Things Work for Good

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And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

All things, All things, All things! Not just some things or most things or things that are especially important, but ALL things work together for good!  That’s what God’s Word promises us in this well-known verse from Romans 8:28… And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.  

I love God. I love His Son Jesus.  I am called according to His purpose and so I claim this promise. That’s what the first “P” in the TEA CUPP is for, claiming God’s PROMISES. Dear sister, you can claim it, too!  You are called to be His daughter and He has great plans for you!  

As I was reading the book of Joshua in my Bible this month, I saw a beautiful example of this promise.  After their amazing victory in conquering Jericho in Joshua 6, the Israelites suffered a crushing defeat in Joshua 7 because one man Achan had kept the enemy’s accursed booty.  The Lord was angry at Achan’s disobedience, so He did not go with Israel’s army to defeat Ai that first time. Once Achan confessed his sin (Joshua 7:20) and received his punishment (Joshua 7:26), the Lord God was no longer angry and could once again go with Israel’s army to fight the battles. 

In the first battle, Joshua sent about three thousand men who were quickly chased away by the people of Ai.  This is where Romans 8:28 came in!  God used even the failed first battle at Ai to trick the enemy. In the second battle, He had Joshua station ambushes on the far side of Ai, unbeknownst to the people of Ai.  Then Joshua himself lead the group that marched up as at the first.

Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city; and it will come about, when they come out against us as at the first, that we shall flee before them. For they will come out after us till we have drawn them from the city, for they will say, ‘They are fleeing before us as at the first.’ Therefore we will flee before them.  Joshua 8:5-6 (NKJV)

The Israelite’s followed the plan.  When the people of Ai chased Joshua’s army they fled as in the first battle, then the ambush attacked the city and set it on fire! When the enemy looked back at their city, their hearts melted and Joshua’s army turned back and pursued them all.  Read Joshua 8 for all of this exciting story!  It’s so neat how God let their first failure trick the enemy and they won the second battle! HalleluYAH! Praise Yehovah!

Yet, that is not the only Biblical example of Yehovah God working all things for good… what about God turning Sarah’s barrenness into the miraculous conception and birth of Isaac. What about David’s sin with Bathsheba producing the wisest king Solomon and the continuation of the genealogy of our Messiah, Jesus?  What about the prophet Daniel returning with the remnant to Jerusalem?  What about Paul’s shipwreck bringing salvation to the sailors and island people? And most of all, what about God turning the sin of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit into a Seed that would one day be our Savior, Jesus Christ?

And so, I claim Romans 8:28 as a promise for my life. Nine months ago, I had to flee my home due to mold.  The enemy has been pursuing me in all kinds of ways… health issues, homelessness, pains, tears, despair, loss of pets… but like Joshua, I seek the Lord and keep pressing on and claiming His promise to work even this for good.  We are more than conquerers through Him who loves us!  

Just look how God has blessed us this summer… my old Bible study leader invited our animals and us to stay on her property.  A friend from our fellowship loaned us their beautiful camper.  With food and clothing we are content, yet still we pray for that new home Jesus is preparing.  Yes, we still have tears. Yes, we still have dark nights.  But we are confident that, yes, God will work all things together for good because we love Him and we are called according to His purposes!

Dear one, how can you claim this promise in your life today? If you are in a difficult relationship, God will use it for good.  If your children are prodigals, God will use it for good. If you are broke, God will use it for good. If you are hungry, God will use it for good. If you are hurting, God will use it for good.  If you are sick, God will use it for good.  If you are mourning for a loved one, God will use it for good. If you made a big mistake, God will use it for good. If you are homeless, God will use it for good.  if you are lonely, God will use it for good. If you are brokenhearted, God will use it for good.  In ALL things God works together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes!  

Today’s TEA CUPP:  Read the amazing miracle in Joshua 8 today!  Use the enemy’s strategy against him in your own battles, claiming victory through our Lord and Savior Yeshua Messiah!  

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)

For thus says the Lord: ‘Just as I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will bring on them all the good that I have promised them.’  Jeremiah 34:42 (NKJV)

For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands.  Psalm 92:4 (NKJV)

You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes.  Psalm 119:68 (NKJV)

He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.  Psalm 147:3 (NKJV)

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  Romans 8:37 (NKJV)

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Corinthians 15:57 (NKJV)

 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.  2 Corinthians 9:8 (NKJV)

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.  1 John 5:4 (NKJV)

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

More Mold

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Then the priest shall come and look; and indeed if the plague has spread in the house, it is an active leprosy in the house. It is unclean. And he shall break down the house, its stones, its timber, and all the plaster of the house, and he shall carry them outside the city to an unclean place. Leviticus 14:44-45 (NKJV)

I broke down the day I read these verses in Leviticus.  I’ve read Leviticus every year for 30 years and I don’t think I’ve ever cried, perhaps was confused, but probably never cried.  It was just too much for me to be reminded of our home we lost.  Our rental house was overtaken by mold and we are still searching for a new one.  Our bodies continue to be in pain, too.  The same day I read Leviticus 14, our youngest son and I were sitting together reading his school book, the section was called, “We love our homes.”  Oh, the tears came running again!  

Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of family and friends. He sent from above, He took us; He drew us out of many irrigation waters.  Yet indeed we also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord, for whom we have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that we may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having our own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.

I thought it was time for a MOLD update.  Many of you know we left our rental home in November 2022 due to a horrible mold outbreak.  We were hoping to be back in it before Christmas, but the owner decided not to repair it. So, in January 2023 we tossed 7000 lb. of belongings and put the salvageable items in storage. We’ve been staying at a guest house the Lord graciously provided until we find a new home.  Today I share an update using Bible verses I’ve read recently.  It’s neat how we can always find our story in God’s Word…

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For to us it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake. 

My flesh has been in pain over it, and my soul has mourned over it. Even today my complaint is bitter; my hand is listless because of my groaning. But Abba Father knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. For our God has tested us; He has refined us as silver is refined. He brought us into the net; He laid affliction on our backs.

 But as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Montana: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.

But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.  I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. We went through fire and through water; but the Lord will bring us out to rich fulfillment. And I will hope continually, and will praise Jesus yet more and more. We have learned in whatever state we are, to be content: We know how to be abased, and we know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things we have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.

Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!  Look on my affliction and my pain, and forgive all my sins.  Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed, save me, and I will be saved, for You are my praise. Unless the Lord builds a house, those who build it labor in vain. Oh, Lord you are my strength.  My God shall supply all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Blessed be God, who has not turned away our prayers, nor His mercy from us!

Today’s TEA CUPP: Write a Psalm (perhaps Psalm 30 or 31) down the left column in your prayer journal. Now pour out your heart to the Lord Jesus on the right-hand side column. 

 All my life He has been faithful and He isn’t going to stop now!

Scripture from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson (with verses from Leviticus 14:44-45, Job 13:15, Job 14:22, Job 23:2, Job 23:10-12, Psalm 18:6, Psalm 25:18, Psalm 27:13, Psalm 28:8, Psalm 66:10-12, Psalm 66:20, Psalm 80:19, Psalm 71:14, Psalm 127:1,  Proverbs 12:13, Jeremiah 17:14, 2 Corinthians 1:3-12, 2 Corinthians 7:6, Philippians 1:12, Philippians 1:29, Philippians 3:8-9, Philippians 4:11-13,19)

 

Exalting from A to Z

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From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation. Luke 11:51 (NKJV)

  • He is our Alpha and Omega,
  • our Beginning and End.
  • He’s our A and our Z,
  • Our Savior and our Friend.
  • From Abel to Zechariah
  • His salvation was proclaimed.
  • And so we must lift up
  • His Holy Name.

A few of you may remember in Mom’s TEA CUPP Prayers how we exalted Jesus with names for Him using all the letters of the alphabet… Alive, Bread, Christ, Divine, Emmanuel… etc.  Since Mom’s went to press, I’ve found many more words for our Lord from A to Z. Maybe I’ll have the opportunity to publish a second edition with a complete list! 

Today, the Lord has me on a new quest, to find words which mean “to praise” and “to exalt” our Father and Lord Jesus from A to Z.  Perhaps you can help me complete my list!  

  • A is for Adore
  • B is for Beautify, Behold, Believe, Bless 
  • C is for Celebrate, Cherish, Cling to
  • D is for Dance for, Dedicate, Defend, Delight in, Desire, Devote
  • E is for Elevate, Embrace, Esteem
  • F is for Fancy
  • G is for Glorify
  • H is for Hallow, Hail, Hold dear, Honor
  • I is for Increase
  • J is for 
  • K is for
  • L is for Laud, Lift up, Lionize, Love
  • M is for Magnify, Marvel at
  • N is for
  • O is for Ordain
  • P is for Praise, Prize, Proclaim
  • Q is for Quicken
  • R is for Raise, Rejoice in, Respect, Revere
  • S is for Sanctify, Shout, Sing
  • T is for Thank, Treasure, Trust
  • U is for Uphold, Uplift, Upraise
  • V is for Value, Venerate, Visualize
  • W is for Watch, Welcome, Witness, Worship 
  • X is for eXalt, eXclaim, eXtol
  • Y is for
  • Z is for

Today’s TEA CUPP:  Can you help me exalt our Lord and Savior? What words will you add to this ABC praise list?  Write an exaltation prayer in your journal today.  Glorify the Lord with me! 

Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.  Psalm 34:3 (NKJV)

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

Sealed with a Kiss

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Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.  2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NKJV)

Every day I kiss Jesus. I finish the first part of my morning TEA time, reading God’s Word.  I always try to let Him speak before me, opening my Bible to read as I take a sip from my steaming mug.  My readings include Old Testament, New Testament and Psalms, providing many verses that speak to my current needs.  Right now, I’m following the M’Cheyne Bible Reading plan, which actually has me reading in four places.  By the time I finish reading, my cup of tea is either cold or long gone.  I write down the verses God shows me in my prayer journal and close my Bible, giving it a kiss before setting it down, much as I always kissed our babies before laying them in the crib.  

Why did I start kissing my Bible?  Is it because it is as precious to me as those long-grown babies?  Is it because it is the Word of God, Jesus who gave His life for me?  Is it because it is the only Hope we have in the crazy world?  There are probably many reasons.  And yet, as I kiss His Word, I realize Jesus first kissed me.  

Every believer has the kiss of Jesus upon her forehead.  He has given you His Holy Spirit in your heart as a guarantee.  After He writes “My Beloved daughter” on us and seals us with the kiss of His Holy Spirit, we become a letter to all the world of God’s great love. That’s why when you are at the grocery store or park or anywhere and see another believer, Jesus shines from her eyes, and you know and she knows that you are both children of the Heavenly Father, you both have been sealed with His kiss.

You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men. 2 Corinthians 3:2 (NKJV)

Do you know when Jesus was kissed by the Father?  I imagine that’s what the dove was doing at His baptism.  When John the Baptist was baptizing people in the Jordan River for repentance of sins, along came Jesus who had never sinned.  John didn’t think he should baptize his perfect cousin, but Jesus insisted, setting the example for all believers.  God had already told John that the One on whom His Spirit rests would be the Savior of the world (John 1:33).  And that is just what happened when Jesus came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove and a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son.”

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. Ephesians 1:13 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: Read about Jesus’ baptism in Mark 1:9-11. Oh, Jesus, this is our story, too.  You established us, anointed us, and sealed us with Your Holy Spirit like an envelope. We have a seal on our hearts declaring, “Beloved of God,” “God’s Child,” “Saved by Jesus,” “Redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb.”  And no one, no one, can remove the seal and snatch us from Your hands.  Yet people can still read the letter inside. We are Your letter to the world, proclaiming the Good News of Your salvation, Jesus. Hallelujah! This is my story! Amen.

Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.  Psalm 2:12 (NKJV)

O Jesus, I love You! I kiss Your feet and wash them with my tears. I hug and kiss You with my prayers.  I run to You like a little girl to her Daddy, climbing on Your lap. Oh, I want to stay in this safe place.  You love me and all Your children.  You are gentle with us, but to the wicked You are a terror.  You are Great, Mighty, all-seeing, Savior God!  Nothing is too hard for You.  I love You, Jesus. Amen.

…Greet one another with a holy kiss.  1 Corinthians 16:20 (NKJV)

 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.  2 Corinthians 5:5. (NKJV)

They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.  Revelation 22:4 (NKJV)

Mercy and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed. Psalm 85:10

. . . and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Luke 7:28 (NKJV)

And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.  Luke 15:20 (NKJV)

And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.  John 10:28-29 (NKJV)

Thank you for stopping by My TEA CUPP Prayers.  If you enjoyed today’s devotion, you might also like to read last week’s Come to the Wedding Feast and God Loves You. And speaking of weddings and kisses, this week my husband and I celebrate our 32nd anniversary.  All glory be to God!

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

My Treasure TEA

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But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:7 (NKJV)

A few years ago, before there were Covid and shutdowns, I was invited to speak at a lovely June Tea Party, hosted by a large Baptist church. The ladies all dressed in their beautiful spring dresses, the tables were decorated with towers of treats, and we were taught and served tea in the most elegant English manner. In honor of that party, and all tea parties we long to have again, this month I give you June TEAs to have with Jesus.

Today is My Treasure TEA, treasure verses you can use as conversation starters for each part of the TEA CUPP. May your TEA time with Jesus be rich with His blessings, dear ladies…

T is for Thanksgiving

Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. Colossians 1:12 (NKJV)

E is for Exalting

…The fear of the Lord is His treasure. Isaiah 33:6 (NKJV)

In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:3 (NKJV)

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.  Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV)

The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of coins of gold and silver.  Psalm 119:72 (NKJV)

A is for Admitting

Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. James 5:3 (NKJV)

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.  Luke 6:45 (NKJV)

Getting treasures by a lying tongue
Is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death.  Proverbs 21:6 (NKJV)

C is for Calling

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. Exodus 19:5 (NKJV)

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV)

Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”  Matthew 19:21 (NKJV)

I have treasured the words of His mouth
More than my necessary food.  Job 23:12 (NKJV)

My son, keep my words,
And treasure my commands within you.  Proverbs 7:1 (NKJV)

U is for Understanding

For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.  Deuteronomy 7:6 (NKJV)

If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:4-5 (NKJV)

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27 (NKJV)

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 (NKJV)

P is for Promises

The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand.   Deuteronomy 28:12 (NKJV)

The Lord knows the days of the upright,
And their inheritance shall be forever.  Psalm 37:18 (NKJV)

Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.  Psalm 2:8 (NKJV)

P is for Petitioning

Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever.  Psalm 28:9 (NKJV)

Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old,
The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed—Psalm 74:2 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: Read Matthew 13:44-45 for more verses about treasure and the Kingdom of God. Give all you have to obtain this Treasure. Dear one, you are a jewel in the crown of God! Use these verses as conversation starters for your prayers today. Pour out your heart to our Great Treasure, Jesus!

P.S. Thank you for stopping by My TEA CUPP Prayers.  I’m excited to tell you that my next book, More TEA CUPP Prayers has a treasure theme woven through it.  It will be published later this year. Thank you for praying it through to completion and may it point ladies everywhere to Jesus.  

For those of you who read last week’s post, My Sheep TEA, I want to share the good news that a precious little lamb was safely delivered! All praise and glory to God for His newest princess!  

Here’s an old treasure song by Gary Chapman to bless your day:

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

More than a Running Buddy

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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 have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:15 (NKJV)

It’s great to have a Running Buddy. As I plod along the highway at the break of dawn, one foot after another, sometimes on pavement, sometimes on the gravel or grassy shoulder, I am not alone. If you drive by me, I may smile and wave a hand if I’m paying attention, yet often I’m lost in thought, lost in prayer with my Best Friend.

We were up together long before the sunrise, as we shared a CUPP of TEA and several Bible verses together. He spoke through His Word and I tried really hard to listen. I shared what I heard back to Him and poured out my heart for loved ones. Then we both looked at the clock and realized it was time to strap on the running shoes and continue our talk outside.

My run began much like my prayer time with singing a song in my head of THANKSGIVING to my Best Friend. Then I sang another song of praising and EXALTING, because HE is such an awesome Friend. But now as my feet hit the road, I think about how wonderful my Friend is, I realize how far I fall short, how I mess up and sin. So, I sing a song for ADMITTING my sins to Him and He forgives me and washes me clean.

Continuing down the highway, I sing songs about my CALLING, and UNDERSTANDING my story, and claiming His PROMISES. Finally, I finish my PETITIONS with The Lord’s Prayer, the best prayer of all. I’m so thankful for our Lord Jesus. He is way more than a Running Buddy, He is the Savior of my soul, my Redeemer, the One who paid my debt on the cross, my Comforter, my Guide, my Life.

Long ago two camp friends went for a walk together. They told us how an onlooker saw three people walking along the road, yet it was just the two of them. They knew the third person was Jesus, because they were praying at the time. Perhaps when I am running, you will see my Running Buddy with me, but that’s okay if you don’t, for I know He is always there.

…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age… Matthew 28:20 (NKJV)

The Runner’s TEA CUPP: Won’t you bring a Friend with you on your run today? Invite Jesus to be your Running Buddy for life. Let your morning Bible time flow right into your morning exercises as you continue your prayers on the run.

Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. Psalm 25:4-5 (NKJV)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

P.S. Here are some of my favorite running songs…

T: Give Thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever… (Tomlin)

E: O God, You are my God, and I will ever praise You… (Strasser)

A: Amazing Grace/My chains are gone, I’ve been set free… (Newton & Tomlin)

C: Make me a servant, humble and meek… (Willard)

U: I believe in God the Father… (Travis Ryan)

P: He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it… (Steve Green)

P: I will cast all my cares upon you… (Willard)

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