My Resurrection TEA

That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.  Philippians 3:10 (NKJV)

Many of the churches are celebrating Resurrection Sunday this weekend.  It is an interesting year because Passover isn’t until April 23rd.  So, those of us celebrating Passover and Yeshua (Jesus) as our Passover Lamb, won’t be celebrating His resurrection until Sunday, April 28th.  But truly, we should remember Jesus’ death and resurrection every day of our lives, because it is His life and death and rising that give us life and forgiveness and hope of eternal life with Him in heaven.  A dear friend of mine even takes communion every morning, thanking Yeshua for what He did on the cross.  A few times she’s invited me to join her over the phone. That was special!  As you celebrate Jesus’ resurrection this spring, I give you a Resurrection Tea based on Luke 24 to sip and pray.  God bless you, dear sister in Christ.  Jesus truly is risen indeed!  

T is for Thanksgiving

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

We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.  Revelation 11:17 (NKJV)

E is for Exalting

…Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people… Luke 24:19 (NKJV)

And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. AmenLuke 24:52-53 (NKJV)

A is for Admitting

Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!  Luke 24:25 (NKJV)

And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?  Luke 24:38 (NKJV)

C is for Calling

He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee. Luke 24:6 (NKJV)

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Luke 24:47-48 (NKJV)

U is for Understanding our Stories

Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.  Luke 24:31 (NKJV)

And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”  Luke 24:32 (NKJV)

P is for Promises

Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.”  Luke 24:36 (NKJV)

Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.  John 5:28-29 (NKJV)

This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  John 6:39-40 (NKJV)

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”  John 11:23 (NKJV)

P is for Petitioning

But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with themLuke 24:29 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: I love that Abba Father commanded Jesus to rise and He did! (John 10:18, 14:31). Read Luke 24 and 1Corinthians15:12-26 for an even greater picture of the resurrection.  Use all these verses this week as you have TEA with Jesus: Thanking Him for salvation; exalting Him for His glory; admitting your sins and asking to be washed clean by the blood He shed for you on the cross; listening for your part in His calling; understanding your story a little more; taking comfort in claiming His promises; and finally, inviting Jesus to abide with you and your family always.  Blessed Resurrection Day, dear sister in Christ!

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. 1Corinthians 15:3-4 (NKJV)

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 1Corinthians 15:20 (NKJV)

For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!  Job 19:25-27 (NKJV)

 

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

Wake Up, Jesus!

But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”  Mark 4:38 (NKJV)

I was awake since 1 a.m., up since 3 a.m., reading my Bible, praying all my prayers, yet it was still dark.  I cried out, “I watch for you, Jesus, more than watchmen wait for the morning.  When will You come to answer my prayers? How long until soon?”  

Remembering the missionary pastor who visited our church, I cried “Wake-up, Jesus!” Pastor Samuel said we need to wake up Jesus in our churches.  He is sleeping in the stern of the boat.  “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” I cried again (Mark 4:38).

Do You not care my pains are extra sharp this morning?  Do You not care we are still homeless over a year after leaving our moldy home?  Do You not care that we spend all this time in Your Word and prayer and seek You with all our hearts and live for You each day?  Wake up, Jesus!   

Don’t you care what is going on in our nation and world?  They are fighting your dear land of Israel!  Evil people are trying to end our elections in America. They are still trying to kill people with vaccines.  “Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord? Arise! Do not cast us off forever” (Psalm 44:23).

…Awake to help me, and behold!
You therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Awake to punish all the nations;
Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors… Psalm 59:4-5 (NKJV)

Babies are still dying everyday from abortion, families are falling apart, schools are teaching evil subjects.  Innocent people are being trafficked. Churches are going against Your Word.  Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, And do not be still, O God!  (Psalm 83:1)

I cry again, “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!  (Psalm 80:1) Awake, awake, put on strength,
O arm of the LordAwake as in the ancient days,In the generations of old. Are You not the arm that cut Rahab apart, And wounded the serpent?  (Isaiah 51:9)

Then I decree, it will be like in Isaiah 33 and Psalm 78:  Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine  (Psalm 78:65).  “Now I will rise,” says the Lord“Now I will be exalted, Now I will lift Myself up (Isaiah 33:10).

Amen and Amen!  Let it be so!  Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Today’s TEA CUPP:  Wake up Jesus with your prayers! Read the story of Jesus asleep on the boat in Mark 4:35-41 and Psalm 107:23-32. Claim God’s promise in Psalm 121:4 that He will never sleep again.  

Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.  Psalm 121:4 (NKJV)

P.S. Dear one, God who created the sea can calm any storm on it.  And God who created you and me can calm any storm in our lives, too.  

The Lord on high is mightier
Than the noise of many waters,
Than the mighty waves of the sea.  Psalm 93:4 (NKJV)

The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.  Psalm 95:5 (NKJV)

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness.  Psalm 96:11 (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)

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

 

 

 

His Hand is Outstretched Still

…But His hand is stretched out still.Isaiah 5:25 (NKJV)

51 Years ago on this day, January 22, 1973, just eight days before my youngest brother was born, the supreme court of the United States of America made the tragic decision to allow abortions, the murder of babies, in the case of Roe vs. Wade.  On June 24, 2022, after decades of prayer and hard work on behalf of believers, the supreme court reversed that decision, giving the decision back to each state. And so the work continues in each state to protect babies and the prayer warriors pray on.  With sadness I heard this past year how one state where I used to live, Ohio, had enshrined abortion in its constitution.  Oh, Ohio, reverse this curse in the Name of Jesus!  Let us all continue to pray for precious babies everywhere.  

 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.  Deuteronomy 30:19 (NKJV)

January 22 is also recognized by many as Sanctity of Human Life Day, praying God will use for good a day that the enemy intended for evil. I declare that every day is a sanctity of human life day, For God says in His Word, choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19)!  He proclaims that every life is so precious that He sent His One and Only Son Jesus Christ, Yeshua Messiah, to die for each of our sins (including the tragic sin of abortion) so that we can have eternal life with Him (and those babies) in heaven (John 3:16). And that little baby hand that rocked the world over 2000 years ago is outstretched still to help you with your babies, to forgive your sins, and to hold you in the palm of His hand.

He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  Luke 1:51 (NKJV)

It has been less than a month since much of the world marked the birth of our Savior Jesus with the celebration of Christmas. A few years ago, I wrote a devotion entitled “Christmas Must Be Pro-Life.” Now my thoughts turn more to the Old Testament and our Jewish heritage for we have been grafted into Abraham’s tree.  I think of the babies born to Judah and Tamar in Genesis 28.  As Tamar was giving birth to her twins, a midwife tied a red string onto the baby who reached out his hand (Zerah), but then the other baby broke through and was actually born first (Perez) (Genesis 38: 27-30).  This Perez was in the lineage of Christ (one of Jesus’ ancestors). I imagine that when Jesus was born to Mary, His hand could have reached out first, then popped back in so He could be delivered headfirst. Because Jesus is both our scarlet thread baby and our breakthrough baby, making a way for us all to get to Abba Father in heaven.  Jesus provides His scarlet blood to wash away our sins and He is making breakthrough miracles even today (like the Supreme Court reversal of Roe vs. Wade!). Those baby hands that first reached out to Mary and Joseph, then reached out to heal the sick and lame, then reached out on a cross to die. Those blessed hands are outstretched still! 

Those mighty hands created the world and everything in it in six days and rested on the seventh.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.   John 1:1-3 (NKJV)

Those mighty hands delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt with signs and wonders to Pharaoh and the Egyptians.

So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders.  Deuteronomy 26:8 (NJKV)

Those mighty hands knocked down the walls of Jericho and used Joshua’s outstretched arm to defeat the people of Ai, conquering the Promised Land. 

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out the spear that was in his hand toward the city… Joshua did not draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.  Joshua 8:18 & 26 (NKJV)

Those mighty hands heard the prayers of King Solomon when he dedicated the temple to our awesome God.

For they will hear of Your great name and Your strong hand and Your outstretched arm, when he comes and prays toward this temple.  1 Kings 8:42 (NKJV)

Those mighty hands gave Isaiah this prophecy, we often hear at Christmas time:

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)

Have you read Isaiah 9 all the way to the end?  Over and over, Isaiah tells us …But His hand is stretched out still (Isaiah 9:12) …But His hand is stretched out still (Isaiah 9:17) …But His hand is stretched out still (Isaiah 9:21) …But His hand is stretched out still (Isaiah 10:4). And before he concludes, Isaiah has many more promises for that Arm and Hand:

Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand,
And His arm shall rule for Him;
Behold, His reward is with Him,
And His work before Him.  Isaiah 40:10 (NKJV)

The Lord has made bare His holy arm
In the eyes of all the nations;
And all the ends of the earth shall see
The salvation of our God.  Isaiah 52:10 (NKJV)

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.  Isaiah 59:1 (NKJV)

And the Psalmists loved those blessed Arms and Hands…

That Your beloved may be delivered,
Save with Your right hand, and hear me.  Psalm 60:5 (NKJV)

Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.  Psalm 73:23 (NKJV)

You have a mighty arm;
Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.  Psalm 89:13 (NKJV)

The right hand of the Lord is exalted;
The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.  Psalm 118:16 (NKJV)

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save mePsalm 138:7 (NKJV)

His Hand is Outstretched Still for the babies. My youngest brother will turn 51 next week, but 63 million people will not be having birthdays this year, those babies whose lives were taken because of Roe vs. Wade.  If you are a mom of one of those babies, His hands are stretched out for you, dear one!  Those nail-scarred hands that hung on the cross for all the world are stretched out for you!  Be like Thomas and feel the holes in Jesus’ hands, claim the promise that His scarlet blood washes away all your sins, and let those hands carry you through today and all your tomorrows.

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.  Matthew 19:14-15 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: Our Joshua, our Yeshua, our Jesus, has His hand outstretched still… reaching for us, fighting our battles, stretching out His hands and giving His life for us on the cross. Reach out and take hold of that everlasting hand, dear sister. There is a verse in Nehemiah 12:43 when they are dedicating the wall of Jerusalem that says, “…God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced…”  This is my prayer: May God make us all rejoice with great joy, all the women and children, mammas and babies, grandmas and grandchildren.  HalleluYAH!  Jesus is our salvation! His hands are outstretched still!  

There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,
Who rides the heavens to help you,
And in His excellency on the clouds.
The eternal God is your refuge,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
He will thrust out the enemy from before you,
And will say, ‘Destroy!’  Deuteronomy 33:26-27 (NKJV)

That all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever. Joshua 4:24 (NKJV)

Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”  John 20:27-28 (NKJV)

(See also Genesis 50:20, Exodus 13:3, Exodus 13:9, Exodus 13:14, Exodus 13:16, Deuteronomy 9:29. Psalm 20:6, Psalm 63:8, Psalm 74:11, Psalm 77:15, Psalm 136:12, Psalm 139:10, Psalm 144:7, Isaiah 51:5, Isaiah 53:1, Isaiah 62:8, Isaiah 63:5, Isaiah 65:2, Acts 13:11, Romans 8:28, Romans 10:21)

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

Waiting and Waiting Again


This time of year, my heart turns to my Daddy who passed from this life to heaven 6 years ago on this very day. And so, in honor of my Daddy, I re-run this Christmas devotion from a few years ago. This devotion and many others will be coming out Spring 2024 (God-willing!) in my next book, More Tea Cupp Prayers

But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength. Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)

Waiting. Waiting. Waiting can be hard. Families wait for Daddy (and sometimes Mommy) to come home from work. Children wait for birthdays and Christmas. Grandparents wait for grandchildren to visit. All of us wait for our prayers to be answered. We wonder what the delay could be. Why aren’t we getting our answers right NOW?!

Wait on your God continually. Hosea 12:6 (NKJV)

I remember how as a child I met my Daddy at the bus stop almost every afternoon. I would trudge up Fillmore Avenue a quarter of a mile and sit myself on a big rock, watching the traffic along 24th Street. Many cars, trucks, and buses would go by but not stop. Finally, the bus would come with my Daddy and I would hold his hand all the way home. One day, I looked at the clock wrong and went an hour early, waiting and waiting until I tearfully trudged home alone. When my Daddy finally arrived home, he wondered where I was that day, I told him the tearful story of my waiting. Sadly, I didn’t meet him so often after that.

I wonder, do we do the same thing with our prayers? Are we at the bus stop expecting answers too soon? Then, when the answers don’t come in our timing, we don’t meet with Jesus so often anymore?

I have waited for your salvation, O Lord! Genesis 49:18 (NKJV)

 Truly my soul silently waits for God;
From Him comes my salvation. Psalm 62:1 (NKJV)

In the book of Daniel, we get a glimpse into what is happening while we are waiting on God. We might think the prayer-mail delivery service is slow this time of year, that FedEx is having a tough time keeping up with the prayer packages delivered to Heaven’s Throne room, often out late at night delivering prayers. 

But we can be assured that our prayers are not delayed! For the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26). And God hears our every prayer (John 9:31). So, what is the delay? In Daniel 10 we read how angels were dispatched to help Daniel the moment he started praying. But the enemy’s angels prevented help from arriving for three weeks! Up in the heavens, where we can’t even see, angels are fighting battles for us that we don’t even know, all because of our prayers (Ephesians 6:12).

Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. Daniel 10:12–13 (NKJV)

What are you waiting for today? Our family is currently waiting for healing and a home. It’s been over a year since mold was discovered in my body and in our rental house. I’ve cried out to the Lord every day for healing and a home (I wait for You, YHVH Rapha, YHVH Jireh). And I keep pressing on to fulfill His calling, even in my tears and pains.

I am weary with my crying;
My throat is dry;
My eyes fail while I wait for my God.
Psalm 69:3 (NKJV)

Today, I also wait for healing for our nation and an end to plagues and cancer, for healing for church friends, for dear ones to give their hearts to Jesus, and especially for Jesus to come again!

 Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13 (NKJV)

You know who else is waiting? God! You remember the story of the prodigal son? Just as the father waited expectantly for the prodigal son to return, God waits expectantly for us. Jesus can’t come until the last person written in His Book of Life believes in Him. Perhaps you are the one to tell that person!

Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you;
And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
Blessed are all those who wait for Him.  Isaiah 30:18 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: Read the amazing story of Daniel’s prayers in Daniel 10. Keep praying and waiting, my friends. God is sending answers! Especially remember the Answer He sent to a stable in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago.

 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 (NKJV)

 Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!  
Psalm 27:14 (NKJV)

 And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.  1Thessalonians 1:10 (NKJV)

(See also Psalm 25:5, 33:20–21, 37:7, 37:34, 39:7, 40:1, 59:9, 62:5, 130:5–6; Isaiah 25:9, 26:8; Lamentations 3:25–26; Micah 7:7; Luke 2:25, 12:40; 1Corinthians 1:7; Hebrews 11:10; James 5:7–8; Revelation 10:6)

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



Yes, Mandy, there really is a Hell

 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 GodPsalm 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! And 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)

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

Choose Your 5 Stones!

And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.  Romans 16:20 (NKJV)

Almost a year ago I wrote the devotion “Wrestling with Abba Father,” ironically published exactly one week before we left our home forever due to a mold outbreak, not knowing I’d do more wrestling in the coming year than ever before!  I have to say that when you spend several hours a day on the mat wrestling for months on end, you learn more about fighting the good fight of faith! 

I haven’t written much about spiritual warfare in My TEA CUPP devotions in the past, focusing more on other parts of prayer. But as our world continues its moral decline and trouble of all kinds abound for God’s children, it is important that we put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11) and battle the enemy in prayer. Though Jacob wrestled with the Angel of God, our spiritual warfare is not against the Father, but rather in the name of Jesus we fight against evil forces of wickedness, Satan and his fallen angels with names like Leviathan, Legion, Baal and many others. Paul tells us, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).

Our Lord Jesus knew all about spiritual warfare. Right after He was baptized, the Holy Spirit took Jesus into the wilderness where He fasted for 40 days. At the end of those 40 days, Satan came to tempt Jesus.  But Jesus did not give in to the devil’s tactics.  He fought back with the Word of God, using the Sword of the Spirit to defend Himself (read Matthew 4:1-11).  When Satan showed up again in the doubts of Peter, Jesus proclaimed, “Get behind Me, Satan!” ordering the devil away with His words (Matthew 16:21-23).  

As I was reading the familiar story of David and Goliath a few weeks ago, I saw how it is a perfect example of using spiritual warfare in our prayers (1 Samuel 17). You all know the story of how David gathered the five stones to fight the giant Goliath for mocking the God of Israel.  With only one stone, David won the battle, perhaps because the battle had already been won in prayer.  Let’s look at what steps we must to do to be victorious like David in his spiritual battle over God’s enemy: 

  • We pray (Psalm 27)
  • We obey our Father (1 Samuel 17:17-20)
  • We practice on a lion and a bear (1 Samuel 17:34-37)
  • We size up the situation and ask permission (1 Samuel 17:20-30)
  • We gather our stones (1 Samuel 17:40)
  • We fight with the Word of God (1 Samuel 17:45-47)
  • We claim the victory! (1 Samuel 17:48-51)

I feel like I’ve been practicing on the lion and the bear this past year as we battled in prayer for healing and a home. I’ve progressed to gathering my stones and fighting the enemy with the Word of God.  What does this look like?  When I was on the verge of completing my third book, More TEA CUPP Prayers, I gathered my five stones.  I knew the enemy did not want me to finish this as he had used every tactic to try to knock me out, from sickness to despair.  So, on my final afternoon of writing, I wrote five promises from God’s Word in my prayer journal. These were my five stones to throw at the enemy if he came along during my writing. I wrote that day, Dearest Jesus, be with me to press on and finish More TEA CUPP! I claim these five stones of promise against Goliath in Your Name, Yeshua!

  1. No weapon formed against me shall prosper (see Isaiah 54:17).
  2. He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world (see 1 John 4:4).
  3. He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (see Philippians 1:6). 
  4. I shall not die but live to declare the works of the Lord (see Psalm 118:17).
  5. He shall give His angels charge over me to keep me in all His ways (see Psalm 91:11).

I also rebuked, in the Name of Yeshua Messiah, the “prince of the power of the air” from messing with the internet and computer (Ephesians 2:2)!  And I’m delighted to say that day was a victory for God’s side as More TEA CUPP Prayers is now at the publisher!  HalleluYAH! God be praised!

As I continued reading 1 Samuel, I remembered again David and Goliath. I noticed that David didn’t assume his first victory would guarantee the next victory over the enemy.  When he came to battle again, David first …inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.” (1 Samuel 23:2).  That is a lesson for us, too: Keep asking the Father before battling the enemy, or we might become like the people in Acts who cast out demons in Jesus’ name and were attacked (see Acts 19).  

Paul tell us, “for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). This reminds me of 2 Samuel 17:13 when Hushai gave advice to Absolom, saying they would use ropes to pull the city down into the river.  That’s what we do with our prayers!  Our prayers are like ropes, pulling the evil strongholds into the river!  Dear one, you can do this! Stay in God’s Word, claim His promises, always keep on His armor as you pray and go through your days.

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.  1Timothy 6:12 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP:  Read 1 Samuel 17.  Now it’s your turn.  Pick your five Bible verse “stones” to have ready for the next spiritual battle.  Put on the whole armor of God and stand!  Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57)!  

be valiant for me, and fight the Lord’s battles.  1Samuel 18:17 (NKJV)

…the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s... 1Samuel 17:47 (NKJV)

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  Ephesians 6:11 (NKJV)

But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.  1Thessalonians 5:8 (NKJV)

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. 1Corinthians 9:26-27 (NKJV)

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. 2Corinthians 10:4 (NKJV)

This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare. 1Timothy 1:18 (NKJV)

Blessed be the Lord my Rock,
Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle.  Psalm 144:1 (NKJV)

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.  2Timothy 2:3-4 (NKJV)

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

 

Healing and a Home

…I am on my way to find a place to stay. Judges 17:9 (NKJV)

Time for another update for those of you following our MOLD STORY… in early October we are moving from our summer camper to a guest house near the one we stayed in last winter.  We could move a few weeks sooner, but thought it would be fitting to stay in the camper for the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:34), the yearly time when Jews celebrate their pilgrimage in the wilderness after God delivered them from Egypt.  Do you remember how the Israelites quickly forgot the Lord’s great deliverance and miracles at the Red Sea?  They were yearning to go back to Egypt for the garlic and cucumbers (Numbers 11:5).  Those are actually two crops that did very well at our old house on Dry Creek.  The cucumbers were even so delicious and plentiful two years ago that at the time as we were eating them, I commented, “These must be the kind of cucumbers that made the Israelites want to return to Egypt!” Though we still miss it, we aren’t praying to go back to Egypt, just praying for that new place to call home.  

God continues to provide. While we were hoping to be in our permanent home by now, we count our blessings. We are so thankful for our camping summer at the home of a dear friend in a camper on-loan from other dear friends. We are so thankful for the owners who have invited us to stay in their guest house this winter, where we’ll have beds and indoor plumbing!  There will be many windows to let in the winter sunshine, and a gas stove to make it warm and cozy.  And our son will be able to have his chickens in the nearby field, just as he did all summer near the camper.  God is so good! 

And yet, “healing and a home, healing and a home, healing and a home”… we still cry out to the Lord over and over like the persistent widow of Luke 18, often praying David’s Psalms again and again for God says… Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me (Psalm 50:15) One day it struck me how healing and a home are two things we receive when we go to heaven. God promises us…

HEALING: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:  Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases.  Psalm 103:2-3 (NKJV)

HOME:  Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:1-2 (NKJV)

Does this mean we must wait for heaven for healing and a home? No!  My friend Shannon reminds me when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10), we can ask for these gifts of healing and a home now.  And so, I continue to claim His promises that by His stripes I am healed (Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24) and that my God shall supply all our need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).  I was even lying in bed singing My Healing Song the other day when the pains were so awful.  I reminded Him, He is YHVH Rapha, our healing God, and YHVH Jireh, our provider! And I continue to praise Him and knock at His door with my prayers… on earth as it is in heaven, on earth as it is in heaven, on earth as it is in heaven.  

…The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him,
Who shelters him all the day long;
And he shall dwell between His shoulders.  Deuteronomy 33:12 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP:  Read 2 Corinthians 5:1-8. Along with healing and a home, what other gifts of heaven can we enjoy NOW while still in this world? Peace, joy, salvation… why not make a list and claim these promises for you and your family today?!  Dear one, I pray that whatever you are facing right now, you will persevere, wait on the Lord, be steadfast, press on, keep trusting Jesus, and continue to pour out your heart to Him in prayer.

My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation,
In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. Isaiah 32:18 (NKJV)

They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,
And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. Psalm 36:8 (NKJV)

One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple. Psalm 27:4 (NKJV)

From Jenny’s Journal: 2 Samuel 6:14 Then David danced before the Lord with all his might… Then Jenny wrote before the Lord with all her might, even though she has a terrible tummy ache, and we are homeless.  But the sun is shining through the camper window and the sky is blue and we have Your Words of comfort and promise, Jesus, the hope of healing and a home here and now, and also someday in heaven. We have Your salvation because of Your work on the cross and the blood You shed (that drop was for me). We have Your Holy Spirit inside us to comfort and guide us,. And so, Abba Father, dearest Jesus, I lift my hands and heart and pen to You in a dance of praise! I love You so much! Be glorified today! Be glorified in my life! Be glorified in saving our nation! I come and worship and bow down and kneel before the Lord, my God, my Maker, be exalted above the heavens, may Your glory be over all the earth!

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

As At The First

 

…as at the first… Jeremiah 33:11 (NKJV)

The three-month Paint-the-States challenge recently concluded with prayers and prophetic acts across our nation.  Participants and prayer warriors are trusting Jesus to station His seraphim and see us through the coming storm.  

As I prayed each day for our nation, often walking over the nearby interstate bridge, I joined the thousands in “commanding the forward” for the United States, decreeing that we would return to the “forward” of our history, the vision of the founding fathers, the one nation under God.  Yet I also prayed for something more… I “commanded the forward” of God’s Book, the Holy Bible.  I prayed for a return to the Old Testament Laws, the Ten Commandments, the Sabbaths and Feast Days.  I know we are not saved by following theses Laws, for we are saved by the blood of our Savior Jesus, Yeshua Messiah.  Yet, as an act of repentance and to shine as lights in this world, we celebrate the Sabbath as a sign to others that we are God’s children.

There is a little phrase I’ve read again and again this year as I’ve followed the M”Cheyne Bible reading plan.  The words are… “as at the first.”  

We read this phrase when Moses returned to the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments a second time, after the Israelites’ golden calf failure…

And I fell down before the Lord, as at the first, forty days and forty nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all your sin which you committed in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. Deuteronomy 9:18 (NKJV)

As at the first time, I stayed in the mountain forty days and forty nights; the Lord also heard me at that time, and the Lord chose not to destroy you.  Deuteronomy 10:10 (NKJV)

We read this phrase when Joshua attacked the City of Ai, after their first attempt without the Lord failed..

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)

We read this phrase when the Israelites fought their own brothers of the tribe of Benjamin because of their horrific Sodom and Gomorrah sins…

And the children of Benjamin said, “They are defeated before us, as at first.” But the children of Israel said, “Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the highways.” Judges 20:32 (NKJV)

We read this phrase when the Prophet Isaiah gave us hope of a time to come…

I will restore your judges as at the first,
And your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.  Isaiah 1:26 (NKJV)

We read this phrase again in Isaiah when he told of the lands of the coming Messiah…

Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed,
As when at first He lightly esteemed
The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
And afterward more heavily oppressed her,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
In Galilee of the Gentiles.  Isaiah 9:1 (NKJV)

And we read this phrase when the Prophet Jeremiah told of the remnants’ return to Israel…

And I will cause the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel to return, and will rebuild those places as at the first.  Jeremiah 33:7 (NKJV)

This is not a new doctrine (Romans 16:17), it’s the old path found right in our Bibles (Jeremiah 6:16, Romans 15:4).  Father God allowed His children Sunday worship for a time as they separated themselves from the unbelieving Pharisees, but now He calls all people to repent, starting at the household of God.  My pastor used to say, “Today you can’t tell Christians from the rest of the world, we watch the same movies, go to the same stores, participate in the same activities… Perhaps God can’t tell the difference either, even as He looks at our hearts,  Let’s be a sign to our Father in heaven and to the world by celebrating Sabbaths and walking in His Law (Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12 & 20). Be lights to the world and show our good works of obedience that He prepared for us beforehand (Ephesians 2:10).  And someday soon, the Great Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, our Savior Jesus, will come on the clouds in glory and make all things like the Garden of Eden, as at the first.

who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 12:17 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP:  Prayerfully consider how you can honor all God’s Commandments and shine your light into the darkness.  Read Exodus 20 and 23.  Let’s “Command the Forward” of our Bibles and return our nation to even better than it was at the first! 

Stand in the ways and see,
And ask for the old paths, where the good way is,
And walk in it;
Then you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ Jeremiah 6:16 (NKJV)

Turn us back to You, O Lord, and we will be restored;
Renew our days as of old.  Lamentations 5:21 (NKJV)

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.  Psalm 1:2 (NKJV)

For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:17 (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)

Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.  Exodus 31:13 (NKJV)

Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. Ezekiel 20:12 (NKJV)

Hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’  Ezekiel 20:20 (NKJV)

And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.”  Revelation 1:17 (NKJV)

Tea in the Storm

I first published this devotion on October 9, 2019, before covid, before the riots, before the 2020 elections, before January 6… I heard another storm of tsunami proportions is coming, a shaking this fall (2023) to bring our nation to its knees. Dear one, I tell you to fear not! Be steadfast, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer (Romans 12:12).  Keep trusting Jesus!

The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:2 (NKJV)

God has always been in the storms.  Ever since He created the earth, His Spirit has hovered over the face of the waters (Genesis 1:2).  Today with hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, blizzards, cancer, rushing children to hospitals, family difficulties, government corruption…we may wonder where God is.  Yet He is right there, ready to carry us through the storm. 

One Sunday our pastor gave a sermon on the passage from Mark 4:35-41 about Jesus calming the sea.  He pointed out for us in Mark 4:36 where it says, “And other little boats were also with Him.”  There are other little boats on the sea, too.  We aren’t the only ones in this storm.  Others need Jesus’ help and our example of faith.  Let’s ask Jesus to calm the storm for everyone. Today I give you a special TEA CUPP with verses from this story.

T for Thanksgiving:

He calms the storm,
So that its waves are still…
…Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!  Psalm 107:29,31 (NKJV)

 E for Exalting:

And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”  Mark 4:41 (NKJV)

A for Admitting:

But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?” Mark 4:40 (NKJV)

C for Calling:

On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them,  “Let us cross over to the other side.”  Mark 4:35 (NKJV)

U for Understanding:

Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. Mark 4:36-37 (NKJV)

P for Promises:

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  Mark 4:39 (NKJV)

P for Petitioning:

But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Mark 4:38 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: Read the amazing story in Mark 4:35-41, The Sea is Stilled. Read Acts 27 or the book of Jonah for more storm stories. Use these verses as conversation starters in your prayer time with Jesus today, all week, or any time you or loved ones are going through a storm. You can claim God’s promise to still the waves.  You can wake Jesus up and ask Him, “Don’t You care?”  You can stand amazed at His miracles and proclaim, “Who is this, that even the wind and sea obey Him?”

 …Awake to help me, and behold! Psalm 59:4 (NKJV)

The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were afraid;
The depths also trembled. Psalm 77:16 (NKJV)

You rule the raging of the sea;
When its waves rise, You still them.  Psalm 89:9 (NKJV)

He stirs up the sea with His power,
And by His understanding He breaks up the storm. Job 26:12 (NKJV)

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

Calling the Seraphim

When[leaders lead in Israel,
When the people willingly offer themselves,
Bless the Lord Judges 6:2 (NKJV)

The Lord God has been calling His children to anoint the borders of the USA and its states this summer.  Many are doing so while on vacation or as they make special trips for this very purpose. You can read about this amazing work of the Church in Dutch Sheet’s Paint Your State.  I received word of this border anointing just after returning from a trip to see family and wondered how I could still help while at home.  Let me share how Jesus has called me to join the “painting” of the states and perhaps it will inspire you to do the same!

Almost every morning, I take a walk down the country road where we are temporarily living in a camper.  The road goes over Interstate 90 and up into the mountains.  As I walk across the I90 overpass bridge, I see oodles of trucks, cars, campers, boats, motorcycles and so forth, traveling from west to east and from east to west.  And so, in the Name of Yeshua Messiah (Jesus Christ our Lord), I have anointed this overpass bridge!

Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet into every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers.  Judges 7:16 (NKJV)

I’ve prayed for the Lord’s seraphim angels to station themselves on this bridge with trumpets in one hand and a pitcher in the other like Gideon’s 300 soldiers (Judges 7:16).  As each vehicle passes beneath the bridge, I pray these seraphim will pour their pitchers, anointing these vehicles with the Holy Spirit.  May their pitchers be full of new oil that never runs dry (Psalm 92:10, 1 Kings 17:14-16).  And God’s Spirit will go from Seattle to Boston, from Boston to Seattle, from West to East and from East to West. 

But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox;
I have been anointed with fresh oil.  Psalm 92:10 (NKJV)

The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.  1 Kings 17:16 (NKJV)

I’ve asked the Lord to station these seraphim not just on my I90 bridge, but on all the I90 bridges across the country!  And not just on I90, but on ALL interstate bridges across our land!  So now the oil is being poured out from West to East, from East to West, from North to South, and from South to North!!!  Every vehicle will receive the blessing! Yehovah Rapha, our healing God, will heal this land! And Yehovah Shamar, our Shield, will protect this land!  America Shall be saved!  I command the forward our forefathers founded this nation on in the Name of Yeshua Messiah!  Go, Jesus!  

So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.  2 Kings 6:16-17 (NKJV)

I’ve also asked Jesus to open my eyes to see these seraphim as he did for Elisha’s servant in 2 Kings 6:16-17, so that I can see those who are with us are more than those who are with the enemy. Though blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29).

Another thing I’ve been doing is praying the scriptures.  Many of you know I follow the M’Cheyne Bible reading plan.  So, with the verses I’ve read these past few weeks, I’ve prayed and written in my prayer journal for the USA….

When you have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed down to them, then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you.”  Joshua 23:16 (NKJV)

…Yeshua Messiah, forgive this nation. Hear the cries of Your children who live here.  Turn hearts back to You! Pour out Your Holy Spirit. Forgive this land! Station Your angel armies at every border and highway and river! 

How long will the land mourn…? Jeremiah 12:14 (NKJV)

...Abba Father, help us to learn carefully the ways of Your people (Jeremiah 12:16) and follow all Your commands and be one nation under God again, a shining light to the world. O My Father, if it is possible (Matthew 26:39) remove this coming shaking and pour out Your Holy Spirit instead! May we repent and be converted that our sins may be blotted out and that times of refreshing may come from the Lord (Acts 3:19).  And that He may send Jesus Christ.  I claim repentance and times of refreshing for America! Come, Holy Spirit, Come!!! 

You have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the Lord your God is He who has fought for you.  Joshua 23:3 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP:  Please join this “painting of the states,” anointing your state or county or city borders in the blessed Name of Jesus!  Share the unique way God has called you to pray for our nation on the Paint the States website.  Read Jeremiah 18:7-11 and keep praying! See the miracles our heavenly Father will do!!!

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

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