Brevi-Tea

My Prayer: "Out Father who art in heaven-in whom we live, and move, and have our being; grant that we as Christians may live worthy of this glorious relation, and that we may not sin, knowing that we are accounted as yours. We are yours by adoption; made us yours by choice of our wil."

John 1:10-13

We may become God's children not by natural birth, but by new birth; or to use Paul's concepts, by the miracle of adoption. This is God's gift to us in Christ to be received by faith, not achieved by human effort but received by simply trusting in His promise that all who believe will receive the gift and the miracle.

If you have never asked God to become your Father through faith in Christ, start there as you go to Him in prayer. Ask Him; trust Him; receive the gift and miracle of new birth. Then say, "Father." Say it over and over again, and let it sink into the depths of your soul and thrill you with its possibilities.

My story:

I can remember a day when I sat curled up in my favorite chair, sipping a cup of tea. The early morning light streamed through the family room windows as I enjoyed a few minutes of "me" time. I slowly turned through the pages of our family photo albums, pondering over my children's childhood.

How fondly I remember the delightful squeals, silly stories and sweet giggles. How good it felt to hold my children close to me, dry their tears, take in the clean smells after bath time, and listen to thier steady breathing after they drifted off to sleep. Where did all that precious time go? I thought of the hectic pace of work, school, and running them around for activities would never end. What happened? The brevity of that sweet season in our lives together flew by. How soon it was gone!

As I reminisced, I thought. Had I taken even a single day for granted? Had I at times allowed life to get so busy, hurried, or stressed that I missed out on what was really important?

The Apostle James wrote, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." (James 4:14). How true! God gives each one of us the same 24 hours each day. He lets us spend them in whatever way we choose. Will we waste those hours? Or will we fill them with balance and appreciation, seizing and making the most of each and every moment?

As I grow old I find that the minutes, hours, days, and weeks still pass by to swiftly. I want to shout, "Wait!" I want to savor every precious day and cherish each meoment for they will soon evaporate, lost in the vastness of infinity, never to be recaptured.

Today I thank Jesus for enduring the agony of the cross, for dying in my place to earn the forgiveness I need. I know my days on earth are brief. May God help me to make the most of them, even as I look forward to spending etiernity in heaven with my Savior. In Jesus' name I pray this day, Amen.

Psalm 39:5 "You have made my days a mere handbreadth the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each mans life is but a breath.

Identi-Tea

Identi-Tea

Identity: the condition or fact of being a specific person or thing.

John 1:12 “To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”

These days to write a check, use a credit card, check into the hospital, receive medical attention, or to travel out of the country we must have documentation proving our identity.

“Where are your papers?”
“I need to see a photo I.D.”
“What is your mother’s maiden name?”

Soldiers have “dog tags”, drivers have licenses and travelers have passports. Newborn babies are given a birth certificate and a social security number before they even leave the hospital. Name badges identity employees. It seems that everyone needs to know who you are and whose you are.

An elderly nurse looked through the large plate-glass window where three young men stood, anxious to get a glimpse of the newborn babies. Secretly, they guessed which soft bundle belonged to them. The puzzled expression on each new father’s face betrayed his uncertainty. Which baby belonged to whom? The nurse began to match babies and fathers. Where were her glasses? She motioned for each new daddy to hold up his arm. Narrowing her eyes, she squinted to see the names printed on their wristbands. No mistake would be made on her watch!

Double-checking each new father’s identity, she matched each baby with care. The young fathers chuckled in amusement. Then they thanked her for her conscientiousness as she opened the door and handed the babies one by one to their respective dads. As she turned to go, she overheard one of the young men whisper, “I knew you were mine all along.”

We who have answered Jesus’ gentle call, we who know Him as Lord and Savior, are identified with Him. We belong to Him forever. He knows our names; He has written and sealed them in His Book of Life. Heaven has no need for identification bracelets, account numbers, passports, or birth certificates. This promise is the solid foundation of God’s people. (“The Lord knows who are His” 2 Timothy 2:19). We belong to Him, He redeemed us on Calvary. We have been bought and paid for by His blood, shed on the cross.

Verie-Tea

Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.”

Verie-Tea

Variety: A number of different kinds of absence of repetitiveness or sameness.

We have all heard the expression, “variety is the spice of life.” Still, I am astounded by the number of people I encounter day after day who appear to follow the same, well-worn rut. How dull!

Everyday people go to coffee/tea shops, approach the counter and peruse the extensive list of flavors available on the menu. A variety of coffees, sodas, cappuccinos, lattes, smoothes, gourmet hot chocolate, loose-leaf and fancy-flavored teas, chi, juice, milk and water are offered. There are hundreds of combinations, and each drink is prepared to order. Some are overwhelmed with the number of choices and can’t make up their minds while others know right away what they want. You could set your clock by some as they order the same thing every single day. They are consistent, predictable, and adamant about their selections.

Some people are timid and afraid to experiment. Those with more adventurous palates sample their way though the long list of possibilities. Others are open to suggestions.

As I go about my business daily, I pray that what I say and do will direct people toward Jesus and the refuge we can have in Him. What an honor when one thing leads to another in a conversation, and I have the opportunity of introducing someone to their Savior, leading them to a personal relationship with Him.

An amazing, endless peace comes from that saving knowledge, from the assurance of God’s great grace and forgiveness.

Beau-Tea

Beau-Tea

1 Peter 33:4 “Your beauty…should be that of your inner self, the unfolding beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

Beauty that exalts the mind and spirit comes from God. We are made beautiful by Christ’s perfect love for us, love made visible in the beauty of His cross. As we consider that love, the Holy Spirit shapes and transforms our hearts so that little by little we become more like Jesus in love and service.

The cosmetic and clothing industries spend billions of dollars each year in futile attempt to disprove it. Still, those of us whose photograph will never grace the cover of a glamour magazine can find joy in knowing that true beauty doesn’t come from a jar. It can’t be painted on, powered up, nipped or tucked. Mama’s wise words to me were, “It’s what’s on the inside that counts.”

Proverbs 31:30 “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”

Editorial Manager, Department WOGXSC (Julie & Diane)

A Perfect Pot of Tea
Fill you kettle with cold, clear water and bring to a full boil.
Select you prettiest teapot. Warm the pot under hot running tap water until the porcelain is warm to the touch. Empty it.
Measure one scant level teaspoon of loose-leaf tea per serving into the bottom of the pot.
Add the boiling water. Let the tea steep for a full three minutes before serving. With tea, timing is everything.
Give the tea a little stir just before pouring it through a strainer. Be careful, it’s hot). 

Praying For The Coming Of The Lord

My Prayer: Come Lord Jesus! Until you do, work in us Your Spirit and will and the power to live Holy and Godly lives.

Here is a really encouraging thing. “You ought to live Holy and Godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming” 2 Peter 3:11-12. We don’t know when the day will come, but we can have an effect on how soon. The way Christians live and pray in this world has a direct impact on the history of the world. One of the Christians community’s earliest calls to worship was the prayer, “Maranatha!” “Come Lord!” Hope in the coming of Christ will make us live Holy and Godly lives and pray Holy and Godly prayers.

He Is Waiting For You

Jonathan Edwards: “There is no way that Christians in a private capacity can do so much to promote the work of God and advance the kingdom of Christ as by prayer.

Matthew 1:1-17 A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

When did God start thinking about Jesus? Actually, the orthodox and correct answer is, God never started thinking about Jesus. God the Son (Jesus) was always with God the Father.

When did God start thinking about us? Genealogies tell us that God has been thinking about saving us for a very long time. The genealogy names are synapses in the mind of God, leading up to the great name he speaks in Jesus. The names of these genealogies are the connection in God’s thoughts about his plan to save the world through his son Jesus Christ. His thoughts began before these people. “For he chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).

Before you speak to God today, know that he has been speaking to you. To pray is to enter into conversation. Jesus said, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him”, Matthew 6:8. That is because he knew you before you knew him. There is nothing you can say that can possibly surprise him, no sin you might confess, no need you might want to express. He has been waiting for you to talk with him for a very long time.

Prayer: Father in Heaven! I come to you today knowing that you have been thinking about me for a long time. Thank you for making me part of your eternal plan, and that I can join in our grand purpose as I pray. In Jesus’ name I pray this day. Amen.

Prayer and Money

Malachi 3:10 – Test me in this, “says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have enough room for it.”

What we do with our finances has a direct bearing on our prayer life. Robbing God certainly puts a strain on the relationship. There is a deeper reason for its importance: Jesus said giving was a form of investment, of storing up treasures in heaven, and added, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21).

This is where money and prayer intersect. Prayer is a matter of the heart; a bad heart makes for bad prayer, a good heart makes for good prayer. If our heart is somewhere other than with the Lord, then our prayer life suffers. If we put our treasure in God, then our hearts will be there too. It is simple. “Return to me and I will return to you”, says the Lord (Malachi 3:7). We can grow closer to God by what we do with our money. When we give, we imitate God; we act like him, and form a deeper fellowship of love.

My Prayer: Gracious and generous God, you are our treasure; if giving you our money brings us closer to you then no amount of giving is too much. In Jesus’ name I pray this day, Amen.