Monday, January 31, 2011

"Revelation of the Father"

"For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 2 Peter 1:17

Last night at church, during our song/worship service, one of the songs we sang was "Fire Fall Down". One of the choruses in that song repeats the lines- "Show me Your heart; show me Your way; show me Your glory." As we were singing it, I felt the Lord spoke something to my heart- I want to share it with you. He said that it was His desire to show us His heart, His way and His glory. Then He said that He has indeed already showed us- we saw it in Jesus.

Jesus showed and demonstrated to us the heart of God. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) The heart of God is love. It is the very core of His being; who He is, not only what He possesses. "...for God is love." (1 John 4:8,16)

Jesus showed us the Father's way. His way is obedience. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:5-8) "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." (Hebrews 5:8,9) "Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." (Luke 22:42)

Jesus showed us the Father's glory. He was and is the glory of God. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." (John 17:4,5) "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10,11) "Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." (Hebrews 1:2,3)

The next time you desire a deeper revelation of who God the Father is, look at His Son Jesus, in Him was the fullness of the Godhead bodily. When you saw Him, you saw the Father- the Father's heart, His way and His glory.

Have a great day. All that the Father is, is seen in Jesus.

For further reading:
Colossians 2:9
John 14:8,9

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact.
Please remember to give credit to
About the Master's Business Ministry.
Take time to visit our on-line Christian magazine and blogs.
http://livingstonesmagazine.homestead.com

Friday, January 28, 2011

"Praise Him"

"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." Hebrews 13:15

It is so easy to run to God for help in a time of need, and He wants us to. He has told us time and time again in His word to "ask", "pray", and "seek Him". But I want to ask you this morning, "Is the only communication you have with the Lord is when you are in need?" Do you ever just go into His presence and tell Him that you are there to just "love on" and worship Him? Do you ever sit there determined to do nothing (no asking for anything) but to give Him praise and tell Him how wonderful He is?

Yes, we are always in need, and because He loves and cares for us so deeply, He graciously allows us to come to Him with those needs and make our requests known. But don't you think His heart would be overjoyed if just once our prayer wasn't about "us" but about "Him"?

If you never have times alone with the Lord when you don't ask for something but instead express your love and adoration for Him, perhaps that is something you should think about-- and start doing. After all, He is worthy of our praise!

Have a great day. We should all spend some time praising and thanking God instead of always just asking Him for something.

For further reading:
Jeremiah 33:11
Psalm 118:28; 99:5; 132:7

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact.
Please remember to give credit to
About the Master's Business Ministry.
Take time to visit our on-line Christian magazine and blogs.
http://livingstonesmagazine.homestead.com

Thursday, January 27, 2011

"Your Response"

"And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God." 1 Samuel 30:6

There come times in all of our lives when we face problems, troubles, dark days, overwhelming circumstances, distress, grief and pain. No one is exempt- no matter how closely we may walk to the Lord. When we face them, there will always be a response to them. The question is, "What will your response be?" Will it be to "blame God" for the problem? Will it be to get bitter and angry? Will the response be to close yourself off and shut out the rest of the world? Will it be to try to "pick yourself up"?

There is only one response to the troubles that we face that will make us victorious and successful in them-- "but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God". You have to learn how to encourage yourself in the Lord- that's your response. We encourage ourselves in the Lord by praying- talk to Him about the situation. We encourage ourselves in Him through His written word- read and meditate on His promises. And we encourage ourselves in Him by remembering- remembering that He loves us, that He is faithful, that He is all powerful and by remembering what He has done for us in the past. I have a feeling that at this distressful place in His life, David remembered how God had delivered him from the lion, the bear, Goliath, King Saul and saved him in every other battle he had fought. As he remembered God's faithfulness he was encouraged because he knew that the Lord does not change and if He was faithful to him then, He will still be faithful to him now in this situation.

Take time today to think about, and examine, how you respond to times like these. Is your response one that encourages yourself in the Lord or something else? There is only one way to respond to trying times if we expect to walk in victory over them instead of being buried by them.

Have a great day. Encourage yourself in the Lord.

For further reading:
Psalm 119:52; 36:5

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

"The Right Hand of the Lord"

"The right hand of the Lord is exalted: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly." Psalm 118:16

There are two characteristics of the Lord that I want to talk about this morning:
1) His authority. "The right hand of the Lord is exalted."
2) His power. "The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly."

The right hand or right arm speaks of authority. In God Himself all authority resides. There is no one who is over Him. There is none who can tell Him what to do. There is none who can rule over Him. He has no "boss" - He IS the "boss". It is at His name every knee bows. It is at His word all creation was formed. It is in His presence that demons tremble. All He has to do is "speak" the word and situations change. He does not possess a portion of authority, but all authority is given unto Him.

The right hand of the Lord speaks also of power. It is by His strong right arm that the victory is won. There is no weakness in Him. There is none who has more strength than He does. The sea even fled when it saw His power displayed, the mountains shake, all of heaven falls prostrate before His throne. There is none who can stand against Him. He does not back down from anyone or anything. He has nothing to fear, but is Himself feared.

I often wonder who we think God is by the way we act. We act as if He is weak and defeated. We act as if there are things that are too hard for God to do. On the contrary just the opposite is true. Perhaps it's time that we renew our vision of Him. He is an awesome, mighty God who is before all and above all and in whom all things exist. His power is displayed in all creation, for without Him was not made anything that was made and He holds it all together.

Have a great day. God has all authority and all power! (That means He is not weak and powerless!)

For further reading:
Ephesians 4:6
Colossians 1:16-18
Matthew 19:26; 28:18; 8:8
1 Corinthians 1:26
Psalm 98:1; 114; 24:8

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

"Chosen"

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you..." John 15:16a

I watched a movie about the life of Joseph the other evening. I have seen it many times before and read the scriptures about his life on several occasions. But for some reason this time it stood out to me what a notorious bunch they were- especially the sons of Jacob. When you look at their lives, they were full of faults. They murdered, were liars, deceivers, vengeful, proud, haughty, and the list goes on. Yet God made a covenant with them, made them a great nation and it was through their lineage that the Messiah would come.

Watching it gave me a renewed sense of encouragement. If the Lord would use people such as these to bless all the nations of the whole earth, then He can and will use me. The Bible says that He uses the weak and foolish things of this world to accomplish His purposes through.

As you look in the scriptures you discover that most of the people that He chose to fulfill His plan through were murders, prostitutes, weak, uneducated, fearful, and so on. When God uses the weak to display His strength through, when He uses the unlearned to display His wisdom through, when He uses the outcast and reveals His grace and mercy through, then it is evident that what ever was accomplished could not have been the person who accomplished it but God. There can only be one testimony to come out of it-- "That was God"! Therefore, no man can take the glory for himself. "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." (Acts 4:13)

Wherever you are, whatever you may have done, whatever faults you may have, you are still a candidate for the Lord's service. It blesses, encourages and causes me to love Him more, knowing that I can be so weak and yet He chose me. That should encourage you as well.

Have a great day. Regardless of who we are and what we have done, God still loves and chooses us as instruments to reveal His glory to the world.

For further reading:
Genesis 18:18; 22:18; 26:4
1 Corinthians 1:26-29
John 15:16
Deuteronomy 7:7

Monday, January 24, 2011

"The Check"

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." Hosea 4:6

The other day, while I was going through some paper work, I discovered a check that someone had sent me a couple of months ago. The check had gotten mixed in some other papers and was completely hidden from me-- I did not realize it was there. I was pleasantly surprised when I found it, yet at the same time hated that this had happened because I could have been using it to help with a need.

The word of God is a treasure. When we "dig" through its pages, we discover that there is a storehouse of blessings and provisions that have been promised to us. But many people do not take the time or make the effort to search out its riches, so to them, it is like that check that has sat in my draw all these months. That check was valuable but it was doing me no good just sitting there.

It wasn't until that check was cashed, or deposited in my bank account, that I could receive the good from it. The word of God has to been "deposited" in our lives in order for us to receive the good from it. As the verse says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." You've heard the saying, "What you don't know can't hurt you". Well, on the other hand, "What you don't know, can't benefit you." If you don't know God's word, how can you be benefited by it?

Have a great day. It's when we know God's word that we are benefited by it.

For further reading:
John 5:39; 6:63
Joshua 1:8

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact.
Please remember to give credit to
About the Master's Business Ministry.
Take time to visit our on-line Christian magazine and blogs.
http://livingstonesmagazine.homestead.com

Friday, January 21, 2011

"The Cost of Love"

"And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her." Genesis 29:20

From reading this whole chapter we know that Jacob actually served a total of fourteen years in order to have Rachel as his wife. Jacob "sold" himself to his Uncle Laban for fourteen years because he loved and desired her so deeply. When you truly love and desire something, or someone, you will pay any price you have to in order to have them/it. No price seems too large. No sacrifice is too great. You don't mind doing whatever it takes. We do that with material things- we will get a second job just to pay for "things" because we "want" them. When we find "Mr." or "Miss Right", we rearrange our schedules, loose sleep, go places we would not usually go, make sacrifices that we would not normally make just to be with them.

I wonder, if we have this attitude about people, or things, do we have this same attitude when it comes to our love and desire to be with the Lord? Do we make the sacrifices that are needed in order to be with Him? Are we willing to "sell ourselves out" for Him? Do we have any sleepless nights because we have desired to stay up and be with Him in prayer? Do we get out of bed early enough to meet with Him before it is time to rush out the door?

The perfect picture of what I am talking about is Jesus' love for us. He loved us so much that He was willing to leave the splendor of heaven, remove His royal robe, clothe Himself in flesh and take on the role of a servant in order to "have" us for His own. He paid a bigger price for us that the fourteen years that Jacob gave to Laban so that he could have Rachel. He paid the greatest price and made the greatest sacrifice ever-- He gave up His life... and He did it for love's sake.

What Jacob did for Rachel was give up his life for fourteen years. What Jesus did for us was give up His life by dying on the cross. Will we not give up our life for Him?

Have a great day. Love never minds making sacrifices in order to be with the one you love.

For further reading:
John 15:13
John 3:16
Genesis 29:18-30
Romans 5:8

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact.
Please remember to give credit to
About the Master's Business Ministry.
Take time to visit our on-line Christian magazine and blogs.
http://livingstonesmagazine.homestead.com

Thursday, January 20, 2011

"The Making of a Vessel"

".... until Christ be formed in you." Galatians 4:19

In one of his writings Oswald Chambers wrote: "We are apt to think that everything that happens to us is to be turned into useful teaching; it is to be turned into something better than teaching, viz, into character. We shall find that the spheres God brings us into are not meant to teach us something but to make us something."

No doubt we can learn from the situations that come our way, but if that is all that is gleaned from them we have missed the whole point of trials, suffering, etc. The whole reason for the potter's wheel is to produce a certain kind of vessel. The purpose of the refiner's fire is to produce pure gold that is of great value. Putting coal under pressure produces a diamond. The reason for chastening is to produce the peaceable fruit of righteousness in us.

The purpose of the things that we encounter are not just meant to teach us something, but to make us into a "new man" and vessels fit for the Master's use. Job became a different man after he suffered. "I shall come forth as gold." (Job 23:10b) Joseph became a different man through what he went through. He went from being a prideful lad with no wisdom to a ruler with the wisdom to preserve nations during a time of famine. It was on the backside of the desert where Moses was transformed from a murdering coward to a mighty deliverer. All the suffering he went through made him into a vessel that could fulfill God's purpose.

If we see our trials and suffering in one light only- lessons to teach us something, a test of our faith, an attack of the enemy- then we will have missed the purpose that is in the trial. "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." (2 Corinthians 4:17) What is that "greater weight of glory"? "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world." (Philippians 2:15) And more specifically, "until Christ be formed in us."

Have a great day. God has a purpose for you, but in order to fulfill that purpose you have to be made into the vessel that He can use to fulfill that purpose.

For further reading:
Hebrews 12:11
2 Timothy 2:21
James 1:1-4
Colossians 1:27

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact.
Please remember to give credit to
About the Master's Business Ministry.
Take time to visit our on-line Christian magazine and blogs.
http://livingstonesmagazine.homestead.com

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

"Not Forgotten"

"Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance." Psalm 112:6

"...the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance." You may feel as though the Lord has forgotten you. You may feel as if He has left you. You may be thinking that He doesn't know your name any more. But you are wrong. You are His child and He will never forget you. He said it this way to reaffirm His love and continual awareness of you, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." (Isaiah 49:15)

The circumstances of life often shroud the presence of God from sight. We wonder where He is, has He abandoned us in our time of need? Let me reassure you this morning. It may feel as though He is no where to be found, but He is right there. He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you. He is with you always, even unto the ends of the world.

He was there with the Israelites when they were hemmed in between the Red Sea and Pharaoh's army. He was there with Daniel when he was in the lion's den. He was with the three Hebrews while they were in the fiery furnace. He was with Mary during her time of travail in the stable. He was with Gideon on the battlefield. He was with David when he stood before the giant.

Remember for a moment that He was not with Jesus when He hung on the cross-- "And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15:33,34) He forsook His own Son as He hung on the cross because He was paying the price for our sins as well as the rejection that we should have suffered. Through His act, we can rest assure that we will not be forsaken or abandoned by our Heavenly Father because Jesus took that upon Himself too.

Have a great day. It may feel as though He is not there, but there is never a moment that He does not remember you- you are not forgotten.

For further reading:
Matthew 28:20; 27:46
Hebrews 13:5
Psalm 23:4

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

"Vampires"

"And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?" Luke 6:39

Yesterday I posted a comment on my Facebook, it was this- "I do not understand this recent obsession the world... and even some "Christians" ... are having with vampires!!" It seems that television and the internet are being filled with shows and advertisement about vampires- thus the reason for my post.

There were several comments to my post, one in particular I want to expound on. The comment was,"What disturbs me is when our church leaders tell our youth that there is nothing wrong with it." We expect the world to think that there is nothing wrong with it- they are living in darkness and don't understand. We expect Hollywood to think the same because they are out to make money and if it sales they will get on the band wagon and promote it. But when the church and its leaders condone it and say that there is nothing wrong, then you have a problem.

I too am disturbed when church leaders tell us that there is nothing wrong with such things as vampires. This is dangerous. Why? The Bible says that if the blind lead the blind, they both fall into the ditch. If our leaders, the ones we look to to help guide us and teach us the truth, don't know the difference then we are in trouble.

I submit to you this morning, that if the church is no more discerning than this- if we don't know right from wrong, good from evil, what is acceptable and what isn't when it is so obvious- no wonder we are weak. No wonder we aren't winning spiritual battles, casting out devils, bringing freedom to the captives and have the anointing to open prison doors to those who are bound.

I am not just talking to leaders now, because we each have a responsibility to seek out, and know, the truth for ourselves. We are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.

The bottom line is this: it doesn't matter how popular it is, if everyone else accepts it, condones it, or even applauds it, as a Christian, our opinion of a subject is always based on what God says about it.

Have a great day. You have a responsibility as a leader to lead those who follow you into the truth. And we each have the responsibility to know what the truth is for ourselves.

For further reading:
John 8:32
Philippians 2:12
Hebrews 5:14
Isaiah 5:20

Monday, January 17, 2011

"Thank You"

"O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever." 1 Chronicles 16:34

When I was growing up, people had good manners- at least better than they seem to have now. When someone did something nice for you, gave you a gift or showed you kindness, you always show how appreciative you were by saying, "Thank you". They are just two little words but they let others know that what they did for you was noticed and not taken for granted.

The lack of expressing thankfulness has "rubbed off" in the area of our relationship with the Heavenly Father as well. How often do we tell Him, "Thank You"? When He bestows His blessings and grace on us, do we take it for granted? Do we let Him know how much we appreciate it?

When we don't express our thanksgiving to the Lord for what He does for us, it reveals an attitude of ingratitude. It also conveys the message that we think that what we received was owed to us anyway. That's how spoiled children act.

Are you acting like a "spoiled child"? Are you taking for granted what the Lord does for you? Do you feel like He owes it to you anyway? Is that why you don't tell Him, "Thank You"? The first thing we do each morning before we even put our feet on the floor should be to tell God thank You-- thank You for protecting and watching over us through the night; thank You for waking us up today; thank You for being with me and supplying all my needs today. Don't take it for granted. Everything He gives us is not because it is owed to us, but because of His love, grace and mercy that He so generously decides to give to us.

Have a great day. Did you forget to tell the Lord, "Thank You"?

For further reading:
Psalm 26:7; 95:2; 100:4; 116:17
Revelation 7:12

Friday, January 14, 2011

"Rejoice"

"This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

This is not a "conditional" verse. What I mean by that is it is not specific as to when you should rejoice, or under what conditions you should rejoice or not. It doesn't say to rejoice only in the good times when things are going well, or refrain from it when things aren't. The reason why is because no matter what comes our way today the Lord has promised to be with us, not forsake us and provide everything that we need.

It is not a matter of "can" you rejoice but "will" you. We can because of the reasons I have already listed. But will we? Will we rejoice? Will we look past the things that are happening in our lives and look to the One who loves us, cares about us, meets our needs and is faithful to fulfill His promises to us?
Will we exercise our faith by rejoicing in His goodness even when we aren't seeing it? When we take a moment, even in a bad situation, to acknowledge the Lord, then our acknowledging will pretty soon turn to rejoicing.

Have a great day. We can rejoice today on matter what may be happening when we remember that the Lord is with us.

For further reading:
Psalm 63:5,6
Hebrews 13:5
Joshua 23:14
Habakkuk 3:18

Thursday, January 13, 2011

"My Choice"

"Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good." Job 34:4

The first time I woke up this morning I should have gotten up. But I rolled back over and went back to sleep. Later I was awakened by the alarm clock. I should have gotten up then but fell back to sleep. Then I finally woke up and now I am really rushing to do what I need to do before I have to be at the Recovery Center this morning for service.

I only have a short time so in order to try to make the best use of my time and get everything done, I decided to go shampoo my hair and then come back to do the devotional. I go in there to shampoo my hair, get it wet and the water quits- it froze! (Thank God I didn't have it lathered with shampoo yet.) So now I am back at the computer with a wet head, running back and forth between doing the Coffee Break and getting dressed.

I write this to make a point. We tend to bring a lot of grief and aggravation into our own lives because we haven't been wise stewards, we have been lazy, or we have made unwise choices and decisions. When we do, it leaves us searching for ways to try to "fix" our problem. But usually what winds up happening is either we create another problem for ourselves or find ourselves having to deal with some unexpected consequence. As with me- I thought that would solve my "time" issue, only to find myself with another problem-- no water.

My laziness (catering to my flesh) this morning has put me in a position that could have been avoided had I chosen to do what I should-- get up the first time I woke up. This morning I did it with my time, but we do the same thing I am talking about with our finances, relationships, our jobs, etc. The bottom line is this- when we bring the problem on ourselves (and many of them we do), it leaves us trying to come up with a solution or seeking God to correct and help us in what we have done. Our answer to this would be-- make the right choices first and we will save ourselves all the agitation that we are now encountering.

Have a great day. Making the right choice the first time makes everything a whole lot better.

For further reading:
Galatians 6:7

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

"Unplugged"

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." John 15:5

I have a small electric heater in my office that I turn on some mornings while I am at my desk to help heat the room up quickly. Yesterday morning I turned it on and began to work on the devotional. After a period of time I noticed that it was not heating up. I rechecked to make sure the control was turned on the right position. Upon further examination I discovered that it was unplugged. No wonder it wasn't heating, it was disconnected from the power source.

Even though it is a heater and designed to heat, even though the manufacturer created it for that purpose, even though it has all the elements that give it the ability to heat, it will never heat if it is not plugged in. It has to have a power source. We are no different. We have been created for a purpose. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10) We have been designed by God in such a way as to be able to fulfill that purpose, but unless we are "plugged" into Him- the source of the power to fulfill what we were created to do- we will be unable and fail at the attempt.

This is why Jesus said, "Without Me you can do nothing". He said the same thing while He was on earth of His own work, "Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things." (John 8:28) He knew He needed the Father. He knew that from the Father "flowed" all that He needed- strength, wisdom, direction, grace, power- to fulfill the task.

Are you trying to do the work on your own? Are you trying to accomplish it by yourself? Does it look like the "controls" are turned on, but you are unplugged from the "power"? Be sure you are connected to the Father and the power that you need to accomplish His purpose, plan and commission will be there to do it.

Have a great day. You were created for good works in Christ, but you can't do them unless you are "plugged" into Him.
For further reading:
John 14:10; 5:19-20
Acts 1:8
Mark 16:20

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

"Being Pushed"

"Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me." Psalm 118:13

In the New King James version this verse reads- "You pushed me violently, that I might fall, but the LORD helped me." Do you ever feel like you are being "pushed around"? Life in general has a way of doing that. The day to day cares, obligations and responsibilities often "push" on us. They push on our time, our resources, our strength. They push us for answers. They push us for attention. They push us to go beyond our abilities and means.

Then there is the "push" from other people. They push us to perform in certain ways-- mostly according to their ways. They will try to push us to get on board with their plans. They try to push us into situations that cause us to compromise our beliefs. They will push us to make decisions that best suit them whether they are in our best interest or not.

Then, of course, there is the enemy of our soul- he is always pushing us. Pushing us to yield to our wants and desires and satisfy the lusts of our flesh. He pushes us to bow down and serve him. He pushes us to lean to our own understanding instead of acknowledging God so that we make the wrong choices. He pushes us to get ahead of God's plan and timing. He tries to push us further and further away from God by pushing us in the opposite direction from God. He uses lies, manipulation, deceitful tactics and subdual persuasion to try to push us.

If you are alive, then chances are that you are going to be "pushed" by something or someone today. When you are, bear in mind and don't forget that the Lord has promised to "help" you. He will protect you from falling when you are being pushed as you look to and lean upon Him. We can't always hold ourselves up when pushed, often we will fall to the ground. But the Lord knows how to keep us from falling even if our foot slips when we are being pushed.

Have a great day. When you are being "pushed", call upon the Lord for help... He will keep you from falling.

For further reading:
Psalm 56:13; 94:18; 116:8
Jude 1:24

Monday, January 10, 2011

"A Becoming Garment"

"Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. ." Psalm 33:1

"Praise is comely for the upright". The word "comely" means- fitting or becoming. When a lady makes herself attractive in her appearance by wearing a nice dress and the right accessories, what she is wearing is becoming and flatters her feminity. Praise is like a garment that is worn by the Christian. And in the same way, praise is becoming on a Christian-- it looks "nice" on us. It becomes who we are.

On the other hand, when a woman dresses in a very careless, mannish, or indecent manner, it does not flatter her but distracts from her appearance instead- it is not very becoming. When a Christian criticizes, complains, murmurs, is negative, bitter, hypocritical or condemning, it is not becoming of who we are. Instead it distracts from who we are- more importantly, from Who we represent.

What garment are you wearing? The garment of praise that is becoming to your profession of being a Christian? Or are you wearing the garment of "fleshly conduct", "inappropriate speech", "destructive words" or "bad attitudes" that is not becoming at all?

Have a great day. When Christians wear the garment of praise, it is becoming and "flatters" the One we represent. And any other attitude is not becoming.

For further reading:
Isaiah 61:3
Psalm 34:1
Ephesians 4:31

Friday, January 7, 2011

"Gift Of Love"

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

Who doesn't like to receive a gift. We just celebrated the "gift giving" season. We exchanged gifts with families and friends. We acknowledged the time when God gave the gift of His Son Jesus into the world. And through the Son's obedience to the will of the Father we can now receive the gift of eternal life.

Why would He give us such a wonderful gift? Such a costly gift? Such an undeserved gift? The reason can be summed up in just a few words-- He loves us. He did it all out of love for you and for me. I felt impressed this morning that He wants to remind us that not only does He love us, but He loves us deeply and dearly. His love for us is greater than we can imagine even though He showed us through giving His own Son to die for us. That was no little act of love.

This morning you may be feeling unloved, unwanted or rejected. Remember this-- you are loved. You are loved by the Heavenly Father. He loves you with an everlasting love. He loves you no matter what- unconditionally. And nothing can separate you from His love. If that is you this morning, get alone with Him and ask Him to "reassure" you of His love, think about the sacrifice of Jesus- meditate on it for a while, and then begin to thank Him for His great love toward you.

Have a great day. The greatest gift is love, and you are deeply loved by the Father.

For further reading:
John 3:16
Romans 8:38,39
1 John 3:1
Jeremiah 31:3

Thursday, January 6, 2011

"Obeying Sin"

"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." Romans 6:12

Some think that they have no control over sin in their lives. They believe that they have no choice but to sin. Sin will try to rule and reign in your life- it wants to be king and make you its servant. It will try to lord over you. It will pressure you into obeying it. It will try to dictate your life. But it does not have to have reign- you do not have to obey it.

The verse above is not a suggestion or a recommendation concerning our relationship with sin. It is a command ("Do not let it reign in your mortal body."), but along with this command comes empowerment to fulfill it.

Those who are in Christ are no longer subjects/servants of sin who have no choice but to obey it. Jesus dealt with the sin issue once and for all at the cross. He redeemed us from the curse of the sin. He delivered us from the controlling power of sin in our lives. He empowered us to overcome sin. Jesus already dealt with it, now He tells us to take "authority" over it - "Do not let sin reign in your mortal body".

How do we do that?
1) Stop surrendering to sin. Stand against it, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. He has made you more than a conqueror in all things. (Romans 6:16)
2) Yield yourself to God and offer yourself daily as a living sacrifice. (Romans 6:13)
3) Remember the grace of God that freed you from the bondage of sin and don't take it for granted. (Romans 6:14,15)
4) Obey the Word of God from the heart. (Romans 6:17)
5) Live by faith. It is not about what you see or feel. Jesus has already delivered you from the ruling power of sin, so walk in that liberty. (Romans 6:9-11,18)
6) Remember you are no longer sins slave, you are servants of God. (Romans 6:22)

Have a great day. Do not let sin reign in your mortal body- you are no longer its servant,

For further reading:
Romans 6

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

"Victory Every Time"

"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:6

I woke up this morning with the oddest thought going through my mind. It is a line from a writing by Robert Burns- "The best laid plan of mice and men often go astray". Mr. Burns was a famer and one day while plowing up his field he ploughed up a mouse's nest. This prompted him to write the poem.

No matter who you are, or what you are, no matter how great you are, how little, how rich, poor, well educated, uneducated or how famous, when we make our own plans, they often get interrupted or come to failure.

We are not designed to make our own plans. Our plans are based on human wisdom (which in the Book of James we are told that it is sensual and devilish- James 3:15). When we make our own plans, they are destined for failure. Each time Israel made their own plans they failed. They planned to go to the city of Ai and destroy it. We know that did not happen. Why? They failed because they failed to acknowledge God and followed their own plans. Once they acknowledged Him though, and followed His directions, they destroyed the city. (There are many other stories, but we don't have time to talk about them.)

The bottom line is this: God has a plan for you and me. As long as we will seek His plan, and basically determine to forsake making our own plans, we will succeed in whatever it is we are doing. I have never read of anyone in the Bible who failed when they acknowledged God first and followed His plan and His direction for carrying it out. The failures only came when they pursued their own plans.

We have accepted a teaching that says you often have to fail before you succeed. I am sorry, but I don't read that in the Bible any where. As I said, you will not find one person who was truly led by the Lord and His Spirit that ever failed in what "HE" directed them to do. Again, the problem lies when we make our own plans, when we assume this is the plan of God, or we move out and do things our own way. Then we are assured of failure. But when we acknowledge Him, listen to His instructions, obey by following what He says, then we are promised victory every time.

Have a great day. Our plans will easily fail, but when we follow God's plans we will succeed.

For further reading:
Jeremiah 10:23; 29:11
2 Chronicles 26:5

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

"Justified By Faith"

"But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith." Galatians 3:11

Living by the Law, making sure we dot all the "I's" and cross all the "T's" and keep all the commandments, is not what makes us right with God. The Book of James says that we can keep the whole law, yet if we break only one law we are guilty of breaking them all. Who can keep them all? The law was too weak to save us, instead it was like as a "schoolmaster" to show us our sin, our lack of ability to save ourselves and the need for a Savior.

We are justified in the sight of God by our faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in what Jesus did on the cross- that it was the avenue of forgiveness, reconciliation, redemption and justification- is all we can do to become right with God. David even put it this way, "Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required." (Psalm 40:6)

All your good deeds, all your good works, all your moral behavior, all your acts of kindness, they are not what justifies you before God. They are not what makes you right with Him. No matter how "good" you are by man's standards, there is only one thing that makes you "good enough" by God's-- faith in Jesus Christ.

As clearly as I can say it-- you can't join enough churches, you can't give enough offerings, you can't be baptized enough, you can't feed enough hungry people, you can't do enough humanitarian deeds, you can't fast and pray enough, you can't do enough religious deeds to be justified before God. If that were possible then Jesus died in vain, His death was unnecessary, He suffered without a cause. But it isn't possible. Try if you may, but in the end when you stand before God there is only one thing that He will accept-- was your faith in His Son Jesus as your Savior.

Have a great day. Obeying the Law is not what makes us right with God, having faith in His Son Jesus is.

For Further Reading:
Romans 8:3,4
James 2:10
Hebrews 10:4,5
Galatians 3
Ephesians 2:8,9

Monday, January 3, 2011

"The Promise Keeper"

"Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one." Galatians 3:20

When God made promises to Abraham, He didn't use a mediator to do it. He alone made and fulfilled the promises. He didn't call upon a man or some law firm to draw up a contract, He officiated over it all. God Himself gave the promises, listed the conditions and set it all in motion. When it came time to bring mankind into the new covenant, He sent His own Son to be the mediator of it.

When God makes a promise, when He makes a covenant with someone, He knows how to establish it, enforce it and keep it to the end. If you are a child of God then you are in a covenant relationship with God. He has made promises to you and He is faithful to keep those promises. He is not a man that He should lie. He does not change His mind. He does not change what He has said. He Himself watches over it to fulfill it. He doesn't need anyone else to help keep Him accountable- He keeps Himself accountable-- always has and always will. So trust God's word, trust His promises. Heaven and earth will pass away, but His word will remain true forever.

Have a great day. God holds Himself accountable to the promises He has made, so you can trust Him.

For further reading:
1 Timothy 2:5
Hebrews 9:15; 6:13
Numbers 23:19
Luke 21:33
Isaiah 55:11
Psalm 89:34