"Feeling Empty?"

 

".... but be filled with the Spirit." Ephesians 5:18b

Do you ever have that empty feeling spiritually? Where it feels like you have nothing in you spiritually- no word, no praise, no nothing? You feel dry and... well, just empty. When something is empty, it is because there is nothing in it. When the water pitcher is empty, it is because there is no water in it. When the gas tank is empty, it is because there is no gas in it. The container is void of what should be in there. When we are spiritually empty, that is not the case. It is not because there is nothing spiritual in us. It is because it is filled with something else more.

We either walk in the spirit or in the flesh. We either mind the things of the spirit or the things of the flesh. We either feed ourselves with spiritual things or things of the flesh. It is all about flesh and spirit. When we aren't full of one, it is because we are full of the other.

We don't get spiritually empty. We have just been feeding the flesh more than we have been feeding the spirit so the flesh is the "predominate" one at the moment. It is crowding out the spirit making us feel empty and dry. Because this works both ways, when we are feeding our spirit more than our flesh, we feel spiritually full.

So when you get that empty feeling, check yourself. Have you been spending more time feeding your flesh-- watching too much television, playing too many games, overeating, being constantly entertained? Are you neglecting the feeding and care of the spirit-- prayer, worship, Bible study, fasting? I am sure you will find, for the most part, that is the cause of your emptiness.

Have a great day. Which ever you feed- your flesh or your spirit- you will find that it leaves the other with an empty feeling.

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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 unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"Your Reputation"

"He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me." Numbers 22:5

The he in this verse was the king of Moab and the people that he was referring to were the Israelites. This heathen king had heard about the Israelites and recognized who they were- God's people. Their fame had reached Moab. He had heard what their God did to Pharaoh when He brought them out of Egypt. He feared them because they were a threat to him, so he called the prophet to come and curse them because he knew they were a force to be reckoned.

Does the enemy/devil know you? Does he recognize who you are- a child of God? Does he fear you because Jesus is seen in you? Does he know that you know who you are in Christ? Does he see you as a threat because you know that you have power and authority over him? Does he know that you aren't easily deceived, that you are bold in your walk with the Lord, that you are strong in your faith? Does he know that your profession lines up with your actions- that you aren't Christian in name only?

The most important thing is that the Lord knows who you are. But the enemy also needs to know who you are. The king of Moab knew the Israelites reputation and was afraid of what they would do to him and his rule. The enemy doesn't fear those who don't have a reputation- a reputation of standing strong in the Lord, of walking in power and authority, of praying, of being light and salt, of being uncompromised in their stand for the Lord and of being unwavering in their faith. Does the enemy know your reputation?

Have a great day. Do you have a reputation that causes the enemy to fear?

For further reading:

Luke 10:19
1 John 4:4
Matthew 11:12
Acts 19:15

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

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 unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"Applying It"

"For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me." Psalm 18:22

It is one thing to read God's Word and to hear it preached and another to apply it to your life. God's Word is like bread to our souls, but if we aren't "eating" it we will be hungry. It is like "water" for our spirits to drink, but if we don't we remain thirsty. It is a "light" but if it is not used we will keep stumbling in darkness.

God doesn't intend for us to listen to sermon after sermon, teaching after teaching and walk away talking about "how good" the message was only. His intension is that we make it part of our being-- like air. The Psalmist said that God's Word was before Him- He read it, heard it, thought about it- and he didn't neglect to put it into practice.

Do you know what God's Word says but yet you are ignoring what it says to do? Are you reading the scriptures but that is as far as it goes? Are you forgetting what they say when it comes to what you want to do if they are in opposition? Do you just "enjoy" sermons or apply them to your life? Do you read the Word but just so that you can feel justified that you have fulfilled some religious obligation or duty? Is reading it just another habit? It has to be more. It is more. If this describes you, then you need to make it more in your life.

Have a great day. It is not about just knowing what God's Word says, but about doing what it says.

For further reading:

Psalm 119:105
James 1:22,25
Romans 2:13

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

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 unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"I Know He Is Faithful"

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war." Revelation 19:11

Recently we talked about how unsearchable God is and that we will never be able to know all there is to know about Him. Even when this mortality puts on immorality and we behold Him face to face, He will be revealing Himself to us throughout eternity. What we know about Him now is only because He allows us to know it.

When we talked about this before, the one thing we said that we do know about Him is that He never changes. We don't have to worry or wonder what kind of mood He will be in or if we can trust Him today like we did yesterday.

This morning I want to address something else about this wonderful Lord that we can know-- He is faithful. The word faithful means: worthy of trust; true to one's word or promises; reliable. All these describe the Lord God.

He is worthy of your trust today because He is faithful in His love for you- it is unconditional and never ends. He is worthy of your trust because He is true to His word- He keeps His promises, He has never broken one and never will, He will do what He says He will do. He is worthy of your trust because He is reliable. You can count on Him, He won't leave you or forsake you. He won't run out on you when the going gets tough, He won't turn His back on you when you are in need and He won't neglect you.

So, again, though we won't ever know all there is to know about Him, we can know that He is faithful-- He always has been and always will be, therefore, we can put our trust in Him.

Have a great day. While we will never know all there is to know about God, we do know that He is faithful-- so we can trust Him.

For further reading:
Deuteronomy 7:9
Psalm 36:5; 119:90
Lamentations 3:23

 

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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 unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"Press Through The Law"

"And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:" Matthew 9:20

When we think of the story of the woman with the issue of blood pressing through the crowd to touch the hem of Jesus' garment, we often think about all the obstacles she faced and had to press through to get to Him. She had to press through the weakness of her own body. She had to press through the crowd of people. She had to press through doubt and fear. But she also had to press through the Law.

Under the Law she was considered "unclean" (she had an issue of blood) so she was restricted from being anywhere in the crowd. She was restricted from touching a man- especially a Rabbi, which is what Jesus was considered.

Under the Law she faced a punishment if she violated this Law. Because the Law forbade her from even being there she was to receive a punishment for being in the crowd and for touching Jesus. This is why when Jesus asked, "Who touched me?", she was in fear and trembling (Mark 5:33) She knew that breaking the Law carried a penalty with it.

In order for her to receive the healing and life change that she needed, she had to press past the Law. In order for any of us to receive what we need- life, healing, deliverance, etc.- we would have had to press past the Law. It was impossible for us to do so. But Jesus came and fulfilled the Law and replaced it with grace. He took away the restriction-- the veil is now rent and removed out of the way so that we can freely have access to come before His throne of grace. The punishment for breaking it was placed upon Jesus and nailed to the cross. He took the punishment so that it could no longer hold us guilty of breaking it.

What do you need from Him this morning? You do not have to press through the Law. You aren't restricted from coming to Him. There is nothing standing in the way. You won't be punished for getting "too close". He has made the way so you can boldly and freely come. So come.

Have a great day. We no longer have to press through the Law to get to Jesus. He took the restrictions and penalty of it out of the way.

For further reading:
Colossians 2:14
Hebrews 4:16; 10:16-22
Matthew 5:17
Mark 5:25-34

 

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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 unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"Hope Is For The Future"

"Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel." Psalm 128:6

This whole chapter is about the blessings that are upon those who fear the Lord. When you read the Bible and the stories of the Israelites, you soon discover that besides their God there are two things on earth that are most important to them-- their children and their nation.

It was a big thing for them to have a lineage and heritage. In the scriptures if a man passed away his brother was to marry his widow and produce children in his name. Remember the story of Rachel and Leah, it was important for them to "out do" the other in giving children to Jacob. Hannah wept bitterly in the temple for a child. Elizabeth rejoiced to bear a child in her old age.

They also loved their home land and longed for it when they were in captivity. So as I read the verse above I see two things. The first thing I see is that the Lord tells us what the blessing is-- you will have a long life and see your grandchildren and you will see peace in your land. The second thing I see is hope. The two things they longed for are not always evident in the present, they are future happenings. But they had hope that they would see them.

Hope is not needed when the thing is seen. Hope is always for a future event. We know what we hope will happen in the future, but we can't see the future we can only see now. Even though we can't see the future, God can. And because He can see ahead He allows us to have a "glimpse" at it and gives us a promise of what is to come. So if you are waiting to "see" something that is still in the future, be encouraged. God is a God of hope and He is watching over your life-- from the past, at the present, and into the future.

Have a great day. Hope is always directed at what is still in the future. God is a God of hope and is watching over your future.

For further reading:
Hebrews 11:1
Romans 8:24,25

 

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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 unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"I Know He Does Not Change"

"For I am the LORD, I change not..." Malachi 3:6a

Although the Bible says that the Lord God will make Himself known to His people, He is so awesome and amazing there is no way that we can know Him in the fullness of who He is. What we do know about Him is only because He allows us to have that knowledge and revelation. If He did not reveal Himself to us we could never know anything about Him or know Him in intimate ways. The depth of God is so deep, the length of God is so long, the mind of God is so unsearchable, His thoughts are so much higher than our thoughts and His ways are beyond our ability to comprehend. Even when our mortality puts on immortality we will still not fully understand the complexity and grandeur of God. I believe that the angels who are constantly in His presence don't fully understand Him, but they stand in awe just like us. After all, how can the creation understand the Creator.

Having said all that, while God is so great that no one can fully know and explain this infinite Being, there is one thing that I do know about Him--- He does not change! He does not change in His unconditional love. He does not change in His faithfulness. He does not change in His mercy and grace. His strength does not change. His wisdom doesn't change. His compassion and loving-kindness for us does not change. His power never changes either.

He isn't like we are-- moody and fickle. People change. Often you don't know where you stand with them. They may be your friend today and your enemy tomorrow. They may start the day off in a loving mood, but before the day is over be full of anger. You just don't always know from one minute to the next where you stand with some people. You don't have to worry about that with the Lord because He does not change. This should give you great comfort and peace. You never have to wonder if He is going to love you today or not. You never have to wonder if He is going to be faithful, meet your need, fight your battle or be with you. He does not change. Whatever He is, is what He has always been and will always be.

Have a great day. We may not be able to know all there is to know about the Lord, but one thing we do know is that He never changes!

For further reading:
Hebrews 13:8
I John 5:20
Psalm 145:3; 103:7
Romans 11:33
Isaiah 55:9

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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 unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"The Fragrance Of Love"

"And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head." Mark 14:3

 

When the woman with the alabaster box broke it and poured the spikenard that was in it upon Jesus, it was only a few days later that He would be crucified. What she did, Jesus said was for His burial. What she did, she did out of love for Him.

As Jesus hung on the cross the fragrance of spikenard was still on His body. What she had done- poured out her love on Him- had followed Him to the cross. I can't help but think that as Jesus went through that long night, as He stood before Pilate, as He was being beaten by the Roman soldiers, as He walked the Via Dolorosa, as He fell under the weight of the cross, as He submitted Himself to the nails and as He hung on the cross taking His last breath and dying for the sins of mankind, that every once and a while He would get a whiff of the fragrance from the alabaster box.

We know from the scriptures that the motive for Jesus coming to earth and dying on the cross was love. I tend to believe that each time Jesus got a whiff of the spikenard, He remembered the act of love that was done to Him. It was a reminder to Him of the love that she so lavished on Him. It reminded Him of why He was doing what He was doing-- love (the Father's love for mankind). That love compelled Him to continue His mission until the end.

 

Through Jesus, the Father has lavished His love on you. Jesus was the "alabaster box" that was "broken and poured out" for mankind. When the going gets hard, when the race makes you weary, when the road seems long, the night unending, when the trials and storms seem to be getting more intense instead of easing up, when all hope seems gone, when you feel as if you can't go on, take a moment and breath in. As you do, you will catch a whiff of the wonderful fragrance of God's love that has been poured out upon you. Let that fragrance of His love be a reminder that gives you the strength, grace and courage to go on.

 

Have a great day. The fragrance of love compelled Jesus to finish His work at the cross. Let the fragrance of God's love compel you to continue on when carrying your cross seems hard and unbearable.

For further reading:

Mark 14:1-9
John 3:16
Romans 5:8
Hebrews 12:2

 

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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 unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"He Stinketh"

"Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days." John 11:39

 

Jesus was about to do one of the biggest miracles He had performed while on earth. He was about to give Martha the biggest miracle she had ever experienced in her life. He was about to turn her sorrow into joy, her mourning into gladness. He was about to give her back hope. He was getting ready to give her the ultimate comfort-- her brother back from the dead. He was getting ready to bring life out of death. He was on the verge of giving her the thing she wanted most and all she could think about was, "Lord, he stinketh!" Jesus was giving her the desire of her heart and answering her prayer in a miraculous way, and all she was thinking about was some negative, insignificant thing-- he will stink by now.

Does Martha sound familiar? The Lord is getting ready to give us a miracle, He is in the process of answering our prayer, and all we can focus on is some minute, negative detail. We are more focused on the "stinketh" than what He is doing. What are some of those "stinketh" things? "The government will cut out my checks if He heals me". "It is in the wrong location". "What will my family think?". "It is too big, or too small". "But what about the finances?". All minute details in comparison to the thing that God is doing.

 

Do you think that Jesus didn't know that when the stone was rolled away there was going to be a stench come out of that tomb? But He was focused on the glory of God. We need to follow Jesus' example and not Martha's. We need to stop focusing on the negative. We need to stop focusing on petty earthly details. We need to start focusing on the will of the Father, the miracle He is trying to bring to us, and the glory of God.

 

 

Have a great day. Is the Lord trying to give you a great miracle but you are focused on the negative details?

 

For further reading:

John 11:1-44

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

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 unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"God''s Word Is Right"

"Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way." Psalm 119:128

 

God's word covers every area of life, and there is nothing that it does not cover or address. It may not say in exact words, "Thou shall not (fill in the blank) ___", but it is found in it through its teachings and principles. Sadly, not everyone-- in the world and in the church-- believes that it covers "all things". 

 

There are two things that we need to understand concerning the word of God or we will always have trouble knowing what is right and what isn't. We will be in confusion and live a compromised lifestyle. We will be easily persuaded to go in the wrong direction. Our faith will be weak, and we will be like a double-minded man who is unstable in all his ways.

The first thing is what we have already mentioned: God's word addresses every issue mankind has. The second is: God's word is correct concerning every issue. It is the only thing that is totally correct all the time about everything- man's philosophies, his education, his intellectual assumptions, his humanistic reasoning is all flawed and therefore incorrect much of the time.

 

When political correctness, popular opinion, or the mindset of the age clashes or disagrees with the word of God, it will always be God's word that is the right one. Just because everyone else believes that a certain thing is right, just because it is the direction the world is going, if it is contrary to God's word, it is wrong and God's word is right. It will always be the word of God that is the correct one and the one that you need to follow.

 

 

You have to be convinced of this or you will fall prey to lies, deception, false teachings and be carried away by every wind of doctrine-- false doctrine within the walls of the church, and false doctrine that the world is propagating.

Have a great day. God's word is the only thing that is always correct, all the time, on every issue. 

 

For further reading:

James 1:8
Titus 1:2
John 17:17
Ephesians 4:14

 

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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 unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"Breeding Ground"

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Philippians 4:6

 

"Be careful (anxious) about nothing." The word anxious means: worried, uneasy, distress, intensely eager. We are told not to be anxious and we are given the antidote to anxiety in the verse above.

 

When we catch ourselves becoming anxious, we must immediately do something about it and take it captive. If we don't it becomes a breeding ground for many other things. Usually our anxiety involves other people. We have to wait on someone or deal with them in a matter. Because of this we can see how easily anxiety does become a breeding ground. It is a breeding ground for complaining-- why aren't they doing it according to plan? It is a breeding ground for impatience-- can't they move any faster? It becomes a breeding ground for fear- what if they leave me; what if they make me late; what if they don't come through; etc. It becomes a breeding ground for criticism- why are they doing it like that; can't they move any faster; wouldn't it be better if they did it this other way? It becomes a breeding ground for bitterness- if it hadn't been for them things would have worked out.

 

Does any of this sound familiar? Anxiety doesn't just "dwell" by itself, it wants company and it produces its own company. All the things we have named and more. And before you know it, you are an emotional "basket case" surrounded by uncontrollable thoughts. 

 

Take them captive before they ever get started, or when you recognize what is happening. If you will do it at the first sign of anxiety, it will not go any further. It will not be able to "breed". You won't have to deal with that whirlwind of emotions, you won't lose your peace and you won't do damage to others by the things that anxiety produces.

 

Have a great day. Anxiety is a breeding ground for all kinds of emotions and sin. So deal with it through prayer before it has a chance to produce anything else. 

 

For further reading:

Philippians 4:7
1 Peter 5:7

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

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 unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"Weapons Can't Prosper"

"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." Isaiah 54:17

 

The verse above tells us two things: there will be weapons that are formed against us, but they will not prosper. Don't think for one minute that just because you are a born-again Christian that there will never be any "weapons" formed against you- meaning that you will have a smooth life with no problems or trouble. That is not the case, there will be weapons formed against your spirit, soul and body for the sole purpose of destroying you. The good news is that even though they are formed, they cannot prosper. They will never get the upper hand, win the victory, have the final say so, or overcome you. 

 

They can form, and will, but they will not prosper because if God is for us who (or what) can be against us. "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) So, let's say when the weapons of poverty come- you can't prosper against me. When weapons of sickness come- you can't prosper. When confusion, depression, fear all come- you can't prosper. No weapon that the enemy forms against you can win because God is for you, He is with you and He is in you. And GREATER is He that is in you than he that is in the world.

“For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.” (Romans 14:8) Regardless of the weapon, child of God, it cannot prosper because God is for you so it is a "win, win" situation. Because whether you live or die, you belong to Him!

 

Have a great day. When weapons form against you, remember that they cannot prosper because God is for you. 

  

For further reading:

1 John 4:4

2 Corinthians 2:14

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

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 unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"Call For Help"

"And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me." Matthew 14:29,30

 

Peter was a prideful, outspoken person. At the Passover feast he told Jesus that He would not wash his feet. We hear him tell Jesus also that he would never deny Him, but die with Him if he had to. In all of Peter's boasting, pride and arrogance there is one thing that can be said for him-- he knew to call out to Jesus when he was in trouble. "Lord, save me".

 

Don't let your "personality" stop you from calling upon the Lord when you are in trouble. Don't let pride hold you back from seeking His help. Don't let self-righteousness keep you from being honest with Him about the fact that you can't do it or make it on your own without His help.

 

He doesn't expect you to do this on your own. He doesn't just leave you to yourself to try to figure out a solution or be your own source of help and deliverance. You are on this journey of life with Him. Had He wanted you to do it by yourself He never would have given you a promise to never leave you or forsake you. If He had wanted you to make it own your own He never would have sent the Comforter- Holy Spirit to be with you. He knows you can't do it without Him. He remembers what you are made out of (dust), therefore He knows how weak and helpless you become.

 

Don't let pride, self-righteousness, arrogance, hard-heartedness, head strong attitude, etc stand in the way of calling out to Jesus for help. Don't let anything stand in the way. Perhaps you think it will show lack of faith, or that it will show weakness. Maybe it will? But I would rather have Jesus' loving rebuke for a lack of faith than to be "drowned" by the situation. 

 

Have a great day. You need Jesus' help, so don't let any attitude keep you from asking Him for that help.

 

For further reading:

Matthew 14:29-31; 26:33-35
John 13:1-9; 14:16;15:5
Hebrews 13:5
Psalm 103:14

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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 unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"Chain Breaker"

"God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land." Psalm 68:6

 

"He bringeth out those which are bound with chains." There are so many people walking around today burdened down and restricted by chains. Oh, you may not see the chains with the naked eye, but they are there nevertheless. Some are held captive by the chains of fear- fear of failure, fear of success, fear of the opinions of others, fear of stepping out of their comfort zone, etc. Some are held captive by the chains of condemnation and guilt. They can't get past the past. Then there are those who are held in the chains of addiction- alcohol, drugs, immorality, gambling, and so on. There are others who are held captive in the chains of anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, greed, lust, covetousness, pride, hopelessness and grief. There is an unending list of things that bind the hearts and minds of mankind with invisible, yet real, chains.

This morning I don't want to spend all the time focusing on the chains. I want to focus on the One who breaks the chains. If you are bound by any of the chains we named this morning, or some that we didn't, I have good news for you... Jesus is the chain breaker. There is no chain too strong for Him to break. There is no chain too rusty- because it has been there a long time- that He can't break. No chain is more powerful then He is. And when He gets a hold of the chain, He not only breaks it off of you but He destroys it completely so that it cannot be put back together. 
 

Are you bound by chains? Jesus wants to free you. He can break them. He will break them if you will let Him. You will never be able to break them on your own. You can try. You can work at it. You can cry over it. You can wrestle with it. But He is the only One who can truly set you free-- free indeed. Let Him, He is waiting to.

Have a great day. If you are bound by any "chains", Jesus wants to break them off of you and set you free. 
  

For further reading:
Isaiah 61:1
Luke 4:18
John 8:36

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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 unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"Bees In The Place Of Prayer"

 

"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" Matthew 7:11

 

I love to go outside early in the morning and have my prayer time with the Lord. A couple of weeks ago I shared that as I was going to my porch swing to have that time I discovered a snake there. We discussed the illustration of how the enemy tries to get into our prayer place to distract and discourage us. Well, one morning last week I had gone outside to have my time alone with the Lord, but instead of staying on the porch I went for a walk down our road. I often do that because it is off the main road and very private and quiet.

 

This particular morning I discovered something else in "my place of prayer". Near the end of the road I saw something laying in the middle of the road that looked very odd. Upon closer inspection I saw it was a swarm of honey bees. I called a local beekeeper and he came and got them. He said it was very unusual to see them in that type of place. And he said it was a very large swarm.

 

The thought crossed my mind, "I found a snake in my place of prayer before (something that brings fear) and now I am finding bees in my place of prayer (something that produces that which is sweet)". Immediately, the Holy Spirit gave me another analogy.

As we pray and seek the Lord, in that place of prayer we will find some "sweet things" - we will discover the One who produces them. We will "taste" His goodness. He will show up and satisfy our mouths with good things. He will give us unexpected blessings and surprises. He will show us great and mighty things that we don't know. He will give us "unusual" revelations and insights. And He will give us an abundance of grace, strength, joy and peace. So keep praying, you will find good things as you do.

Have a great day. During prayer you never know what you may discover, but as you continue He will show you something good.


For further reading:
Psalm 34:8; 103:5; 68:19
2 Chronicles 26:5

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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 unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"Aligned"

"....nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." Matthew 26:39

I have several products in my home- hair care products, aspirin bottles, etc.- that all have a simple little safety thing on them to keep them from accidently coming open. You have seen it, it is an arrow that is on the lid and another one on the bottle. You have to align those arrows up exactly with each other or it will not open.

There are times we wonder why things aren't happening in our lives, why aren't we getting the answers to our prayers, why is it taking so long. The answer may be in the "alignment". A lot of times what is happening is we are not aligning ourselves with God's will and plan. We think we are but just like these products I described earlier, you can be off just a fraction in lining them up and they still won't open.

We have to align ourselves up with God's will- often we are trying to get Him to align with our will. We have to align ourselves up with His timing- usually we want it when we want it and get too impatient to just wait. Jesus was so perfectly aligned with His Father's will, many times He had to tell his disciples that "it is not My time yet". We have to align ourselves with God's way of doing it- we have a habit of thinking that we are so smart and know how God wants to do it. In order for Jesus to redeem us God's plan was the cross, our plan would have been something different, something less gruesome, something less painful, something more pleasant.

The alignment arrows on the products we talked about earlier are safety features, aligning ourselves to God's will is a safety feature for us too. Our will will lead us into unsafe places. It will lead us into confusion, fear, discouragement and so on.

If you are in that place of "wonder" this morning, have you asked Him about your "alignment"? Are you truly aligned with His will, timing and plan? It will never "open" until you get aligned with Him and stop trying to get Him to align with you.

Have a great day. Things only work out when we are aligned with God's will, timing, plan and purpose.

For further reading:

Proverbs 3:5,6
Luke 22:42

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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 unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"Not Condemned, But Saved"

 

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." John 3:17

The Pharisees brought the woman who was caught in the act of adultery to Jesus and asked what should be done to her. The law said she should be stoned, but they waited to see what Jesus would say. You know the story, one by one her accusers left leaving her alone with Jesus. Jesus then addressed her, "Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?" She replied, "No man, Lord." Jesus then answered her back, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more". 

 

Under the law this woman had been found guilty, the death sentence was passed and waited to be carried out. But Jesus would not do it. He wouldn't pick up a stone because He didn't come to condemn, but to save.

You and I and all mankind had broken God's law (through Adam's sin). We had been found guilty (all have sinned). We were to be punished. We received the death sentence (the wages of sin is death). But when Jesus came to earth, He didn't come to condemn us. We were already condemned and awaiting the punishment. His mission wasn't to condemn but to save. And that is what He did at the cross- "it is finished". He saved us, He removed the death sentence on those who seek His forgiveness and turn to Him (the gift of God is eternal life). He set us free from the law of sin and death. He reversed the death sentence by taking our punishment for us.

 

"Go and sin no more". He told the woman who was caught in adultery that He wasn't there to condemn her, but to save her. He came to set that captive free. He came to open the prison door. He came to redeem her from the curse of the law. He came to give her life for death. He came to remove the death sentence over her life. He came to give her abundant life. So now He tells her-- go. Go and sin no more, I have saved you (not just from the stoning, but from the sting and power of sin and death itself), you are a free person. You are no longer under the death sentence. You have been pardoned. You have been justified. You have been set free. You have received life.

Jesus came to save us and He did. So today He is saying the same thing to you- go. Go and sin no more. Go and walk in newness of life. Go and live the abundant life He has given you. You are free from the death penalty. Go and live free from condemnation, guilt and misery. Go and enjoy your salvation. Go live in peace, rest and joy. 

 

Have a great day. Jesus didn't come to condemn us but to save us, and He did so now go and enjoy the abundant life He provided. 

  

For further reading:

John 8
Romans 8:2

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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 unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

 

"Who Needs God"

"He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire." Isaiah 44:16

In the verses prior to this one we are given the description of those who create idols to worship and serve. This is an illustration of where I believe the world is, and sadly, for the most part the organized church. In these verses the carpenter has cut down the tree and fashioned his own god from it that he looks to for all his need. 

 

Who needs God when we can do it ourselves? This seems to be the mantra of the age. But there is a problem with that thinking and I want to address it this morning. The use of a tree symbolizes humanity/man/flesh. Our devices, plans and works are fleshly- imperfect and unstable. Once the tree is cut down, it ceases to be alive- it is now a dead tree. Nothing, no work of the flesh that we do on our own outside of God has life in it.

 

1) "He burns part in the fire and warms himself". A fire is warmth. Fire is one of the most comforting elements there is. Yet when we use our own "gods that we have hewn" (humanistic wisdom, vain philosophy, education) to produce a fire to "warm" ourselves it is only temporary. You have to continue to add more wood to it or it will go out. There is no rest for those who build their own fire to warm themselves, they are continually having to work to keep it going. 

 

2) "With part he cooks his food". While he is eating the meal he has cooked he is satisfied, but it is not long before he is hungry again. Our own devises and works of the flesh never give full and complete satisfaction. Just about the time you think you are full and satisfied hunger hits again. It is only a temporary satisfaction.

 

3) "I have seen the fire". When you make your own "fire" (your own god and a substitute for the true God), you are easily deceived by what you see. You believe you have the real thing. You are warm, you are satisfied and you have light. But it is a false light giving false security- it will go out and leave you in the dark. 

 

There is only One who is the Light, there is only One who truly satisfies, there is only One who takes away the struggles, there is only One who gives warmth to our cold hard hearts. And that One is not made with our own hands. Our efforts and the works of our hands bring death, but only He can put life in dead things. That One is Jesus, and Jesus gives life because He is Life. 

 

Are you trying to invent your own "god"? Are you trying to find something within your own strength and power that will satisfy you? Are you trying to warm yourself? Are you struggling to keep the "fire" going? Come to the real fire, only He can truly satisfy and give a lasting satisfaction. Don't be as foolish as these who think that they don't need God because they can do it themselves.

 

Have a great day. Man's ability to satisfy himself outside of God is impossible, so we do need Him.

 

For further reading:

John 14:6; 1:4; 15:5

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

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 unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"You Are Not Ordinary"

".....I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine." Isaiah 43:1b

If you are born-again you are a child of God. This means that you are no ordinary person, you are not just average. You are an heir to God and joint-heir with Jesus Christ. You are royalty-- of a heavenly kingdom. This means you that you don't act like, think like, talk like or carry yourself like others in the world.

An earthly prince or princess is not like everyone else- they are different, they are set apart. They conduct theirs lives in accordance to who they are and the position that they have in life. Everything they do is a reflection of their father, the king, and the kingdom they represent. It is the same with us. We are our heavenly King's representatives. There is a certain conduct that we exhibit. We are set apart. We are a reflection of Him and His kingdom.

As His children there are things we should not do, places we should not go, attitudes we should not have. As His children there are things that we should be doing. We should be walking in His authority-- showing His power to a world that needs to see His power manifested. We should be walking in His love-- reaching out, uncondemning to a world that is starving for the meaning of true love. We should be walking in compassion-- holding out our hands to the hurting and letting them know there is hope. We should be seeking to glorify our Father-- living selfless lives that put Him first, then others, and ourselves last. We should be walking in purity and holiness-- so that His true nature is reflected through us.

We are far from ordinary. "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light/" (1 Peter 2:9) We should walk in such a way where we are a true representation of who our Father is-- showing forth His praises. Jesus our older brother showed us by example how we should conduct ourselves as unordinary people in this world. He lived His life in such a way where He said, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father." Everything He did was a reflection of the Father and showed us what He was like. As an unordinary person, as a child of the Heavenly King, as an heir to God are you living your life in the same way?

Have a great day. You are not an ordinary person if you have been born-again. You are heavenly royalty who should be representing your Heavenly King to this world.

For further reading:

John 14:9; 1:12

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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 unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.