"Understanding Victory"

"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." John 19:30

 

We are getting ready to celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It is said that hindsight is 20/20. On this side of the cross we have a clear understanding that what was done was the greatest act of love and complete victory. But to those who were there it looked like defeat. As they watched the events of that evening unfold, as they saw their Jesus being arrested, tried, convicted and crucified all they could see were their hopes and dreams being destroyed. 

 

When we are going through times of great testing, we tend to be more like those disciples. We don't view the situation as something good. We can't see how anything good can come out of what we are going through. It looks hopeless. It often looks like defeat. But may I remind you that even in the darkest time, even when all hope seems lost, even when you don't understand why, God hasn't left, He is watching over the situation, and He is still in control. 

 

The situations that look like darkness, He can bring light from. What looks like death, He can bring forth life. What looks like defeat, He can bring forth victory from--- the cross and the empty tomb are a testimony to that. 

 

Don't look at your situation as "defeat", trust that God somehow, someway, is working all things together for your good. Even if you don't see any good in it, and even if you don't understand it now, perhaps you may never understand it all this side of heaven, but like the old song says, "We'll understand it better by and by". 

 

Have a great day. Even though we may not understand what looks like defeat, God is still working to bring victory. 

 

For further reading:

Romans 8:28

Genesis 45:1-8

 

"We'll Understand It Better By And By"

Trials dark on every hand and we cannot understand.
All the ways God will lead us
To the blessed promised land.
He will guide us with his eye,
And we'll follow till we die,
And we'll understand him better by and by.

 

By and by, when the morning comes.

When the saints of God are gathered home,

We'll tell the story how we've overcome,

For we'll understand it better by and by.

 

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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 Rejoices Over You"

"The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

 

The Lord God is Mighty. He is a powerful Warrior fighting our battles for us. But He is also a gentle, kind and compassionate Savior. He has a heart for you. He loves you. He rejoices over you with singing and dancing. He delights in you. You are the apple of His eye. You are the object of His affection. He loves to hold you close to Himself. He desires to embrace you. 

 

Often we see God as "one-sided". He is "either" "or" but not "both". If that is how you see Him, you need to enlarge your vision of Him. He is the Lion and the Lamb. Do you see Him as One who is hard and cruel always waiting to "get you" if you mess up? Most people have no problem seeing Him in this way. They have a struggle with seeing Him as someone who truly loves and cares about them, and as someone who is for them and on their side. They can't fathom God rejoicing over them with singing. 

 

Perhaps that is you? How do you see God? A hard taskmaster? One who is out to get you? If it is, it is time you start seeing Him as One who loves you dearly and deeply. He rejoices over you. He has joy in you. He takes delight in you. He sings over you. 

 

Have a great day. God loves you so much, He sings and rejoices over you. 

 

For further reading:

John 3:16,17

Romans 5:8

Psalm 32:7; 103:13

Isaiah 62:5

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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.

"Struggling Or Soaring?"

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

 

As I was driving the other day, I noticed in the sky two birds. One was soaring effortlessly and the other one was flapping its wings nonstop. The only difference I could see between the two was that the one that was soaring was only a couple of feet higher than the other one. I thought to myself about the "flapping" bird, "If you would just catch the wind and go a little higher you would not have to struggle so much and could soar". 

 

Many Christians are "struggling" in this life. They are constantly "flapping" just to make it through. The are struggling to have peace, struggling with problems, struggling to know what to do, struggling with temptations, etc.. Instead we should be "soaring". 

 

How do we get from struggling to soaring? By going a little higher. Going higher means that we press in a little closer to the Lord. It means that we move out of the flesh and into walking in the spirit. As we press in a little closer we will catch the wind of the Spirit and He will take us into that place of rest and lack of struggle- the place where we soar.

 

The Lord doesn't want you constantly struggling. He wants you soaring- like the verse above says. But the key is to go higher. Wait upon the Lord. Draw close to Him. Get your strength from Him. Get your rest from Him. Get that second wind from Him. Get the wisdom you need from Him. Get the grace you need from Him. He is the Wind that will take you higher and cause you to soar.

 

Have a great day. Are you struggling or soaring? Draw a little closer to the Lord and catch the wind of His Spirit which will take you higher so you can soar.

 

For further reading:

Zechariah 4:6

Matthew 11:28

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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.

"Fullness of Time Is Perfect Timing"

"That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him." Ephesians 1:10

 

There is a time called "fullness". It is in that time when promises come into manifestation, when faith becomes sight, when answers come. They don't come until then. Joseph did not come to the palace until the "fullness of time". The Israelites were not delivered from Egypt until the "fullness of time". Abraham did not receive the promised son until the "fullness of time". The Savior, Jesus, did not come into the world until the "fullness of time". 

 

Why didn't Jesus come earlier? Why didn't He arrive a hundred years earlier? A thousand years earlier? Why weren't the Israelites delivered sooner? The answer is simple yet not always easy for us to understand. It is because the time "fullness" has to come. This time is determined by the sovereignty of God and the counsel of His own will. 

 

Why aren't some things happening sooner in our lives? Why are they delayed? What is holding it up? We tend to get caught up in time elements. We want things to happen right away. But there are some things that will not occur until the "fullness of time". And when is that time? It is when God says it is. 

 

When a woman gets pregnant, she doesn't give birth the next day. She has to wait until the "fullness of time" for the child's birth. When a farmer plants a seed, he doesn't harvest a crop the following week. He has to wait until the plants have grown and matured. Without the waiting, the baby would not survive and the plants would not produce fruit. This the reason for the fullness of time. 

 

When is the fullness of time? Who knows. It is different lengths of time for different situations. But what we can say about it is that it is also the "perfect time". It is perfect because it is determined and brought forth by God Himself. So we need to learn to be content, patient and trust while we are waiting on that time to come.

 

Have a great day. There is a time called "fullness". It is determined by God's sovereignty so we need to learn how to trust Him while we are waiting because it is also called "perfect timing".

 

For further reading:

Ephesians 1:11

Psalm 27:14; 1:3

Isaiah 55:8,9

 

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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.

"Look At Jesus, Not The Problem"

"Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us." Psalm 123:2

 

I woke up this morning with a chorus repeating over and over in my thoughts. "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."

 

If you look at it long enough, whatever it is, that is what will have the most power in your life. This is why we are not told to "look at the mountain" but to "speak to it". If you continue to look at it, it just gets bigger and bigger and before long it will completely overwhelm you and take control. 

 

If we look at Jesus He too will begin to become bigger in our view than even the largest 

problem. When Moses looked at the Lord in the burning bush, He became greater than Moses' fear of Pharaoh. When Peter looked at Jesus, Jesus became greater than his fear of stepping out of the boat. When David stood before Goliath, he looked to the Lord and the Lord became much larger than the giant. 

 

If you are looking at that impossible situation, if you are looking at the overwhelming problem, if you are looking at that daunting circumstance, then you are looking at the wrong place. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look at Him. He is greater than the problem. He is able to do exceeding abundantly above whatever the situation needs. He is bigger than anything that you are facing. His ability to handle whatever it is you are going through is more powerful than the thing that is coming against you.

 

So where are you looking and where should you be looking? Turn your eyes upon Jesus and the things- the problems, the mountain, the giant, the fire, the wilderness, the situation, the storm- will all begin to look smaller compared to Him.

 

Have a great day. Whatever you look at long enough will be what looks the biggest. So turn your eyes upon Jesus and not the problem.

 

For further reading:

Numbers 13:33

Ephesians 3:20

Hebrews 12:2

Matthew 17:20

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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.

"Immediate Obedience"

"And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him." Matthew 4:22
 

I have always thought it was interesting that when Jesus called these disciples to follow Him they immediately did. They didn't delay in doing so. They didn't go and pray about it. They didn't take their time trying to decide if this was what they should or shouldn't do. They didn't procrastinate. They didn't wait until all the conditions seemed right. They didn't make excuses. They immediately followed Him.

 

How quick are we to obey when the Lord speaks to us? Do we wait? Do we debate? Do we obey when it is convenient for us? Do we try to reason it out and then make the decision? Or do we, as the old hymn saying... trust and obey... and do what He says?

 

There are two forms of disobedience. The first is just simply "don't do it"- which is rebellion. The other is "delayed obedience". Delayed obedience is the same as disobedience. Our obedience is a serious matter to the Lord. It was disobedience that cased mankind's fall in the garden. Jesus even spoke about it in a parable in Luke 14. 

 

How is your obedience? Are you quick to obey? Do you "drag your feet" in obeying? Are you immediate about it? Or do you do it in your own timing and when you get around to it?

 

Have a great day. Is your obedience to God immediate or do you take your time about it?

 

For further reading:

Luke 14:16-24

1 Samuel 15:22

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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

"Obtaining"

"And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise." Hebrews 6:15

 

There is a time of "obtaining". A time when our faith shall become sight and we no longer have to wait for the promised blessing. God made Abraham a promise but He did not give him a time table upon which to base that promise. Instead, God gave him His Word- His own promise that what He had said would come to pass. 

 

The promises of God are yes and amen. When He makes a promise, He is faithful to fulfill it. He doesn't get our hopes up and then tell us He was just joking. Neither does He tell us something that is a lie. He is God, He cannot lie. 

 

Hold on to His promise that He has made to you. Trust that He will bring to pass what He has said. Don't get frustrated because of time elements. Wait patiently and believe that what He has said, He will do. We won't always be waiting for the promise, in due season we will obtain it.

 

Have a great day. There is a time when we wait for the fulfillment of the promise of God and there is a time when we obtain it. We may wait for a while but then we will obtain. 

 

For further reading:

Hebrews 6:18; 10:23

1 Thessalonians 5:24

2 Corinthians 1:20

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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.

"Inventory Your Words"

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Proverbs 18:21

 

Because our tongues have the potential to speak words of life or words of death, we need to take inventory of our words often. What are you saying? What words are you speaking?

 

You can use your mouth to speak life. How? By speaking words of faith. By speaking words that are kind, encouraging and gracious. By speaking words of peace and contentment. By speaking clean, pure words. We speak life when we use our mouth to testify to the goodness of God, when we give Him praise, adoration and thanksgiving.

 

You can use your mouth to speak death. How? By speaking words of doubt, fear and unbelief. By complaining and criticizing. By speaking words that are rude, degrading, insulting and belittling. By yelling, cursing, scolding, lying, condemning and arguing. 

 

There is a saying that I am sure you have heard- "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me". It gives the impression that words are only words and have no power to harm. This is not true. Our words can do more damage than the sticks and stones. They wound on the inside. They can wound so deeply that the scars from them can be carried around for years. 

 

Do you want to use your words to bring life or death? Take inventory and see which they are doing. Are they the cause or the cure?

 

Have a great day. We need to take inventory regularly of our words to make sure that we have more words of life in us than of death. 

 

For further reading:

Proverbs 15:4; 16:24; 31:26

James 3:4-6

 

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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.

"God's Word Is Truth"

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

 

How do you feel about the Word of God? That may seem like a strange question but if we don't think correctly about it we will always be lacking in the area of truth and an open target for deception. 

 

Do you accept it as the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Do you doubt that it is inerrant? Do you believe certain parts of it but not others? Do you believe that it is the infallible Word of God given to us by Him? Do you believe that it is the only truth and everything else that is contrary is a lie? Do you believe that it is absolute truth? Do you believe you should be following it?

 

How do you feel about teachings, opinions and philosophies that are contrary to its teachings? Do you believe there is room for them both- the Word of God and the other? Do you believe that it is all right to compromise its teachings in certain situations? Do you believe the Word of God is just one of many books of truth? 

 

If you question the validity of the Word of God and do not put your trust in it as The Truth, you will always struggle and live your life in confusion. You will never have a firm foundation to stand upon. You will be tossed around with every wind of doctrine like an unanchored ship in a storm. You will be like a foolish man who builds his house upon the sand.

 

If you are confused, if you are struggling, if you are uncertain concerning the absolute fact that the Word of God is all truth and the only true source of truth, then it is time that you settle it in your own heart so that you can live your life like a wise man who built his house upon a rock.

 

Have a great day. How do you feel about the Word of God? 

 

For further reading:

Matthew 7:24-27

John 17:17

Ephesians 4:14,15

2 Timothy 4:3,4

 

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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.

"Consider What You Are Praying"

"When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed." Ecclesiastes 5:4

 

Before we make our requests to God we should consider carefully what we say. Many people will make vows to Him in return for an answer in their favor. Perhaps at one time or other we all have. You know the vows I am talking about-- "Lord, if you will just do this, I will serve you all the days of my life."; "If You will answer this way I will never drink again."; "Etc". 

 

Some vows are spoken in the heat of the moment, in the urgency of the need, in a time of desperation, but they are spoken nevertheless, and when they are, God hears them. And when He hears them, He expects you to keep your word.

 

Jephthah made a vow to God during a critical time in Israel's history. He vowed that if God would let them win the battle over Ammon, he would offer as a sacrifice to God what came out of his house to meet him when he returned home from the battle. His daughter was the first one to come out of the house to meet him. You have to wonder, "What was he thinking? What did he think would come out of his house?"

 

This is what I mean by giving careful consideration to what you are requesting and "bargaining" with God about. Don't be foolish in your conversation and request to Him. Think about what you are saying. Don't just "throw words" out there to Him. Let your prayers have substance to them. Consider fully what you are asking. Don't just say something because it sounds good or even "spiritual". Just simply think about your conversation with God.

 

Have a great day. Are you giving any thought to your prayer requests to God? Or are you just making bargains you can't keep?

 

For further reading:

Judges 11

Matthew 6:7

 

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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.

"Pleasing God"

"No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." 2 Timothy 2:4

 

There are a lot of things in this life that want our attention. There is always so much to do- whether it is something that is part of our responsibilities, something that we do for pleasure or a cause that we are pursuing. The most important thing to remember in doing anything, is that your first priority is to please the Lord.

 

Is what you are doing pleasing to Him? Are the things you are involved in pleasing to Him? Are you spending your time on that which pleases you or others but is not pleasing to Him? 

 

We live in a world where everything is about "me". We have the mentality that the "universe centers around me". It is all about making "me" happy and doing what "I" want. Let me correct that way of thinking this morning. It is not all about "me", it is about "Him". I know, that seems so old fashioned and out dated to say that, but it is the truth-- always has been, always will be regardless of what society says. Our number one priority, our goal, our heart's desire should always be first and far most to please the Lord.

 

"For I do always those things that please him." (John 8:29b) Jesus had one goal while He was here on earth-- to please the Father. And He did, always, and in everything. When we live our lives with this same mentality, we are being a little more transformed to look like Jesus in this world. 

 

So again, what are you living for? To please the Lord or to please yourself?

 

Have a great day. Our heart's desire should be to please the Lord above everything and everyone else-- ourselves included.

 

For further reading:

Matthew 6:33

2 Timothy 3:4

Colossians 1:10

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

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.

"Forgetting God"

"They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt." Psalm 106:21

 

When Israel was in a time of crisis, when they were in captivity, when they were under threats by their enemies, they would turn to the Lord to save them, deliver them and help them. In His loving mercy He would come to their rescue. He would fight for them, He would turn their captivity, He would bring them deliverance. After He came through for them, they would forget Him and go back to their own self-centered ways. 

 

Does that sound familiar? They weren't the only ones who did that. It happens today. There are those professing to be Christians (His people) who do the same thing. When they are in a crisis situation, when things are going badly for them, when they are in a place of difficulty, when they are having problems, when they are in trouble, they pray to the Lord for help. They begin to seek Him to deliver them and make everything right. Because He does not change- He is forever the same (loving and merciful)- He hears and answers their prayers and comes to their aid. He gives them the help that they desired and all is well again. After the problem has been solved and the crisis is over, they go about their own way again, forgetting the God who got them through it.

 

Why is that? You would think that instead of forgetting Him after the crisis has past and He has moved on your behalf, it would make you want to draw even closer to Him. When you see what He has done for you, it should make you love Him even more. When you reflect on the fact that everything worked out because of His goodness to you, it should make you so thankful that you wanted to continue to seek Him. Where is the gratitude? Where is the appreciation? Where is the thankfulness? If it is not there, then we are no more than "users" and "takers", selfish and self-centered. We are like spoiled children who got what they wanted and that was all that matter. 

 

The Lord answered you and worked on your behalf because He loves you. He has a heart for you. When we have no gratitude for what He has done- which seems evident if we neglect Him when the crisis is over- then where is our heart for Him? Can we truly say we love Him? Can we truly say we are His people?

 

Have a great day. After God delivers you from your crisis, does it draw you closer to Him? Or do you forget about Him once He has come through for you?

 

For further reading:

Psalm 106

Psalm 78 

 

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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.

"Seeking Answers"

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

 

"Come unto Me". He didn't say go to your best friend, run to the phone, look to your employer, your accountant, or any one of the numerous other places we tend to go and seek out when we are in need. He said to come to Him.

 

When we go to other people hoping that they will solve our problems or give us our answers, we will still lack in receiving the help that we need. All they can do for us is give us their own imperfect wisdom and advice in the matter. They can help come up with a temporary solution but they can't give us what we truly need. They don't have that type of understanding. They don't have that type of knowledge. They don't see the whole picture or know what the future holds.

 

Am I saying that we should never talk to one another or have some counsel? Of course not. What I am saying is that if we are looking to people for our answers we are looking in the wrong place. They may can advise us. They may can speak to us from their realm of expertise but when it comes down to it, only God can give us clear and true direction. We can take what they say into consideration, but then we have to seek the Lord for our answer and guidance. 

 

So who are you going to? Are you going to the Lord? Are you going to other people? Are you going to both? Which one are you allowing to influence your decision and answer in the end?

 

Have a great day. It is not wrong to ask for advice, but in the end, it is the counsel of the Lord that you need to follow- not man's.

 

For further reading:

Proverbs 3:5,6

2 Chronicles 26:5

Psalm 33:11

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

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.

"Bowing"

"O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker." Psalm 95:6

 

To bow before someone or something is an act of worship, adoration, submission or reverence. The verse above it is talking about bowing to the Lord. But the Lord is not the only one we can bow our knee to. The Israelites were constantly bowing their knee to Baal and other false gods as well as to the Lord.

 

Who or what are you bowing your knee to? What are you worshipping? Are you bowing it to God alone or other things besides Him? Are you "floundering" in your bowing-- bowing to Him for a while, then to some other thing for a while, then back and forth between the two? 

 

You may say that you aren't bowing your knee to anything but God. Let's see. You can bow your knee to the god of entertainment by setting in front of the television or computer games for longer than you spend time with the Lord. What about bowing your knee to gluttony? Are you bowing your knee to pride- always having to be seen and acknowledged? Are you bowing your knee to self-will? Are you bowing your knee to the demands of others, placing them above your relationship with God?

 

There are many things out there that we can bow our knee to in submission and worship that are "false gods". When we do, it is taking our worship from the One who alone is worthy of it. 

 

Have a great day. What are you bowing your knee to? 

 

For further reading:

1 Kings 18:21

Exodus 20:3

Luke 4:8

 

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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.

"Sobering Words"

"Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh." Genesis 18:15

 

When the Lord said that Sarah was going to bear a child in her old age, she laughed. The scripture above was His response to her response. (It is what I call a "sobering word".) It is when God speaks to you in a serious manner to get your attention. He did this also with the prophet Samuel who was mourning God's rejection of King Saul. "And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?" (1 Samuel 16:1a)

 

When God spoke these "sobering" words to Sarah, it was when He was ready to fulfill His promise and bring her into her role in it. "Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son." (Genesis 18:14) When He spoke those "sobering" words to Samuel, it was when He was ready to have Samuel anoint a new king of Israel. "fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons." (1 Samuel 16:1b)

 

When God is ready to take us to the next level, or fulfill His purpose through us, or bring us into our destiny, He will confront us with a "sobering word". Those words are intended to get us refocused from what we see with our natural eyes and begin to look through the eyes of faith. They are intended to change our fleshly, carnal thinking and renew our mind. They are intended to get us looking at God and not at the situation around us. 

 

Sarah was looking at her age and her inability. He spoke a sobering word to remind her that with God nothing is impossible. Afterwards, "Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised." (Hebrews 11:11) Samuel was looking through the eyes of grief at the failure of Saul. When God spoke a sobering word to him, by faith he anointed the next king of Israel. These "sobering words" came and they were brought into their next level of destiny-- Sarah gave birth to the child of promise and Samuel anointed the king through whose lineage the Messiah would be born. 

 

Have you been looking at things through the eyes of the flesh? Are you focused on natural things? If God speaks a "sobering word" to you-- a word of correction, a word to refocus your thoughts-- take heed and listen. He is preparing you to take you to your next level of destiny.

 

Have a great day. When God is ready to take us to the next level of our destiny, He will speak a word that will get our attention.

 

For further reading:

Genesis 21:1-7

1 Samuel 16:1-13 

 

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

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.

"The Keys To Freedom"

"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 16:19a

 

Jesus set us free from the captivity/prison of sin that we were born in. Once we have been set free, we are free indeed. But we have an adversary who is continually trying to put us into bondage/prison again. He comes to steal, kill and destroy. 

 

He tries to make us a captive to condemnation, shame and guilt over the mistakes that we make. He tries to put us in a prison of bitterness. He wants to bind us up in bitterness because things didn't go the way we had planned. He wants to put us in a prison of unforgiveness-- unforgiveness toward someone who did us wrong. He tries to put us in a prison of fear- fear of failure, fear of people, fear of the unknown. There are many emotional and spiritual prisons that he tries to make us a captive to.

 

Not only has Jesus set us free from the prison of sin, but He has provided freedom from every one of the prisons the enemy/devil tries to put us in. There was a television program that I used to watch when I was growing up-- The Andy Griffith show. At the sheriff's office they had two jail cells. Between the two cells there was a peg on the wall that held the keys to the cells. Any prisoner could easily reach the keys and unlock his cell. (Otis the town drunk did this often and let himself out when he was ready to leave.) 

 

When we find ourselves in these prisons, Jesus has placed the keys- not only in reach- but He has placed them in our hands. We have been given the keys that unlock the prison doors. Therefore, we are free indeed. Free from the prison of sin we were born in and free from the prisons that the enemy tries to put us in. 

 

If you are in a prison this morning, why? You can get out. Like on the television program, the keys are right there. They are within easy access. Jesus placed them in your hands and wants you to use them. You do not have to stay a prisoner any longer-- Jesus frees us from all prisons. Whoever Jesus sets free is free indeed.

 

Have a great day. Jesus sets the captive free and then He gives them the keys to the prison so they can stay free.

 

For further reading:

Romans 3:23

John 10:10; 8:36
Isaiah 22:22

 

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

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.

"Now"

"And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you." Exodus 3:14

 

God didn't tell Moses to tell the children of Israel that "He Was That He Was" sent him; or that "He Will Be Who He Will Be". God's name I Am is a present tense name- not past or future.

I want to remind you this morning that while God will be with you no matter what you go through in the future, He is with you now. 

 

I Am your strength now.

 

I Am your Deliverer now.

 

I Am your Provider now. 

 

He is a God of the now. So look for Him and to Him now in the situation you are facing-- He is there.

 

Have a great day. God is a now God--- present now.

 

For further reading:

Psalm 46:1; 23:4

Exodus 33:14

 

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

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.

"Jailbreak"

"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." John 8:36

 

When a person is incarcerated, the only way they can get out of prison is if someone who has the authority to release them lets them out. If they try to get out any other way it is called a "jailbreak". Their crime has not been pardoned and they have not been released. They are a fugitive. 

 

Each and every person born on earth is a "prisoner"-- a prisoner of sin. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) We are all being held captive. The only way we can be set free is if someone who has the authority to do so releases us. Thankfully, there is someone. His name is Jesus. He came to set the captive free and open the prison door to all who are bound. He holds the keys that open the door so that we can be set free from sin's captivity and its punishment. 

 

When Jesus sets us free, He gives us a full pardon and declares us "not guilty". When we try to free ourselves, it is called a jailbreak. So many are trying to break out of the prison of sin through their own goodness, good works or religious deeds. It won't work. You are still a guilty person. Only Jesus has the authority to release and forgive your sins. There is no other way. 

 

If you are still in the prison of sin, if you are still being held captive, there is nothing you can do to get out on your own. But Jesus is waiting to set you free if you will but call upon Him and turn to Him. He has the power and the authority to set you totally free.

 

Have a great day. The only way out of prison is by being released by someone who has the authority to release you. The only way to get out of the prison of sin is through Jesus- He alone has the authority to set the captive free.

 

For further reading:

Romans 5:12

Ephesians 2:8,9

John 10:9

Titus 3:5

Revelation 1:18

Luke 4:18

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

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.