"Held Back"

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

 

I was talking with a little guy yesterday and asked him if he was in the second grade. He told me,"No. I am in the first, I got held back". I told him that was all right. It was for his good to help him. We all need to be "held back" sometimes-- spiritually speaking. 

 

There are times when we are "held back" because of our disobedience and sin. The Israelites were held back from entering into the Promised Land for forty years because of their unbelief. But then there are times when God-- not the devil, or self-- will "hold us back". Usually we think of it as a "bad" thing, but when God holds you back it is a "good" thing. It is for your good and for His glory. 

 

Joseph was held back from entering into his destiny until he could get trained for the position. He was also held back until he could get to the place in his heart where he would not abuse, or use for personal revenge, his position of authority. There is so much we need to learn before we are ready to go forward. There are areas that we have to grow in before we are ready to go to the next level. 

 

God also holds us back because of divine timing. He held back the birth of Isaac until the timing was right-- until Sarah's womb was completely dead and they could not produce the promise on their own. Even our beloved Jesus was "held back" in the mission He came to earth to fulfill until the appointed time. "My time is not yet come." God held Him back from the cross until everything had been fulfilled that was spoken by the prophets, and until all things were prepared and in order. 

 

Do you feel like you are being "held back"? Ask God if it is because of some sin or disobedience in your life. Ask Him if there is something you need to do that you aren't doing. If it is neither, then just trust Him, be led by Him and wait on Him to move you "up" when it is in His plan and timing. 

 

Have a great day. There are times when God "holds us back". In those times trust Him-- it is for your good and for His glory.

 

For further reading:

John 7:6,8

Galatians 4:4

Job 32:18

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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.

"Looking At Jesus"

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Matthew 25:40

 

When I woke up this morning, I was thinking about a dream that I had last night. The setting of the dream was the Wednesday night service that we have at our church. We meet in the fellowship hall and sit around the tables and discuss a chapter out of the Bible. In the dream I saw several people that I know who attend my church, but I also saw some strangers, and I saw one lady that I recognized from coming in my shop. One of the guys there seemed to be mentally challenged. The lady is poor, unpopular and would be considered an "outcast". After a few minutes of thinking about the dream, all of a sudden I remembered, "Jesus, I asked You to let me dream about You last night when I went to bed". (I wanted to dream about You, not other people.) Then that still, small voice said, "You did", and I began to see the faces of those in my dream. 

 

I wanted to see Jesus in His glory and majesty. I wanted to see the Good Shepherd. I wanted to see Him as my Heavenly Lover. He let me know that I did see Him, but in a different way. I saw Him in the faces of His people (the church). I saw Him in the faces of the stranger, the infirmed, the imperfect, the poor, the unlovely, the outcast. I am not saying that they "are Jesus" or they "become Jesus"-- there is only One Jesus. But when we look at other people, in a sense we are looking at Jesus. There is no one who is not made in His image. When we look at others, when we meet their need, when we show them love, no matter who they are, it is as if we are looking at and doing it to Jesus. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." 

 

I saw Him in the "study of His Word"- that is where we get a true revelation of Him. He is the Word that was made flesh and dwelt among us. The scriptures testify of Him. As we sat around the table reading His Word, His Word came to life and put on flesh and blood in the people who sat there. We have to be careful how we look at people. We have to be careful how we treat others. We have to be careful in our opinion of others because when we look into their faces, we are looking into the face of Jesus.

 

Have a great day. When we look at others, we are in a sense looking at Jesus. 

 

For further reading:

John 1:1,14; 5:39

Matthew 25:34-46

 

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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.

"Mistakes - Part 2"

"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil." 1 Corinthians 13:4,5

 

Yesterday we talked about how we all make mistakes and there are some people who like to hold our mistakes "over our head" and not let us forget them. We also were reminded that God never holds them "over our heads"-- He doesn't keep bringing them up to us.

 

As I thought about this, I couldn't help but think about how often this happens in marriages. When there is a conflict or disagreement, one spouse will bring out their "little black book of mistakes" and begin reading it off. This book records all the other spouse's past mistakes, harsh words that may have been spoken, the time they did this or didn't do that, the time they let them down, or did something against them. This list is used as "ammunition" or "leverage" so they can "shoot" at and use it against their spouse-- hopefully to their advantage. I can assure you that it is never to your advantage, but instead to the demise of your marriage. A marriage will never survive like this-- no relationship will.

 

"Love... thinks no evil". This literally means that love will not keep a record of all the times it was mistreated. Real love doesn't take into account the bad that has been done to it. Real loves doesn't keep a list of of the wrongs that were done to them. Real love doesn't have a "book of remembrance"-- unless it is a book of the good things that were done for them. 

 

Do you have one of those "books"? Are you keeping a list of the times your spouse made a mistake or didn't do what you wanted them to do or thought they should do? Are you using it against them like ammunition? Then you aren't walking in love. You have missed the true meaning of love. Aren't you glad Jesus doesn't have a "book" that He is writing down all the mistakes you have made in and all the times you have done Him wrong? He doesn't because He truly loves you. As His children, we should be following His example and get rid of our book of wrongs done to us.

 

Have a great day. Love doesn't keep a record of the wrongs that has been done to it. 

 

For further reading:

1 Corinthians 13

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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.

"Mistakes"

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1

 

We all make mistakes. No one is perfect. If you have never made a mistake, I would like to meet you. We are human, fail, learning and don't know it all. The Bible is full of mighty men and women that God used in amazing ways who made mistakes-- some very serious mistakes too. 

 

Mistakes often bring consequences with them. And much of the time we have to endure those consequences. Mistakes often bring with it those who are eager to point out your mistakes-- even past mistakes. They like reminding you of "what you did". They are continually bringing it up and reminding you. They won't let it rest and move on. We have all experienced that. Hopefully we aren't the ones who are doing the "reminding". Hopefully we aren't the ones who are keeping someone else in the bondage of "what they did". 

 

Perhaps you can't escape your mistakes because someone is always bringing them up to you? All I can tell you to do about that is pray for the one who is holding your mistakes over your head. Let God deal with them. But I can tell you this... God never holds our mistakes over our heads. He never uses them against us. He never "controls or manipulates" us with them. He never threatens us with them. He never keeps reminding us of "what we did". 

 

Take heart this morning. Although you can't control others and what they do, you can rest assured that God is not going to beat you up with your mistakes or keep reminding you of them... ever!

 

Have a great day. God does not hold our mistakes over our heads.

 

For further reading:

Psalm 103:3

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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.

"That Is Not The Problem"

"For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk; the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up." Hosea 8:7

 

Our nation is facing great calamity. Our religious freedoms are being taken away. Laws are being passed that take away our freedoms and put us in bondage. There Is much confusion. It is, for the most part, in a mess. We definitely have a problem. Some say our problem is the government. Some say it is the president. Some say it is the Republicans/Democrats. Some say it is our school system. Some say it is the media. There is a whole list of reasons that people give as "the problem". Yes, they are a problem, but these things are not "the problem". They are the consequence of the real problem. The real problem that this nation has is we have turned our back on God. We have forsaken Him. We have shut Him out of our society. We are serving our own false gods. And we are shaking a fist of rebellion in His face. 

 

The whirlwind (in the scripture above) was not the problem-- although it was a problem; it was the consequence. Their problem was they sinned against God's covenant and laws, set up their own kings and replaced God with their own idols that they worshipped. 

 

Israel's problem was not their wicked kings-- although they were a problem; that was their consequence. Their problem was rejecting God as their King.

 

The wilderness was not Israel's problem-- although it was a problem; that was their consequence. Their problem was unbelief in God's word and promise.

 

Any time you remove God, any time you turn from Him, any time you break His commandments, any time you refuse to believe His word and follow it, it brings a consequence-- whether it is in a nation, a corporation, a family or in our own individual lives. So often, what we see as "the problem", is really the "consequence" of a greater problem. 

 

Have a great day. Our real problem is not always the problem at hand. The problem at hand is more likely the consequence of a greater problem.

 

For further reading:

Hosea 8

1 Samuel 8

Hebrews 3:8-19

 

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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.

"Close The Door"

"Neither give place to the devil." Ephesians 4:27

 

When I was growing up, we played outside a lot. That meant we were constantly in and out of the house. Sometimes we would forget to close the door. When we did, we would always hear our mother say, "Close the door, you are letting the flies in". This morning I want to talk about "closing the door so the flies won't come in".

 

It is interesting that satan is sometimes called Beelzebub. The Aramaic form of the word means "lord of the flies". So we need to learn how to "close the door" to our lives so that he doesn't come in and find a place to "reside". We have to keep the door closed to our hearts and minds so that he won't be able to build a "stronghold" there. 

 

What opens the door? Disobedience opens the door. Yielding to the lusts of the flesh, the pride of life and the lusts of the eyes will open it. (Matthew 4) It is opened by not keeping your mind renewed with God's word, by not being continuously filled with the Spirit, by not filling yourself with praise. You can't have a "spiritually empty house", it has to stay filled with Jesus. (Matthew 12:44,45)

 

Once you know what opens the door, then you also know what will close it. Obedience always closes the door. Not yielding to temptation keeps the door closed. Staying full of the Spirit, walking in the Fruit of the Spirit, setting your affections on things above, following Jesus, hiding His word in your heart, keeping His praise in your mouth, and drawing near to the Lord keeps it closed.

 

Is the door open in your life? Are you letting the "flies"-- anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, greed, pride, fear, deception, ungodly mindsets, etc.-- in? Or is the door closed?

 

Have a great day. Close the door, or the flies will come in.

 

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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.

"Standing Before The Lord"

"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God..." Revelation 20:12a

 

Regardless of what you believe, even if you don't believe it, we will all stand before the Lord God one day and give an account of our lives. Every man, woman, boy and girl ever born since Adam to the last person born will stand before Him-- no one will be excluded. Among the great crowd that stands before Him, I see four different categories of people. 

 

1) Those who didn't believe that He is real and exist.

2) Those who believed He was real but did nothing with that belief- they had a "head knowledge" of Him only.

3) Those who were religious in deed and action, but did not have a relationship with Him.

4) Those who love Him with all their heart, soul, strength and mind and serve Him out of loving devotion.

 

1) Those who didn't believe that He is real and exist. They either didn't know or refused, like the atheist, to acknowledge Him. On that day they will have no excuse for not believing He was real because the creation declares His existence. "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." (Romans 1:20)

 

2) Those who believed, but only with a "head knowledge". They believed He was real and that He exists, but they never did anything with that belief. They did not turn to Him, serve Him, love Him, follow Him or make Him Lord over their lives. They only believed with head knowledge, but there was no heart acknowledgment. "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10)

 

3) Those who were religious in deed and action, but did not have a relationship with Him. These went to church, they gave alms, they sang in the choir, they even taught Sunday School, they joined the church, they did all the religious practices, but they did not know Him. They did the work of the Lord without knowing the Lord of the work. They are like the rich young ruler who kept the commandments, who was "good" by religious standards, yet he loved another "god" -- his riches. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:21-23)

 

4) Those who love Him and serve Him with all their heart. These are the ones who believed in Him, received Him as Savior, loved Him with all their heart and followed Him. They draw near Him with their hearts and not just their mouths. They know Him and are known by Him. "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27)

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left." (Matthew 25:31-33) On that day when we stand before Him, there will be a great distinction/separation between these groups of people. To those of the first three groups He will say, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment. (vv. 41,46) But to only those in the last group He will say," Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." (v.34)

 

Which groups are you in? 

 

Have a great day. We will all stand before the Lord one day and give an account of our lives. When you stand before Him, will you hear Him say, "Well, done, enter into the Kingdom"; or "Depart from Me into everlasting fire"?

 

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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.

"It's War"

"...a time of war..." Ecclesiastes 3:8

 

I think that many times we forget that we are involved in a "spiritual" war. For many of you that is what is going on in your life at this moment. You have been feeling pressed on every side. Things are not going right. Your mind is constantly bombarded with thoughts it should not be thinking. Your home is in a state of uproar. You're having problems on your job. You are going through difficulties. You are being easily offended. You are depressed, anxious, discouraged even to the point where you feel like "throwing in the towel". There is confusion and distraction. You don't know why this is happening. You can't figure it out or put your finger on the source. Let me put my finger on it-- it is "spiritual warfare".

 

Life as a Christian is not just a life of blessings. You have a very real enemy who is not happy that you are living for the Lord, and he is out to destroy you. He has schemes, plans, devices and weapons that he uses to wage war against your soul. He has you in his "cross hairs" with one goal in mind-- to kill you. 

 

When you look at the life of Job, who came after him to attack him? The devil. Job was attacked in his prosperity and material possessions. He was attacked in his health. He was attacked through his emotions, his feelings, in his mind, through his spouse, through his friends and in every way from every side. Job was in spiritual warfare. Don't forget that you are in a battle. Don't lose focus that there is a real enemy out there wanting to destroy you. Don't just think this is a natural occurrence. It is spiritual. 

 

Stop whining, crying and bemoaning your situation. Stop rolling over and "playing dead". Stop fearing the enemy. Don't just sit back with the attitude "Que Sera Sera (Whatever will be will be)". Fight back. Get up and fight the good fight of faith. Get up and fight the enemy (remember the enemy is NOT flesh and blood). Use the mighty weapons that God has given you- put on the full armor of God. Bring those raging thoughts captive. Pull out the sword of the Spirit (God's word- the scriptures). Pray in the Spirit. Put on the garment of praise and break the enemy's hold on your emotions. We tend to focus on the fact that we are heirs and joint-heirs, accepted in the beloved, blessed of the Lord, blessed with all spiritual blessings, children of God-- we focus on all the "good and pleasant" things. But we forget that we are also mighty warriors dressed for battle. We are soldiers in the Lord's army. We take the Kingdom by force. And as we do, we are more than conquerors. We are victorious. We have power over all the powers of the enemy. We are over-comers. We win! Job was victorious in his spiritual battle. Why? "For I know that my redeemer liveth. Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold." (Job 19:25,27) He kept his focus on the Lord. It did get hard, and he did wonder why, and he did suffer, but he trusted God would be with him and see him through to the very end. Know that the Lord is with you in your battle and He has given you the victory through His Son Jesus. 

 

Have a great day. Have you forgotten that we are in "spiritual warfare" and much of what is happening to you is an attack of the enemy? Get up and do battle. 

 

For further reading:

John 10:10

Ephesians 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.

"Thankful For Mondays"

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

 

It is Monday here and many woke up this morning complaining because of it. Monday is the "back to the grind stone day". It is probably the most hated day of the week because for most it means having to go back to work- their weekend is over, no more "fun and games", no more spending their time doing what they want to do. 

 

Let's get refocused this morning. Instead of complaining because it is Monday be thankful. Thank the Lord you have a job. So many people are unemployed and don't know how they are going to provide for their families. Be thankful that you have the strength and health to go to a job. Let's also get refocused and remember that life is not one big "weekend". Be thankful for the times of rest and enjoyment that the weekend brings. But the weekend is only two days and the rest of the week consist of five. There is a lesson that we can learn from that. Life consist more of work and responsibility, duty and commitment than it does of rest, relaxation and fun. How nice it would be if life was one big weekend, but it isn't. 

 

The point I am trying to make this morning is-- just be thankful! Be thankful for what you have and what you can do. Be thankful for the times of labor. Be thankful for the times of rest. Be thankful for the weekend and be thankful for the week. Life consist of both and both play an important part in our lives. They each help to make us into the people that the Lord desires for us to be. He gives us both. So be thankful for both and enjoy both by doing whatever you do as unto Him.

 

Have a great day. Be thankful for Mondays and the whole week as well as the weekends. 

 

For further reading:

Colossians 3:23

Romans 8:28

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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.

"Interpreting God's Plan"

"And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me." Genesis 37:9

 

The dreams that Joseph had were a vision of God's destiny and plan for his life. The dreams of the wheat, sun and moon bowing down before him represented that he would be in some sort of authority. I wonder if when he had them he automatically thought-- "in fourteen plus years I am going to be a ruler in Egypt, second in command, next to Pharaoh. I am going to rule the entire nation and everyone will have to answer for me." I really don't think that was what he thought. He probably did ponder it and try to figure if out-- just like we do when the Lord speaks to us or shows us something about our lives. His "interpretation" of the dreams, I am sure, was definitely not what God's interpretation was. Joseph's interpretation probably centered around his home land, his father, blessings, etc. Never in his wildest imagination would he ever have thought he would wind up where he did. 

 

When God reveals something to us, it usually doesn't mean what we think it means. We usually have one interpretation and God has another. What God says He is going to do through our lives doesn't always mean He is going to do it the way we think. And it doesn't always mean what we think it means. Paul knew he was going to stand before kings and preach the gospel, but at first he probably didn't realize it would be in chains. Years ago the Lord let me know that this ministry would be "world-wide". I thought that meant that He was going to send me physically around the world. Several years later He showed me that it is a "world-wide" ministry through the Coffee Break and Internet. I have been contacted by people from all over the world that receive the devotional. (So daily I get to "preach" to the nations.) 

 

So when God gives us a glimpse (like He did Joseph) into His plan for us, we don't need to try to figure out what He means, and how He means it. We don't need to have any preconceived ideas about it. We just need to trust Him and let Him unfold His plan before us and bring to pass what He intends. 

 

Have a great day. When God shows us something about His plan for our lives, don't try to figure it out, don't have any preconceived ideas about what it means, because usually we are wrong and it doesn't mean what we think it means. 

 

For further reading:

Genesis 37:1-10

 

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

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.

"Preaching Jesus"

"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." 2 Corinthians 4:5

 

We have been studying the Book of Acts on Wednesday nights at church. The majority of the book is about Paul the Apostle's journeys preaching the gospel. As you look at the life and ministry of Paul you see he had one message--- Jesus. Yes, he taught the believers how they should live but his main theme was always Jesus.

 

What is the church preaching today? Are we preaching Jesus? For the most part-- especially in the church in America-- we are preaching a lot of other things. We preach about our plans, our programs, our churches, our visions, ourselves, money and politics. But where is the preaching about Jesus? 

 

Jesus is the central theme of the whole Bible. God Himself preached the first message about Jesus in the very beginning in Genesis. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:15) From Genesis to Revelations Jesus is there. All the prophets preached through prophecy Jesus. The early church, the apostles, the disciples, they all preached Jesus.

 

What are you preaching? Pastors, teachers and ministers, what are you preaching from the pulpit? Don't think the rest of us are exempt from that question. You may not be called to preach the gospel through an office (Ephesians 4:11-12) in the body of Christ, but you are called to "preach the gospel" (share the good news) where you are. So what are you preaching in your conversations? What are you preaching to the strangers on the street? Is Jesus what you talk about? Or do you talk about everything else but Him? Are you lifting up Jesus to others? That is the preaching of the gospel--- Jesus.

 

Have a great day. If we aren't preaching Jesus, then we don't have a message. 

 

For further reading:

1 Corinthians 1:18,23

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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.

"Great Praise"

"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness." Psalm 48:1

 

God is great, so our praise to Him should be in proportion to His greatness. God is great, therefore, He deserves great honor; He deserves great praise; He deserves great worship. We worship Him in proportion to who He is--- great! So God is worthy of not just praise, but great praise. He is worthy of our praise in every way, with all we have and on every level. 

 

There are seven Hebrew words for praise:

1) Shabach: to shout, to address in a loud tone.

2) Towdah: an extension of the hand in adoration.

3) Yadah: to worship with extended hand.

4) Halal: to boast, show, to rave, celebrate, to be clamorously foolish.

5) Barak: to kneel down, to bless God as an act of adoration.

6) Zamar: praise with musical instruments.

7) Tehillah: to sing in adoration.

 

Great praise to this Great God shouts to Him with the voice of triumph and is not afraid to let His greatness be known. Great praise lifts up its hands in surrender and adoration. Great praise does not mind getting "beside" itself and dancing before the Lord like David did. Great praise celebrates God's greatness. Great praise kneels and bows down humbling itself before the Lord acknowledging how great He is. Great praise praises Him with musical instruments and singing. 

 

Great praise to this God who is great involves our whole being and not withholding anything from Him-- shouting with our voice, kneeling with our knees, lifting up our hands, dancing around on our legs, using our fingers to play instruments, and using our breath to sing unto Him. What kind of praise are you giving to this great God?

 

Have a great day. Our praise to God should be in proportion to who He is-- great!

 

For further reading:

Psalm 95:6; 21:13; 22:3; 47:1; 63:1; 149:3

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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.

"Don't Spend It All"

"Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment." Proverbs 13:23

 

I recently went to the market to purchase a bag of peanuts. I wanted to get the jumbo size but was told that they would no longer be getting that size because the farmers are not selling them any more this year. They are putting them back for seed for next year. This is a wise move on the farmer's part. Although they could sell those peanuts now and get the extra money for them, they made the choice to save them.

 

The Proverbs addressed this very thing in the verse above. Sometimes we complain about not having enough but the truth is it is not because the Lord hasn't blessed us, most the time it is because of what we do with it. Often we use poor management with what we get--- we want to spend it all now with no foresight. Those peanut farmers had the foresight to know that if they were still here next year they would need seed to plant another crop so they saved them in order to get more later instead of a little now. also we don't use good judgment-- we want to spend it on needless things that have no value. 

 

Let me give you an example of this. Many years ago my husband worked offshore. I will never forget this one guy he worked with and his wife. As soon as they got his pay check they would go to town and spend every bit of it on needless things. (They would spend it all and have nothing to show for it.) The next day they would be crying and worrying about how they were going to pay their rent, car note, utility bills and buy groceries. The man made a good amount of money, but one day after he was paid it was all gone and nothing important was paid. 

 

What are you doing with the material things that God has blessed you with? Are you being a good steward with it? Are you making wise choices? Are you managing it well? Are you using good judgment? Are you thinking ahead? Or does it (like my mama used to say) "burn a hole in your pocket"? I know that often what we do have may not be much, but if we will use good judgment and take care of it properly, we will have more than we realize.

 

Have a great day. Don't spend all you have without any thought to tomorrow.

 

For further reading:

Proverbs 6:6-8

 

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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.

"Consider The Source"

"For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." Psalm 103:14

 

My husband's grandmother had a word of advice that she would always give in dealing with difficult, obnoxious, gossiping, disagreeable and rude people. It was,"Consider the source". In other words, she was saying-- you know how that person is, don't let it bother you. 

 

During those times when we fail and fall, I tend to believe that the Lord does that very thing--- "considers the source". He knows who we are--- people made from dust. He knows we are weak, frail, make mistakes, mess up, helpless on our own and have problems doing what is right because of what we are made of. Because He remembers our frame-- our makeup, our source-- He shows us love, pity, mercy, grace, compassion and kindness. He understands who we are better than we understand ourselves. He doesn't get mad at us, write us off, cast us aside, scold us or throw His hands up and give up on us. 

 

When a baby is learning to walk, they fall a lot. We don't scold them, spank them or get mad at them for falling, they're a baby and are learning how to walk and do something they have never done before. It is the same way when potty-training them. We are patient and understanding with them. They will mess up many times before they actually learn how to go to the potty. Why are we patient with them; why are we understanding; why do we not give up on them? Because we know their "frame" (we consider the source-- they are little children).

 

When the Lord looks at us with all our faults and mistakes, He remembers who we are and His love for us compels Him to be patient, longsuffering, forbearing and gracious to us. He knows who we are so He doesn't get mad at us when we mess up. He is not mad at you when you mess up, but He understands and doesn't give up on you.

 

Have a great day. The Lord remembers that we are made from dust; so He doesn't give up on us when we make mistakes.

 

For further reading:

Exodus 34:6

Numbers 14:18

2 Peter 3:9

 

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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 Lord Is My Source"

"So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Hebrews 13:6

 

If you don't know that The Lord is your Helper during these trying and uncertain times you will not be able to stand or endure them. You have to know-- not think so, not hope so-- that HE IS YOUR helper. This is a personal assurance. You have to know that He is your helper on a personal, individual level. Just because He may be your parent's helper, your spouse's helper or your friend's helper won't "help" you through hard times. You have to know Him for yourself personally and that He is YOUR helper.

 

You also have to know that The Lord-- not your boss, not the government, not your savings account, not your welfare check, not your spouse, not some other person-- is your helper. He alone is your SOURCE. He may use different avenues, different means and other people, but they are not your source-- HE is your source. Who sent the Israelites food for forty years? The corner grocery didn't; some leader of another country didn't ship it in; Moses didn't. God rained it down on them from heaven. Who fed Elijah at the brook during a drought? God did. He used a raven, then He used a widow, but God was His source of provision. Who caused Isaac to prosper even in a time of famine? God did. 

 

If you aren't settled in your heart that God alone is your helper then you will not be able to boldly say, "The Lord is my helper". Your faith will be weak because faith is grounded in truth. If you think that something other than God is your helper, then you are trusting in a lie. Your faith is based on something that is false, therefore, it will not stand the times of testing. It has to be rooted and grounded in truth. Jesus is the Way, TRUTH and Life. It has to be rooted in the Lord and the truth of His word. When it is, you will have boldness to stand during those times. This word boldness means: to be courageous, confident. When trying times come, if you are settled and established in the truth that God alone is your help, your source and your provider, and not something else, then you will have the courage to stand in adversity because your confidence is rooted in God who cannot lie, who cannot fail, who will not leave you nor forsake you, and can make a way even where there seems to be none.

 

Have a great day. The only way to stand during trying times is by being confident that the Lord alone is your source of provision. 

For further reading:

Genesis 26:1,12

John 14:6

1 Kings 17:1-9

Exodus 16:4,15

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

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.