"Into The Unknown"

"Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:" Genesis 12:1

 

The Lord spoke to Abram to leave his family, father, and country and go to a place where He would show him as he went. Not knowing ahead of time where he was going meant that he had to trust God as he never had before. It is one thing for the Lord to tell you where to go, it is another for Him to just say go and then tell you after you have started on your journey. 

 

The Lord has never done this to me personally. He has never spoken to me to just get up and start going and afterwards given me the instructions as to where I was going. Maybe He has you? While He hasn't sent us into the "unknown" physically, with each new day we face the "unknown". When we wake up in the morning, we don't know what lies ahead of us. Oh, we may have plans to do this or that today but plans can be changed, direction can be interrupted, unforeseen events can happen. We just don't know what we will face or where we might wind up each day. So each day holds "unknown" situations, circumstances and challenges for us. 

 

Abram's "unknown" was physical, ours is spiritual and emotional mostly. But just as Abram had to trust God with his "unknown", so do we each day when it begins. We have to be prepared for the "unknown" that is waiting ahead of us. Abram was able to face the "unknown" because of his faith in God-- he knew that if God was going to show him where to go, that meant God was going to be with him in the journey. For the same reason we too can face the "unknown". We can face it with faith, courage and peace because as God was with Abram, He will be with us also. "Thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." (Proverbs 27:1b), but God does and He will be with you guiding you every step of the way. 

 

Have a great day. We don't know what lies ahead, but God does and He will be with us.

 

For further reading:

Matthew 6:25; 28:20

Genesis 26:3

Isaiah 43:2

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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 Is Always There"

"... lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Matthew 28:20

 

When you read the Bible, you will discover that it is full of stories of ordinary people just like you and me who met with daily difficulties, as well as extraordinary situations. As you look at their lives you will see that in each problem they encountered, they didn't go through it by themselves. The Lord was always there. He never left them, ran out on them or neglected them.

 

He was there when the disciples were in the boat facing the storm. He was there when Daniel was in the lion's den. He was there when the three Hebrews were thrown into the fiery furnace. He was there with David when he stood before the giant. He was there when Gideon went to war. He was there with Noah in the ark. He was there with Abraham during his greatest trial on the mountain. He was there with the children of Israel at the Red Sea. 

 

The Lord is always with His children. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. He doesn't leave us when the "going gets rough". He doesn't change. He has always been there, so why would you think that He would be any different today than He has always been? Why would you think He would abandon you when He never once abandoned any of His children throughout history?

He hasn't abandoned you. He hasn't left you. He is right there with you. And He will stay with you through the difficulty that you are going through just like He always had.

 

Have a great day. God has always walked through difficulties with His people. Why would He change now and not walk with you through your time of difficulty?

 

For further reading:

Hebrews 13:5

Isaiah 49:15

 

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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 Humbles Himself"

"Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!" Psalm 113:6

 

Each time that the Lord looks on the things that are in heaven and earth, He has to humble Himself to do so. As Creator, it places His creation so far beneath Him. He is so highly exalted far above everything else. If He humbles Himself just to look at us, there is no way that we can fully comprehend the depth that He went to to humble Himself and become a man and walk the earth. 

 

The Creator humbled Himself to the level of His own creation and became one of us-- born of a woman, nursed as a baby, grew as a child, learned to talk, walk, read and write. The One who created flesh, blood and bones, became flesh, blood and bone. The One who created language had to learn to speak. The One who puts strength in bones, had to develop the ability to walk on bones. The One who calls the stars by name had to look up in order to gaze at the stars.

 

The question is not, "How did He do it?". The question is, "Why did He do it?" Why would He leave His exalted place and humble Himself so low as to become like His own creation? The answer is found in the third level of His humility. He humbles Himself just to look at us. He humbled Himself even further and became one of us. But He humbled Himself further yet and became obedient to the death of the cross. "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:8) The answer to all three levels that God has humbled Himself to for us can be summed up in one word-- LOVE.

 

Everything that God has done. Each time He humbles Himself to even look at us is all because He loves us. He loves us so much that He was willing to come to earth, willing to leave heaven, will to be born of flesh, willing to walk the earth, willing to be rejected, ridiculed, beaten, spit on and crucified, all because of His love for us. 

 

We can't understand the depth of His humility in coming to earth to save us from our sins. But on the other hand, we can't understand the depth of the love that He has for us. And since we can't fully comprehend either, we just have to accept and believe that He does love us. He loves you this morning, even though you can't comprehend it. 

 

Have a great day. God has to humble Himself in all His dealings with mankind. But He does so because He loves us. 

 

For further reading:

John 1:1,14; 3:16

Psalm 97:9

Ephesians 3:17-19

 

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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.

"Included Through Prayer"

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15

 

Today is my nursing home ministry day but I won't be able to go because it is sleeting outside and the roads will be icy. While the weather has stopped me from "going" - to fulfill the commission- it hasn't stopped me from "going" and fulfilling it through the Coffee Break devotional. 

 

Some of you who are reading this may be hindered because of various reasons from being able to "go" and "fulfill" what the Lord told us to do in the Great Commission. Your health, a transportation situation, weather, etc., may be a hindrance to you. But all though you might be hindered in one way, there are other ways in which you can "go". 

 

If your internet is working, you can send an email that lifts Jesus up, or post it on Face Book. If your phone is working, send a text and tell someone that Jesus loves them- or make a phone call. If none of that is available to you-- pray. Pray for laborers to be sent- those who are able to go. Pray for those who are in the harvest field. Pray that the Word of the Lord when spoken by someone else will have liberty and free course to accomplish the purpose for which it is sent. Pray for hearts to be soft, tender and receptive to the gospel message. Pray that all hindering forces would be bound and not prevail against the laborers and those who hear. 

 

You have to plow the field before it can be planted. What we do has to be bathed in prayer first. Prayer "plows" the field of the heart and gets it ready to receive the "seed" of God's word. So don't feel that you can't do anything because of your present condition or circumstances. You can "go" through prayer. It takes both-- prayer and preaching. Paul asked the church to pray for him to have utterance to open his mouth boldly and make known the gospel to others. 

 

Just because we pray doesn't excuse us from "going" physically when we can. But at the same time, when we can't go, prayer keeps us from being excluded in the commission.

 

Have a great day. If you can't fulfill the commission to "go" physically, you can fulfill it spiritually through your prayers for those who can go. 

 

For further reading:

Ephesians 6:18,19

Matthew 9:38

Luke 10:2

 

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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.

"Unselfish Act Of Love"

"There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat." Matthew 26:7

 

The Bible records several stories of people who unselfishly gave to Jesus- the woman with the alabaster box, the widow and her mite, etc. I want to share a modern day story of unselfish giving that I am sure would have been written in the pages of the Bible. As you know the ministry operates a thrift store. We take in donations of clothing and other items and use them to help people. The other day a lady and her daughter came to the store and brought a clothing donation. It was a rather large donation- one large plastic container, a box and several bags. I discovered that these donations were the result of a request made by the daughter. The daughter had just turned 11 years old a few days before. For her birthday she requested that no one give her gifts, instead she wanted them to bring clothes that they could donate to help others. I can't tell you how deeply touched I was at hearing this. 

 

I decided to share it with you because the Bible says that "a child shall lead them". This was one of the most unselfish acts I have ever seen. It so reminded me of Jesus and His unselfish act of love for us when He went to the cross and died for our sins. As His followers, we should live an unselfish life. How often do we think about "self"? How much of what we do centers around what "I want"? When was the last time we made any sacrifice for the cause of Christ, or just to bless someone else? Are you always on your mind? Is it all about what makes you happy? An 11 year old girl gave up the opportunity to receive presents on her birthday because she wanted to help someone else and saw a way to do that. Often we think we have nothing to give or there is nothing we can do. Well, that isn't true. This little girl proved that. She "led us" by showing us that there is a way-- just stop thinking about yourself. The less we think about self, the more we will think about others. The more we think about others the more the Lord can and will work through our lives to reach others for His glory.

 

Have a great day. When was the last time you demonstrated an unselfish act of love?

 

For further reading:

Isaiah 11:6

Matthew 21:16; 16:25; 25:45

 

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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 Isn't New"

"The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun." Ecclesiastes 1:9

 

"No new thing under the sun." In other words there is nothing new. They say history repeats itself. Fashion tends to run in cycles-- just hang onto your old clothes and in about twenty years they will be in style again. The same is true with the trials and temptations that we face. They aren't new, and they aren't restricted to you only. Jesus was tempted in all points just like we are. He was tempted in the same areas and same things that you and I are tempted in today-- two thousand years later. In 1 Peter we are told that our brothers and sisters in the faith are suffering the same afflictions as we are. (1 Peter 5:9)

 

Because what you are going through is nothing new-- it may be to you, and it may come in a different "flavor"-- it means that Jesus, having faced it Himself is touched by the feelings of your weaknesses. "For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning." (Hebrews 4:15- Amplified Bible)

 

Take heart this morning in whatever you may be going through. Jesus knows what it is like. He understands what you are going through. He is with you in it. He was victorious over it having gone through it Himself. He will help you, guide you, and walk with you through it. Be of good cheer, because He has overcome.

 

Have a great day. What you are going through is nothing new. Jesus has already gone through it and will be with you helping you to go through it as well.

 

For further reading:

John 16:33

 

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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.

"Ducks In A Row"

"Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes." song of Solomon 2:5

 

I am one of those people who like to plan what I am going to do each day-- especially because my time is so limited. For the past several days, all my plans went out the window! Monday I was going to work on getting the ministry books in order. Well, we discovered a water leak that the plumbers were suppose to have fixed the week before. They came Monday and worked half the day in my office, where I needed to be. Tuesday I was going to work on them. I was making changes to my internet. The tech was scheduled to come Tuesday, he did. But things didn't go according to plan, so I was without phone, email and internet service for two days. I couldn't work while he was here, which turned out to be all day instead of the scheduled two hours. 

 

My neatly placed "ducks in a row" were soon "flying" all over the place. Even again this morning, I was going to get up, have my prayer time, write the CB, get dressed and then leave to go to the shop. I got up, had my prayer time-- so far things are going according to plan-- I sat down at the computer to write the CB and my email is out again. That just put a big hole in my plans and I don't have the time to straighten it out. Looks like this has also changed my plans for this evening after work. I will be on the phone with technical support-- again. 

 

Thank you for your patience in listening to all this. I said it to encourage us all that life is life, and life doesn't always-- or let's put it this way-- hardly ever goes according to plan. A person once said, "Man plans, God laughs," We can't always make plans about tomorrow. We don't know what the future holds. This is why the scriptures tell us to say that we will do this or that if the Lord is willing. Plans are often made to be broken. Does that mean we should just wander aimlessly though life and let what happens happen? Of course not, we should have a plan, we shouldn't waste the time, but we should also be prepared for our plans to change. We should not live such a "rigid" scheduled life that there is no room for a change in plans. If we don't we will be frustrated, aggravated, angry, impatient and lose our peace. And that will make us a clear target for the enemy's attacks. 

 

Have a great day. Some times our well placed "ducks in row" get out of place. We have to learn to commit our plans to God and trust Him when they change. 

 

For further reading:

James 4:15

Matthew 6:34

 

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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.

"The Right Conditions"

"He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap." Ecclesiastes 11:4

 

This verse in "plain" English means-- if you wait for all the right conditions, you will never do anything. Human nature is to wait until everything in our lives is "perfect". Sadly, many feel this same way when it comes to starting a relationship with Jesus. They are waiting until they have raised their families, are financially stable, gotten an education, lived their lives, when they feel better or have straightened up their lives. Jesus addressed this in one of His parables. A man made a great supper and sent his servants to invite the people to come. Each of the guests made excuses as to why they couldn't come. One bought a piece of land and had to go see it. Another had bought some oxen and had to go look at them. The other had just got married and had to stay with his wife. These all missed out on the supper. You can't wait for the "perfect" conditions/time, you have to accept the invitation when it comes, waiting will be too late.

 

We also tend to wait for all the right conditions before we will do what the Lord calls us to do. Jesus addressed this too. There was a man who said that he would follow Jesus, but wanted Jesus to let him go bury his father first. Jesus' reply was to let the dead bury their dead. Jesus wasn't being cruel or heartless. He was telling the man not to wait, do it now while you have the opportunity, not when you have all things taken care of and in order.

 

The bottom line to what we are saying is this: we are waiting for "when" before we will either give our lives to Jesus, follow Him, or do what He has called us to do. We are waiting for "when" we are old, "when" we are smarter, "when" we have lived, "when" we have made a lot of money, "when" we have got it all together... "when" all the conditions in my life are right.... then, I will. 

 

If we wait on all the right conditions- when we think it is the right time- we will always be waiting and never do it. We must seize the opportunity when it comes to us. We must follow Him today. We must give our lives to Him now. David couldn't wait to kill Goliath until he was grown and a well trained soldier. That would have been the "right condition" in our way of thinking, but not in God's. He would have missed the perfect plan of God waiting on what he thought was the right time and perfect conditions. 

 

Have a great day. Don't wait for all the right conditions before you give your life to the Lord and follow Him. There will never be a right condition or time. Therefore, do it now. 

 

For further reading:

Luke 14:18-20

Matthew 8:19-23

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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.

"It Makes No Sense"

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord." Isaiah 55:8

 

God has a way of doing things and we have a way of doing things. God's ways don't always make sense to us. How much sense did it make to march around the walls of Jericho for seven days without saying a word? How much sense did it make to go out to battle against a hundred thousand with only three hundred men? How much sense did it make to build an ark when there was no rain; or strike a rock to get water? None of it makes any sense to our natural understanding, but that is just it, God doesn't work from our understanding, He works from His own. 

 

When God is working in your life and you know that it is Him, but what He tells you makes no sense- you can't figure it out- what do you do? You listen to the words of Mary, "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it." It doesn't have to make sense to us, we don't have to understand it all, we won't always understand it-- that is why it is called "faith". Our part is to do what He says-- trust and obey. When we do the task God's way, we will be victorious in the outcome. Everyone in the Bible who followed the Lord and did what He said- though it made no sense to them- was victorious and achieved the desired outcome, it was only when they did it their way that they failed. So whose way are you going to follow? 

 

Have a great day. God's ways don't always make sense to us, but if we will follow His instructions we will be victorious in the outcome.

 

For further reading:

John 2:5

Isaiah 55:9

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

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or
Email:mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.

You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"You Only Hang Yourself"

"So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.: Esther 7:10

 

When a person has jealousy, anger, bitterness or unforgiveness toward another person, they wind up building a "gallows" toward that person. A gallows was not only used for execution by hanging, it was also a means of torture before execution. When we have these oughts toward another person, we think that we are "torturing" them. Yes, your feelings toward that person do have an affect on them, but they aren't the ones that you hurt the worse.

 

Haman built a gallows to hang Mordecai in, but instead he was the one who was hung in it. Having ought against another person does hurt and bind that person in a sense, but it hurts us more. Eventually, we will be the ones who are "hung" by it. How so? For one, the most important one, it will hinder your relationship with the Heavenly Father. It will open a door to the enemy to come into your life. It will harden your heart. It will begin to steal your joy and peace. It will bring you under condemnation. It will delight your adversary the devil. We wind up hard-hearted. We are actually torturing ourselves.

 

The nature of Christ is love. If Christ is in us, so is His love. Love and unforgiveness have no room to coexist together. Love and bitterness, anger, malice, jealousy can't ever be "roommates". You can't say you love God and hate your brother, or your neighbor. You can't receive the forgiveness of God and refuse to forgive others-- even those who trespass against you. 

 

If you are holding onto unforgiveness, anger, bitterness, jealousy, etc, (any ought) toward another person-- whether it be founded or not--you must repent and release that person from your feelings toward them. But more importantly you will be releasing yourself before you wind up being hung in your "own gallows".

 

Have a great day. If you have ought, in any form-- unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, etc.-- against anyone. Repent of it, or you will be hung in the gallows of ought that you have built.

 

For further reading:

1 John 4:20

Matthew 6:12-15; 18:21-35

 

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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 Beginning Of Life"

"Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." Psalm 2:12

 

"Kiss the Son", literally means-- submit to Jesus. But how can I? What if He calls me to do something I can't do? What if others reject me or make fun of me for submitting my life to and following Him? What about my own will? What if He ask me to give up my plans, desires, ambitions and dreams? So? What if He does? We act as if that is a "bad" thing. We act as if that is the "end of the world". We act as if once we do life is over for us. On the contrary.

 

Submitting and surrendering our lives to Jesus doesn't "end" our lives, it only "begins" them. "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 16:25) In other words, when we "lose" or "give up" our life (desires and will) and surrender it to His desire and will, we will "find our lives" That is when we truly start living. Up to that point we are existing, we are surviving, we are only enjoying life in a small measure and not to the fullest. Solomon discovered this. He tried to enjoy life in every way possible-- entertainment, adventure, education, projects, art, relationships, wealth, etc. And he concluded that life lived apart from God is "vanity" (meaningless).

 

Do we really want to live? Then submitting to the Lord is the only way to truly do that. It is in submitting to Him that we finally find abundant life. When we submit and surrender our lives to Him, we are putting our trust in Him to do us good and what is best for us. (And He will.) As we do, we will be blessed. The word blessed is literally translated- O happy man! We become genuinely "happy" with and in life. 

 

Everyone is looking for happiness in life. Everyone is looking for joy, peace and fulfillment. It is obtainable. But you can't obtain it your own way. It is obtained in submitting your life to Jesus alone. Do you really want to live? Then submit, surrender and trust the Lord with your life.

 

Have a great day. You don't start really living until you surrender your life to Jesus. 

 

For further reading:

John 10:10

Ecclesiastes 2

 

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

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 Wood For The Sacrifice"

"And build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down." Judges 6:26

 

When Gideon destroyed the grove/altar/high place that his father had built to worship Baal, he then built an altar to the Lord. The Lord told him to offer a burnt sacrifice upon the altar. Interestingly, He told him to use "the wood of the grove which he cut down". 

 

For us, these groves represent the altar that we set up in our lives to our own god-- flesh/self. When we come to Christ in salvation, or through rededication, this altar is torn down and one to Him is erected. We too are to take the "wood from the grove" and use it on the altar of God. What does that mean? An altar is a place of worship. Wood represents humanity. Wood also represents the fuel for the fire. Simply put, it means that we are now to give ourselves as an instrument in worship to Him. It means that we become a living sacrifice to be consumed by Him. It means that we are now engaged in His service and doing that which brings Him glory-- and no longer self. It means our lives through our sacrifice, help to "fuel" His glory in our lives. 

 

Is your life a living sacrifice to God? Are you worshipping Him by presenting yourself at His altar daily? Are you allowing Him to consume your fleshly desires, ambitions, motives and will each day? Are you engaged in His service? Is your life "fueling" His worship, praise and glory? If not, then today place your life on the "altar" of the Lord and give Him your whole self. 

 

Have a great day. When we stop worshipping our flesh, then we become living sacrifices in worship to God. 

 

For further reading:

Romans 12:1

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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
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Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

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"Cut Down Your Grove"

"And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: And build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down." Judges 6:25,26

 

The children of Israel were living in sin against the Lord-- they were serving Baal and other gods. Because of this sin against God they were living under the oppression of the Midianites. They cried to God for deliverance and He raised up Gideon to deliver them. 

 

One of the things the Lord told Gideon to do was destroy the high places and groves that his father had built. These were places of worship to these false gods. As I thought about these groves three things came to mind. 

 

First, we see the answer to how we turn from God and get cold in our relationship with Him. These groves didn't just appear, someone had to build them. It took some time and effort to build them. When we turn from God and get cold in our walk with Him, it didn't just happen in an instant. It is a process. It started with missing one day of prayer, going a day without reading our Bible, missing a church service, watching a program we shouldn't watch. Then it becomes two days, then three days. Pretty soon, because of neglect of the things of God and attention to our own desires, we have built a "grove" and established an "altar" to something other than God in our lives-- self. 

 

Secondly, we see our answer on how to come back to that relationship with God that we once had. It happens by "tearing the grove down". It always takes longer to build a "grove" to the flesh-- it doesn't just happen overnight-- than it takes to reestablish one to God. It took Gideon's father some time to build the grove, but it only took Gideon one night to destroy it. How do we destroy it? By repentance. We turn to God and repent of our neglect of Him and worship of the flesh. When we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We are instantly brought back into right relationship with Him. 

 

Thirdly, once we have repented, we don't just tear down the "grove", we must rebuild the altar of God in its place. How do we do this? "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works." (Revelation 2:5) Make God your priority, seek Him first, do the first works, don't follow the lust of your flesh, give attention to reading the word of God, praying, praise, worship and His house.

 

Have you turned from the Lord? Is there a grove and altar to your flesh that you are worshipping at in your life? Repent today and turn back to the Lord and reestablish your relationship with Him-- and worship Him only.

 

Have a great day. If you have turned from God and are worshipping something besides Him, tear down that altar and turn back to worshipping Him.

 

For further reading:

1 John 1:9

Judges 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.

"The 'Seed' Of Greatness"

"And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Luke 1:35

 

"That Holy Thing" which was placed inside the womb of Mary was The Son of God. The "seed" of His person was placed inside her womb. When we think about that, we usually think about that "seed" as just Jesus. But inside that "seed" was Jesus the Christ, but was also the Creator of the Universe, the One who spoke all things into existence and holds all things together by the power of His word. Inside that "seed" was salvation, deliverance, healing, holiness, grace, mercy, all wisdom, all knowledge, all power, joy, peace, strength, glory, etc. Inside that "seed" was the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, the Faithful and Just One, the Alpha and Omega. Everything He is was inside that little "seed" inside her womb. She was impregnated with all that would ever be needed for her and the entirety of mankind. 

 

When we receive salvation, this same "seed" is placed in us. We don't have Jesus developing in our wombs, but He comes into our spirits. Yet, we don't realize what that means. We don't understand what is truly inside of us. Mary didn't understand. She understood that she was carrying the Son of God who was to be called Jesus, the One who would save His people from their sins. But she didn't understand that in her womb, inside of Him, was all, plus more, that we have talked about. 

 

When we hear people say, "Inside of you there is greatness". We think that the greatness is the "thing", or "things", that God is going to do through us. That is not what that means. When Christ Jesus is in us, HE is that greatness. I said earlier that we don't realize and understand what is in us. Christ in us means power, victory, grace, wisdom, the Creator.... all the things that I listed that was in the "seed" in Mary's womb is in us. Jesus the risen, living, Holy God who was, is and is to come is inside of us. 

 

That "seed" inside Mary's womb grew and developed and was then manifested in the world. We need to humble ourselves and decrease and let Jesus who is inside of us "grow" to the point where we are so transformed that it is "no long I but Christ that lives in me". We need to surrender to Him until we get to the place where He is manifested in this world through us because we have been so transformed that they no longer see us but Him.... because inside of us is all that the world needs. 

 

Have a great day. When Jesus is inside of you, everything He is and has is inside of you too. 

 

For further reading:

Colossians 1:27

Galatians 2:20

John 14:23

 

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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.

"Pick Up That Snake"

"And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it." Exodus 4:3

 

When the Lord gave Moses the call to deliver the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage, He told him to throw his rod down on the ground. Moses did and that rod became a snake. The scripture says that Moses fled from before it--- in other words, he ran away from it. 

 

Even though the Lord saw that Moses ran from it out of fear, He then told him to pick it up. Why would He require Moses to pick it up if He knew he was afraid? God had a plan that was bigger than Moses' fear. He had planned to be Moses' strength and wisdom in accomplishing the purpose He called him to. God was going to be with him, he didn't have to fear. 

 

What has God called you to do but you are running from it? Are you afraid to pick it up? Fear has taken hold of you because it looks fearful. Is it something you would rather not have to do? Are you afraid that it might destroy you-- your will? God sees your fear but that doesn't exempt you from His call. He is telling you the same thing He told Moses-- "pick it up". If you will pick it up, He will be with you as He was with Moses. He will strengthen, guide, give you wisdom and everything else that you need to accomplish His plan and purpose. When Moses picked it up, it didn't bite him. Instead it because a rod again and a mighty instrument that God used in his hand to bring deliverance and show forth miracles. Your fear is unfounded, it will not "bite" you. God called you to pick it up because He intends to do great and mighty things for His glory through His call. So don't be afraid to pick it up. 

 

Have a great day. Don't run from the call of God out of fear, instead, pick it up

 

For further reading:

Exodus 4:1-5

Romans 11:29

 

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

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.