Monday, March 31, 2014

Dear All,
 
When I sent out the last Coffee Break devotional, "Borrowed Time", I had no idea that I would experience it in a way that touches me personally. On March 29 (Saturday), the Lord decided to "call in" my mother's "loan". Her loan on time was up. During the early hours of the morning, while the rest of us were sound asleep, the Lord was awake and stepped through the portals of glory and ushered my mother home, and has taken her to that place He has prepared for those who love Him.
 
It was a shock to us all. She had not been ill. The Lord in His grace orchestrated it so that I could see her one last time the evening before. She looked great. She was very upbeat. She did not complain of feeling bad. She even cooked dinner for me so that I would not have to do it after a long day at the shop. None of us had a clue that this would be the last time anyone had an opportunity to see her and talk with her. But the Lord did. The Bible says that it is appointed unto man once to die. We all have an appointment time that awaits us-- only we don't have the luxury of knowing when that time will be. Therefore, we must always be ready. Making peace with God and securing our eternal soul through faith in the finished work that Jesus did for us at the cross, should be our life's number one priority. My mother had no idea that she would see her last sunset on this side of eternity when she went to sleep. She went to bed with thoughts of her next day's appointments. She had already made physical preparation for the events of the following day. But that day, those appointments, the plans that she would fulfill never came.
 
My mother passed from this life peacefully. She simply went to sleep here on earth and woke up in heaven. Though it was a shock and though we already miss her dearly, and even though our hearts are breaking, we are so thankful that she did not suffer and she was not in pain. We know that she is with Jesus, and that when she left this earth she did not leave it alone, He was her guide unto death, He was walking with her through the valley of the shadow of death, she was not fearing what she was going through, the sting of death and victory of the grave could not touch her. We rejoice in the blessed hope and promise that we have to be reunited again with her in Christ's eternal kingdom.
 
We always say that life is short and no one is promised tomorrow. We don't know when our time one earth is up so we must be ready. My mother's home going gives testimony to this fact. Therefore, I want to take advantage of this opportunity and urge you to make sure that it is well with your soul. Don't put off securing your eternal soul while you have time. Today is the day of salvation, now is the acceptable time, because you may not have another time to do it. 
 
Having said all this, there will be no CB devotionals the rest of the week so that I can be with my family and tend to business that has to be done. Our pain is real, it does hurt but our sorrow is not as those who have no hope. The Lord has truly been the "glory and the lifter of our heads", and has been faithful to His promise to be near to those who are of a broken heart. Your 
prayers will be deeply appreciated.
 
Love and blessings,
Lorraine Ezell

Friday, March 28, 2014

"Borrowed Time"

"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:6
 
Have you ever heard the term "borrowed time"? It is said of someone who has lived passed their life expectancy. The truth is, we are all living on "borrowed time". Every person on the face of the earth is living on borrowed time-- the young, the old, the sick, the healthy. What do I mean? 
 
The Bible says that the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. Time, like everything else, belongs to God. If it belongs to Him, not us, then He is "lending" it to us-- we are borrowing it from Him. 
 
When something is borrowed, it doesn't belong to you. It belongs to the lender. To borrow something is a temporary arrangement, not a permanent one. At some point it has to be either given back or paid back. The time that we are borrowing here on earth is not a permanent gift either. One day we will have to "give it up" and give it back. That time comes when death knocks on our door and our lives are taken from earth. That being the case, what kind of plans are you making for that time? What will happen to you when you step out of "time" and into eternity? Have you made arrangements for then? 
 
Also what are you doing with the time that you are borrowing? Are you wasting it? Are you making the best use of it? Are you using it up on self-- selfish desires, selfish ambitions, self-centered wants? Are you using it wisely and carefully? Are you using it for the One who is lending it to you? 
 
Jesus told a story of a man who went on a journey, but before he left he gave money to his servants to invest for him. One day he returned and they had to give an account of what they did with what they were given. One day the "loan period" of time we were given will be up. We will then have to stand before God and give an account of how we used the time we were given. What will you be able to answer? Did you make the best use of it by doing all you could to glorify the One who loaned it to you? Did you use the time that you were given to make preparation for the day when your time on earth is over?
 
Have a great day. We are all living on "borrowed time". What are you doing with it? 
 
For further reading:
Matthew 25:14-30
Psalm 24:1
 
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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

Thursday, March 27, 2014

"A Simple Answer"

"And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them." Matthew 11:3-5
 
John the Baptist was in prison and he sent his disciples to Jesus to ask Him if He was the one to come or should they look for another. The verses above are Jesus' reply to John's question. Have you ever noticed that Jesus rarely answered enquiring questions with a simple "yes" or "no"? All He had to do was tell John, "Yes, I am."
 
Why does He do that? God does what He wants to do, when He wants to do it, and how He wants to do it including the way He answers our questions. When He does though, it is always in the best way-- whether we think so or not. In John's case, he already knew the answer. The Father had already spoken to him from heaven at the River Jordan. Jesus' answer was one that would reinforce and reaffirm what John already knew. 
 
There have been times when I have asked the Lord something, wanting simply a "yes" or "no" but that is not how He answered me either. Like John, it is easy for us to question what we already know when things get tough, when they aren't going according to plan, or when they aren't happening the way we thought they would or in the time frame in which we thought they would. By giving us His answer in such a way, it is meant to reaffirm, reinforce, encourage, help fortify our faith and give clarity to the situation. I can remember as a child traveling in the car and asking my parents, "Are we there yet?". When they answered, "no", I felt like we would never get there. But when they answered with an explanation, it gave me a reference point to look for and would let me know that the journey was almost over. When the Lord answers us in this fashion, it too gives us a reference point and helps bring us back in focus-- focus on what He has already said instead of the situation-- and reinforces our faith. 
 
Don't get discouraged or angry if the Lord doesn't give you a simple "yes" or "no" answer. He is answering you in a way that is for your best and it will give you an anchor of faith to hold on to in the midst of your situation.
 
Have a great day. God doesn't always answer us with a simple "yes" or "no", but His answer is far better for us. 
 
For further reading:
Matthew 3:16,17
Hebrews 10:23
 
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

"Almost Missed It"

"Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest." John 4:35
 
One day Jesus told His disciples that He needed to go to Samaria. When they got there, the disciples went into the city to buy meat. While they were gone Jesus sat at a well and had a conversation with a woman of Samaria. As a result of their conversation this woman accepted Jesus as the Messiah who was to come. She then left her water pots and went to the city to tell others. The disciples came back with the food. Upon encouraging Him to eat, He replied that He had meat to eat that they knew not of. They began to question and wonder if someone had brought Him something to eat already. He corrected them and told them that His meat was to do the will of the Father and finish His work. Then Jesus said to them, "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest." 
 
What was this meat? To do the will of the Father and finish His work. What was the will and work? To seek and to save that which was lost. His meat was spiritual in nature and He was fulfilling it. The disciples were taking care of natural things-- buying food. Jesus said to them to lift up their eyes because the harvest is already white and needs picking. When they physically looked around them, they saw a whole city coming to Jesus. The harvest was right there in front of them but they didn't see it. They almost missed it because they were focused on natural things- food. They were focused on trying to figure out where Jesus had already gotten food. They were in the middle of the harvest field and didn't even realize it. They were blinded spiritually by the physical.
 
I wonder if we aren't like those disciples? There is a harvest field around us, there are souls that are "ripe" waiting to be "picked", God is moving in our midst and we are focused on natural things. Are we more concerned with trying to figure out natural events that are occurring around us than we are with seeing what is happening spiritually? Are we missing what is spiritually taking place because we are more concerned with physical things? Has the physical blinded us to the spiritual? 
 
The disciples almost missed one of the greatest works of God-- the salvation of a whole city-- because they were concerned about natural things. Are we missing what the Lord is doing in our midst because we are more concerned as well with natural things?
 
Have a great day. Are natural things blinding us from seeing what is happening spiritually right in front of our eyes?
 
For further reading:
John 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

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

"Jephthah's Daughter"

"And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering." Judges 11:30,31
 
We have heard many sermons preached about Jephthah mostly because of the vow he made to the Lord. In my opinion, it was a very "stupid" vow. What did he expect to come out of his house to meet him after the battle? Did he keep cows, goats, sheep or horses in his house? Naturally, it would have been either his wife or daughter. This story has been preached on numerous occasions because there is so much that we can learn from the foolishness of Jephthah. But this morning I don't want to focus on him. I want to focus on his less familiar daughter. 
 
We don't know much about her-- just a couple of verses. She isn't even named in the scriptures. She is simply "Jephthah's daughter". In my opinion, again, she- not her father- is the main character of the story. We have this young girl who was placed in a situation because of someone else. Her father made a vow that would effect her entire life. She would never marry because of it. She would spend the rest of her life childless. She would miss out on the opportunity of perhaps being the one chosen to bear the Messiah, all because of her father's foolish vow. 
 
The most remarkable thing we see from her story is the fact that she could have become bitter and angry. She could have rebelled. She could have chosen not to honor her father's vow and do what her own heart desired. She could have turned on her father and hated him. But she didn't. Yes, she cried over what was happening to her but she did not get in self-pity. In those couple of verses we see her gratitude and praise to the Lord for His delivering power. We see her love for her nation. We see her honor for her father. We see her surrender to the Lord. We see her humility. We see her dedicated relationship with the Lord. 
 
Do any of us see ourselves in her life? How would we react had it been us instead of her? What would our reaction say about our relationship with the Lord? Are we as willing as she was to honor God even when something is done against us? Even when someone else's actions change our lives? How many of us even keep the vows we make to the Lord personally, much less one that we have been unwillingly brought into by someone else? There is a lot we can learn from this unnamed young girl about humility, Christ-like attitude and surrender to the service of the Lord. Will we learn it?
 
Have a great day. How do you react when something that someone else does effects your entire life? What does that reaction say about your relationship with the Lord? 
 
For further reading:
Judges 11
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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

Monday, March 24, 2014

"Recognizing His Voice"

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27
 
Have you ever been somewhere and heard a voice and immediately knew who it was even without seeing their face because you recognized the voice? I have. When my phone rings and the name of the person calling doesn't show up on the ID, once they say something I know who it is. There are people that I have become acquainted with because they come into our ministry store, and though we were once strangers I will recognize their voice when I hear it in another store. 
 
Out of all the voices that we recognize is the Lord's one of them? If we are His "sheep"- if we are His followers- we should have no trouble recognizing His voice. Being able to recognize a person's voice comes as a result of spending time not only talking to them, but listening to them. It is the same way with being able tor recognize the voice of our Good Shepherd. We are only able to recognize His voice if we are spending time with Him. 
 
We learn His voice through talking with Him in prayer-- or should I say, by listening to Him when we pray. Most of our prayers consist of us doing all the talking. We give God our "to do" list; we tell Him what we want; we give Him our "wish" list; we spend the whole time talking and rarely do any listening. You learn another person's voice by hearing it. When your voice is the only one you hear, that is the only voice you become acquainted with. 
 
We also learn His voice through His Word. The Bible isn't just a book of facts and figures about God, it is God speaking to us through its pages. The Bible is the Living Word- Jesus- written down on paper. Through it we know what He likes, dislikes, what He requires, what His will is, what His is like, how gracious, kind, loving and how just He is. 
 
How familiar are you with His voice? It should be the most important voice for us to know. It should be the voice that we desire to know above all other voices. We should be more acquainted with His than we are with anyone else's. We should recognize it more readily than any other voice. And we will if we will spend time with Him learning it.
 
Have a great day. How acquainted are you with the voice of God?
 
For further reading:
John 1:1
Genesis 3:8
Song of Solomon 2:14
 
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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email:
mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry

Friday, March 21, 2014

"He Is Still The Same"

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24
 
As I sought the Lord for the word this morning, I knew He laid this verse on my heart. My first thought was... but I have already written numerous devotions on this verse. He replied back ... it is still the day that I have made. 
 
No matter how many times we may write about it, no matter how many times we may preach from the verse, today is still the day that He has made. That being said, He is still the maker of the day. He is still watching over the day. He is still meeting each need we have today. He is still with us today. He is still fulfilling His promises to us today. He is still providing us with strength, grace, peace, assurance, wisdom, instruction, healing, deliverance-- whatever we need to make it through the day. He is still loving us today. He still desires to walk and talk with us today. 
 
With the passing of each day, comes a brand new day. And in each new day the Lord still remains the same. Each day when it arrives is "this" day. It is this present day, not a past day, nor a future day. Therefore, He is a present God today. He is still faithful this day as He has been every day. So look to Him this day. Walk with Him this day. Lean upon Him this day. Trust Him this day. Because He remains the same, and is the same yesterday, today and forever.
 
Have a great day. This is still the day that the Lord has made, and He is still the same today as He has always been.
 
For further reading:
Hebrews 13:8
Malachi 3:6
 
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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

Thursday, March 20, 2014

"Trust The Leading"

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9
 
Yesterday I saw a plaque that read-- "Be led by your heart". It's a sweet thought and popular one, but a wrong one. It is dangerous, in most cases, to be led by your heart. The Bible says that our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked. They will often lead us astray, because they lead us toward their own wants and desires. 
 
There is only one sure way to be led-- by the Spirit of God. The Spirit will never lead us in the wrong direction. He will never lead us in a way that is destructive or hurtful. He will always lead us on the path of life. Whereas our own hearts see something they want and will pursue it often without regard to whether it is best for us, and will actually convince us that it is the best. How many people have pursued "pipe-dreams" because their hearts wanted to do it. How many have been in relationships with the wrong person because their heart wanted it. Even Christian people- they convinced themselves that it was the right thing to do because it "felt" right in their hearts. 
 
The only time we can trust our hearts in leading us in the right direction is when our hearts are totally surrendered to the Lord and have been sanctified to His will. It is only when He creates in us a clean heart-- removing the deceit and wicked desires-- that we can trust that the motives of our hearts are pure. It is only when we love the Lord with all our heart that there is no room for any of our own desires to lead us.
 
No, we can't be led by our hearts. But God Himself promises to lead us as we seek Him. We can't trust our hearts, but we can trust that as we surrender them more and more to the Lord He will put His desires within them. When He does, we can trust that though we can't be led by them, they will not be able to lead us astray as they once did.
 
Have a great day. We can't be led by our hearts, but we can be led by the Spirit of God. 
 
For further reading:
Romans 8:14
Mark 12:30; 7:21,22
Psalm 51:10
Jeremiah 24:7
 
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email:
mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

"Praise-Worthy"

"Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord." Psalm 113:1
 
We are all quick to call upon the Lord for help when we are in trouble, but when was the last time you spent some time just praising Him. Time not asking Him for anything but instead thanking Him for all that He has done for you. There are numerous verses that admonish us to praise Him, and for various reasons.
 
He is praised for His avenging power. (Judges 5:2) Have you praised Him for avenging you before someone who was working against you? 
 
He is praised for His goodness. (Psalm 106:1) Has He been good to you? 
 
He is praised for His merciful kindness and truth. (Psalm 117:2) Has He showed you kindness? Has He been merciful to you when He should not have been, because you deserved punishment? He has given you truth through His word to guide and direct you through life. Should you praise Him for that? 
 
He is praised for His delivering power. (Jeremiah 20:13) Has He delivered you-- from sin, for a bondage, from a near fatal accident, from those who were trying to destroy you, from an illness? 
 
Just what has He done for you that is praise-worthy? The greatest thing He did for me was to send His Son Jesus to die on the cross and pay the price for my sins and take my punishment so that I could have eternal life. Personally, if He never did anything else for me that would be plenty of reason for me to never stop praising Him. How about you? 
 
He is worthy to be praised, and if He has done anything for you, you should give Him praise every day. 
 
Have a great day. What has the Lord done for you? Isn't that cause to praise Him?
 
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

"Hope In The Word"

"I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope." Psalm 130:5
 
Did you ever place your hope in what someone else said? As a child your parent may have told you they would take you somewhere but they didn't. A spouse made a vow to love you always but later filed for divorce later. The government makes promises of providing us with wonderful benefits but it is false. A boss promised you job security but then the business failed and you were without a job. A lot of people make lots of promises but don't always keep them. They say one thing, but do another. We have all done that ourselves. I have made promises that later I was unable to keep. I have said something but circumstances beyond my control prevented me from fulfilling my word.
 
I am here to remind you this morning that God is not like that. We can put our hope in His words. He doesn't make promises He can't keep. He doesn't go back on His word. He doesn't let circumstances control the validity of what He says. He doesn't say one thing then act in another manner. His words are not only true, but they are truth. His words are eternal. They will never pass away. They are powerful. They were what God used to create the universe. His words are what continues to hold it all together. And while we may not always be able to put our hope in the words of another, we can always put our hope in what God says.
 
Have a great day. You can't always place your hope in the words of another, but you can always put your hope in God's word.
 
For further reading:
Psalm 119:81,114
Matthew 24:35
Hebrews 11:3
John 17:17
 
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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

Monday, March 17, 2014

"Lion And Lamb"

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:36
 
I have noticed over the last few days that the wind has been picking up. All my life I have heard March winds compared to a "lamb" and a "lion". I have heard that if the month starts out windy it is like a lion, and if it starts off calm it is like a lamb. I have also heard that if it starts off one way, it will end the other. The month started out calm but is now becoming windy. My husband and I were talking about the wind yesterday. I told him, it came in like a lamb but is going out like a lion. When I said this, I saw a spiritual analogy in it.
 
When Jesus came to earth, He came as a baby in a manger. He didn't come in showy fashion. He came quietly, revealing Himself to only a hand full of people. He was to be the sacrificial Lamb that would take away our sins by His death on the cross. When Jesus came, He entered as a "Lamb". But, oh, when He left, He went out like a "Lion". The Bible calls Him the Lion of the tribe of Judah. In His death and resurrection He was a Mighty Conqueror. He left this earth in victory and triumph. He left having conquered sin and death. He left a trail of glory behind. He left having defeated His prey, the enemies of mankind-- the devil, sin, sickness, death, hell and the grave. 
 
Each year when March rolls around, it will be the same-- calm or windy, windy or calm, a lion or a lamb. Just as the month of March returns each year, their will be a return of Jesus one day. Only this time He will not come again like a Lamb-- that Lamb has been slain. That Lamb rose in victory, once and for all, and has become eternally the Conquering "Lion". When He returns, He will return as the Lion. He will put an end to sin, sickness, the devil, etc., once and for all. When He returns the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and He shall reign forever and ever. 
 
Have you received Him as the Lamb who died on the cross to take away your sins? Are you looking for His return as the victorious Lion? He is coming a second time are you ready to face Him?
 
Have a great day. Jesus came to earth the first time as a "lamb" to take away our sins. He will return again as a "lion" to rule and reign eterally. 
 
For further reading:
Revelation 5:5; 1:18
Colossians 2:10-15
1 John 3:8
John 17:1-5; 14:1-3
Hebrews 9:26-28
 
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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

Friday, March 14, 2014

"Committed Or Surrendered?"

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also]. Matthew 16:24 - (Amplified Bible)
 
Years ago I was listening to a radio program and the host was interviewing a missionary who had been overseas for many years. The host asked the missionary a question-- what is the biggest difference that you see in the church after having been gone for so long? I will never forget his answer-- commitment. He went on to say that the church has become committed to God but not surrendered to Him. Then he proceeded to elaborate on what he meant. He said commitment places "I" in charge. Surrender places "God" in charge.
 
Let me further clarify what he meant. The dictionary defines the word commit as: to give in trust or charge to someone; to pledge oneself to; to entrust especially for safe keeping. It defines the word surrender as: to yield to the possession or power of another; to give oneself up to another; submit or yield. 
 
There is a big difference between the two. Commitment reserves its rights. If I entrust myself to the Lord and I feel He has not been faithful, then I have reserved the right to walk away from Him. If I pledge myself to Him, it is conditional. Therefore, if I feel He has let me down I no longer feel obligated to Him. This is why we see so many people turning from God. They have committed themselves to Him instead of surrending themselves to Him. So when things don't go the way they wanted, or God doesn't do what they thought He should do, they are no longer committed.
 
When you surrender to something or someone, you lose your rights. Just ask those who have been prisoners of war or because of committing a crime. (A prisoner can't just walk away-- he has to escape.) When we come to Christ, we surrender to Him. We surrender to His will, His plan, His ways, His desires for our lives. We lose our lives- they no longer belong to us. They belong to Him. We are bought with a price- the blood of Jesus. He is now the "owner" of our lives because He bought and paid for them. When I own something, I decide what I am going to do with it. When He owns us, He decides what to do with us... and we surrender, yield, submit to it. 
 
Are you simply committed to Him today? Are you following Him but keeping one hand on the "wheel" just in case He wants to go a different direction than you had planned? Or are you surrendered to Him, letting go of the wheel and becoming the passenger who goes wherever He drives you?
 
Have a great day. Are you surrendered to Christ or just committed to Him? There is a difference. 
 
For further reading:
Philemon 1:1
1 Corinthians 6:20
1 Peter 1:18
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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

Thursday, March 13, 2014

"Present Suffering, Eternal Glory"

"He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn." Matthew 9:24
 
"And they laughed Him to scorn." Not much has changed. People laughed at Jesus when He was following the Father's will. They laughed at His faith. They laughed at Him when He went against earthly thinking. They are still laughing at Him and laughing at His people. 
 
"Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." (John 15:20) We shouldn't think that it is strange when we are laughed at because of our faith in Jesus. We shouldn't think it is strange when we are mocked for our faith. We shouldn't think it is strange when we are persecuted for our stand for Christ. Neither should we think it strange when we are mocked and labeled as being fanatics, intolerable, ignorant, etc. We should think it is normal because they did the same thing to Jesus-- if they did it to Him, they will do it to His followers. He was despised, rejected, mocked and ridiculed. They called Him names-- prince of the devils, glutton, drunkard, blasphemer. They lied about Him. They tried to kill Him. They finally crucified Him. 
 
I guess I haven't painted a very lovely picture. Seems pretty gloomy and hopeless. Why would we want to follow Jesus if this is what we have to look forward to? This is just one side of it. We need to know that this is part of being a Christian so that we won't be disillusioned when the times come that we are ridiculed for our faith. So what do we have to look forward to then? Things that the eye hasn't seen, the hear hasn't heard and things that haven't even entered into our hearts-- blessings here and now and in the eternal future. In the now, we have a relationship with God the Father. We are daily being loaded with benefits. We have abundant life, wisdom, grace, joy unspeakable and peace that passes understanding. In the world to come life everlasting. The privilege of hearing the Father say, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord". We have a home prepared for us in heaven. We will forever be with the Lord where there is no more suffering, no more pain, no more sickness, no more rejection, no more ridicule. 
 
"The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18) Suffering for your faith is a part of this world. They did it to Jesus so they will do it to us. But what we go through here is not even worthy to be compared to what we will receive in eternity if we hold fast to our profession of faith and endure to the end.
 
Have a great day. We will suffer for the cause of Christ while on earth, but the glory that we will experience in eternity will make it all worth it.
 
For further reading:
1 Corinthians 2:9
Matthew 25:21,23
John 14:1-3
1 Thessalonians 4:17
 
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

"Dressed Or Naked?"

"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;" Colossians 3:12
 
I would never dream of leaving my house naked. I always put on clothes before I go anywhere. Sometimes it takes me longer to get dressed than it does at other times. If I know I have to go somewhere the next day, I will pick out what I am going to wear the evening before. If I want to wear a particular outfit I make sure it has been washed and ready to wear ahead of time. If I have to attend a special event I will spend hours, even days, looking for the right outfit. 
 
More often then not we are too focused on dressing our bodies than we are dressing our spirit. The Bible tells us to "take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" (Matthew 6:25) That doesn't mean that we are not to care about our appearance and make sure we look presentable. It means that we shouldn't be anxious about it and make that the most important thing. 
 
Do you get dressed "spiritually" each day? Are you more concerned about what you wear on your body than having your spirit dressed? The words "put on" means "to be clothed". God's word tells us how we are to be clothed/dressed spiritually. Each day we are to make sure we don't face the world "naked". God has provided "clothing" for us. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, God provided them with clothes of animal skins to cover their nakedness. He has provided us the same clothing of salvation through His Son Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Adam and Eve's bodies were dressed with the skins to cover their physical nakedness. We "wear" Christ, the Lamb, to cover our spiritual nakedness. 
 
The Lord has also provided us with additional clothing to wear everyday. We are to be clothed with mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness and longsuffering. We are to be clothed with the armor of light. (Romans 13:12) Also we are to be clothed with the full armor of God. (Ephesians 6:11) And we are to be clothed with charity. (Colossians 3:14) He has provided us with not only clothes, but the right clothing for the right occasions that come our way each day, but we have to make sure we have put them on.
 
Have a great day. Have you put on your "spiritual clothes" today? Or are you walking around "spiritually naked"?
 
For further reading:
Galatians 3:27
Ephesians 4:24
Colossians 3:10
John 1:29,36
 
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

"Endure To The End"

"And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." Genesis 2:12
 
I always find it sad that when something goes wrong in our lives, we start blaming God as if it was His fault. Adam blamed God (the woman YOU gave me) when he was the one who disobeyed. How was it God's fault? But there is something else that people do that I just cannot understand. When someone has let them down, when someone in their life has proven untrustworthy, when they have been wronged, many people turn their backs on God and walk away from Him. How did what another person do to you make you turn away from God? What did God have to do with that? Why was it His fault? Why is He the one to blame? 
 
We see this all the time. Those who once served the Lord have now turned away from following Him. Why did they do that? I submit to you that if a person's relationship with the Lord can be so easily broken, then they more than likely never had a relationship with Him to begin with-- they were just religious. 
 
Life is one big series of events-- some are good, some are bad. People hurt us, people betray us, friends come and go, jobs can be lost, situations can change at the drop of a hat, family will even let us down. But we must have a true relationship with the Lord that keeps us "rooted and grounded" in the ever changing, ever trying events of life. 
 
"... he that endureth to the end shall be saved." (Matthew 10:22b) The meaning of the word endure here means: to remain, abide, not recede or flee; to preserve: under misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one's faith in Christ; to endure, bear bravely and calmly: ill treatments. This doesn't sound like those who give up on God and turn from following Him. It won't be the one who started the race that gets the prize, but the one who finishes it- those who continue going all the way to the end. It will be those who endure persecution, hardship, unkind treatment, betrayal, ridicule, difficulties, accusations, etc. It will be those who endure in their relationship with the Lord and resist the temptation to turn from following Him when times get bad or hard. 
 
Are you grounded in your relationship with the Lord? Do you actually have a relationship with Him? Are you going to let what others do to you cause you to turn from Him? Are you going to let trying times cause you to stop following Him? Or are you determined to endure to the end? 
 
Have a great day. Why would you turn your back on God because of what someone else did? 
 
For further reading:
1 John 2:19
Philippians 3:18
1 Corinthians 9:24
 
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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