"Keep Holding On"

"And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." Genesis 32:26

 

I had a dream last night and the only thing I can remember about it was seeing three words written on paper-- "keep holding on". I remember thinking that this was the word for the devotional this morning. I also thought that some who read it would think that it pertained to a particular situation they were in. But when I woke up it was clear to me that what it meant was-- keep holding on to Jesus. Don't let Him go. Hold on to Him regardless of what is going on in your life. Don't cast Him away. Don't turn from Him. Hold on to Him tightly. Be determined that no matter what else you have to let go of, don't let Him go. He is your life. He is your everything. Without Him you have nothing. 

 

As I entered my office this morning, still pondering those three words, a song that I haven't heard in years came to me. I have written the lyrics below. Today and everyday make this the theme song and battle cry of your life.

 

I'll keep holding on to Jesus,
I'll keep holding on to Jesus
I'll keep holding to those precious nail scarred hands.

Though my way I can't see clearly,
And my step become so weary
I'll keep holding to those precious nail scarred hands.

Have a great day. Keep holding on to Jesus. 

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

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

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

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

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

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

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

"I Need Water"

"O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is." Psalm 63:1

 

There are times when my body feels so dry and thirsty. When this happens, I go get a drink of water. I have plants in my house and when they start looking dry and beginning to wilt, I water them. When the flowers in my yard are dry and shriveling up, I get out the water hose and water them. When our pets are thirsty, we put a bowl of water out for them. 

 

When living things get dry and thirsty, we water them. The spiritual part of us is living and if we neglect it, it will get dry too. So what do we do? If water is the remedy for every other living thing, then it is the same answer for our spirits. We have to water them. 

 

Are you feeling dry inside? Are you feeling like you are "wilting" on the vine? Well, when was the last time you were "watered"? When was the last time you watered your spirit? How do we water our spirits? "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." (Ephesians 5:26) With God's Word. You water it by opening God's Word and filling your spirit up with it. You read it and you meditate on it. I am not talking about just a verse or two. I am talking about a good "soaking". When my plants are dry and wilting, I don't just give them a drop or two of water, I give them a good soaking. It is amazing what that will do for them. Their leaves are no longer droopy. They stand upright. And they look refreshed again. 

 

We need to daily water our spirits. We need to soak them in God's Word. It is the "water" that we need to get refreshed and come back alive.

 

Have a great day. If your spirit is feeling dry, when was the last time you watered it?

 

For further reading:

Psalm 68:6; 107:35

Isaiah 55:1

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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
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.

"Foolish Way"

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty." 1 Corinthians 1:27

 

God uses some of the most "foolish", by our way of thinking, things to do His work in our lives. He used a raven to feed a prophet. He used a donkey to speak to a wayward prophet. He used a rod in the hands of Moses. He used three hundred men to defeat a vast army. God's ways are not our ways. He uses what He decides to use, not what we think He should use. We are so limited in our way of thinking, but He is All Wise and All Knowing. He knows just what to do, how to do it and when to do it. And when He uses foolish things, He alone can receive the glory for it. 

 

When the Lord delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt, He could have taken them in a different direction. He took them to the Red Sea. When they got to the sea, He could have miraculously provided them all boats, or He could have supernaturally translated them to the other side. Instead He opened up the sea and they crossed on the sea bed to the other side. By doing it this way, the people were delivered to safety, He was glorified and their enemy was destroyed. 

 

Are you going through some trial this morning? Are you in a situation? God hasn't forgotten you. He knows where you are and what you are going through. He has a plan already laid out for you. Just because what He is doing doesn't come the way you want it to doesn't mean He isn't working on your behalf. Don't try to figure out how God will bring your answer. Leave that part up to Him. He will bring it the best way. 

 

Have a great day. God often uses foolish things to accomplish His plan in our lives. 

 

For further reading:

1 Kings 17:1-4

Exodus 13:17,18; 15:1

Isaiah 55:8,9

 

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

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

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

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

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

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

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

"Guard Your Joy"

"...for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10b

 

We have an adversary who goes about seeking whom he may devour. He comes to steal, kill and destroy. One of the things he desires to steal from us is our joy. He wants to steal it because that is where our strength lies. 

 

He tries to steal it through many different avenues. He will try to steal it through broken relationships, through the loss of employment, through a bad report, through sickness, through a time of sorrow, etc. Therefore, we must guard against allowing our joy to be stolen. We can't stop bad things from happening in our lives. This life is full of tribulation. But we can stop him from stealing our joy when bad things happen.

 

How do we guard and protect our joy? Through praise. When things come to try to steal our joy, then is when we should offer up a sacrifice of praise. No, we aren't praising the Lord for the bad thing, we are praising Him in spite of it. We are praising Him because He is faithful- faithful to see us through. We praise Him for His love- His love that covers us. We praise Him for His grace-- grace that is sufficient for whatever we face. We praise Him for His mercy-- that endures forever. We praise Him for His abiding presence with us-- He never leaves nor forsakes us. We focus on Him instead of the "storm" or the problems that we are facing.

 

Have a great day. The enemy wants to steal your strength. So guard your joy, because that is where your strength lies.

 

For further reading:

John 10:10; 16:33

1 Peter 5:8

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

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.

"Memorial Day"

Today we are remembering, and honoring, the sacrifices that were made by so many who fought and died for our freedom. We should never forget or take lightly what was done by these brave men and women. 

 

Over three thousand years ago there was another sacrifice that was made to insure our freedom and liberation from sin. This sacrifice wasn't made by an army or a multitude. It was made by one person, yet it had the power to free all mankind. It wasn't made on an earthly battlefield. It was made on one spot- Calvary. There were no guns or cannons involved, just an old rugged cross. It was so victorious that it never has to be fought again. It took place once and for all. It was the sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross. 

 

The word memorial means: something, especially a structure, established to remind people of a person or event. Once a year we remember the brave soldiers who fought and died for our freedom. But daily we should remember what Jesus did for us to set us free from sin and death. Our reminder (our memorial) is the cross. Never take the cross lightly. Never look at it and ignore what was done. Keep the cross in focus. Go to the cross daily and offer up thanksgiving and praise to Jesus for what He has done for you. 

 

Have a great day. When you look at the cross, remember the greatest sacrifice that was made for you by Jesus-- the forgiveness and freedom from your sins. 

 

For further reading:

John 3:16,17

Hebrews 10:12

 

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

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

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

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

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

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

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

"Watch And Pray"

"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:41

 

As I was praying about what to share with you this morning, I kept hearing the phrase- "Watch and pray". Twice this phrase is used in the scriptures, and both times Jesus was the one who said it. The other place is found in Mark 13:33- "Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is." 

 

I believe this is a word for someone this morning. You are to simply "watch and pray". Sometimes we miss our answer because we want some deep, step by step detailed answer. We want the Lord to tell us who, what, where, when and how. He could but He doesn't always answer like that. Sometimes we miss our answer because the answer is just too simple. It reminds me of the time my friend and I went to the nursing home and told a man about the plan of salvation. He thanked us but told us that what we had said was just too simple. He thought it should be some hard thing he had to do. 

 

Don't look over this word this morning because you think your answer should come a certain way or because you think it is too simple. He "sent" me to tell you to just "watch and pray".

 

Have a great day. Sometimes our answer is so simple that we miss it.

 

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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.

"Familiar Place"

"Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing." John 21:3

 

The disciples had just witnessed the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. They had placed their hopes, dreams and faith in Him. They had surrendered their lives to His call. But now He was dead. They felt totally lost, helpless and hopeless. Their dreams had been shattered. Then three days later Jesus appeared to them and continued to appear to them for a period of time. They had heard His words while He was on earth. He had given them a commission to fulfill. They heard His words and saw the signs He done after His resurrection. But what were they to do about it? What were they to do with the rest of their lives? What would become of them? How would they do what Jesus had commanded them to do?

 

I can tell you what Peter did-- he went fishing. He went back to a place that was familiar to him--back to what he knew. He went back to the place where he felt comfortable and in control.

 

When we are confused, feeling hopeless, facing a trial, going through a difficulty, what do we do? We do the same thing-- we go to a familiar place. We go to the place where we feel safe and in control. We go to that familiar place which seems to put our minds at ease. For Peter it was fishing. For some today their "familiar place" is drugs and alcohol. For others it is eating-- they find it in food. To others that familiar place is work. It is a place where they don't feel confused but know what they are doing-- it is familiar. There is a whole list of familiar places where us humans resort to-- as many different ones as there are people. 

 

There is one familiar place that we should resort to when we are facing difficulty, despair, confusion and our lives seem to be spinning out of control. Jesus daily resorted to His familiar place-- the place of prayer. The place of prayer should be our most familiar place as well. It should be where we resort to when facing life's trying situations. Did you hear me? I said it should be our "familiar" place-- familiar because we frequent it often, not just visit it once and a while. Is that your familiar place this morning? Is that where you go? Is that where you go to find peace, direction and hope? Or do you go to some other place because the place of prayer is not familiar to you and that place is? 

 

Have a great day. We all have a familiar place that we go to when life is trying. What is your familiar place? 

 

For further reading:

John 21:1-3

 

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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.

"The Only One"

"And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." 1 Kings 19:14

 

Have you ever felt like "you are the only one"? No one else knows what you are going through. No one else knows how it feels. What has happened to you hasn't happened to anyone else. We all go through that at some point. Our pain is so bad, our grief is so overwhelming, our problem so big, our situation so daunting that no one else could possible know or have ever experienced it. 

 

None of us are exempt from this feeling of "self-pity". (Which is what it actually is.) Even the prophets of old felt this way. Elijah was considered one of the greatest prophets to ever live, yet he experienced this feeling himself. He had had a tremendous victory in the Lord-- even calling fire down from heaven and destroying all the prophets of Baal. But within days he was running from an evil woman for fear of his life and sitting in a cave feeling sorry for himself and wanting to die. 

 

Elijah spoke this same statement twice. First to the people at Mt. Carmel when charging them to return to the Lord and stop serving Baal. "Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men." (1 Kings 18:22) Then to the Lord when He confronted him in the cave. The first time he said it, it was spoken out of pride. The second time he spoke it, it was out of self-pity. Pride always goes before a destruction. 

 

The fact remains that we aren't alone in what we go through. It is all "common" to man. Don't develop a prideful attitude about your troubles-- you are not the only one who has ever gone through it. You are not the only one to stand strong and overcome. It will lead to other attitudes that will pull you down. Don't allow self-pity to come in. Again, you are not the only one who has ever gone through it. You are not by yourself. Granted not everyone will understand what you are facing. Not all have yet walked that same path. But remember this when you are walking through anything. While those around you may not know what you are going through, Jesus does. He has been through it all. He knows. He understands. He is touched by the feelings of your infirmities because He was tempted in all points just like you are. So, you are not the only one. Guard your mind against that.

 

Have a great day. You are not the only one who has experienced what you are going through. Jesus has already gone through it. 

 

For further reading:

Proverbs 16:18

Romans 11:4

Hebrews 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.

"Ordered Steps"

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way." Psalm 37:23

 

When we think about a "good" man, we think about someone who is morally right. As I was looking a little closer at this verse the meaning of the word "good" here has a greater emphasis. It means: man, strong man, warrior (emphasizing strength or ability to fight). When you look at the verse with this definition of what it means by "a good man", it gives a whole new meaning to what is being said.

 

This verse lets us know that no matter who we are, even a mighty warrior, we don't have the ability to direct our steps. Your strength doesn't make you strong enough to know how to walk, what to do and where to go without the direction of the Lord. It is that way with all of us. This verse, in essence, let's us know that no matter who we are-- the strong, the well educated, the talented, the old, young, male, or female-- nothing we possess within ourselves empowers or enables us to be able to walk through this life on our own. We have to have the Lord directing our steps. We have to acknowledge Him with each step we take. 

 

Are you trusting in your strength, your education, your know how to navigate you through life? It won't. One of the definitions for ordered means: to be firmly established, be stable, be secure, be enduring. Does that sound like something your strength can do for you? Does it sound like something education can make happen? Does it sound like your courage can firmly establish you? The Lord is the only One who can give us stability and make us secure. He is the only One who can keep our feet upon the right path. He is the only One who can keep us from slipping as we walk because He firmly establishes and directs our steps. 

 

The Lord can make our walk firm and secure. He can give us guidance and direction. But only if we are willing to let Him. So who is directing your steps-- the Lord or your self?

 

Have a great day. No matter how strong, popular, talented or well educated you may be, it is not enough to direct your own steps... only the Lord can do that.

 

For further reading:

Psalm 94:18; 18:36

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

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.

"Does He Care?"

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

 

Do not accuse God of not caring! Just because you are going through a difficulty, problem, trying time or an unpleasant situation is no indication that God does not care about you. He does! He cares so much about you that He sent, or rather gave up, His Only Begotten Son for you when you were in your greatest need.

 

Our greatest need is that of salvation and eternal life. We were hopelessly lost. We had rebelled against God and as a result separated ourselves from Him-- forever! We were unable to do anything about the state we were in. There was nothing we could do. We couldn't work hard enough, be good enough, do enough to change our condition-- we were lost eternally. Sin had come in and made us a prisoner. We could never be free. But God cared about and loved us so much that He stepped in and made a way for us to come out of our hopeless situation. We didn't ask Him to do it. He didn't owe it to us. He wasn't at fault. He hadn't turned His back on us. Yet He came and gave us a way of hope and eternal life. That Way was through giving up His Son Jesus as a ransom for our sins.

 

If God loved you so much and cared for you so deeply when you were living in sin and rebellion against Him, why would you think that He doesn't care about you now. Why, now that you have accepted His Way and are living in fellowship with Him, would you think He has stopped caring? If He loved you at your worst and did something to show you how much He cared-- by paying the ultimate price for you to be saved and become His child-- why would He not care about you in your time of hardship? 

 

The truth is that He does care! He hasn't stopped caring! He hasn't stopped loving you! Don't judge Him by what you are going through. We all "go through", but God cares enough that He "goes through" it with you. And He is there with you!

 

Have a great day. Just what else does God have to do to prove to you that He does care? He has already made the greatest sacrifice there is to prove that He cares.

 

For further reading:

John 3:17

1 Peter 5:7

Mark 10:45

Romans 5:8

 

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

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.

"When Is Due Season?"

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Galatians 6:9

 

We are all familiar with the four seasons- spring, summer, fall and winter. But there is a fifth season. It is call "due season". Due season isn't marked by a certain date on the calendar. It is a "spiritual" season and it comes around just as surely as the four physical ones. 

 

Each of the four seasons come at a particular time and are characterized by certain qualities. For example, winter comes at the end of one year and the beginning of another. It is characterized by cold, rain and snow. So when is "due" season and what are its characteristics?

 

Due season is a time that is appointed by God, and only known by Him. It happens in His perfect timing. God promised Abraham the he would have a son. Abraham tried to rush his "due" season and make it happen on his time table. King Saul also tried to make "due" season come in his timing, instead of waiting for the Prophet Samuel to come which would have ushered in his "due" season. God told Jeremiah that the children of Israel would be in bondage for seventy years. At the end of the seventy years their "due" season would come. Joseph tried to rush his "due" season by asking the butler to remember him to Pharaoh. "Due" season is marked on God's calendar, not ours. 

 

Due season is characterized by a time of receiving and experienced by a time of reaping. Abraham's "due" season came when Isaac was born. King Saul missed his "due" season completely. The children of Israel's "due" season came when they were released from bondage. Joseph's "due" season came when he was released from prison and promoted to the palace.

 

We each have a "due" season. It is a time when God fulfills and brings to pass in our lives what He has promised. It comes when what we have patiently waited on Him and it is manifested. It comes when what we have sown comes to fruition and we can reap it. You may be in your "due" season, or you may still be waiting for it to come. Don't get weary in waiting. Do what you would do in the natural seasons-- continue on with life, awaiting its arrival. It will come when God says it will come. And when it does, it will be in His perfect timing accomplishing His perfect will.

 

Have a great day. There is a "due season" and it will come to your life. 

 

For further reading:

Psalm 145:15

Leviticus 26:4

 

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

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.

"Smarter"

"As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all." Ecclesiastes 11:5

 

Let's face it, we aren't as smart as we would like to think we are. This way of thinking starts in us at a very early age. Even as toddlers when we are offered help, we insist that we can do it by ourselves. When we become teenagers, we know it all-- we are smarter than our parents or anyone else for that matter. As adults, we don't like to be made to feel like we don't know what we are doing. We try to give the impression that we know it-- often, faking it. The definition for this is called "pride and independence". 

 

We want to be independent-- we want to do it ourselves without help. We are too proud to admit that there is something we can't do or don't know. Pride says I can do it, I know it all, I don't need someone else to tell me what and how to do it. The only problem with this though is that we often exhibit this same attitude toward God. We try to tell Him what to do. We act toward Him as if we can take care of whatever it is we are facing. We have the same-- I can do it by myself attitude-- with Him. The fact is that we can't.

 

The Bible says that there are things that are impossible for us. Yes, it does say we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us. But it says-- through Christ, not through ourselves. Jesus told us that without Him we can do nothing. Having an independent spirit in some cases and to some degree is not a bad thing unless you are dealing with the Lord. 

 

Face it, you can't do it all. You don't know it all. You are not that smart. You don't have it all together. Does this sound "negative"? It isn't. On the contrary, it is very positive because it is the truth. Truth always sets us free-- which is a positive plus in our lives. We need to humble ourselves before the Lord and acknowledge that without Him we are nothing and can do nothing. We need to acknowledge to Him that we need Him-- desperately need Him. When was the last time you "climbed into His lap" in prayer, and told Him how much you need Him? When was the last time you expressed to Him, how weak you are without Him? When was the last time you admitted to Him that you just don't know everything? When was the last time that you confessed to Him that you are not that smart, but that you know He is?

 

Have a great day. We aren't as smart as we like to think we are. So swallow your pride and admit to God that He is and that you need His help. 

 

For further reading:

Philippians 4:13

John 15:5

James 4:10

2 Corinthians 12:9

 

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

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.

"One Good Reason"

"Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life." John 6:68

 

Have you ever heard anyone say, "Why should I follow you? Give me one good reason why I should do this or that?" Maybe you have said it too. When Jesus calls to us, He calls us to "follow Him". Some immediately follow without reservation. Some take their time in making the decision to do so. Then there are others who want to know. "Why should I? Give me one good reason why I should follow Jesus." 

 

So, why should we follow Him? Some make that decision because they think that by following Him it means an end to all their problems. They think that once they do life will become easy for them. But once you start following Jesus you find that the opposite is true. You seem to have more problems after you started following Him than before. Some follow because they are trying to please someone else and make someone else happy. Following for that reason will only make you miserable instead. It takes away the joy that comes when your heart motive is right. Some follow Him because they have heard about how "blessed" those who do are. They don't realize that "blessings" don't always mean "material wealth". 

 

There are as many different reasons as to why people follow Jesus as there are people. But there is only one true reason for doing so. "You have the words of eternal life." Jesus not only has the words of eternal life, He is The Word. He is Eternal Life. We follow Him because He is the "Life Giver". Outside of Him there is no life. Without Him we are walking, breathing corpses-- dead men walking. We may be up on our feet, breathing air, doing activity, but inside we are dead and lifeless. 

 

When God told Adam that he would die when he ate of the forbidden tree, He meant that Adam (and all mankind) would die inside- not physically. Adam did, and so did we. We are "born dead". This is why Jesus told Nicodemus you must be "born again". Only Jesus has the power to resurrect us to life-- inward life. Only He can bring us from death to life. Only He has the power to put life into us, because He is the Life, Truth and Way. 

 

So what is one good reason why we should follow Him? I could give you countless reasons, but the main one is because without Him we have no life. "In him was life; and the life was the light of men." (John 1:4) "Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." (John 6:53) Except we "partake" of Jesus (receive Him and follow Him) we have no life. That's our main reason. 

 

Have a great day. One good reason why we should follow Jesus? Because He gives us life.

 

For further reading:

Matthew 4:19,22

John 1:1; 3:3,7; 14:6

Genesis 2:17

Romans 5:12

 

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

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

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

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

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

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

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

"Speaking And Listening To Fables"

"Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?" Job 40:9

 

The other afternoon my six year old granddaughter was here at my house. She and I went outside to put her bicycle up before it rained. It was thundering and she asked me, "What is it about God and thunder?" I told her that some people say when it thunders that it is God "moving His furniture around". But the Bible says that God speaks through the thunder. She told me, "I will go with God"-- meaning that she would go with what God says instead of what people say about it. I told her, "Me too".

 

As a grandmother I was thrilled to hear her say that. As Christians we should always "go with what God says". But sadly, we are living in a time that the Bible said would happen. People would have itching ears, hearing only what they wanted to hear. They would give heed to fables, commandments of men, teachings of traditions, worldly philosophies and turn away from the truth.

 

We need to be people who speak the truth of God's word. I could have told my granddaughter the same thing others say about the thunder-- God moving His furniture around. After all, she is only six. That would have sounded more like what a six year old would like to hear. But the problem with that is... it is not the truth. We not only need to hear and heed the truth and reject anything and everything that is contrary to God's word-- which is Truth. But we also need to speak the Word of Truth-- and only the Truth-- when we have the opportunity. Telling my granddaughter the truth that God speaks through the thunder helps root her and ground her in the truth, instead of giving her a false belief in some man's fable. It reveals the nature and character of this Mighty God who is so powerful that even His voice often sounds like thunder. It helps her spiritually to get a bigger picture of who God is. Telling her that it is God moving His furniture around is just a lie and will bring more damage to her soul. But we excuse such because we think it is something "cute" to tell the children. Tell them the truth! Speak the truth. Be people of the truth-- even if it isn't cute or popular. 

 

If we listen to fables and those things that tickle our ears, then we will bring damage to our souls. We will be confused, we will believe a lie, we will follow the wrong direction and wind up on a broad wide way that leads to destruction thinking it is the path of truth. It is only the truth that will make us free-- Thy Word is Truth, not the fables of man. Only the truth will empower us, build us up and encourage us. God's Word is the only truth... everything that is contrary is false and a lie.

 

Have a great day. Be a person who listens to the truth of God's word and speaks the truth of His Word-- not fables or enticing words of men. 

 

For further reading:

Titus 1:14

2 Timothy 4:3,4 

 

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

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.

"Jesus Understands"

"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Hebrews 4:15

 

Have you ever heard anyone say, "You just don't understand what I am going through"? Maybe you have said it. Maybe you have gone through a situation and felt like that. When we are going through a situation, we have a tendency to think that "we are the only ones" who have ever experienced this. True enough I may not have walked through some places where you are walking. I may not have gone through certain situations or through the same trial that you are facing. But we can never say that nobody understands, because there is one who does.... Jesus.

 

I don't know what you are facing this morning. I don't know what you may be going through. I may not know how you feel. But Jesus does. Jesus knows what you are going through. Jesus understands how you feel. He is acquainted with your grief, your suffering and your pain. He knows what it is like to be tempted as you are being tempted. He knows what it is like to feel rejection. He knows what it is like to feel betrayed. He understands what it means to be forsaken and abandoned in time of need. He knows it all. He knows because He has walked through it all.

 

Are you feeling alone in what you are going through? Do you feel as if no one has a clue how you feel and what is happening? Remember that Jesus knows. Remember that He cares. Remember that He has walked down that same path-- and He walked it for you. He know exactly how you feel and what you are going through. He subjected Himself to all "points" so that He would know. You may accuse me of not understanding or knowing what you are going through, and rightfully so if I haven't been through it. But you can never accuse Jesus of not understanding. He understands... He went through it first, before you did. So look to Him. Confide in Him. Trust Him. Ask Him to help you get through it. Ask Him to show you how He got through it. Then take hold of the victory that He got when He overcame it and walk in it.

 

Have a great day. No one else may understand what you are going through, but you can't accuse Jesus of that-- He understands when nobody else does.

 

For further reading:

John 1:14

Isaiah 53

 

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

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 Is Still Good"

"Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart." Psalm 73:1

 

We judge circumstances as either good or bad. We judge people as either good or bad. We also tend to judge God as either good or bad. We call Him good when He does good things for us and gives us blessings that we easily recognize. But we judge God as bad when He "allows" bad things to happen to us. We judge Him as bad when tragedy happens, there is a loss, things don't go our way, we lose our jobs, we are diagnosed with an illness and so on.

 

I may be wishy-washy because I am wrestling with my flesh-- there is a war between the flesh and spirit taking place inside of me. Therefore, one day I may act "good" and the next day do "bad" things. But God is not like that. He is not like mankind. He is not wishy-washy, up and down, going from good to bad, tempted to do evil. God is a good God with a Holy nature that does not change. His nature never changes. He is what He is-- always has been and always will be. He was love at the beginning and is still love today. He was good at the beginning and still is good today and tomorrow. 

 

Have you been judging God? Are you judging His holy and righteous nature as bad because you thought He should have moved in a certain way but didn't? Are you among those who say, "If He was a good God why did He let that bad thing happen? Why didn't He stop it?" No one but God Himself can answer that question. No one but God has that kind of wisdom. No one but God sees the end of a thing before it even begins. I just don't know why and may never know why some bad things happen. But this I do know--- regardless, nothing changes who God is. He is a good God. He is infinitely good beyond our ability to even define good. Your misjudgment of Him will not change Him. All the bad in the world that happens will not change the fact that He is still a good God. Like the saying goes, "God is good, all the time, and all the time, God is good!!"

 

Have a great day. Stop judging God just because something bad happened. That doesn't change Him from still being a good God.

 

For further reading:

Romans 7:15-23

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

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.