"Thanksgiving Challenge"

"Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen."  Revelation 7:12

There are a lot of "challenges" going on for various things.  A friend of mine challenged me on Face Book for the next five days to post three things that I am thankful for.  Of course, there are many more than three things that I am thankful for each day.  I am thankful already that I woke up this morning and that I was able to get out of bed.  Our thanksgiving is something that we should do everyday, not just for a set number of days.

I wanted to "challenge" each of you with this same challenge.  For the next week, at least three times a day stop and thank the Lord for at least three things.  That's only six things a day to thank Him for.  But perhaps you are saying that there is so much bad happening in your life right now, how could you possibly thank and praise Him.  That is the best time to thank Him... remember, it is often a "sacrifice" of praise. 

We all have bad times, difficult times, trying times, and problems that we face and go through, but that is not the time to withhold your thanksgiving... that is the time to open your mouth even more, even wider, even louder and more often.  You are going to go in the direction that you focus on and what you focus on will consume you.  So, stop focusing on all the bad and negative and start focusing on the goodness, the blessings and the promises of God.  It will cause you to rise above your circumstances. It will cause you to gain victory.  It will cause the enemy to flee.  And it will bring God into the very middle of your situation.

Have a great day.  You have been challenged to give God thanksgiving and praise, and stop focusing on the bad things and all that is going wrong in your life.

For further reading:
Jeremiah 33:11
Hebrews 13:15

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

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

"No Other Gods"

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Exodus 20:3

 

Surely this verse doesn't apply to us today.  We don't have idols or statues that we bow before and worship.  Or do we?  In the Old Testament the gods/idols came in many forms-- wood, brass, stone, etc.  Our idols today are the same-- they come in many forms.

 

They come in the form of mammon-- money.  They come in the form of material possessions.  They come in the form of more than just objects.  Anything that you give more than half of your attention to, and thoughts as well, has become a god to you. 

 

The scripture did not say "no other god", it said, "no other gods"- plural.  We can have many gods in our lives, and like I said, they can come in many forms. Some of the gods that are in our life may be: entertainment, an addiction, food, gluttony, another person, our jobs.  We might be serving the gods of greed, bitterness, anger, etc.   We don't usually consider these things/attitudes as gods, but they are if we are giving into them.  Because in giving into them, we are not following the Lord and His commands.  We are allowing them to be ahead of Him, because we are more focused on them than on Him.  If you won't give up the anger you have in your heart, if you won't give up the bitterness that you are holding on to against someone, if you won't lay down that pleasure for even a short time, then you have "other gods" before the Lord. 

 

So, what are you going to do about it?  You can't serve more than one master/god.  You can't serve God and.  Are you going to turn from these "idols" and repent?  Are you going to continue to "serve and worship" them?  Check your heart and see how many "gods" you are serving... there should only be one God that you are bowing before.

 

Have a great day.  Do you have other gods in your life? 

 

For further reading:

Matthew 6:24

Luke 16:13

 

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

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

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

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

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

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

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

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

 

 

"In Familiar Places"

"And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot."  Deuteronomy 29:5

A few days ago we talked about how much of our lives are lived in the unfamiliar-- places we have never been before, experiences we have never had before, new and uncharted "waters".  But we also live our lives in familiar places.  Once we have been in the unfamiliar places for a while, they become familiar to us.  For example, when I first got married, it was an unfamiliar place to me.  Now, I have been married so long that it is a very familiar place to me.  I am somewhat of a pro at marriage and being a wife.  (I didn't say I was perfect at it or had arrived.  I said that I am more familiar with it now and know how to live in it.)

Regardless of whether what we are going through is unfamiliar or familiar, there is a fact that remains--- we need the Lord to help us get through both.  We think we just need His help when we are unfamiliar with where we are and what we are doing.  But we need His help just as much when we are very familiar with where we are.  That doesn't exempt us. 

The children of Israel wandered around in the wilderness for forty years-- the same wilderness.  I am sure they could tell you where every stone, every boulder, every rock formation was-- blindfolded.  Did their familiarity negate their need for God-- for His leadership, for His help, for His provision?  NO. 

We don't need to think that just because we have done something for so long, lived in a situation for years, or know what to do, that we "got this".  We still need God's help.  We still need Him daily to navigate us through life-- the unfamiliar and the familiar.

Have a great day.  It doesn't matter where we are or how long we have been there, it doesn't matter how unfamiliar or familiar the places that we are in are, we still need the Lord's help-- we can't do it on our own.

For further reading:
Hebrews 13:6

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

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

"Don't Be Moved"

"Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance."  Psalm 112:6

Who is this person who isn't moved?  Who is unshakeable, steadfast, grounded?  Who isn't moved by what they see or hear?  Or moved by circumstances of life?  We live in a world that is full of violence, uncertainties, threats, economic problems, and concerns about the future.  When you look at the state of affairs in the world, it is easy to become fearful, anxious and discouraged.  It is easy to dread the future.  It is easy to want to turn and run or put your head under the covers and go into hiding.  It would be easy to leave the firm foundation upon which your hope, strength and peace lie.  But we don't have to be moved by anything that is going on around us-- nationally, internationally or personally.  "Surely he shall not be moved for ever." 

So again, who is this person?  Who is this one who isn't moved?  Who is this one that stands firm and strong?  Who is this one who continues to have peace though everything around them is falling apart?  The answer is found in verse 1- "Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments."  That person is the person (man or woman, boy or girl) who fears the Lord and delights in His commandments. 

The fear of the Lord is a keeper.  It is the beginning of wisdom.  Wisdom will keep you grounded and unmovable.  The commandments (God's Word) is a keeper as well.  It will keep you rooted and grounded.  It is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path, so that you can see clearly and know which direction to go.  The Word is more powerful that any weapon known to man.  The Word of the Lord gives us faith which in turn helps us to trust the Lord no matter what we see, hear or feel.  When we have the fear of the Lord, and the Word of God hid in our hearts and renewing our minds, we will not be moved regardless of what comes our way.

Have a great day.  The key to remaining unmoved and unshaken by distressing situations is to fear the Lord and delight in His commandments.

For further reading:
Psalm 112

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

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 Unfamiliar"

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

 

I am sorry that there hasn't been a CB devotional for several days.  To those of you who have checked, thank you-- I am fine and no, it was not your computer.  It was mine.  I was having problems with my computer the last devotional I sent out.  I kept working with it but it kept getting worse.  I contacted technical support, numerous times, but that didn't help.  Then, my computer "died".  RIP!

 

I finally got another one and it has been challenging to try to figure it all out.  I went from a desktop to a laptop; from one operating system to another; from one mail program to a completely different one.  Nothing about this experience is familiar.  But this morning I am feeling somewhat comfortable enough with what I have learned about this to make an attempt to send out the devotional.  

 

Much of life is spent in the "unfamiliar".  We all go through experiences, walk down paths, and face circumstances that are unfamiliar to us.  We haven't been that way before, it is new to us, we are having to learn something else.  For example, when I got married, I entered into an unfamiliar place-- it was a new life and lifestyle for me.  The same was true when I became a mother, a grandmother, when I was employed at my first job, when I got my first computer and when I started the ministry.  All were uncharted waters and new frontiers- unfamiliar experiences. 

 

The point is, there is more of our life that is spent in unfamiliar places and new experiences and not everything is something we "know how to do".  But we don't give up.  We keep pressing through.  We keep working at it.  We keep going forward.  Sometimes we may have to, like my sister in law says, "Backup and punt".  But we don't stop.  We perservere and keep going on.  You know, all those things that I said were once unfamiliar to me, have become very familiar and now I can "navigate" through them with either no trouble at all, or a lot less trouble.  God hasn't called us to quit and give up just because we don't understand something or it isn't familiar to us.  We would live miserable lives if we did and miss out on so much that is good and wonderful. 
 

Have a great day.  Don't give up just because what you are facing is unfamiliar to you.  The longer you stick with it, the more familiar it will become and eventually you may even be a pro at it.

 

For further reading:

Romans 8:28

 

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

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

"Are You Going To Complain?"

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

 

How did you wake up today? Did you wake up complaining that it is Monday? Did you wake up complaining because you have to go to work? Did you wake up dreading the day? Or did you wake up thanking God that you saw another day or that you have a job to go to?

  

Things may not be perfect for you today. You may have some "reason" to complain- we can all easily find something to complain about. There may be something about today that you dread. But what we have to be thankful for far outweighs what there is to complain about. Our lives should be one of thanksgiving and praise. When we live in such a way, the dread, the fear, the anxiety and the complaining will stop because we will realize that we have so much more to be thankful for than we have to complain about.

 

Check yourself today and take note and see what do you spend more of your time doing? Praising God and giving Him thanks? Or complaining about the things you should be thankful for?

 

Have a great day. Are you spending your day complaining or giving God thanks?

 

For further reading:

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Psalm 113:1; 135:1; 92:1

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

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.

"Grace In Tribulation"

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

 

"God's Divine Grace is in the midst of tribulation".

 

When we go through tribulations, of any sort, God's grace will be right there in the middle of it. Grace is many things. It is His unmerited favor. His grace will be there, not because we are so deserving of it, but because of who He is-- a loving, compassionate Heavenly Father who cares deeply for us. 

 

Grace is God's holy influence. His very nature-- holy, divine, righteous, loving-- will influence us (with peace, joy and comfort) to keep us from stumbling and falling and giving into the demands of the tribulation to give up, to recant, to turn away from the Lord, to throw up our hands, to run the other way, and to fall short. 

 

Grace is also God Himself. He is the Origin of grace. All grace comes from Him. He is in the midst of our tribulations, leading, strengthening, keeping and loving us through it so that it will not overcome us and destroy us. He, through His grace, will be with us, not leaving or abandoning us during our time of need. 

 

Whatever you are facing today, whatever trial, whatever affliction, whatever tribulation, you have a promise from the Heavenly Father Himself. His divine grace will be in the middle of it because He is with you in the middle of it.

 

Have a great day. God's divine grace is in the midst of tribulation.

 

For further reading:

Hebrews 13:5

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

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.

"Bow At His Name"

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth." Philippians 2:9,10

Are you feeling defeated this morning? Are you plagued by a besetting sin? Do you feel like you can't get victory over a certain area in your life? Well, whatever it is, it is not greater than Jesus. He has been given a name that is above whatever name it has. And at His name it has to bow-- it has to surrender and submit. 

At the name of Jesus fear has to bow. At the name of Jesus anxiety has to bow. At the name of Jesus worry, depression, bitterness, anger, confusion, sorrow, unbelief, immorality, addiction, sickness, unforgiveness, weakness, greed, pride, it all has to bow at the name of Jesus. And any other thing that has a name has to bow. (If it has a name, it has to bow.) 

His name is full of power and authority. His power is greater and He has all authority. Realize that what you are wrestling with is not greater than He is. Call upon the name of Jesus. Bring it to Him. Place it under His feet. Give it to Him. Trust Him. Don't wrestle with it on your own. It doesn't bow at your name, but it does at His. He has already conquered it at the cross. He already has authority over it. Walk in freedom and victory because it is yours through Jesus.

Have a great day. Through Jesus you don't have to bow to that sin or bondage, it has to bow to Him.

For further reading: Romans 14:11; Matthew 28:18; 2 Corinthians 2:14

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

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

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

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

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

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

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

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

"The Spiritually Poor"

"If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail." Job 31:16

 

In this verse Job is making his case for his innocence concerning the "punishment" that he perceives he is going through. He declares that he has helped the poor and the widows and not withheld from them what they desired or needed. Can we say the same? Can we say that we have helped the poor and needy? The Bible says that true religion is to help the widows and orphans in their affliction. But there is another way also that we help them that is not physical, that is not material and that is not monetary.

 

Without Christ as Savior we are spiritually poor. Our souls are not enjoying spiritual prosperity. While we should help the poor when it is in our ability to do so, just meeting a person's physical need is not enough. You can meet it today and that same person can be in need tomorrow. Jesus said, "You have the poor with you always."

 

But when you meet a person's spiritual need, you have given him something that is eternal and that will satisfy his soul more than bread that will satisfy his stomach. So, how do we do that? How do we meet a person's spiritual need? How do we help them in their spiritual poverty? We don't "withhold" the gospel from them.

 

Job declares that he didn't withhold any physical need from the poor. Can we say the same thing about the "spiritual poor"? Are we giving them "bread" to feed their spiritual hunger? Are we telling them about Jesus- the Bread of Life? Are we giving them sustenance for their souls? Jesus told the woman at the well that whoever drinks the water from that well would thirst again. But whoever drinks the water that He has-- which is salvation and eternal life-- will never thirst again. 

 

When the spiritual need of a person is met, they will never be thirsty again, hungry again, needy, or poor. The only way it can be met is through Jesus Christ. And the only way they will know Jesus is if someone tells them-- if someone who already knows Him will not withhold the good news from them. Is that person you? Are you giving the poor-- the lost-- what they really need?

 

Have a great day. Are you withholding the gospel from those who are spiritually poor so that they can become spiritually rich?

 

For further reading:

James 1:27

3 John 1:2

Matthew 26:11

John 4:13,14; 6:35,41

Romans 10:14

 

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

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

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

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

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

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

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

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

"Waiting For Right Conditions"

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

 

Many people are waiting for all the "right conditions" before they will do anything. This is true when it comes to surrendering their lives to the Lord in salvation. I was one of those people. I was going to wait until I got old, until I had lived my life, until I was finished doing all the things I wanted to do, until my "death bed". These were the "right conditions" I placed on when I would receive salvation.

 

If I had waited for all these right conditions, I probably never would have been saved. I never had the assurance of living to be "old". At what point in life would I have done all the things that I wanted to do? (There is always more that keeps getting added to the list.) How did I know I would make it to a "death bed"? There was no guarantee that my life might not be snuffed out suddenly and unexpectedly. I was playing around with my soul and deceiving myself with unrealistic conditions that I had placed on when I would do something about my eternity. 

 

Is that you this morning? Are you waiting for some "right condition" before you will do something about securing your eternity? Are you waiting until you have made your first million dollars? Are you waiting until you get married? Are you waiting until you have finished your education? Are you waiting until you are old and grey? Are you waiting for your children to surrender first to the Lord then you will? Are you waiting until your children, or grandchildren, are grown? Are you waiting for someone else to get their lives right with the Lord? Are you waiting until you have done all the "partying" you want to do? If you are, you will never do it. You will wait too long and leave this earth in death and then it will be too late. 

 

There is only one right condition as to when we give our lives to the Lord and receive Jesus as Savior, and that is when He is knocking on our heart's door. When the Lord is convicting you, when He is offering you an invitation to come, when He is drawing you to come to Him, that is the condition in which you come. You can't come to Him otherwise. You can't go when you finally decide you will do it. You come when He draws you and calls you to come.

 

Have a great day. If you wait on all the right conditions in your life before you will get saved, you will never do it. The only right condition is when the Lord is speaking to your heart to come. 

 

For further reading:

John 14:6; 6:44 

 

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

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 The Only"

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:18

 

The world and those who don't believe that Jesus is who He is uses the word "many" to describe who He is. They say He is one of many ways that lead to God. He is one of many gods. They say He is one of many prophets. And so on. But when it comes to Jesus, the word is not "many", the word is "only". Jesus is not one of many, but the only one. 

 

Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. Jesus is the only way to the Father. Jesus is the only way that leads to eternal life. Jesus is the only true and living God. Jesus is the only acceptable sacrifice for our sins. Jesus is the only life giver. Jesus is the only redeemer of mankind. Jesus is the only healer. Jesus is the only name given under heaven by which we must be saved. Jesus was the only sinless one. Jesus is the only one to whom all power in heaven and earth is given. Jesus is the only one who can establish true and lasting peace. 

 

When Jesus asked His disciples, who do men say that I am. There were many answers. All the answers minimized Him to just another one of many prophets. Their answers were wrong. But when He asked them who do you say I am, Peter proclaimed that He was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Peter's answer was correct. His answer was the truth-- Jesus is the only Son of God, God Himself. Who do you say that He is? If your answer equates Him with many others-- others ways to God, other gods, other sacrifices-- then your answer is wrong. There is only one right answer concerning Jesus, and it will always contain the word "only".

 

Have a great day. Jesus is the "only", not one of "many".

 

For further reading:

Acts 4:12

John 14:6; 3:16

 

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

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.

"Abundant Life"

"... I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10b

 

When you want something, you have to go to the source to get it. If I want a drink of water, I go to the water faucet. If you want abundant life, if you want to "really" live, have a productive life and an unordinary life, you have to go to the source. Jesus is the source of life- "I am the way, the truth, and the life". He is the source of real life. 

 

But in order to get that abundant life you have to do more than just believe in Him. You have to do more than just acknowledge His reality. You have to do more than just call on Him when you are in trouble. You have to do more than just make an occasional appearance in His house. You have to do more than have communication with Him when you want it. You have to have a personal relationship with Him. You have to follow Him. You have to surrender to Him. You have to give your whole undivided heart to Him. You have to receive Him as Savior and follow Him as your Lord. 

 

This abundant life that He makes available, provides and invites you to partake of only comes as you follow Him with your whole heart and life. If you give up your life to Him and place it in His hands, He then in return gives you abundant life. Is that what you want? Abundant life? Then follow Him and He gives it to you.

 

Have a great day. Jesus offers you abundant life and it can be yours if you will follow Him. 

 

For further reading:

John 1:4; 14:6

 

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

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.

"The Lord Is Faithful Always"

"I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 89:1

 

As I was praying about what to say to you this morning, I reflected back on the faithfulness of God. I am not sure how long I have been writing the devotional each morning. It has been at least fourteen years or longer. In all that time I can truthfully say the Lord has never once let me down by not giving me what to say. He has also given me the word He has for us. He truly is faithful as promised. The Bible says, "Faithful is He who called you, who also will do it." (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

 

Over thirty-four years ago I accepted Jesus as my Savior and surrendered my life to Him to follow Him as my Lord. I can also say that in all that time He has been faithful as well. In all these years I have been through some storms of great magnitude. I have been through some hard places and trying times. I have been through times of pain, heartache, suffering and hurt. I have faced trials that I never dreamed I would face. I have crossed rivers, walked through the fire, encountered roaring lions, been in the pit, faced a sea of uncertainty, wandered in the wilderness and been to the cross. But in every place I have encountered, He has faithfully been walking with me, guiding me, encouraging me, strengthening me, consoling me, counseling me, watching over me, protecting me, reassuring me, imparting faith to me, giving me power, carrying me and loving me. He has never once failed me or let me down. How many of us have the same "track record" that He has? 

 

I am sure you have the same testimony, for what He does for one He does for all. We all face "life" but when we place our trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, we don't face it alone. We face it with a faithful Lord who will never abandon or withhold His goodness from us. He certainly hasn't withheld it from me... that is why you are reading this now. Each and every time you read one of the Coffee Break devotionals let it be a reminder to you that the Lord is faithful.

 

Have a great day. The Lord has never once stop being faithful. 

 

For further reading:

Psalm 89:8; 119:90

Isaiah 25:1

 

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

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.

"Do You Really Lose?"

"And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1:21

 

It is when you lose everything that you realize you already had the most important thing when you have the Lord.

 

Job was a man who "had it all". He had material wealth. He had family. He had friends. He had all the things one could hope to have in this life. Yet when calamity came, he lost it all. He lost his wealth, his resources, his children, the respect of his friends and his health. He was left with nothing-- naked I came into the world and naked I will leave. 

 

Was Job really left with nothing? According to our standards he was. He no longer had the things that were really important or mattered. Or did he? Through all his loss he still had the Lord. The Lord was still with him. He still had his relationship with the Heavenly Father. He may have had nothing else but he had God in his life. Therefore, he had the one "thing" that truly was the most important and most valuable thing to have. 

 

You can lose your possessions. You can lose your relationships. You can lose your health. You can lose every material thing on earth, these things are all temporary. But it is the eternal things that you have that is of the greatest value and most importance. That being your relationship with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have that, though you may have nothing else, you have everything. Paul counted all things but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. He knew his relationship with Christ was the most "excellent" thing. He had had all the things that we think are important and had suffered the loss of them all. But what he had in Christ out weighed it all anyway. It was the greatest treasure he possessed.

 

The most important thing you "posses" is not your wealth, it is not your riches, it is not your job title, it is not your educational degrees, it is not your talents, it is not your relationships, they are all like the grass that withers in the field-- here today and gone tomorrow. Your most important asset is your relationship with the Lord. It will still remain when all else is gone.

 

Have a great day. It is when you lose everything that you realize you already had the most important thing. 

 

For further reading:

Philippians 3:8

 

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

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.

"Is It A Duck?"

"Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit." Matthew 7:17

 

You have heard the idiom before that if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, swims like a duck, quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck. This is a test by which we confirm the truth about something. If it meets all the criteria than it is true. 

 

It is the same with Christianity. In order for someone to be "judged" as a Christian they have to meet the same criteria-- every part has to line up. For example, I meet people daily who profess to be Christians but you have to wonder. 

 

Jesus said you would know them by the fruit they bare. He said there would come wolves that were dressed like sheep. He also said that not everyone who says, Lord, Lord will enter into the kingdom of heaven. So what is the confirmation test? The first criteria is whether or not they are "born again". A duck can only be classified as a duck if it is "born" a duck. Jesus said that we must be born again. 

 

Do they look like a Christian? What does a Christian look like? They look like love. 

 

Does it sound like a Christian? What does a Christian sound like? They speak the truth, they don't tell lies, they don't gossip, they speak blessings and not cursing, they have praise in their mouths instead of criticism and bitterness. 

 

They act like a Christian. What does a Christian act like? They act like Jesus. They are kind, not easily provoked, have the peace of God residing in their lives, their lights are shining, they love their neighbor as themselves, they are hiding the word of God in their hearts so they won't sin, they are living sacrifices, they are not covetous, they are living righteous and holy lives, they are children of God so they are imitating Him, and so on. 

 

When we talk about the characteristics that define and prove that we are truly Christians, we have to say that Christians are not perfect-- we are striving to be-- but we do make mistakes. Do our mistakes mean that we aren't what we profess? Not necessarily. We all have moments of weakness where we may give into temptations. But the proof is in the lifestyle. A duck has a lifestyle that distinguishes them from the rest of the wildlife community and classifies them as a duck. That distinction for Christians is the fact that we walk in love at all times-- good times, bad times, even when accusations come, etc. "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:35) And that we do not sin. What is meant by that is that sin is no longer our lifestyle. It is no longer something we do because it is our nature to do so. We have been changed. We are being transformed by the power of God. So if we are continuing to practice sin and it comes natural for us, then we may "sound" like a Christian-- know how to talk the talk; we may "act" like a Christian-- read the Bible, pray; we may "walk" like a Christian-- sing in the choir and go to church. But if the fruit is not there, we are nothing more than impostures. "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (1 John 3:9)

 

Have a great day. Are you meeting the criteria that proves you are who you say you are and what you profess to be?

 

For further reading:

Matthew 7:7,15-21

John 7:24; 3:3,7

 

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

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.

"A Trouble Free Heart"

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me." John 14:1

 

"Let not your heart be troubled." That is no easy task. Our hearts are desperately wicked. They are out to deceive us. They want to go in the wrong direction. They are easily led astray. They get fearful, anxious, worried, distressed and depressed. Out of them proceeds evil thoughts. While it is not always easy to keep them from being troubled, it is not impossible. 

 

When a heart is totally yielded to the Lord, it becomes much easier than we think. When it is given to Him, He is able to keep it. When it is surrendered to Him, He has the power to change it. It then becomes a vessel in His hands. He can mold it and make it and turn it into a place of peace, joy and rest. He can place His peace that passes understanding into it and establish it where it is no longer "wishy-washy", up and down, afraid or easily shaken by what it sees or hears. 

 

We are living in a time where there are wars and rumors of war. And a time of uncertainty and calamity. We are living in days of trouble and trials. It seems as if there is nothing "stable" in this life. But even if the whole world around us is falling apart, even if the mountains are shaking and the waters are being removed, we have nothing to fear because our hearts belong to the Lord and are established in Him. When they are established in Him, they are safe--- we are save. So there is no need to fear or be troubled.

Have a great day. If your heart is surrendered to Jesus, He will keep it from being troubled when troubling times come. 

 

For further reading:

Matthew 15:19

Psalm 46:1-5

Jeremiah 17:9

Philippians 4:7

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

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.

"The Revelation Of Prayer"

"And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves." Mark 11:17

 

The temple was originally a place where God was worshipped, the people brought their sacrifices to Him, and the priest interceded to God on behalf of the sins of the people. But when Jesus went into the temple it had become a place of robbery, false worship, religious idolatry and compromise. He ran the moneychangers out and proclaimed-- "My house shall be called a house of prayer."

 

When Jesus did this, He brought back the revelation-- true meaning and purpose-- of the temple. He also reestablished its mission. Not only was what He did for back then, but it is for us today. The church/temple has gotten away from where it originated. It is no longer a "house of prayer". Most churches don't even have prayer meetings any more. Very little time is given to prayer in the churches-- if any. Most churches have become places of "robbery"-- the people are being robbed of the truth. The word of God has been replaced with philosophy, humanistic wisdom, political correctness and enticing words of man's wisdom. They have become places of false worship and idolatry-- worshipping their programs and leaders. They have become a place of compromise-- holiness and righteousness is no longer the standard, instead "anything goes". 

 

How did this happen? How did we get away from God's plan for His church? By neglecting prayer. That is the answer. When you neglect prayer, the door is opened for every other thing to come in. So, how can we change this? By praying. That is the answer. The lack of prayer caused it, and prayer will heal it. 

 

The building where we gather together we call the church. But the church is each and every believer. When we neglect prayer in our individual lives, it opens the door for the "moneychangers" and every other false thing to come in. But when we pray, it will drive them out and set up the purpose of God once again in our lives. Oh, that the Lord would give us as the corporate body and as individuals who make up the body a revelation of becoming once again a "house of prayer" and allow the Holy Spirit to reestablish prayer within our walls and within our hearts.

 

Have a great day. When Jesus drove the moneychangers out of the temple, He gave them the revelation of what His house should be-- a house of prayer. Lord, give us that same revelation today. 

 

For further reading:

Isaiah 56:7

Matthew 21:13

Luke 19:46

 

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

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.