"He Is Still There"

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

I woke up this morning with a song playing in my thoughts-- here is the chorus:  "Jesus will still be there, His love will never change sure as the steady rain.  Jesus will still be there when no one else is true, He'll still be loving you. When it looks like you've lost it all and you haven't got a prayer, Jesus will still be there."

Perhaps you are going through a trying time.  Maybe it's the biggest thing you have ever faced in your entire life.  Perhaps you are trying to get past a broken relationship.  Maybe you are in a place of despair because things didn't turn out in your life the way you thought they would.  You may be wondering how you got where you are.  You could be hurting emotionally this morning.  The pain in your life over a loss seems more than you can bear.  You are in a place of confusion and just don't understand the situation you are facing.  Maybe your health is failing.  Maybe you feel forsaken and neglected and like no one cares about you and you are all alone.   

I want to encourage you this morning with the truth that is in the words of that song.  When things look hopeless, when you feel like you have lost everything, when you feel confused, abandoned, like a failure, like no one loves you, like life is more than you can bear, take heart and look up.  Jesus is still there.  He hasn't left you.  You are not alone.  You may have neglected Him.  You may have placed Him at the end of your situation.  You may have given Him the back seat of your life.  You may have even turned your back on Him.  But, He is still there.  He hasn't left or abandoned you.  He doesn't change.  His love for you doesn't change.  He still loves you. 

Acknowledge Him.  Call upon Him.  Invite Him in-- or back in, whatever the case may be.  He is still there and will answer your cry and call.  He still loves you.

Have a great day.  Jesus will still be there.   

 

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

"Couch Or Table?"

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen".  2 Peter 3:18

I had a dream before I woke up this morning.  In the dream there were a dozen or more women in a house.  We were all in the same room and were getting ready to leave.  A few of us ladies were on one side of the room sitting on the crouch, and the rest of the ladies were on the other side of the room sitting around a table.  Before we started to leave and go our separate ways, I felt a "word" stirring in my heart that I needed to share with the ladies.  The ladies on the couch were waiting to hear it while I was looking up the scripture.  The ladies at the table were also busy looking up scriptures.  I asked if everyone was ready to hear it and the ladies at the table said they needed a little longer.  After waiting on them, they finished and started asking me about angels.  They also presented me with a notebook that had pages of information they had researched about angels.  That was the end of the dream.

After I woke up the Lord gave me understanding of the dream-- this is it:  There were more ladies sitting around the table than there were at the couch.  They were concentrated and focused on angels and getting information about them.  The word the Lord laid on my heart in the dream was- "joy to the world, the Lord has come".  In the dream He gave me the whole "sermon" about His coming and the joy that was attached to it because of the salvation that was now made available to mankind.  The ladies at the table didn't care about that.  They wanted to know about angels.     

 

The point of the dream is that more people are interested in spiritual things and the things of God than they are about God Himself.  They are more interested in learning about angels than they are in learning about Jesus.  They are more interested in the blessings He gives than in Him.  They are more concerned with being religious than having a relationship.  They are more focused on the creation than on the Creator.  They want the gifts He gives more than they want Him.  They want to know about God but don't want to know God.    

 

This may have been a dream, but it is a sad reality.  So now a question, "Which group are you in?".  Are you among the few at the couch who want to know and know about Jesus?  Or with the many around the table trying to figure out kingdom things without focusing on the One who is King of the Kingdom?

 

Have a great day.  Are you one of those who wants to know about spiritual things only, or about God Himself?

 

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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

"Looking In All The Wrong Places"

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also".  Matthew 6:19-21

There was a song that was written years ago that talked about looking for love in all the wrong places.  Humans tend to do that with all matters of the heart.  We look for love, for peace, for joy, for contentment, for security, for acceptance, and so on in all the wrong places. 

We look for love and acceptance in other people.  We look for security in jobs, organizations and the government.  We look for joy through perfect situations.  We look for peace in our finances and the things we possess.  But those are the wrong places to look and have true and lasting confidence in.  Why?  Because they are temporary.  Relationships can come and go.  People can fall "out" of love as easily as we can fall "in" love.  Our financial status can change over night-- we could lose our job, the company can go under, the economy can collapse.  The material possessions we have acquired can be gone with one natural disaster, a house fire or even a decline in health.

You can't put your hope in temporary things because they are temporary.  They are affected by present conditions and they only last a short while.  They are here today and gone tomorrow.  They are easily subject to change.  Therefore, if you want true and lasting love, peace, joy, contentment, and so forth, you need to seek out an eternal source.  That source would be Jesus.  He gives us the true riches our hearts long for.  He is eternal and He gives us eternal riches.  Riches that moths and rust can't destroy and thieves can't steal.  They are not subject to change, to the economy, to time, or to any other condition that would cause them to cease or lose their value.  They are eternal.

Have a great day.  Are you looking to temporary things to give you the satisfaction that only the eternal will give?     
 

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

 

"Weapons To Defeat"

"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord".  Isaiah 54:17

I woke up with this verse on my mind.  It says that no weapon formed against us will prosper.  In order for there to be weapons that won't prosper, there have to be weapons formed.  Why do we think that there won't be any weapons formed against us or that we are exempt from facing those weapons?

There are weapons, and they are mainly formed against those of us who profess to be followers of Christ and are following Him wholeheartedly.  There will always be weapons formed against us because we have an adversary who is out to destroy us.  Why is he out to destroy us?  Because we love God and he hates God.  Therefore, he is attacking that which is most precious to God in order to "get at" God. 

Also, it is because Jesus has given us power and authority over the adversary.  We are suppose to be defeating him, his plan, his schemes and his devises.  It is sad that our enemy knows just how powerful we are through Jesus Christ and what a threat we are to him and his work and we don't.  That is why he forms and "shoots" his weapons at us-- to stop us from messing up his plans to steal, kill and destroy.

The Bible say that the kingdom suffers violence and the violent take it by force.  The weapons he forms against us are meant to stop us from going forward in the Lord and defeating him.  Are we letting him defeat us?  Are we giving in?  Are we drawing back under the attacks?  Or are we standing strong and firm and defeating him through the power of the Holy Spirit and the authority that Jesus has given us to defeat him?  Are we walking in the victory we already have over him?

Have a great day.  Are you giving into defeat by the enemy's weapons?  Or are you defeating him through the power you have been given by 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

"But To Unbelief"

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever".  Hebrews 13:8

Yesterday we talked about how Jesus is the same as He has always been.  We said He was still the healer, deliverer, Savior, etc.  I didn't give a commentary to explain some things because what we needed to focus on, meditate on and renew our minds with was who He is-- His character and attributes.  This morning I want to add that I didn't give a commentary because it is so easy for us to "but" our way into unbelief and question His character. 

For example, we tend to focus more on this-- but why didn't He heal me if He is the healer; but why isn't everyone saved if He is Savior; but why aren't all people delivered if He is the deliverer?

There are some "whys?" that we will never have the answer for-- some we will.  Our focus should not be on what comes after the "but"-- why wasn't he healed, why did she die, why wasn't my prayer answered, why doesn't He care?  Our focus should be on Who He is, not what He hasn't done.

When we focus on what wasn't done, and we continue to focus on it, it opens up a door to anger, frustration, bitterness, distrust and even depression.  Our adversary the devil will use this as a weapon against us and take us into a deep dark pit of unbelief and even get us to turn our backs on God.  This is why it is so important that we stay focused and renew our minds with who God is and even if you feel He let you down, He didn't do what you wanted Him to do, He didn't do what He can do, you can say along with Job, "Though He slay me, yet I trust Him".  What He does or doesn't do is not as important as who He is.  Trials will come and go in our lives as long as we live.  They won't always turn out the way we want them to.  But in each one we have to have an anchor for our soul.  We have to have a firm foundation to stand upon on.  We have to maintain our faith and trust in Him.  That is why you can't throw away your confidence just because He didn't "do it" this time.

Have a great day.  Don't focus on the "but why", focus on the unchanging character of the Lord. 
 

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

"He Still Is As He Has Been"

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever".  Hebrews 13:8

The Lord is the same today as He has always been.  He has not changed.  We change.  We try to change Him to suit us.  We try to make Him what He isn't.  But He is the same.  He hasn't changed with society, with culture, with fads, with religious beliefs-- He is the same now as He was in the beginning.

He still heals the sick.  He still delivers the captive.  He still judges sin.  He still loves with an everlasting love.  He still forgives sin when He sees repentance.  He still saves by His blood.  He opens prison doors to those who are bound.  He gives strength to the weak.  He gives wisdom when we ask.  He answers prayer.  He gives good gifts to His children.  He still shows mercy.  He will not always strive with a person, or mankind.  He is the lifter of our head.  He still meets and supplies needs.  He is the Councilor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father.  He holds the universe in the palm of His hand.  He sits high but looks low.  His is coming again-- the soon coming King of kings and Lord of lords.  He has always been, still is and will always be-- whether man agrees with who He is or not. 

I am not going to write any commentary on what I have said about Him.  Who He is speaks for itself.  What you need to do is renew your mind with what has been said and remind yourself of who He has been, what He has done, and take comfort in the fact that He has not changed.

Have a great day.  The Lord is the same-- He still is.   
 

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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

"Get Up"

"And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons".  1 Samuel 16:1

It is time to "get up" and "move on".  That was the word I heard the Lord say this morning.  Samuel mourned over Saul's rebellion against God and the consequences of being rejected as king.  During his time of mourning the Lord came to him and told him it was time to stop and get up. 

We go through situations in life that cause us to have regret and remorse, grief and anger, bitterness and frustration, unforgiveness and distress.  Some of those places are natural processes for us.  Others are traps of the enemy to keep us held back, held down and in bondage.  The ones that are part of the natural process have to be walked through.  The ones that aren't have to be resisted and turned from.  The ones that are natural and have to be walked through, only have to be walked through, not lived in. 

Have you "camped out" in some of the attitudes we have named?  Are you living in them?  Are you staying there longer than you should?  If so it is time to let it go.  It is time to get up and move on.  It is time to go forward.  It is time to leave it behind.  You may say that it is impossible for you to do that.  You might argue that you can't.  Yes, you can.  It is possible.  God got Samuel up and sent him to anoint a new king.  He can get you up too and help you get on with life and with the plan and purpose that He has for you.  Listen to Him and obey what He tells you to do.

Have a great day.  It is time to get up and move on.   
 

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

"The Bible Will Answer It"

"The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple".  Psalm 119:130

We live in a world that is always looking for answers.  We are constantly running here and there, spending time and resources and still we can't always find answers.  We look to medicine to give us our answer.  We look to doctors, lawyers, professionals in every area, councilors and yet we still keep coming up short in most cases. 

I am not against seeking out help and answers through any of the resources named above-- I believe God gave them to us because He knows how we are and it is His mercy to provide them for us.  But I have a question for you-- when was the last time you sought your answer from the Word of God? (The Bible) 

God's Word has our answer for every question and every problem.  Its words hold our solution.  They give strength to the weak.  Peace to the distressed.  Hope to the hopeless.  Wisdom to those who don't have direction.  Joy to the downcast.  Salvation to the lost.  Deliverance for the bound.  Comfort for those in sorrow.  Encouragement to the discouraged.  Healing to the sick.  Clarity to the confused.  Power to the powerless.  Victory to the defeated.  

What answer do you need today?  There is nothing wrong with asking people, but what about asking the Lord?  What about listening to His answer from His Word? 

Have a great day.  Have you even thought to seek the answer in the Bible? 

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

"What Is First?"

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you".  Matthew 6:33

I think that we tend to interpret this verse to mean that we are to seek God first thing in the morning when we wake up and start our day off with prayer.  Yes, we should.  We should seek Him early before the day starts crowding in on us.  We should face Him before we face anyone else.  We should get guidance from Him to be able to go through the day that lies ahead of us.

But this verse means so much more than just praying in the morning.  It says to seek first the kingdom of God.  We are to make God's kingdom the priority.  We should seek His kingdom above anything else.  We should seek His agenda above our agenda.  We should seek His plan above our plans.  We should seek His purposes above our purposes.  We should desire His will first above our own. 

Seeking His kingdom first means that we are seeking after righteousness, peace and joy, above seeking wealth, ambition, a career or material blessings.  It also means we should be seeking the eternal instead of the temporary-- His kingdom is eternal.  It means we should seek to glorify the King of the kingdom above everything and anyone else, including self. 

When we get things in the right order-- Him first then me; His will first then conform my will; His glory first not mine-- all the things we thought we had to seek after first will be added to us.  The things that are truly important and have real value will be added to us. 

Have a great day.  Seeking the kingdom of God first means more than just praying when you first get up in the morning. 
 <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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

"Defeated Or A Conqueror?"

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us".  Romans 8:37

I woke up with a song on my mind that comes from the verse above.  "We've been made more than conquerors.  Overcomers in this life.  We've been made victorious, through the blood of Jesus Christ".  Like I said, this song comes from the verse above, therefore, it is the Word of God.

So, if Jesus has made us not only conquerors but more than conquerors, why do we live and act so defeated?  Why do we allow things to upset us and defeat us the way they do?  Why do we give up and give in so easily when trials and problems come?  Why do we "tuck our tails" and run when the going gets tough?  Why are we depressed, anxious, fearful and whinny?  Why do we murmur and complain about everything?  Why do we act like there is no hope?  Why are we wallowing in self-pity?  Why can't we rise above the circumstances that weigh us down?  If you will be honest, you know many Christians like this--- yourself included.  There is something terribly wrong with this.  How can Jesus have made us more than conquerors and we are so defeated at the same time?  It just doesn't make sense-- it is just not right!

There are many reasons why.  The first is because we don't spend enough time in His presence to get a revelation of who He actually is and who He is in us.  Second, we believe everything everyone says and don't believe what God says.  That is because we spend such little time reading the Bible and renewing our minds with it.  It is no wonder we believe that we are defeated.  

It is time for the church and it is time for you as an individual to rise up strong in the Lord and the power of His might and stop allowing everything to defeat you.  You are more than a conqueror through Jesus.  The greater One lives in you.  You have been given power over all the powers of the enemy.  No weapon formed against you shall prosper.  The Holy Spirit empowers you to rise above and not be trodden beneath the cares and trials of life.  You need to get in your prayer closet and stay there until you "see Jesus" as He is and "see yourself" because of Him as a conqueror.

Have a great day.  We are more than conquerors.  We are not defeated.  So stop acting like it! 
 

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

       

"Trouble For Today"

"And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning".  Exodus 16:19

Yesterday we talked about having troubles from without, but not letting them come within.  Well, that was yesterday.  Along with the dawn of today came its own new troubles, new problems, new sorrows, new challenges, new obstacles, new temptations and new trials.  So how do we handle them?  The same way we handled them yesterday-- through our trust and confidence in Jesus. 

When the Israelites were in the wilderness, the Lord provided food for them each day.  This food they called manna.  The instructions the Lord gave them for gathering it were that they were only to take enough for each day.  Daily they would have to go gather it and it would be good for that day only.  Only once a week they could gather enough for two days, and that was for the Sabbath.  They were not suppose to work on the Sabbath so they gather extra the day before. 

For today's troubles we can't go on yesterday's "manna".  We have to go to God each day and get what we need for that day.  Like I said earlier, today is a different day with different troubles, therefore, you have to get new instructions as to what to do today.  You have to get new strength for the day.  You have to get fresh peace for this day.  The Lord doesn't want you trying to "stretch" out yesterday's provision and answer.  He wants to give you something "fresh" to make it through today. 

You are going to the same faithful Lord who provided for your troubles yesterday and with confidence you know He will provide for them again today, but you have to go to Him again today for today. 

Have a great day.  You have to go to God daily for help and answers to the new troubles that come daily.   

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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: 

http://www.mastersbusiness.org

"Troubled In Trouble"

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

"Don't let your heart be troubled".  How is that possible when there is trouble all around us?  We are constantly hearing of wars and rumors of war.  The economy is unstable.  Relationships are rocky.  We have threats of persecution.  Our enemies are rising up against us.  Some one is always out to "get us".  Evil men are getting more evil.  Our jobs aren't as secure as they once seemed to be.  Disease is more common than ever.  Natural disasters are on the rise.  We are faced with trouble on every side.  So how can we not be troubled?

The answer:  believe in Jesus as you believe in God.  This leads to another question.  How does believing in Jesus give us the power and ability to keep from being troubled (disturbed, fearful, anxious, disquieted) in our minds and hearts?  Especially when we dwell in a troubled world.  Especially when trouble is hitting our lives.  Especially when there is trouble on every side we turn.   

Troubles won't cease.  They will always be here as long as the earth exist as it is-- under a curse.  And we will continue to face trouble from time to time as long as we live.  But what Jesus was saying was "trouble may come, but it doesn't have to have you".  You may be in it, but it doesn't have to be in you.  You don't have to be "troubled" over the troubles.  You don't have to be defeated by them. 

You can't stop trouble (difficulties and problems) from coming.  But you can choose to either let trouble overcome you and defeat you.  Or you can choose to overcome and defeat it.  This is where "believing in Jesus" comes in. 

Problems and difficulties come to bring distress, fear, anxiety and steal our inner peace.  Our confidence and trust in Jesus will combat the fear and anxiety it brings with peace and drive it away.  Our confidence and trust in Jesus may not stop the problems from coming, but it will give us the inner peace we need to face them with strength, grace, courage, boldness and wisdom.  It will give us the peace and assurance that though all is not well on the outside, all is well on the inside, therefore, it will all be well in the end.    

Have a great day.  Though troubles come, we don't have to be troubled by them because of our faith in Jesus.   
 

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

 

"Broken Bones"

^"Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice".  Psalm 51:8

Broken bones are no fun.  They hurt.  There is pain attached to them.  They have to go through a healing and mending process after they are broken.  Sometimes in order to fix a broken bone it requires surgery.  Broken bones are caused by trauma.  Something has to happen to cause them to break-- that something may be from the outside (like a strong blow to them) or from the inside (a disease strikes).

The Psalmist may have been speaking about physical bones when he was writing.  Or perhaps he was speaking more in a spiritual sense.  Our bones are strong and support our body.  Without them we would not be able to stand.  We would be like a "jellyfish" basically.  Spiritually our bones represent several things.  They symbolize strength, vigor, good health and wholeness.  Broken bones symbolize defeat or oppression.    

There are times when our spiritual "bones" are broken.  We don't feel very strong.  We may have been through a tragedy that leaves us feeling broken.  We are suffering pain from grief.  We feel defeated because we gave into a sin and condemnation is hanging around and tormenting us. Because of a trial we have gone through we don't feel very "whole"-- things seem out of sort, we are confused, we feel fragmented in our emotions.  There are times we feel helpless and hopeless because of various situations.  What do we do?  How to we get our "bones" healed and mended? 

When our bones are broken physically, we go to the doctor and he either places us in a cast, boot or some other device to help support the broken bone.  Or he may do surgery to repair it.  When our spiritual bones are broken, we go to the doctor also-- Jesus, the Great Physician.  He knows how to bind up what is broken.  He will pour His healing oil in.  He will give you a dose of joy, hope, peace and laughter (which does good like a medicine).  He will turn your mourning into dancing, your sorrow into joy and cause what is broken to be healed.  Make an appointment with Him now.  You won't have to wait. 

Have a great day.  Are your spiritual bones broken?  Go to Dr. Jesus.  He is the Great Physician. 

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

"Rock And Water"

"Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ". Exodus 17:6; 1 Corinthians 10:4

We have been talking about rock and water-- solid and liquid.  We have said that we can't be both a "rock" and "water" at the same time.  But Jesus can be both and He is both.  The Bible says He is the Rock and He is Living Water.  This is good news for us. 

He is the Rock.  It speaks of His character.  It means He is strong.  I can look to Him for strength when I am weak.   He is a firm foundation upon which we can build our lives without fear of destruction.  He is unmovable and unshakeable.  He will be there when I need Him. He is unchanging.  I don't have to worry that He will not be as faithful to me today as He was yesterday.  He is the cleft of the rock that will hide you in His loving protection.  He is the Rock of my /salvation.

He is Living Water.  He cleanses me from all unrighteousness.  He cleanses me when I get "soiled" by the world.  He cleanses me from sin.  He sustains my life by refreshing me when I am tired and weary.  He quenches my thirst.  He pours His life giving water upon me and I am renewed. 

He will be that rock when you need Him to be.  He will be water when you need Him to be water.  He is the Rock and He is Water.  He is all-sufficient for everything that you have need of. 

Have a great day.  Jesus is all that you need and need Him to be.   
 

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

"Water Or Rock?"

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new".  2 Corinthians 5:17

The past two days we have talked about Psalms 114:8 how God turns a rock into standing water and a flint into a fountain of water.  We have compared this to our lives and salvation.  We said that there are three main forms of matter:  solid, liquid and gas.  Today I want to continue with this thought and relate it to what happens at the new birth/salvation.

In order for a solid to become a liquid there has to be a change in its molecular structure.  At the new birth-- when we are born again-- a change takes place in us.  Our "spiritual DNA" is changed.  We go from being a "rock" to "water".

A rock is a hard, rigged, solid, stationary, restricted, dead object.  Water is the total opposite.  It is soft, flowing, conforms to whatever it is put in, yielding, and alive.  A rock does nothing.  It can't move.  It can't refresh.  It can't conform.  It is just what it is.  Water can do much.  It give life.  It can satisfy a thirst.  It can clean what is dirty.  It can support life. 

When we are born again, God changes us from a "rock" to "water".  He makes us something brand new that we weren't before.  He takes our dead hearts of stone and makes them into live hearts of flesh.  We are no longer a dead hard lump.  We are a live, freely flowing stream.  We are the total opposite of what we once were because of the transformation that has taken place in us at salvation.

Have you been saved?  Did a transformation take place in you?  Or are you still a "rock"?  If you are, then you weren't really born again.  You may have become religious, but religious is just another name for being a rock.  If that is the case, let Jesus Christ come into your life and make you into that new person.  Let Him transform you into a free flowing fountain of water. 

Have a great day.  Have you been changed from a rock into water?

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

"Double Lives"

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon".  Luke 6:24

In yesterday's devotion we made the statement concerning matter forms that something can't be both a liquid and a solid at the same time.  The same is true if you say you are a Christian and are living like something other than a Christian.  You can't be two different things that conflict with each other.  You are one or the other, but not both.   

The Bible makes it plain that you can't be hot and cold at the same time.  You can't serve God and mammon.  You can't be a sheep and a goat.  You can't have sweet and bitter water coming out of you.  You can't love God and the world both. 

Yet so many who profess to be Christians are trying to live "double" lives.  They are trying to live for God and self both.  They are trying to serve the Lord and also serve self.  They are trying to fit in with the world and fit in with the church.  You can't be or do both.  Where did we get that idea from? 

Why is it we think we can profess the Lord with our mouth, but hold on to the world with our hands.  We have this mentality that thinks we can have God and everything else.  We can't.  He either has ALL of us or He will have NONE of us.  I know that is a pretty strong statement but I am not the one who said it-- Jesus is.  And He is the one who makes the rules and defines the relationship He desires to have with us. 

If you are trying to ride both sides of the fence, you need to stop and repent.  You need to let go of the world and take hold of the Lord only.  You need to stop having a divided heart and life.  Either He is Lord and Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all!  You can't have it both ways.  He will not share you, your heart or the throne of your heart with everything, or anything, else.

Have a great day.  It is either Jesus or the world... you can't have both.   

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

"Changed Matter"

"Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters".  Psalm 114:8

Matter takes on one of three basic forms:  solid, liquid and gas.  A rock is solid matter.  Standing water is a liquid.  Flint is solid.  A fountain of waters is liquid.  They can't be both at the same time, something has to happen in them to make the change.  Something has to take place in a rock before it can become water.  The verse above says that God can do this.  He can change a rock into water.  He can change a flint into water.  He can make this transformation possible between these two forms.   

There are some changes that only God can do.  Salvation is one of them.  Only God can save us.  Only He can change us from being a lost sinner to a saved follower of Christ.  We can't save ourselves.  We can't change ourselves.  No amount of effort and no amount of changes that we make in our lives can bring about this transformation.  All the changes in the world that we could make in our lives will not make us that new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)  Turning over a new leaf, stop smoking, start going to church, start acting kinder, stop cussing, etc.  No amount of good deeds and good works can do it.  It only happens when we come to Christ Jesus confessing our sins and putting our faith in Him as Savior.  It is then when we are changed.  It is then when we are forgiven and made righteous.
  
If you are trying to change yourself, if you are trying to be good enough to be a "Christian", if you are trying to do enough good deeds, you can't and won't ever be able to do it.  It would be easier for you to take a rock and turn it into water than it would be for you to do enough good deeds to save yourself.  It is impossible outside of Jesus Christ.  He is the only way it can happen.

Have a great day.  God can turn a rock into water.  And only He can turn a sinner into a saved person. 
 

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

"Faith In Suffering"

"From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised".  Psalm 113:3

Praising the Lord from the time we wake up in the morning until we go to sleep at night is not always an easy thing because there is a lot that can happen to us in a day.  And not all that happens to us is good. 

Trying times happen.  Tragedy strikes.  Grief comes.  Sickness attacks our bodies.  Pain enters.  It happened to Job.  I don't believe there is any way we can fully comprehend all that this man went through.  (I can't.)  He lost all his children.  He lost his herds and flocks.  He lost his health.  All he had left was a wife who out of her own pain encouraged him to curse God and die.  Yet in the midst of all his pain and suffering, he worshipped God.  "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)

 

He didn't worship God for the suffering, he praised Him in spite of it.  He knew that his relationship with the Lord was the only thing that was going to carry him through the pain, sorrow and grief.  He knew he had to maintain his relationship with the Lord if he was going to survive the agony of what he was going through.  He knew that he had to stay close to the Lord if he was going to have any peace.  He knew his strength to make it through was found in the Lord.  He knew his comfort would not come from man but from God. 

 

Like Job, our worship is an indication of our faith.  Sometimes, when going through difficulty praise doesn't always come automatically or easily.  Often it is a sacrifice.  I am very sure Job didn't feel like worshipping the Lord, but he did anyway as an act of faith-- faith that he still trusted God, he still knew God was faithful no matter what he was going through, he still knew that God would be with him and he still knew that God would turn this around for good. 

 

Are you going through something today that makes it hard for you to worship the Lord?  Do it any way.  Let your faith speak for you-- not your pain.  Job did and as a result he made it through his time of suffering.  

 Have a great day.  Praise the Lord even in suffering.   

 

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

"How Did You Wake Up?"

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you".  1 Peter 5:7

There were a thousand different ways a person could have woke up this morning.  Some woke up to a "perfect" world--- no problems at all and all is well.  But that wasn't the case with everyone.  Some woke up burdened this morning.  Some woke up with pain, sickness and disease in their bodies.  There are those who woke up in grief-- grieving over the passing of a loved one, over a relationship that has been broken, over a misunderstanding, etc. 

Some woke up to find themselves homeless.  Some are uncertain as to the state of their employment.  There are others who are wrestling with the question "why".  Some woke up feeling hopeless.  Many woke up addicted to things that have a stronghold in their lives.  Some people woke up struggling with guilt, condemnation, confusion, fear, anger and bitterness.  Some are facing the decision of a lifetime and need an answer.  Some of our children woke up to their first day back to school.   

Some woke up incarcerated.  Some woke up in a hospital.  Some woke up in a strange bed.  Some woke up in a shelter.  Some woke up having to live with relatives or friends.  Some woke up in a mental institution.  Some woke up in a palace, others woke up in a shack.  Some woke up fighting on a battlefield.    

Where ever you woke up this morning, and whatever state you awoke to, I want to encourage you that there is a God who sits high but looks low.  He sees where you are.  He knows what you are going through.  He sees the conditions and situation that surrounds you.  He has your answer.  He knows your need.  He has peace and comfort for you.  He has strength and guidance available to you.  He has hope and help.  Bring Him into your day.  Bring Him into your situation.  Bring Him into your struggles.  Bring Him into your good times and bad times.  He is a present help and a God who loves you, cares about you and desires to be active in your life.

Have a great day.  How did you wake up this morning?  Bring God into it and let Him give you all you need to make it through it.       

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

"Sin Exposer"

"For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more".  Hebrews 8:12

What a wonderful promise!  When we confess our sins, the Lord is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us.  He not only forgives but He "forgets" our sins.  He doesn't keep reminding us of what we have done.  He doesn't remind us of "that time when".  He doesn't use the knowledge of our past sins against us.  He doesn't use them as a "bribery" or "tool" against us, threatening to expose us if we mess up or don't do exactly what He tells us to do or wants us to do. 

It is hard for us to believe that because the only example we have comes from each other-- mankind.  We see it a lot now in the politic arena.  Politicians are "exposing" one another's past sins and failures.  We see it in marriage relationships.  One spouse doesn't live up to the demands or expectations of another so they keep "throwing up" the mistakes they have made.  In the business world there is a "little black book" of failures, mistakes, compromising situations, etc., that are used against, and by, those who are trying to "climb the corporate ladder".  And the list goes on.  It is everywhere.  People are trying to find and use as much "dirt" as they can against each other.

Newsflash--- we all have a past.  We all make mistakes.  None of us are perfect.  We have all said and done something wrong at some point in life.  We have all sinned.  We should worry about getting the log out of our own eye before we try to point out the speck in someone else's.  We need to sweep around our own door before we expose the dirt around another's. 

Don't be throwing up someone else's mistakes, sins and past.  Don't use what they "did" against them.  Don't listen to the condemnations of the devil when he throws up your past sins.  Thank the Lord for His mercy and grace in forgiving you.  And if He has, then you not only need to forgive others, but you also need to stop exposing their past sins and extend the same grace to them that God has extended to you--- don't remember their past sins to use as a weapon against them any more.

Have a great day.  God never uses our past sins against us-- can you say the same when it comes to others?
 

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

 

Figuring It Out

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths".  Proverbs 3:5,6

There are some who are reading this that are in the "valley of decision".  You are in a place where you have to make a decision about a matter but you don't know what to do.  You have tried everything.  You have looked at the situation from all angles trying to make the right move.  You have tried to figure it out on an educational level.  You have looked at it through the eyes of "common sense".  You have gone from person to person-- family, friend and professionals-- to help give you an answer.  But still to no avail.  You are just as confused now as you have been.

The problem is not the problem.  The problem is that you are not going to the right source for help-- the Lord.  Bring Him into your decision.  Acknowledge Him concerning the direction you are to go and the move you are to make.  It is not in our ability to direct our own steps.  We can make a wise determination of the situation.  Our knowledge is limited.  Our resources are weak.  Our understanding is carnal. 

Go to God and ask Him.  You may say that you already have but still don't know what to do.  One little prayer quickly "thrown up" is not how you get the answer.  You have to seek Him until you find the answer.  You have to ask until you receive direction.  You have to knock until you have gained access. 

We try to figure things out on our own without the Lord's help.  We can't.  When we finally realize we can't, we go to Him and expect Him to answer us in 20 seconds or we move on to the next thing we think might work.  Well, it doesn't.  It often takes time to hear.  You have to be prepared sometimes to wait for the answer.  You have to learn to be patient and still long enough to hear.  When you are, you will know what to do because you will hear Him speak in the matter.

Have a great day.  You can't figure out what you need to do on your own.  You need the Lord's help. 

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

"Deformed Fruit"

"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them".  Matthew 7:20

We used to have two pear trees in our yard.  For years they made lots of delicious pears.  We had so many and they were so good that we were able to enjoy eating them, canning them and giving them away.  But a few years ago we had to cut the trees down.  They got some sort of disease.  They still produced pears but the pears were shriveled up and had blotches on them.  They didn't get very big, their growth was stunted.  Their shape was deformed.  And although they were pears, they didn't look like a pear and couldn't be eaten.

This reminds me of many Christians.  The Bible says that we will be known by our fruit.  They are still a Christian, but they don't look like it.  They have allowed themselves to become "deformed".  They have allowed their fruit to become "diseased".  They don't look very appealing and the "taste" that comes from their lives is not desirable.

We know what caused our trees to become diseased.  As they got bigger, the cedar trees they were planted near got bigger too and the two trees can't be planted too closely together.  It is called cedar-apple rust disease. 

What causes the deformity and disease in a Christian's life that we are talking about?  It is caused by being too closely involved with the world.  When you become "of the world" instead of just "in the world", your fruit gets contaminated.  It also comes as a result of holding on to anger, bitterness, resentment, revenge, unforgiveness, hurt, pain and guilt.  These can affect your fruit and although you are a Christian and should be producing love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, etc., the fruit will be marred.  It won't look like what it is and it certainly won't be desirable.

We could have sprayed our trees and worked with them for a while to heal them.  But we cut them down instead of going through the process.  A Christian who has become "deformed" can be healed and start producing good fruit again.  They do it through repentance and giving everything that contaminates their heart over to the Lord and give the Holy Spirit full control.

Have a great day.  Has your fruit become contaminated and is now deformed and undesirable? 

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