"Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him." Matthew 2:2
The goal of the wise men that searched for the new born King of the Jews was that they might worship Him. Their goal was not to receive something from Him, but instead give something to Him. Their plan was not to petition Him for some need, or seek His hand of favor, or gain some position. It was simply to worship Him.
Imagine traveling the great distance they traveled and under such conditions- on camel, facing the elements (rain and heat), with the threat of robbers during the journey. They did not have planes, trains, buses or cars to travel in. They did not have luxury automobiles (no air-conditioning or heaters or comfortable seats). They did not have iPods to keep them entertained on their journey. They could only travel at one speed. Yet they endured and continued on in order to worship this new King.
I can't help but wonder what price are we willing to pay to worship our glorious King of kings, the Lord Jesus. If all the conditions aren't just right will we do it? If we have to get out of our comfort zone will we do it? If it places any inconvenience upon us, do we withhold it?
I can't help but wonder when we do worship Him if our motive is pure. Or is our worship self-centered, because of what we hope to receive from Him instead of give to Him? Do we worship Him with hopes of something in return?
It cost these wise men much to go and worship the new King- time, comfort, material things (those were no cheap gifts that they were bringing- gold, frankincense and myrrh). They did it and they were from heathen lands-- they weren't Jews. If that was the case and they paid this great price, how much easier should it be for us, how much more should we desire to worship Him if we call ourselves Christians because of our love and gratitude to Him for all He has done for us.
Have a great day. Are you a worshipper? If so, what is your motive behind your worship?
For further reading:
Matthew 2:1-12
John 4:23,24
Psalm 29:2; 95:6; 96:9
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
"Seeing And Hearing"
"(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)" 2 Peter 2:8
"In seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul." It is so important that you watch what you watch and be careful of what you listen to. You can't just listen to anything and it not effect you. You can't spend your time watching anything you want and it not effect you. There are two avenues through which knowledge and influence enter our lives-- through seeing and hearing.
The Psalmist said that he would "set no wicked thing before his eyes". Why? Because what you watch does effect you. It leaves a picture on your mind. It is a seed that produces an "imagination". You can't watch porn (for example) and it not begin to effect your behavior. It will develop into a lustful, immoral and perverted attitude in your life. King David learned the hard way what happens if you don't guard your eyes from looking at the wrong thing. He watched as Bathsheba bathed and it led to lust, adultery and murder.
The Bible says that "faith comes through hearing". Faith comes through hearing, and so does fear, cursing, rebellion and every other evil attitude. Riots, strikes, uproars are started because a group of people "listened" to what someone else was saying. People aren't automatically born speaking profanity- they learn it by hearing it. This is why we, when talking about little children, always say that you have to be careful about what you say around them because they will repeat it. This is also why parents spend a lot to time "spelling" words around little children. When the devil came to tempt Jesus in the wilderness, he used the tactics of hearing and seeing-- "he said" and "he showed". He tried to get Jesus to act upon what he was saying to Him.
If you sit in front of the television, listen to radio, watch videos and listen to CDs it will effect you. It will get into your mind and heart. Therefore, you have to guard your eyes and your ears and be careful about what you are watching and listening to. If you think that you don't have to be "selective" in the things you watch and listen to because you are "beyond" that- it won't effect you in the wrong way- you are fooling yourself. If you think it doesn't, if you think you can watch and listen to whatever you want, then step back and take a look at yourself and listen to yourself talk. I think you will find that it has more of an influence on you than you realize. What you "fill" yourself with is what comes out.
We guard our hearing and seeing through the Word of God. Let it instruct you as to what you should listen to and what you should watch. Had King David followed it at that moment, he never would have fallen prey to lust. Had Eve listened to the "Word" of God instead of the words of the serpent, and had Adam listened to His Word instead of that of his wife, we would all still be living in the garden without sin.
Have a great day. What you watch and listen to does effect you- either in a good way or a bad way.
For further reading:
Psalm 101:3
Romans 10:17
2 Samuel 11:2
Matthew 4:3,6,8,9
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.
"In seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul." It is so important that you watch what you watch and be careful of what you listen to. You can't just listen to anything and it not effect you. You can't spend your time watching anything you want and it not effect you. There are two avenues through which knowledge and influence enter our lives-- through seeing and hearing.
The Psalmist said that he would "set no wicked thing before his eyes". Why? Because what you watch does effect you. It leaves a picture on your mind. It is a seed that produces an "imagination". You can't watch porn (for example) and it not begin to effect your behavior. It will develop into a lustful, immoral and perverted attitude in your life. King David learned the hard way what happens if you don't guard your eyes from looking at the wrong thing. He watched as Bathsheba bathed and it led to lust, adultery and murder.
The Bible says that "faith comes through hearing". Faith comes through hearing, and so does fear, cursing, rebellion and every other evil attitude. Riots, strikes, uproars are started because a group of people "listened" to what someone else was saying. People aren't automatically born speaking profanity- they learn it by hearing it. This is why we, when talking about little children, always say that you have to be careful about what you say around them because they will repeat it. This is also why parents spend a lot to time "spelling" words around little children. When the devil came to tempt Jesus in the wilderness, he used the tactics of hearing and seeing-- "he said" and "he showed". He tried to get Jesus to act upon what he was saying to Him.
If you sit in front of the television, listen to radio, watch videos and listen to CDs it will effect you. It will get into your mind and heart. Therefore, you have to guard your eyes and your ears and be careful about what you are watching and listening to. If you think that you don't have to be "selective" in the things you watch and listen to because you are "beyond" that- it won't effect you in the wrong way- you are fooling yourself. If you think it doesn't, if you think you can watch and listen to whatever you want, then step back and take a look at yourself and listen to yourself talk. I think you will find that it has more of an influence on you than you realize. What you "fill" yourself with is what comes out.
We guard our hearing and seeing through the Word of God. Let it instruct you as to what you should listen to and what you should watch. Had King David followed it at that moment, he never would have fallen prey to lust. Had Eve listened to the "Word" of God instead of the words of the serpent, and had Adam listened to His Word instead of that of his wife, we would all still be living in the garden without sin.
Have a great day. What you watch and listen to does effect you- either in a good way or a bad way.
For further reading:
Psalm 101:3
Romans 10:17
2 Samuel 11:2
Matthew 4:3,6,8,9
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.
Monday, December 5, 2011
"Complaining"
"Wherefore doth a living man complain.....? Lamentations 3:39a
Recently, it seems like everywhere I go I wind up in the company of complaining people... and many of them are professing Christians. The complaints that I hear are not confined to one area, but every area. I hear complaints about everything from the weather to what someone else is doing. People tend to complain about everything that doesn't go their way. We want what we want, when we want it and the way we want it. If it is not to our liking-- we complain about it.
The problem with complaining is that it shows a lack of gratitude. When you complain about your food, it shows that you aren't grateful for the fact that you have something to eat and are not going hungry. When you complain about your spouse, it shows that you aren't thankful for that person. And whether you realize it or not, the primary focus and object of your complaint is God. You are saying that what He has done for you is not good enough. This was the problem with the Israelites in the wilderness. You would have thought that they would have been so thankful to be out from under Egyptian bondage that there would never be a complaint in their mouths ever again--- wrong. They complained about everything, even the blessings the Lord was sending them.
Another problem is that complaining is contagious. When you are around someone and they start complaining, it is easy to get pulled into that complaining spirit yourself. (If you ever talk to any one about politics you'll see this happen real quick.)
The Bible tells us that godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6) As I said earlier, complaining comes as a result of things not going the way we want them to go. The truth of the matter is, as long as we live in this world, things will not always go the way we want them to go-- they will go the opposite more times then not. There are plenty of reasons to complain all around us. But we need to learn how to be content with such as we have so we won't be guilty of complaining. If we will have an attitude of gratitude- regardless of the fact that all we have is "manna" and "no meat", then we will not be complaining people. Because when you get down to it, the blessings and good things that we have are far more than we should have.
Have a great day. Let your gratitude outweigh your complaining.
For further reading:
Psalm 144:13-15
Exodus 16:8
John 6:43
1 Corinthians 10:10
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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.
Recently, it seems like everywhere I go I wind up in the company of complaining people... and many of them are professing Christians. The complaints that I hear are not confined to one area, but every area. I hear complaints about everything from the weather to what someone else is doing. People tend to complain about everything that doesn't go their way. We want what we want, when we want it and the way we want it. If it is not to our liking-- we complain about it.
The problem with complaining is that it shows a lack of gratitude. When you complain about your food, it shows that you aren't grateful for the fact that you have something to eat and are not going hungry. When you complain about your spouse, it shows that you aren't thankful for that person. And whether you realize it or not, the primary focus and object of your complaint is God. You are saying that what He has done for you is not good enough. This was the problem with the Israelites in the wilderness. You would have thought that they would have been so thankful to be out from under Egyptian bondage that there would never be a complaint in their mouths ever again--- wrong. They complained about everything, even the blessings the Lord was sending them.
Another problem is that complaining is contagious. When you are around someone and they start complaining, it is easy to get pulled into that complaining spirit yourself. (If you ever talk to any one about politics you'll see this happen real quick.)
The Bible tells us that godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6) As I said earlier, complaining comes as a result of things not going the way we want them to go. The truth of the matter is, as long as we live in this world, things will not always go the way we want them to go-- they will go the opposite more times then not. There are plenty of reasons to complain all around us. But we need to learn how to be content with such as we have so we won't be guilty of complaining. If we will have an attitude of gratitude- regardless of the fact that all we have is "manna" and "no meat", then we will not be complaining people. Because when you get down to it, the blessings and good things that we have are far more than we should have.
Have a great day. Let your gratitude outweigh your complaining.
For further reading:
Psalm 144:13-15
Exodus 16:8
John 6:43
1 Corinthians 10:10
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.
Friday, December 2, 2011
"What Do You Want To Reap?"
"Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same." Job 4:8
There is a law in the natural called sowing and reaping. If you sow corn seeds, you will reap corn. If you sow butter bean seeds, you will reap butter beans. If you sow apple seeds, you will reap apples. Whatever type of seed you sow is the type of fruit you will reap. You can't sow orange seeds and expect to get peas. It doesn't work that way. Everything reproduces after its own kind.
The law of sowing and reaping is also a spiritual law. The principles in the spiritual law of sowing and reaping are the same-- you reap the same thing you sow. So why do we think that we can sow one thing and get another? Why do we think that we can sow the wrong kinds of food into our bodies and not reap the consequences of it in our health? Why do we think we can sow fearful, negative, worldly thoughts into the ground of our minds and not reap fear, negativity and worldliness? Why do we think we can sow seeds of rudeness and not receive rude treatment in return?
The law of sowing and reaping is one of the most powerful laws naturally and spiritually. It doesn't change- never has, never will. It doesn't alter itself for certain individuals- there are no exceptions. Each and every seed that is sown produces according to its nature. It won't become something else just because it is planted along with other seeds of a different kind. Remember the story of the wheat and tares. Both seeds were planted in the field and both grew after their own nature. The wheat didn't change into a tare, and the tare didn't change into wheat just because they were planted side by side.
What kind of seeds are you sowing? When a farmer gets ready to plant his crops, before he even purchases his seeds, he is looking ahead to the harvest. He knows when the time comes to reap, exactly what kind of crop he wants to have so he plants that type of seed. We should do the same. We should have "harvest time" in mind. If we did, we would be more careful about what we are planting/sowing.
Have a great day. Whatever you are sowing is what you are going to reap.
For further reading:
Galatians 6:7,8
2 Corinthians 9:6
Matthew 13:24-30
Genesis 1:11-25
Luke 6:38
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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.
There is a law in the natural called sowing and reaping. If you sow corn seeds, you will reap corn. If you sow butter bean seeds, you will reap butter beans. If you sow apple seeds, you will reap apples. Whatever type of seed you sow is the type of fruit you will reap. You can't sow orange seeds and expect to get peas. It doesn't work that way. Everything reproduces after its own kind.
The law of sowing and reaping is also a spiritual law. The principles in the spiritual law of sowing and reaping are the same-- you reap the same thing you sow. So why do we think that we can sow one thing and get another? Why do we think that we can sow the wrong kinds of food into our bodies and not reap the consequences of it in our health? Why do we think we can sow fearful, negative, worldly thoughts into the ground of our minds and not reap fear, negativity and worldliness? Why do we think we can sow seeds of rudeness and not receive rude treatment in return?
The law of sowing and reaping is one of the most powerful laws naturally and spiritually. It doesn't change- never has, never will. It doesn't alter itself for certain individuals- there are no exceptions. Each and every seed that is sown produces according to its nature. It won't become something else just because it is planted along with other seeds of a different kind. Remember the story of the wheat and tares. Both seeds were planted in the field and both grew after their own nature. The wheat didn't change into a tare, and the tare didn't change into wheat just because they were planted side by side.
What kind of seeds are you sowing? When a farmer gets ready to plant his crops, before he even purchases his seeds, he is looking ahead to the harvest. He knows when the time comes to reap, exactly what kind of crop he wants to have so he plants that type of seed. We should do the same. We should have "harvest time" in mind. If we did, we would be more careful about what we are planting/sowing.
Have a great day. Whatever you are sowing is what you are going to reap.
For further reading:
Galatians 6:7,8
2 Corinthians 9:6
Matthew 13:24-30
Genesis 1:11-25
Luke 6:38
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
"Gaze Upward"
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9
Life may not always go the way we plan. We may not always have everything we want. There may be things we don't have. Most people tend to spend so much time focused on what they don't have instead of what they do have. When we do that, it tends to make us ungrateful and complaining. The best way I know to counteract this type of attitude is by changing your focus.
If you are a Christian, instead of being focused on what you don't have here in this life turn your focus upward. Begin to focus on what you do have- on what awaits you in heaven. There is a place that is being prepared for us. It is a place where there is no need for the sun or moon because Jesus is the Light that shines always there. It is a place where the streets are pure gold and the gates are pearl. It is a place where there is no sickness, pain, death, sorrow, wars, murder, abuse, adultery, or any other evil. It is a place of indescribable peace and joy. It is a place where those who have put there faith and trust in Jesus have a home- the Bible calls it a mansion.
We may not have it all while we are here on earth. Actually, the Bible never promises that we will. But it does promise us eternal life and a home with the Lord forever if we have faith in and follow Jesus. So don't bemoan what you don't have, or when you do change the direction you are looking and gaze up and into the future to what awaits you.
Have a great day. We may not have all we want down here, and when we start feeling down and depressed about that we need to turn our gaze to heaven and think about what we do have- or what awaits us.
For further reading:
Revelation 21:18-23; 22:14,15
John 14:2
Matthew 25:21
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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.
Life may not always go the way we plan. We may not always have everything we want. There may be things we don't have. Most people tend to spend so much time focused on what they don't have instead of what they do have. When we do that, it tends to make us ungrateful and complaining. The best way I know to counteract this type of attitude is by changing your focus.
If you are a Christian, instead of being focused on what you don't have here in this life turn your focus upward. Begin to focus on what you do have- on what awaits you in heaven. There is a place that is being prepared for us. It is a place where there is no need for the sun or moon because Jesus is the Light that shines always there. It is a place where the streets are pure gold and the gates are pearl. It is a place where there is no sickness, pain, death, sorrow, wars, murder, abuse, adultery, or any other evil. It is a place of indescribable peace and joy. It is a place where those who have put there faith and trust in Jesus have a home- the Bible calls it a mansion.
We may not have it all while we are here on earth. Actually, the Bible never promises that we will. But it does promise us eternal life and a home with the Lord forever if we have faith in and follow Jesus. So don't bemoan what you don't have, or when you do change the direction you are looking and gaze up and into the future to what awaits you.
Have a great day. We may not have all we want down here, and when we start feeling down and depressed about that we need to turn our gaze to heaven and think about what we do have- or what awaits us.
For further reading:
Revelation 21:18-23; 22:14,15
John 14:2
Matthew 25:21
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)