Coffee Break
"No Love"
Jesus said that by our love all men would know that we are His disciples. He didn't say that by our church attendance they would know. Or by our giving money to the church, the poor or those who had a need they would know. He didn't say they would know that we were His disciples by doing ministry, singing in the choir, feeding the hungry, by teaching Sunday school class or by working in the church. As a matter of fact, we are told in His word that we can do all these things and more but if we don't have love we are no better than an irritating noise-- a clinging brass and tinkling cymbal to be exact. (1 Corinthians 13)
If we aren't careful we can substitute works for love. Anyone can do good works and not be right with the Lord-- not one of His born-again children. Even atheist can be giving, caring people-- and they don't even believe in God.
When we get so involved in the work of the Lord, we can lose sight of what it is all about. God sent His Son Jesus into the world because He loved the world and didn't want to see us perish. The works that Jesus did while here on earth were to demonstrate the Father's love for us.
I have to admit that through this time the Lord has let me know that I had lost my love and compassion for others-- the way it should have been as His disciple. When you are doing ministry, especially the kind I am doing that involves meeting people's physical and monetary needs, you can lose love and compassion in the process. When you have so many people who use you, when you have so many people who only want handouts, when you have people who aren't willing to help themselves but expect you to constantly bail them out, you can "shut up your bowels of compassion" after a while. This is a prayer that I constantly pray.. please don't let me do that. Situations in life, abuses by others, being used by those you care about, dealing with hardships day in and day out, going through grief and all the questions connected with it are among some of the things that try to suck the love right out of you. When they do, they leave you cold, hard and callous.
Even though I prayed that I wouldn't get like that, I did. But God heard my prayer and is answering it. He is restoring my love and compassion. He is giving me back His heart of love. Being flat on my back made me see what compassion was really about. I had several people come and bring us meals and pray for us and just love on us by trying to relieve our burden. It was a reminder of what love really looks like... it's words backed up with actions out of caring and unconditional motives. What others did for me was a true picture of what Jesus did for us. He showed us that this is what love is.
Have a great day. What does your love look like? Does it look like Jesus? Are you mistaking works for love? Has your love grown cold and your heart hard? Jesus will give you back your love and compassion if you ask Him to.
Friday, February 21, 2020
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Coffee Break - Patience
Coffee Break
"Patience"
When you talk about patience, most people will agree that this is one of the hardest things for them to do... wait! Especially when it comes to waiting on God. God has a way of making us wait for everything. We don't like to wait. We want what we want, ten minutes ago. But God isn't like that. His timing is perfect.
Abraham had to wait 25 years for the promised son. Joseph had to wait for 14 years to see his destiny come to pass. Elizabeth had to wait until her old age to bear a child- John the Baptist. And on and on goes the examples in the Bible of people waiting on God for the answer.
This experience has taught me a lot about patience. I had to wait for referrals that never came. I had to wait for the holidays to end to see a doctor. I have had to wait for the doctor to release me to go back to the shop. I had to wait to drive, send out the Coffee Break devotional, go back to church or ride to town until I could sit long enough. I haven't been able to make or sell my jewelry. I have had to miss so much that was happening with family and friends because I was unable physically to do anything. I have had restrictions so I have had to wait for my husband to do certain things for me that I am restricted from doing. I have had to wait on his timing.
The Bible says that tribulation worketh patience. It absolutely does. I have heard people say, "Don't pray for patience, because you will get tribulation". Through all this, I say, go ahead and pray for patience. You need it. I need it. Patience plows up the ground for peace to be produced in your life. Impatience will rob you of your peace. It will bred anxiety. We need to have peaceful lives. The Lord wants us to have peaceful hearts and minds. Therefore, because He knows we need peace, He will allow those things into our lives that will produce it. I have more peace than I have had in a long time because I am not being impatient about things that are in and out of my control. I know they are in God's control.
Have a great day. Tribulation works patience in our lives. We need patience. Patience will lead you to peace.
"Patience"
When you talk about patience, most people will agree that this is one of the hardest things for them to do... wait! Especially when it comes to waiting on God. God has a way of making us wait for everything. We don't like to wait. We want what we want, ten minutes ago. But God isn't like that. His timing is perfect.
Abraham had to wait 25 years for the promised son. Joseph had to wait for 14 years to see his destiny come to pass. Elizabeth had to wait until her old age to bear a child- John the Baptist. And on and on goes the examples in the Bible of people waiting on God for the answer.
This experience has taught me a lot about patience. I had to wait for referrals that never came. I had to wait for the holidays to end to see a doctor. I have had to wait for the doctor to release me to go back to the shop. I had to wait to drive, send out the Coffee Break devotional, go back to church or ride to town until I could sit long enough. I haven't been able to make or sell my jewelry. I have had to miss so much that was happening with family and friends because I was unable physically to do anything. I have had restrictions so I have had to wait for my husband to do certain things for me that I am restricted from doing. I have had to wait on his timing.
The Bible says that tribulation worketh patience. It absolutely does. I have heard people say, "Don't pray for patience, because you will get tribulation". Through all this, I say, go ahead and pray for patience. You need it. I need it. Patience plows up the ground for peace to be produced in your life. Impatience will rob you of your peace. It will bred anxiety. We need to have peaceful lives. The Lord wants us to have peaceful hearts and minds. Therefore, because He knows we need peace, He will allow those things into our lives that will produce it. I have more peace than I have had in a long time because I am not being impatient about things that are in and out of my control. I know they are in God's control.
Have a great day. Tribulation works patience in our lives. We need patience. Patience will lead you to peace.
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Coffee Break - I Surrender All"
Coffee Break
"I Surrender All"
When we talk about surrender, we don't mean that it is a one time thing that you do. When you received salvation, you surrendered your life to the Lord. Therefore, you were born-again. But after that you have to continue to surrender to the Lord and His will the rest of your life.
When I surrendered to the Lord's will concerning surgery, that was not the end of it. I couldn't sit back and act like by that one act I had fulfilled all my duty from now on on the subject of surrendering to the Lord. No, daily I had to surrender to His will during my recovery. I had to surrender to being patient and being still. I had to surrender to waiting to getting back to doing the things I had been doing until He releases me.
Surrender is actually a daily practice. When you are faced with a choice to do right or wrong, you have to surrender to the Lord through the choice you make. Either you will choose to follow what God says is right or you will choose to follow what your own will or the world's system says is right. When you choose to do right according to God, you just surrendered to Him.
Surrender comes in all forms. Sometimes it's as simple as getting out of bed a little earlier in order to spend time with the Lord before you have to go somewhere. Sometimes it is more monumental like not taking the promotion you have worked so hard for to achieve because the Lord says not to take it. Either way, each involves surrender. Don't discount small acts of surrender. Surrendering in the small things will make it easier to surrender in the larger things. And the more you surrender, the less of you and the more of Jesus will be seen in your life.
Have a great day. Surrendering to the Lord is a life long practice, not a one time thing.
"I Surrender All"
When we talk about surrender, we don't mean that it is a one time thing that you do. When you received salvation, you surrendered your life to the Lord. Therefore, you were born-again. But after that you have to continue to surrender to the Lord and His will the rest of your life.
When I surrendered to the Lord's will concerning surgery, that was not the end of it. I couldn't sit back and act like by that one act I had fulfilled all my duty from now on on the subject of surrendering to the Lord. No, daily I had to surrender to His will during my recovery. I had to surrender to being patient and being still. I had to surrender to waiting to getting back to doing the things I had been doing until He releases me.
Surrender is actually a daily practice. When you are faced with a choice to do right or wrong, you have to surrender to the Lord through the choice you make. Either you will choose to follow what God says is right or you will choose to follow what your own will or the world's system says is right. When you choose to do right according to God, you just surrendered to Him.
Surrender comes in all forms. Sometimes it's as simple as getting out of bed a little earlier in order to spend time with the Lord before you have to go somewhere. Sometimes it is more monumental like not taking the promotion you have worked so hard for to achieve because the Lord says not to take it. Either way, each involves surrender. Don't discount small acts of surrender. Surrendering in the small things will make it easier to surrender in the larger things. And the more you surrender, the less of you and the more of Jesus will be seen in your life.
Have a great day. Surrendering to the Lord is a life long practice, not a one time thing.
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Coffee Break - Refining Gold
Coffee Break
"Refining Gold"
Yesterday I talked about how a plain unappealing rock is reshaped into a beautiful polished rock. A few days ago I said that the Lord has been repeatedly telling me that when I am tried (through this trial that I am going through) I will come forth as pure gold.
In order for us to become those beautiful polished stones we have to go through situations that cause friction and abrasion. But in order for us to become pure gold we have to go through a refining process. The refining process gets out the impurities that are in the gold. The impurities that have to be gotten out of us are such things as works of the flesh-- anger, bitterness, discontentment, fear, jealously, etc. The impurities are also the cares of this life/world-- consumed with getting ahead, acquiring and lusting after wealth, worry about tomorrow, and so on.
The refining process involves being put through the fire. What does that mean? It means that when you are going through a situation and you are in a position where you have only two choices-- either surrender to God's will or hold on to your will-- you are in the fire. That's where I was-- in the fire-- the day I knew God's will was surgery and I decided to accept His will instead of my own (no surgery). When we choose God's will over our own, the impurities are being removed from our lives. Each time we make the choice to choose God's will over our own-- which is not just a one time thing, but a daily one-- we are getting a little purer.
The fire shows us what's inside of us. The refiner already knows the gold is not pure, but intermingled with impurities. So, he let's the fire do its work. Which is cause the impurities to rise to the top so he can skim them off. The Heavenly Father sits as a Refiner. He knows what is in us... we don't. So, as He watches over our lives during the fiery trials, waiting to skim off the impurities. The trials cause them to rise to the top. The Father skims them out of our lives when we surrender them to Him. Each time you surrender and give up the impurity (bitterness, self-will, anger, self-centeredness, fear, and so on) He reaches down and skims them off.
Have a great day. When you are in the fire and the things inside of you that should not be start coming to the top, surrender them up to the Father so He can remove them.
"Refining Gold"
Yesterday I talked about how a plain unappealing rock is reshaped into a beautiful polished rock. A few days ago I said that the Lord has been repeatedly telling me that when I am tried (through this trial that I am going through) I will come forth as pure gold.
In order for us to become those beautiful polished stones we have to go through situations that cause friction and abrasion. But in order for us to become pure gold we have to go through a refining process. The refining process gets out the impurities that are in the gold. The impurities that have to be gotten out of us are such things as works of the flesh-- anger, bitterness, discontentment, fear, jealously, etc. The impurities are also the cares of this life/world-- consumed with getting ahead, acquiring and lusting after wealth, worry about tomorrow, and so on.
The refining process involves being put through the fire. What does that mean? It means that when you are going through a situation and you are in a position where you have only two choices-- either surrender to God's will or hold on to your will-- you are in the fire. That's where I was-- in the fire-- the day I knew God's will was surgery and I decided to accept His will instead of my own (no surgery). When we choose God's will over our own, the impurities are being removed from our lives. Each time we make the choice to choose God's will over our own-- which is not just a one time thing, but a daily one-- we are getting a little purer.
The fire shows us what's inside of us. The refiner already knows the gold is not pure, but intermingled with impurities. So, he let's the fire do its work. Which is cause the impurities to rise to the top so he can skim them off. The Heavenly Father sits as a Refiner. He knows what is in us... we don't. So, as He watches over our lives during the fiery trials, waiting to skim off the impurities. The trials cause them to rise to the top. The Father skims them out of our lives when we surrender them to Him. Each time you surrender and give up the impurity (bitterness, self-will, anger, self-centeredness, fear, and so on) He reaches down and skims them off.
Have a great day. When you are in the fire and the things inside of you that should not be start coming to the top, surrender them up to the Father so He can remove them.
Monday, February 17, 2020
open letter
Coffee Break
An Open Letter to Christians:
Yesterday morning, as I was laying in bed the Lord began to speak to me to confront His people about a practice that they are involved in. What is that practice? It is the practice of getting your opinions, views, values, morals and belief system from the world.
The Bible says that the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:3,4)
I submit to you, without adding to or taking away from the Word of God, that this doesn't necessarily mean just those who come into the church as teachers and ministers. But the present day church, for the most part, has turned their ear to the outside world that tells them what their flesh wants to hear.
We have allowed ourselves to be influences by and given our ears to Hollywood actors, Career politicians, humanistic physiologists, megastars, sports figures, the elite of society, the rich and famous, the latest recording artist, atheistic professors and anyone else who has a platform for their voice.
Just because Hollywood tells you having premarital sex, homosexuality and transgenderism is to be embraced doesn't mean that it is all right. Just because law makers tell us that a woman has the right to do what she wants to with her body and abort her unborn child or make the decision if she wants the child to live after it is born doesn't mean it is all right.
Can't we see what is going on? Can't we see that the "gospel" that these are "preaching" to us is a gospel of...
Rebellion-- rebel against authority and anything that you don't like.
Division-- Democrat vs. Republican; Black vs. White; Rich vs. Poor; Privileged vs. Non- privileged; Male vs. Female, etc.
Disunity-- fight against those who aren't for us and believe the way we believe.
Self-centeredness-- it's your body do with it whatever you like; you can be whatever gender you decide you want to be and everyone else has to cater to you.
, hatred, anger and
we have begun to accept the things the Bible?God calls sin and evern defned them
An Open Letter to Christians:
Yesterday morning, as I was laying in bed the Lord began to speak to me to confront His people about a practice that they are involved in. What is that practice? It is the practice of getting your opinions, views, values, morals and belief system from the world.
The Bible says that the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:3,4)
I submit to you, without adding to or taking away from the Word of God, that this doesn't necessarily mean just those who come into the church as teachers and ministers. But the present day church, for the most part, has turned their ear to the outside world that tells them what their flesh wants to hear.
We have allowed ourselves to be influences by and given our ears to Hollywood actors, Career politicians, humanistic physiologists, megastars, sports figures, the elite of society, the rich and famous, the latest recording artist, atheistic professors and anyone else who has a platform for their voice.
Just because Hollywood tells you having premarital sex, homosexuality and transgenderism is to be embraced doesn't mean that it is all right. Just because law makers tell us that a woman has the right to do what she wants to with her body and abort her unborn child or make the decision if she wants the child to live after it is born doesn't mean it is all right.
Can't we see what is going on? Can't we see that the "gospel" that these are "preaching" to us is a gospel of...
Rebellion-- rebel against authority and anything that you don't like.
Division-- Democrat vs. Republican; Black vs. White; Rich vs. Poor; Privileged vs. Non- privileged; Male vs. Female, etc.
Disunity-- fight against those who aren't for us and believe the way we believe.
Self-centeredness-- it's your body do with it whatever you like; you can be whatever gender you decide you want to be and everyone else has to cater to you.
, hatred, anger and
we have begun to accept the things the Bible?God calls sin and evern defned them
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