Coffee Break

Coffee Break
"The Cause And The Result"

"His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies." Psalm 112:8

The Bible is full of promises but each of those promises have a condition. It is full of results and each result has a cause. For example-- you reap what you sow; you believe in Jesus and you receive eternal life. The scripture above is no different. When we have an established heart (cause), we do not have to be in fear (effect/result) . While having an established heart will remove fear there is a condition again to that-- having your heart established in the right place.

The word for "established&q uot; means to lean upon; rest on; to uphold; sustain. They key then is in "what" you are resting in and leaning upon. A building that is resting upon a cotton foundation instead of cement will not stand-so the structure will fall. If I stop during an activity and lean upon a curtain I will fall over. What I am trying to lean on and have hold me up will not because of what it is made of. It is not strong enough, substantial enough, firm enough and it was not designed to hold my weight up. 

Often we look to something that cannot hold us up. Earthly things don't have the ability to uphold us. Many are trying to find peace (which is the opposite of fear) in numerous sources that cannot establish (hold them up). They try to find it in education, position, relationships, fortune, etc. These will never establish your heart because they are not designed to do so. They are temporal, they are faulty, they are flawed and they are subject to change.

There is only one place in which our hearts can be established if we want freedom from fear and live in inner peace. That place is in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is strong enough to uphold us. He is the place of rest. We can lean upon Him and trust that He will not waver or fall. He is well able to uphold us and keep us securely established. 

When our hearts are established in Him, we do not have to fear. We do not have to fear man. We do not have to fear the enemy of our soul. We do not have to fear an evil report. We do not have to fear the threats of others. We do not have to fear problems and trying circumstances. We do not have to fear sickness or disease or even death itself. 

The result of a fear-free life is found in having our hearts established. But it is important that you have it established in the right place-- in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Have a great day. When our hearts are established in Jesus, the end result will be peace.

For further reading:
John 14:27
Ephesians 3:17

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"God' s Help"

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. " Isaiah 41:10

In this verse is a word of encouragement when fear begins to come your way and you feel disheartened. God Himself gives you four words of reissuance and comfort as well as wonderful promises.

1) "I am thy God." He is "your" God- personally involved in your life. That means He cares about YOU!
2) "I will strengthen thee." He promises to give you the strength that you need to make it through the trying times. Strength of heart, strength of spirit, strength of body and strength of mind. He will give you His strength-- perfect strength.
3) "I will help thee." He will help you- come to your aid; fight for you and not abandon you to fight for or fend for yourself.
4) "I will uphold thee with my right hand of righteousness. " God is the One who will hold you up. You don't, and can't, uphold yourself. He is the One who keeps you from falling. He is the One who gives you grace to keep standing and to get up when you do stumble and fall.

So take heart this morning. You have nothing to fear, you have nothing to be anxious about, you have nothing to be disheartened about. The God who made the universe, the God who calls the stars by name, the God who knows the number of hairs on your head, the God before whom nothing is hid, loves you and promises to always be with you meeting your every need!

Have a great day. Do not be afraid, the Lord is with you.

For further reading:
Matthew 10:30
Psalm 147:4

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"A Tub Of Water"

"That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." Ephesians 5:26

The Word of God is like water that washes our souls and minds. Therefore, we must be washed by it constantly. Being washed by the Word is not the same thing as merely reading it. Just because you are reading through the Bible doesn't mean that you are being washed by it. Reading it only is like a person who runs a tub of water but never gets in it and takes a bath. But being washed by it means you then get in the tub and take a "bath" . 

Taking a bath in the Word boils down to one thing-- being a doer of the Word and not a hearer only. Is it washing you? Are you letting God's Word cleanse you from anything that is unlike Christ? Are you letting it change any unrighteous attitude you may have? Are you letting it wash away the grime of daily contact with this world? Are you letting it wash away false, negative, humanistic thinking? Are you letting it wash away conformity to this world? Or are you reading it and being a forgetful hearer of what it is saying? Are you applying it to your life and letting it change and transform you into the image of its Author? Only reading it (just running the tub of water) is like a person who looks into a mirror and then when you get away from the mirror you forget what you look like. While being washed by it causes you to continually remember what it shows you and let it do something about what needs to be changed.

Have a great day. Are you merely running a tub full of God's Word, or are you taking a bath in it and letting it cleanse you from all unrighteousness?

For further reading:
James 1:23-25

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"Compared To Who?"

"Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me." John 21:21,22

If we are not careful we tend to judge our Christianity by others. We often use another person as an indication of where we are spiritually. You have heard it, "I am just as good as they are. At least I don't do this or that." 

Jesus had just prophesied to Peter about his future and the first thing Peter wanted to know was, "What about John?" He seemed to be more concerned with what Jesus' plan was for someone else than it was for his own life. He judged God's plan for his life by God's plan for someone else.

God's plan for us is a corporate plan where we all work together as a "body" to fulfill His plan in the earth. But that plan is accomplished through individuals who make up the whole body. So God has a plan for each of us. Therefore we can't compare God's individual plan for us with His plan for someone else. 

God desires spiritual growth for each of us. He wants all His children to grow and mature until we all come unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. But we don't accomplish this by comparing ourselves with one another. We have to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. We must work at it whether anyone else does or not. We must keep pressing on to maturity no matter who else is or isn't. We must not quit even though we may think we have "arrived" because we are better than someone else or more spiritually mature than another brother or sister in Christ. 

The only comparison we can do, the only one that counts, the only One that we are measuring our lives by is Jesus. He is the measuring stick by which we are to judge ourselves. He is the measurement by which we measure our spiritual growth. Are we looking more like Him? Is He the One being seen in us? Can you say that when you have seen me, you have seen Him? Do others see His reflection in you? 

Have a great day. We cannot compare ourselves with each other and get a true indication of where we are spiritually. Jesus is the only One we can compare our lives to and get a true evaluation.

For further reading:
Ephesians 4:13
Romans 12:4
1 Corinthians 12:12,20
Philippians 2:12

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth. net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"Eternal Place"
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:3

In these words of Jesus we find great comfort. He is preparing a place for us. He is coming again for us. He will take us to where He is. Therefore, don't lose heart; don't lose faith; don't lose focus.

Don't lose heart. When trying times come, when problems arise, when it seems as if life is more than you can handle, don't lose heart Don't let it cause you to despair, be discouraged and give in to the pressures. Remember, this life is not all there is. Jesus will return for you and take you to be where He is.

Don't lose faith. When the going gets rough, and when it feels as if you aren't going to make it hold on to the words of Jesus who promised that He will come again and take you to be with Him. He is faithful as promised. 

Don't lose focus. When the circumstances of life are weighing you down, when it seems as if you will never see the light of day again, stay focused... not on this temporary life, but on the one that is eternal where we will live with Jesus forever in His Father's house. This world and this life is not all there is.

Have a great day. Don't lose heart, don't lose your faith, don't lose your focus, this life is not all there is, there is an eternity that awaits us. If we don't give up we will spend it with Jesus in the place He is preparing for us.

For further reading:
Hebrews 11:11
1 Thessalonians 4:17

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"Complete In Jesus"

"And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power." Colossians 2:10

People search for something to make them feel "complete" ;. Many women don't feel complete/fulfilled in life unless they have had a child. Some feel like they have to have a spouse in order to be complete. Others seek to obtain a certain title, status in life, education, fame or fortune. Without these, they feel their life is not complete.

While these are not bad things to desire, they are not what gives us true completeness. Outside of Christ our lives are incomplete. When Adam sinned, we lost a part of ourselves. The glory of God that was upon man departed-- we were left naked and separated from God. Since that time man has been trying to get it back-- he has been trying to be complete and feel fulfilled. He has tried to get it back on his own. He has tried to get it through all the areas we just talked about and a few more.

There is only one thing that completes us. There is only one source that fulfills us. That is the Lord Jesus Himself. Outside of Him we will always be incomplete. We will always be lacking. We will always be striving to fill ourselves up by ourselves. 

If you are feeling incomplete, check your relationship with Jesus. Do you have one? Is a relationship with Him non-existent? Is it well? He is the One that fulfills us and gives us peace and contentment.

Have a great day. Jesus Christ is the only One who can truly make us complete and fulfilled. 

For further reading:
Genesis 3:7
Isaiah 59:2

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"Eat Your Bread"

"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4

What physical bread/food is to our bodies, the Word of God is to our souls. It is sustenance to our spirits. It gives us life, strength and "nutrition&quo t;. Therefore, we live and stay alive spiritually by consuming the Word of God. We don't find life and spiritual sustenance in words of philosophy, intellect, psychology, human wisdom or even good ole common sense. While these may all sound good and have an element of knowledge we might follow, there is only one source that gives us true life-- the Word of God.

What do you spend your time "eating" ? Where are you getting the food from that should be feeding your soul? Are you getting it from man's words of wisdom? Some great philosopher from the past? Book knowledge? Old wives tales? Humanistic reasoning?

While there may be something we can glean from these sources. They can never replace the Word of God. Jesus likened His Word to bread. He didn't liken it to such things as cake and ice cream. He called it bread because bread is the basic food that sustains our bodies. Cake and ice cream have little to no nutritional value where bread does. If you are feeding your spirit on these other sources we have talked about instead of the Word of God, you are only getting a diet of "junk food". Junk food won't make you healthy-- physically or spiritually.

Have a great day. The Word of God is the only source of true spiritual nutritional value. 

For further reading:
John 17:17

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break 
"The Provision Of The Word"

"And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat." Exodus16:15

When it comes to Christian disciplines, such as Bible reading, many look at this as a "work" . They think that it is a work that Christians must do along with prayer and church attendance if they are going to be right with God. It is not something we do so that we can get a "brownie point" or part of a religious "check list" so that we will feel spiritual. Bible reading is not a religious work, it is a provision. It is not something the Lord "makes" us do, it is something He provides for us to have. 

When the children of Israel were in the wilderness, God provided them with manna (bread) every day. Collecting the manna could not be looked at as a religious obligation that they had to fulfill-- it was their provision. Had they not collected it they would have starved. 

God's Word is your provision. It is your spiritual bread. Collecting (reading) it each day is not the fulfillment of a religious duty-- it has been provided so you won't starve spiritually. When you see it in this way, (something you have to have, not something you have to do) then you will see the great necessity in taking time to read it every day and more often. 

Have a great day. Reading God's Word is not a work that we do, it is spiritual bread that the Lord has provided for us. Are you "collecting&qu ot; it each day? 

For further reading:
Exodus 16

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@ bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"Work Or Relationship"

"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Matthew 7:22,23

So many Christians think that just because they are doing the work of the Lord that this is all there is. They think that working for Him is enough. They think this is their "reasonable service" . And that is all they do-- work for the Lord. But they are neglecting the "weightier matter" . The "weightier matter" is our love, worship and intimacy with Him. 

We put the emphasis on our work for the Lord. He puts the emphasis on our relationship with Him. Working for the Lord and knowing the Lord are not the same thing. Anyone can do religious deeds. Anyone can do good works. And at the end of the day many feel good about the task/work that they have accomplished for Him. But what have we really accomplished if all we have done is work-- no matter how great the work is- and neglected Him? 

Our works are for others- they are meant to draw attention to the Lord so that others will desire to "taste and see that He is good". Our intimacy with Him is for us- it draws our attention to Him so that we can "taste and see how good He is". 

Don't stop working for the Lord. We need to let our lights shine (His light in us) so that the world will see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. But don't neglect the greater "work" that He desires from us-- relationship.

Have a great day. Working for the Lord is not the same thing as having a relationship with the Lord.

For further reading:
Matthew 23:23
Psalm 34:8
Romans 12:1

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"Serving False gods"

"And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word." 1 Kings 18:21

During the days of Elijah the prophet, and Ahab and Jezebel' s reign in Israel, the children of Israel had turned away from following the Lord God Jehovah and started following Baal, Ashtaroth and Molech. Baal was the principal god- the god of materialism and prosperity. Ashtaroth was the goddess of sexual immorality. Molech was the god that the Israelites were sacrificing their children to. 

This sounds like it could be talking about our own nation today. Once a nation that honored and revered God; once a nation that had made a covenant with God; we have turned away from Him and are serving these three gods also. We are serving/following materialism, sexual immorality and abortion (the sacrifice of babies in the womb.)

What is worse is not only has our nation turned and gone in this direction, but so has a majority of the church. Instead of worshipping God and living a life of self-denial, we are pursuing materialism and prosperity. We are not content to live within our means, we want bigger, better and more of it. We equate holiness with wealth and material possessions. In reality, we are serving Baal.

We have also given Ashtaroth worship in our churches. Many churches are embracing homosexuality and ordaining homosexual pastors. People sit in the pews, serve on deacon boards and teach Sunday School classes who are living in fornication, adultery, addicted to pornography and other sexual immoralities.

Surely, we aren't serving Molech. Are we? We are sacrificing our children to gods of fun, games and entertainment. Learning Bible verses, how to worship the Lord, training in the fear of the Lord, holiness, self-denial, how to be servants and givers have been replaced, or in most cases done away with. 

We have seen the worship of these gods and a removal of the True and Living God in our nation and in our churches. When Elijah asked the people how long they would go back and forth between their devotion to the Lord God and their service to these false gods, he was asking the nation, but he was also asking each person individually. (The gospel is always personal.) So the question is-- which God/god are you serving? Are you serving the Lord God with complete devotion? Or are you serving these false gods? 

Have a great day. You can only serve one God--- which God/god are you serving?

For further reading:
1 Kings 18
Matthew 6:24

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"Salt"

"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men." Matthew 5:13

When Jesus said that we were the salt of the earth, there was also gave a warning attached to it. The warning was not to lose your savor/saltiness. 

How do we lose our saltiness? There were four ways, that I discovered, according to the Bible that we can lose our savor. The first way deals with the way we treat the word of God and His commandments. Immediately after Jesus referred to His followers as light and salt He went on to say, in context, If we neglect the word of God, if we don't build our lives upon its teachings, if we compromise it and water it down, if we live in disobedience to it, then we stand the risk of losing our savor. 

The next way we lose it is by forsaking the covenant that we are in with God. If we start serving other "gods" - mammon, entertainment, pleasure, selfish desires, fame and popularity, or anything else above God- then we are in danger of losing our saltiness. 

The third way is by putting our trust in man and having our confidence in the "arm of flesh"- human strength and ability- instead of in God. 

The last way is by doing the same thing that Lot's wife did. God graciously and mercifully delivered Lot's family out of Sodom before the judgment fell upon the city. God told them to leave the city and don't look back. Lot's wife disobeyed and looked back. When she did, she was turned into a pillar of salt. Instead of receiving and being a blessing, she became an unsavory lump of salt good for nothing but to be trampled under foot. When she looked back, she wasn't just "glancing" ; to get a "peek" at what was happening. She was in disobedience to God's command not to look back. Disobedience is a slow road to losing your savor. One disobedient act leads to another one and pretty soon you are in rebellion- and unsavory. But with Lot's wife the reason she was turned to a pillar of salt goes deeper than even her disobedience. Jesus used her as a warning to us. "Remember Lot's wife". (Luke 17:32) Read the verse with me in context. "Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it." (vvs. 30-33) The words "looked back" mean to have regard for. Lot's wife looked back with longing and desire. She was longing for her house, her possessions, all the things she had and had to leave. Her heart was still in her material possessions and she looked back desiring to have them and with remorse for having to leave them. 

Looking back with desire to the things that God delivered us from and trying to hold on to material things will cause us to lose our saltiness. That was Jesus' warning. If you try to hold on to your life you will lose it instead. Let the "things" go. Don't hold on to them in your heart. Don't long for what you once had and turn from what the Lord has for you now. He is trying to take you to a place of "safety" so that you can live- just like He tried to do for Lot's wife. But if you "look back" it will only turn you into a lump of useless, worthless salt instead of the wonderful aroma and flavor of Christ that you are called to be in the earth. 

Have a great day. Is your life salty? Or have you lost your saltiness? 

For further reading:
Matthew 5:17,18
Deuteronomy 29:23-26
Jeremiah 17:5-7
Genesis 19:26

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break 
"Concentrate On Following Him - part 3"

"Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. " 2 Peter 3:17

For the past couple of days I have told you that while I was taking my dad to have his surgery I took the wrong exit. My sister and brother were both following me in their own vehicles and when I took the wrong exit so did they. I also told you that once we reached our destination they both told me that they knew I had made a wrong turn but they followed anyway because we all needed to stay together and they thought I might know another way to get there.

They knew I was going the wrong way yet they followed me anyway. So many people know what is right but they are following someone who is wrong. Are you one of them? You cannot follow just anybody. Not everybody is going in the right direction. You have to be careful who you are following. My sister and brother love me and trust me, that is why they followed me. But they put what they knew was right over their trust in me. 

You can't put your love, trust or admiration for someone else above your love and obedience to God's Word. You can't let them take you down the wrong path. You can't let them take you in a direction that is contrary to God's Word or will. If you know it is wrong, then stop following them and follow the truth. Following the truth will make you and keep you free. Jesus put it this way, "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:37) If you are allowing someone else to take you in the wrong direction, and you know it is wrong, you are putting them above the Lord. How many young people have ruined their lives because they were following their friends. How many people have made huge mistakes because they were following the crowd. There is only One who we can safely follow-- Jesus. 

Are you following someone and you know that person is leading you in the wrong direction? No matter what your reason or how good your intentions may be for following, if it is taking you in the wrong direction, you will wind up lost, confused, in trouble and trying to find your way back to the right path. You need to break away and stop following them and go the right way-- God's way. 

Have a great day. If you know the person you are following is going in the wrong direction, stop following them. You can't follow everyone, but you can follow Jesus and know that He will always lead you in the right direction.

For further reading:
John 8:32

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break

"Concentrate On Following Him - part 2"

"And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him." Matthew 8:23

Yesterday we talked about how you cannot follow yourself and the Lord at the same time. We also said that when you follow someone else it meant that you had to watch them, pay attention to and concentrate on what they are doing so that you can do the same. I gave the example of when my dad had to have surgery and I took him and my mother to the appointment. My sister followed in her vehicle and my brother followed behind in his. I also said that I took the wrong exit, had to make a U-turn, then had to make the loop to get back on the Interstate to get to the right exit. And if you read it, you know that my sister and brother did the exact same thing. Even though I went the wrong way, they still followed.

The point I want to make this morning is that when we are following Jesus, He never leads us in the wrong direction. He doesn't miss His exit. He doesn't get lost. He doesn't have to detour. He knows exactly where He is going. I thought I knew which exit to take to get to the hospital, but I got off one exit too early. He never does, He knows which route to take. 

After we got to the hospital, my sister and brother both told me that they knew I had taken the wrong exit but they kept following so that we could all stay together. When we are following Jesus, it might seem that He has taken the wrong turn, we might think He missed it. We might try to stop Him and point Him in the "right" direction, but He hasn't, He knows where He is going. 

When Jesus got word that Lazarus was ill, He waited four days to go to him. When He did go to Lazarus, His disciples thought He was making a mistake. "His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?" (John 11:8) They thought He was going the wrong way. Jesus knew exactly what He was doing and where He was going. Even though they thought He was heading the wrong direction, they went with Him anyway. As a result they witness one of Jesus' greatest miracles.

Sometimes we wonder where is Jesus leading us? Sometimes we think He is taking us in the wrong direction. But He never is. He knows what, where and why He is taking you that way. So just trust Him and follow Him anyway because He is not going in the wrong direction.

Have a great day. You may think you know better than Jesus which direction to go, but He knows where He is leading you, and it is no mistake. So just trust Him and follow.

For further reading:
John 11:1-44

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@ bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"Concentrate On Following Him"

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Matthew 16:24

An old chorus has been going through my thoughts the past day or two. "So forget about yourself, concentrate on Him and worship Him. Worship Him, Jesus Christ the Lord." The key to our problems, the key to abundant life, the key to living victoriously, the key to being in the will of God is found in forgetting about yourself and concentrating on the Lord. Jesus put it this way--- "follow me". When you are following someone, it means you have to concentrate on the one you are following. You can't be thinking about yourself. You can't be following your own directions. You can't be distracted by anything else. You have to pay attention to them. You have to keep your eyes on them. 

Many years ago, my dad had to have surgery. I drove my mama and daddy to the appointment, my sister followed in her vehicle, and my brother followed in his. I lead the way because I knew where the hospital was. When we got to the exit, I took the wrong one-- one exit too early. So I got off the exit and made a U-turn, then made the loop and got back on the Interstate heading to the right one. My sister followed me and made the same U-turn and the loop, and so did my brother. They followed me exactly- even my mistake. Why? Because they were following me and had their eyes on me and were concentrating on what I was doing making sure they did the same thing.

Today, who are you following? Are you following the Lord? Or are you following self? Jesus said you can't serve two masters. Neither can you follow two masters at once. Who's your master-- self or Jesus? You can either follow Him or you can follow self, but you can't follow both because both aren't going in the same direction. Self/flesh will take you one way-- it will take you down a wide path that leads to destruction- - and the Lord will take you another-- down a narrow path that leads to eternal life.

Have a great day. When you are following someone, you have to concentrate on what they are doing not on yourself. 

For further reading:
Matthew 6:24; 7:13-14

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"Spider Webs"

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

I live on a dead end road and on the mornings when the weather and time permit, I love to go for a walk and commune with the Lord. While walking I often encounter spider webs strung across the road. Some are visible, others I don't even know are there until I run into them or the light from the sun hits them in a certain way, then they are exposed.

There are traps and snares that the enemy has placed in our paths, some are obvious- they are easily seen. But then there are others, like those spider webs, that we don't see or know they are there. They are hid from view waiting for us to "run, fall, or walk" into them. They aren't invisible to us until the light shines upon them. 

God's Word is that light. When the Word comes into a situation it brings light that brings exposure to what is hidden. God's Word brings knowledge and revelation as to the trap's presence in our path. It lights our path so that we can see clearly where we are walking-- including if there are any traps laid out before us.

Don't neglect God's Word, even if you aren't going through a trial or difficulty. You need it in the good times as well as the bad times, because you never know when the enemy has laid a trap for you. Also, the Word of God will prepare you ahead of time and show you what to do when those times come. Just like when the sunlight hit the spider web, it showed me it was there and how to avoid it before I got tangled in it. Had the disciples not neglected the words of Jesus when they got in the boat to sail to Gadara they never would have been fearful when the storm arose. Jesus' words- "Let us go to the other side"- where the light they needed to avoid falling into the trap of fear instead of being entangled by it. 

Have a great day. There are traps and snares laid for us by the enemy, but God's Word will bring light that will expose them so that we aren't entangled by them.

For further reading:
Mark 4:35-40
Psalm 119:105 

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"Your Own Anointing"

"And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail." 1 Samuel 17:38

There are people who call or write me from time to time trying to push me into a certain area of ministry or pull me into their ministry. While I am called to do the work of the Lord, I am not called or anointed to do everyone else's work-- only what God has called me to do. 

When David went to check on the battle between Israel and the Philistines, he was being positioned to fulfill a plan that God had for his life. But God's plan was not for him to join the army and become a soldier. God's plan was not for him to take King Saul's place at that moment. God's plan was for David to kill the giant and turn the battle to victory. 

When Saul gave David his armor to wear when he faced Goliath, it was more than just providing him with protection. This was Saul's own armor, it was the king's armor, it was for him not anyone else, but he was trying to "pass it off" and place it on David. King Saul tried to put David under his anointing and make him do what he thought he should do. 

We must guard against allowing others to try to put their anointing on us but instead make our calling and election sure. We must follow God's plan and will for our own lives, not someone else's. David could not function with Saul's armor on- it wasn't made for him. We can't function in our gifts and calling if we are trying to "wear" something that is not made for us. Saul was operating under the flesh when he tried to get David to wear his armor. Had David yielded to that he would have come under bondage to the king. He would have been bond up and unable to move freely, unhindered in what God called him to do. Yielding to man's plan will bring us into bondage to them and remove the liberty we have to flow freely in what God has called us to do. David's anointing would have been hid under someone else's. Man would have got the glory that day on the battlefield had David worn Saul's armor. It will rob God of the glory that He wants to bring forth from your life also.

We are all called to do the work of the Lord. We are all called to do the same thing-- reach people for Christ-- but we aren't all called to do the same thing to accomplish it. That is why the Bible compares the body of Christ to our physical body. This one body is made up of many different parts each having their own role to play. That is also why God has given different gifts of ministry to the church. There are pastors, but not all are pastors. There are prophets, but not all are prophets. And so on. 

Whose anointing and calling are you trying to work under? God's or man's? Is what you are doing what someone else has called you to do or pushed you into? Or are you doing what God has called and anointed you to do?

Have a great day. People will try to place you under their call and anointing, but you must follow God's plan for your life not their plan. 

For further reading:
1 Samuel 17:17-51
1 Corinthians 12:12,18
Ephesians 4:11
2 Peter 1:10

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"God Makes No Mistakes"

"... Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord..." Exodus 14:13

Yesterday I had the oil changed in my automobile. The waiting room was located beside the shop. As I waited I was able to sit where I could see the mechanic working on my vehicle. The mechanic seemed to be so "laid back", unrushed and unhurried. As I watched, several thoughts went through my mind. I wondered if he really knew what he was doing. I hoped he was good at his job. I thought about what if he put too much oil or too little oil, or didn't put the new oil filter on tight enough. I wasn't worried that he wouldn't do it right, just thought about how important it was that he not make any mistakes. 

I think we tend to look at God the same way. We question whether He is "doing it right". Does He know what He is doing? Will everything turn out all right? Has He made a mistake? Can He really handle the situation? 

Unlike people who can make mistakes-- no matter how well trained, how educated, how strong they are-- God doesn't make mistakes. He can't make mistakes. It is impossible for Him to make a mistake. He is perfect. Therefore, all He does is perfect. 

God is not like us at all where perfection is concerned. His ways are higher than our ways. So are His thoughts above our thoughts. He knows exactly what He is doing and how to do it. While the mechanic was working on my vehicle, I sat there and watched. I didn't go out to the shop to help him. I didn't go out there and advise him. I didn't go out there and tell him what to do. I watched at a distance while he did it. Perhaps we should do the same when it comes to letting God work on our behalf-- just watch Him work.

Have a great day. Unlike people, God does not and cannot make a mistake. Therefore, we can leave the situation in His hands and trust that He will do it right. 

For further reading:
2 Chronicles 20:17
Isaiah 55:9

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"Chasten Your Soul"

"When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach." Psalm 69:10

The Bible tells us that the Lord chastens those that He loves. But we should also chasten (correct, discipline) our own selves and not wait for Him to always do it. 

If we don't chasten ourselves, pretty soon we will find sin creeping in. We will find ourselves doing those things we know we should not do. We will find ourselves pulling away from the Lord and being drawn back into the lusts of the flesh. 

How do we chasten our souls? Through self denial. Self denial comes in many forms. Fasting is one. Turning off the television and spending time reading the Bible is another. Getting away from computer games and taking that time to pray. Getting up in the morning when the clock goes off and going to church. 

When a child is chastened (disciplined) , it reroutes that child from going in the wrong direction to going in the right one. The chastening (discipline) of the Lord reroutes us as well. It turns us from going our own way back to going God's way. Chastening our own soul brings our will into subjection to the will of the Lord. 

Have you chastened (corrected, disciplined) your soul/flesh? Are you allowing it to act like a "spoiled child"? Are you letting it follow after its own lustful desires without keeping it in check? Paul said of his own soul that he had to chasten it to keep it in line. He used the illustration of beating it black and blue like a boxer would beat up his opponent. 

We must chasten our own souls. If we do, the Lord won't have to chasten us as often. If we do, the power of God would have more liberty to flow freely through us. If we do, our flesh won't get in the way of what the Spirit is trying to do in our lives. If we do, our spiritual ears will hear the voice and prompting of the Holy Spirit more clearly. Chastening doesn't let our flesh be unruly against the Holy Spirit. Chastening our own souls keeps our flesh in check and our spirit in control. 

Have a great day. Are you chastening your own soul? Or allowing it to act like a spoiled child always having its own way?

For further reading:
1 Corinthians 9:27
Hebrews 12:6
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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break 
"Pleasing Who?"

"Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more." 1 Thessalonians 4:1

"... and to please God". That seems like a foreign concept in the church as a whole today. You mean we are to "please God"? You mean it is not all about God pleasing me?

This seems to be the attitude of the modern church now days. We live with the mentality that says, "What&# 39;s in it for me?" We think that God is our "Sugar Daddy" who is to come running at our beckoning and call and give us everything we want. We think it is all about what He can give me and how He can bless me.

I hate to "burst your bubble" , but it is not all about you. Yes, Jesus' death on the cross was about you. He went through the agony, pain, ridicule and death for you so that you could have eternal life. He did that for you. He did it because He loves you, did not want you to perish, and desires that you live with Him in His kingdom forever. But as far as your life is concerned after you have received Him, it is not about God pleasing you. His number one goal is not to make you happy. Your number one goal should be to please Him. Jesus always did those things that pleased the Father-- not Himself. Jesus also taught us to deny ourselves.

Are you living a life that pleases Him, or self? Are you following Him, or trying to make Him follow you? Are you expecting Him to please you and make you happy? Is it about Him or you? After all He has done for us, after all He has given us-- not sparing His own Son-- our desire prompted by love should be to please Him in all we do.

Have a great day. Christianity is not about God pleasing us, it is about us pleasing God. 

For further reading:
Romans 8:8
John 8:29
Mark 8:34

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"Remember The Plan"

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11

This verse is a favorite verse of many people. It is one that is preached very often. Probably one of the most memorized. But no matter how many times you hear it, it never hurts to hear it again, especially when you are going through difficult times. It is in the times of testing and trials that we tend to forget that God has a plan for us. All we see is the hardship of what we are facing. We can easily begin to think that God has forgotten us, that He is against us, that He is punishing us, or that He doesn't care about us.

God had a plan for Joseph's life- to save God's people. Before he saw the fulfillment of that plan, he was betrayed by his brothers, thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, lied on by an angry woman, and thrown into prison. I am sure that at some point he probably asked, "Where are you, God? Where is your plan for my life? Why is this happening? Have You forgotten me?"

Do you wonder the same thing? Have you asked the same questions? Does it seem hard to believe that any good can come out of your situation? When you are questioning, when you are feeling like that, remind yourself that God has a plan for your life. You may not see it now, you may not understand it, but He has one and it is a good plan-- to give you hope and a future.

Have a great day. Don't let the difficulties you are going through cause you to forget that God has a plan for your life and He has not forgotten you.

For further reading:
Hebrews 13:5
Genesis 50:20

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@ bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"Making Decisions"

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105

I don't know anybody who always knows what to do in every situation. Some situations we do know which direction to take or what the answer is, but there are more that we don't know what to do than we know what to do. 

Are you facing a situation that demands an answer? You have thought about it and are still not sure what to do? The answer that you need is found in God's Word. It is a lamp and a light that illuminates the darkness of the decision you have to make by showing you the direction to go, and telling you what to do. For example, it cautions you not to lean to your own understanding but to knowledge God in the situation instead. It admonishes you seek the wisdom that comes from God above-- not your own wisdom. It invites you to cast the burden of decision making upon the Lord and let Him lead you. It also lets you know that you always have an invitation to bring Him the heavy weight of what to do and let Him give you rest in the decision.

As I said earlier, no one always knows what to do when faced with a decision. But there is one who does-- the Lord. And as we look to His word for guidance, we will then know which direction to take, because His word will enlighten our path and understanding.

Have a great day. If you are faced with a decision, you will find the answer as to what you should do in God's word.

For further reading:
Proverbs 3:5,6
1 Peter 5:7
Matthew 11:28
James 1:5

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"Power Outage"

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Acts 1:8

The night before last we had a terrible storm. A loud boom woke me up. I discovered that I did not have any electricity- - apparently, lightening had struck a transformer. My power did not come back on until later the next morning. Since I had no electricity in the house, I was not able to send out the Coffee Break devotional because my computer runs on electricity. As with all electronics there has to be a power source in order for them to be effective and accomplish the purpose for which they were invented. There is a spiritual application to this as well.

As born again Christians, we have a God-given, God-called purpose and commission. We are to influence our world for Christ. We can only do this effectively through the power of the Holy Spirit. But if that power has been "turned off" or is "weak" , we can't be effective or accomplish God's purpose for us. 

God's power is not weak or limited. He is All-Powerful. But the flow of His power through us can be hindered by us. Sin in our lives will hinder the flow and even stop it. Lack of spiritual disciplines- reading God's word, spending time in prayer and communion with Him-- self-centeredness, selfishness, pursuit of fleshly desires, etc will also hinder the flow of God's power in our lives. 

The power of God freely flowing through our lives does two things. First, it gives us personal victory over the enemy. It gives us power to resist the temptations when they come. Second, it gives us power to be bold witnesses proclaiming the message of God's saving grace and love. It gives us the power of the anointing to set captives free, open prison doors to those who are bond, tread on the enemy, and do the mighty works and miracles that confirm the Word once it is spoken. It gives us the power to fulfill the commission to be witnesses and do the greater works that Jesus said we were to do. 

Are you feeling "powerless&quo t; in your personal walk? Are you feeling powerless over the enemy? Are you feeling that you have no power to witness? Does your life lack the power to do the works that Jesus did? Just as there is always a power source, there is always a source of powerlessness. Start tracing your "spiritual wires" and find out what it is? Is it a lack of spiritual disciple, a besetting sin, unforgiveness? When the blown transformer was fixed, the power at my house came back on. Once you deal with the source of your powerlessness, the spiritual power will begin to flow again in your life. 

Have a great day. If you are powerless spiritually, trace your life to find the source of the problem. 

For further reading:
John 14:12
Luke 10:19

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"Father&# 39;s Day"

".... Our Father which art in heaven..." Matthew 6:9

We are celebrating Father's Day this weekend. I would like to say Happy Father's Day to all of our fathers out there who are readying this. I pray your day is very special. 

I want to remind you to take time to honor your Heavenly Father as well. (Which we should do everyday.) Make it a point to give Him praise and glory for His great love for you. 

Regardless, of how great and loving our earthly fathers may be, they can never compare to Him. Our earthly fathers are flesh and blood men. They make mistakes. They miss the mark at times. They can't always provide like they might like to. They may have wisdom, but it is limited. You can't say that about your Heavenly Father. He is a Father who loves and cares for you deeply. He meets and supplies your every need. He comforts you in your time of trouble. He strengthens you when you are weak. He never leaves you nor forsakes you. He can never be accused of child neglect, child abuse, or child abandonment. He is not a dead-beat dad. 

For years there has been the joke about the "Father&# 39;s Day tie". What to get dad? The answer is always a tie. You can't give Father God a tie, but you can give Him a gift. That gift is yourself. It is the surrender of your heart, soul and will to Him. That is the one gift that He desires to receive from you. 

Have a great day. Give your Heavenly Father honor and glory everyday and the gift of yourself. 

For further reading:
Matthew 6:32
Luke 11:13
Psalm 103:13
James 1:17

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"Divide And Conquer"

"Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name." Psalm 86:11

We are all familiar with the phrase, "Divide and conquer." This is a strategy used by one opposing force against another. If you can divide groups of people, if you can divide nations, if you can divide a family, then you will conquer them. This is also a strategy that the enemy of our soul, the devil, uses against us. 

He uses it against the church and tries to put us at odds against each other within our congregations. He uses this tactic to bring disunity within the Body of Christ. But he also uses it against us individually and tries to divide our own heart against itself. He tries to get us to have a divided heart so that we will not love the Lord and serve Him with all our heart. 

He tries to divide our hearts between God and mammon. He tries to divide our hearts between God and materialism; God and entertainment; God and pleasure. He tries to divide our hearts between God's will and our own will. His goal, as with any enemy, is to destroy us. If he can divide our hearts, he can conquer us, and ultimately destroy us because a divided heart is a lukewarm heart.

Is your heart divided? Is it divided between God and something else? It doesn't have to necessarily be something we consider bad or evil. Even good things, when they take part of your heart away from God, can be just as effective a weapon of the enemy as besetting sins. 

If your heart is divided? Then repent, ask the Lord to forgive you, pray the prayer above-- "Unite my heart to fear Your name", and be on guard to not allow anything to divide it again.

Have a great day. Love God with all your heart and do not let the enemy divide your heart. 

For further reading:
Matthew 6:24; 22:37
Revelation 3:16

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org 
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge. 
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"Jesus Walks On The Trouble"

"But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea." Matthew 14:24,25

I went fishing with my husband yesterday afternoon. As I looked across the lake my thoughts went to the time when Jesus walked on water. I could imagine Him walking on the lake where I was, but then I remembered when Jesus walked on the water to the boat where His disciples were, the sea was not calm and smooth as glass. Instead the waves were beating on the boat and the wind was blowing hard against it. 

Our lives are not always "smooth" . There are times when the winds of adversity blow. There are times when trials, temptations, difficulties and problems beat upon us. Take comfort when those times come because Jesus didn't walk on water to His disciples when the water was calm, He came when the waters were troubled. Jesus will come "walking" on the troubles to get to where you are. He doesn't only show up when things are going well. He will be there even when they aren't. 

Have a great day. Jesus doesn't just show up in your life when things are calm and smooth. He shows up when things are "beating" against your life. 

For further reading:
Matthew 14: 22-27

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< 
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.

Coffee Break
"Don' t Limit God"

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us," Ephesians 3:20

The verse above has been on my heart for the last week. Each time I think about it, I find myself breaking it down in such a way where my understanding gains greater enlightenment and my faith is becoming stronger in its truth. Let me break it down for you this morning.

"Him" -- God, not man.
"that is" -- not will be, but already is.
"able" -- not unable, but well able, always able.
"to do" -- that's action, not passive, at work.
"exceeding&quo t; -- to go beyond, in great measure.
"abundantly&qu ot; -- plenty, more than enough, excess.
"above" -- more than just enough, but over the top, beyond.
"all" -- not some, not a little, not just barely enough, not just part.
"that we" -- you, me, anyone.
"ask or think" -- what I can say, request, hope for or imagine.

Do we really take this verse to heart? Do we really believe what it says? Do we believe it with limitations on God? Martha believed that Jesus could raise her brother Lazarus from the dead, but she believed it for the future- in the Resurrection. She was limiting His ability to do exceeding abundantly above what she could ask or think at the present. She was limiting Him because of the situation-- he was already dead and buried for four days. She was limiting Him because of her own reasoning-- he stinks.

When you ask the Lord concerning a need, don't limit Him in your asking. When you think about the Lord, don't limit Him and bring Him down to the level of just another person. He is not a person, He is God, and He is able-- more than able-- to do exceeding abundantly above all that you can ask or think.

Have a great day. God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think.

For further reading:
Jeremiah 32:27
John 11
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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.

Coffee Break
"Learn Him"

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Matthew 11:29

"... Learn of me..." Jesus did not say to "learn about Him", but to "learn Him". Many are just learning about Him. They are learning facts and figures, so to speak, about who He is and the work that He did. They know He healed the sick, opened blinded eyes, died on the cross, and rose from the dead, but that is all they know about Him. This doesn't mean you know Him though.

We all have individuals in our lives that we know such details about as where they live, where they work, what their spouse's name is, how old they are, but past that we don't know anything else about them. Then there are also individuals in our lives that we know more personally. We know more about them than just facts about their lives. My sister is my best friend. I can tell you more than her street address or where she works. I can tell you what her gifts are. I can tell you about her character. I can tell you what makes her happy, what makes her sad, how she feels about certain subjects, in certain situations I can tell you exactly what she is thinking and how she is going to respond. Why is that? Because I know her. I have spent my whole life with her getting to know her.

This is the "knowing" that I am talking about where Jesus is concerned. Do you know Him in such a way where you know how He thinks about certain things? What makes Him happy, what makes Him sad? What His heart looks like? What His thoughts on certain issues are?

He wants us to know. "He made known his ways unto Moses." (Psalm 103:7) Moses not only knew what God was doing in His dealing with His people, but why He was doing it. He knew God's heart on the matter of the children of Israel. He knew why God was bringing the plagues on Egypt. He knew what pleased and displeased the Lord. If God showed Moses who He was in the Old Testament how much more in the New Testament under grace does He desire to show us who He is.

Learning who He is only happens one way. It happens by spending time in His presence and in His Word. This is not the same as just having your little ten minute prayer time where you give God your list of wants. This is not the same as doing your daily reading through the Bible in a year program. This is quality time spent daily waiting on Him, being still and quiet before Him, listening to Him, reading His Word with the intention of discovering Who He really is. As you spend more time with Him, you will get to learn/know Him in a more personal way.

Have a great day. Knowing about God and knowing God are not the same thing,

For further reading:
2 Corinthians 2:9
Hebrews 8:11
John 4:9

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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.

Coffee Break
"The Path Of Least Resistance"

"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" John 7:38,39

When water (such as in a river) is flowing, it always takes the path of least resistance. It will flow in the direction that does not hinder it. If there is something that completely blocks its path it will not flow at all.

There is a chorus that says-- "I' ve got a river of life flowing out of me. It makes the lame to walk and the blind to see. It opens prison doors, sets the captives free. I've got a river of life flowing out of me." This song is, of course, talking about the Holy Spirit. Jesus in His teaching said that the Holy Spirit would be a (spiritual) river of living waters (life) that flows out of us.

Do you ever wonder why the river doesn't seem to be flowing from your life? Do you wonder why you are powerless when it comes to doing the works that Jesus said we would do? Do you wonder where the signs are that should be following your life as a believer? Those works are not done through our power, strength or ability, but they are done through the power of the Holy Spirit. The problem is not with the Holy Spirit. He is able, He is all-powerful, nothing is too difficult for Him, and it is His will to do the works through you that honor and glorify God.

The problem is found in our opening sentence. Water takes the path of least resistance. The flow of the river (living waters) of the Holy Spirit in our lives also takes the path of least resistance. If there is any "resistance&qu ot;, then He is hindered in flowing freely in your life. In other words, He doesn't have the liberty He needs, therefore, He is being quenched.

Are there "resistances&q uot; in your life? Fear, unbelief, selfishness, self-righteousness, compromise, laziness, bitterness, unforgiveness, etc.-- all these will cause Him not to flow freely. And if we don't deal with these resistances they will block His flow completely and we can become spiritually stagnant.

Have a great day. Is the Spirit flowing freely in your life? Or is He met with resistance?

For further reading:
John 14:12
Acts 1:8
Zechariah 4:6
Mark 16:17,18

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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.

Coffee Break
"Misplaced Hope - Part 2"

"And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." Acts 3:5,6

Yesterday we talked about putting our hope (expectation) in people to meet our needs. I want to talk about that again today. There are several reasons why we should not expect people to be our source of provision.

First, man doesn't always have what we need. "Silver and gold have I none". And second, if he does have it, what he has to give will only bring a temporary solution. The need is only met for the moment.

Had Peter and John given the lame man the money he needed, they would not have solved his problem. He would have still been lame. He would have still had to depend on others. He would have been at the gate again the next day and the next day and the next day. He would have continued to be a beggar. All man's ability can do is give you a temporary "fix" -- if he can even do that much.

But when we look to God as our source, we can expect our needs to be met perfectly. God is not limited by what He has. There is no lack or shortage in His resources. If by chance He does not have it, He can simply create it. God's provision is not a temporary one. He doesn't meet a portion of the need only, He supplies all the need. When God meets and supplies the need, He does it well. In the beggar's case He healed his body, He restored his soul, He gave him his freedom and independence, and He gave him back his life.

Expecting man to give you what you need will leave you still lacking and disappointed. Placing your expectation in God will never leave you lacking or disappoint.

Have a great day. When we place our trust in God, we can expect our need to be met perfectly.

For further reading:
Philippians 4:19
Acts 3:1-13

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
Please feel free to
call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@ bellsouth.net
Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org
You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.
You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.