Coffee Break

Coffee Break
"It Is Temporary"

"And the children of Israel removed from Rameses, and pitched in Succoth." Numbers 33:5

When the Lord delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt, the first place they stopped at was Succoth. The name Succoth means booths. The dictionary defines booths as: a temporary structure made of any type of material. Succoth was not their destination, the promised land was. It was just a temporary stopping place on the journey to their destination.

When Joseph was thrown into the pit, it was not his final destination. The palace was his destination. The pit was a temporary place intended to get him to the next level on his journey to the palace. The pit got him into Potiphar's house (which too was a temporary place.)

If you know that God has a purpose for you to fulfill and where you are is not it, don't get discouraged with where you are. Where you are is only a temporary place that is the avenue to get you to the next level and one step closer to His purpose. Our problem is we want to bypass these temporary places and get straight to the "palace", "the promise land", "the goal". Joseph never would have made it to the palace- God's purpose- had he not gone through the pit, Potiphar house and the prison first. But they were all temporary places. Don't see where you are as the destination, but rather a stepping stone to the next place in God's plan.

Before my husband had to retire from offshore he was in a supervisory position. But when he first started working in the oilfield thirty years earlier, he didn't start out as a supervisor. He started out in the lowest position there was. After a period of time he finally worked his way up to his final position. All the positions he had worked in were only temporary (they were like booths). They were steps to get from one level to another. But he had to go through each, just like Joseph did and just like you and I have to do in order to get to that final level.

So enjoy, be content and learn from this place where you are. And remember that it is only temporary but you have to pass through it in order to get to God's intended destination for you.

Have a great day. Where you are is only a temporary stopping place, not your final destination.

For further reading:
Philippians 4:11
Romans 8:28

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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
"Demotion And Promotion"

"And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison." Genesis 39:20

When Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, he wound up in a man name Potiphar's house. The Lord blessed him and caused him to have favor with Potiphar so much so that he was made overseer of his house and all that he had. Joseph was in a place of position and authority even though he was a slave.

One day Potiphar's wife tried to get Joseph to commit adultery with her. He refused and ran out of the house. In his haste he left his garment behind and she used it as evidence to support her lie that Joseph had tried to force himself on her. Joseph was thrown into prison.

"What happened?", I am sure he asked. The test came-- would he obey the commands of the Lord and abstain from sexual immorality or give in; would he do the right thing and resist or not? He did the right thing, He followed the commandments of the Lord, he remained faithful to his God and loyal to Potiphar, yet he was thrown into prison.

On the surface it looked as though following the Lord and keeping His commandments only got him in trouble. He certainly didn't look blessed because he did. He passed the test, but the outcome looked like he failed. It cost him-- he went from a position of authority to a prisoner in the king's prison. Joseph didn't realize at the time that what looked like a demotion actually brought him closer to his promotion. Being put in the prison brought him one step closer to the palace.

Often when we have done the right thing (the thing that pleases God) and it seems to "back-fire" on us and it looks like we have been "demoted", what's happening is that it is bringing us closer to our promotion. Joseph would not have made it to the palace had he not gone through the prison. The prison was the reward (although it didn't look like it at the time) for passing the test because it positioned him for the promise. He had to go "down" (demotion) before he could go "up" (promotion) because going "down" is the route that leads "up".

Have a great day. What looks like a demotion may actually be positioning you for promotion.

For further reading:
Genesis 39; 41

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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
"Warning Signals"

"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot." Revelation 3:15

We live a world that is full of warning signals. The yellow light on a traffic light warns you to slow down and get ready to stop. The signal lights at the railroad track warn you that a train is coming. The sirens at the local Civil Defense warn you that a tornado is in the area. The rippled asphalt on the side of the highway warns you that you are getting off the road. All these warning signals serve a purpose. They let you know when you are in danger. They are meant to be heeded and not ignored if you want to be safe.

There are spiritual warning signals that let us know when we are in danger spiritually. The most dangerous place for us to be is in a place of lukewarmness. There are warning signs that will let you know if you are there. Some of them are: lack of love for others; lack of love for God's word; lack of prayer. How are you treating others? Are you exhibiting the Fruit of the Spirit in your life? Are you going for days without picking up your Bible and reading it? When was the last time you prayed-- only when you have a need or are in trouble? Is your assembling with other believers going lacking? Are you hungering and thirsting after righteousness? Are you doing the first works? How do you spend the majority of your time?

If you are seeing these things in your life, they are warning signals. Pay attention to them. If you are driving and approach a railroad track and the crossing gate comes down in front of you you are not going to keep going, you are going to stop. You will heed it or you are putting yourself in grave danger. Heed the spiritual warning signs, don't ignore them or you are putting yourself in the danger of becoming lukewarm.

Have a great day. Don't ignore the warning signals, pay attention to them.

For further reading:
Revelation 2:4,5; 3:13,16
Matthew 5:6

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

Coffee Break
"Let's Just Praise The Lord"

"Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!" psalm 107:8

We are always in need of something and if we are wise we will take that need to the Lord because He is the one who meets and supplies all our needs. But in our communion with Him is that all we do-- make request and ask for something? There is another side to communion and it's praise. The verse above is repeated four times word for word in the same chapter. The writer must be trying to say something. This morning we are going to take heed to it and just praise the Lord.

When was the last time you just praised Him without asking anything? This morning will you join me in doing just that. Let's praise Him for His goodness, for His faithfulness, for His grace and mercy. Praise Him for His forgiveness that runs deep, for His great, incomprehendable and unconditional love, for not sparing His one and only Son to pay the ransom for our sins. Praise Him for lifting you up out of the pit, for setting your feet upon the solid foundation, for writing your name in His Book of Life, for His healing, delivering power. Praise Him for His loving-kindness and care. Praise Him for meeting all your spiritual, physical and material needs. Praise Him for not leaving you nor forsaking you. Praise Him for the air you breath. "Oh that you would praise Him!" He is worthy of all praise!!! He has done great and mighty things. He is great and greatly to be praised! Like the song says, "Never would have made it"-- you never would have made it period without the Lord. So give Him praise and give Him glory. And do it not only when you feel like it, not only when He comes through with the answer you have been waiting for, not only when things are going good, but praise Him because He is good and He is worthy of all praise!

Have a great day. When was the last time you "just praised the Lord"?

For further reading:
Psalm 107:15,21,31; 7:17; 146:1; 48:1

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

Coffee Break

"A Snake In Prayer Places"

"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made." Genesis 3:1a

One of my favorite places to pray is on my front porch. It is quiet and no one disturbs me, and I love being outdoors with the Lord. Yesterday morning I stepped out on my porch and headed to the swing to have my usual quiet time when something caught my eye. Between the swing and wall, laying on the porch, was a snake. I wasn't sure what to do for a moment. Then I went and got my wasp spray and hoe to kill it. When I returned, it was gone. It gave me an eerie feeling to sit on the swing knowing a snake had been right beside it. But I was armed with my "weapons" if it came back. Then it made me angry that a "snake was in my place of prayer"!

Of course, immediately I sensed a "sermon" coming on. The Bible calls the devil that "old serpent". Don't think for one minute that he will not try to worm his way into your prayer time. He will do all he can to distract you. He will try to make you get your mind off of the Lord. He will try to come in on your prayer to confuse you, to cause doubt and steal your faith. He doesn't just stay away because you are praying. He doesn't excuse himself from tempting you while you are making your request known to God. He is trying to stop you from praying. He knows that prayer is powerful. It isn't just conversation with God. It is the avenue by which God moves in the earth-- He acts in response to our prayers of faith. (Matthew 7:7)

The snake had gone but as I was sitting there, I heard birds in the tree behind me begin to do lots of chirping. I knew that sound. (They are good to let you know when a snake is around.) So I got up with hoe in hand to see if it was around. I saw it. I prayed for the Lord's help to kill it and down on top of it with the hoe I went. Needless to say that snake won't be in my prayer place again! When the devil tries to distract you in prayer, listen for the voice of the Spirit who will make you aware that what you are experiencing is the devil's scheme to get you to stop. Then use your weapons that you have been armed with to destroy him. Put God's word on him and cut him up. He will leave and you can continue to win victories through prayer.

Have a great day. When the devil tries to get in your place of prayer, use your weapons and destroy him.

For further reading:
2 Corinthians 10:4
Revelation 12:9; 20:2
Matthew 4:1-11

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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
E-mail: 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. Please remember to give credit to
About the Master's Business Ministry.

Coffee Break
"God Is Good And Great"

"The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works." Psalm 145:9

There is a certain prayer that has been taught to children for generations that they say before meals-- I learned it, my daughter learned it, my granddaughter has learned it. "God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food. Amen." Many times it is repeated without any thought to what it says, we just say it out of habit.

The truth is God is good, and God is great. God's goodness is seen in His kind and tender mercies that He shows to us daily. His goodness is connected to His glory. Moses desired to see His face and He showed him His goodness. Goodness is not just something the Lord possess, it is what He looks like. His goodness is with us because He is with us- never leaving or forsaking us. His goodness follows us all the days of our lives.

God is great. His greatness is seen in creation. He created the smallest atom and the largest planet. His greatness is shown in His saving, delivering, healing power. Sin is not too great that He can't forgive and cleanse a repentant heart from it. There is no bondage, or life controlling substance, that can withstand His delivering power. There is no disease or sickness that is more powerful than His ability to heal.

The next time you hear a child, some one else or even yourself say that simple little prayer think about what is being said--- God is good and God is great indeed.

Have a great day. God is good and God is great.

For further reading:
Exodus 33
Psalm 23:6; 48:1; 145:3

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

"Get Dressed"

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Ephesians 6:11

Blessed by a message I heard last night, I want to encourage you this morning to put on the full armor of God before you begin your day, before you go to your work place, before you have dealings with any person, before you step out of the house. Daily we fight battles. They are spiritual battles but they are very real-- more real than the natural ones. In these battles we don't fight against flesh and blood-- other human beings. Our fight is against the enemy of our soul, the devil and his forces.

As we were encouraged last night to be sure we have on every piece, I want to encourage you to do the same. Make sure you have it all on. Don't leave off any piece. Whatever you leave off will be unprotected and make you vulnerable in that area. If you leave off the helmet of salvation your mind will not have any protection from a flood of evil thoughts and lies. If you leave off the girdle of truth your spirit will be left open to attack by discouragement and false teaching. If you leave off the breastplate your heart is left open to temptation. And so on with every part. There was a reason why God gave us individual pieces for specific areas and then told us to put it all on. They all work together to protect our whole self.

So let me ask you this morning, "Are you fully dressed? Or are you going out into the world only partially dressed?" Every article of the armor you leave off leaves you exposed in that area.

Have a great day. Are you entering the world today fully or partially dressed?

For further reading:
Ephesians 6

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

Coffee Break
"Remove And Add - Part 2"

"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not." Romans 7:18

Yesterday I talked about my battle plan for mortifying my flesh. I call it "21 days to discipline". This morning I want to talk about it again but I want to clarify, lest anyone misunderstands, that this is not some "magic formula". It is not a "one time fix it all". At the end of the 21 days I will still have my flesh to contend with. I am not saying that at the end of the 21 days I won't ever have any problem with my flesh again. That just is not true. As long as we live in these fleshly bodies we will always have to mortify their deeds.

There are no formulas-- no A, B ,Cs and 1, 2, 3s - that take care of your battles with the flesh once and for all. There are no "3 steps to victory". All these are are guidelines to help you develop more discipline in your life.

When we have unruly or disobedient children, we have to chastise them. If we are constant with our correction, it will produce in them submissive and obedient action. But that does not mean they won't ever be disobedient again in the future. Our flesh is like an unruly child that has to be disciplined as well.

These guidelines help us recognize the areas that we are weak in and develop a habit of dealing with them. As we develop this habit through repetition (in this case repeatedly for 21 days), we will immediately deal with the flesh when it tries to rule again at another time, instead of putting it off because of lack of discipline.

The only way to walk in total victory is through submission and surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in your life. Victory over the flesh comes by following Him and allowing Him to change you into His image. Disciplining our flesh through mortifying its deeds is all part of that process. So following guidelines is all right if it will develop those disciplines in you, but they don't "quick fix" anything. They just train you in how to deal with the flesh when it tries to rule.

Have a great day. There are no "quick fixes" to mortifying the flesh. It takes daily discipline and submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

For further reading:
Matthew 6:33; 16:24
1 Corinthians 15:31

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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
"Simple To Seek"
"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near." Isaiah 55:6

Do you need answers this morning? Do you need guidance? Do you need direction? Do you need wisdom concerning a situation you are facing? Your answer is simple, it is found in the verse above-- "seek ye the Lord". While this is the answer, many will do everything but follow its instruction mostly because it seems too "simple". We want to make everything difficult. We think we have to do more-- we have to strive, we have to do some sort of works, we have to go around in circles. No, all we have to do is "seek the Lord".

He has the answer to the questions. He has the solution to the problems. He has the wisdom in the matter. And in seeking Him we will find whatever it is we need.

Seeking Him is simple, it is not difficult. The discipline to seek Him is what is difficult. It is so easy just to run here and there to get your answer. It is so easy just to seek out other things. "While He may be found" implies that He may not be found readily, in the instance you begin seeking Him. It takes discipline to stay on our knees until we "pray through". It take discipline to learn to wait for Him to answer. It takes discipline to train yourself to hear what He is saying. And it takes discipline to obey what we do hear Him say once we have sought Him. Often, He speaks but we don't like what He says. He doesn't always give us the answer we want. His answer often involves more waiting.

The answer you are looking for is simple-- "Seek the Lord" because He has and is your answer. Learning to discipline ourselves to seek and to wait until He answers may not be as simple. But if we will seek Him and if we will learn to wait until He draws near to answer, we will have the right answer to meet our need.

Have a great day. Seeking the Lord is simple, it just takes discipline to do it and to wait until He answers.

For further reading:
Matthew 6:33
Psalm 37:7

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

Coffee Break
"Yes, He Does See You"

"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father." Matthew 10:29

This morning's word is a reminder that while the Heavenly Father sits high, He looks low. There is nothing that He does not see. Nothing gets past Him. He sees everything-- even a bird that falls to the ground, even the ant who is making a mound, even the caterpillar in the cocoon, even the seashell at the bottom of the ocean, even the furthest star in the universe.

He also sees you. He sees where you are and what you are going through. He sees your tears. He knows your fears. He counts the number of hairs on your head. He sees your tomorrows. He saw the end of your life before it even began. He sees each time your heart beats, each time you take a breath, each cell that makes up your body, each thought before you think it. You are not hid from Him. You are not so small in this vast universe that He does not see you.

Sometimes we feel like we are invisible-- no one sees us, no one notices, no one cares, they don't even know we are alive. That is not true with the Father. He sees you, He knows you, He cares about you. He knows exactly where you are this morning-- He is watching. If you are feeling like even God doesn't see you take comfort, yes, He does and you are not alone. He does know what's going on. He does see and He does care.

Have a great day. God sees you and knows where you are and what you are going through.

For further reading:
Psalm 139

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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
"How's Your Diet?"
"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

For our physical bodies to be healthy there is a certain kind of diet that we have to have. We have to eat fruits and vegetables and whole, raw foods to maintain good health. We can't eat lots of sugar, fats and processed foods and expect our bodies to stay healthy. Some foods benefit our bodies and help make them strong and healthy, while others poison and destroy it.

To be spiritually healthy we also have to maintain a proper diet. We can feed our spirit good nutrition and make it strong and healthy or we can feed it a diet of "junk food" that makes it unhealthy.

There is only one type of diet that has nutritional valve for your spirit man and will make it healthy-- the Word of God. If you feast on it, you will maintain good spiritual health. But if you feed it "junk food"-- false teaching, negative words, gossip, worldly philosophies, humanistic wisdom, compromise, or anything that is contrary to God's Word-- it will take its toll on your spirit man and breed spiritual disease in you.

We are either going to have healthy spirits that are thriving, growing and getting stronger in faith, or we will have unhealthy spirits full of doubt, fear and unbelief that produces confusion, depression and fear. Which type we have is determined by what we feed it. So, what kind of diet are you feeding your spiritual man?

Have a great day. What kind of diet are you on?

For further reading:
John 5:39
Proverbs 3:1-8

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

Coffee Break

"Broken Beneath - Part 2"

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." Isaiah 61:1

Yesterday I shared with you that my sister and I had found a ceramic planter that was very beautiful and at a great sale price at a store we were shopping in. We would have bought it except for the fact that it was broken on the bottom. We passed it up because of that and so did another woman who was looking at it.

One of my dear brothers on the mailing list sent me a comment about the devotion. What he shared was very good so I don't want to miss this opportunity- since we are talking about "broken pots".

The thought he shared was this: "God purchases the broken planter (that everyone else looked at and passed it by) and makes it better than before."

The broken planter is symbolic of our lives. I am extremely glad that He didn't pass me by. My life was broken in a million pieces. It was marred and ruined by sin. It looked worthless. It looked as if there was no value to it. It was good for nothing but the trash pile. But God saw my life through His infinite love and chose me even as broken as I was to be His. He purchased me (with the blood of His Son Jesus) and took my life that was broken and repaired it- making me brand new. The brokenness was gone. The mar was no longer there. I now have hope, I have value, I am accepted, I am loved, I have purpose, I have a life and an abundant one at that. I was rescued from the trash pile and "repurposed" . Sin and the devil had a purpose for me-- death and destruction. But Jesus gave me a new life and a new purpose-- a hope and a future.

You and I are no different. You were broken. You were passed by. You were unworthy. You were unloved by the world. You had an aimless existence. You were living on the trash pile. You were hopeless. Perhaps you still are, perhaps this is how you are feeling today. I have good news for you-- God takes what others would discard, He goes "dumpster diving" and reclaims what was destined to be thrown away and repurposes it by cleaning it up with His own blood and refinishing it with His righteousness- - and then makes it into something brand new.

If that is you, He wants to take away your brokenness and reproach and give you a new life.

Have a great day. The Lord chooses us who were destined for the trash pile- unwanted and discarded- and repurposes our lives making them into something brand new.

For further reading:
2 Corinthians 5:17
1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23
John 10:10; 15:16
Jeremiah 29:11
Romans 5:8

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

Coffee Break
"Broken Underneath"

"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." John 7:24

You've all heard the old sayings, "Looks can be deceiving" and "Not everything that glitters is gold". Some things you can't take at face value, you have to examine them. Yesterday my sister and I were in a store and found a clearance sale aisle. One of the items that was marked down was a planter. It was ceramic, nice large size and very beautifully decorated. It was 66% off the original price so it hardly cost anything. I like it, my sister liked it and another lady who was looking at it like it as well. It was a perfect piece-- beautiful and cheaply priced. Did we buy it? No. Did the other lady buy it? No. We all left it on the shelf.

None of us purchased it because when we picked it up, the whole bottom of the planter was cracked. Although it looked pretty, looked desirable, was well priced, it was useless and worthless because it was broken.

The devil paints a pretty picture for us. He tries to make things look desirable and enticing. He tries to make you see something "good". He doesn't reveal the "under side" that is broken. He paints pictures that make cheating on your spouse look appealing-- after all, that other person listens to you and understands you, your spouse doesn't. He transforms lies into something that is acceptable because it helps you get what you want-- it's just a little "white lie". He only shows you the glamorous side, the fun side, the pleasurable side. He doesn't show you the side that loses everything. He shows you how cool it looks to smoke and drink, but he doesn't show you the side where your health is destroyed and life ruined because of it. He shows you fame and fortune, but he doesn't show you the sacrifices of integrity, morality and peace of mind that often accompany it.

The planter we were all looking at looked too good to be true, and it turned out to be just that. When something looks too good to be true, it usually is. You should stop and take a second look. You should examine it a little closer. The good things that come from God don't just look good on the outside, they are good through and through. He gives us every good and perfect gift, not just something that has the appearance of good but is broken.

Have a great day. Looks can be deceiving, so look at it a little closer.

For further reading:
2 Corinthians 11:13,14
James 1:17
1 John 4:1

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

Coffee Break
"Stop Struggling"

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18

Mankind seems to always be struggling when it comes to religious/spiritual matters. The Lord recently spoke something to me on the subject. He said, "The struggle stopped at the cross". At the cross Jesus took the "struggle" as well as the punishment for our sins.

The cross did away with our struggle to be accepted by God. Our struggle to be good enough for God stopped at the cross. Our struggle to be right with God stopped at the cross. Our struggle to prove to God our love for Him was stopped at the cross.

We could never be accepted by God on our own merits. There aren't enough good works that we can do that will make us good enough. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves no matter how religious we might act. We could sacrifice a million sacrifices, spend our days doing religious deeds, read the Bible through from cover to cover everyday, be kind to everyone we meet, and we would still fall short.

At the cross we went from law to grace. We went from works to faith. We no longer have to sacrifice goats and bulls, we no longer have to confess to the priest, we no longer have to bring an offering to make atonement for our sins. The law made us work for something that we could still never achieve. The cross gave us something we never could have achieved on our own. The cross stopped law and works and gave us grace and faith as the way to be right with God.

At the cross, Jesus provided the way for us to be accepted by the Heavenly Father. In His cross was the satisfactory payment for all our sins. We spend our time struggling to be right with God through our own efforts, when there is only one thing we can do to make that happen-- faith and trust in Jesus' atoning work on the cross makes us right and good enough-- that is the grounds of our righteousness.

If you are struggling to be good enough for God and accepted by Him, your struggle is in vain. You are struggling for nothing. All your efforts are no good. You can only be accepted and good enough as you put your faith in what Jesus did at the cross. Mankind's struggle was stopped there because the victory was won there.

Have a great day. The struggle stopped at the cross.

For further reading:
Galatians 6:14
John 19:30
Ephesians 2:8,9
Romans 8:1-4
Hebrews 9:11-15

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

Coffee Break
"Victory Over The Devil"

"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:8

Do not let the devil have any place in your life. He has no power over you. He is not the greater one. He has been defeated by Jesus/God. He has been defeated twice-- once in heaven and once on earth. He was defeated in the heavenly realm and in the earthly realm. When he tried to have dominion in heaven and establish a throne above God, he was defeated. "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." (Luke 10:18) When he tried to have dominion in earth and establish a throne above mankind whom God had given dominion of the earth to, he was defeated. "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2:14,15)

Jesus has defeated the devil in every way possible, in every realm and on every level. And when He returns He will enforce that victory once and for all forever. Then satan will be cast out and will not be found in the New Heaven and New Earth.

So today, enforce the victory in your own life that Jesus has won. He gave that victory to you and He intends for you to walk and live in it. Don't keep giving into the devil, don't keep believing his lies, don't keep falling for his tricks, don't give in to his temptations. He continually tries to set up a throne over your life- a throne of bondage, remorse, addiction, anger, condemnation, and so on. But he has no authority over you. If you have surrendered your life to Jesus, He is the only one who has authority and lordship over you.

Have a great day. The devil has been defeated by Jesus in every area, so don't give him any authority in your life.

For further reading:
1 John 4:4
Revelation 20:18
Luke 10:19
Genesis 1:28
Matthew 16:19

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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
"What Are You Speaking?"

"I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalm 34:1

What's in your mouth? The Bible says that "death and life are in the power of the tongue". Are your words words of life-- do they encourage, build up, bring hope, peace and comfort? Are your words words of death-- do they bring pain, defeat, hurt, sorrow, destruction? The Bible also says that "praise is becoming to the righteous". That means that the only words that really "look good" on those who are followers of Jesus are words of praise.

So as you go about your day, as you encounter daily situations, as you are involved in conversation with others, pay attention to your words and what you are saying. You could even "grade" yourself by taking note of the number of times you complain instead of praise; the number of times you speak life instead of death- and vice versa; and see which words there are more of. If words of death, unbelief and murmuring out number the words of life, faith and praise that you speak, then you need to have a talk with the Lord and ask Him to help you change the way you speak.

Have a great day. What words are you speaking?

For further reading:
Proverbs 18:21
Psalm 33:1; 19:14
Romans 10:8

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

Coffee Break
"Who's The Answer?"

"Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:24

You know the Lord has spoken to you, you know you have a vision and calling that comes from Him, you know what His will is, yet it hasn't manifested or come to pass. You see no evidence of it and you can't even see how it can happen. You can't figure it out. It is then that you have to walk by faith.

In order to help you continue to hold on in faith and not waver or give up, I want to give you the answer to five common questions we all want to know the answer to-- especially when it comes to believing God for what He has promised. Those questions are: Who, what, when, where and how? When we don't know the answer to these, we tend to worry, become fearful or give up. I want you to remember the answer to them so that when the enemy comes to try to make you give up, or your flesh gets weary of waiting, you will continue to believe.

Who? God, the One who is faithful as promised. He will do it, not you. (Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 10:23)
What? God's will. Whatever His will is, He will do it. (Matthew 6:10)
When? In the fullness of God's time- at His appointed time. It will come forth when He says it is time. (Galatians 4:4)
Where? Wherever God chooses. He will bring it to where He has determined it to be. (Isaiah 30:21; Haggai 2:9)
How? By God's might and power. He is the One who makes it happen, not us. (Zechariah 4:6)

When the answer to these questions, and every other question we have, becomes God, then we have peace and reassurance that He is in control. And when He is in control it will happen, and it will happen at the perfect time, perfect place and in the perfect manner.

Have a great day. When we realize that the answer to all our questions is God, then we remember that He is in control.

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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
"It Will Be Worth It All"

"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:14

This morning I awoke with the words of an old hymn repeating over and over in my thoughts. I felt that I was suppose to share it with you this morning.

Life is often hard, it has its times of pain, sorrow and struggle. It is far from easy at times. We face temptations and problems daily. But regardless of the struggles, regardless of the trials, regardless of the size of the cross that you bear, this is only temporary. This life is not all there is. For the believer and follower of Christ there awaits a home prepared for us in heaven with our wonderful Lord forever.

So when you are running this race and are tempted to give up because of the difficulties, think about the prize that is ahead of you--- seeing Jesus and living with Him forever-- it will give you the added strength and extra wind that you need to continue to press forward. Because you know that in the end, it will be worth it all, and you will be glad in eternity that you did.

Have a great day. When you consider the prize at the end of your life's race (Jesus), it makes it all worth it.

For further reading:
Galatians 6:9
2 Timothy 4:7,8
Revelation 21:3-5
John 14:1-3

"It Will Be Worth It All"
CHORUS:
It will be worth it all
when we see Jesus!
Life's trials will seem so small
when we see Christ.
One glimpse of his dear face,
all sorrow will erase.
So, bravely run the race
till we see Christ.

1. Sometimes the day seems long,
Our trials hard to bear.
We´re tempted to complain,
to murmur and despair.
But Christ will soon appear
to catch his bride away!
All tears forever over
in God's eternal day!
2. At times the sky seems dark,
with not a ray of light;
We're tossed and driven on,
no human help in sight.
But there is One in heaven,
Who knows our deepest care;
Let Jesus solve your problems,
just go to him in prayer.

3. Life's day will soon be o're,
all storms forever past;
We'll cross the great divide
to Glory, safe at last!
We'll share the joys of heaven:
a harp, a home, a crown;
The tempter will be banished,
We'll lay our burdens down.

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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.mastersbsiness.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

"Talk To Me"

"Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required." Psalm 40:6

What does the Lord want from us? What is the thing that gives Him the greatest pleasure and joy? Most would answer that it is our works, it is our service, it is our obedience, it is what we do for Him. Those things are part of our relationship with Him, but the thing that delights Him the most is our communion with Him. In other words, He loves it when we talk to Him.

One of the biggest complaints in most relationships is the lack of communication- - "he/she won't talk to me". People want to have communication. The Heavenly Father is no different. He wants you to talk to Him.

I am not going to belabor the point this morning, but I will repeat it again-- He wants you to talk to Him! Take time today and everyday to do so. It doesn't matter what you talk about or what you want to say to Him, He just loves hearing your voice.

Have a great day. The Lord loves for you to talk to Him, have you today?

For further reading:
Genesis 33:11
Jeremiah 33:3

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

"Propped Up"

"Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." Isaiah 50:10

I want to focus on the last part of this verse-- "Stay upon his God". The word "stay" means to "lean on, trust in, support, rest". We all need something to lean upon at some time or other. We all get tired and weary from running the race of faith that is set before us and need to be "propped up". The concern is not that we need to be propped up every once and a while or that we need something to lean upon and give us some support while we "catch our breath"; the concern is in "what" or "who" we lean upon.

There are so many things out there that look like "props". They look like they will hold us up and give us the support that we need until we can continue on. But that is not always the case. I remember the time I sat down on my porch swing to relax a moment. The next thing I knew the swing and I were both on the porch floor. It looked sturdy, it was made out of good strong material, the chains looked in tact, they were metal, but it wasn't as dependable as it looked. The chain had rusted, therefore, it could not support my weight.

There is nothing that is man-made (fleshly) that we can lean upon to give us the support that we need. Like a house that is built on the sand. It looks pretty good, it looks solid, but there is no foundation under it. It will cave in and you will find yourself swept away by the very thing you are needing the rest from.

There is only one place that we can lean upon-- our God. There is only one place where we can get the rest that we need when we are feeling weary, afraid, pressured, faithless, confused and discouraged- - our God. When David and his men arrived at their home in Ziklag and discovered that the enemy had come and taken their families and stolen their belongings, this is what David did-- he leaned upon his God. His heart was broken, his men talked of stoning him, his family was gone, but he found a place where he could rest and lean upon for guidance and strength-- his God. The Lord propped him up by encouraging him, by giving him direction, by giving him strength. From that place of "rest and propping" David found what he needed to then go forth and destroy his enemy and save their families.

What is propping you up today? What are you leaning upon? Your own understanding, your education, your strength, your job, your government, your talents, a financial institution, other people, your spiritual leader? There is only one true prop that will never fail you or let you fall-- our God. You can lean upon Him. He is the foundation that was under the house that did not fall-- our God is the solid Rock.

Have a great day. There is only one prop that you can lean upon that will hold you up-- our God.

For further reading:
Matthew 7:24-27
1 Samuel 30
Proverbs 3:5,6

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

Coffee Break
"Weary In Waiting"

"In your patience possess ye your souls." Luke 21:19

Most of us have no trouble believing the promises of God, especially those that He has spoken to us individually concerning His will for our lives. The problem comes while waiting for it to manifest. It seems like the longer it takes for the fulfillment of it, the more impatient and questioning we become. It is at that point that we tend to doubt that we actually heard from the Lord, or we give up on it all together, or we try to make it happen ourselves. Any one of these three aren't good. They are all tricks of the enemy to cause us to miss out on what God intends for us.

When we doubt we heard from the Lord, our faith becomes small and we tend to wonder if we truly do hear from the Lord at all. When we give up, we lose out. When we try to make it happen ourselves, we wind up with an Ishmael. When you have an Ishmael you have problems from then on.

Are you in a waiting period? Does it seem like you have been waiting forever? Are you getting weary of holding on to what the Lord has spoken to you? Then this is when you need to just rest and give your feelings to God. You aren't the one who determines the time or the season for it to come forth. It is like being pregnant. There comes a point in pregnancy where all you can do is wait. It is during that last trimester where you are getting uncomfortable and past ready for your baby to be delivered. You want it to hurry up and happen, but you can't rush it. So you just get as comfortable as you can and wait for the time of delivery. It will happen in the fullness of time. God's promise will also be "delivered", it will come forth in the fullness of God's time. So don't get weary while you are waiting.

Have a great day. Learn to rest in God's faithfulness while you are waiting and not get weary.

For further reading:
Psalm 37:7
Galatians 4:4
Isaiah 66:9

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

"Jump Overboard"

"Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing." John 21:3

Yesterday we talked about getting weary while waiting on the promises of God to manifest in our lives. Sometimes that "weariness" will cause us to get tired, give up and return to our way and what is familiar to us. Peter was a fisherman before Jesus called him to follow Him. When it looked like the call and purpose that Jesus had for him was gone, he went back to what he knew-- fishing.

Maybe this is you this morning. You have given up and gone back to your old familiar way because you see no hope of any fulfillment of the plan and promises of God in your life? Have you turned from waiting on His will and gone back to your own plans?

If this is you this morning, God's plan and promises never change. His purpose for you doesn't change. His gifts and calling are without repentance. He saw Peter fishing and He went to him. God's plan was for Peter to catch men instead of fish. Even when we turn to doing our own plans, for whatever reason, the Lord has not changed His mind about our life-- He still has a plan, the same plan in mind. Don't think that just because you have gone back to "fishing" that it is too late. It isn't, because He doesn't change, and He doesn't change His mind about you. If you are hearing His voice calling to you from the "shore", listen and heed it and "jump overboard" (leave your plan) and "swim" to Him.

Have a great day. God's plan for you has not changed.

For further reading:
John 21
Romans 11:29
Jeremiah 29:11

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

"Making Choices"

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

While we were asleep (unless you stayed up past midnight) a new day began, but it starts for us when we wake up. From the moment we wake up until the day ends, we have choices to make. There are some choices we will have no control over- they are made for us. Things will happen to us that we didn't plan. We will face situations that we would have never chosen had we had the opportunity to choose. But there are some things today (and each day) that we will have the power to exercise choice over.

We will have to choose what our attitude will be like. Will you choose to be angry and bitter? You will have to make the choice to whether walk in fear or by faith? You may have to choose to hold onto a grudge or choose to let it go. Today you will be faced with the choice to trust God or not-- even when you don't understand "why?". You will also have to choose how you are going to treat other people-- those who love you and those who don't; those who bless you and those who curse you; those who treat you good and those who despitefully use you. You will be the one who chooses whether you will seek the Lord, serve Him and be obedient to His will.

These are all choices you will be called upon to make daily. They are also choices that only you can make-- no one can make the choice for you about how you respond to others, if you walk in love; if you keep your eyes on the Lord, if you have a good attitude. And no one can make you choose otherwise unless you let them.

The question is not whether you will be faced with choices today-- you will. The question is, "What will you choose to do when you are?" All the choices that we have to make actually boil down to only two choices-- "Will you choose to follow your flesh or follow the Spirit?" Whichever one we choose to follow will make all the other choices easier. If we choose to follow the flesh, we have already made the choice to choose to be angry, have a bad attitude, be fearful, to be unforgiving, etc. But if we choose to follow the Spirit, we have made the choice to choose to be loving, kind, forgiving, forbearing and trusting.

Have a great day. Make the choice to follow the Spirit and all the other choices you have to make are already made.

For further reading:
Joshua 24:15
Galatians 5:16
Proverbs 1:29; 3:5,6,31

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

"What Is The Cross?"

I was in a store the other day and passed by the clothing section. A t-shirt caught my eye. On it were all these scrolls and a cross- I thought it was very pretty, but then I saw a skull on it too. I have seen a lot of different clothing pieces that were printed with crosses and skulls. The first thought that crossed my mind was-- "Why do they always have to place the cross with objects of death". My next thought was- "It was a place of death".

The cross was an instrument of death. It was the place where our beloved Savior Jesus was crucified and died. But for us Christians, if it were only a place of death we would have no hope. But thankfully it is so much more than that.

For us it represents life. "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:8) "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." (Hebrews 2:9)

It represents hope. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:13,14)

It represents healing and deliverance. "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." (1 Peter 2:24)

It represents love. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

It represents mercy and grace. "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh." (Romans 8:3)

It represents the power of God and salvation. "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18)

It was a place where the penalty of our sins was paid and our pardon was provided. "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross." (Colossians 2:13,14)

It was where we received reconciliation to God. "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. " (2 Corinthians 5:19) "And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby." (Ephesians 2:16)

It was a place of victory. "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)

If you think the cross was merely a place where Jesus was crucified or a place of defeat, you are sadly mistaken. It is anything but. So let's rejoice in the cross and stop placing it among dead things and taking it out of its proper place. "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." (Galatians 6:14)

Have a great day. If all you see the cross as is a place of death, you need to look at it again.

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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
"Abundant Water - Part 2"

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." Acts 3:19

Yesterday we talked about how it is God who quenches the thirst that we have, not ourselves. He promises to send water upon those who are thirsty and abundant water upon those who are dry. Like He told the woman at the well that if we will drink from the water that He gives- salvation- we will never thirst again. Salvation quenches that thirsty place within us. But even after we have received this life giving water there are times when we become "dry" and need to be refreshed.

I want to talk about "times" of refreshing this morning. Salvation is that one time experience, but times of refreshing have to happen continuously. We have to do like the old timers used to say, "Get under the spout where the glory comes out". Just because the "rain of His Spirit" flooded your soul and refreshed you yesterday doesn't mean you don't need it to happen again today.

I am having to water my plants daily. It has been so hot that if I miss a day you can certainly tell it. The affects of not having rain show up in them. They get dry and will start wilting. They look like they are dying. But once I water them, the transformation is noticeable-- they perk up, begin to bloom and look healthy again.

If we don't receive the refreshing water of God's Spirit continually (by that I mean daily, even several times a day- sometimes I have to water my plants morning and evening) our lives become "wilted" and "dry". The affects will show up in behavior and attitude. We will not be as joyous. Confusion will overtake our peace. The Fruit of the Spirit will not be very evident. We won't be fruitful. We will find ourselves gravitating more to the flesh. We will be spiritually unhealthy.

Does this describe how you feel? Have you been "lifeless and dry"? Have you been wondering why you are experiencing this? Have you looked for an answer to change it? Your answer is "water", each and every day. You have a promise from the One who does the watering that He will send water upon you-- "Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary." (Psalm 68:9)-- but you must take time to get alone with the Lord and let Him water you until the refreshing comes.

Have a great day. Feeling dry? You need water to refresh you and you need it continuously.

For further reading:
Isaiah 35:7; 55:1; 44:3
John 7:37;38

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

"Trust God Or Man?"

"It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man." Psalm 118:8

I had a little computer issue last night so I called technical support. The technician and I agree that she could set up remote support and have control of my computer. The first time I was asked to allow them to do this I felt very uneasy about it, after all your computer is "personal and private". But I have agreed to it each time.

I trusted that technician even though I don't know her, who she is, what she even looks like- only her name. Last year my husband was having some problems with his heart so we took him to see a cardiologist. We had never met that doctor before and at that first meeting he said he wanted to do a heart catherization on my husband. We agreed to it. Who was this man? We didn't know him. Yet we were willing to trust him in this life and death matter.

My point that I am getting to is this-- isn't it odd that we will give control of certain areas in our lives and put our trust in people that we don't even know, yet we won't give the same control and trust to God. We will believe strangers. We will do what they tell us to do. We will follow their advice. We will even put our lives in their hands. But we draw back, question and resist giving up control of our lives to the Lord. Can't He be trusted? Do we think He is going to lie to us? Do we think He has something besides our best interest at heart? Do we think He is going to do something to hurt us?

If anyone deserves our trust, it is Him. After all, He created us, He loves us, He demonstrated His great love for us by giving up His One and Only Son to die for our sins so that we can have eternal life. How much more then should we trust Him. We should trust Him more than we trust anyone else because no one else loves us like He does.

While living in this world we do have to trust others that we don't know, but if we are willing to trust them how much more should we be willing to trust the Lord.

Have a great day. If we will trust people we don't know with our lives, how much more should we trust the Lord who we do know with them.

For further reading:
Psalm 115:11; 118:8,9
Jeremiah 17:7
Proverbs 16:20

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

"Abundant Water"

"For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring." Isaiah 44:3

Mankind is always trying to solve his own problems. We have to face it--- we can't. We need help. We need God's help because while we can't, He can. For example we can't quench our own thirst. There is a "thirsting" within us that is longing to be satisfied. We try to quench it but without success. We have tried to quench it through sensual pleasures, through entertainment, through education, through hobbies, through mind-altering substances, and an endless list of other activity. We may find something that will quench it for the moment, but then it always comes back.

Are you trying to quench your own thirst? Are you trying to satisfy that dry place in your life? You can't. You can't give yourself "water". You can't produce the "rain" that you need. But God can. In the verse above He said, "I will". When the heavens were shut up and there had been no rain upon the land for over three years, Elijah prayed for rain and the heavens opened up and the rain began to fall. Did Elijah do that? Did he produce the rain? He prayed for it, but God created it and God sent it.

This morning God is wanting to pour water upon those thirsty areas in your life. He is wanting to saturate you with "heavenly" showers. He doesn't want to only send enough to dampen your life, He wants to send "floods". He wants to send it in abundance. Twice in our opening verse He said, "I will" do this. You can't do it. But He will do it.

When it rains, the earth just receives it and lets it "happen". God is ready to send water- cleansing and refreshing- to your life. He is ready to send floods to your dry places to cause them to come back to life and bloom again. Cry out for the rain like Elijah did and get ready, it is coming. Then just receive, bask in and enjoy the abundant rain of peace, grace, strength, provision and blessings that will flood your soul.

Have a great day. You can't water your own life, but God can and will, and He will do it in abundance.

For further reading:
Isaiah 43:19,20; 55:1
John 7:37; 4:13,14; 6:35
Psalm 63:1; 68:9
Matthew 5:6
1 Kings 18:41-45

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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
Fear Of The Lord"

"Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways." Psalm 128:1

Sometimes we wonder what it means to "fear the Lord". Does it mean we are suppose to tremble when we approach Him and be afraid of Him? Does it mean we are suppose to reverence Him? It means both. But the "fear of the Lord" is not demonstrated by trembling in terror, it is demonstrated by obedience.

The fear of the Lord is defined in the verse above-- "that walks in His ways". The fear of the Lord means that we respect and honor God enough to walk in His ways, keep His commandments and do His will. The fear of the Lord is not doing what we want, and putting our will and plans above His for us.

There are blessings that are attached to the fear of the Lord. When we have the fear of the Lord (and not just say we do), we get to enjoy those blessings-- they are given to us by God Himself.

Are you walking in the fear of the Lord? Do you respect Him? Do you reverence Him? Is His will more important to you than your own? Are you following Him- yielded and obedient to what He desires? Think about it, search your heart, look at your lifestyle and see if you have the fear of the Lord.

Have a great day. The fear of the Lord is to respect the Lord and show that respect by doing His will and not your own.

For further reading:
Psalm 128; 111:10
Job 28:28
Isaiah 33:6
Proverbs 9:10; 10:27; 14:26

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