Why Not Trust Him?

It’s a wonderful day to be a child of God. Have you ever had a problem with trusting people? Have you ever trusted someone and they let you down? How did it make you feel? Did you vow to never trust anyone again? Did you vow to keep things to yourself from that moment forward? So often in our lives, we experience hurt, pain and disappointment because we placed trust in man. You opened yourself to trust and your heart was broken. You have shut everyone out of your life, including the Lord. You refuse to open up to anyone or anything again. Never will you allow yourself to experience such hurt again … right? Does this sound like anyone you know? Does this sound like you?

Today, on this last day of 2009, I have been commissioned to come and minister to you. Allow me to start by asking you a question: Why Not Trust Him? (Him - being the Lord). Why Not Trust Him? Usually in life, when man hurts us we blame the Lord. Since we believe it was God’s fault, we refuse to trust in Him. Within, you know the situation is not the Lord’s fault. You know God was trying to alert you but you ignored the warnings. The Lord wants you to trust in Him. The Bible declares in Psalms 118:8 - It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. The problem is not with God, it is with you. Your confidence in man was more important than your trust in the Lord. Man hurt you, but you are now ignoring the Lord. Why Not Trust Him? The Bible declares in Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

My brother, my sister, Why Not Trust Him? You know that the Lord has never failed you. He has never forsaken you (Hebrews 13:5). He has never lied nor deceived you (Numbers 23:19). He has always loved and cherished you (Romans 5:8). At your current point of life, you must learn to trust in the Lord. The “thing” you are believing God for (only you know what the “thing” is), can only come when you learn to trust Him at His Word. The Bible declares in Psalms 37:3 - Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Why Not Trust Him? Thought to Remember: If He said He will do it, Why Not Trust Him?

Scripture Reading for the Day: Proverbs 29:25
May God Bless you at Your point of need!
Minister Darrick D. McGhee

Unchanging

"For I am the Lord, I change not..." Malachi 3:6a

It's hard to believe that the door is closing on another year and about to open on a new one. With the beginning of the new year I am sure there are questions and concerns about what it might bring and what the future holds in store. Of course, none of us knows what lies ahead. The Lord knows what's ahead, though, and while things may change in our lives individually, in our families, in our nation or in the world, there is one thing for sure that we can rest assured in... He does not and will not change.

The Lord does not change- He is as solid as a "Rock". He is a firm foundation. He will be as faithful in the coming year as He has always been. His power, His ability, His wisdom, His promises, His strength, His grace, His mercy, His delivering, healing, saving power will still be the same, He will still be the provider. He has always been and will always be. There is NOTHING about the Lord that will change. What He is, is what He has always been... and will always be.

Take comfort this year, if the winds of change beat upon your life, in knowing that God does not change, and nothing changes Him.

Have a great day. You can place your trust throughout the new year that lies ahead in the Lord who does not change.

For further reading:
Exodus 3:14
Hebrews 13:5,8
1 Corinthians 10:4
Isaiah 43:2
Matthew 28:20

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

God Planted A Garden

"God planted a garden...there He put the man whom He had formed."~Genesis 2:8 NKJV

What does it mean to plant? To bury seeds beyond human view so that they germinate and eventually produce fruit. In God's plan for your life, He's planted blessings you experience over time. Just because you walk out into a field and don't see a crop, doesn't mean the seeds aren't there; God has planted things in your life that will come to fruition at different times. It's amazing that God would plant. Why would He go to such trouble when He could just speak a word and create it? Think of the love, the personal involvement of the Creator of the universe, as He stoops down and plants blessings to come up at different seasons in your life. Everything God has for you hasn't come up yet, so you can''t give up, or walk away and say, "That's all there is." No, God's got some stuff planted that you haven't seen or experienced.

You're still becoming what He planted. Knowing that reinforces your faith that it will happen. It also means God believes in you - even when you don't believe in yourself.There are talents in you that haven't been discovered and dreams that haven't been fulfilled. That's what the battle is about! The Devil is fighting you over your destiny. He knows what's been planted in you and he's trying to kill the seed. Don't let him. You're not the person you'll be six months or six years from now, because there's a time factor; everything doesn't come to harvest at the same time. You have to havefaith and patience, otherwise you'll miss what God has for you.

Digging Wells That Won't Hold Water

"'My people have...dug...cisterns...that cannot hold water.'"Jeremiah 2:13 NIV

Do you feel like there's something missing in your life? Are you running from place to place and person to person trying to find it? Until you put God at the centre of your life, you'll keep digging 'cisterns...that cannot hold water.' We all want to be loved and feel successful, so we look to our jobs or to others for a sense of fulfilment. But by expecting a person or a pay cheque to do what only God can, we keep coming up short. 'Cursed is the one who trusts in man...He will be like a bush in the...desert...But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD...He will be like a tree...by the water...It has no worries in...drought and never fails to...fruit.' (Jeremiah 17:5-8 NIV) Fulfilment doesn't come from having 'the right people' in your life, or more money, prestige and accomplishments. A larger house won't do it; you'll just have more to clean. The latest car won't do it; you'll just end up with bigger payments. A job promotion won't do it; you'll just have more stress and longer hours. Yes, you'll make more money, but after taxes and buying what you need to maintain your new image, you'll be back to square one. At the end of a lifetime spent '...striving after [the] wind...' (Ecclesiastes 2:11 NAS) Solomon said, 'Everything...can be put into a few words: Respect and obey [honour and put your trust in] God! This is what life is all about.' (Ecclesiastes 12:13 CEV) The One you're looking for today has been there all along, and He's ready to meet you at the point of your need. You just have to invite Him in!

Soulfood Bible Readings Col 1-2, John 19:1-16, Ps 105:8-15, Pr 30:5-9

When God Makes Up His Mind

"For I am the Lord. I speak, and the Word which I speak will come to pass." Ezekiel 12:25 NKJV

There are two possible explanations for what happened in Swan Quarter, North Carolina, in 1876. It was either the most astounding coincidence, or an act of God - literally. The Methodist Episcopal Church South needed a new building, so when somebody donated a lot on Oyster Creek Road they accepted. It was low-lying land so they constructed a sturdy little white-frame church and put it up on brick pilings. Days later a storm lashed the town and those within sight of Oyster Creek Road witnessed something amazing. The church building - still intact - was afloat! The flood had lifted it off its pilings and sent it down the road. They tried to moor it with ropes but the church moved on. At the town center, as dozens of people watched helplessly, it made a sharp, inexplicable right turn and continued on. Finally, in the same decisive manner it veered off the road, it headed straight for a vacant lot and stopped dead in the center! The flood waters eventually receded but the building is still there. In fact, 130 years have passed since the church, now called Providence Methodist Church, floated itself to the most desirable property in town. What's amazing is this: The lot where it settled had originally been the congregation's first choice for their building, but landowner Sam Sadler turned them down. The morning after the flood, he presented the pastor with the deed."For I am the Lord. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass." No doubt about it, when God makes up His mind, nothing gets in His way!

Savior Or Example

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." John 3:17

In skimming over an article that I want to read, a sentence grabbed my attention. It said that through our teaching and preaching we have minimized Jesus to just a "good example" instead of the "Savior". True, He left us an example to follow- how to have victory over sin, how to commune with the Father, how to live in obedience, how to live by faith in this world. But just being our example was not His plan or the purpose for which He came. He came to redeem mankind from their sins. He came to die so that we might live. He came to be the Door to salvation. He told Pilate as he stood before him awaiting crucifixion that what He was about to face was the whole reason why He came.

We are getting ready to celebrate Christmas-- the birth of our "SAVIOR", not our example. If we forget that He is the Savior then we have no reason to celebrate- Christmas becomes to us the same thing that it is to the world... just a holiday. If we forget that He is the Savior, we have no reason to follow His example of good deeds and good works because without salvation the example means nothing. Following His good deeds doesn't save you. Accepting Him as Savior because you are a sinner and can't save yourself does save you. After He becomes Savior then you strive to follow the example that He left by walking in His footsteps.

If this babe that was born in a manger, if this Jesus who died on the cross is just an example to you of how you should live but He is not your Savior, then you are still lost in sin and are making Him just another religious avenue in hopes of saving yourself. Making Him your example won't save you... making Him your Savior will... then make Him your example to follow.

Have a great day. Jesus did not come just to be an example, He came to be our Savior.

For further reading:
John 18:37
1 Peter 2:21-25
Matthew 1:20,21
John 3:16
Acts 16:31
Revelation 1:5,6

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

It's Just A Thing

"For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me." Job 3:25

Have you ever heard the saying, "It's just a thing"? What that means is it's just a thing- something that really isn't that important, something that won't always last, something that doesn't have more power than we do.

It's amazing how many "things" we let defeat us, upset us, frustrate us and steal our joy and peace. Most of these things are so small and insignificant yet we give them a lot of "authority" in our lives by letting them dictate the way we feel, the way we respond, the way we act and react.

I knew that we were going to talk about this subject this morning and as I sat down to start typing the devotional, I had an encounter with one of those "things". I tried to pull up my new messages and it kept timing out and would not connect to my server. I was able to go online and open my messages there but not in my inbox. I tried several different things to make it work and finally- thank the Lord- it did. As I was "working" on it I kept reminding myself- "it's just a thing". Therefore, I was not going to let it bother me; I was not going to let it make me anxious; I was not going to let it steal my peace; I was going to give it to God and do whatever I needed to do to get it working and if it still didn't work, I wasn't going to let it upset me. (As you can see it's working.)

When those "things" come up, and they do and will, we have to make a choice about what we are going to do. Are we going to allow them to cause us to get in the "flesh"? Or are we going to overcome them before they overcome us? We do not have to be overcome by things- by situations- that arise. We have the peace of God that establishes our hearts and minds, we can do all things through Christ's empowerment, we are more than conquerors in all things.

So when these "things" come against you-- whether they come in the form of computer problems, rebellious teenagers, obnoxious co-workers, the loss of a job, an appliance that quits working, a vehicle accident, a bad report-- remember that it is "just a thing". A thing that is not greater than God. A thing that is not more powerful than His word. A thing that is temporary and not eternal. "It's just a thing".

Have a great day. Don't let "things" defeat you, because that's all they are... things.

For further reading:
Romans 8:37
2 Corinthians 4:18
1 John 4:4
Philippians 4:6,7

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

Swallow Your Pride

It’s a wonderful day to be a child of God. Have you been asking God for anything? Each chance you get, do you remind the Lord about your request? No matter how impossible it seems, do you still expect God to do it? So often in our lives, we ask God for whatever we want in life. No boundaries or hesitations. If you want it, you ask the Lord for it. Does this sound like you? You know other people think you are crazy for even thinking it is possible, but you still ask the Lord. If more people actually knew what you were asking from the Lord, they would write you off as “completely insane.” Why are you wasting your time? Why are you wasting God’s time? Are you really serious about your request(s)? Does this sound like some of the questions you keep hearing?

Today, I have been commissioned to come and minister to you. May I ask you a question? When you ask God for your request, what are your intentions? Are you sincere or do you want to boast in the face of others? Will the Lord receive glory? Many times we ask God for [some] things, but we are to proud to do what the Lord says do to receive it. We want God to open the windows of Heaven, but we do not want to tithe. We want God to forgive us, but we do not want to forgive others. To proud to admit it? My friend, you must learn to Swallow Your Pride! The Bible declares in Proverbs 16:18 - Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. As a child of God, there should be no room in our lives for pride. When we ask the Lord to bless us, sometimes He may use people to do it.

My brother, my sister, many people miss out on their blessings because pride interrupted the progress. Swallow Your Pride! The Bible declares in Proverbs 29:23 - A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. The opposite of pride, is humility. When you are humble, God is able to do great things in your life. The Bible declares in 1 Peter 5:6 - Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: What are you believing God for? Has pride attempted to enter in? Are you to proud to receive from others? Swallow Your Pride! Question to Ponder: If your blessing was in the hands of someone else, would you be to proud to receive it?

Go Get A Drink

"And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb." Revelation 22:1(This morning's devotional is one Mrs. Ezell sent out in July, but she feels the Lord wanted her to resend it this morning.) To God be the glory!

What do you do when you are thirsty? You go get a drink of water. How refreshing water is- it's a thirst quencher. What do you do when you are feeling spiritually thirsty? You do the same thing. You go get a drink of water.Are you feeling spiritually thirsty and dry? Then you need to go get a drink of living water. Where do you get it? At the throne of God. This morning come boldly before His throne of grace, you have been given access, and drink from those waters that are flowing from Him. Don't just get a small cup full either. Drink until you're full. Drink until your thirst is quenched. Drink until you can't hold another drop. It's a river that is flowing, not a stream, not a trickle, not a drip. There is plenty.If you have been trying to satisfy your thirst through various sources- relationships, your career, finances, fame, even religious/church sources- it will still leave you dry and thirsty. There is only one true source that will quench and satisfy your thirst-- the river of life that proceeds from the throne of God. Take time to go get a drink today- it's freely flowing and is available to all who will come.Have a great day. There is a river of life that proceeds from God which has the power to quench even the deepest thirst.... drink from it today.

For further reading:
Isaiah 55:1
Psalm 143:6
Psalm 42:2
Psalm 63:1
John 4:13,14
John 7:37
Revelation 7:15-17

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

Don't Lose Your Passion For God!

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart." Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV

DON'T LOSE YOUR PASSION FOR GOD!

There's an interesting sequence of events leading up to Peter's denial of Christ. First, Jesus warned Peter that he was a target: "Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Lk 22:31-32). Next we read that when the authorities came to arrest Christ, Peter "followed afar off" (Lk 22:54). Notice, Peter had grown distant from Christ. Then the man who swore he'd die for Jesus denied knowing Him. At that point the rooster crowed, Peter remembered his promise to Jesus, and "went out, and wept bitterly" (Lk 22:55-62).

Observe how it works: (a) You're unprepared for Satan's attack when it comes. (b) You allow work and family pressures to cause you to forget that your first commitment must always be to God. (c) You end up spiritually defeated. You say, "That will never happen to me." That's what Peter said! The reason "Satan hath desired to have you," is because he knows that when you become passionate about God's purposes, you're unstoppable. Indeed, the very desire that's burning within you right now is the fuel that enables you to withstand his attacks.

There's a reason the crucifixion has been referred to as "The Passion." The Bible says of Christ: "Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb 12:2 NKJV). Even as He was dying, Jesus was ministering to others. That's passion! So the Word for you today is, "Don't lose your passion for God

I Know Who I Am

I KNOW WHO I AM

I am God's child (John 1:12)

I am Christ's friend (John 15:15 )

I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)

I am bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20)

I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)

I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8) I

am the salt & light of the earth (Matt 5:13-14)

I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)

I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)

I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil 3 :20)

I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34)I

am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor 5:17-21)I

have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)

I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39)

I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor 1:21-22 )

I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28 )

I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )

I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph.. 3: 12 )

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13 )

I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)

I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16). I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)

I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3)..

I have been justified (Romans 5:1)

I am God's co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1).

I am God's workmanship (Eph. 2:10)

I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil. 1: 5)

I have been redeemed and forgiven ( Col 1:14).

I have been adopted as God's child (Eph 1:5)

I belong to God

Do you know who you are?

Benefit and Condition

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

We are always wanting the blessings and benefits of the Lord but when they are made available to us we often overlook them because they don't come in the way we want them to. They usually come with conditions. Like in our verse above.

What wonderful benefits- renewed strength, mounting up, running and not being weary, walking and not fainting. I don't know about you, but these sound like wonderful blessings to me. Daily I need my strength to be renewed. I need to be able to mount up and sore above the circumstances of life in general. How wonderful to be able to run and not get weary, and to walk and not faint. Who wouldn't want these blessings. Yet they do come at a price. The price? Waiting on the Lord.

There is an old saying, "We want our cake and eat it too". Usually, we want the cake, we want to eat it, we want the whole thing, we want to enjoy it, but we don't want to have to wait for it to bake, we don't want to take the time to mix the ingredients together, we don't want to do what is necessary in order to have the cake. This is how we are with the blessings of the Lord. In this case, not willing to wait upon the Lord.

If you want the blessings you must do/meet the conditions. There are no short cuts. Renewed strength comes from waiting on the Lord. The ability to run and walk and not grow faint or weary comes from waiting on the Lord. If you aren't receiving the benefits you desire, and they have been promised to you in God's word, then you may need to look at yourself and see if you are doing your part- the conditions.

Have a great day. Wonderful blessings have been promised to us, but so have the conditions to receiving those blessings.

For further reading:
1 Peter 2:3-8
Isaiah 1:19
Galatians 6:7-9
Ecclesiastes 12:13

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

Confusion Is Not Of God

It’s a wonderful day to be a child of God. Have you found yourself against a wall? Without realizing it, you were backed up against it. You have tried to figure out what went wrong. You begin to evaluate your past decisions. Confusion begins to set in. You turn to family and friends for advice, but they cannot help you. Because you have been so busy lately, you are having a difficult time remembering. So many questions have begun to run through your head. How did I get here? What did I do wrong? How did I get back on the right course? Is it too late? Never would you have imagined that it would be your back against the wall. Have you been there? Are you there now?

Today, I have been commissioned to come and minister to you. Has life’s problems held you down? My friend, you are not the only person facing turmoil. Times have been hard for others as well. The enemy desires to confuse you during your testing times. If he can cause you to doubt the Lord, he will surely try. During your current situation, always know … Confusion is not of God! The Bible declares in 1 Corinthians 14:33 - For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. It is the Lord’s desire to grant you peace during your chaotic times. When things seem uncertain, when the obstacles seem to prevail against you, when the rumors are created to destroy you, remember the Bible declares in Philippians 4:7 - And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

My brother, my sister, Confusion is not of God! On your job, God can give you peace. In your home, God can give you peace. In your marriage ministry, God can give you peace. During financial setbacks, God can give you peace. When sickness or disease attempts to overtake you, God can give you peace. During the current economic times of our country, God can give you peace. The Bible declares in Philippians 4:9 - Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. Thought to Remember: When everything is going against you, turn to the God of peace (Jehovah Shalom).

Scripture Reading for the Day: James 3:16-18

May God Bless you at Your point of need!
Minister Darrick D. McGhee

The Keeper

The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand." Psalm 121:5

The Lord is many things to us- our Savior, our Redeemer, our Deliverer, our Healer, etc.- and He is also our Keeper. He is the One who watches over us, who protects us, who guards us and who preserves us--- our Keeper. He keeps watch over us as a shepherd watches over his sheep, as a gardener his garden, as a watchman over a city and as a man watches over his home.

He is the keeper who keeps us from falling. "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy." (Jude 1:24)

He is the keeper of what I commit to Him- my life, my family, whatever and anything. "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." (2 Timothy 1:12)

He is the keeper of my physical well being. "He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken." (Psalm 34:20)

He is the keeper of Israel. "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." (Psalm 121:4)
He is the covenant keeper. "And said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments." (Nehemiah 1:5)He is a promise keeper. "For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us." (2 Corinthians 1:20)

He is my Keeper who never takes His eyes off of me- He never stops watching over or stops keeping me. "He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber." (Psalm 121:3)

Have a great day. The Lord is your Keeper- keeping you in all your ways and in every area that affects you.

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

The Right Garment

"And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless." Matthew 22:12

When I get dressed to go somewhere, I pick out what I want to wear. "I" pick it out. I choose what I want to wear to wherever it is I am going. If I want to wear a dress, tennis shoes, long sleeves or pants then that's what I wear.

One day there is going to be a wedding and the guests will not have the option of picking and choosing what they want to wear to attend. As a matter of fact, they won't be allowed in if they don't have on the garment that has been chosen by the King who is giving it. There will be only one garment that is acceptable. You will have to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ- no other garment will do. You won't be able to show up in your garments of good works and deeds, or your garments of religion, or the garments of intellect, or the garments of self-righteousness.

Our righteousness (any thing we do to try to be good enough) is described as "filthy rags". Who would wear "rags" to a wedding feast? Yet many on that day are going to try to get into the wedding feast wearing such.

When I plan on going somewhere, I don't wait until I get there to then decide what to wear, I choose it ahead of time and I show up at the event with it already on. The King (the Lord God) has already chosen for us the proper attire and it has already been provided ahead of time. (It was provided through Calvary.) Do you already have that garment for when the time comes? You can't go out then and get it- like the foolish virgins who thought they could go get more oil after the wedding had already started. It must be received ahead of time.

We have received an invitation to this wedding, we just don't know what time it is scheduled, so make sure you already have this garment that was provided for you so that you will be properly attired when the time comes.

Have a great day. You can't wear the garment of your own choosing to the wedding feast of the King of kings, you can only wear what He chooses.

For further reading:
Philippians 3:9
Revelation 19:8
Matthew 25:1-12
Isaiah 64:6
Matthew 22:8-12

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

Enter When You Desire

"Enter into hHis gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name." Psalm 100:4

While this verse is specific in the fact that it tells us "how" to enter into the gates and courts of the Lord (His presence), it isn't specific as to "when" to do this. The reason is because the choice is up to us. Jesus broke down the middle wall of separation that kept us out of the presence of God. The veil was rent in two. Nothing stands in the way any longer. We have been granted access to freely come through the door (Jesus) which is never closed to us.

This means that we can enter into His presence whenever we desire. We can come to Him whether it's morning, noon, night, Sunday or any other day of the week. We have been given access to come to Him as often as we like- once an hour, twice a day, once a week, once a month, etc. We have also been given access to come into His presence during good times, bad times, trying times, peaceful times, abundant times, lean times- it makes no difference.

How often and when do you enter into His presence? Are you taking advantage of the privilege that has been granted to you by the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ? It cost Him everything to be able to open up the way of access for you and keep it open. So don't take it for granted.

Have a great day. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and praise, any time you'd like!!

For further reading:
Ephesians 2:14, 18
Hebrews 4:16
Matthew 27:50,51
Psalm 95:2
Psalm 100


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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

Defining Moments

"Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him." Genesis 45:15

In all our lives there are moments that "define" us- they define who we are and our character. This was one of those moments for Joseph when his brothers stood before him, the same brothers who had hated him, who wanted to kill him, plotted against him, had no mercy on him, sold him into slavery. At that moment he didn't just stand before them as their "little brother", he stood before them as the second most powerful person in all of Egypt; he stood before them as the "ruler of the world"; he stood before them having the authority to either imprison them, make them slaves or kill them.

At that moment Joseph could have taken revenge, he could have made them suffer, he could have persecuted them, he could have done to them what they had done to him. The moment defined who Joseph was. It revealed what type of heart he had. It revealed his character.

We have those moments too. Sometimes they come to us the way they did Joseph through what I call "big opportunities". Sometimes they come on a day to day basis through the "mundane" duties of life. For school children they may come by being tempted to cheat on a test. For an employee they may come when confronted by your boss about an issue and your tempted to lie to make yourself look good. They come in many ways, through many avenues, through many forms and through many people. Regardless of how they come, the point is they come and when they do they will define you- you will see and others will see just who you really are.

When we talk about how "all things work together for the good", we don't usually think about it in the area we have talked about this morning. But when you are faced with a situation, when you are going through a trial, when things are happening in your life, if you can't "see" some tangible thing that looks good coming from it, remember this- if it reveals who you are and your character, what's inside of you, what's in your heart, then it has worked a "good work" because it revealed something to you about yourself. Did it reveal Christ's nature in you or did it reveal flesh? If it revealed something other than "Christ", then rejoice because that was a good thing, because now you know what's in your heart and you can work with the Holy Spirit to bring a change in you- a change that will ultimately cause Christ to be formed in you.

Have a great day. The things we go through define us, they let us know who we are and what's inside of us. How are your trials defining you?

For further reading:
Jeremiah 17:9
Mark 7:21,22
Psalm 139:23,24
Romans 8:28
Isaiah 6:5
Genesis 45:4-15

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

Unchanging God

"...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5b

There is a song entitled, "God of the Mountain". The words of the chorus are as follows: "For the God on the mountain is still God in the valley. When things go wrong, He’ll make them right. And the God of the good times, is still God of the bad times. And the God of the day is still God of the night."

I want to encourage you this morning that your situation doesn't change God. It doesn't matter what you are going through, He is still God. It doesn't matter if it is a big problem, an impossible situation or a tremendous burden, God is still all powerful, all wise, all knowing. He is still the same whether you are on a mountain top or in a valley.

He didn't change in power, strength or ability when the three Hebrews faced the fiery furnace, when David faced the lion, the bear or the giant. He was the same powerful God for the Israelites at the Red Sea as He was when they were in Egypt.

He was with Joseph when he was in the pit, in Potiphar's house and in the palace. It's amazing to me that we tend to think that God was only with Joseph when he was in the palace. We think, or act like, God is only there when things are going well, when the blessings are flowing, when the money is coming in, when there are no conflicts and our health is good. This isn't true, He is with us wherever it is. Don't let your situation shroud the knowledge that God is there with you- on the mountain and in the valley.

Have a great day. God is with you no matter where you are and He is just as powerful in every situation and every place.

For further reading:
Genesis 28:15
Isaiah 41:10
Deut. 26:8
Isaiah 43:2
Malachi 3:6
Hebrews 13:8

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

Afterwards

"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." Hebrews 11:8

Abraham was "called" to go out not knowing where he was going. Yes, God will "call" us, "lead" us, "direct" us to do something and we will not always understand the why or what. He will not always show us the whole picture or explain the reason behind it. He will not always give us all the details either. He didn't to Abraham.

It was "afterwards"- after his obedience, after he made a step of faith, after he left his father's house, after he trusted the voice of God- that he received the place he was called out to as an inheritance. It was not before. Our problem is that we always want the "afterwards" before we will do the "before". We want to receive the end result first. We want to receive the blessing before we meet the condition. It doesn't work that way. We have to do what the Lord tells us to do then "afterwards" we will receive.

The bottom line is this: God will direct us but not always tell us why or what His plan is. We just have to step out in faith and obey like Abraham did. And after we do, then we will receive.
Have a great day. Just obey the voice of the Lord whether you understand why He told you to do it or not. If you obey then afterwards you will receive.

For further reading:
Proverbs 3:4,5
Matthew 7:7
Matthew 6:33
Isaiah 1:19

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

Study For The Test

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15

I woke up with this scripture on my heart this morning, and a thought accompanied it. The thought was this-- too many Christians depend on someone else to do their studying of the scriptures for them. They depend on the television preachers, their pastor, some sermon series, etc. We should be thankful for these and there is nothing wrong with learning from them. But God never intended that they take the place of personal study and responsibility.

Would you let someone else do your studying for you when it comes to taking a test? What they know does not do you much good if you don't know it. The Bible says that God's people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Is there a lack of knowledge, or a lack of studying to gain the knowledge?

There is a danger in taking everyone else's word for it especially when it deals with life and death issues, as do the scriptures. We will all take one big final test one day- the one where we stand before God and give a personal account of our lives. If you haven't studied to find out for yourself what answers are acceptable and which aren't, you might fail.

Have a great day. When we stand before the Lord one day, we will take a test- an "open book" test. Will we know the answers?

For further reading:
Hosea 4:6
John 5:39
Psalm 119:11
Revelation 20:12


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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

Recovering From Loss

"'...Pour out your heart before Him...' "Psalm 62:8 NKJV

Here are five keys to recovering from loss: (1) Process your grief. Emotions like fear, anger, worry, depression, resentment, helplessness and grief are normal. It's no good to suppress them or deny they exist. God created us to feel; He doesn't expect us to act happy when we're grieving. 'Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.' (Matthew 5:4 NIV) Be honest with God. 'Pour out your hearts to Him,' (Psalm 62:8 NIV) and He will comfort you. (2) Accept help. It's a mistake to isolate yourself in the aftermath of a tragedy. We all need the encouragement and the support of others. We're called to carry one another's burdens 'Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.' (Galatians 6:2 NKJV) (3) Choose the right response. When you choose bitterness, you hurt yourself and shut the door on happiness because you can't be happy and bitter at the same time. During some recent bushfires there were victims who said, 'We've lost everything and we're sad, but we'll work together as a family and rebuild.' Others said, 'My life's over! I can't go on...I'll never recover.' You can choose to believe you're on your own, or that God's with you and bounce back. (4) Know your joy comes from God. There's no correlation between your circumstances and your joy. Joy comes from within; it's based on whom you trust, not what you see and feel. (5) Concentrate on what you have left, not on what you've lost. Make a list of the good things in your life, and thank God for what you still have. It's impossible to be grateful and hopeless at the same time.

Soulfood Bible Readings 2 Chron 35-36, 2 John, John 15:5-17, Ps 14, Pr 28:13-16

Black Friday

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

A friend was sharing with me about her "Black Friday" experience. (Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving when the stores have big sales in order to bring in lots of buyers. The sales usually start around 4:00 am and last until around noon.)

I quit going to the Black Friday sales years ago because the crowds are so large, you have to park blocks away from the stores, you have to stand in long lines and you have to get up very early in order to get there before the sale items are gone. My friend was telling me that this is exactly what she went through. She said she got up at 2:30 a.m. that morning to go and shopped until 7:00 p.m. that evening.

As I was listening to her, my mind immediately wondered, "Would we be willing to go through all this for Jesus?" When was the last time we woke up so early just to spend time with Him? When was the last time we went through any sort of inconvenience to get into His presence? Isn't it amazing that we will make room for and make sacrifices for the things we really want to do, but when it comes to Him it is more than we are willing to do. Most aren't willing to make even the slightest effort to study their Bible, pray or commune with Him. (What is wrong with this picture?)

Which describes you? One who makes room, makes sacrifices, goes the second mile, puts forth the effort and gets out of your comfort zone for Jesus or for everything else but Him? If you are one who will do it for the latter and not for Jesus, then there is something terribly out of order in your life and it needs to be corrected.

Have a great day. Is Jesus on your list of priorities? Is He on your list of things that you are willing to make adjustments and sacrifices for? Is He at the top of that list?

For Further Reading:
Psalm 96:4
Isaiah 29:13
Psalm 73:28
Amos 5:4

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

Unlimited Access

"For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father" Ephesians 2:18

In today's competitive market, most providers of phones, cell phones and internet service offer "unlimited access". Having this privilege is wonderful especially when the alternative means you are limited in using them and have to pay additional fees. Some take advantage and talk on their cell phones almost endlessly. People like me are on the internet for hours each day. But then you have those who have the ability to use these forms of communication any time they wanted to, but don't. They don't use of the resources that are available to them. For example, I know people who only use ten or twenty minutes of their cell phone minutes in a whole month.

Did you know that we have been given "unlimited access" to come before the presence of God? It's all right if you decide to limit your use of your internet or phone access, but what are you doing with the unlimited access you have into God's presence? Are you taking advantage of it? Is it something that you just do on occasion- perhaps only when you have a need or are in an uncomfortable situation or face something that you don't think you can handle? Are your "minutes" with Him hardly noticeable? Do you frequent it often or rarely?

Jesus died on the cross to give us access to the Father. It is a wonderful privilege that should never be taken lightly or for granted. We can come before Him at any time- day or night. There is always an open line to reach Him. We never face "down times" when we are ready to talk with Him. He is always there and always available. He doesn't sleep, He is always awake. And He is always accessible.

Have a great day. Are you taking advantage of the "unlimited access" you have into God's presence?

For further reading:
Ephesians 3:12
John 10:9
Hebrews 4:16
Psalm 121:4
James 4:8

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

Tell The Truth, Shame The Devil!

It’s a wonderful day to be a child of God. What do you do when someone you trust has been dishonest with you? How does it make you feel? Do you end the friendship? Do you give them another chance? Do you act as if nothing is wrong? What do you do? How do you respond? So often in our lives we find ourselves on the receiving end of dishonesty. A person you trusted held back the truth from you. When you confronted them, more lies were given. It appeared as if it was lie, upon lie, upon lie. Have you been there? Are you there now?

Today, I have been commissioned to come and minister to you. My friend, Tell The Truth, Shame the devil! When we are dishonest with our brothers and sisters, we give glory to the enemy. God hates lies and he expects us to hate it as well. The Bible declares in John 8:44 - Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. Sometimes you find yourself in positions where telling the truth seems so difficult. Being dishonest is your first reaction. Be that as it may, Tell The Truth, Shame the devil!

My brother, my sister, you must understand who your Father is. He expects more out of you. The Bible declares in Proverbs 17:4 - A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue. Dishonesty never betters anyone. When a person tells a lie, he/she must continue to lie to cover the first one. The Bible declares in John 8:32 - And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. When you find yourself wavering between the two options, always Tell The Truth and bring Shame to the devil! Thought to Remember: If you hate being lied to, make sure you are not doing what you hate!

Scripture Reading for the Day: Revelation 21:8

May God Bless you at Your point of need!

Overcoming Your Fear Of People

"'Be not afraid of their faces...'"Jeremiah 1:8 KJV

Do you avoid certain activities and social occasions because of insecurity? If so, you might have 'social phobia', the fear of being inadequate, embarrassed or negatively evaluated. Some of us even experience panic attacks that leave us immobilised to the point of dysfunction. Yet it's avoiding such situations, rather than facing them, that allows our fears to control us. How great our fear becomes depends on what we say to ourselves when it hits. And what we say to ourselves is largely a function of what psychologists call our 'sub-personality type'. Here are some common sub-personality types, and ways we can handle them: 'The Worrier.' Worriers anticipate the worst, create grandiose images of potential tragedy, and are always hyper-vigilant for any small signs of trouble. Their favourite self-talk expression is, 'But what if...?' Learn to replace your worrier self-talk with, 'So, what if...? By God's grace I can learn to handle this. I can feel anxious and still do it. I don't like it, but I can stand it until it passes. I'll get used to it with practice and God's help.' When Jeremiah's fears kicked in and he wanted to run from a public speaking assignment, God said to him: '...you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don't be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you...' (Jeremiah 1:7-8 NLT) Instead of running from it, choose to face it in faith; and watch how God will get you through it!

Soulfood Bible Readings Jos 11-13, John 17:1-12, Ps 147:12-20, Pr 29:6-10