Coffee with Jesus: 365 Morning Devotionals

By J. Floyd Bennett

Jesus, an open Bible, and a hot cup of coffee--there's no better way to start a day.

This time spent with the Holy Spirit prepares us for the challenges of the coming day.

It sure came in handy back in 2018 when the doctor told me that I might not live but two more years. That was hard news, but my faith in Jesus assured me everything was going to be all right. Whether God healed me or crushed me, it was going to be for His glory. In His mercy, He healed me.

It did show me that time was precious though. I decided to use the time He gives me to encourage others to pursue a deeper relationship with Christ.

I started taking what the Spirit shared with me during our morning coffee talks and sharing it with others through morning texts. Overtime, that dozen or so friends turned into hundreds of people.

My wife and friends encouraged me to put these morning devotionals into a book so that others may receive daily inspiration from them. So I did.

I'm not a scholar or anything special. I am just my Master's servant trying to help others get to know this great God we serve.

So grab a cup of coffee and join us as we explore the infinite depths of God's wisdom.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 24, 2022
• ISBN: 9781639610112

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Coffee with Jesus

365 Morning Devotionals

J. Floyd Bennett

Copyright © 2022 by J. Floyd Bennett

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

All biblical citations were taken from the English Standard Version of the Holy Bible unless otherwise indicated.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17

Day 18

Day 19

Day 20

Day 21

Day 22

Day 23

Day 24

Day 25

Day 26

Day 27

Day 28

Day 29

Day 30

Day 31

Day 32

Day 33

Day 34

Day 35

Day 36

Day 37

Day 38

Day 39

Day 40

Day 41

Day 42

Day 43

Day 44

Day 45

Day 46

Day 47

Day 48

Day 49

Day 50

Day 51

Day 52

Day 53

Day 54

Day 55

Day 56

Day 57

Day 58

Day 59

Day 60

Day 61

Day 62

Day 63

Day 64

Day 65

Day 66

Day 67

Day 68

Day 69

Day 70

Day 71

Day 72

Day 73

Day 74

Day 75

Day 76

Day 77

Day 78

Day 79

Day 80

Day 81

Day 82

Day 83

Day 84

Day 85

Day 86

Day 87

Day 88

Day 89

Day 90

Day 91

Day 92

Day 93

Day 94

Day 95

Day 96

Day 97

Day 98

Day 99

Day 100

Day 101

Day 102

Day 103

Day 104

Day 105

Day 106

Day 107

Day 108

Day 109

Day 110

Day 111

Day 112

Day 113

Day 114

Day 115

Day 116

Day 117

Day 118

Day 119

Day 120

Day 121

Day 122

Day 123

Day 124

Day 125

Day 126

Day 127

Day 128

Day 129

Day 130

Day 131

Day 132

Day 133

Day 134

Day 135

Day 136

Day 137

Day 138

Day 139

Day 140

Day 141

Day 142

Day 143

Day 144

Day 145

Day 146

Day 147

Day 148

Day 149

Day 150

Day 151

Day 152

Day 153

Day 154

Day 155

Day 156

Day 157

Day 158

Day 159

Day 160

Day 161

Day 162

Day 163

Day 164

Day 165

Day 166

Day 167

Day 168

Day 169

Day 170

Day 171

Day 172

Day 173

Day 174

Day 175

Day 176

Day 177

Day 178

Day 179

Day 180

Day 181

Day 182

Day 183

Day 184

Day 185

Day 186

Day 187

Day 188

Day 189

Day 190

Day 191

Day 192

Day 193

Day 194

Day 195

Day 196

Day 197

Day 198

Day 199

Day 200

Day 201

Day 202

Day 203

Day 204

Day 205

Day 206

Day 207

Day 208

Day 209

Day 210

Day 211

Day 212

Day 213

Day 214

Day 215

Day 216

Day 217

Day 218

Day 219

Day 220

Day 221

Day 222

Day 223

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Day 225

Day 226

Day 227

Day 228

Day 229

Day 230

Day 231

Day 232

Day 233

Day 234

Day 235

Day 236

Day 237

Day 238

Day 239

Day 240

Day 241

Day 242

Day 243

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Day 245

Day 246

Day 247

Day 248

Day 249

Day 250

Day 251

Day 252

Day 253

Day 254

Day 255

Day 256

Day 257

Day 258

Day 259

Day 260

Day 261

Day 262

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Day 264

Day 265

Day 266

Day 267

Day 268

Day 269

Day 270

Day 271

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Day 273

Day 274

Day 275

Day 276

Day 277

Day 278

Day 279

Day 280

Day 281

Day 282

Day 283

Day 284

Day 285

Day 286

Day 287

Day 288

Day 289

Day 290

Day 291

Day 292

Day 293

Day 294

Day 295

Day 296

Day 297

Day 298

Day 299

Day 300

Day 301

Day 302

Day 303

Day 304

Day 305

Day 306

Day 307

Day 308

Day 309

Day 310

Day 311

Day 312

Day 313

Day 314

Day 315

Day 316

Day 317

Day 318

Day 319

Day 320

Day 321

Day 322

Day 323

Day 324

Day 325

Day 326

Day 327

Day 328

Day 329

Day 330

Day 331

Day 332

Day 333

Day 334

Day 335

Day 336

Day 337

Day 338

Day 339

Day 340

Day 341

Day 342

Day 343

Day 344

Day 345

Day 346

Day 347

Day 348

Day 349

Day 350

Day 351

Day 352

Day 353

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Day 356

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Day 358

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Day 360

Day 361

Day 362

Day 363

Day 364

Day 365

An excellent wife who can find?

She is far more precious than jewels.

Proverbs 31:10

Thank you, Lord, for my jewel, Dina Bennett.

Introduction

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.

—Acts 4:13–14

The Sanhedrin saw themselves as the religious elite, but they were so caught up in the traditions of their religion and the prestige of their positions that they lost sight of the God they claimed to serve. To them, Jesus had been this upstart preacher out of Nazareth who had threatened the status quo to which they had grown accustomed. They thought they were through with Him when they had Him crucified, but here were these two uneducated and common fishermen from Galilee boldly preaching and healing people in the name of Jesus. They could not deny that the forty-year cripple was walking, nor could they deny the resurrection of Christ because if they could have, they would have right then and there.

So how was it that Peter and John got it and the smart educated folks did not? The answer is simple: it was because Peter and John had walked with Jesus. The eyes of their hearts had been opened by the Holy Spirit so that they could see. The wax had been removed from their spiritual ears so that they could hear. It is one thing to know about Jesus, but it is an entirely different and more beautiful thing to know Jesus on a personal and intimate level. He gives us His Spirit so that we can have this relationship. He gives His Word so that we can come to know Him not just as our God and Savior but also as our best Friend.

Since God is the Creator, Master, and Judge of all things, theology matters. We want to know the God who holds our eternal destiny in His hands. We want to know His character so that we can emulate it. We want to know His statutes so that we can obey them. We want to know His will so that we can walk in it. The word theologian evokes images of refined religious scholars, such as John Calvin, Martin Luther, Augustine, or great preachers like Charles Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, or George Whitefield. We think of brilliant teachers like John MacArthur, R. C. Sproul, or Alistair Begg, or of respected evangelists like Paul Washer, John Wesley, or Steve Lawson. Other men like Voddie Baucham, David Guzik, and Leonard Ravenhill come to mind. But any contemplation or investigation into the character, person, and morality of God is theology. That makes us all, to some degree, theologians. Understand that there is absolutely no intent here to discount the contributions of the great men that God has used throughout history to bless His church nor to denigrate the pursuit of theological scholarship.

There is a reason God makes men preachers, teachers, and scholars. God uses them to perpetuate biblical truth and understanding. The point is that too many people would rather get their theology from men than to know God for themselves, and sadly, too many of our brightest theologians are willing to facilitate people’s spiritual sloth. I try to glean all that I can from the works from the great men in church history and even from the godly people around me who I greatly esteem, but make no mistake about it. The greatest teacher will always be the Holy Spirit and His textbook will always be the inerrant Word of God.

I do not count myself among the great scholarly minds of the church, and I claim no insight other than that which the Holy Spirit sees fit to give me in His holy and immutable Word. I am nothing more than a layman, a servant, and a witness for the glory of Christ Jesus. And that is my point.

In 2018, while lying in my bed thinking that my life here was done, I decided to use what time I had left in this world to encourage people to pursue a deeper and more intimate relationship with Jesus. This was when I started sending a morning text to a few friends and family. Within a few months, the list grew to hundreds of people. As the Lord healed my body, I continued to send out the texts and the list continued to grow. Many seem to have benefitted from them, and I honestly feel that the Holy Spirit has used them to bless people I love. I still have medical challenges, but He continues to give me strength to serve Him. In response to His incredible mercy and beautiful grace, I resolved to be obedient to His will and continue to use the remaining days that He has allotted me to continue in my effort to share the Gospel with as many people as I can.

My beautiful and faithful wife, among a few others, encouraged me to put these into a book so that others could benefit from any inspiration or encouragement that the Holy Spirit gives them through these simple words. That is my sole intent. I have no desire to manipulate anyone’s theology but only to encourage the reader to walk the narrow path in an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

May you be blessed in the abundance of God’s grace.

Love and respect!

Day 1

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

—Genesis 1:1

To have a right relationship with God, we need to understand just who God is. God is eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He is without peer. He created everything; therefore, He is subject to nothing. All things were created for His glory, including us, who were made in His image from the dust of the earth. But in our pride, we rebelled against Him, choosing our own duplicitous wit and carnal pleasure over His infinite wisdom and glorious purpose.

We sinned against a righteous and eternal God for which there are righteous and eternal consequences. The wages of sin is death—wages we have all earned. But God, being rich in mercy, granted us grace through the works of Christ so that whosoever would repent and come to Him in earnest surrender would not perish but have everlasting life. It is a gift that we do not merit nor can we earn. We merely yield to His Holy Spirit so that we can walk in His character.

Let us not think that we are not in His thoughts. Let us not think that our sin is so dark that He does not see us playing in its shadows. Let us not think that we have fallen so deep that we are beyond His reach. Let us lay down the weapons of our sin—our pride, our shame, our idolatry—and surrender to the immaculate love of our perfect and all-powerful God.

Day 2

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

—John 3:16

This is the Gospel in its simplicity. God created the universe and all things in it for His glory, including man whom He created in His image. But man rebelled, choosing his own will over the perfect love of an eternal and righteous God. Rebellion against the eternal God carries eternal consequences—namely, the wrath of God and our destruction. We were helplessly, hopelessly dead in our sin. Yet God still loved us despite our insolence, so much so that He sent His only begotten Son, Christ Jesus, to receive the wages of our sin on the cross at Calvary.

God the Father crushed His only Son for us. He did this not so we could continue in our sin but so that we could repent and be reconciled with Him. It is a gift that He has extended to those who will believe in Him and put their faith in His perfect works. This is not merely some intellectual affirmation of Christ’s existence but a wholesale capitulation to His sovereign mercy and grace. Jesus told us Himself to love God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind. Jesus gave His all at Calvary, so our response should be a total commitment to love Him. Pray that God’s mercy and grace flow over, in, and through you all day long! Love somebody, bless somebody, and be the somebody Christ made you to be!

Day 3

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

—Ezekiel 36:26–27

The only true religion is that which is focused on and centered around a relationship with Jesus Christ. That relationship begins in the heart. Yes, the Gospel enlightens the mind, giving us a greater understanding of our sin and the need for redemption; but if the heart remains encased in the stone of its wicked passions, that understanding will only burden us with the guilt and shame of our sin but do little to break the chains of our sin. Jesus suffered the cross not just so we could find forgiveness but so that we could find freedom. The Holy Spirit crushes our stony hearts and replaces them with new malleable hearts that He can mold into the loving character of Jesus Christ.

Are we still carrying around the shame and guilt of our old sin? Maybe even still chasing the desires of a deceitful heart? Let us turn loose of that stony heart and receive a new heart filled with sovereign grace and the freedom that we have in Jesus.

Day 4

Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice. For he went from prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor.

—Ecclesiastes 4:13–14

What a beautiful thing it is that God not only freed us poor wretched sinners from the prison of our iniquity, but He also gave us seats at the King’s table! Yet it is easy to become content in our religious traditions and complacent in our own strength and wisdom. A stubborn heart and a haughty mind will lead us to ruin because they will cause us to no longer seek the counsel of our great Emancipator!

Did Solomon not at first refer to himself as but a little child solely dependent on God’s wisdom, yet in his old age, he acted foolishly in his vanity? Let us never forget our childlike dependence on God’s perfect wisdom or never stray from our desire to do His will. Let us continue to grow in His strength and character.

Day 5

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

—Joshua 1:9

Courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to do what is right and necessary in the presence of fear. It is the peace that overcomes our pain. It is the strength to stand in our struggle. It is the grace to face our grief. It is the confidence that conquers our uncertainty. Courage of our own contrivance is reckless and unreliable, but courage rooted in the power, wisdom, and promises of the Lord is faithful and unfailing. We will face many obstacles that make us feel overwhelmed, outnumbered, and outmatched, but take heart! He who is in us has overcome the world, and He promises to always be with us! Stand boldly in that faithful assurance!

Day 6

So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.

—Matthew 27:24

Pilate had the power to reject the charges brought against Jesus, but since the right thing was not the convenient thing, he did not. He feared losing the people’s respect, maybe even a riot, if he declared Jesus innocent. So he did nothing. Sometimes our greatest sins are not in what we do but in what we do not do. It is easy to do the right thing when it is convenient.

But how obedient are we when it is not convenient or easy or it might bring us harm or insult instead of profit or praise? Are we willing to give up a $10 cup of coffee to make sure someone else eats today? How often do we pass by our lonely neighbor because we do not want to miss our TV show? We praise the Lord on Sunday morning when everyone sees us but will not get up fifteen measly minutes earlier to spend some time with Him alone.

How often do we refuse to share Christ simply because we fear being ridiculed or looking uncool? How many times do we wash our hands to serve our self-image or self-preservation? If we are honest with ourselves, too many times. Don’t be a Pilate. Christ followers should be pursuing His will 24-7. We are to extend His love, mercy, and grace always, not just when it’s convenient. Pilate will be held accountable for his inaction. We will be too.

Day 7

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

—Psalm 90:14

Ahealthy breakfast helps to maintain a healthy body. Not only does it give us the proper nutrition to face the day, but when our hunger has been satiated, there is less temptation for us to graze on unhealthy junk food throughout the day. Our spirits work the same way. We wake up each morning with a spiritual appetite.

When we start the day off in God’s Word and prayerfully meditate on the power and faithfulness of His steadfast love, our souls are fed the spiritual nutrition that we need to stay strong and face the challenges of the day. Being fed by the Spirit also sates our appetites so that we will not graze on the hopelessness of an ungodly world. We do not binge on the negativity that often comes with our circumstances because we have already feasted on the bounty of His enduring mercy and grace. Let us start each day in His steadfast love and get our hearts and minds full of God so that we do not make ourselves sick on a belly full of the world. Let us rejoice in all our days knowing that whatever the day may bring, each day brings us closer to the eternal peace that awaits us in His kingdom.

Day 8

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

—Hebrews 4:14–15

What makes Christianity different from every other religion is that all other religions are centered on distant deities or abstract philosophies, but we as followers of Christ are called to an intimate relationship with the living God. Not only does His Spirit indwell us, but Jesus Christ endured the fragility of humanity so that He could empathize with us so that we could take our broken hearts, battered souls, and weary minds to Him to be restored and renewed. Not only did He offer Himself up as perfect propitiation for our sin, but He is also now our High Priest and Advocate who can empathize with the challenges we face on a daily basis.

We are never alone. We have a High Priest who understands and loves us so much that He suffered the cross for us. Go to Him and find peace in His abundant mercy and grace.

Day 9

Cain said to the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.

—Genesis 4:13–14

Cain did not feel bad about his sin—only about his punishment. Likewise, very often we do not regret our sin but only its consequences. We willfully sin against a loving God, but then we complain about any judgment that we might face because of our actions. An unconverted heart will grow bitter in self-pity and use it as an excuse to turn from God, but a heart that has been truly regenerated will be broken by sin and desire to repent of it. A trustworthy sign of regeneration is that the sinner will take God’s side against himself and make no excuses for the wickedness that once possessed him.

To truly embrace our new life in Christ, we must stop making excuses for the old life that we leave behind. Be the new creation you are in Christ, and let the excuses die with that old creature.

Day 10

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.

—Ephesians 2:4–5

B ut God has to be one of the most beautiful phrases in the Bible.

We all were once sons of disobedience and children of wrath, but God…

We were once ensnared by our own lust and destructive passions, but God…

We were all once helplessly d-e-a-d in our sin, but God…

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, saved us from the destruction that we so blatantly earned with our rebellion. We now have new life in Christ Jesus. All because, even while we were sinners, our merciful God loved us enough to crush His only begotten Son as propitiation for our sin on that cross at Calvary and grant us grace. Oh, what a great God we serve! Let us embrace our new life in Christ so that we can extend to others the love and grace God has given to us!

Day 11

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

—Proverbs 1:7

Fear of the Lord is not groveling cowardice but the proper reverence that we the creature owe to our sovereign Creator. It is the homage that we should have for our merciful Redeemer, who, even though we have earned eternal damnation for sinning against our eternal God, chose to receive the wages of our sin upon Himself and grant us grace and salvation in the perfect works of Christ Jesus.

We can accrue all the information in the world, but unless we process it in the understanding of who God is and who we are in relationship to Him, our knowledge will never be tantamount to wisdom. Let us not be foolish in our own knowledge but delve deep into the prayerful study of God’s Word so that we can comprehend and benefit from the instruction that we will find only in God’s perfect wisdom.

Day 12

Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me and I shall be saved: for THOU art my praise.

—Jeremiah 17:14

This world wears on us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Sickness, injury, stress, and disappointment leave us feeling crushed and defeated. Yet our God is still the Great Physician. Understanding that we are His children and that His hand is upon us helps us to realize that even in our suffering, He is not going to abandon us. Jesus endured the shame and humiliation of the cross for us. He was crushed for our sin. He is not going to forget about us. He will give us what we need to endure any and every situation. Remember, we are the bride of Christ, and being the perfect Bridegroom that He is, He will be with us in sickness and in health! So praise