Monthly Archives: April 2016

THIS IS GOD’S WORLD

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THIS IS GODZ WORLD

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Psalm 24:1

 

Here I go again, reflecting back to days gone by. Perhaps, it’s because I just recently celebrated  another birthday, yall! Nevertheless, perhaps a few of my readers may remember the words of that Great R&B Prophet, James Brown’s hit song recorded in 1966, “This is a Man’s World!” My My! Did we ever groove off of that one. However, in retrospect (accompanied by a good ol’ dose of The Holy Ghost), I must confess “Boy were we ever wrong!”

In fairness to my fellow human-kind, it’s no wonder we were attracted to those lyrics. Given the fact that it supports man’s insatiable urgent need to dominate, control and conquer his environment. I suppose this mindset has it’s own advantages. For some at least, it alleviates that pesty loathsome notion of accountability, huh?

As life long east coast residents of The DMV, some of us are now living in a suburban tree lined, street lighten, well manicured lawn, 3-car garaged mini-mansions, just outside of the metropolis, in gated communities from which periodically we’re forced to venture onto rush-hour crowded cement roadways up to historical monuments of governmental, judicial, legislative, communication systems, financial and academia institutions, state of the art medical facilities, opera halls, convention and shopping centers, fine cuisine restaurants, fast-food drive-thru lines, soccer fields, football and base ball stadiums–it’s easy to forget! Oh Yeah, we’ve come a long way, baby! But God has a way of making Truth clear as the ground you walk on, remember that earthquake no body expected?

With so much going on in our sophisticated Hi-Tech 21st Century lives, we’ve created a man-made superficial reality that subtly separates us from the Eternal Truth. Whether you call home The White House or the out-house, we’re all co-inhabitants of a massive celestial sphere, constantly turning, masterfully choreographed from eternity past through time into eternity future at the specifically detailed instructions of The Universal Sovereign Invisible Creator! My Lord!

While The Bible teaches us there’s a place in our lives for worldly wisdom, ambition and hard work, it also cautions us that we must never allow any of these things to take precedence over our aspiration and commitment to seek to fulfill our God ordained purpose for being part of His Story! Sadly, many a person has left this world (and all their accumulated richest) wealthy, according to this world’s standard, yet spiritually impoverished; never knowing nor desiring the benefits of living life to the fullest intent of The Life-Giver. (Ref. John 10:10)

According to God’s Word, the soul is the most valuable possession of man’s life! It is The Father’s greatest desire to live in eternal fellowship with the most precious of all his creation—mankind! In order to get His Plan back on track, God’s literally tore Himself apart to accomplish so great a Salvation by demolishing the the enmity of our sinful rebellion against His Lordship!

“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

Through the eye-opening repentant heart, The Light of Life is miraculously revealed, The Majestic Radiance of The King of Glory is esteemed and Grace is dispensed saturating and quenching the thirst of the way-faring soul! Man discovers, much to his delight, that truly… THIS IS GOD’S WORLD! #PEACEOUT!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

 

COME BACK 2 THE TABLE

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COME BACK 2 THE TABLE

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 1 Corinthians 11:24-25

For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 1 Corinthians 11:29

 

At our church, it’s every 1st Sunday! The table has been prepared by Deac, anticipating the moment when the scripture will be read and Pastor will extend the invitation to the congregation to come to the table and partake of the bread (wafer) and the wine (grape juice). The charge is given, to let every man examine his/her self and let them eat of that bread and drink of that cup, lest you bring a curse upon yourself by mocking the Body and The Blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! #heartpounding, huh?

Unfortunately, since we don’t know what’s residing in the hearts of our brothers and sistas, how many folk refrain because their own hearts have condemned them or not just because they don’t want others to think that they’re not in right-standing with Christ? Anyway, it’s not my business, right? #juswondering

Chances are even some God-fearing-sanctified-baptised-holy-walking-tongue-talking believers don’t really understand the significance of The Communion Table and wrongfully approach this feast as a religious traditon ritual. Hence, this is just something we do 1st Sunday! Oh, Precious Ones, there’s so much more taking place that meets the eye! Journey with me as the Holy Spirit lluminates the spiritual reality, intimacy and implications of this sacred fellowship with The Risen Savior!

The Communion Table is Divinely instituted to take us back to The Cross of Calvary and The Blood that was shed for the remission of our sin. When we come to The Table, we’re revisiting remembering the whipping posts where The Lamb of God was beaten with 39 stripes + 1  before He was nailed to an ol’ rugged Cross atop Calvary! While many who watched self-righteously believing that they were doing God a favor,  there were a remnant of others who knew that Jesus was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities and the stripes that He bore in His flesh were for our healing!

When we come to the Communion Table, remembering the Cross, you gotta come correct! Not in pride nor condemnation; but in joy-filled anticipation, humbled by Jesus’ humiliation! Come, humbled by Jesus’ Holiness, His Faithful submission to death, hell, the grave and to His Father’s Will–in order that we could have a right to eat the fruit of Eternal Life!

Come to the table, remembering the falability of your humanity and the infallability of His Divinity, acknowledging that not only do I need The Atoning Blood to get saved, but to stay saved!

The Word of God reminds us that there’s a devil who’s constantly plotting against us, determined to stop us from living holy and righteous before God. He’s always lurking about us, awaiting the opportunity to sneak up, entrapping you with that sin that so easily besets you, drapping your heart with burdens of guilt, shame and condemnation destroying your peace! He’s strategically scheming to flood your mind with fear,worry and doubt, drainining your spirit of the Jesus’ joy, strength and hope! But the Communion Table, reminds you that just One Drop of The sanctifying Blood applied to the door post of your heart and mind is enough to shake off temptation, depression, gloom and doom and lift you up out of the pit of hopelessness and dispair!

When you drink of The cup of Redemption, your strength is refreshed, renewed and your holy boldness is restored, empowering you to repel the firey darts of Satan. When you eat The Body, remember you now stand clad in The Full Armor of God, declaring to the kingdom of darkness, ‘I refuse to deny the Testimony of Jesus on The Cross – I gotcha covered, IT IS FINISHED!

Beloved, the next time you partake of the Communion Table, let the Blood cleanse your heart of the guilt by acknowledging that it was your sin that betrayed Jesus, even since you’ve been saved. The devil will choke on that, because you know He certainly was planning to throw that back in your face, k?

But be of good courage, that’s why Jesus suffered The Cross, once and for all who will receive Him as the propitiation of their sin. As you eat His Body and drink His Blood, remember, Jesus prayed, knowing you’d fail Him again before you leave this world. That’s why He asked The Father to send you The Helper to live on the inside of you to empower you to live faithfully and obedient to His commandments!

As you fellowship with The Savior, hear His plea, ‘All I want you to do, when you are converted is go strengthen your brother! Go tell them how much I still LOVE them! Go tell them about My Blood that frees them from sin! Go tell somebody how I saved, healed and delivered you! Go tell one somebody that if Jesus was able to saved me, a wretch undone, He can saved anybody! WOW! #didjaheardat?

Maybe you need to come back to the table? C’mon, THE BLOOD STILL WORKS!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

PURPOSE TRUMPS PAIN

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PURPOSE TRUMPS PAIN

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

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, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25

 
“Don’t put a question mark where God has put a period.” Sounds good, huh? Plastered on a billboard, right? Unfortunately, it’s potetency seeps out in everyday real life! Because that’s exactly what many of us do when things don’t workout like we think they should. We marry our soul mate and three years later, we’re widowed. We train up our children to love and follow Jesus, and they’re addicted to cocaine. We finally get that promotion and are able to buy our dream house and the doctor reports confirm that your wife has Stage 4 breast cancer!

Sometimes life doesn’t make sense! Perhaps, that’s why God told us not to lean to our own understanding, knowing His ways are beyond our human comprehension, huh? But He does tell us that before we breathed our first day, He’s designed each day to work together for our greatest good and His Higher Glory. I surely recognize that to the carnal mind, in the midst of tests, trials and tragedy, this offers little help (and even less hope). But there is some Good News for those who’ve become wearied in well-doing! The True and Living God Who takes pleasure in our prosperity is in complete control of our end from the beginning! (Ref. Romans 8:28)

Contrary to this new 21st Century Gospel-Lite philosophical preaching that asserts that if you choose to follow Jesus, (as if you ever would) the rest of your journey will be a flowery bed of ease,  God recycles those who have put their faith and trust in Him alone into agents of transformation for the upbuilding of His Kingdom in the Earth! While The Father of Comfort is determined that you reach the fullness of your Destiny, He’s Sovereignly ordained that you face resistance, struggles and adversity in this life, in order to produce and prove your Godly character.

It’s easy for us to get stuck in the muck and mire of our pain and waste it! #Datsoundsabitharsh, huh? Honestly, while life is filled with unexpected uninvited disruptions, nothing happens coincidentally! God doesn’t waste pain! It’s in the midst of these sporadic interuptions that we discover what God has put on the inside of you, not to deminish you, but to prepare you for the next level of your mission. Hence, we must decide whether or not we’re going to remain pitififul or allow this to make us powerful!

I tend to think about it like this, everytime I use my painful experiences to help somebody who’s facing a challenge that I’ve already come thru, I just imagine the demons trembling in terror. Remember the scripture that says, if they only knew what was going to happen when they crucified our Lord and Savior, they never would’ve done it! (Ref. 1 Corinthians 2:8) Ha! Ha! So, I gotta admit that turning the tables on the devil is absolutely delightful. In fact, I tell him, “Satan, you’re gonna regret every moment of this more than I ever will!”

Beloved, by using the lessons we gain to help somebody else, we’re heaping coals of fire on the devil’s head! If you will allow the pain to transform your mind, you gain a greater understanding of God’s miraculous Power and sustaining Grace! Besides that, your faith will boister a personal confidence that affirms ‘IF GOD DID IT BEFORE, HE’LL DO IT AGAIN! As I allow these experiences to make me better rather than bitter, I can be content regardless of my circircumstances!’ (Ref. Philippians 4:11)

Somebody said, NO PAIN NO GAIN! However, unless you change your perspective, this offers little to motivate you in the furnace of affliction! In order for us to grow through these seasons of difficulties we must be fully persuaded that because of God’s unconditional Love and immutable Faithfulness, the only reason God has allowed this, is because He knows He can trusts me with this trouble! WOW! PURPOSE TRUMPS PAIN!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

I WON’T BE SILENT ANYMORE!

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I WON'T BE SILENT ANYMORE

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to Me.” Acts 18:9-10
Several years ago, The Grand Ole’ Church of God in Christ, came out with a slogan, guess what? Exactly! ‘I won’t be silent anymore!’  I wonder why I haven’t heard that one in a while! Especially in light of all the other voices that a bellowing out all kinds of crazy comments! #wink #wink!  Yall don’t mind granting a sista a few moments of folly, do you? AWESOME!

Have you noticed that every one and their cuzzins have come out of the closets, declaring and decreeing their rights. WOW! But where are the Saints? What’s the matter Zion? Perhaps, it’s got more to do with frustration and disenfranchisement than fear, huh? Them ol’ skool church Mothers were right! We’re living in times that will definitely try men’s souls. Seems as if everybody’s got rights…BUT THE CHURCH!

I ain’t scurred! Why are we the brunt of  such vicious accusations and slander, if we dare to uphold the moral standards of The Word of God?  What happened to our freedom of speech rights? Why are we subjected to blatant mockery and defamation of character when we defend our Declaration of Dependance on The True and Living Creator of The Universe? #ijs

Last time I checked, The Holy Bible still says that there’d come a time when the people of God would be forced to make an individual conscious decision, for Jesus I live, for Jesus I die! Well?  Churrch, do we really believe The Word of God or are we pretending to fit in to get in?  Have we forgotten that the Ol’ Ship of Zion is not a cruiseliner but a battleship?  

It’s time to show whatcha working with! Ain’t no where to run and no where to hide. The stage is set and the rubber is treading  the road. Timeout for playing church and teetering on the edge of the fence! You know, how close can you get to the world and still make it to Heaven?  Either you’re all in THIS….OR UR OUTSIDE OF THE ARK! 

I still believe that the safest place in the whole wide world, IS IN THE WILL OF GOD!

Now, that’s just my two cents…do U, Boo!  BUT AS THE OL’ CHURCH USED TO SAY…AS 4 ME AND MY HOUSE….WE SHALL SERVE THE LORD!

#speak-up? #SILENCEAIN’TBLISS! #datzmystoryugottaluvmehuh!  #NLOL

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

WHATZ STOPPIN’ U?

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Copyright - © Mike Grandmaison

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Abandoning that one, Isaac moved on and dug another well. This time there was no dispute over it, so Isaac named the place Rehoboth (which means “open space”), for he said, “At last the LORD has created enough space for us to prosper in this land.” Genesis 26:-22
Has God ever promised you something that seemed absurd not to mention impossible in your own mind? Well, you’re in good company! Remember, Abram and Sarai. When God promised to give them a son,  considering Abraham was 100 and Sarah 90 years old, (waaayyy past the childbrearing age), they both laughed at the very thought of such a thing happening. But God got the last laugh! At the appointed time, Isaac (laughter) was born to this barren couple! Is there anyting too hard for God?

Isaac grew up and married Rebekah. Everything was going well, until suddenly there was a famine in their land which drove them to move to Gerar, a land occupied by the Philistine King Abimelech. Isaac settled there, and planted crops in that land, and reaped a hundredfold in that same year, his cattled increased and so did his servants! Now, don’t miss it, K? Remember, they were in the midst of a famine and water, being extremely scarce, was as precious as gold. Therefore, the land was barely producing, but because God was with him, everything his hands touched, prospered and Isaac became filty rich! #Didjagetit?

Howeverrr, be prepared for the repercussions of  increase! #ijs!!! Everybody ain’t happy when things are going well for you, huh? Oh yeah, as God begins to elevate you, some folk will start disappearing from your life. Are you ready for some pruning!

Soon jealousy reared its ugly head and King Abimelech told Isaac ‘This land ain’t big enough for the both of us. You ain’t gotta go home, but you leaving here.’! To make sure that his land couldn’t produce, The King ordered the wells that Isaac had dug to be filled up with dirt. Have you ever known somebody who was so jealous about what you had that they didn’t, that they began to spread lies to tear down your character and tarnish your reputation? Hence, throwing dirt in your well?

Sometimes, to keep the peace and unity, it’s better to take the low road! Isaac moved to the Valley where he discovered wells of fresh water! Yet, this infuriated the herdsmen of Gerar even more! Time and time again they’d come claiming these wells as their own.

Beloved, don’t be surprised at the opposition that shows up whenever you make a decision to seek the Fountain of Living Water! Nevertheless, God says to ‘count it all joy’! (Ref. James 1:2-4) He only allows it to try your faith and prove your trust through a furnace of affliction! Isaac, refusing to let oppostion stop him, kept right on seeking and digging wells. He did not give in to the ways of the world just because his circumstances were not what he’d expected. HE WAS IN THE WILL OF GOD!

It’s important to note, Isaac didn’t rebel against the ol’ land marks but remained steadfast to the promises that God had given to his Father. Saints, we don’t have to come up with a new bunch of truths to inherit the promises of God! We certainly don’t change our beliefs just because the world says, times have changed.  Them ol’ skool Mothers said, “Yep, it’s a new day, but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater! You might get what you want, but lose what you had!” It’s okay to dig new wells, but make sure that you build on the foundation of those who have gone on before us and make sure that we get where they are! #ijs… Amen!

Isaac moved three times, looking for new wells just to avoid conflict! Yet, Isaac had something that his enemies didn’t. He had the comforting assurance that no matter where he was, no matter what his circumstances, God’s Presence and Promises abided with him!

His hope, faith, trust and patience were rewarded in the end! They dug another well, and no one quarrel after this one. Isaac named it Rehoboth, meaning the Lord has made room for us and we will flourish!

Saints, you don’t have to push nobody down, lie, cheat, hook-crook-back-stab to get what God has planned for your life. Your gift will make room for you! (Ref. Jeremiah 29:11, Proverbs 18:16)

Some might look at Isaac and call him a whimp, but God looks at him and calls him BLESSED!

GOD DID EVERYTHING THAT HE PROMISED HE WOULD DO. AND IF HE DID IT FOR ISAAC, IF YOU REMAIN FAITHFUL AND OBEDIENT, YOU TOO SHALL EAT OF THE GOOD OF THIS LAND!  GOD SWORE MY GOD-SELF, NO GOOD THING WILL HE WITHOLD FROM YOU, AS YOU WALK UPRIGHT BEFORE HIM! SO, WHATZ STOPPING U? #RUSERIOUS??

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee