Tag Archives: Justification

WHATZ UR THANG?

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WHATZ UR THANG

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. Mark 10:21

 

This parable, commonly dubbed “The Parable of the Rich Young Ruler” is recorded in the each of the synoptic gospels. Most of the time when it’s preached, one of the first things that comes to our minds is “Oh shucks, here they go again trying to get my money”! But, hold on…there’s more meat to pick from that bone then our money!

As the scripture unfolds, Jesus is confronted by a young man running up to Him, kneeling down before Him, then asks Him a question. “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” In other words, ‘What can I do to be saved; what do I have to do to make Heaven my eternal home?” Jesus responded, ‘Why you asking me…the only one qualified to answer that question is God!’ And Jesus continues, ‘You know the commandments that Moses told you…you’re a Jew.’ And begins to quote from the 10 Commandments the 7th, 6th, 9th and the 5th Commandments.

Upon hearing this, the young man pompously proclaimes, ‘Oh that’s it, well I’ve been doing that since I was a kid, I’m straight then’. To which the Loving Shepherd responds, “One thing you lack; go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

The Bible teaches that when the rich young ruler heard these words, ‘he was grieved in his heart and went away sorrowful, because he had great possessions.’

Imagine that, ONLY One Thing! Now religious folk tend to think that Jesus was telling the rich ruler that his greed was enough to make him miss heaven. Some self-righteous others might say that his love of money outweighed his compassion for the welfare of his fellow human beings and that would disqualify him for heaven. However, might I offer, for your consideration, perhaps Jesus was trying to teach this young man (and what God is saying to us), is that the young man’s response was merely symptomatic of a greater issue—the failure to recognize the Lordship of Jesus Christ and a lack of trust in God’s ability to take care of him! WOW!

While it is true that those who have great riches, fame, influence are more likely to put their confidence in their money and in themselves than those who are impoverished and have to depend on The Hand of God for their daily bread, Jesus was not teaching, as some assume, that only those who are living in poverty, barely making it from payday to payday, can go to heaven! The Devil is a Liar!

However, could Jesus have been saying that it is virtually impossible for any man to be saved apart from God’s Mercy, Grace and Power? With men, it is impossible …but not with God! (Ref. Mark 10:27)

I believe each us can think of somebody that we know, who didn’t make it, but truthfully, it could’ve, it should’ve, it would’ve been me and you, BUT GOD! “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”1 Corinthians 6:11

None of us know what tomorrow holds for us, but as you advance to the close of our God-ordained destiny for 2018, arm yourselves with this mindset, “But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (Ref. 1 Corinthians 9:27)

Hence, it behooves each of us to ask Holy Spirit to search our hearts, daily, and then give us enuff GRACE to let go of ‘that thang’ that He reveals to us that’s occupying the Throne of our hearts, reserved for God Alone! #ijs!!! #Didjaheardat? 

Remember, it only takes ONE THANG 2 EARN ETERNAL DESTRUCTION! BUT, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT JUST ONE DROP OF THE SANCTIFYING BLOOD OF JESUS STILL WASHES US WHITE AS SNOW! WHATZ UR THANG? #COVEREDWITHMERCY&GRACE

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

YES LORD!

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YES LORD!

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 2 Corinthians 1:20

For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. Hebrews 4:2

 

WOW! Just thinking about backndaday, when the Saints gathered on Sunday afternoon for Holy Convocation! Talkin’ about The Grand Ole Church of God In Christ. I’m here to tell ya, did we ever have some sho nuff churrch huh?  I remember how I felt when the Elder would approach the pulpit and begin bellowing out our International COGIC Anthem, “YES LORD!”  Still not sure whether it was meant to call the church to order, calm the shoutin saints down, to take up the offering or what. But what I do know is that just hearing those words that were first uttered from the mouth of our Founder, Charles H. Mason, always took our worship into another dimension of God’s Presence!

Unfortunately, you don’t hear that song sang much anymore. At least not in the same manner, huh? Don’t shout me down now! #ijs

The Holy Spirit just said, ‘that’s because My people aren’t saying ‘YES’ to Me that much anymore!’ OMG! Honestly, that really doesn’t suprise me! There’s so much noisey chatter going around the Christian Community these day, folk aren’t sure what’s of God and what’s not! One side of the church is saying, “It’s a new day and we’re no longer under The Law, we’re under Grace”! The other side is saying, “If you don’t have a new house, drive a certain car, live in a certain zip code, the favor of God is not on your life because you don’t have enuff faith!” And hardly anybody is preaching what God expects of those who claim His Son as Lord and Savior! (Ref. Micah 6:8)
We’re living in a day-n-time when every man wants to do what seems right in their own eyes. If we don’t like what that preacher’s preaching, we can keep driving until we find one that affirms and validates what we want to do, right? To make the transition easier, we can even search the internet until we find one that suits our lifestyle and e-church!

Problem is, while times have changed, The Word of God HASN’T! IT IS ETERNAL!! While the world is busy legislating and flaunting their rebellious unrighteousness, it’s  virtually impossible for mere man to dismiss the boundaries and rules for living that God has established! Jesus is Lord! Saints, there’s another side of God’s Holiness that the world (and some of the church) has completely rejected! ‘The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath” (Nahum 1:2)

Hence,  it may seem as if God has turned His face away from this world and is allowing everything to fall apart, however God wants us to know that everything is falling right in place! Remember, Goshen? “They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” Exodus 10:23

What does God want us to do? It’s simple, walk with HIM! Trust HIM, agree with HIM! Regardless of how the circumstantial evidence appears to contradict The Promises, have faith in The Immutable Word of God! (Ref. Proverbs 3:5-6)

Set your face toward Jesus and just keep saying ‘YES LORD’! #didjaheardat?
SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

PREDESTINED 2 UNCONQUERABLE LOVE

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PREDESTINED 2 UNCONQUERABLE LOVE

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37

There are various perspectives on ‘predestination’ even amongst the Christian community. Some believe that God has earmarked certain ones to receive His gift of Salvation; while others believe that because The Omniscient Creator already knew those who would respond to this gracious offer by accepting the atonement offered by Christ, their salvation is inevitable! But for those, just like me, my philosophy is ‘I don’t know why Jesus loved me, I don’t know why He cared! I don’t know why He Sacraficed His Life, Oooohhh But I’m glad! So glad HE DID!’

 
I  don’t know about you, but I still get happy just thinking about being saved! I mean, knowing that there was absolutely nothing in my life’s repertoire that remotely merited so great a gift, but God summoned me to such Grace according to His own purpose, amazes the hell outta a wretch like me! To those who have an ongoing proclivity to engage in a self-loathing-guilt-shame-blame game, these words scribed by The Apostle Paul in Romans Chapter 8:28-39, offer  new perspective and continue to be a source of great comfort, confidence, strength and hope to po’ souls!

Do you understand, beloved, that in the Mind of God, you and I are not an afterthought? Oh Yeah! Before the foundation of the world God Soveignly called us to fulfill His ultimate purpose, to make us like His Son Jesus! WOW! I know, right? Knowing that The Omniscient God knew you would sin before you committed one sin, yet loved you and will always love you is beyond human comprehension, but it’s TRUE! Kinda sheds a new light on how and why Paul calls the painful test, trials and tragedies that we all experience in this fallen world, a light affliction, huh?

Can you imagine how Micael, Gabriel and the rest of the angels who have never failed to honor God feel about us? (Ref. Psalm 8:4) WOW! Crazy LOVE, right!

Now! We need to understand that there’s an Accuser who will never forget that you defected from his kingdom of darkness, volunteering to go to the other side, Jesus Christ! Satan’s tracking your every move, gathering infractions you’ve committed in order to charge you before The Righteous Judge, but don’t be fooled! You have an Advocate, Jesus! His Sacrificial Blood has already rendered the devil, defeated!

God promised those who trust in the riches of Jesus are secure in His Righteousness and Hope for His Redemption, need never fear His Rejection!

Precious Saints, the reality is, this same GRACE that saves us, empowers us to live to serve and honor The One who loves us eternally! #whatalife! UNCONQUERABLE LOVE!

 

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

HOW MUCH I OWE?

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HOW MUCH I OWE

SELAH Daily Devotions!

What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. Psalm 116:12-13

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1-2

I’m not trying to start nuffin, BUT!  Have you noticed that ‘hoof-n-mouth disease’ has reached pandemic proportions amongst so many church-folkes? #ijs

Perhaps that’s why other folk seem to so easily tell you what you should do in any given situation, ‘because if it were me, I’d _____!” Someone once said, unless you walk in another man’s shoes, you’ll never appreciate the depth and weight of each footprint. Okay, I just made that one up, k? However, the point is, unless you personally experience each moment in every episode of that person’s journey, (which is virtually impossible) not from the perspective of a spectator, but as the starring participant, you can sympathize but not really empathize with them!

Even more perplexing is how long we struggle with submission to the commandments of The Only Savior as Lord of our lives! Could it be that we can never fully understand the passion of Jesus that caused Him, after being shamelessly mocked, brutally beaten, scorned and scourged all night then jokedly crowned with thorns, to make His way up Golgotha’s Hill, carrying that Ol’ Rugged Cross where His hands and feet were nailed, crucified for what you and I would do? Didjaheardat? #braintilt!

Awemazingly, the scriptures reveal that it was the Heavenly Father’s pleasure to see Jesus endure every second of this crushing death. (Ref. Isaiah 53:10)

Ever since the Garden of Eden, there are somethings that God never intended us to know. Why? Because He loves us too much to sit back and allow the fatality of sin to run it’s course, separating us from Him eternally? But, but? I know, that makes no sense at all!

We forget that His Thoughts are Infinitely higher than ours and His Ways are beyond humanity’s limited capacity of understanding. (Ref. Isaiah 55:9) Astonishingly, Jesus agreed to this before the foundation of the world, and while we were yet sinners! (Ref. Romans 5:8) The Life dying in order for the dead to live? WOW! That’s Grace, huh?

According to Romans 12:1-2, all that God expects for so great a salvation is for us to live out everyday, blessed, trusting in Him, as beaming reflections of His Love and Glory to a lost and dying world! Unfortunately, yet still many reckon that more than they are willing to give! (Ref. Luke 18:18-24)

However, there’s a remnant of believers who’ve sold out for the sake of The Cross and are gratefully committed to sacrifice their all to see more souls come into The Glorious Kingdom of God!

What shall U render? Well…HOW MUCH DO U OWE? #countupthecost

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

HE’S ALWAYS THERE

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HE'S ALWAYS THERE!

SELAH Daily Devotions!

I am with you always, even to the end of the age

Matthew 28:20 
 

One morning I received an email that took me back to an all too familiar place. As I read  on, I immediately realized that the lost sheep could very well had been me. Feel free to eavesdrop on the conversation,…
 
 “In the early 1980s I counseled a Christian young woman who was languishing in deep spiritual, mental and emotional torment. She wrote:
 
“Dear God, Where are you? How can you watch and not help me? I hurt so bad, and you don’t even care. If you cared you’d make it stop or let me die. I love you, but you seem so far away. I can’t hear you or feel you or see you, but I’m supposed to believe you’re here. Lord, I feel them and hear them. They are here. I know you’re real, God, but they are more real to me right now. Please make someone believe me, Lord. Why won’t you make it stop? Please, lord, please! If you love me you’ll let me die…A lost sheep”
 
I deal with many Christians who are filled with such confusion that their daily walk with Christ is unfulfilling and unproductive. When they try to pray, they begin thinking about a million things they should be doing. When they sit down to read the bible, they can’t concentrate. Whenever they have an opportunity to serve the Lord in some way, it comes up short by discouraging thoughts of self-doubt.
 
Having found freedom and deliverance, “the lost sheep” penned a response to her own prayer based on her new understanding of God’s provision in Christ.
 
“My dear lost sheep, You ask me where I am. My child, I am with you and I always will be. You are weak, but in me you are strong. I am so close that I feel everything you feel. Be crucified with me and I will live in you, and you shall live with me. I will direct you in paths of righteousness. My child, I love you and I will never forsake you, for you are truly mine…Love, God”
 
Saints, by The Grace of God, while I too have experienced the freedom of  being delivered from the tormenting trauma and enslavement to depression; however I will never everrrr forget to remember How Great A Salvation that The Lord wrought in my life!  
 
It’s incumbent upon us to remember, this is not heaven, the devil is still a liar and God’s Word is Truth! If the saints are feeling the heat of the devil’s wicked devises, can you imagine what he’s putting the unsaved through?

Saints, ask God to open the eyes of your heart that you may see who’s hurting around you. If the whole world’s coming out the closet, we certainly can’t afford to be closet Christians! We have an awesome responsibility and an obligation to be the Love, Compassion and Hope of Christ to a lost generation! You ought to tell one somebody that there is a Hope that’s out of this world…I mean, really?
 
His Name is Jesus and He’s Always There!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

ENVISION YOURSELF

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ENVISION URSELF

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

Where there is no vision the people perish. but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. Proverbs 29:18

Many of you are familiar with this scripture, huh?  Perhaps, you’ve seen it displayed across your pulpits to pronounce your church leader’s vision statement or to introduce the theme for a new year. However, in light of what’s happening in our world today, please allow me to contemporize the general perspective of the text.

Undoubtedly, we’re experiencing what the ol’ skool church dubbed ‘times that try men’s souls’! We’ve seen transition, and in some cases, major upheavals of the foundation pillars of contemporary society. The collapse of financial institutions followed by instability of the housing market; unprecedented political changing of the guards, uncertainty of employment status and education aspirations, judicial reformations and/or redefinition of civil morality have all contributed to pandemic paranoia.

Given the accumulative complexity of the aforementioned, it’s no wonder that people—in and out of the church—are running out of hope! Without hope for the future, there is nothing motivating you to move forward.

WOW! Kinda looks like the Word of God is right, all along, huh? The domino effect of a Godless society is inevitably moral chaos! History substantiates that without God’s Guidance, there’s no restraint to any people limited only by their own understanding. But GOD, unlike a lot of us, didn’t just leave us hanging out there, left to our own devices. That’s not the end of the story. The text continues…BUT he that keeps the law—happy is he!

God’s Living Word, our Eternal Hope of Glory, assures us, who place our personal trust in Jesus, that no matter how distressing our circumstances appear to be, in the end—we win!

Brothers and sistas, in Christ, we have 66 Books of Prophetic Utterance to live by. The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, (Romans 10:8). If you don’t like what’s happening in your life, open up your mouth and re-frame your life. Prophesy to yourself—say what God says… ‘BE STILL MY SOUL, HOPE THOU IN GOD. HOPE THOU IN GOD’S WORD!’

GOD SAYS, ‘I know the thoughts I have toward you. I have made preparations to bless with good and not curses of evil. My precious child, if you only knew the details, you’d be so excited, encouraged and filled with hope for your future!’ (Jeremiah 29:11) 

‘Oh, BY THE WAY, DON’T WORRY ABOUT YOUR HATERS, AT MY MOST STRATEGIC TIME, I WILL BLESS YOU OPENLY; THAT WAY, MY GLORY WILL BE MAGNIFIED!

I WON’T ALWAYS REVEAL EVERYTHING, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS—THE END WILL BE FAR GREATER THEN YOU EVER IMAGINED– A GRAND FINALE!

NOW I NEED YOU TO AGREE WITH ME. JUST SAY, AMEN!”

ENVISION YOURSELF! C?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

I’M WITH HIM!

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I'M WITH HIM

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Blessed be the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be Holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His own will. To the praise of the Glory of His Grace wherein He had made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6.

 

Remember back in the day when you hopped from one partaa to the next with your friends? Sometimes, you had no clue who was giving the party! We used to call it, ‘crashing da party’.  Remember, how when you got there, somebody on the door would ask you, ‘who are you?’ You would automatically respond, ‘Oh, I’m with him, or I’m with her’. And if they recognized the person you were with, nine times out of ten you’d get in the party!

Well guess what, it works even more so, in the Kingdom of God! The Lord knows them that are His! (Ref. 2 Timothy 2:19) God has so graciously adopted everyone who has accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord. We are now part of the Royal Family of God. The same God that rules over the universe, we now are privileged to call Him Abba Father!  He’s our Daddy! Yeah, I know, right? #awesome!

Association leads to Assimilation! Because of that one decision you made, you are eternally in Christ Jesus, and now we can get into places that we would never have access to on our own! We got the hook up, yall!

Because of our connection in Christ Jesus, doors that would’ve (could’ve…should’ve) been closed in our faces, are now opened for us. Because of our personal relationship with Jesus, nothing shall be impossible with God, our Father! NOW there is always a way out of no way! #didjaheardat?

The next time that diabolical ol’ sloo foot devil attempts to keep you out, or tries to hinder you from possessing your inheritance, look down at him and confidently inform that fool, “I’M WITH HIM – YOU DO RECOGNIZE ‘HIM’ DON’T YOU? THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD! C’mon… YOU KNOW HIS NAME, right? IT’S JESUS! IN CASE YOU FORGOT, HE’S MY ELDER BROTHER; AND HE’S GIVEN ME THE POWER AND AUTHORITY TO USE HIS NAME!

SO AT THE NAME OF JESUS, YOU HAVE TWO CHOICES! FIRST, GETTA STEPPIN OR SECOND, BOW DOWN!  CUZ, I’M WITH HIM!”

SELAH!

Have a WONDER-FILLED day!

Ann Caffee

AN ANEMIC CHURCH???

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AN ANEMIC CHURCH 2

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14

Recently, I’ve come into contact with several people who undergo Dialysis treatment due to severe kidney failure. I am certainly not an expert in these matters, so humor me in my attempt to describe, in my acutely limited understanding, how dialysis works. Okay, here goes?

Apparently, the dialysis process involves draining the blood from the patient’s body thru a machine which filters out the impurities in the blood system and returns the clean blood back into the body. The number of the times the patient visits the dialysis center weekly varies according to the level of kidney dysfunction of the individual. While the benefits outweigh the risks of this procedure, there are potentially critical consequences of this process. One being anemia. One of the markers that the physician looks at to determine the stage of anemia is the ratio of white blood cells to red blood cells.

Prayerfully, none of you will ever suffer through anything like this, in the natural; yet it prompted me to look at its similarities spiritually. It’s becoming profoundly evident that The New millennium church is suffering from a severe case of spiritual anemic. Somewhere along the way, there has been a gradual drifting away and a markedly diminishing of the revelation, significance and the Power of The Blood of Jesus!

Consequently, the church is in dire need of a blood transfusion. The problem is most of the times this dis-ease goes virtually unnoticed and undiagnosed until we find ourselves sprawled out on a gurney in the ER (the Altar) depleted physically, emotionally, financially, relationally scrapped and spiritually bankrupt.

Oh yeah, some of us have become quite adept at putting on our ‘church-game-face’ and can actually manage to press on, for a good while, conquering one hurdle after another before draining all our strength. But inevitably, we get to that place where we’ve no other option but to come clean. ‘That’s it…I’m through…Kapoop…there’s absolute nothing left…I’ve tried to stop lying and cussin’, drinking and dopin’… I tried to handle this adulterous relationship…I’ve done all I can think of to keep this house/business/church afloat, keep these kids from going to jail…but now …I’m at my wits end.” And… That’s when we turn to Jesus, the True Source of All Strength and Power…The Master Physician!

You see the problem is, God never intended us to do it (LIFE) alone! That’s why He sent Jesus to restore the connection severed by Adam’s rebellion. The Blood of God’s Sacrificial Lamb flows from The Righteous to the unrighteous. As it is applied daily to our hearts, minds, our will through prayer and study of His Word, filtering into every area of our lives we are fortified and sanctified holy and acceptable to God!

The transforming Blood of Jesus purifies our sin-consciousness and empowers us to overcome all of this life’s maladies replenishing hope and healing to an anemic church and to a lost and unholy world.

THAT’S THE GOSPEL! NEED A BLOOD TRANSFUSION? #hookmeupLORD

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

WAYFARING WIT

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WAYFARING WIT2

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

How much better to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver! Proverbs 16:16

Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. Proverbs 8:10-11

 

WOW! We’ve come a long way, Baby!

As far as the ingathering of information and the major technological accomplishments attained by this 21st Century New Millennium Age is concerned, undoubtedly, we’ve taken quantum leaps exceedingly well beyond the realm of possibility to even the most esteemed intellectuals and astute scientific calculus of days gone by.

In other words, (sigh)! It’s safe to say that knowledge abounds!

Unfortunately, the scarcity of wit, wisdom and truth is decisively profound! Generally the appeal for this degree of understanding is left to those few famished, disillusioned, disinfranchised, exhausted, wayfaring scavengers who wander off rush-hour-grid-locked-getting-byways and highways to worldly success and traditional religious rituals. For reasons, yet unknown, somehow some of us are being distinctly drawn to the under-passes, service roads, and trenches; seeking the hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places of The Kingdom of His Presence! (Ref. Isaiah 45:3)

Who knew that we’d be called to the Kingdom for such a time as this? Who knew that before we lived one day that our Master already had a plan, purpose,  and a hope-filled destination for our lives?

“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.” Proverbs 25:2

Wisdom is calling!

“But you have not called upon Me, O Jacob; And you have been weary of Me. O Israel” Isaiah 43:22

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” 1Timothy 6:6-8

“Congratulations! You finally got what you wanted, BUT… lost what you had”!

Didjaheardat? Missed it, huh? WAYFARING WIT!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee