Tag Archives: Zion

SHOUT-OUT!

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SHOUT-OUT!

 

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 are bellowing out all kinds of crazy comments! #wink #wink!  Yall don’t mind granting a senior sista a few moments of folly, do you? AWESOME!

Have you noticed that every one and their cuzzins have come out of the colloquial 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 churrch 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 clearly defined in 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 The way things are going in America, we don’t know how much longer we’ll be able to freely speak-up for Jesus and not be martyred!

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 conscientious 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 this dark and dying world 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 what I mean;  “How close can you get to the world and still make it to Heaven?”  Baby, 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’ CHURRCH PREACHA USED TO SAY…AS 4 ME AND MY HOUSE….WE SHALL SERVE THE LORD!

TRUST2KNO! #SILENCEAIN’TBLISS! #datzmystoryugottaluvmehuh!  #NLOL #SPEAK-UP #SHOUT-OUT!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

WHAT! NO MERCY?

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WHAA, NO MERCY

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:) Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord’s side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour… Exodus 32:25-27

 

Does anybody remember the movie ‘The Ten Commandments’ staring Charleston Heston as Moses? It’s been dubbed “Hollywood’s version” of God’s miraculous deliverance of the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage, through the wilderness and into the Promised Land of Canaan. From the Biblical perspective, once again we see God extending awemazingly unmerited Lovingkindness and Grace to His rebellious disobedient people.

Now! Here’s where the TRUE story becomes a bit disconcerting! The Very Same God who brought them up out from under the cruelty of their Egyptian task masters, giving them a binding Covenant from His Own Hand, laying out in explicit details how His people were to be a holy, distinct, separated people envied by all other nations because of their unique relationship with The One True God, apparently flips the script; turning on the very same people that He’d personally chosen for Himself! But as you delve a little deeper, you see that other side of God’s Righteousness that we tend to close our eyes to—Justice! The Nerve of GOD, huh?

Evidently, there’s an inherent proclivity of our provocable flesh to profoundly resist accountability! IF it seems right and feels right, then just do it! But that type of logic fails to take into account the Sovereignty of our CREATOR GOD! Therefore, HE alone has the Power and Authority to establish the ways of man’s life. (Ref. Psalm 100:3) WE got some nerve!

Unfortunately, like our progenitors, The Israelites, we too have discovered that while, God allows us freedom of choice, when it comes to consequences of our decisions, we have no say so! The otherwise Loving, Caring, Benevolent Father of All Grace and Comfort has subjected GODSELF to His Word! In essence, sooner or later, all sinfulness must be reckoned with Justly , without partiality! HENCE, there is such a thing as frustrating GRACE!

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2:11-14)

The lines are being drawn daily, WHO’S ON THE LORD’S SIDE?

I know it’s extremely uncomfortable to speak of such things for many and sociably inappropriate for others, huh? Nevertheless, it’s TRUTH! GOD HAS ORDERED A DAY OF RECKONING for all mankind! DON’T GET CAUGHT WITH YOUR WORK UNDONE!

Make your reservations for Eternal Life before the expiration date!

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. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:16-17

Precious one, believe it or not, that Ol’ Ship of Zion is movin’ closer and closer! R U ready to board?

IF YOU ARE STILL ALIVE, THAT’S CONFIRMATION THAT THE OFFER IS STILL AVAILABLE…MERCY!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

STAY N IT 2 WIN IT!

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STAY IN IT 2 WIN IT!

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

 

Apparently, somewhere along the way, many of today’s contemporary Christians have picked up the erroneous impression, that The Road of Salvation is a meticulously manicured lawnscape—free of sticks and stones, crabgrass and weeds, lumps and humps and especially parasital insects.

Now! Given my extreme paranoia of bugs, I certainly don’t profess to be no expert in the science of horticulture, however I don’t think it would be going too far out on a limb to suggest that our neighbor’s lusciously green tarp (that we so yearn for) involved a certain moderate-to hard-working-up-sweat-hands-dirty-knee-dropping-diligence and discipline. Right?

So what makes us think that the most important road-trip we’ll ever take, our journey from Earth to Glory, would be a choreographed Boogaloo-Down-Broadway?

I can’t tell you how many times I find myself reminding myself that all of those ‘cheering witnesses’ we stagger at in Hebrews 11’s Hall of Faith, were just plain ordinary everyday folk, just like you and me, who faced the same struggles, tests and trails that we confront. Yet, because they kept their eyes focused on the prize, they overcame their life’s challenges, successfully!

While we understand, at least on some level, the reason that The Apostle Paul compares our walk with Jesus to a race, we have a tendency to think of it as a sprint, rather than a marathon! Okay, here’s how it is—it ain’t a one and done thing! The Master Husbandman, The Sovereign Creator, GOD, has allowed certain interruptions, along our way, that are strategically designed to develop and grow us up into perfect spiritual maturity.

The scriptures reveal that our forerunner, God’s Son, JESUS, learned obedience through his sufferings. (Ref. Hebrews 5:8)

Now, don’t get it twisted; this doesn’t mean that Jesus was ever disobedient to His Father, but rather, His suffering enabled him to intimately-identify with what we endure in our wilderness experiences!

Paul instructs us to study how Jesus did it and follow His lead. Begin with stripping down—laying aside anything that would slow us down—like un-repented sin, unrealized fears, unspoken doubts and worries  and concentrating on the Joy at the completion of the mission.

The mission for which HE was SENT, Salvation, Redemption and Restoration of God’s  most precious creation—us—empowered Our Lord to look past the pain and the shame of The Cross and not quit until He’d Won our Victory!

My brothers and sisters, seeing we have such A Great High Priest, who promised to be with us all the way, don’t give in to that lying Accuser, Satan.! 

Take a big whist of that ‘second wind’  (GRACE) and discipline your mind, body and spirit and keep it movin’. After all, we’re not just hurling aimlessly toward a phantom mirage; this is a sure thing we’re running after! 
God has planned a Great Celebration at the finish line for us! STAY IN IT TO WIN IT!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee