Then She Spoke

God’s Calling

May 14, 2018 Annette CoffeyLeave a comment

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared for us in advance to do.” Ephesians 2:10 NIV

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 NIV

We were all destined to be great. Do you want to be average when God wants you to be great. Before you were ever born God had your life planned out. You could say he had a book on just you that told all the great things you would do to further the kingdom and bring glory to him.

That’s the reason we were put here on this earth. We were not put here for us. We were put here for God. He wants us to have a great life, but to do that we need to focus on God and seek his desires. Now remember that the greatest commandment he gave you was to love God and your neighbor.

To truly love others you will want to fill others needs. So do all you do as unto God. Don’t do it for the money or prestige, but do it out of love to fill a need.

“But seek first his Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things, shall be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 NIV

You don’t have to worry about the money for things you need because when you’re seeking his plan and his righteousness for your life the money will come. It we take faith also because we haven’t read his book. We don’t know how it turns out in the end.

Now don’t expect it to always come easy. You have to have scary complicated moments to grow. Trials bring on that growth that you need to get where God wants you. If you don’t want trials and want the easy life, you won’t get greatness either.

The pressure and breaking you go through brings about that greatness and the greater you want to be the scarier and harder it will be. It all starts with you. It doesn’t happen till you make the first move. God promises to help you but he can’t do it for you.

You have to be walking forward or stumbling or crawling, but unless you are moving forward it’s not happening. And it’s never too late, look at Moses who was in his eighties before God called him to lead his people out of Egypt. Many great people didn’t start being great til later in life.

Colonel Sanders didn’t start Kentucky Fried Chicken til he was in his sixties. And there are KFC,s around the world. There is timing involved but we don’t know what that is without trial and error. Be willing to take risks.

Look at your trials and errors as blessings because they will get you closer to your greatness. Remember the book is all ready written and it has a great ending if you follow God’s lead.

All of God’s Words

May 7, 2018 Annette CoffeyLeave a comment

“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteous, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

I have done a lot of thinking about this scripture lately. I want to be equipped for every good work and I don’t want to do bad works that my father doesn’t like either. I worry about being deceived by not knowing God’s true and perfect will for me. Many people I know skip around in the scriptures from Psalms, Proverbs, to the gospels, but there

is so much rich understanding throughout the Bible that I don’t want to miss.

I used to zip thru from beginning to end only picking up small truths along the way. Every time you read thru the same words you will get something new. It is such an exciting book and really does need to be pondered. I guess that is why God tells us to meditate on his words. This time through I decided to read thru very slowly, but try to really digest what I was reading.

Reading only a chapter or two a day. That was so easy as I went through stories of Noah, Abraham and his sons, Moses and the Israelites, and David, but there is a lot of other stuff too. What was it really saying to me in my life? I remember recently watching a movie about a mob king turned minister and his take on the Bible. He said there are some really messed up people in the Bible struggling to make it through this life from generation to generation.

Look at King David. He was messed up in affairs, murder, and fleeing for his life. Yet he was a man after God’s own heart. Someone to aspire to be like. One time I was deep in prayer and listening to God as to what he had for me to write about in one of my books.

I heard him say to me, “ I love you as much as I loved my son David.”, well that meant so much to me to be compared to David. But then David was far from perfect, having screwed up time and time again. But one thing he did know was how to come before God in repentance and say I really screwed up. Will you forgive me? He humbled himself in the sight of the Lord and received what I like to call, a do over.

All right God forget that it was wrong let me start all over. And God wants that. He knows we are living in an imperfect world and at times we will make mistakes. No one is without sin not even one. Only Jesus, who we should aspire to be like but probably won’t come close.

What about Numbers and all those incredibly difficult names to pronounce. I am getting pretty good at shortening and simplifying some of those names so I know who I’m talking about but able to pronounce them. Like Queen Esther’s husband Art.. For King Ahasuerus or Xerxes. So much easier to get through that chapter saying Art every time and not King Xerxes.

There are so many people mentioned in that chapter. Forget remembering who each one was and who they were related to. But God I his infinite goodness loves each and every one of us, generation after generation, just as much as David . Good or bad he will always see us as his dearly loved children. See all that we have potential to be.

That is very important to me because again I am not perfect but he thinks of me and smiles and that makes me smile too. He looks at you too and loves you just where you are. He will always remember you and your family line and the importance you will make in the world.

How about Moses and those cantankerous Israelites. They saw some of God’s greatest works but they still did not get it. They whined and complained something awful. And read some of those commandments he had for them. I have been reading in Leviticus lately and I am just glad He chose to put me where I am in history.

The grace of Jesus Christ is something I will never take for granted. The old law was so exact. So hard to keep. Because God is so Holy it really took a lot for his people to be Holy also. You can see how you would have to trust and revere God so much to keep those commands.

There were laid out rules for everything. We are not really told why for a lot of them but they are very specific. You would really have to love God and know him to remember all of them.

I want to be more like some of the great prophets and teachers of the past. Leading His sheep into all truth and love just like Jesus. I don’t want to miss anything that might help me be better at that.

Forever

April 29, 2018April 29, 2018 Annette CoffeyLeave a comment

“When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” Mark 13:7. NIV

We have been hearing these things for years, but the end is sooner than we think. It may be twenty more years or tomorrow. It will come though so where will you be? Where will you spend eternity? This life we live in is really very short. It all depends on how we live this life as to where we will end up.

“By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35. NIV

“If you love me, keep my commands”. John 14: 15. NIV

It is easy to love God but not always easy to love others. It is not a request though. God has commanded us to love him as well as those who hate us. If we love, we will keep his commands. Boy we are extremely lucky we live in this day and age because back when Moses was in charge there were so many more commands to keep. You could hardly breathe without screwing up.

Now that Jesus has redeemed us it is so much easier, but our actions are so important. Imagine with me for a minute that the doctor just told you that you only have 24 hours left to live. How will you spend that next 24 hours? Where you will end up for eternity is in the balance.

We watched Scrooge for years turn from the Scrooge he was to the loving person he was meant to be. Yet we never really take it to heart. Every action we make has long lasting consequences. This life is but a blink of the eye compared to 10,000 years in eternity.

Back to my imagining. Would we not take seriously our actions for 24 hours? Do we obey his commandments or do we really need his forgiveness. All sin and all need forgiveness from those sins. One sin is not any worse or less than others. That little white lie is as bad as murder. Sin is sin.

Am I close enough to God. Is my relationship as good with him as I can make it. Many of these same questions would be going through your mind. We need to spend every day with him as if it will be our last, because it may. Nobody knows if they will wake up tomorrow or if we will be in a tragic accident.

We need to spend time with him every day. Get to know him just as a loving father and close friend. The more we know him, the author of love, the more we will be like him and be full of love. Love for him and all men. He will help us to love even the unlovely.

Then we can know for sure that we may close our eyes in this life, but when we open them again we will be in heaven. Spending forever in his presence. In that perfect place where no sorrow or pain exists. Only joy and peace forever.

Holiness

April 23, 2018 Annette CoffeyLeave a comment

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the spirit and in truth.” John 4:24 NIV

We need to learn what Holiness is. It is described in the dictionary as sanctity or sacred. Our God who we serve is sacred above all. We owe him the utmost respect over everything. He has done so much for us. Not only did he send his one and only son to willingly live a perfect life just to show us how to live, he came just to give his life up for each of us. He knew only he could be that perfect sacrifice for all of our sins.

Without Him we would not be able to be redeemed, we would be destined to die in our sins as we deserved and to suffer in torment for all eternity in the lake of fire. Separated from him and his goodness forever. What a horrifying thought.

“Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His Holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.” Psalms 99:9. NIV

He is worthy of all our worship, but worship is not just singing and dancing before the Lord. It Is doing what he has asked us to do. Keeping his commandments, and doing the right and true things he has shown us. This is true spiritual worship. If we truly love him we Will keep His commandments.

They say you can tell a tree by its fruit. We are his children, but how far have we fallen from the tree. It is important for any relationship that you respect the person you love enough to do the things they have shared with you. Those things that show respect and that you truly honor that person’s opinions.

How much more the one who made us and loves us more than anyone. He knows what is best for us and tries to get us there. By following him and his will we are actually helping ourselves.

Sometimes we just don’t understand why he is telling us to do something. I was reading in Exodus last week all the things he had for the Israelites to do. Some of it made no real sense. God seemed to be so nit-picky. But it’s just like my mom used to say. “ Because I said so,”. She was my mother and knew more than me. She knew what was best for me even if I didn’t know why.

Out of respect and love for my parents I obeyed them. I did just like they taught me to show them I loved them. I trusted that all they taught me was for my good and they would never hurt me. I respected them and now I can respect me Heavenly Father even more.

I wouldn’t do anything that could possibly hurt him. I love and respect Him so much that I always wish to do His will. He has rewarded me with an abundant life because of it. I look at so many people’s lives and see so much trauma and turmoil, but then they have chosen to do things their way. It seems so sad but how else can we learn.

I read a book last week talking about the good and bad kings who reigned over Israel. Some were Godly and some were wicked. God’s people fared far better when the King honored God. When they tore down idols and high places for worshiping idols and did all that God had commanded they prospered. The people lived in peace and were blessed.

I choose to be blessed in my life. I will love the Lord who is so worthy of my respect and honor. He has never failed me and never will. This is my act or true worship.

Childlike faith

April 16, 2018 Annette CoffeyLeave a comment

Without faith it is impossible to please God. But faith like a little child is what helps get us to heaven. When we were young we put our confidence in our parents to always take care of us. They were who we ran to when we were scared, worried and confused. When it was stormy outside and I didn’t know what to expect, in bed with my parents is where I would run. It made me feel safe.

I can remember times when we all ended up in there. No one got much sleep those nights but it helped. That is what our Heavenly Father wants. Run to him. Concerns, worries and questions. He wants to be there for us. Calm our storms. Defend us and care for us. He is stronger and wiser and more loving than any earthly father can ever be. With God all things are possible.

We need to know his words in the Bible and believe in them. All of them. I tell myself every day that I believe your words and choose to do your will, your way, always. I ask for him to help me do them always. It’s not my will but yours be done.

His ways are best for me and that’s what I want. Because I love and adore him I will keep all his commandments. When I screw up, and we all do, I run to him in repentance. Asking for forgiveness . I don’t want to sin and hurt him.

“Do you not know that the unrighteous and wrongdoers will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived : neither the impure or immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor those who participate in homosexuality. Nor cheats, nor greedy graspers, nor drunkards, nor foul-mouthed revivers and slanderers, nor extortioners and robbers will inherit or have any share in the Kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10 AMPC

I do not wish to be separated from God. I want my ways to please God. So many people do such things and believe they’re going to heaven. Oh I do not wish to be deceived. It is important to read and know God’s word. How else can you be sure you are obeying.

We don’t think of ourselves as robbers but do we pay tithes? Do we cheat on our taxes? Do we take things at work? The money we use is just that. Ours to use as we obey him and help others. We came into this world with nothing and leave with nothing. It was God who taught us how to earn that money and he deserves his tithe. I would rather be blessed on ninety percent than cursed on one hundred percent.

It is through our tithes that he uses us to serve the orphans and widows. Help those in need and support our churches. I love seeing all the great things my church is doing in hurting and lost lives.

I may be naive but I know Gods plans work. I want to be apart of what he is doing in my community. And one day I want to hear ‘ Well done my good and faithful servant’.

I want that more than ever.

This is Love

April 9, 2018 Annette CoffeyLeave a comment

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” John 4:10. NIV

God loved us, each and everyone of us. At any given point in time that would be several billion people for several years. The God who created this wonderful planet and everything on it. Thought of each and everyone of us, before even time began, and he loved each of us with a perfect love. He is the great creator and He created love in the first place.

Propitiation means being reconciled with my God. I have been redeemed and nothing can separate me from the perfect love of my Father.

No one or nothing can ever love us with a perfect love. No one is perfect but God. We will all fail to love perfectly because we are not perfect. When men separate themselves from God, thinking that they are better or all they need, they are missing out on the greatest that this life has to offer. Saying, basically, I don’t need it!

The mercy and grace that my Father has for us, as well as the hope of eternal, forever perfect life, is not to be missed out on. I can wake every morning with a joy that is unbelievable but it is mine through his great love for me his daughter. I never ever want to lose that.

I have listened to so many people talk of their endeavors for that perfect life apart from God. There is such turmoil and striving after perfection. Happiness isn’t really an option. It’s just making sure you are better off than the next guy. That you have more than the next guy. Having more on your own is supposed to make you the winner. It doesn’t matter that it might never be enough to make you happy.

So many people go through life this way and it’s so sad. I don’t care if I have the most toys when I die. Not even if I have no toys. I can have nothing but the love of my Heavenly Father and a life with him forever. That’s all I want. I have learned over my time in this nursing home that our earthly bodies are failing. We can not know forsure that we will always be in the race for success.

But all I need to do is keep his commandments and love him all I can and love all others. That is simple to me because I have his help. In myself I can’t do that but with him I can do all things. This makes me happy! When someone asks me, ‘How’s your day going?’, I think of all I have and can’t help but smile.

I may be wrong, I don’t care, it works so great for me God’s way. I have a future and a hope that carries me through anything. When I face my final days on earth I have an eternal faith that God is waiting for me at the end with dessert. His glory.

He is Alive

April 2, 2018April 13, 2019 Annette CoffeyLeave a comment

As I look back to all God has done for us this Resurrection Sunday I see a picture in my mind of a young man. With all the love of the Father in him. Remember this is a picture of what God is like a God that jealously loves us more than ever and wants us to have and be everything we can through him. He is standing at that door.

There is no hardware on the door, it can not be opened from the outside, only we can open that door. Open it to all the love, joy, peace and life out there that he has available for us. It is totally our choice. Life abundantly or death. Not only is it an eternal choice of life ever after we die, but true life right now.

Freedom from sin, death, hell, and the grave. That same power that raised Jesus back to life from that tomb of death, brokenness and darkness is available to everyone. It is free for the asking.

Are you suffering from an addiction that you have no control over that has you imprisoned in a spiraling downward motion of destruction. Are you hurting from unforgiveness towards someone who has caused you great pain in the past, something that has robbed you of all your joy and peace. Are you struggling from day to day with why you are even alive.

You can be free. Jesus is reaching his arms out to you. Arms that want to hold you and never let you go. To give you answers and hope. To make you happier than you have ever been. Help you have purpose and meaning in this current life. Won’t you let him in. Change is available through that door for you just open it.

It says in the Bible that all we have to do is ask Jesus to come in. Tell him that you have sinned and are not perfect. Ask him to forgive you for your past. A past that you have tried to do on your own. One that we truly need his help and power to enjoy. Ask him to help you to have the life he has for you. Ask him to help you do his will.

He will gladly hold your hand as his child today. He will give you a future and a hope.

The prison doors will swing open and you will walk into that glorious light.

That is not all! Talk to God have him show you what’s next. Read his words in the Bible so you will know how to live right. And lastly find good Christian family to unite with and to help you grow in this new life. They can show you truths that can help you have the most successful life ever.

May God our Father and Jesus his son richly bless your lives with the help of their powerful spirit to fulfill all they have for you forever and ever. Amen!

Bloom where you are planted

March 26, 2018 Annette CoffeyLeave a comment

After I had my stroke and moved to this nursing home I began to eagerly search after God and his ways. I wanted so much to do what he wanted me to do. I had tried living for myself alone and that had been an utter disaster. I realized that I needed his help more than ever. The more I looked back over my life the more I could see that he had always been there for me.

I really had a great life and I was sabotaging it. Wow I was a spoiled brat and did not deserve his awesome love. That didn’t matter because he was continuing to love me anyway. To help me get back to him. I kept asking him what I could do. One day I was going to talk to a lady that worked here and outside the door she had a plaque. It said ‘Bloom where you are planted.’ I felt God nudge me. That’s what you can do. I have you here for a short time and you will be going back home. But while you are here just rest in me.

That was it. Just be the best me I can be. Help out wherever I can. Nothing hard. I spent my days relaxing and reading ( which I had always wanted to do more of anyway). But I always tried to help others. I was always eager to help out. One day one of the leaders asked me if I would like to deliver the residents mail in our area.

I had wanted to be a mailman when my kids were little but never did it. Sure,that sounds fun! They showed me how my electric wheelchair could help deliver the mail in no time at all. While I was at it I got to know a lot of the residents. People were becoming part of my new family. It was like living in a close little town and I knew everyone.

Then one day I went to the laundry and asked if I could help deliver clothes to people. In no time at all I was helping them. They even gave me a bag of socks that needed to be sorted. I was keeping busy and having a good time doing it.

My son-in-law came by one day to show me his brand new iPad when they had just come out. Wow, I wanted one. I had a laptop that I had written a book about my stroke on but this was so much more. I told God if I could get one I would use it for him. I really meant it also. So my daughter went down to the Apple store in person to see about getting one. The shipments were going the minute they hit the stores. They had just got some in and had one left when she came in. I got one.

Now what was I going to do with it to help people. I had a friend download a Bible app that would play audibly. So I started thinking how people might not be able to read the Bible but they could listen. I had a woman that I had been visiting that could not move anything but her head. She laid in bed on her back and watched tv all day but she loved the Lord and talked about him a lot.

I decided to start with her. I could not speak very well so I had someone explain to her that I would like to play the Bible for her. I stayed about 30 minutes. I would come a couple times a week. She loved it so much. I even bought a praise tape on the iPad and would play that instead sometimes.

I asked a few other people if I could play the Bible for them. It went over really well.

One woman’s son came in while I was there and I got to meet him, We became good friends in no time at all. He actually get my first book published. I had finished it but didn’t know what to do next.

Our home had a resident council to help see that the residents rights were being met. They would meet once a month and I always went. I had brought up problems before that I had. Well they were looking for new officers and God told me to volunteer. So I offered to be treasurer since I had done that before in another club.

Every year at election time I just did not feel right about leaving. I went from treasurer to Vice President, and finally became president. I also felt led to volunteer to help out activities. What could I do? The girl asked if I could lead a Bible group. So I did.

I’m not trying to brag because I did most of these things to keep myself busy, so I wouldn’t be bored. The fact that they helped others was a bonus. The more I got to know the Lord, the more I wanted to do to show the love Jesus was giving me. He was always doing so much for me and helping me love my new home and family.

It’s a never ending circle. The more you do for the Lord, the richer your life gets. Then you want to do more for all those blessings you receive.

My God How Great Thou Art

March 19, 2018April 11, 2019 Annette CoffeyLeave a comment

The one sure thing we are here on earth for is to give praise to our King. He so deserves it. Think of all he has done for you in your life. I’m fifty-eight so I have many good years to thank him for. I can look back over my life and see how amazing he has been over the years.

Many people have contemplated these same things and have come up with great praise songs to show God how much they adore him. This morning at church we sang ‘How Great Thou Art’. As I sang the words resonated throughout my heart. Oh how much I felt these words.

‘Oh Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds thy hands hath made

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder

Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my savior God, to thee