Category Archives: Christ

WHAT DID HE DO?

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WHAT DID HE DO

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

“O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south,” Psalm 107:1-3

 

Do you know how many times we, who claim The Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, are admonished by the Sacred Scriptures to exalt Him in exuberant praise and heart-felt adorning worship? Suffice it to say numerous times in each of Its 66 Books, huh? And for the most part, we’re all faithfully obedient to comply, particularly when we’re all assembled together in the Sanctuary, with the choir singing, the high-sounding instruments blasting in our ears, ushering us into The Presence!

Yet, inspite of His Absolute Worthiness, there are still times when even the most seasoned-elect, find it difficult to mutter even a whisper of ‘Glorrraaa’ out of a heart overwhelmed by the cares of this world, through the muted lips frozen by the temptation of mumuring complaints!

Let it be known, that mine is the first hand lifted in affirmation, Amen!

It matters not how long you’ve been walking with the Lord, life has a way of placing you smack dab in the middle of crisis and suddenly you find yourself coming down with an acute case of spiritual amnesia! It’s during these moments that we need to attack the demonic spirits with a direct hit drawn from the arsenal of weaponry that God has given to every believer. A personal testimony! (Ref. 2 Corinthians 10:4 and Revelations 12:11)

Backndaday, The Ol’ Mothers used to open up Tuesday Nite Bible Study with a Testimony Service. One of my favorite songs they saang was, “When I think of the goodness of Jesus and alllll He’s done for me, myyyyyyyy soul cries out Hallaleujah, I thank God for saving me!” Remember? And when you took the time to reflect back over your life and began to count how many times God stepped in, right in the nick of time, and delivered you from all manner of maladies, you can’t help but the give Him praiz!

Come to think of it, the Bible is filled with countless mind-refreshing BUT by The Grace of God testimonies of triumphant conquerers who acknowledge that they never would’ve made it over into the Land of Promises if the Lord had not been with them all the way!

There’s another ol’ song, that comes to mind; ‘Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your blessings, see what The Lord has done”! WOW! Didjaheardat?

Truthfully, one of those most difficult times for a believer to praise GOD is in the meantime! I’m talking about while you’re waiting for God to move on your behalf and every demon assigned to your region is blasting threatening what-if’s soundtracs in your mind! That’s when you need to deliberately take authority over your thoughts. Instead of focusing on what it is you need Him to do, make a faith-conscious-decison to set your affections on those things JESUS HAS ALREADY DONE!

Okay? There you were wandering around in the desert, lost in the wilderness of sin, stumbling through life, homeless, hopless, confused yet desperate for change, starving for love, parched for peace and joy and you cried out for help, knowing perfectly well there was nobody to hear, much less care! BUT GOD heard you and sent Jesus to lead you out of that barreness, placing your feet on a Straight Path to The Good Life, filling your belly with The Living Bread and Living Water of Holy Spirit to the point of unimaginable satisfaction and sustaining strength!

And you gotta remember, it wasn’t that long ago that you were locked in a self-induced cell of darkness, imprisoned by an evil consciousness of guilt and shame, condemned and sentenced to a lifetime of isolation and hard labor, eternally separated from God! But you cried out to God and He came for you, breaking through the prison bars as if they were match sticks, opened up the Gates that had you trapped and led you out into the Light of Freedom!

What about that storm? Despite of how hard you tried to navigate your way, there you were lost on the Sea of Life, desperately struggling to keep your head above water, being tossed by contrary winds, finding yourself swept away by towering turbulent waves, until the bottom dropped out and finally, not knowing what else to do, you called out to God who faithfully showed up just in the nick of time, commanded the wind and the waves to quietly surrender to Peace and so graciously drew you out and carried you safely to His Harbor!

NOW! Beloved, rest assured, confidently trusting that Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever. IF HE DID IT BEFORE…HE’LL DO IT AGAILN! SO, THINKABOUT IT…WHAT DID HE DO! O Give Thanks unto The Lord, my Beloved! 

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

ITZ ALL ABOUT THE CROWN

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itz-all-about-the-crown-2

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. Revelations 2:10-11

 

PARDON ME, again! I know this isn’t religiously correct, how—evrrrr sometimes, it’s just hard!

Here you are, as the ol’ saints used to say, ‘living all u know how 2 live for JESUS’, with everything in you clinging to The Testimony of God’s Faithful Witness, who is TRUTH, YET …EVERYWHERE U TURN, U GOT TROUBLE BREAKING OUT!!! #WHADA…???

Seriously, none of us normal human beings enjoy suffering, right?
Nevertheless, life has taught you (and even the Word admonishes us) that those who Name the Name of Jesus must expect trouble. Afterall, even “Jesus learned obedience through the things He suffered”! (Ref. Hebrew 5:8)

“Yeah, but but butt”…I feelya, okay? Yet, according to The Scriptures, God has Sovereignly linked suffering and glory into the lives of those who have confessed their trust in His Plan for our lives. Remember the words of The Apostle Paul? “As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Roman 8:36

I know, sometimes that doesn’t help MUCH! BUT! We have this confident assurance that before God permits sporadic seasons of tribulations He sets an expiration date before the test begin! Aren’t U Soooo glad, trouble don’t last always!

Beloved, there’s always a greater purpose behind our pain! And no, it ain’t always God punishing you for your disobedience! For His own reasons, God has elected to allow test, trials and trouble along the landscape of our journey to draw us closer to Him, to purify, purge and position us to partake of His Divine Nature—HOLINESS!

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18

This life has a way of putting you through the ringer, huh? But God has decreed, that nothing you will ever experiene can separate you from His Love! “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

Rest Assured, GOD KNOWS!

Today, receive His Words to The church at Smyrna, as your very own! Don’t allow fear of this temporary situation to deter you from your eternal goal! The King of Glory has declared and decreed that I AM ALPHA and OMEGA! I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU. LO I WILL BE WITH YOU ALWAY!  FOR WHO CAN STAY MY HAND! (Ref. Rev. 22:13; Heb. 13:5; Matt. 28:2o; Isa. 43:13) Didjaheardat? #WOW!!!

Precious ones,  endure persecution with fidelity, confident that “I AM THE RESURRECTION AND YOUR REWARDER! DON’T QUIT! YOUR CROWN AWAITS YOU!”

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

ONE ON ONE

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1 on 1

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

“For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.” (Psalm 84:10-12 KJV)

Life is complicated! WOW! Talk about genuine ‘over-simplification’?

From beginning to end, effectively maneuvering through the matrix of 21st Century mores is no small achievement! Particularly for the more seasoned members of society who find ourselves pryingly wondering “Am I really smarter than a 5th Grader?” I remember when the word ‘text” referred to “the main body of a book or other piece of writing, printed work or document”. Who knew?

Nevertheless, broken down to its least-common denominator, we all have the same needs. That is, “to love and be loved among un-lovables, find solace amidst chaos, and ultimately gain insight and direction to sequester that all-too-often-elusive sense of true satisfaction and accomplishment”. Preferably, sooner than later!

We live in a culture where individualism is glorified and self-denial is discarded as a sign of weakness and failure. Unfortunately for too many, it’s only after we’ve reached the pinnacle of success (according to man’s interpretation) do we realize that while we were so busy getting, we lost track of what we’d been given. Prayerfully, it’s at that point we’ll ask, “What does GOD want from me?”

GOD summed it up like this, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8)

While time is barreling towards eternity at the speed of life, there is One Constant Consistency! His Name is JESUS. Every day, GOD is watching, waiting, seeking those busy, desperately wearied souls to turn towards HIM!

GOD knows that the Answer to every longing heart’s hunger and thirst is SIMPLY JESUS! Time spent alone with HIM is never wasted. Jesus is our SAFE HOUSE! He’s so kind and patient; yet truthfully, HE can hardly wait to see you!

HE LEFT THE DOOR OPEN! STOP BY TODAY FOR SOME ONE-ON-ONE TIME!

SELAH!

“Have a WONDER-FILLED day!”

Ann Caffee

ACCOUNTS SETTLED?

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accounts settled2

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

You know that if the house owner had known what night the burglar was coming, he wouldn’t have stayed out late and left the place unlocked. So don’t you be slovenly and careless. Just when you don’t expect him, the Son of Man will show up.”…The servant who knows what his master wants and ignores it, or insolently does whatever he pleases, will be thoroughly thrashed. But if he does a poor job through ignorance, he’ll get off with a slap on the hand. Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities! Luke 12:39-40, 47-48 THE MESSAGE

You know how to tell a change in the weather, so don’t tell me you can’t tell a change in the season, the God-season we’re in right now. You don’t have to be a genius to understand these things. Just use your common sense, the kind you’d use if, while being taken to court, you decided to settle up with your accuser on the way, knowing that if the case went to the judge you’d probably go to jail and pay every last penny of the fine. That’s the kind of decision I’m asking you to make. Luke 12:56-59 THE MESSAGE

A bystander said, ‘Master, will only a few be saved’?

He said, ‘Whether few or many is none of your business. Put your mind on your life with God. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires your total attention. A lot of you are going to assume that you’ll sit down to God’s salvation banquet just because you’ve been hanging around the neighborhood all your lives. Well, one day you’re going to be banging on the door, wanting to get in, but you’ll find the door locked and the Master saying, ‘Sorry, you’re not on my guest list.’

You’ll protest, ‘But we’ve known you all our lives!’ only to be interrupted with his abrupt, ‘Your kind of knowing can hardly be called knowing. You don’t know the first thing about me.’ That’s when you’ll find yourselves out in the cold, strangers to grace. You’ll watch Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets march into God’s kingdom. You’ll watch outsiders stream in from east, west, north, and south and sit down at the table of God’s kingdom. And all the time you’ll be outside looking in—and wondering what happened.

This is the Great Reversal: the last in line put at the head of the line, and the so-called first ending up last.” Luke 13:23-30 THE MESSAGE

 

OMG… Didjaheardat? Think about it! It’s not that difficult! Just use a little common sense. If Time is the most valuable commodities you have in the earth, then why go to hell by default? Seriously!

Since, not one of us knows how much time we have left to spend in this life, it behooves every one of us to manage it wisely. In other words, don’t blow it presumptuously!

Let’s keep it real!  Face it, is, even on your bestest days, our score still isn’t high enough to merit a free pass through Heaven’s Pearly Gates. Truthfully, unless you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, at the end of the day, we’re all spiritually bankrupt and not one of us can afford the high price of low living.

BUT GOD has put a deal on the table that we’d have to be a fool to refuse. It’s called Salvation by Grace. By His Amazing Grace, The Father of Creation has offered and accepted The Blood of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus, as collateral to completely wipe out a debt that HE DIDN’T EVEN OWE, and one that we would never EVVRRRR be able to pay!

I know, sounds UNBELIEVABLE, but it’s TRUE! THAT’S THE GOSPEL!

It’s right there in John Chapter 3:16! “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.”

When we admit that we’re guilty of rebellion against His Righteousness, are willing to accept Jesus into our hearts and commit the rest our of lives to faithful obedience to His standards, GOD fixes the BOOKS! YES, IT’S ACCOUNTS SETTLED—PAID IN FULL! #didjagetit?  WHACHAWAITN4??? #slowbus,huh?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

EXCLUSIVE!

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EXCLUSIVE 2 JESUS WINKS

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

So they feared the Lord, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places. They feared the Lord, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.” 2 Kings 17:32-33

“But the Lord your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies. Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner. So these nations feared the Lord, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children’s children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.” 2 Kings 17:39-41

 

America, the land of the free! A nation established and founded on the premises that no longer will its citizens be forced to hide their religious convictions in fear of retaliation or retribution, and are now free to express their devotion and adoration to The God of The Bible. Right? Well, perhaps that’s the original interpretation of The Constitution. But that kind of thinking is no longer relevant to 21st Century contemporary constituents, huh?

Apparently, that’s a bit too narrow-minded. After all, considering all of the astonishing advancements in technology has expanded our world-view far beyond anything that our forefathers’ localized-tribunal expectations. And besides that, what difference does it make who or how you worship as long as you worship a god? At least, that’s the New Age Theologists’ perspective!

Surprisingly, this humanistic approach to religion did not just pop-up in our lifetime. But according to our scripture text, it has  perpetuated down through the ages. While this concept of worship may be more palatable to so many, the ultimate result is a fatal collision with the explicit commandments of the Supreme Being, The Creator of the universes, Elohim.

It’s the nature of un-regenerated humanity to reject and rebel against authority. In fact, the very first words that most toddlers say is ‘NO’ and ‘MINE’.The truth of the matter is, it permeates throughout adolescence into adulthood. Unfortunately, oftentimes the residual effects tend to influence our relationship with The Only God of our Salvation. We want to incorporate carry-on-gods of our past into our newly found faith. But! This doesn’t set too well with The True God who demands absolute exclusive solidarity and adoration of those who have been called into His Kingdom!

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me”. Exodus 20:3-5

Nevertheless,  some yet stagger at such obstinacy, considering it demeaning and uncharacteristic of a universal gOD and choosing to overlook God’s Sovereignty, gravitate to a more inclusive tolerating object of personal worship.

There’s a prevalent trend in The New Millennium church doctrine that teaches it’s okay to cover all your bases and act like a Christian when it’s convenient, but at the same time, be a realist. Don’t forget or neglect the gods of the land you came from! Ain’t nobody perfect, right? In other words, you can have your cake and eat it too, huh?

Despite the popularity of Self-aggrandizing Narcisism religious affiliations, there yet remains a Remnant Church who prefer a personal intimate relationship as opposed to a form of godliness that denies the Authority and Power of The One and Only True GOD to rule over the daily affairs of mankind! (Ref. 2 Timothy 3:5)

Didjaheardat? SOUNDS LIKE EXCLUSIVE WORSHIP TO ME! #howboutu?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

U AIN’T RIGHT!

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U AINT RIGHT

SELAH Daily Devotions!

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; Philippians 3:9-10

Are you proud of yourself!

Come on now; how many of us have, consciously or unconsciously, given ourselves a slight pat on the back or an inward nod because we did something better or knew more about something that no one else in our sphere of influence knew? Exactly!

Of course I’m not suggesting that we venture off to the other end of the spectrum and fall into self-debasement or self-loathing. I’m simply noting how easily the line between arrogance and self esteem can become blurred!

Taking pride in our successful accomplishments has its place in our lives. However when we over-compensate ourselves for what we’ve managed to attain to the point that we levitate through life as if our ‘performance’ gives us an edge above everyone else, WATCHOUT! You’re headed down a slippery ledge to destruction! (Ref. Proverb 16:18)

Sometimes even Christians find themselves ominously near the vicinity of Pharisee Blvd and Straight Street, when it comes to Righteousness. (Ref. Matthew 5:20) When our righteousness is based on our performance, we’ve missed it by miles! If we’re relying upon our good works to qualify us for a automatic ticket to Heaven, boy are we ever deceiving ourselves! When we equate our holiness according to the world’s standards, we’re sho nuff trippin’! So what hope do we have of reaching the lofty Pentacle of Acceptability to GOD?

Have I got some good news for you! There is a way to receive God’s Righteousness and it doesn’t involve anything that YOU can do on your own. It’s called Grace! Grace is God’s free Gift to us, something that we could never earn or merit—a right-standing with a Holy God!

God’s Righteousness is based solely upon personal acceptance, through faith in the finished works of Christ Jesus! The scripture say, ‘For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

There is a well-spring of exhilarating freedom in just taking God at His Word; knowing that you ain’t right, BUT…JESUS IS!

SELAH!

Have a WONDER-FILLED day!

Ann Caffee

SACRED TRUST

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SACRED TRUST!

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. Psalm 91:14-15

Ever heard, (perhaps you’ve said it yourself) “I’ll forgive you, but I won’t forget!”? What I think the person’s really saying is, “To err is human, but trust is Divine”!

One of the most catastrophic casualties of any broken relationship is trust!

Personally, I believe that’s why God hates sin. Given the uncertainty of the expansive lapse of time and the incomprehensible impact of the devastationing consequences of their high-treason against El Elyon, any attempt to describe the weight  and wealth of this trusting intimacy and fellowship that Adam and Eve enjoyed with The Creator as unimaginable, would at best only be a severe under-estimation! #IJS

Nevertheless, The Bible does reveal sporadic glimpses into the pure delight of The Heavenly Father’s Heart strolling through The Garden in the cool of the day, the intimate communion with the most precious of creation, sharing secret Eternal Wisdom, proudly affirming and re-affirming man’s authority and dominion over all living creatures and expressing Loving-Providential Care towards that which was created in His Own Image!

Despite the palatable convenience and more advantageous point of view for man to deflate the effect of our transgressions, both in Heaven and in the earth, from God’s perspective sin corrupts! Therefore it demands separation from Holy. Hence, sin brutally interrupts the intimacy that God purposed between God-Self and humanity when He formed us! Thereby emphatically grieving the Holy Spirit of God! Yet, we have the audacity to describe our unrighteous infractions as ‘my little issue’, ‘a slip up’ or ‘to miss the mark’! WOW!

Fortunately for us, God’s love would not be denied! Today’s scriptures tells us that knowing the innate frailty and the proclivity of human flesh to fall hopelessly into the temptations of sin’s lure, The God of Compassion and All Comfort , determined to restore the sacred communion (trust) with His Family, sacrificed His Only Begotten Son, the 2nd Adam, to repair the breach ruptured by our rebellious nature. (Ref. John 3:16)

Even more awesome, is the reality that we, (the offender), have only to accept this free offer (made by the Offended), Salvation by Grace, by confessing a faithful-heart-filled prayer of repentance (Godly sorrow) and professing a solemn commitment to live each day of the rest of our lives wholly unto The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! 

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

WOW! #didjaheardat? NOW THAT’S AWEMAAZZIN! 2 KNOW GOD IS 2 TRUST HIS LOVE! SACRED, huh?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

SACRED TRUST

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SACRED TRUST!

SELAH Daily Devotions!

“Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.” Psalm 91:14-15

Ever heard, (perhaps you’ve said it yourself) “I’ll forgive you, but I won’t forget!”? What I think the person’s really saying is, “To err is human, but trust is Divine”!
 
One of the most catastrophic casualties of any broken relationship is trust!

Personally, I believe that’s why God hates sin. Given the uncertainty of the expansive lapse of time and the incomprehensible impact of devastation’s consequences of their high-treason against El Elyon,  any attempt to describe the trusting intimacy of the fellowship that Adam and Eve enjoyed with The Creator as unimaginable, would at best only be a severe under-estimation!
 
Nevertheless, The Bible does reveal sporadic glimpses into the pure delight of The Heavenly Father’s Heart strolling through The Garden in the cool of the day, the intimate communion with the most precious of creation, sharing secret Eternal Wisdom, proudly affirming and re-affirming man’s authority and dominion over all living creatures and expressing Loving-Providential Care towards that which was created in His Own Image!

Despite the palatable convenience and more advantageous point of view for man to deflate the effect of our transgressions, both in Heaven and in the earth, from God’s perspective sin corrupts! Therefore it demands separation from Holy. Hence, sin brutally interrupts the intimacy that God purposed between God-Self and humanity when He made us! Thereby emphatically grieving the Holy Spirit of God! Yet, we have the audacity to describe our unrighteous infractions as ‘my little issue’, ‘a slip up’ or ‘to miss the mark’! WOW!

Fortunately for us, God’s love would not be denied! Today’s scriptures tells us that knowing the innate frailty and the proclivity of human flesh to fall hopelessly into the temptations of sin’s lure, The God of Compassion and All Comfort , determined to restore the sacred communion (trust) with His Family, sacrificed His Only Begotten Son, the 2nd Adam, to repair the breach ruptured by our rebellious nature. (Ref. John 3:16)

Even more awesome, is the reality that we, (the offender), have only to accept this free offer (made by the Offended), Salvation by Grace, by confessing a faithful heart-filled prayer of repentance (Godly sorrow) and commitment to live throughout the rest of our lives wholly unto The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! 
 
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
 
WOW! NOW THAT’S AMAZING!  TO KNOW GOD IS TO TRUST HIS LOVE! SACRED, huh?
SELAH!
 
“Have a WONDER-FILLED day!”
 
Ann Caffee

THE PERFECT STORM

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THE PERFECT STORM 2

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

“One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.” Psalm 27:4-5

 

Aaawwwww…Fantasy! Believe it or not, that’s where many escape to when the painful realities of life become much more than a person can bear. Perhaps, this might explain why that 1965 Classic American Sitcom “I Dream of Genie” (staring Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman) drew such a faithful following!

Week after week families gathered around their b/w TV’s anxiously gasping for any momentary retreat from the real-time burdens facing our nation. I mean who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to have anything their heart desired suddenly appear simply by swiping a lamp, right?  Yep, those were the good ol’ days, huh?

History records President Lyndon B. Johnson struggling to lead the nation through a multiplicity of vexing controversial challenges and at the same time maintain some semblance of the homeland security that many cleaved to so dearly.

Remember, The First Combat Boots landing in Viet Nam and the Dominican Republic, the arrest of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King along with 2,600 others in Selma Alabama for demonstrating against voter-registration rules. Malcom X was shot to death in a Harlem rally, while the newly recognized Afro-Americans were rioting in Watts and others were rudely awakened to the undeniable existence of racism in The Land of the Free? Yep! Yep! #thoseweredadays!

The point is, despite the torrid winds of time, we survived!

Truthfully, as long as we live and breathe on this earth, there will be storms of adversity. In today’s scripture text, the Psalmist offers a brilliant ray of confident hope, strength and encouragement to those who yet contend for the faith found only in an intimate personal relationship with The God of all flesh.

Having been victimized by jealously, hatred and malicious rejection from those closes to him on numerous occasions, David sticks out in history as a true, honest, God-revealing companion to the desperate and down casts. A recap of God’s servant’s life depicts one who repeatedly finds himself besieged by fear, doubt, betrayal, death and isolation from human kindness. Yet in the midst of chaos, terror and tragedy, The Shepherd boy/King, David discovers the Source of true solace under the watchful care of His Sovereign Lord!

Beloved, we’re living in a day in time where it’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind of hussle and bustle, striving for the world’s standards of successful accomplishments and accommodations! However,  in spite of those poignant pathetic prophetic voices declaring peace and prosperity, sometimes we are left trembling and shaken by the inscrutable ungodliness of the systems of this world!

Nevertheless, if we keep our eyes pointed Heavenward, we too can be blessed, revitalized and restored by that Peace that passes all understanding, swept over by the unspeakable joy and resting assured in the Presence of the One Savior and Lord that David delighted in, Jesus Christ!  THE PERFECT ANSWER TO THE PERFECT STORM!

SELAH!
 
PAUSE, PONDER, PRAY & PRAIZ!
 
Ann Caffee

THE MASTER’S BOUQUET

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THE MASTER'S BOUQUET PIC

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.” Isaiah 61:10-11

 

Living on the East Coast,  allows us the opportunity to enjoy the experience of watching with sheer delight as the seasons transition displaying God awesomeness! BUT! Don’tchajusluv SPRING? 

WOW! Ever looked at it like this? The whole earth is waking up from a long cold winter’s night and suddenly exploding under the light of a brand new day, huh? Seems like everywhere you turn, flowers are bursting up with blossoms filling the air with the sweet frangrance of fresh!

The Light of HOPE springs ALIVE dismissing the dismal depths of past failures, disappointments and desolations, arousing passion, promises and potential. Feeldat? Aaaaahhhhh! Oh Yeah, LOVE is in the air!

Didjaheardat?  Even the birds are tweeting songs of thanksgiving and praise to the Faithfulness of their Benefactor’s sustaining Grace. Listen! The streets and playgrounds are filled with children’s lalughter, dancing beneath the afternoon showers as the joy revives the strength of many who have been wearied and burdened by  far too many lengthy tear-filled restless nights!

That’s simplly awemazing, huh? I mean, inspite of all that gossip, sibling bickering and too much unsolicited advice, once again families are gathered round banquet-sized tables, anxiously anticipating the first bite! That’s if PopPop ever gets finished boasting about his culinary skills and brings the BBQ chicken, ribs and those famous ever-so-slightly burned hot dogs and burgers to the table and puts them along side Aunt Bessie’s baked beans and Big Mama’s infamous potato salad!

OMG! Now where dem older kids, think they slippin off to? Funny how they think us old folk were born old! Ha! Ha! ‘Can somebody go tell them guys, if they keep walking back to the trucks, they ain’t gonna get no pig feet!’

‘Can you believe that Uncle D thinks he’s getting away with slipping all those extra cookies, candy and chips to dem kids (as if anyone could miss it—with all that noise behind the side of the house)!’

‘Can you tell Pastor to come bless the food, please?’

Gotta Luv It! NOW THAT’S LIFE—MORE ABUNDANT AND FILLED WITH GLORRAAA! THAT’S THE HANDIWORK OF THE MASTER’S BOUQUET! #um..um…umm! Can hardly wait, huh?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee