Category Archives: Divine Purpose

TIME AND CHANCE

TIME AND CHANCE

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.  Ecclesiastes 9:11

This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
Wake Up! God’s got a blessing with your name on it, it’s called ‘TODAY’!

God has endowed every one of us with personal power! It’s called CHOICE, huh? Hence, no thing or no one has the power to determine your response to a brand new day of life! You can choose whether to approach it with joyful celebration and gratitude or you can drag the burdens of disappointment, failure, defeat and guilt of yesterday into today!

Now, I hearya, ‘uuuhhh, obviously you have no idea what I’m going thru, sista!’ You’re absolutely right, but GOD does! He also knows everything that you will face each and every tomorrow! Since He’s in absolute control of all creations, why not trust Him to handle the details of each moment. Rest assured, it’s all working together for your good! ( Romans 8:28)

Now, let me warn you, it’s gonna feel strange, at first but datz okay! Once you experience that peace that surpasses all understanding, you’ll agree that in the long run, it’s well worth whatever it costs! Can you imagine waking up every day filled with the enthusiastic anticipation of embracing another opportunity to experience God’s Glory, Grace and Praise? Instead of pulling the covers over your head,  overwhelmed by a cloud of foreboding fear, worry, dread, discouragement, defeat, murmuring and complaining, WHY NOT wake up with an attitude of gratitude for what God’s already done, is doing now and ernestly hopeful for what He’s about to do? #ijs
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As a disciple of Christ, from the moment you open your eyes you can direct your day by calling those things that be not as though they were! (Romans 4:17) Today, choose to enjoy this wonderful gift of present and keep moving forward into this new day! After all,  the CEO of Life is living on the inside of you.

The Ol’ Saints used to sing, ‘Everyday with Jesus is sweeter than the day before!’ And don’t get it twisted, they lived through some very distressing times. Remember The Great Depression? Yet, amidst their adversity, they learned how to trust and depend on The Lord. With every triumph they gained courageous confidence that God was well able to keep them thru and bring them out of anything that would unfold during the course of a day!

When Jesus is your Shepherd, it really doesn’t matter what happened yesterday, God is yet God! Never forget that The God of the mountain top is also the God of the valley! ( 1Kings 20:23-27) So, why not expect to be strengthened, encouraged, delivered and re-joyed! Make today another chance to do better, become more and get closer to Jesus.

WOW! 24 hours OR 1440 minutes OR 86,400 seconds! Spend it well! Remember, Time and Chance Happens To All of US!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

GOD’S WAR!

GOD'S WAR!

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15

 

In The 3rd Chapter of The Book of Ecclesiastics The Preacher, Solomon, offers his observations on the purpose of times and seasons that God appoints throughout our journey in an attempt to answer the age old question of humanity, “Why am I here?” Looking back I recognize that my time on Terra Firma continues to swiftly transition through certain uncertainties, predictable resistance and uncommon clarity, leaving me totally dependent upon my Creator!

The Holy Writ alerts us to the inevitable reality that there is a Devil on the loose who has made it his mission to steal, kill and destroy the peace, comfort, joy and hope of everyone who has been created in the image of God.  Hence, beloved, there’s a war going on! Therefore we should expect to be tempted by tests, trials, trouble and tragedy! However, along with this ominous warning, our Heavenly Father also gives us His Eternal Assurance, “And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8

Unfortunately, most of our attacks come from unseen forces! Satan has become quite proficient in throwing rocks and hiding his hands. Then he sits back relishing the chaos, confusion, havoc and vengence that we wreak upon one another. Notwithstanding, God has equipped those with a discerning spirit, with weapons that are not carnal, but mighty through God, enabling us to triumphantly invade and eradicate the forces of evil every time! (Ref. 2 Corinthians 10:4; Romans 8:37)

Just knowing that we’re encompassed about by enemy forces is not always enough, you gotta know when to hold ’em, and when to fold ’em, huh? In order to be successful in your conquest, it is vital that you remain strategically positioned to hear the instructions of The Captain of The Lord’s Host. Truth be told, while God teaches our hands to war, some battles are not meant for us to fight! #Seriously!

Just like King Jehoshaphat, when challenged by demonic intimidation, we must resist the temptation to bow down to our fears, taking matters into our own hands; but immediately turn our face toward our Master in fervent prayer and worship! By making prayer your daily regiment, we build up our most holy faith. When the enemy comes upon us suddenly, instead of retreating to imminent failure and surrendering to hopelessness and despair, we automatically release our faith in the Trustworthiness of The Power and Promises of God!

When we seek God first, we gain supernatural strength and courage to boldly withstand and confront any opposition. Armed with unwavering holy confidence that God is with you and is always in absolute control over everything, we march towards adversity, knowing God will turn it around in our favor and make it work together for your good and His Greatest Glory! (Ref. Romans 8:28)

Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. 2 Chronicles 20:20

Didjaheardat? It jus confuses Hell, when you really believe God! LOL! #GODZWAR!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

MY BFF!

MY BFF

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10

 

Being next to the oldest of seven kids, I can’t remember exactly when the desire for personal playmates sprouted. Perhaps, that’s why my social skills were noticeably under-developed when it came to fitting in with ‘other than sibling’ cliques. I guess you’d call that shyness, huh? Needless to say, I was generally the least likely to be picked first in just about everything! Every now and then someone would dare to look beyond the outward appearance and see a real me thereby forging relatively long-term fellowships! Hence, down thru the years I’ve learned to treasure my short list of BFF’s!

In retrospect, who knows what unknown paths of destruction The Sovereign Lord was re-directing me out of? Lord knows I’ve had my share of unrecognized ‘BUT GOD’ experiences and am eternally grateful that I survived to tell it! Topping the list will always be my day of personal revelation of The God who knows everything about me, from the inside out, and yet loves me unconditionally faithfully! Until I met Jesus, I never imagined that I was already accepted and beloved by the TRUE SOURCE of Life and Love! (Ref. Ephesians 1:6)

WOW! After all the time I’d spent trying to escape the pain, punishment and penalty of being born naughty by nature, only to discover that I could not do it on my own. It took The Power of God, to re-create and re-purpose me to live free to glorify my Creator! While we’re so busy with the ‘going and getting’ business of life, cluelessly running away from HIM, we miss His Voice drawing us to rest in His Presence, Power and Peace! Whoknu?

Before the foundation of the world, GOD The Father ordained that The RESTORER of EVERY breach, the BRIDGE from death to life, JESUS, to heal ALL the brokeness of our soul’s infirmities and to preserve us thru the EMPOWERING PRESENCE of HOLY SPIRIT, as we sojourn in this world awaiting the ultimate translation to our eternal reunion in Heaven!

Shamefully, in our relentless pursuit of the riches of this world (with no regard for the consequences), too often we neglect The One who is constantly pursuing us, longing to fulfill the intimate fellowship!

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27

Knowing that God intends for us to live happy, healthy and whole abiding in the indwelling Spirit of Jesus Christ allows you and I to enjoy  a lifestyle of unimaginable favor found only in an incomparable eternal personal relationship with the INFINITE new BFF, HOLY SPIRIT! #howboutU? #REALLY?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

KINGDOM Matters!

KINGDOM MATTERS

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:1-2

 
Is it just me, or have you noticed the newest 21st Century jargon? The sheer variety of objectivity seem to suggests that there has been an awakening in the consciousness of The Millenniums that has shifted away from ‘It’s all about me’ to ‘a genuine concern for the well-being of other than self’!  Or NOT! Okay yall, I’m might as well let the cat outta the bag. I’m referring to the popular trending idiom ‘MATTERS’.

Apparently, everything and the kitchen sink, has taken on a persona of distinctive significance. And there’s a T-shirt somewhere out there to prove it! Hey, I’m not judging, simply highlighting the obvious, k? If you ask anybody what are some of the things that they’re mosted interested in, it’s guaranteed that their responses would be endless. However, may I suggest that given the innate nature of humans to be drawn to individual preferences, in order to secure its fundamental security and uniformity, certain things are essential to the future of any society!

Obviously, there will be those who’d swear that being ‘pet parents’ is no different from parenting ‘live children’ or wearing pants 25 inches below your waist-line to a job interview is as acceptable as nudity in a court room. As long as you’re comfortable with yourself, huh? Now that The Supreme Court has determined that regardless of sexual orientation, Love Matters! The capitalist affirm that it’s the bottom line that counts, not human rights! Hence Money Matters! Since, The NRA ascribes to ‘the right to bear arms’, above the ‘right to live in a safe neighborhoods’ thus—everybody’s packin! Billions of funds are being funneled to Animal Rights activists discretly away from those insidious issues of education, homelessness and hunger! Seriously!

Of course, we are not implying that as Christians we’re not supposed to have interests outside of the church. But! Does anyone care about what Matters to God? Well? Looking at the more contemporary-all-embracing, newly-enlightened, come-as-u-r-stay-as-u-r doctrines of the 21st Century church, apparently, ain’t nobody got time for dat?  It’s common place, now that church-folk tend to gravitate (assembling together) to like-minded sophisticated folk who prefer creature comforts above christian character! And if the ol’ skool preacha insists on sticking to those irrevelant antiquated suggestions of The Holy Bible and preachilng against SIN, well we can just Google the net and fine another church that’s more condusive to our religious persuasions!

Far be it for me to infer that Father GOD knows what’s best for His Children! However, isn’t that the reason that He drew us out of the world? God wants us to be happy and holy! That’s why He sent The Holy Spirit to live in us, leading and guiding us through the maze of a hellish world, instilling godly morals to assure that we get safely home to Heaven’s Glory! “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14

It’s perfectly understandable that an unregenerated person has no hope beyond this life, hence their universe is focused on accumulating a wealth of materialistic trinkets! However, where did so many carnal-minded christians come from?

I still remember when those who have a personal trust in Christ, peering through  the clarity of the Scriptures, wore our earthly life as a loose-fitting overcoat, easily discarded and replaced by the robes of righteousness, laced with Love, Loyalty, Grace and Mercy as garments of praiz! WOW! #GOALS #KINGDOM MATTERS!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

YES LORD!

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

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

 

 

U AIN’T RIGHT!

U  AIN'T RIGHT 2

 

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

 Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteous that the Lord your God is giving you this good land, for you are a stiff-necked people. Deuteronomy 9:6

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 says, ‘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!
 
Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!
 
Ann Caffee
 

WORD PROCESSORS

WORD PROCESSORS

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. Hebrews 4:1-3

 

As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we vow to live our lives according to the testimony God reveals in The Holy Bible. As our knowledge of God’s Word increases, we discover how God has ordained certain rights, privileges and promises to us and for us.Yet, even as confessing Believers, sometimes we fall short when it comes to experiencing the fulfillment of God’s exceedingly great and precious promises. Now don’t shout me down, yall!

Consequently, our churches are filled with frustrated, anxious, angry and unsatisfied folk who’re secretly disappointed with God. Amen? For the record, let’s concede this, God’s not the problem! His faithfulness is not on trial! God’s Word is Eternally Immutable, Faithful and True. Am I right about it? So what’s up? We go to church and hear the gospel—well most of the time—anyway, preached with power and conviction. We enjoy the sermon, buy the CD’s and the DVD’s. We’ll leave the sanctuary talking about “Man, we had CHUURCH today”. But, where’s the fruit? Where’s the evidence? How has the message profited our lives? For real, where’s the change in our personal situations and even more important, what’s changed in our personal relationship with Jesus Christ?

The Bible warns us how Satan, comes immediately to steal the Word before we can reap the benefit. The devil persistently preys on our frustrations, anxieties and fears with one goal in mind, to cause us to distrust God. Can we go a little deeper? Ask a Saint who knows a little Bible and they’ll religiously proclaim that The Gospel has the ability and power to save and transform the lives of anyone who believes it. But—the Bible also says, “be ye doers of the word and not hearers only”. (James 1:22)

Therein lies the underlying issue! If nothing changes, then nothing changes! However, thru the completion of proper processing (a series of actions, motions, or occurrences intended to achieve a certain results), you get the right results!

According to Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” As followers of Christ, we know the Word is True, we must ultimately concur that the breakdown is not with the Word, but with the processing of the processor!

Mark 4, says, “the Sower sows the word” Hence, the preacher preaches the Word ; but, the harvest is determined by the condition of the soil. Wow! Didjaheardat? Sounds like The Word must be properly processed in order to produce the harvest! (Ref. Mark 4:15) How? By applying it to your everyday life through confession (speaking those things as though they were); meditating on the promises rather than your problems, meditating on who you are now in Christ Jesus, as opposed to who you were and acting on your convictions rather than impulse. (Ref. Romans 4:17)

It’s important to note, that The Advesary has been observing you from the moment you entered the earth realm. Hence, he knows just what buttons to push to get you to do what he wants you to do. Then he hides his hands, leaving you to deal with the guilt, shame and self-rejecting disappointment, causing you to exclude (thus disqualify) your ownself as an eligibile beneficiary for God’s Mercy and Grace!

Precious One, don’t let the devil intimdate you into allowing fear and frustration to cause you to abort your promise. Instead, embrace The penetrating Light of God’s Word to break up the hardness of your heart and be processed in the perfect ground of a yielded, trusting, believing rest-filled heart! 

BELOVED,  AS YOU DILIGENTLY WORK THE WORD, IT WILL WORK IN, FOR AND THROUGH YOU! TODAY, MAY YOU PURPOSE IN YOUR HEART TO REST IN THE FAITHFULNESS OF JESUS’ PROMISES, IN JESUS NAME! AMEN 3X #WORD PROCESSOR

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

GOT JESUS?

GOT JESUS

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and has committed unto us the world of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
  

Okay, so…just about everybody’s a ‘Christian’ now, huh?  Does kinda make you wonder, why Jesus hasn’t come back for the Church! But that’s none of my business! #ijs

My oh my, do we just love to congregate behind the four walls of the sanctuary. And yall know how much we love to testify and prophet-lie amongst like-minded-kindred- spirits! 
 
But, who’s responsible for taking this marvelous revelation out into the streets?Remember, the world—is not our enemy—it’s God’s Harvest, right?
 
“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)
 
NO, SERIOUSLY…GOT JESUS? 
 
SHARE JESUS? 
 
IF NOT YOU, THEN WHO?
 
IF NOT NOW… THEN …WHEN?

Jus wondering, who’s gonna be in heaven bcuz you cared enough to share your faith in Jesus Christ?  …WOW!

Who’s going to end up in the devil’s eternal hell, bcuz you didn’t dare to share The Truth? OMG!

 Uuuhhh, need I say more?  GOT JESUS?

 

SELAH!
 
Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!
 
Ann Caffee

 

 

PURPOSE TRUMPS PAIN

PURPOSE TRUMPS PAIN

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee