Category Archives: Fear and Worry

A PERFECT HEART

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A PERFECT HEART2

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. 2 Chronicles 16:9

 

According to Data Center Solutions, the KJV Bible uses the word ‘heart’ 884 times. When the scriptures speak of the heart, it’s not referring to the 9-ounce muscle that pumps the blood throughout the human body. But rather, it’s speaking of the central control room of our emotions, ( feelings) of love, our desires and yes the seat of hatred, envy, covetnous, bitterness, resentment and fear!

We tend to so readily embrace those scriptures that bring encouragment and comfort to our hearts, right? However, when it comes to those that teach how to avoid those secret subsceptabilities that are exposed by the light of The Holy Spirit, Who intentionally searches the hearts of men, chances are we’ll speed by those, pausing momentarily to clip a few notes that ‘I jus gotta share this one with Sis. Cantelope and Bro. Watermelon, both of whom definitely will benefit from this, more than I will!”

Today’s scripture, 2 Chronicles 16:9, says that God is searching for perfect hearts. Well here’s when most of us leave the conversation, afterall, ain’t nobody perfect, right? But a closer examination of the situation discloses God’s interpretation of a perfect heart! As our Heavenly Father peered into the heart of His servant, King Asa, we notice a few things were missing. First of all God expected to see a Holy Awe, a Reverence and Appreciation for The Almighty God who had showed Himself Powerful to deliver in the time of battle against the Cushites. Hence, instead of loyalty, total commitment and a willingness to obey God, Asa’s heart was torn between a reliance on self, man, the world and God!

When Asa was confronted by the Prophet Hanani, who alerted him of the precariousness of seeking help from any source other than God, Asa’s anger flarred up and he immediately ordered Hanani thrown into prison, revealing the true condition of his heart!

How many times have you heard someone declaring, “God knows my heart!? #ikr! He certainly does!  Therefore, He’s not easily impressed by our good works. Sometimes, we need to examine our hearts to determine if our good works are the result of right motives. Could we be harboring a religious spirit of self-righteousness? One way to identify this is by asking ourselves, “Is MY right doing to glorify and honor God or MYself?” #OOPHS!

That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:18

Solomon, dubbed the wisest man in the known world, shares this intellegence, that we must be mindful to monitor our hearts, putting limits on our feelings and desires, guarding against the innate proclivity to rationalize certain behaviors that will ultimately determine how we live. (Ref. Proverbs 4:23-27)

Beloved, a perfect heart does not means that you will always do the right thing. And, we all know the low probability of that, huh? However God’s looking for that ‘want to’, in other words, a GENUINE desire to grow in grace! This is only possible by a conscious deliberate effort to hide the Word of God in your hearts that you might not sin against the Faithful and True Living God! (Ref. 2 Timothy 2:15; Romans 12:1-2) #DIDJAHEARDAT? #WOW!

Jesus says, ‘That’s close enough, I’ll take it from here!’ PERFECT!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

DON’T LOOK BACK!

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DON'T LOOK BACK

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

How oft did they provoke Him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel Psalm 78:40-41

Ever notice how memories have a way of distorting reality.  Somehow, once we’re no longer ‘there’  WE  have this proclivity  to delete all of the bad and ugly stuff that happened to us?

Have you ever wondered why in the midst of our tests and trials, how easily our minds revert back to an earlier time and subconsciously embellishes those former times as ‘the good ol days’?

Today’s scripture text, ‘them’ Israelites illustrate this innately human response to selectively reminisce over the episodes of history, particularly whenever we’re faced with the fear of the unknown.  Hence, the grass always looks greener and better on the other side, right?

It was only about a month after God had miraculously delivered over a million former slaves out from the cruelty of Egyptian bondage, when they began to feel differently about their utterly hopelessly distressful past circumstances.  The moment they were faced with a challenge, they began to murmur against Moses and Aaron and to make matters even worse, they accused God of bringing them out of Egypt only to die in the wilderness!  

‘We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: 6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.’ (Numbers 11:5-6)

…Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (Exodus 16:1-3) 

Somehow, they dismissed the reality, like we often do, that God had just lead His Chosen People to freedom, faithfully, supernaturally supplying everything they needed, yet they failed to appropriately appraise God’s Eternal Presence and Divine Favor based on unfamiliar temporary circumstances.

Saints, the truth is, nothing that you’ve been thru; nothing you’re going thru NOW should make you want to turn back. Remember what happened to Lots’ wife? (Ref. Luke 17:32)

Don’t make the same mistake that our forefathers made. Don’t limit your expectations of God to your former experiences! We forget that God has a panoramic view of our lives! What God has for you is always in front of you!!  Don’t worry about what you can’t see, remember GOD’s guiding us by His Eyes! So keep moving forward!  If He ever did it before, trust Him to do it again!

Our God “is well able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or thing, according to the power that works in us”. (Ephesians 3:20). 

Beloved, trust 2 Know…your future won’t  even fit in your past!  What God has prepared for you is always greater than anything you’ve been thru! 

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

Check the end of the Book–YOU WIN! DON’T LOOK BACK! 

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

 

I CHANGED MY MIND!

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I CHANGED MY MIND 3

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Acts 3:19

I am straight Holiness/Pentecostal todabone; jus ask anybody who knows me in church! I mean, I’ll shout you down in a heartbeat! But guess what? The devil ain’t stud’n you getting your praise on shoutin’ and dancin’, flip’n over pews, in the church house, as long as you don’t change! That’s right, I’m talking about repentance! Don’t touch dat button!

I know repentance still carries a negative connotation, generally provoking feelings of fear and condemnation. I totally get! However, what we need to realize is that none of us  have the power or responsibility to make a person repent by threatening them that they’re going to Hell!  BUT!!!! IF  you let them know how good The Lord is and what He’s ALREADY done for US to make us right with God, there a good chance that they’ll want to know Him for themselves!

Before the days of name it and claim it, and blab it and grab it, when a true prophet spoke, the only thing he promised was the WORD OF GOD! Really, check your Bible? John the Baptist preached the same message every day, “prepare ye the way, repent and be baptized, for the Lord is at hand”. When The Apostle Peter left the upper room, filled with the Holy Ghost, he came preaching the same message, “repent”. Yall ain’t liking me, huh?

Some folk still believe repentance means going to the altar, echoing a confession and shaking the pastor’s hand. But my beloved, genuine repentance is a matter of the heart and I don’t mean just feeling sorry. If you really want to experience authentic fellowship with Jesus, you have to sanctify yourself through repenting from your heart.

2 Corinthians 7:10 explains, when a person truly repents, they’ll admit that they’re sincerely sorry for rebelling against God and living a sinful life; make a conscious commitment to change the way they live, turn their back AWAY FROM the devil, and TURN 2 JESUS!

One of the best parts of repentance is taking back the personal power that we’ve allowed Satan to rule over our lives! Godly sorrow will make you stare the devil down and tell him in no uncertain terms, “No thank you, I don’t want to live like this anymore, it’s over! I DON’T BELONG 2 U, I BELONG TO JESUS! MY PAST IS COVERED IN THE BLOOD AND MY NEW LIFE IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! NOW , GET OUTTA MY FACE OR I’M GONNA CALL MY DADDY!

Beloved, don’t allow another moment of doubt, unbelief or fear cause you to forfeit the blessings that God has prepared for us. (Ref. Jeremiah 29:11) The Bible says, the day you hear His Voice calling–just come! Didjaheardat? Can you hear HIM now?

Somebody quick, please tell the devil, “ I CHANGED MY MIND!”

SELAH!

PAUSE, PONDER, PRAY & PRAIZ!

Ann Caffee

DON’T SELL YOURSELF CHEAP!

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DON'T SELL URSELF CHEAP!

SELAH DAILY DEVOTIONS!

 

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

 

Granted, given the peer pressure of this 21st Century society that we live in, it ain’t no easy task, howeverrr, sometimes, we just gotta learn how to appreciate ourselves for the fearfully, wondrously and gloriously made creations of God that we are! (Ref. Psalm 139:14) #ijs!!!

 For some of us, by the time you get to Jesus, you’ve already suffered years of psychological damage, mis-use and abuse. As the psalmist said, we’ve been ‘ buked and scorned, lied on, cheated, talked about sure as we’re born; slammed and crushed by life that you’ve subconsciously de-valued yourselves so much so that when you hear some preacher say ‘God loves you’, your initial response is an overwhelmingly cynical—REALLY? But the Good News is that God is not intimidated by  your fragile-self-incriminating state. He specializes in restoring broken things!

As you continue to feed on The Word of God, through the enabling Power of The Holy Spirit, your eyes are opened to Truth and astonishingly, you will begin to see yourself through the “blood stained” Savior’s eyes. As God’s relentless Loving-kindness and Amazing Grace begins to penetrate the callousness of your heart, you get a revelation of the Magnificent Compassion that your Heavenly Father has toward you. Honestly, It’s almost unbelievable!

Come to think of it, no one BUT The Creator can determine the true worth of His creation! Remember, God Himself  deliberately and intentionally chose you in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world! Once you have accepted God’s Love, there’s no need to crave validation from anybody else. REALLY! 

NOW AIN’T THAT AWEMAAZING? 

ITZ DA TRUTH!  BELOVED, ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT ‘THEY’ SAY,  IN GOD’S EYES YOU’RE INDELIBLY PRICELESS! DON’T SELL YOURSELF CHEAP!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

FIRED UP!

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FIRED UP!

SELAH Daily Devotions!

“Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:6-7

 

There’s a lot of teaching going around regarding Generational Curses. But, thankfully, we who have been crucified with Christ have also inherited The Generational Blessing!

Today, our scripture text finds The Apostle Paul urging his young protégé, Timothy to keep that same passionate desire that was passed down to him from his Grandmother, Loise, through his Mother, Eunice, and finally imparted to him through the laying on of his own hands!

Remembering the faithfulness and fervency with which these women embraced the Message and Ministry that was entrusted to them by the Grace of God, The Apostle Paul took great joy in sharing the rich heritage of this young pastor, knowing the importance of being equipped for the task set before him! Paul’s personal experience prepared and qualified him to effectively mentor Timothy to successfully overcome every obstacle that he’d face in walking out his pastoral call.

While many covet the charm, fame and prosperity that supposedly accompanies the title and position, Paul cautions Pastor Timothy to stay acutely aware that there’s a tremendous cost for the real anointing that follows the appointment! And it ain’t cheap! “Timothy, there’s a whole lot more to pastoring than preaching, brotha!”

I believe The Apostle was saying, “You better get prepared to be picked out to picked on. Everybody who says they’re with ya, won’t be!  Son,  I hate to tell ya, but a lotta them folk who’ll claim that GAWD sent them to help ya, will leave you in a heartbeat…when GAWD changes their assignment! ! #ijs!!! But that’s okay! As long as you never forget Whose you are and Who’s in you.  Rest assured, that because The Greater One—is in you, always; everything is gonna work out for you! Above all else, my son, keep this at the forefront of your mind, whatever is going on around you or what’s coming against you, don’t let the flame of the Holy Ghost die out!”

“Don’t allow the cares and challenges of this world to consume your heart and mind. Encourage yourself! Remember, EVERY DAY is not the same! There will be those days when you feel as if you can’t make it another further. But TRUST2KNO  GOD STRENGTH WILL BE PERFECTED THROUGH YOUR WEAKNESSES!  It’s the Love and Grace of God that will empower and sustain you to carry out God’s Purpose, bringing His Glory for and through your life! Carry on, my Son!”

#DIDJAGETIT? #AWESOME! #ijs #GODZGOTCHA!!!

STIR UP THE FLAME AND STAY FIRED UP!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

WEIGHT ON THE LORD!

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weight on the LORD 3

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

“I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” Psalm 27:13-14

“Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you;He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Isaiah 55:22

 

Glancing up at the TV screen on my way into the kitchen one morning, I couldn’t help but hear this early morning’s breaking news report that sometime, while most of us slept in the comfort and safety of our homes, a group of bomb-strapped terrorist had stormed into a Pakistani school house killing over 120 people, including  a number of 1st to 6th grade students, teachers and anyone else who crossed their sight lines. As I tuned my ears, the commentator continuing on said that Isis had proudly stepped up, acclaiming  responsibility for this heinous act in retaliation for a previous attack against their forces.

After reminding myself again,why I’m not an avid news watcher, I came up stairs to ask my husband whether or not he’d heard about it, and he had. Almost simultaneously, both of us asked “What is this world coming to”?  ” It’s as if nothing is sacred, nothing is restricted by basic human morality!

Suddenly, the Holy Spirit cut into our conversation; “The End!” I repeated, as if the light had just been cut on. “The End!” The world, as we’ve known, is coming to an end,  live and living HD color! Who nu? The 21st century generation would be eye witnesses to the actualization of the antiquated prophetic utterances of God’s servants.

I found myself praying, “Lord, as Pastors, preachers, teachers, evangelists, your servants, what are we supposed to do? How can we continue to preach trust and hope to comfort and encourage your people surroundied by the presence of lawless gross darkness? Especially when we ourselves are fainting, wearied, overwhelmed and being choked by the cords of cares and chaos!”

The Holy Spirit interrupted my self-induced saga; “Tell them about JESUS! After all He is The Only Hope of the World! Preach, JESUS! The Eternal Light that yet shines out of the darkness. Remind them that all these things must be before The Kingdom of God ushers in The New Life! Hail to the scattered sheep that NOW is the time for Salvation! Warn them that time is winding up, spiraling intently towards eternity and NOW is the time to prepare to meet their Master in peace; for He could show up at any minute!”

“Encourage your fellow-sojourners to take full advantage of these days, not trembling in fearful foreboding but celebrating God all day,every day!”

My mind went back to the wisdom of those ol’ skool  Churrch Mothers? ‘Wear this world like a loosing fitting overcoat, that you can drop-off at a moment’s notice!’ That was their way of reminding us that we are not home yet. We are still passing through this barren land on our way to Heaven!

Beloved, if all your hope is wrapped up in what you can collect, seeking man’s approval and striving to attain society’s standard of success, then my precious one, the best you can expect to see in this world is constant decadence of morality and amplified misery. But asThe Redeemed, we have an resounding advantage over those who are yet in darkness. GOD IS STILL GOD!

God is not surprised at anything that’s happening! He Reigns Supreme Ruler over His Creation, astutely aware and actively involved in the intrinsic detailed affairs of man-kind! And to top it all off, God loves us with an Everlasting Love that compassionately invites us to come boldly before His Throne daily to find Hope, Help, Mercy and Grace!

Therefore, Beloved, we do not give up HOPE! We contend for the faith, waiting patiently in earnest expectation, resting in quiet confidence and believing to see that THE ONE WHO HAS PROMISED IS FAITHFUL TO PERFORM! WEIGHT ON THE LORD!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

AFTER THIS, LOOK FOR THE GLORY!

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AFTER THIS, LOOK 4 THE GLORY!

SELAH Daily Devotions!

“And said to his servant, go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up and looked, and said. There is nothing. And he said, go up again seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, go up, say unto Ahab. Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. And it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.”(1 Kings 18:43-45)

 

It’s one thing to say that we trust God, but it’s how we endure the proving time that determines the genuineness of our trust!

Life inevitably includes intervals of those pesty impositions I call ‘the dark times’! Like unexpected uninvited guest, trouble has a way of poppin in and staying way longer than we’d prefer! And to make matters more unsettling, it’s during these seasons that we’ll most likely to experience times when all evidence to substantiate that God is still with you and any sign indicating that He’s even listening to your prayers is essentially non-existent!

Knowing personally, it’s not easy watching our children’s lives being ravished by sickness and their youthful dreams and ambitions dissipated by helpless hopelessness. But this is where the clichés that we so impressively sprout off to others are proven real or Memorex! Yet it’s in the midst of the storms God reveals His Best Handy Work. Who would’ve ever imagined that in spite of the dire forecast, The Son yet shines, leading and drawing us closer to Himself! Clearly, He’s determined, through any means necessary, to prove unequivocally that everything that the devil meant for evil, God can turn it around and make it work in our favor! (Ref. Romans 8:28)

Oh My! How my soul rejoiced that day, hearing that my son had given his life to The Lord during a bible study class the evening before! Little did I know that God would use this storm to woo him into seeking Him for himself positioning him for the miraculous showers of blessings that would followed! And most certainly, I never imagined as I was praying that God would stretch my faith and increase my knowledge of His Wisdom and Power, that I’d have to bury a son to experience a whole new level of God’s Sustaining Super-Grace.

The Prophet Elijah teaches his young protégé that even when we can’t see no way to escape the threat of emminent destruction, we can yet trust God’s Heart and His Hands. God’s vision is far greater than 20/20. It’s from eternity past to eternity future! God watches guardingly over us thru The Blood stained eyes of Jesus. And through confident trust and quiet patience we discover God’s Faithfulness!

Today, you may find yourself plagued by all manner of maladies. Many of God’s people being wounded and worn out by the insidious attacks of the enemies of God are losing hope for life getting any better. But remember, anything is possible with God! Troubles have a predesignated date of expiration; yet our prayers are eternal.

As people of Hope, instead of surrendering to the pressures of circumstantial evidence, we pray; committing ourselves and our circumstances to our Omnipotent, Omniscient Omnipresent Savior and Lord! Relying wholeheartedly upon His Love and the sufficiency of His Grace to sustain and deliver us! As we pray, God intervenes in His designated timing, turning everything the devil meant for evil—for our greatest good and His Highest Glory! (Ref. 1 Chronicles 7:14)

Don’t allow the darkness to deceive you. Could God be using the clouds to shield you from your enemies view, aligning you up for an unexpected miracle? (Ref. Exodus 13:21) I know it’s been a long night, but don’t give up! They tell me, the darkest hour is just before the break of a new day.

Go take another look! See that? AFTER THIS, LOOK FOR THE GLORY!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

HE TURN’T IT!

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HE TURNED IT 2

SELAH Daily Devotions!

Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return, until he hath done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it. Jeremiah 30:23-24

 

LOOK OUT…then LOOK UP! These are indeed the times of Jacob’s deep trouble distress prophesied in The Bible! Looking around, you can’t help but to see tragedy, corruption and injustice. So one might erroneously conclude that the fires of darkness have prevailed, releasing double turmoil and chaos on the land, from which there is no recovery!

Obviously, the people of God have not been excluded from the suffering, pain and disparity. In the midst of the overwhelming darkness, some will succumb to fear, giving in to the seducing spirits of the Tempter, turning their faces away from The Hope of Glory and drift over to the enemy’s fire, as if Satan has the power to save them. LOL!

However, don’t be befuddled by the jeers of the false prophets, GOD ALWAYS HAS A NUMBER WHO REFUSE TO BOW! Hence, there yet remains that Faithful Remnant who have determined, “COME WHAT MAY…I WILL trust in the One that the world has rejected, my proven Chief Corner Stone, with all of my heart, mind, soul and spirit!”

Jesus, The True and Faithful Witness, has given His chosen, everything that we shall ever need to endure these hardships as good soldiers! Hence, as we stand solidly on The Rock of our Salvation, taking God at His Word, in due season, we shall see the reward of the wicked and the servants of God exalted!

Always remember! Those who have a personal faith relationship with The Redeemer and Restorer, have an Incorruptible Hope that’s far beyond this world! (Ref. 1 Peter 1:23)

The Righteous Judge has decreed, “I AM keeping watch over MY Word to perform it. Don’t be afraid! I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS! I see everything that you’re going through and I WILL enter into your darkness AND TURN IT AROUND to save and deliver you! AGAIN!

Don’t worry about those fair weather folk who mock and dismiss your faith as ‘hopeless fanatic ignorance’! But cling to ME, for you are MY very own people and I WILL BE YOUR VERY OWN GOD!”

My fellow sojourners, BE STEADFAST, UNMOVABLE  ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF OUR LORD! (Ref. 1 Corinthians 15:8)

WHEN THE DUST SETTLES, YOUR ENEMIES WILL BE LEFT GROVELING IN THE DIRT, HEADS SPINNING , MOUTHS GAPPING IN ABSOLUTE WONDER, “didjaseedat?”

CHECK THE BACK OF THE BOOK! JUSTICE PREVAILS! WE WIN AND ZION SHALL STAND FOREVER! GOD TURN’T IT!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee