Category Archives: Fulfillment

I LIVED!

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I LIVED 2

SELAH Daily Devotions!

I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. The LORD hath chastened me sore : but he hath not given me over unto death. Psalm 118:17-18

Everything living changes! #Didjaheardat?

From the moment of beginning, life evolves, progressively spiraling from eternity past through present towards eternity future. The Eternal Life-Giver sets into motion HIS own pre-determined course, every thing according to the counsel of His Will and Good Pleasure. (Ref. Ecclesiastes 3:1)

So why are we so taken aback by the sudden shifts?

Perhaps it has a lot to do with the often brutal abrupt interruptions to the comfort and security of familiarity. Be it pleasant or unpleasant, there’s something about humanity’s expectation of normal that enables us to resign to a certain sense of contentment. Some might call it the spirit of survival or resilience.

Pass the mic and every one of us could undoubtedly recite times of suffering some kinda personal tragedy, un-relentless abuse, myriad temptations, bona fide threats through which we’ve already come. But almost as fluently, we can enumerate with timeless ecstacy those experiences where closed gates were opened before us, night weeping gave way to the morning joy, mourning bowed to dancing and desperation succumbed to determination. And yet life goes on!

As children of faith we must recognize that wherever we are, we’re never alone! God has planted us there not to die, but to grow through our wildernesses. As we learn to trust and confidently submit to His Will, GOD gives us Grace to come out better and not bitter, stronger and wiser and with a new life-giving, soul-stirring, encouraging, strengthening, empowering—“COME SEE WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE!” testimony!

Nevertheless, we, God’s Chosen, continue in hope for that time when happiness is unchanging, fear and doubt is terminated, and the foreboding darkness is consumed by the all encompassing Eternal Light of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

“This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:23-24

IS THERE ANYBODY WHO AIN’T AFRAID TO ADMIT, “THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES, I ALMOST…BUT! I LIVED!”??? #bothhandsup, huh?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

DISCOVERING GRACE!

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DISCOVERING GRACE 2

SELAH Daily Devotions!

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Ephesians 4:4-8

 

O MAN! Did we ever get that twisted. GRACE that is! Guilty! I remember it, just like Mama and probably her Mama and undoubtedly my own kids to theirs, asking, “DidjasayyourGrace?” God knows, we didn’t know! But now, knowing the true meaning and eternal value of GRACE, (God’s unmerited, unearned favor towards us) makes it even more OUTRAGEOUS, huh?

Today’s scripture text reveals that when Jesus conquered death, He ascended into Heaven, He sent back to us the Precious Gift of Holy Spirit to embody the Body of Christ (The Church), with everything we’d ever need to fulfill, not only our individual God-ordained purpose, but GOD’s Eternal Purpose in the earth—To colonize a God-Centered society giving Light and Light to a dark sin-filled world! Didjaknodat?

HOWEVRRRRR, even today, some believers act as if Grace is simply a free pass to continue in sin. Don’t shout me down now!!!

In essence, not only does such erroneous thinking normally lead to a life filled with continuous rebellion, it completely misrepresents and dishonors Christ Jesus’ Sacrifice on The Altar at Calvary. Grace is more aptly recognized as God’s Divine Enabling Power Gifts, which He has Sovereignly equipped those who have placed their personal faith in the finished WORK OF CHRIST, measuring out to each believer, according to their specific pre-ordained assignments in The Kingdom of God!

While there are a variety of spiritual giftings, every gift is vital to the health of The Body! Hence, jealousy, envy, covetous and certainly competitiveness between our brothers and sister’s gifts is uncharacteristically absurd for a Christian, considering the Source is the same for each gift, The Holy Spirit! (Ref. 1 Corinthians 12) After all, these gifts are not given for us to boast in ourselves, but to boost up and to glorify The Kingdom of Heaven in the earth! Of course, we must never negate the reality that the ground is completely level at the foot of The Cross! Hence, not one of us deserved  to be included in this AMAZING GIFT OF GRACE in the first place! #SERIOUSLY!!!

That’s why the scriptures warn us that The BookKeeper is keeping track of every deed that is done in our bodies and one day, we will all be judged for how we used our gifts to promote the advancement of The Kingdom of God to a lost and dying world! (Ref. 2 Corinthians 5:10)

Sounds to me like it’s a total abuse of time to engage in such  foolishness as bickering and complaining about what somebody else has or doesn’t and even more ridiculous, a wishin’ and hopin’ you had!  May I submit for your consideration? PERHAPS, your MOST valuable commodity aka, TIME,  might be more wisely appropriated diligently seeking to discover your own ultimate “WHY and WHAACHACOME HERE FOR!”  UR RIGHT! IT AIN’T NONE OF MY BUSINESS!!! #IJS!!!

IN OTHER WORDS, DISCOVER YOUR GRACE AND WORK IT!

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

FAITH TALKS!

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FAITH TALKS 3

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  Hebrew 11:1

 

Contrary to contemporary Millennium thinking, faith is not a new theological doctrine. Biblical faith doesn’t have to be complicated. Genuine Faith is simply a patient confident trust in the integrity and power of our Loving and Caring Heavenly Father. Didjaheardat?

Faith is the currency of exchange in the Kingdom of God! The Bible emphatically states that we can’t even approach The Creator of Heaven and earth, The True and Living God without first believing, not only that He exists, but that HE is WHO HE SAYS HE IS!  Furthermore, we can’t expect to get anything from God unless we believe that HE IS ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING HE SAYS HE WILL DO! #SERIOUSLY!

Hebrews 11:1 says, “NOW” faith, not “THEN” faith! The Eternal God reigns from Everlasting to Everlasting; and because JESUS is the same, yesterday, today and forever, we can expect Him to be the same God NOW that He’s always been! (Ref. Hebrews 13:8)

Beloved, words are powerful containers! Hence, as long as you continue to call those things that are, then you will continue to get jus whachasay! However, if you want to see  that situation change for the better, then start calling it whacha want! Jesus did! #ijs (Ref. Romans 4:17) 

Remember how them Ol’ Church Mothers used to encourage themselves while waiting on their Lord by singing faith songs like “GOD Specializes” and “I know the Lord Will Make a Way, Somehow”. Their hope, just like ours, was not in what we can see now, but what we can expect God to do. Faith says “I don’t know when and I don’t know how, but I just believe that God is already working on my situation; turning everything around to work in my favor and for His Greatest Glorrraaa!   (Ref. Romans8:28)

TRUST2KNO, Faith is not limited by our natural eyes…but says, “I don’t have to see it to believe it!  AMEN 3X…IT IS SO! FAITH TALKS!

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

STAY OFF THE FENCE!

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STAY OFF THE FENCE 2

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. 1 Kings 18:21

 

Having been born and raised in Washington, D.C., never knowingly setting foot on country soil until I was 18 years of age, trust and know, I don’t have a ‘longing for the adventure of the wild’ bone in my body!

Needless to say, if you’re thinking about inviting me to a cozy camp fire retreat, don’t even bother! In fact, my husband pokes fun at me for my adamant unwillingness to try some of the finer cuisine in life, such as freshly killed chicken, rabbit, frog legs and certainly not venison. And I am sincere when I tell him to feel free to enjoy himself as he partakes of his delight! Sorry, yall! If it didn’t come from Safeway, Giant or Food Lion, your gurl ain’t having it!

Nevertheless, I have racked up quite a lot of wilderness experiences in my lifetime. Oh, I know the 21st Century Church don’t speak much about it these day, but I can still remember when the ol’ church used to sanng, “How didja feel when you come out of the wilderness!” Perhaps, it’s because so many Millennium saints don’t actually come out of the world! Ooh, is that a ‘tomato-throwing-anointing’ in the house!

Seriously! While church attendance has escalated to mega statistics, those who have made a personal commitment to live lifestyles according to the teachings of The Bible, (discipleship) has plummeted to an all-time low! Strangely enough, some folk have absolutely no shame about continuing their ungodly-living-lifestyles Monday thru Saturday, as long as they make it to their favorite seat on the pew, choir stand, usher post and yes, LETS NOT FORGET, in the pulpit Sunday Morning!

Amazingly, it doesn’t matter how much the preacha tramples all over their well-manicured toes, after all that’s his job, right? As long as they stay just close enough to the ‘real world’ to enjoy the king’s delicacies and just close enough to ‘da churrch’, to say ‘I’m saved…I’m good…You’re good’ it’s all good, huh?

May I submit, without remorse, unequivocally and unapologetically—GOD FORBID!

When we consider the awesome price that Jesus Christ paid to redeem our lives from destruction, how can we abuse the benevolence of God’s Compassion and miraculous Mercy by refusing to change the way we think, talk and walk after we’ve accepted so Great a Salvation? (Ref. John 3:16) Quess I done lost half my churrch now, huh?

We must be careful that we don’t assume the same position that the Israelites did, utterly rejecting God’s Word, determined to do what was right according to every man’s own evil desire, provoking God Righteous Wrath and ultimately their own demise; never reaching their heritage, the Land of Promise! (Ref. Numbers 27:3)

Beloved, it’s God’s Will that we live life abundantly, overflowing with every good and precious gift that God has prepared for those who willfully and consistently commit their whole life to His Care! That’s the reason that Jesus came teaching us The Way of Truth and Life! (Ref. John 10:10) (John 14:6)

WATCH OUT…SOONER OR LATER, YOU’LL FALL TO THE SIDE THAT WEIGHS THE MOST! BUT! U GROWN, AND IT AIN’T MY BUSINESS, K?…STAY OFF THE FENCE! #ijs

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

TRUE GRIT…GRACE UNDER FIRE!

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TRUE GRIT 2

SELAH Daily Devotions!

And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; For my strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

If you’re going to BE a boni-fied Christian, and live not just ‘a good life’ but a ‘GOD life’ it’s  mandatory that you become a willing participant in Jesus’ life-long apprenticeship program! And the only possible way that you’re going to achieve this lofty goal is by the continuous whoppin’ endowment of heavenly power called GRACE!

I realize, however, that some 21st Century New-Age-Faux-Theologians have diminished the amassment of Grace down to that short poem recited before gobbling down their hearty meal. While, the more refined others have encapsulated Grace as God’s unmerited favor. In other words, “much more mercy than we deserve and much less punishment than is required!” And to this, we joyfully agree! But we’d be remiss if we did not consider that other often neglected, under acknowledged and under- appreciated tense of Grace. Grace is Power to do what you’d never be able to do except for God, The Omnipotent Father, pouring out HIS Supernatural Power over our natural!

Admittedly, many 21st Century Saints don’t think they need nobody to teach or help us to live holy, right? But for the  remnant of us who have tried to do life for themselves or by themselves and failed time and time again, we understand that all of us need THE MASTER’s GRACE!

While God has ‘GRACED’ each of us with individual talents and giftings that we bring, not just to the church but to impact the world around us, the challenge becomes remaining humble and not getting arrogant when God is able to get a hold of enough of our flesh to get His Will done in the earth! (Ref. James 4: 6)

As our scripture text recounts, the great Apostle Paul having accomplished many things worthy of accolades before and after His Damascus Road experience, (Ref. Acts 9) finds himself struggling with his flesh. After seeking God’s deliverance three times , only to hear God say, “NO! But I’ll give you the power to get it done even in your weakness!” Can u imagine that?

God has an unlimited supply of Grace checks yet to be deposited into our life accounts. Nevertheless, being the Chief Stewart of every Good and Perfect Gift, He has Sovereignly set the parameters for interspersing! The requirement is a humble obedience rooted in the clear understanding that without His Grace we are nothing and outside of His Mercy we deserve nothing! (Ref. John 15:5)

Saints, can you even imagine what would happen in the world, if God’s representatives ever, really relying on HIM for everything, came together? IT WOULD BE REVOLUTIONARY!

HENCE, IF GOD DOESN’T MOVE IT, HE GIVES U THE GRACE TO GO THRU IT! WOW!!! #didjagetit?

TRUE GRIT…GRACE UNDER FIRE!

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

CLIMB HIGHER!

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CLIMB HIGHER 3

SELAH Daily Devotions!

“It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.” Isaiah 40:22

Several years ago, I heard a story which, much like a good wine fermented by test, agitated by maturity and textured by time yet still manages to profoundly impact my responses to life’s often tempestuous cyclonic events!

Once upon a day, just moments after take-off, an emergency call was made from an obviously distressed co-pilot to the Control Tower, informing them of an unusually awkward situation that threatened the safety of the lives of the full passenger payload and crew members of this 255,000 lb. Boeing 757. The urgent message to the Air Traffic Control Center went something like this, “Uh, somebody? We have a problem up here! We’ve discovered that there are all kinds of snakes in the cockpit!”

When the person on the other end of the line, heard this message and recognizing the terror in the co-pilots voice, panicked and ran out the Tower. Immediately, a recently retired Senior Air Traffic Controller, who just happened to be there visiting his former co-workers, stepped up to the Control Panel, picking up the headset (that was so abruptly discarded to the side by the young man) speaking calmly into the mic told the Co-Pilot, “Young man, this is Officer James Marshall, to whom am I speaking?” The voice on the other end answered, somewhat frantically, “Uh, Sir, my name is DeVaughn”. “Good afternoon, DeVaughn. Now, let’s see how we can get you back on track and get these folk to their destinations.” Still trembling and somewhat confused at this ol’ man’s obvious inability to fully comprehend the gravity of the circumstances, the confused co-pilot reluctantly agreed, “Yes Sir”.

“Now”, the retired ATC continued, “The first thing I want you to do is to take the breaks off of the aircraft and begin to climb higher!” “What?”, retorted the co-pilot, “What did you say?” At this point, totally convinced and exasperated by the guy on the other end’s lack of discernment for the potential threat that the aircraft and its passengers were facing, again inquired, “Could you repeat that, sir!”

Once again, the Senior repeated, “Take the breaks off and climb higher!”

What the young man didn’t know, was that this was not the ol man’s first encounter with this kind of traumatic experiences and since he’d been this way before, he knew how to respond to an otherwise catastrophic event. Once the aircraft reaches a certain level of elevation, snakes cannot survive the air pressure and will quickly die!

Saints, today, God told me to tell you that situation confronting you now, those snakes that are taunting and threatening to delay the safe arrival at your next destination and all the evidence stacked against you to convince you to abort the mission all together, can’t survive the atmospheric conditions that you’re about to enter into!

“I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles”

Isaiah 42:5-6

Beloved, take the breaks off of God! He’s been this way before you! TRUST HIM AND CLIMB HIGHER!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee