Category Archives: Hope

THURSDAYS’ PRAYERS!

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SELAH Daily Devotions!

Good morning Family, GOT A MOMENT?

We are excited to have you joining us today in our weekly Thursdays’ Corporate Prayer and Fasting! Beloved, as we go before The Lord, understanding that the enemy of our souls has stepped up his attack to distract and destroy The Hope and Joy of God’s elect, we’re praying for the Saints everywhere!  Armed with  Our Father’s Decree that the violent shall pursue, recover and conquer everything that He has given us, we press on toward the mark of our High Calling, trusting that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but Mighty thru God for the pulling down strongholds! Shall we enter in…

WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS! ALL OUR SINS AND GRIEFS TO BEAR. AND WHAT A PRIVILEGE TO CARRY EVERYTHING TO GOD IN PRAYER! OH, WHAT PEACE WE OFTEN FORFEIT; OH, WHAT NEEDLESS PAIN WE BEAR; ALL BECAUSE WE DO NOT CARRY EVERYTHING TO GOD IN PRAYER! WE’RE PRAYING, BELIEVING & DECLARING…

Abba Father, Who abides above The Heavens,  we come before You today, In the Magnificent, All Powerful Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus,  determined to rejoice, praise and thank You for blessing us to see this day that You have made! Looking back, we know that it is solely Your Faithful Love that has allowed us to be here to enjoy one more day overflowing with the abundance of Your Benevolence, Mercy, Grace, Power and Peace!

Father, as we reverently bow in Your Presence, we bless You for that great day when You opened our stony hearts and our blind eyes, enabling us to recognize and receive the saving Grace in the Life, Death, Burial and Resurrection of Your Son, Jesus! We humbly acknowledge there was absolutely nothing in us lovable nor worthy of this honor and privilege, nevertheless, because it pleased You, You Sovereignly chose us to be Your very own children!

Lord Jesus, we’re eternally grateful that YOU ARE LORD, therefore are always in absolute control of all things! In light of the continuous influx of profound arrogance, immorality, perversive and illegal transactions that are being perpetrated against Your people from ‘the powers that be’, we shall never fail to express our gratitude that You are The Same yesterday, today and Forever! Therefore, as You provided Light and Provision for Your people in Goshen, You shall keep us safely hidden and covered under The PRECIOUS ATONING BLOOD OF JESUS! Amidst these days of imminent terror, tragedy, chaos and destruction, we vow to praise You, Heavenly Father, knowing that the safest place in this whole world is in YOUR perfect will! Therefore, we trust that no weapon that is formed against us shall prosper and every tongue that rises up again your children, thou shall condemn!

Abba Father, kneeling our hearts before Your Throne, we ask You to forgive us for every sin that we have committed, willfully and unwillfully, spoken or thought that was not pleasing in Your sight causing grief to Holy Spirit! We believe, according to Your Promise, that as we confess and repent from a heart of sincereity, that You are Faithful and Just to forgive us, remove our sins from us, casting them into the Sea of Your Selective Forgetfulness, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness through The Word and the Blood! We’re thankful that because You know our frame, Your Faithful Compassion continuously allows You to look beyond our human frailties, faults and iniquities and minister to our need!

We praise You Sweet Jesus, because no man can come to the Father except You draw them, as we intercede on behalf of every unsaved soul, asking You to quicken the Spirit of Godly-Repentance in their heart and in their mind that they will come to you today, confessing with their mouths “a sincere YES” to your Grace Gift and receive You now as their personal Lord and Savior! We’re believing that You are directing their footsteps, placing and settling them into a local church home today where they are nurtured and encouraged to live holy, acceptable and committed to faithful obedience to Your Word!

Lord, we ask You reclaim every soul that has turned their back and walked away from Your Will! Put a new “commitment YES” in their heart and mind and let today be the day that they come back to You and come back to The Body of Christ where they will submit their lives to the sound teachings of Your Word, working out their own salvation as they learn to love and live their lives denying the lust of their flesh, walking daily to please and Glorify You to this lost, dark and dying world!

Father, we pray that You will touch our brother, touch our sister whose body has been afflicted by all manner of sickness and disease, rebuke and casting every symptom and dysfunction out at the root, for Your Name Sake! Heavenly Father, You are Jehovah Rophe, The Lord our Healer! Even as You walked this earth healing all who were sick, feeble, lame we know that You’re Well Able to do the same right now! Lord Jesus, Your Word declares that Your stripes have redeemed and healed us and we’re yet standing on Your promises that the prayer of faith shall save the sick and raise them up, In Jesus Name! Amen 3x!

Lord, we pray for every one going thru a season of sorrow and grief at the lost of a loved one, those who are being victimized by institutionalized racism, incarcerated by Spirits of fear, rejection, disappointment and failure, divorce, lost of employment, bankrupty and illegal foreclosures! We plead the Blood of Jesus over every demonic thought, spirits of anxiety, oppression, depression and confusion, because we know that You are not the author of these satanic thoughts and feelings, but You have given us who have put our personal trust in Your Son Jesus, Your Righteousness, a Spirit of Love, Peace, Joy and a Sound Mind!

Lord, we lift up every person struggling to hold on to Your Immutable Word by faith today, trusting that You are releasing Divine Power, Supernatural Peace, Hope, Strength, Health, Provision, Prosperity and Protection! Father, we’re believing You to preserve each and everyone of us thru the tests that we must go thru, keeping our minds constantly stayed on YOUR PRESENCE, fully-confident that at Your appointed time,You shall bring us out wholly restored, renewed, refreshed and with every reward as You have promised in Your Word.

Heavenly Father, as we pray, according to Your Will, for the leaders of our nation, government, corporate, judicial, education, financial institutions and our churches, we’re asking that You touch their minds and hearts, visit them in the night, speak to them in dreams and visions! Let them know that You, The Lamb of God, sit Enthroned Above the Heavens keeping record of the deeds of every man’s heart and will reward accordingly!

Abba, we ask that You encourage and comfort the souls of Your elect whose spirits are vexed and overwhelmed with fear, doubt and worry because of the things that are going on in our personal lives and in this ungodly world systems! Lord,  assure us that we are never alone, and never without Your Very Present Help!

Father, release a downpour of Divine Favor upon Your children who’re being challenged by seemingly time-sensitive situations such as marital relationships, wayward children, loneliness, financial, employment and promotion issues, approvals of student/car/home loans! Assure them that YOU are YET Jehovah Jareh, Who shall supply all of their need according to Your Riches in Glory! Father, we declare and decree that every demonic-induced spirit of addiction and fear is defeated NOW because of Your Anointing and that the Spirit of Love, Power and Sound-mindness and Purpose is being released into the lives of Your people now, in Jesus Name!

Lord Jesus, Your children, await Your Salvation,  align our spirits, soul and body with Your Eternal Word in confidence and quietness, rejoicing in hope, trusting wholly that all workers of iniquity are trembling, suddenly departing in shameful defeat, recognizing that You have heard the voice of our weeping, our supplications and received our prayer as a sweet savor coming up before Your Sovereign Throne of Grace and Mercy!

Abba Father, because You have chosen us and brought us near to dwell safety and secure in House, we shout with joy unto The One to Whom all men will come! We bow in obedient reverence before The Hope of all the earth, believing that as Your face shines upon us,  the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts are pleasing and acceptable in You eyes! We believe You are making Your ways and salvation known among all nations as You Guide and Rule justly!

Holy Father, trusting that IT IS DONE, we offer up this prayer In The Exalted Name of Jesus! Alleleujah! Amen 3X!

Now every child of God who is standing in agreement with this prayer,GO TELL SOMEBODY THAT JESUS CARE ABOUT YOU, YOU & YOU! #FRONTLINEMINISTRY

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

 

 

HE LOVES ME!

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HE LOVES ME

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:8

 

Back in the olden days, there was a street game (Yes, we actually played outside) and while the name of the game escapes me, I do remember the rules. We’d find a fresh yellow flower, which was no small feat in the hood, and then we’d proceed to slowly pull each individual golden petal apart from the stem while chanting the words,“He loves me…He loves me not…He loves me…He loves me not…HE LOVES ME!”
 
That’s exactly how some of us authenticate our relationship with Jesus! When our circumstances are all good (just as we like them), “He loves me”. Howevrrrr, when situations suddenly shift beyond our comfort level and/or ability to control, “He loves me not!”
 
Where did this come from? Let’s consider our first parents, Adam and Eve. When they obeyed the Voice of God, they enjoyed paradise—living life to the fullest. Everything they desired was theirs for the picking without their even asking. However the moment they began to doubt God’s faithfulness and willfully defied God’s instructions, they were thrust into an environment that God never intended for them to experience. The confident intimacy of God’s Presence was ruptured and for the first time, they found themselves radically disconnected, attempting to hide themselves from the Eternal Source of Life and Love! The enchantment they once knew was displaced by dread, fear, guilt, shame, doubt and insecurity! 
 
But The Eternal God of Love, refused to let go! The Omniscient Creator came looking for Adam.  
 
Where are you? Today? Are you discouraged and feeling detached from The True Source of Power, Hope, Joy and Peace? Are the cares of this world or un-confessed sin tempting you to hide from your Only Savior, Jesus? 
 
Come out from there! Lift your heart towards The King of Glory and be ye reconciled! (Ref. 2 Corinthians 5:20)
 
Don’tchakno?  When our Heavenly Father sees us, He’s looking at us through Lovingly Blood-Stained Eyes!  
 
Trust for sure, Beloved…Yes, HE LOVES ME, AND YOU! 
 
SELAH!
 
Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!
 
Ann Caffee

THURSDAYS’ PRAYERS!

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SELAH Daily Devotions!

GOOD MORNING FAM! GOTTA MOMENT? GREAT!

Once again, we’re so happy that you’ve joined us in out weekly Thursdays’ Corporate Prayer and Fasting! We count it an awesome honor that The Creator of Heaven and Earth would allow mere humanity to communicate our desires, inquiries and supplications, fully expecting that He’s listening compassionately and intentionally to perfect our concerns, console our fears and dispel our doubts according to The Transforming Power of His Presence that is at work within us! #Let’sdothis…

I Need Thee Ooooohhh, I Need THEE! Evv’rrryy Hour, I Need Thee! Oooh, Bless ME NOW, My Savior, IIII Come toooo THEE! I NEED THEE OOOOHHH, I NEED THEE! EVERRRYYY HHOOOUUURRR I NEED THEE! OOOOHHH BLESSSS MEEEE NOW, MY SAVIOR…IIII COME TOOO TTHHHEEEE! So here we are to worship! Here we are to bow down; Here we are to say that You’re our God! You’re Altogether Worthy, Altogether Lovely, Altogether Wonderful to me! Shall we all pray?
Abba Father, here we are again! We’re so grateful that You have given us one more day to enjoy Your Life-Giving, Life-Gustaining Grace! We thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to sacrafice His Life that we might have an opportunity to live for and eternally with You! For we recognize that it was not because of any goodness of our own that we live, move and have our being, we quickly thank You, Father for another opportunity to embrace the richness of Your Lovingkiness and enjoy the unsearchable depth of Your Peace!

Heavenly Father, it is with unspeakable joy that we Thank You for being God of our Salvation, Deliverance, Breakthrough and Provision. With heartfelt humility and sincere gratitude, we acknowledge The Favor, Compassion and Faithfulness that continuously allows You, knowing our frame, BUT yet look beyond our human frailties, faults, failures and iniquities and minister to all of our need!

Lord, we stand humbly before Your Sovereignty, asking you to forgive us for everything that we, your children, have spoken, done and thought that was not pleasing in Your sight.We ask Holy Spirit, to intercede on our behalf, our family, our friends, even our enemies.

We thank You now because You have assured us that if we would confess our sins, You, Heavenly being Faithful and Just will forgive us, and wash us in The Precious Blood of Jesus, cleansing us from all unrighteousness, and restoring every breach that our disobedience has caused between our poor souls and our Lord and Savior, Jesus!

Father, we bless You for allowing us to boldly enter into Your Throne Room, confident that you will entreat us graciously as we pour out the burdens that seem to overwhelm our hearts, releasing everything that concerns us. Lord Jesus, we know that You are Omniscient, Omnipresent, You see and You already know everything about everyone of us, yet You have invited us to come to You, for comfort and strength as You encourage us to hold on to every Word that You have spoken over our lives, before we were born.

From a heart open, depending and relying only on You, we offer up sweet precious praise toYou today, for renewed strength,understanding and power as we reverance You as our personal Savior and Lord.

Daddy, we must acknowledge that because no man can come to the Father except you draw them, we ask Holy Spirit, to intercede on our behalf, our family, our friends, even our enemies and pray that as Your eyes continue to search the hearts of mankind that You draw and save the lost! Quicken the Spirit of Godly-repentance in their hearts and in their minds that they will come to you today and confess a “sincere Yes” to your Grace Gift, believing and receiving You as their personal Savior and Lord!

Father,today we pray on behalf of anyone who has turned their back on You, walking in their own will, today we ask that You put a “Commited Yes Lord” in their heart and mind, free them to repent of their sin and come running back to You! We declare and decree that today every back-slider’s footsteps are being directed By Your Mercy and that You are planting and settling them into the church home that You’ve prepared and designated for their individual deliverance, growth and development!

Heavenly Father, we pray that you will touch our brother, touch our sister whose body has been afflicted by all physical, mental, spiritual sickness and diseases, we plead The Blood of Jesus against the spirit of cancer, kidney failure, heart conditions, high/low blood pressures, depression, demonic-induced oppressions of temptations, doubts, addictions, learning disabilities, low self esteem, and failure , and we rebuke and cast it out at the root, for Your Name Sake, Amen 3x! Lord, according to Your Word declaring that your stripes have redeemed and healed us we’re yet standing firmly on Your promise that the prayer of faith shall save the sick and raise them up, In Jesus Name!

Lord, we pray for every believer who is yet holding on to Your Hand by faith today, we’re trusting that You are releasing Divine Power, Supernatural Strength, Health, Provision, Prosperity and Protection. We’re praying also Father, that You will preserve them thru the tests that they must go thru and keep them constantly aware of YOUR PRESENCE, fully-confident that at Your designated time, You will bring them out wholly restored, renewed, refreshed and with the reward as You have promised them in Your Word.

Give us to know that because we belong to You, we are never too far that You can’t see us or  reach us! We’re so grateful that You are forever shielding us from anything that the devil would rail against us. Help us to understand that Your Name, Jesus is a Strong Tower, and the righteous who run into it and are saved.

Dear Lord, open up our minds and our hearts, filling us with Your Assurance, and confidence that at The Name of Jesus, every knee must bow and every tongue confess that You are Lord! Grace your children with hope-filled trust that You, Father have committed Your Word towards us that no weapon that’s formed us shall ever prosper and except You allow it, no trouble, test or trial can come near us.

Father, we thank You, for fully persuading us of Your Providential Presence and Power to turn everything around to work in our favor and to bring about exuberant testimonies and praizes of Your Eternal Magnificence, Honor and Glory!

Father we decree that every Satanic-induced spirit of fear and death is defeated NOW because of Your Anointing and that the Spirit of Love, Power, Sound-mindness and Purpose is being released into the lives of Your people now, in Jesus Name!

Father we rest in confident-quietness, rejoicing in hope and trusting wholly that all workers of iniquity are trembling and suddenly departing in shame and defeat knowing that You have heard the voice of our weeping hearts,  our inner supplications and have received every word of our prayer as a sweet savor coming up before Your Sovereign Throne of Grace and Mercy!

Heavenly Father, we thank You now, believing that IT IS WELL! In The Exalted Name of Jesus. Amen and It Is So!

Now, we encourage every child of God who is standing in agreement with this prayer, GO TELL ONE SOMEBODY THAT JESUS LOVES YOU! #FRONTLINEMINISTRY #CARE2SHARE

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

 

 

THE TOUCH!

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the-touch

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshiped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live….And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole….But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. Matthew 9:18, 20-21, 25

 

Sometimes, what you know doesn’t always get you where you want to go! Perhaps that’s why there’s so much emphasis placed on social media networking today. You’d probably be amazed at how quickly certain doors that were once off-limits to you could now be opened to you, if you have the right connections, huh?

As it is in the natural, so it is in the spiritual, huh? According to today’s scripture text, one day a certain ruler came to Jesus, standing in proxy for his daughter who was on the brink of death. Yet, despite of this tremendously desperate situation and the looming circumstantial evidence starring him in his face, taunting him to ‘just accept it; it’s too late, you waited too long; you might as well just go home and bury your baby gurl’, our text says that this local official, mounting up some audacious-faith, came bowing down and crying out  “Jesus, if you would come to my house and simply touch my daughter, she will live!” Jesus recognized that this man’s astonishing-faith expectantly looked beyond the natural, piercing through the impossible, grabbed hold to The Supernatural to acquire that which his heart desired.  Subsequently, The Savior proceeded to follow the ruler home!

On their way, they passed a woman, who’d suffered everyday for the past twelve years from a blood disease that literally left her leaking the very life out of her body! Having heard that Jesus was close by, risking everything, including being stoned to death if she was exposed, she made her way through the crowd, determining within herself to get close enough to put her finger on Jesus’ Robe, knowing that her life would be restored! The Compassionate Jesus, feeling that certain faith-touch, and that corresponding pull on His Anointing, instantaneously released healing from His Being!
Glancing back over the huge gathering, Jesus fixing His eyes on this one woman, whose faith out-shined that of all the spectators, immediately began to comfort and encourage her to not be afraid! At that moment, The Great High Priest assured her that her courageous faith had made a Kingdom Connection. Hence, that which she had believed for, she’d become! Not only was she healed, she was made whole! (Ref. Hebrews 4:14)

Pushing past the nay-sayers, the doubters, the unbelievers and the mockers and continuing on to Jairus’ house, Jesus went to the young damsel’s bedside. Taking her hand, gently pulling her from the gripping clutches of death,  Jesus restores her to life! When the word of Jesus’ miraculous powers spread around town, it sent shock-waves of gossipers pouring through the streets and the surrounding regions proclaiming that The Kingdom of Heaven has come to dwell in the earth!

Be encouraged my precious ones! Regardless of what it looks like and despite how long you’ve had to endure this present situation, always remember NOW IS NOT ALWAYS! This test, trial, tragedy or temptation is only temporary! BUT JESUS IS NOT! (Ref. Romans 8:17-18)

Precious one, as a fellow-partaker of the Divine Faithfulness of our Holy Redeemer, I adjure you to not allow temporal facts to distract you from The Truth! Stay focused on Jesus, The Eternal King, The Great Apostle and High Priest of our confession! (Ref. Hebrew 3:1) NO WORD FROM GOD WILL EVER FAIL! (Ref. Luke 1:37)

Beloved, GOD IS STILL LOOKING FOR THOSE WHO ARE WILLING TO STRETCH THEIR FAITH WELL BEYOND THAT WHICH CAN BE SEEN, HEARD AND EVEN IMAGINED! TODAY, IF YOU FEEL LIKE GIVING UP,  I ENCOURAGE YOU TO REACH OUT AND TOUCH THE HEART OF THE COMPASSIONATE SAVIOR!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

PECULIAR?

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AIN'T DAT PECULIAR 3

 

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 marvellous light; 1 Peter 2:9

 

If you’re a card-holding member of the baby-boomers community, you probably remember R&B recording Artist, Marvin Gayes’ 1965 hit song, “Ain’t That Peculiar!”. This song went on to become one of his best known signature solo-hits.

Now, of course we all realize that the object of the writer’s (Smokey Robinson) affection is a two-timing-unfaithful-serial-cheating-significant-other-who-would-never-return-his-misguided- affections, but if we read the last verse, perhaps we might express this same peculiar sentiment when we consider Our Savior’s heart towards His Beloved Creation –Man-kind. “I know love can last through years…But how can love last through tears?”

While the world looks at Christians as being peculiar, stupid, unintelligent, weak-minded, poverty-stricken individuals, who are desperately looking to escape reality with fantasy, GOD’s interpretation of peculiar differs drastically. According to the bible, peculiar not only means strange, but also connotes the exclusively chosen, uniquely selected, belonging to and set-apart for HIS Divine Purpose. Only God has the uncanny ability to hand-pick the foolish for Christ to confound the world’s wise and astute, bringing Praise and Glory to God!

WHO NU? Believers are God’s Very Own Special People! #didjaheardat? WOW! Seriously!

One of the most strangely awemazing things about God’s People is the reality that God ordained, before the foundation of the world, that He would have HIMSELF a people, who would be different from the world around them. Different because they’d be born-again, by The Spirit of God, adopted and transformed by the Indwelling Holy Spirit! Hence, you can’t even take credit for your own ELECT- Royal-Position!

It’s ALL GOD!!! GOD even gave us The Faith to trust in Him and it’s only by GOD’s GRACE that we are empowered to live holy, separated and sanctified thru HIS SPIRIT!

You already know that none  (not one) of us could ever live righteously enough to deserve this GRACE! BUT! While we were yet weak, powerless and enslaved to sin, at the appointed time, a LOVING FATHER sent and sacrificed HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, JESUS, not to save us IN our sin, but to save us FROM our sin, reconciling us back into HIS KINGDOM FAMILY! (Ref. Romans 5:8) OH YEAH! THRU THE  SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONING DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST, WE HAVE BECOME GOD’S PERSONAL INHERITANCE! #CANUBELIEVEIT?

WHOOAAAA!  I GUESS GOD’S LOVE DOES LAST THROUGH TEARS! NOW DATZ PECULIAR, HUH?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

MY CUP

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my-cup

SELAH Daily Devotions!

But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. Matthew 20:22-23

WOW! I’ll never forget that look that came across her face when I innocently reiterated that jealousy, envy, coveting and competitiveness had no place amongst the Saints of God! Was I really that naive or was I simply rightly dividing The Word of Truth? Either way, I must admit that there’s a whole lotta this stuff going on in the Body of Christ. And apparently, it started long before we came in, huh?

According to our scripture text, even those who literally walked with Jesus from the beginning of His Earthly ministry until His Ascension didn’t understand the real mission of The Kingdom of God in the earth. Mrs. Zebedee, the mother of James and John, went to Jesus, supposedly to worship Him, but was actually trying to get a hook-up for her boys. Seems like the more things change, the more they stay the same, huh? Hence, believe it or not, there are still folk today who play the same kinda religious games. Perpetrating, as if they’re following Jesus, but knowing their true motives,  Jesus also knows them that are His! Sunday after Sunday, folk will pack out churches everywhere; unfortunately, not out of a genuine personal love for Him or pure adoration for Who He Is, nor in sincere appreciation for all that He’s done, but rather for what they can get out of it! As if God is a Sugar Daddy! #Don’tshoutmedown! #ijs

Jesus warning the Mother, ‘be careful what you wish for, you just might get it! And chances are it won’t look like anything you thought it would.’ As a parent, naturally, we want our children to be successful, however, our personal desires must never take precedence over praying for God’s specific Will for their lives!

Turning to The Sons of Thunder, Jesus asked, ‘Can you drink the cup I’m going to drink?’ Both responded in ignorant arrogance, (having no idea what the true cost of The Anointing entailed) “We can!”  Finally, Jesus told them in so many words, ‘Ok, be it done unto you as you have said!’ And as history records, indeed they would! James would be imprisoned and eventually executed and John would be exiled for spreading The Gospel of The Kingdom!

Looking from the sidelines, perhaps bedazzled by the illusion of glitz and glamor, one might misinterpret the Glory of Transformation! (Ref. 1 Peter 1:16-18)  The lust for power, fame and wealth has lured many a soul to judge, criticize, complain and even compare themselves to someone that God’s using to carry out His Plan! However, wisdom suggests that until you’ve actually walked in their shoes, you don’t know the contents of the cup and the weight of the cross they’ve borne to prepare them for the Crown! Remember, to whom much is given, much is required!

Consequently,  21st Century Millenniums, who ascribe to the dictates of a ‘instant-gratification-go-getter-Burger King’ contemporary society, are ill-prepared for the challenges incurred while waiting on The Lord to promote them! In fact,  there are many who seek positions without persecution! Could this be the reason for so much back-biting, brown-nosing, coveting and competitions in churches, huh? You do know that  a slick suit, dob hat, pointed-toe leather shoes and an alligator briefcase does not denote a personal relationship with God anymore than carrying a BIG Bible, drapping your body in a prayer shawl, and wearing Red-Bottom  7 inch Stilettos equate one’s anointing?  That’s not what The Bible means by, ‘count up the cost’!  #4REAL!

Looking into The Cup, tasting the bitterness, seeing the pressure of Gethesemane, nevertheless, Jesus humbled Himself to the tyranny of human hatred, the bruising inflicted by the cat-of-nine tails, the shameful slander and mockery of His accusers, enduring the painful piercing of crucifixion, the unspeakable agony of being separated from His Father’s Presence, went through Hell for The Glory of redeeming you and I back  into rightstanding  with The God of Compassionate Grace and Mercy!  (Ref. Matthew 26:39) #Didjaheardat?

Beloved, Jesus’s Life was an illustrated sermon to teach us that real ministry means submitting to the process, making a courageous commitment to stand up for Jesus  in the face of testing and trials and power and authority based on serving rather than being served! Right? Question is, are you really willing to drink from His cup to follow Him?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

ARE WE THERE, YET?

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R WE THERE YET

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward. Deuteronomy 2:3

 

You’ve probably heard or seen the movie entitled “ARE WE THERE YET?”

Many of my fellow kinsmen in Christ have found ourselves trapped in this dilemma (whether or not we’re willing to acknowledge it publically or even privately). What am I talking about? In a hurry, but going nowhere fast! While many who  has professed a sincere desire to obediently follow after the heart of God, life has a way of teaching us that it’s not a ‘one and done’ phenomena but more like ‘a little by little’ process, huh?

Two of the greatest deterrents to successfully reaching our goals are contentment and indulgence! I’m not trying to negate the validity of The Apostle Paul’s revelation “Not that I speak in respect to want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content (Philippians 4:11) GOD FORBID! However, if we linger here too long, our contentment becomes a comfort zone that could potentially diminish our hope, dreams and drive for attaining better…there!

God promised to bring His Chosen people into their good land, flowing with milk and honey! But they got so comfortable going around Mount Horeb that they were willing to settle for a piece of God’s Promise! This was unacceptable! So God intervened reminding them that not only is partial obedience is disobedience but it also robs Him of the opportunity to fully express His Glory!

Oh yeah, the Israelites were free from Egyptian slavery. They’d seen with their own eyes Pharaoh and his army drowned in the Red Sea! That’s all good, right? But God had told them GREATER WAS COMING! Now,  we can’t keep pointing our fingers at them Israelites without looking back over our own lives and recognizing how many times we settled for less than God was offering. Remember when they said, ‘a piece of a man is better than NO MAN at all’, huh? How did that work out for ya? Okay?

Have you noticed how the New Millennium church has gotten away from praying for deliverance these day?  Don’t shout me down, yall! #ijs! Perhaps, it’s because true deliverance requires discipline! And we all know, ain’t nobody got time for dat! We want everything now! So to appease our conscience we settle for indulgence, ‘I ain’t what God wants me to be, BUT…at least I ain’t where I used to be’! Huh? Don’t  you look at me with dat tone of voice!

But Thanks Be To God Who is still able to redeem the time! God said, “It’s time to head northward! Shake the dust of compromise off your feet and keep it moving—FORWARD”!

Didjaheardat? God IS reminding us that “the race is not given to the swift neither to the strong, But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved”Matthew 24:13  Hence, as long as you have breath in your body,  you have a chance to possess everything GOD Promised, as long as you don’t give up. Oohhh Glorraa!!!

Beloved, today God is inviting you to exhale the fear and doubt and inhale the Breath of His GRACE and getta steppin!

It’s timeout for just singing about it! Pull yourself up out of the pit of complacency, procrastination and stagnation and GO GET UR BLESSING!

Why settle for little when God’s promised you BIG! ARE YOU ‘THERE’ YET? SERIOUSLY?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Cafee

LOST & FOUND

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lost-and-found

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. Luke 15:20-24
The Gospels record 35 times that Jesus uses parables as a teaching aid. Literally, a parable is a story “cast alongside” a truth in order to illustrate that truth. In today’s vernacular a parable is as an inspired comparisons, or simply put an earthly story with a heavenly meaning!

Unlike like so many 21st Century preachers,  Jesus wasn’t just trying to spice up the message to keep the crowds entertained. His parables had a two-fold purpose. First, to reveal the truth to those who wanted to know it and to conceal the truth from those who were indifferent! You see, Jesus already knew that everybody who followed Him didn’t do so for the same reason. People are still people, huh?

You do know that everybody who comes into the church building doesn’t come looking to know Jesus, right? Some come just for a ‘kidz-size happy meal and a prize’! While others, like the Pharisee and the scribes, only come to pick up a few stones to throw at Jesus. Notice how they accused Jesus, “Look at Him, This man receives sinners and eats with them.” Spiritually blinded by their preconceived biases, Jesus already knew that they would dismiss His parables as irrelevant nonsense.  Yet, there were also a few sincere seekers of Truth who would eventually receive insight and reap the benefit and comfort of His Words!

Anything that you respect and honor you will pursue! Perhaps, that’s why the Pharisees could not understand why Jesus cared about ‘tax collectors and sinners’. Yall know how you go off when you can’t find your keys or the remote control. You put out an all-points-bulletin and nobody in the house can get any relief until it’s found! When you really desire something with all of your heart, mind, spirit and soul, whatever it takes to get it, is worth it all!

The text says that The Shepherd is so excited that He’s found the sheep that He throws a party to celebrate the safe return and everyone around Him is rejoicing with Him! (Ref. Luke 15:6-7)  Imagine that! I know we don’t get excited when folk get saved anymore, huh? But that’s exactly what happened back-n-da-day!

The next story is about a woman who loses a coin and refusing to give up, she searches until nightfall. Desperately she’s turning every piece of furniture upside-down, looking between the cushions on the sofa, behind the refrigerator, until she found it. You can imagine the joy and the relief she experience when she found it! (Ref. Luke 15:8-9)

This chapter ends with a the more familiar parable of the Prodigal Son! Sometimes we can get so caught up in the drama of the son’s partaayin so hard until he ended up in the pigs pen, that we miss the intensity of The Father’s Love and Compassion for his lost child. This is a picture of The Heavenly Father’s response to those who have yet to accept the glorious gift of Salvation purchased by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ! This is why God pursues sinners and why everyone of us should rejoice when a repented sinner returns to the sheepfold.

Recovering a lost sinner requires effort and patience! However, often times we develop an acute case of selective spiritual amnesia and forget what it took for us to get our testimony, huh? Do you know that most sinners have no idea that God is looking for them and even fewer believe that He loves them?  When you look at what Jesus gave up to save us, how should those of us, who call ourselves His disciples, be any less engaged in searching for the poor souls who have yet to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord! #ijs! No, it’s not always easy but  gratefully JESUS believed the reward  well worth the effort!

Shamefully, too many Believers still think that soul winning is the Pastors and Evangelist job! But that’s not what The Bible says! ‘And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation’ 2 Cor. 5:18

Jus wondering, what are you doing to bring the lost to Jesus? Are you content to enjoy the privileges of being saved? Is your heart burdened for those who are still lost? Are you willing to get up off the padded pew of do nothing and go into the field and hunt for those who are still outside of the house? (Ref. Matthew 9:37) If Jesus still associates with sinners, why don’t you? WOW! LOST & FOUND!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

HOPE UNDER SEIGE!

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hope-under-seige

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them. I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul. Jeremiah 32:38-41

 

As a child, I vaguely remember a glimpse of pride swelling up inside whenever I heard someone say,‘this is the GREATEST nation in the world’! I suppose that’s what they mean by ‘let’s make this nation great…again, huh? But, that was before I became abruptly aware that there were two nations co-existing in one! #ijs

According to historical accounts, Courage and Confidence was once the hallmark of our nation! Yet, some say that the infamous catastrophic events of 911 has radically stripped away this lofty heritage and the hope-filled future legacy  that was once ascribed to the land of the power, peace and prosperity is now being besieged by the rampant rage of darkening clouds of an evil foreboding fear, doubt, anxiety, stress, guilt, shame, confusion and condemnation!

Well, it’s not my intent to debate the inevitable result of widespread deviation from the moral standards as defined by The Holy Bible. Howeverrrr, may I submit for your consideration, that without a holy reverence, a clear vision and a Divine impartation of understanding of WHO GOD IS & WHAT HE REQUIRES OF US, people’s strength will fail and their expectations of security perishes! The past has proven that without the restraint of law and order, destruction prevails! Well, like the ol’ skool preacha used to say, “I jus lost half my churrch!” Seriously?

Honestly, when we don’t understand Whose we are, we’ll be inclined to doubt God’s ability and even His willingness to help us. Void of genuine hope and unable to trust God’s Unfailing Love, we instinctively depend upon self to take care of our needs and satisfy the desires of our own hearts. And we all know how that turns out, right?

But those of us who dare to risk resentment, ridicule and rejection from those who will slander our righteousness, labeling us as unloving and intolerant, WE DEFY the prevailing opinions of the worldly in favor of the guidelines of the Ancient Landmarks, rejoice in hope, fully persuaded that if we suffer for Christ sake, we shall also reign with Him!  #CANIGETANGOODAMEN?

Through faith and hope, TRUE WORSHIPERS develop a singleness of -heart and mind, stemming from personal intimacy with The Lord Jesus Christ whereby we experience the Abiding Presence of God, trusting wholly in His Sustaining Grace!

Instead of conforming to the ways of the world, believers don’t bail out! Hence, in the face of the calamity and chaotic circumstances, we stand steadfast, rooted and grounded in The Promises, Provision and Power, persevering in the midst of devastation, famine and plagues, confident that we’re covered! Remember Goshen, God’s Protected Place? (Ref. Exodus 8:22)

Beloved, trust 2 know that when it looks like your world is falling apart, look again! Don’t allow fear to drain your faith! From Heaven’s perspective, everything is falling right in place!  Remember, Jesus has already gone into Tomorrow to prepare a table before you, right in the presence of your enemies! (Ref. Psalm 23:5) #Didjaheardat?

IT AIN’T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, K? YOU GOTTA HOPE BEYOND THIS WORLD!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

HONEST 2 GOD

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honest-2-god

SELAH Daily Devotions!

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:7-10

O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure. Psalm 7:9

Sorry Father Adam, but once again this is on you! Because of our original progenitor’s high treason against the Righteous instructions given by The Creator of Life, we are all born naughty by nature! Thus, every human born into the earth since our fore-parents’ willful rebellion is corrupted by an innate disorder called iniquity! Now, don’t look at me with that self-righteous attitude! (Ref. Ps. 51:5) But, it goes deeper! Like Adam, the Glory of innocence that once covered us had now been disrupted by sin, exposing us to evil, guilt, shame and fear!

The precious intimacy with God that man once enjoyed in Paradise was violently yanked from him plunging all of creation into gross darkness and utter chaos!

Hence, there’s an inbred-inclination to cover ourselves with fig leaves attempting to hide from the Only True Source of Hope for deliverance and restoration!  The moment we allow our desire to satisfy the wickedness of self’s lust to take precedence over our desire to please God, the hedge comes down and all hell breaks out! And as they say, the rest is history, huh?

That’s why God hates sin! Don’t get it twisted like Eve and fall for the deception of the Tempter! Not because He’s trying to control us! Not because He’s arrogantly trying to keep us down! Not because He wants to keep us from enjoying ourselves! Not even because He’s Sovereign Lord! And He is! But God hates sin because it robs us of the freedom, peace and pure delight to openly commune with The Lover of our souls!

You do realize that God knew exactly where and what Adam had done when His Voice came walking through the Garden asking, “Adam, where are you?” God IS The All-Consuming Presence over space and time! There’s NO spot where GOD IS NOT! Someone once said, IF GOD MOVED TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT, HE’D BUMP STRAIGHT INTO GODSELF!

But do we also hear the pain of God’s Heart, knowing that He would have to evict His Family out of their home to keep them  away from certain eternal death and destruction...until JESUS came to our rescue? Do we realize that there’s no such thing as a little sin? SALVATION IS FREE BUT IT WASN’T CHEAP! #WOW! HONESTLY!

Yet, like David, sin perverts our mind and we foolishly assume that if we don’t tell God, He won’t figure it out!

Do you realize that confession benefits us more than it does God? “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.” Psalm 119:67 You do know that we don’t pray to inform God, but we pray to invite Him to step into our misery and fix our mess!

When we confess our faults (sin) to God, He’s able to heal our broken and contrite spirit, revive the brittleness of our bones and clear our hearts, minds and souls of the debris that’s left behind by sin’s breach! It was a good thing that God revealed that He knew David’s sin, sending His servant Nathan allowed David to repent honestly before God, liberating him from the burden, torment, tragedy, grief and condemnation that resulted from harboring secret sin in his heart and hindering him from enjoying the fellowship of God’s Presence!

If we confess our sins, HE is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 #Didjaheardat?

Jus wondering? When was the last time you had some REAL face2face time with God? THAT LONG, HUH? Well, last time I checked, JESUS WAS STILL SEATED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FATHER, WAITING AND WILLING TO INTERCEDE ON YOUR BEHALF! SOOO, WHACHA WAITING 4? HONEST2GOD!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee