Category Archives: overcoming satantic attacks

OUT ON A LIMB…

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out-on-a-limb-2

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:5-10

 

According to the latest statistics of The US Census Bureau regarding the world population in 2016, there are approximately 7,346,235,000 people on earth, as of August 23, 2016! These numbers are expected to increase at a rate of 1.13% annually! WOW! Who Knu?

Have you ever gazed up at the night sky  and wondered, ‘IS THERE ANYONE WHO REALLY CARES ABOUT ME?’ Oooh, I’m not saying that You don’t know that GOD is REAL and believe that HIS WORD IS TRUTH! But, I’m just wondering if you’ve ever entertained the thought, given the enormity of individuals inhabiting Terra Firma, ‘What’s the chance that God has time to be concerned about what’s going on in my life, at any given moment? I mean, something like 1 in 7 billion? YET! That’s exactly what The HOLY BIBLE says! While many are called, The God of all flesh chooses us, name by name!

Perhaps, Zacchaeus pondered these very thoughts before risking public humiliation in front of the ever increasing crowds of folk who followed this new Prophet from Galilee! Being the Chief Tax Collector, he was already ostracized as it was. Yall know how folk feel about the IRS. Unless it involves a refund check, huh? Even though Zacchaeus was at the top of his profession and apparently extremely wealthy, we can safely assume that he didn’t have a whole lot of real friends. But for reasons, yet undisclosed by Scriptures, when he heard that Jesus was passing through town, Zacchaeus was driven by a passionate desire to get close to Jesus!

Now, we know that nothing Jesus did was by happenstance; wherever He went, He was sent on assignment. Nonetheless, who would  ever expect Jesus to make time out of His busy schedule for a face-to-face encounter with the likes of Zacchaeus! According to historical accounts, Jesus, Himself had testified that it’s easier to get a camel through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into Heaven. (Ref. Matthew 19:24) No! It’s not because The Father just wants poor folk, but because most wealthy people believe that everything they’ve accomplished, they’ve achieved on their own. So there’s no reason to submit to nobody—especially an Invisible Superior Being. After all, when this life is over, it’s over! Right?

Apparently, life had led Zacchaeus to the inevitable conclusion, ‘With all that I have, it’s still not enough to make me whole. Something missing, and from the stories I’ve heard, perhaps this MAN, JESUS, can fill the gaping hole in my life!’  Zacchaeus’ decision was eternally life-changing for himself as well as his family! He determined within himself that he would not allow anything to stand between his soul and His Savior. Hence, he ran ahead of the crowd, climbed a sycamore tree and went out on a limb to make sure that he didn’t miss Jesus!

I must confess, having grown up vertically challenged, I know what it’s like to be the runt of the pack, never quite measuring up to the crowd, as if you had a choice in being who God created you to be!

Unfortunately, the crowds aren’t the only things that keep some people from getting close to Jesus.! What about, pride, self-righteousness, education, careers, drinking and druggin, adultery and fornication, lying and cheating? And we can’t forget what would happen when the people we hang out with find out that we’ve given our lives completely over to Jesus 4 REAL! Yeah, sometimes we might have to climb over a whole lotta stuff to get to Jesus, huh? Nevertheless, like Zach, sooner or later everyone must answer, why am I here, where am I going and what am I going to do about Jesus? Whether we decide to accept or reject the Savior’s free gift of Grace, not one of us can remain indifferent!

Zach said, ‘I’m going to do whatever I need to do to get to the only ONE, who truly knows me, loves me and believes that I was worth dying for!’ Amazingly, Jesus knowing exactly where Zacchaeus was, spoke to him specifically as if He was the only person that He’d come to see! The Good News is…Jesus doesn’t play favorites! #didjaheardat?

Beloved, you are somebody special to Jesus! The Ol’ Skool preacha said, “He left His Home in Glory, came down thru 40 and 2 generations, was mocked, jailed, beaten, crucified, died, was buried, went down to hell before ascending back to Heaven, to be seated at the right side of The Father Eternally! There now, as our Great High Priest, He intercedes on our behalf, pleading for mercy, forgiveness and grace, waiting for you and I to come to the end of ourselves and seek SINCERELY after Him with all our hearts, minds, body and spirit!

The next question is, what risks are you willing to take to reach Jesus? What are you willing to let go of to lay hold of everything that Christ has prepared for you? How far are you willing to go to get closer to Him? #OUTONALIMB! #REALLY?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

DELAYED BUT NOT DENIED!

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the-hand-of-god-3

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Israel, for for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek…to profane my holy name. Amos 2:6-7

 

Imagine that? Living your life as if there’s no consequences or no accountability! Well, guess what? There’s a whole lot of grown folk still playing Hide and Seek! I suppose, they’ve convinced themselves that if I can’t see Him, He can’t see me! Evidently, they forgot to check The Book! ‘Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.’ Ps. 139:12 Didjaheardat? WOW! Day and Night are the same to Him!

Amazingly, despite the highly-skilled hackers and all those international satellite peepers who have managed to evade the secrecy of the most sophisticated technologically advanced security systems of this New Millennium Age, the devil still manages to bamboozle some folk into arrogantly thinking that they have somehow successfully covered up their mess., huh? Seriously! Even more mind-blowing is the foolishness of the folk who consistently reject the reality of The True and Living God Who has 20/20 vision! #ijs

Yep! THERE IS A GOD who sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; keeping its inhabitants under constant surveillance!! (Ref. Isaiah 40:22) And while this TRUTH brings tremendous comfort to the hearts and minds of true believers, at the same time it strikes fear in the hearts of the heathen. U think somebody would tell them that there’s no where to run and no where to hide from His Presence! God always knows exactly where you are at any time? I get it, chances are they wouldn’t believe it, huh?

Well, The Book is filled with examples of what happens when The Sovereign God of The Universe decides, enuff is enuff! Take a look at today’s scripture, Amos 2:6-7! God gave His humble servant, Amos, a vision of Israel’s future which, to the keen of eye, should potentially impact the lives of today’s contemporary readers. God charged this lowly  herdsman with the assignment to announce to God’s people that He was going to avenge their enemies. I would imagine this news was received with great relief and joy. However, their celebration was suddenly replaced with shame, fear and remorse. We must never fail to acknowledge The Holiness of The Righteous God demands Justice as well as Mercy!

Those who tend to forget that Power belongs to God will inevitably miss-use their designated authority  to satisfy their greed, fostering a sense of self-sufficiency that leads to a life-time of pursuing their own personal undersanding of spiritual integrity, morality and luxurious comfort at the expense and neglect of the poor and the needy! Apparently, this doesn’t set to well with our Heavenly Father! God does not take the abuse of His FAITHFUL people lightly!

Granted, at times it may seem as if God has forgotten us! BUT! Beloved, IT AIN’T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! History proves that God will never be without a witness OF HIS FAITHFULNESS in the earth! 

“Remove the turban, and take off the crown; Nothing shall reman the same. Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted. Overthrown, overthrone! It shall be no longer, Until He comes whose right it is, And I will give it to Him.”  Ezekiel 21:25b-27

Beloved, Trust2kno, there is yet a Remnant of God, who refuse to be distracted by circumstantial evidence! Look around you, we’re everywhere! We’re those whose lights are yet shining in the midst of  the gross darkness of this world,  holding fast to The Name of Jesus! We’re the ones who might bend, but don’t break because we’re rooted and grounded, standing firmly in faith, wholly believing in the Only Inspired-Infallible-Eternal Word of God!

We’re the ones who, even in the midst of these challenging times,  don’t quit  because we live, move,  empowered and fully persuaded by the Indwelling Presence of Holy Spirit that IT AIN’T OVER UNTIL WE WIN! REST ASSURED, GOD WILL VINDICATE HIS OWN! DELAYED BUT NEVER DENIED! #GETIT

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

GOD CONSCIOUSNESS!

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GOD CONSCIOUSNESS 2

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. Proverbs 3:5-7

 
Dual Citizenship! Living in this world while at the same time recognizing that we’re aliens of another Kingdom, occupying this place in time as carriers of The Glory until the return of Jesus Christ, The King is absolutely-mind-blowingly-awemaazin, huh?

But! Sometimes, life comes at us so hard and so fast that we lose consciousness of the core of our faith—Truth—and find our hearts being ripped betwixt two realities. That confident heritage of the saints, is often disrupted by the intrusive presence of aggravating adverse circumstances!

Now, don’t get it twisted! I’m not saying that we forget we’ve been called and chosen by God to be instruments of righteousness at His bidding. Hopefully, most of us have long since gotten past that issue. We believe with all our hearts that one day we will live eternally in Heaven with our Father. But!!! It’s the meantime that keeps tripping us up! Our frail-flawed-fickle, self-centered-fleshy-nature keeps drawing us back to the ol’ days when we sat on The Throne of our hearts, making decisions and judgments according to what seemed right in our own minds! Can I getta Amen?

Remember when that ol’ man had nothing to restrain us from focusing all our time, thoughts and energy on getting whatever we wanted, whenever we thought we needed? We were clueless that we were actually being used by rulers of darkness, hell bent on pulling us away from The Omnipresence, Omniscience, Omnipotence Creator and driving us head first into a sink hole of fear, discouragement, hopelessness and failure!

YEP! We were oblivious to the enemy’s wicked scheme to entrap us; besieging our minds with his ticker-tape alerts forecasting the high probability of hurricane wind gusts, overcast skies of dread, gloom and doom! Unfortunately, for too many of us, Satan’s so competent with his devices that if we’re not careful, we will come into agreement with him, setting the course for fulfillment of the very thing we fear! Hence, when we surrender to our fears, we give validity to them, and worse yet, proving him (The Father of Lies) to be a true prophet!

That is until  Holy Spirit quickens us, reminding us that we’re no longer obligated or enslaved by our former Task Master! When we come to ourselves, purpose in our hearts, settling our affections on things above and acknowledge The Greater One abiding in us, we slam the devil down to his rightful place (under our feet)! Dontchakno? When YOU believe GOD, the tormentor has no choice but to back up off of ya!

When we activate the spiritual weaponry of warfare that God has armed every believer by commanding our minds to think of the Goodness of Jesus and all that He has done, continues to do and promises to do—the Joy of The Lord swells up in our hearts, illuminating our thoughts, erupting inevitable praise!Suddenly, The Glory of His Presence shows up filling our hearts and minds with a peace that passes all understanding! (Ref. 2 Corinthians 10:4 and Philippians 4:7)

Beloved, the next time that lying devil tries to steal your hope, jus throw THE ROCK at him and JUST THINK YOURSELF HAPPY WITH PRAISE!

“But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” Psalm 22:3! Then pick up another rock and seal the victory! “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalm 16:11)

YEAH BABY, datz GOD CONSCIOUSNESS! #BOOMUPSIDEURHEAD

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

DIVINE DESIGN

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DIVINE DESIGN

SELAH Daily Devotions!

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

Remember that ol’ skool gospel song, “You can’t hurry God, you just have to wait”? Or was that the The Supreme’s “You can’t hurry Love, you just gotta wait”? Either way, most of us don’t wait on either well, huh?

The truth is, sinner or saint, waiting is a reality of life! Since birth, we instinctively incline our will to surrender to the passionate urges of self without the restraint of inconvenient annoying discipline codes of morality. Our flesh could care less! Flesh demands what it wants, when it wants, and as often as it wants. Unfortunately, for many of us that’s not usually a problem, except when your spirit man has been quickened by The Holy Spirit who takes over, regenerating our desires and orchestrating our steps to align with The Righteousness of God! That’s when the struggle begins!

The New Birth conversion,  that everyone who accepts Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of their life experiences, forces us to not only take a look at ourselves in a way we never could or would before but now we are exposed to The Eternal Supreme Source of Life and Light, The Maker of Heaven and Earth, Infinite Wisdom, Goodness, Mercy, Love and Grace!

Once our eyes and our hearts have been opened to TRUTH, and we remorsefully acknowledge our sin, guilt and shame, The Faithful Love of our newly discovered Shepherd entices us to begin the transformation process. This entails re-prioritizing our needs, desires, actions and even our thoughts! Inevitably, as we become acutely aware of the fact that naturally, this is virtually impossible, we desperately cry out, humbly appealing to God’s Grace and Mercy instead of relying on our own merits!  But by the Grace of God, The Holy Spirit empowers us to do those things that are holy, acceptable, and pleasing to our Heavenly Father.

Amazingly, as we walk in The Light of God’s Countenance, no longer depending on our own understanding, His Word reveals unimaginable blessings! Surprisingly, we find ourselves endowed with joy unspeakable, peace that passes all understanding and the manifestation of ways out of no ways. The Favor of God opens doors that were previously locked, and shuts doors that left you vulnerable to Satan’s evil deceptions and plots intended to detour, derail and ultimately destroy the Glorious destiny that God has ordained for our lives, before the foundation of this world!

Every good and perfect gift that your heart desires and more is awaiting anyone who determines to keep the main thing, the main thing! Jesus First, right? OH YEAH…DIVINE DESIGN!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

THURSDAYS’ PRAYERS!

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PRAYN AND FASTING PIC

 

Good Morning Family! GOTTA MOMENT? GREAT! We’re so glad that you’ve joined with us today in our weekly Day of Corporate Pray and Fasting! LET’S PRAY…

FATHER, I stretch my hand to THEE! No other help I know! If THY withdraw THYSELF from me…where shall I go…

Father in Heaven, here we are before you once again. We come today with outstretched arms, open hands and grateful hearts, for this is the day that You have made. Therefore we’re rejoicing in The Splendor of Your Magnificent Glory! We know that it’s only because of Your Grace and Mercy, that we’re yet here! It’z because of Your love for us, You have allowed us more more day to enjoy life, health and strength. We’re thankful for another opportunity to present ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto you. From our Mother’s womb, You’ve proven Yourself to be Faithful and True; therfore, we’re trusting You to provide everything that we need today to sustain us thru whatever challenges that unfold during the course of this day! Abba Father, we know that You Alone are our God, Guard and Guide!

Father, with eternal gratitude we bless You for allowing us to enter into Your Throne Room, with hope-filled expectation that you will entreat us graciously as we pour out the burdens that seem to overwhelm our hearts, releasing everything that concerns us to you! Lord Jesus, because we know that You are Omniscient, Omnipresent, You see and You already know everything about everyone of us, yet you have welcomed us to come to you, to find Grace and Mercy to comfort, strengthen and encourage us to hold on to every Word that You have spoken over our lives, before we were born.

Daddy, as we stand humbly before Your Sovereignty, before we go any further, we’re asking You to forgive us for everything that we, your children, have spoken, done and even thought that was not pleasing in Your sight. 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 the breach that our disobedience has caused between our poor souls and our Lord and Savior, Jesus! Now, we ask Holy Spirit to intercede on our behalf, our family, our friends, even our enemies, as we know that Your love is the same for each and everyone of us!

Abba, we know that You have instructed us, to look not at the temporary things, but to the eternal, yet You know the frailness of our flesh, and how easily we’re provoked and tempted to become overwhelmed by the cares of this world, that our hearts are burdened with the pressures of this life, that some of us are wearied with fear, doubt, unbelief, sickness and disease, financial debt, broken relationships, unprovoked threats, depression, addictions, insecurities. Lord you know that sometimes we lose our focus on You causing our days to be spent beneath clouds of evil foreboding, while our nites are plagued with restlessness, despondency and hopelessness! Lord, keep us in Your Will, as only You can!

Lord, I thankya for being a Listening God! I thankya for the Bible teaches us that Blood yet speaks. As you declared in your Word, that the blood of Abel was crying out to You from the ground, hence we are fully persuaded that You ears are not deaf to the cries of our fathers, Grandfathers, husbands, brothers, sons, nephews and cousins all over this world, even these UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! Therefore, as Your ears are tuned into the blood of Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, Trevon Martin, Oscar Grant, Eric Gardner, Michael Brown, Jr, and Freddy Grey, still crying out from the cracks in the ground!

While You have taught us to love everyone that You’ve created in Your Own Image, we cannot deny that we need You to heal the pain, anger, grief and distrust,and yes even that glimpse of revenge that taints the hearts of Your people at the prevailing injustice inflicted upon people of color. While many in ‘power’ who have sworn to take the position of being color-blind, nevertheless as we’ve seen as of late, their voices are mute when black men are killed and nothing is done to their executioners! However, when white people die CNN, MSNBC, FOX etc. stream live speeches from The Executive Office to floor of Congress and Senators, and holding the top-three trending headlines of the ‘atrocious brutal massacre’ throughout the nation! Jesus, Cover us in Your BLOOD as we walk through the valleys of the shadow of death! We know that because of this crooked and perverted nation, the safest place yet remains in THE WILL OF GOD! Father, heal our land!

Lord we pray that you will save, heal and deliver speedily by Your Mighty Hand, all those who are crying out to you, seeking Your Face at the very moment! Give us to know that because we belong to You, we are never too far that You can’t see us, reach us, and shield us from anything that the devil would rail against us. Help us to understand that Your Name, Jesus is a Strong Tower, and those that You hve declared the righteous run into it and are saved. 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. We thank you Lord, for fully persuading us of 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 thank you now for listening to the hearts of everyone reading and praying with us. We thank you for hearing the hearts of those who have never trusted and accepted Your Son Jesus as Savior and Lord! We are thankful that Holy Spirit is quickening that stony heart now and that they shall come to You humbled by Your Lovingkindness, in obedience to Your call and are now receving your Mercy and Grace to Save. We pray now that You are leading and guiding them to the local church, planting them inYour Vineyard, where they shall be taught and transformed by Your Word of Life to take their position in The Kingdom of Heaven.

Father, we pray for those who are distraught by grief and fear, the elderly, the widows, the downcast who have born the heat of the day, those who pushed and prayed us through! Father, give them sweet peace. Lord, we pray for the leaders of governments world-wide, their hearts are in Your Hands, visit them in the night season and command them to do Your Will.

Lord, I pray for every believer who is yet holding onto Your Hand by faith today, that You are releasing Divine power, Supernatural strength and health, provision, prosperity and protection. Father, we’re trusting that You shall preserve them thru the tests that they must go thru and keep them constantly aware of YOUR PRESENCE and fully-confident that You will bring them out wholly restored, renewed, refreshed and with the reward as You have promised them in Your Word!

Father, we thanking You for an outpouring of Your Divine Favor upon each and every one of your children who are seeking employment, promotion, prompt approval for student/car/home loans and assure them that YOU are YET HE, Jehovah Jareh, who shall supply all of their need according to Your Riches in Glory!

Father we 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 in the lives of Your people now, in Jesus Name!

Abba, we lift up every Bishop, Pastor, Overseer, Apostle, Evangelist, Preacher and Teacher. Undergird them with Your Anointing to carry out their assignment, under the direction of Holy Spirit. Cover them as they go in and out amongst Your people and those who would seek to discredit, hinder and even destroy their faith, faithfulness and the ministryYou have ordained.

Lord, there are so many other things, that we have yet to mention, but we’re trusting, believing you to fix it, Jesus, as only You can! Lord, we know that You are not just able, but willing to do anything that we ask, in accordance to Your Word, in Jesus Name! We thank you Father that as we walk through this day, depending on you for abundant life, divine health and Your Joy to strengthen us for whatever lies ahead, we shall give You all the Praise!

As we offer up this prayer, Father we wait in confidence and quietness, rejoicing in hope and trusting wholly that all workers of iniquity are trembling and suddenly departing in shame, turning their backs from Your people, because 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!

Father, we thank You NOW, for WE believe that it is done! In The Exalted Name of Jesus. Amen 3X

Now every child of God who is standing in agreement with this prayer, GO TELL SOMEBODY THAT JESUS LOVES THEM JUS AS MUCH AS HE LOVES EVERYBODY!

 

 

TRUSTING SILENCE

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trusting-silence

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Matthew 27:46

 

I don’t pretend to speak for every believer, however one of the most difficult things for me is trusting God when Heaven goes mute! Not only does this create anxiety, stress and discouragement, but the doubt, confusion and sense of abandonment becomes a personal virtual hell. And no, I am not a babe-in-Christ, but I’d consider myself to be a reasonably seasoned-saint! #ijs

Our spirit man knows quite well that God answers all of our prayers in one of three ways. Yes, No or Not Now, right? Nevertheless the carnal mind could care less! Flesh  wants immediate gratification. ‘I did what You told me, I asked, seeked and knocked; but I guess the answer must’ve got lost in the mail or either perhaps You’re too busy managing the world to be concerned about what’s concerning me, huh?’ Now don’t look at me with that tone of voice, surely I’m not the only one to concede to the Tempter’s situational analysis!

In all of scripture, these feelings of abandonment is never more profound than at the words uttered from the mouth of our Savior hanging on The Cross… and God is silent! And while there is no record of God’s answer in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, or Luke, the Passion story does not end with our Lord’s despairing cry. In Psalm 22, God’s affirming Love and Grace encourages us to trust Him to resurrect Greater Greaterness out of our greatest messes! “In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.”

While some folk would have you believe that faith means unwavering trust in God’s power and ability to do anything, and that’s absolutely Truth. Nevertheless, there’s that other part of faith that commands trusting God’s silence as well as His actions, that has proven to be, at the least, extremely unsettling!

The Word of God tells us that the promises of God are Yeah and Amen, however we tend to forget that spiritual things are governed by spiritual laws. Case in point, seed-time-harvest! God is more concerned about developing christian core values and attributes than providing our fleshly creature comforts!

The Prophet Isaiah encourages believers to persevere through the trials expecting your deliverance is soon to come. ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Isaiah 40:31) And James 1:4 admonishes us to ‘let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Honestly, while both texts have been tremendously resourceful, strengthening and comforting, sometimes they ring hollow when the circumstantial eveidence against you is screaming hopelessness, rejection and it appears as if Heaven’s doors are closed and locked you out!

As you walk with Jesus, experience will teach you that these feelings are just a trick of the enemy to get you to doubt the validity and Faithfulness of God’s Word. If He ain’t saying nothing else, then keep doing the last thing He told you because evidently He ain’t changed His mind!

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10

Beloved, when you can’t see God’s Hand, feel His touch or hear His Voice, trust His Heart! REMEMBER THE TEACHER NEVER TALKS DURING THE TEST! TRUSTING GOD’S SILENCE!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

RUN TO THE ROCK!

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou has been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle forever, I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Psalm 61:1-4
I know we’ve heard it in the church so often that it almost seems common, but don’t fool yourself, it’s still  true!  “These are the times that will try men’s souls”. I’d venture to say,  in light of the upsurge in horrific atrocities perpetrated against humanity along with the cataclysm of floods, earthquakes, and social/political upheaveals confronting the nation, this TRUTH is even more substantiated in this 21st Centry, huh?  Sadly, our society has become somewhat desensitized to the reports of violence that’s dispensed daily via media, we’ve closed our eyes and ears in an attempt to conjure  up a simblance of normality!   Seriously, yall know backndaday, we never imagined that we’d see days like this. Can the churrch say,  AMEN?

But God knew! Remember, absolutely nothing  happens that takes our Lord by surprise! In the midst of the gross darkness, turmoil, threats and stress, God offers us His Word to assure, comfort and console us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Ref. Hebrews 13:5) While sometimes it may seem as if Satan has the upper hand, it ain’t what it looks like. God is still God! His Kingdom is everlasting and SHALL never be overtaken!  Remember what happened when the devil led a third of the angelic host to revoke against The Lordship of Heaven? Yeah, Lucifer does too! Hence, he’s still trying to recuperate from that foolish mistake!

With that being said, driven by his intense hatred for God,  he persists in going after the closest thing to God’s Heart, humanity, with a vengence! However, God promised His Beloved, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Saints, the way to escape out of the enemy’s snare is by entering in to His Presence!  HOW? Ephesians 5:19 invites us to “speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord”.

During times of overwhelming fear, danger, distress and persecution, The Psalmist encouraged himself and reinforced his trust in The Faithfulness of His Shepherd penning psalms, hymns and prayers such as Psalm 61:1-4.

Precious ones, we also can enter into God’s Rest by singing songs of hope delighting the spirits, minds and hearts of the wearied!  Try this one, it always helps me…

Where do I go, when the storms of life are raging,
who do I talk to when there’s no one there to listen,
who do I lean on when there’s no foundation stable…I go to the Rock, I know He’s able, I go to the Rock.

I go to the Rock of my salvation, I go to the Stone that builders rejected, I run to the Mountain and the Mountain stands by me.

When the earth all around me is sinking sand, on Christ the Solid Rock I stand. When I need Shelter, when I need a Friend, I go to the Rock.

You see, it still works! When you don’t know what to do, it’s time to go to The ROCK. His Name is Jesus! Let Him hide you in His secret place!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

GOD’S HANDS

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GOD'S HANDS

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 
And said to his servent, 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

 
Anybody can say I trust God, huh? However, it’s how we endure the proving time that determines the genuineness of our trust!

Life inevitably includes dark times when there’s no evidence to substantiate that God is with you and even less that He’s even listening to your prayers. It’s during these times, when the pressure is on us to faint and to give up, that we learn how to dig in our heels and encourage ourselves. It ain’t cheap! But it is possible! This kind of holy-boldness, that stares suffering in the face, determining that in spite of what it looks like, my heart shall remain fixed on God’s Eternal Word requires time-tested commitment, patience and endurance!

In this 21st Mellinium Age of high-tech instant gratification, waiting has got to be an endangered phenomenon! Can you imagine the servant’s frustration, running back and forth six times before he was able to see what His Master saw? I know I can. (Hint! Hint!) Thank God for Elijah’s faith, not to mention God’s compassionate patience to wait on the servant’s eyes to be opened, huh?

Watching my son’s life ravished by sickness, unemployment, discouragement, hope dispelled by hopelessness grieved my heart unlike anything I’d ever experience. Little did I know that in the midst of everything that the devil meant for evil, God was there waiting behind the cloud, leading and drawing him closer to Himself. I  remember how my soul rejoiced hearing that my he had given his life to The Lord during a bible study class the evening before! God used the storm to woo my son to seek Him for himself thereby positioning him for the showers of blessings that would follow!

The prayers of the righteous don’t have an expiration date, but your troubles do! We must remain confident that God will do just what He needs to bring our loved one into The Kingdom. Weeping may endure for a night, but with every breaking of a new day, God is reminds us of His Faithfulness to those who trust in Him.

Precious ones, when we can’t see our way, God guides us with his eyes! His vision is far greater than 20/20; it’s from eternity  past, thru present, into eternity future!

Beloved, today, if it seems like the sun ain’t never gonna shine again, keep looking up! You’re not alone! Truth be told many of the saints are under satanic attack and afflicted by all manner of maladies. Tragically, some have lost their hope for life getting any better. But instead of surrendering to what you’re going through, can I offer you a ray of Son Light? Rest assured, absolutely nothings ever happens that takes your Heavenly Father by surprise!

Saints, your Heavenly Father works the night shift! Like Elijah, gird up the loins of your mind and remember WHO you’re trusting! He who promised is failthful! Don’t allow the darkness to scare you! God is using the clouds to position to receive His Abundant Blessings! Look up, your Redeemer’s Hands are in the midst of the clouds!

HIS GLORY RESTS IN THE CLOUD!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

 

UN-HOLY COWS

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UN-HOLY COW!

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

These are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the LordGod of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth. Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 12:1-4

 

Due to the incredible technological advances, we’re now living in an Age of constant transition. As knowledge increases, our world appears to be getting smaller by the second. Yet many of us escape the stress and chaos that often accompanies such swift changeovers by clinging to the Hope and Comfort of The Holy Scriptures, which profoundly proclaim to 21st Century Believers, that while time is spiraling down into Eternity at unprecedented speeds of Life, Jesus remains the same; Yesterday, Today and Forevermore! (Ref. Hebrews 13:8)

While there are no shortages of intellectually astute scoffers who, sparing no punches, continually dispute its validity  and adamantly renounce the relevance of The Bible’s antiquated moral code to their sophisticated culture! HOWEVRRRR, that’shouldn’t surprise any of us!

The Holy Spirit already told us these days were coming, right?  Certainly does! The Good Book lets us know that there will be those who would choose to ignore what their eyes clearly observe, trivializing Truth into fabricated self-delusions and imagining themselves excused from the obligation of submission to any authority outside of the god of self! (Ref. Romans 1:18-23)

Nevertheless, what’s more even vexing to the hearts of God-Honoring followers of The Lord Jesus Christ, is the misconception of some New Millennium converts who have latched onto the false doctrine of “Come as U R and Stay as U R”!  C’mon nah, don’t yall shout me down!

Hence, on any given Sabbath Day, padded pews are filled with unsuspecting people clad in their mindset, clinched fisted and unashamedly determined, “Preacha, I’m Good! Okay, so don’t bother me with your out-dated version of un-realistic expectations. After all, we’re no longer under the Law, we’re under Grace! And besides that, who are you to judge me anyhow?”

BUT! Before you get a little bit too happy, can we allow The Living Word of God to shed some Truth on what God thinks about this matter? Isn’t that what every Born-Again, Blood Washed Child of God has sworn to live by? Right!

God sent His Son, Jesus seeking to save those of us who were lost (outside of Covenant-Relationship with The Father of Glory)! Jesus Sacrificial Blood redeemed you from darkness and dominion of Satan! By personally trusting in HIM, you have become a Child of The Kingdom of Christ! Now, that your eyes have been exposed to The Light of Truth, why would you want to continue in bondange to the works of wickedness and evil? If it was all that good, why did you want to leave Egypt in the first place, huh? EXACTLY!

R U listening? God has stratetically placed you in The Body of Christ, under the direction of His Shepherd, Holy Spirit, whom He has appointed to lead, guide, instruct, encourage and discipline you in The Ways of Righteousness, Love, Peace and Joy! So…stop kicking against the prick!

Now! Isn’t it time to make that change!  Ooops, I jus felt a ‘tomato throwing spirit’ in da house!  Seriously, The  rules of engagement in The Kingdom of God demands both a change of mind and heart! Tear down those sacred shrines and stop making those un-sanctified offerings of yester-year (when you were out there doing everything and anything that the devil, your former Hard-Task-Master, COMMANDED YOU TO DO)!

DIDJAHEARDAT?

#IJS…Now that Jesus  HAS DELIVERED YOU INTO HIS ETERNAL ABUNDANT LIFE, STOP THE BULL! UN-HOLY COWS! #ijs

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

AIN’T NO QUIT IN ME

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AIN'T NO QUIT IN ME

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

For our light affliction which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory… 2 Corinthians 4:17-18a

 

Someone, with far more wisdom than you and I, penned these words, “Winners never quit, and quitters never win!” Granted, we’re living in times that could easily tempt us to just fall apart, succumb to our dire situations and even begin to doubt God‘s ability to turn things around in our favor. Yet, Jesus never told us to rely on what we think, we see or even what we feel. The Word admonishes us to put no confidence in flawed fickle flesh, particularly our own. Believers walk by faith and not by what it may look like in the natural. Believers believe!

When the enemy comes upon us flooding our hearts with intimidating fear and discouragement, a spirit of super tenacity, and holy boldness, begins to flow up from the pit our inner most being and when it kicks in, it really doesn’t matter what we go thru, a true believer will refuse to throw up our hands and give in! The Ol’ Skool Church used to say, “I’m in it, to win it”! You see they knew something—I don’t care who sanngs, God Reigns, therefore it ain’t over until God says it’s over!

When it appears that the circumstantial evidence against us pretty much guarantees we’re going down for the count, we have a secret weapon on the inside of us that assures us the victory! Greater is He that is in me than anything that comes against me! (1 John 4:4)

The Apostle Paul, encouraging a troubled Corinthian Church, lets us know we’re don’t have to deny the severity of our situation, we just deny it’s  power to work against us. (Ref. Isaiah 54:17) Didjaheardat? Yes, it’s okay to acknowledge what’s happening, but don’t just stop with the bad stuff, remember Who we have going right for us.

Okay, we might be feeling some pressure, but we’re still standing! We might not have all the answers, but we know The One who does! Our circumstances might not be what we expected, but God already knew about it before He allowed us to be in it! It may seem that the burden is much more than we can take, but God’s Grace is sufficient! We might not know how long we’re be in it, but God knows! He’s predesignated a set time for our deliverance! And when God brings us out we don’t come out empty handed, but we come out with Greater Glory!

YEP! Believers may bend, but we don’t break! We hold fast to the Hope that is within us! (Ref. Colossians 1:27)

BELOVED, DON’T STOP, ‘TILL YOU GET IT! GET IT?

Seriously!  Obviously Satan didn’t get the text, huh? So you tell ’em, ‘Ain’t nobody got time 4 dat; check the back of the Book, WE WIN! Ain’t NO QUIT In ME!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee