Category Archives: Patience

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

 

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

 

I DON’T MIND WAITING

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I DON'T MIND WAITING!

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Habakkuk 2:3
If there’s anything that I find more detestable than eating okra, it’s gotta be waiting! Oh, don’t look at me with that tone of voice. I see your hand up too! Out of all of the spiritual gifts we crave, patience is probably at least next to the bottom of the list! The Ol’ Churrch Mothers used to say, ‘Baby, don’t ever ask God for patience, cause you’re inviting trouble to your door’!

But I’ve lived long enough to conclude, invited or not, Trouble’s bound to show up sooner or later. So it behooves us to not just expect it but to prepare for the unexpected. One of the first things on the ‘to do list’ of every soul who pledges allegiance to The Cross should be learning how to wait! While there’s little to none chance of escaping waiting, I’ve found it to be extremely efficacious to establish a few things at the onset!

Primarily, Who you’re waiting on has a direct affect on how you wait. Next, consider the probability of facilitation of your expectation. Lastly, what time constraints are you prepared to impose on the process? #WOW, huh?

Waiting on God is always our best bet! (Ref. Philippians 3:1-4) As you’ve probably realized by now, the odds of success when putting all of your confidence in any flesh, especially your own, is kinda like winning Power Ball Mega Millions the first time you purchased a lottery ticket. Exactly! Not that their intentions weren’t honorable; BUT! Sometimes, God will ordain those certain ONLY GOD types of situations to tutor us in ‘The Validity of Maintaining Confidence in His Trustworthiness’! God knows that as long as we can handle life on our own (or with the aid of that other person), chances are we’ll never come to Him! When we seek God first (not as a last resort), our faith is rewarded exceedingly beyond our expectations (Ref. Matthew 6:31-33)

GOD CANNOT LIE! (Ref Numbers 23:19) Once we’ve established the reliability of God’s Word, based conclusively upon a settled-realism that everything God ever promised already is, that all of the promises of God are Yea and Amen (Ref. 2 Corinthians 1:20) and that God has obligated Himself to bring every Word He’s ever spoken it to pass, we rest!  Hence,  personal trust blossomes through patient waiting, in quiet confident hope, knowing that our Harvest Time is coming! (Ref. Hebrews 6:18)

So the next time the devil asks, “Whatcha waiting on?”, don’t bother to respond! Just stretch out the cords, buckle down the hatches and get ready for the overflow!

When you’re expecting God, anytime He shows up is your season for Grace and Favor!  #ijs, DON’T MIND THE WAITING!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

FAITH 4 NOW!

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SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

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

 

Several years ago, I heard a teaching by Kenneth Copeland, reminiscing about his early experiences in the family church. Bro. Copeland said that just about every Sunday morning, it was pretty much guaranteed that you’d hear the Preacher say ‘you gotta have faith’, or ‘you need to increase youaith’, or ‘if it’s not of faith then, it’s sin’. Bro. Copeland remembered how frustrating it was because the Preacher never told them how a poor soul might procure this precious gift of faith!

Well, guess what? Not much has changed, huh? Even now, given the popularity of 21st Century prosperity doctrinal teachings, I’d venture to say that a whole of churchgoers are still confused about they can exercise true biblical faith in their lives. Contrary to New Millennium mysticism , faith is not a new theological doctrine reserved for the elect seminary scholars. God has given every one of us ‘a measure of faith’…and it’s a free gift, yall! No one can work hard enough or be good enough to earn or deserve it! But The Heavenly Father so graciously pours it into us when we open our hearts to HIM!

Simply put, Faith is a patient confident trust in the integrity and power of our Loving and Caring Heavenly Father!

Faith is the currency of exchange in The Kingdom of God! Duuhhh! God doesn’t need our money! EVERYTHING, including all the silver and gold belongs to Him! However, we need faith to get anything from Him. In fact, you can’t even approach God unless you believe that He exists and is able to do what you need Him to do for you. Sounds like it’s virtually impossible to please God without it, huh? (Ref. Hebrew 11:6)

Hebrews Chapter 12, dubbed The Hall of Faith, highlights several examples of ordinary men and women, who activated their faith and achieved extraordinary things thru God! Nevertheless, to relegate God’s Faithfulness to an historical phenomenon seems to suggest that He’s changed—and that’ll NEVER happen! (Ref. Hebrews 13:8) Perhaps that’s why Today’s text says now faith and not then faith, huh?

After all that God has done for us, trusting Him seems only reasonable! (Ref. Romans 12:1-2)

Did you know that your Heavenly Father is absolutely delighted when His sons and daughters genuinely trust in Him! Seriously!

Faith in God says, ‘Father I believe that You love me unconditionally and always have my best interest at heart. Even if it doesn’t look like it, I am fully persuaded that my God is working everything together for my highest good and His Greatest Glory!’ (Ref. Romans 8:28)

WOW! REMEMBER, IF HE did it before, HE WILL DO IT NOW! —NOW THAT’S FAITH!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

IF U THINK…U CAN THANK!

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IF U THINK, U CAN THANK

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

“When I think of the goodness of Jesus, and all he has done for me,my soul cries out Hallelujah! I thank God for saving me!”

 

We’ve all heard that; some of us have even testified it ourselves. How many of us were clueless that this was really a verse of a song, and not a scripture? But datz okay! Regardless of it’s roots, reciting these words has pulled many drowning souls out of the depths of hopelessness and despair!

The master of deceit, Satan, flourishes in our proclivity towards selective amnesia. Whether it’s a self-induced defense mechanism or some type of ego-boosting-denial-syndrome, I don’t know. However, if we’re honest, every single one of us could testify we’ve scaled some mountains higher than we thought possible and drifted through seemingly impossible storms that “NOBODY BUT GOD kept us alive!”

Truthfully, that’s exactly what terrifies Satan the most. He knows that if we ever take the time to really think about how often The Power Twins, Mercy and Grace, showed up, just in the nick of time delivering us from danger, destruction and even death, praise and worship is imminent! And of course, that’s the absolute last thing the devil wants to endure is a bunch of happy trusting believers rejoicing and lifting up The Name of Jesus!

Well, guess what devil, you might as well pull out your earplugs, because God is raising up a nation of your worst nightmare,  reformed doubters-complainers, an honest-to-goodness -genuine BELIEVERS! Oh Yeah! We’ve come through some fires, been through some storms but we can truly say that God was with me all the way!

In fact, come to think of it,  everytime that I cried out to Him, Jesus heard me and saved me out of all my troubles! ( Psalm 34:6) And because of my personal history, I have learned how to lean and depend on Jesus! Therefore, I truly and profoundly declare and decree (with both hands raised) “I WILL BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES, HIS PRAISE SHALL CONTINUALLY BE IN MOUTH! (Psalm 34:1)

And guess what else, if you think I’m gonna keep this to myself, you must be an ol’ fool! I’m about to tell everybody, ‘come and see what the Lord has done for me!” THINK ABOUT IT…U GOTTA THANK HIM, huh?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

 

CONTRADICTIONS

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Contradictions!

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
 

I’ve heard that some scholarly skeptics, after critiquing the Holy Bible, conclude ‘how can they be taken in by this foolishness, considering that The Word of God appears to contradict itself!’ But! The devil is still a liar!  The Word of God emphatically states that, the secret things of God are sacred and cannot be discerned by the carnal mind.  (Ref. Deuteronomy 29:29) Oh, there’s no denying that we’re often challenged by circumstances and situations that appear to be totally contrary to the promises of God!
 
And yes, it’s difficult to hear that still small voice of comfort and reassurance, amidst the boisterous tempest of compelling circumstances! We’ve all had those periods where our experiences challenge our expectations. Yet, hope compels us to stand firm being confident in this sure thing!  God is not a liar and God is yet faithful!  Remember, if God did not hold back the sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son, the very best He had to offer, then how shall He not deliver you from the snare of the adversary again, and again!
 
Perhaps, today, it seems as if God has forgotten you or at least miscalculated just how much you can actually bear.  But He has not!  He is Alpha and Omega!  He planned every episode of your entire life from the end to the beginning.  Sometimes, it may seem like you’re not even on the winning team, huh? But rest assured, Beloved! God has decreed that though your beginnings appear humble now, and your problems seem to be overwhelming…..your Deliverer is about to arouse Himself to restore you to your rightful place. Everything you’re going through is a sure sign that you’re being positioned for purpose. (Ref. Mark 10:30)
 
Jesus is not impressed nor is He ever moved by anything that Satan is trying to do in your life! He already dealt with him on Calvary! Remember, Jesus said, ‘IT IS FINISHED’!  If God said it, He shall do it; if God spoke it, it shall come to pass.  His thoughts toward you are for good and not for evil and your future is brighter, joyful and more prosperous than you could ever imagine!
 
My precious saints, wait patiently on your God! He is the same God who came through for you in the past! He’s already proven His Faithfulness.  He’s already proven that He is worthy of your trust! He’ll do it again too!
 
Don’t focus on the contradictory circumstantial evidence, but continue to look to the Almighty God knowing that not only is He your sufficiency HE IS YOUR SOURCE!  (Ref. James 1:17-21)
 
Don’t take the enemy’s bait. Never allow your past experiences nor present conditions to determine your future destination!  The Promises of God supersede and overrule every apparent contradiction!  It ain’t what it looks like!  CONTRADICTIONS, huh?

SELAH!
 
Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

WHAT’S IN YOUR HEART?

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WHAT'S IN UR HEART

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you,testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger andfed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word[a] that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Deuteronomy 8:2-3 ESV

 

We’ve all been there! At some point in this journey, we’ve found ourselves, barraged by seemingly insurmountable odds stacked against us, huh? There I was, sitting there unsuccessfuly attempting to make a 911 connection to The Throne Room. This one, was a time sensitive—not later—but I need you right now—Lord situation! As my eyes skimmed over to my laptop and I realized that somehow it was in the middle of running an unscheduled scan! Immediately, I understood what the Holy Spirit was trying to do in me.

Remember when you thought you knew, but didn’t really know? Exactly! It’s during these moments of mental confusions and conflicting emotions that we need the aid of Holy Spirit. According to Isaiah 11:2, no one but The Spirit of True and Wisdom, can scan the the inner most chambers of the human heart, assess the situation, identify the dangerous infectious viral components, quarantine and eliminate them before they’re able to contaminate our heart’s drive! WOW, and He was doing this way before Bill Gates or Steve Job! Awemaazing, huh?
With that being said, once again I had to admit that before I could make a right connection with Jesus, I had to clear the line! No, God was not saying that my issue was not valid, but that there was an even more life-threating situation that demanded immediate attention. There was something going on in my heart that I was not willing to confront and deal with at the root! Sometimes we do that, you know? We like to justify our rebellion by playing the blame game. “Lord, if they hadn’t….then I never would’ve …” But God wasn’t buying none of that!

There’s no denying that there’s something embedded in the DNA of humanity that resists repentance. It’s difficult for us to acknowledge that we’re at fault. It’s a whole lot easier for us to judge others by their actions and ourselves by our good intentions, huh? But God is not intimidated by our self-deceiving, willful, prideful hearts NOR IS HE IMPRESSED BY OUR CHURCH TESTIMONIES!

God strategically sets up unscheduled heart scans to illuminate potentially critial viruses that left untreated could result in the hardening of the arteries causing damaging blockages. For instance, that spirit of jealosy, envy, anger, resentment, bitterness and yessss the unforgiveness haboring in the crevices of your heart against someone, who probably doesn’t even know it! You know how fake the saints can be sometimes. Problem is, chances are before the end of the day, you’ll probably gonna need somebody to forgive you for something! The scripture is clear on this, if you don’t forgive others, neither will Your Heavenly Father forgive you your faults! (Ref. Matthew 6:15) OMG! Kinda sheds a different light on it, huh?

Beloved, I don’t know about you, but I NEED THE MERCY AND GRACE OF GOD, ALL DAY…EVERY DAY!

I know it’s not always easy, especially since you’re the one who’s been hurt. But considering the repercussions, sounds to me like, by God’s Grace, whatever the offense, we just need to release it, drop it, leave it and let God handle it! God always knows everything about everything –and we don’t!

SO, WHAT’S REALLY IN YOUR HEART? #GOD REALLY KNOWS!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

DRIVE AND GO FORWARD!

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DRIVE & GO FORWARD 2

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

“Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.” 2 Kings 4:24

 

The context of today’s scripture text tells the story of a Shunammite woman’s unselfish generosity towards God’s Servant, Elisha! Being so grateful for their hospitality, The Prophet sent his apprentice, Gehazi, to find how they might be a blessing to her.

Sometimes people will do something for you yet their motives may be suspect, if you will? Sometimes, their generosity comes with strings attached. You know, you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. Remember, sometimes, you might get what you wanted but lose whatcha had, huh?

However, this woman’s generosity towards The Prophet was never intended to obligate him in any manner. She simply recognized a need and was convicted to meet it.

When Gehazi inquired if they could repay her by hooking her up with the King or the Captain of the Army or something, she respectfully declined. Yet, Elisha , determined to reward her kindness, refused to let it go. Then Gehazi spoke up, “Sir, I did notice that they don’t have any children .” Elisha immediately sent for the Shunammite woman! After thanking her and her husband again for their hospitality, the Prophet began to prophesy to her, telling her that “because of your kindness, this time next year you shall have a baby boy.” 

Can you imagine the astonishment of this woman? Obviously, nobody BUT GOD could’ve revealed this secret desire tucked away in the heart of this barren soul!

Nine months later, she gave birth to a son just as God’s Servant had spoken. The next several years their home was filled with such joyful laughter more than she ever thought possible. Until that day, while in the fields with his Dad, apparently from a sun stroke, and died sitting on his Mother’s lap. Has the devil tried to kill your promise?

After carrying her dead son upstairs and laying him on the same  bed that she’d prepared for Elisha, she immediately called for a servant to take her to see The Prophet. Shaken and perplexed, her husband inquired, “why you going to church, it ain’t even Sunday!” Sounds like some of our relatives, huh?

Not bothering to explain, she simply said, using today’s vernacular, “it’s all good”! When the servant arrived with the donkey, she instructed him, “Drive and go forward and don’t slack up until I tell you to”. She didn’t do what some of us do—throw up our hands and start accusing God and stop coming to church. But she kicked it into 4th gear, put the pedal to the metal and kept it moving!

I submit to you, my brothers and sisters, that in the seat of the soul of every individual, there is something that is driving them to either push beyond their inabilities or admit defeat and throw in the towel! What drives YOU?

Contrary to popular opinions, there are  many other things that drive a person besides sex. Some folk are driven by fear of rejection, a compulsive need to be the greatest, the bestest, the smartest; the cutest, an insatiable, unquenchable, uncompromisingly addiction to succeed no matter the cost or the loss!

Living in a world  hurling with gianormous (datz my word, yall) distractions, it’s easy to become entanged with seductive spirits that promise multiple avenues to epic fulfillment!  I’m talking, even God’s elect, yall! Hence, failure to keep your faith  firmly rooted and grounded in the faithfulness of God’s Love, you might suddenly find yourself stuck in spiritual quicksand, sucked under by a spirit of complacency, and ultimately lose your drive to go forward.

Perhaps, today you feel like you’ve hit a brass ceiling, reached a plateau in your level of consecration, your prayer life, even your relationship with Jesus? Well, honey, you are not alone!  Don’t allow what you’ve been going through, to shut you down. Know that Now is Not Always!  

Trusting God means not only trusting His Word but trusting His Timing! Beloved, if God is for you, regardless of what the circumstantial evidence says, it fails to compare with God’s plans for your future! (Ref.Jeremiah 29:11)  After all, WHO CAN STAY GOD’S HAND, huh?  (Ref. Romans 8:31) Just like the Shunammite  mother, you grab hold to  the promise God gave you in HIS Immutable Word and come hell or highwater keep saying “IT IS WELL!” Beloved, look around, someone’s depending on you to raise the bar!

Didjaheardat? DON’T SLACK UP NOW, “DRIVE AND GO FORWARD”!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

HE LUVS 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”. When situations abruptly shift beyond our comfort level and/or ability to control, “He loves me not”!
 
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! For the first time, they found themselves radically disconnected, desperately 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, Peace and Hope? Are the cares of this world or the heavy burden of un-confessed sin tempting you to hide from your Only Savior, Jesus? 
 
Come out from there! Lift your heart towards The King and be ye reconciled! (Ref. 2 Corinthians 5:20)
 
When God sees us, He’s looking through Lovingly Blood-Stained Eyes!  Trust for sure, Beloved…Yes, HE LOVES ME, AND YOU! 
 
SELAH!
 
Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!
 
Ann Caffee

UNSHAKABLE LOVE!

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UNSHAKEABLE LUV

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

EVER since man left the Garden of Eden, God has been trying to show us how much He loves, misses and how badly He wants us to come Home to Him!

He spoke to a man Abram, through His Prophets, through visitations, dreams, signs, parables and innumerable unexplainable events. Finally, He spoke to us in the Person of His Only Son, Jesus! (Ref. Hebrews 1:1-3) Jesus, if you will, is GOD’s Illustrated Sermon, preached by The Father of All Creation, because LOVE refused to let go!

Now, understandably, given the limitation of our perverted perception of love, this Love makes absolutely no sense!

It’s almost unbelievable! But GOD’s ways are higher than ours and HIS thoughts are greater than ours. Therefore, humanity struggles to comprehend the infinite capacity of our Creator’s faithful, committed and unshakable love for us! Agape, GOD LOVE, can only be revealed through the Power of The Holy Ghost! (Ref. Romans 5:5)

At best, here’s a working definition of‘ ‘agape love’; “it’s The Love that’s just enough to meet you where you are, but is too full with compassion to leave you there and is only satisfied by lifting you up to where He is!’

It’s The Love that says, I don’t care what you do, what you don’t do, MY Love will never stop loving you! Just trust MY Love! Now that’s The Gospel of Jesus Christ!

You see, I’ve learned that threatening folk with hell to make them love Jesus is not enough to make them repent before GOD! I mean, you can’t win souls to Christ if you only tell them how bad they are and never tell them how Good Jesus is! It’s the goodness of God that leads people to repentance! (Ref. Romans 2:4) Now Ain’t that good news? Saints, datz The Gospel!

When people understand that ‘No-thing’ shall separate you/me from the LOVE of GOD IN CHRIST JESUS–It’s life-changing! (Ref. Romans 8:38-39)

Now, 4 the LUV OF GOD, why don’t cha’ run and tell that! God Love is For Ever Faithful! Datz UNSHAKEABLE LOVE!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee