Category Archives: Wisdom

GOD’S VOICE

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SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.  Galatians 1:15-16

In today’s scripture text, we hear the testimonial of The Apostle Paul in response to The Lord’s prompting to go spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. And we all know how that turned out, huh? 

GGGGLLLLORRRRRAAA 2 GOD! However, what stands out to me, is what Paul didn’t do!

The Apostle didn’t wait to get an Executive Order from The White House nor a congregational consensus before stepping out by faith. Instead of asking anybody what they thought about it, relying solely on his personal relationship with His Savior, feeling no need for further validation, The Apostle Paul immediately obeyed God’s instructions!

How about you? When you’ve heard from God, what’s your initial response? Before you move, do you have to survey the opinions of your family and friends? Does the fear of failure, embarrassment, humiliation or retaliation cause you to stagger at God’s Word? Are you willing to take a leap of faith and just do what you believe God is asking of you?

As believers, we’re sometimes reluctant to move out on a WORD FROM GOD. Not so much because we’re not trusting God, but more often than not, it’s because of a spirit of difiance deeply rooted in the lack of self-confidence in our own ability. Ooops…#noshedidn’t!

In an attempt to re-assure ourselves that we’re in God’s will, like Gideon, we will ask God for a sign and come up with some kinda obtuse fleece as further proof that it is actually God speaking. ( Judges 6) And while God so graciously granted Gideon’s request, twice, as believers, we must recognize that God often tests our trust and confidence by commissioning us to do what seems impossible!

That’s what our life in Christ is about. God doesn’t require us to walk by signs, but by hope-filled trust that whatever He asks us to do, by His Grace, we are well able to perform.

The Bible says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” John 10:27. As we entreat His Presence daily in prayer inquiring direction, thru diligent study  and meditation of His Word, we learn to distinguish His Voice from the chatter emanating from the world and He will teach you what He wants of you!

That’s why it’s so important to build an intimate relationship with your Heavenly Father and not just show up at The Throne Room for emergency visits! God really cares about you! He is not a dead-beat Dad nor is He willing to settle for weekend visitations! God wants to be actively involved in every aspect of your life, every day!

WHEN YOU KNOW HIM, YOU WILL KNOW HIS WILL!  WHEN YOU KNOW HIS WILL, YOU DON’T NEED TO CONFER WITH ANYBODY…BUT U GOTTA KNOW GOD’S VOICE! #canuhearMEnow!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

BUT, GOD!

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BUT GOD!

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

“Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.  And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, Master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.” Luke 8:22-25

 

Oh, I know you’re saved, sanctified, filled with the Precious Gift of Holy Ghost and do speak in tongues as The Spirit gives utterance! BUT! Since you’ve been saved, have you ever felt like saying to God, “Lord, I know You say it’s an honor to be recommended by God to the devil, BUT…here lately, it seems that I’m the only one you’ve been pointing out. If You don’t mind, next time, could you please recommend somebody else!”

Have you ever considered telling God, “Jesus, the next time you decide to pull down the hedge around me and giving Satan a shot at me, I’d appreciate at least a heads-up!” No? Jus wondering!

Unless you just landed on Planet Earth early this morning or were born late last night, you already know that storms are a natural occurrence on the sea of life, whether you’re saved or unsaved! In fact The Holy Bible tells us “Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.” Job 14:1 Hence, as long as there is breath in your body, you will experience some measure of adversity and affliction, temptation and trial, distress and disappointment and choas and calamity.

Today’s text shares a story of an average day in the lives of Jesus’ disciples and their response to an unexpected storm that popped-up out of no where. Sounds a bit too uncomfortably familiar, huh?

As the text opens, Jesus having finished teaching classes, traveling from town to town and village to village, decided to take some ‘down-time’ and go across the lake to the other side to escape the crowds that normally followed him. He told His disciples, “Let’s go to the other side” and went to catch a nap. The disciples also seemed to be enjoying the calm atmosphere as the boat sailed on the smooth waters. Until, suddenly a terrible windy storm arose causing turbulent waves to come pouring into their small vessel, threatening to capside at any minute, killing everyone on the boat. Someone thought to wake up Jesus and cried out, “Master, Master, can’t you see we’re about to drown?” As if The Omniscient One had vacated the premises!

The Scripture goes on to say that Jesus, standing up, spoke to the wind and the waves, “Silence, Peace Be Still!” to which they had no other recourse BUT to obey The Master Creator! Turning to His disciples, Jesus sorrowfully inquired, “Why can’t you trust me?”

My Precious Sistas and Brothers, perhaps Jesus is posing that same question to you today. I know it’s been rough out there. I know you have a mindset to follow Jesus all the way, to love Him with all of your heart, soul and body, yet still storms keep hitting your life on the left and the right. But Beloved, Jesus won’t jump ship like some other people might. Jesus has promised to stay with you all the way across the Lake of Life. No matter where you are today, Jesus is always with you.

There are some lessons that prove vital to your personal maturity and intimacy through understanding the attributes of the God Whom you serve you, that can only be learned in the midst of the storms!

Could this be why the astonished disciples inquired, “What kind of Man is this?”

So the next time that Ol’ Deceiving Tyrant comes slithering around, threatening to destroy your hope, joy and peace, jap-slap ’em with this, “I hear ya knocking…BUT! GOD!”

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

 

ITZ ALL ABOUT THE CROWN

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SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. Revelations 2:10-11

 

PARDON ME, again! I know this isn’t religiously correct, how—evrrrr sometimes, it’s just hard!

Here you are, as the ol’ saints used to say, ‘living all u know how 2 live for JESUS’, with everything in you clinging to The Testimony of God’s Faithful Witness, who is TRUTH, YET …EVERYWHERE U TURN, U GOT TROUBLE BREAKING OUT!!! #WHADA…???

Seriously, none of us normal human beings enjoy suffering, right?
Nevertheless, life has taught you (and even the Word admonishes us) that those who Name the Name of Jesus must expect trouble. Afterall, even “Jesus learned obedience through the things He suffered”! (Ref. Hebrew 5:8)

“Yeah, but but butt”…I feelya, okay? Yet, according to The Scriptures, God has Sovereignly linked suffering and glory into the lives of those who have confessed their trust in His Plan for our lives. Remember the words of The Apostle Paul? “As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Roman 8:36

I know, sometimes that doesn’t help MUCH! BUT! We have this confident assurance that before God permits sporadic seasons of tribulations He sets an expiration date before the test begin! Aren’t U Soooo glad, trouble don’t last always!

Beloved, there’s always a greater purpose behind our pain! And no, it ain’t always God punishing you for your disobedience! For His own reasons, God has elected to allow test, trials and trouble along the landscape of our journey to draw us closer to Him, to purify, purge and position us to partake of His Divine Nature—HOLINESS!

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18

This life has a way of putting you through the ringer, huh? But God has decreed, that nothing you will ever experiene can separate you from His Love! “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

Rest Assured, GOD KNOWS!

Today, receive His Words to The church at Smyrna, as your very own! Don’t allow fear of this temporary situation to deter you from your eternal goal! The King of Glory has declared and decreed that I AM ALPHA and OMEGA! I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU. LO I WILL BE WITH YOU ALWAY!  FOR WHO CAN STAY MY HAND! (Ref. Rev. 22:13; Heb. 13:5; Matt. 28:2o; Isa. 43:13) Didjaheardat? #WOW!!!

Precious ones,  endure persecution with fidelity, confident that “I AM THE RESURRECTION AND YOUR REWARDER! DON’T QUIT! YOUR CROWN AWAITS YOU!”

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

THE UNTOUCHABLES!

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SELAH Daily Devotions!

“For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.” Matthew 9:21

A while back, there was a TV drama entitled, “Touch by An Angel” starring Roma Downey and Della Reese. The program was about “a female angel sent to Earth to help solve people’s problems with a touch of spiritual guidance”. Not surprising, it became quite popular and the series lasted from 1994-2003. Can you image how much better we’d be if all of our life’s crisis were eradicated by Divine intervention?Well guess what, it’s absolutely possible!

According to Free On-Line Dictionary, ‘touch’ means “To cause or permit a part of the body, especially the hand or fingers, to come in contact with so as to feel”. Just wondering, if you conducted a census of church attendees, what percentage of those on the rolls have actually personally touched or been touched by Christ?  I’ve discovered that talking about God or studying Theology (The Story of God) and actually experiencing GOD is as different as life and death!
 
According to studies, never in the history of the western world have we had so many people on church rolls as there are today. I’m talking about folk who ‘profess’ to know Christ! Unfortunately, these same studies conclude that the number of ‘committed’ Christians is at an all time low!

Evidently, it is possible to be in Church yet not in Christ! Don’t  u dare touch that delete key!

I’m simply submitting, for your consideration, the reason we have so many border-line-hypocritical-uncommitted folk in our churches today, is because you can’t really be faithful and committed to a god that you can’t touch or who can’t touch you! #FLATOUT!

There is an exclusively reserved GOD-size hole in each of us! And while some church folk are content with a theoretical relationship (living on the edge, in the vicinity of) with Christ, others of us have such an insatiable thirst, hunger, a longing for HIM that keeps us in constant pursuit for more and more of His Presence, His Grace, Peace and His Joy!

Just like the woman with the issues in today’s scripture text, we have come into contact with the ONLY TRUE, LIVING, HOLY, LOVING, DELIVERING SAVING GOD who can be touched even with our weaknesses!

“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb. 4:15)

DO YOU KNOW HIM OR R U yet THE UNTOUCHABLES? #jusaskining
 
SELAH!
 
“Have a WONDER-FILLED day!”
 
Ann Caffee 

WHAT’S THE POINT?

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whatz the point

SELAH Daily Devotions!

“ I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:8-11

According to Biblical Historians, today’s scripture text was penned by the highly-acclaimed, wisest and wealthiest man in all of the known world, King Solomon! WOW! Here he is, King of the most powerful nation in the world during that time, Israel! The off-spring of Israel’s King, David, Solomon, having been hand-picked by GOD to carry on the lineage to The Seed promised to Abraham; privileged and honored to build The Temple where God promised to dwell in the midst of His people forever! I’d say King Solomon pretty much qualified as top-dog—back in dat day, huh?

The Bible tells of Solomon’s humble, earnest, passionate prayer of dedication of The Temple, that so touched the heart of God. He did not ask for wealth and fame, but for wisdom to lead God’s people in such a way that they would honor God before the other nations of the world. And because this prayer pleased God so much, God responded “I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour; so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou will walk in my ways, to keep my statues and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy day” (1 King 3:5-15)

SO, WHAT HAPPENED to cause the smartest, richest man in the world, to get to where we find him in Ecclesiastes?”

Apparently, Solomon came to a point in his life where he began to realize that none of the glitz and glamour of this world’s luxurious creature comforts that one might accumulate, could ever fill that God-size void in each of us. Unfortunately Solomon spent a life-time of pursuing and getting; yet not recognizing and understanding that the true value, wealth and treasure of what was right before his eyes. GOD!

WHAT’S THE POINT?

In all thy getting, get understanding! WITHOUT CHRIST—LIFE IS NOTHING!

SELAH!

“Have a WONDER-FILLED day!”

Ann Caffee

SEASONED SALT

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SEASONED SALT

SELAH Daily Devotions!

“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. “ Matthew 5:13

WOW! Aren’t you glad that you’re saved, sanctified, living all you can to serve and please da Lord?

BUT! Before we go slappin’ 5 with our neighbors (or yourself) on the back, perhaps we need to take a closer look at today’s scripture text. Sometimes, WE—THE SAINTS—have a way of judging others by their actions BUT judging ourselves by our good intentions!

Whatchatalkinbout? It’s easy to make yourself come out smelling like a rose, as long as we’re comparing ourselves to one another! However, God never intended to make our own warped flesh the plumb-line for gauging His Righteousness!

Remember the story in the Bible of the Pharisee who went up to the Temple to pray, stood off by himself, looked across the room and seeing the tax collector, prayed “God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.” (Ref. Luke 18:9-14)

Have you ever noticed how God’s elect seem to develop a severe case of selective amnesia once they’ve been saved for any length of time! Perhaps that’s why The Apostle Paul left a not-so-friendly reminder to us. “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11

Hence, “DON’T GET IT TWISTED…no matter how many right things you manage to do on a daily basis, at the end of your bestest day—every single one of us must acknowledge “that if it had not been for JESUS…where would I be.” (Ref. Romans 3:23) Truthfully, there ain’t none good but GOD!”

That’s why He sent Jesus! The Perfect role model for us to keep before us. Righteousness Personified! (Ref. John 3:16-17)

So the next time, you’re tempted to bask in your own self-righteousness, remember our frail-flawed-fickle human tendency to judge one another by outward appearances!  Precious one, check yourself ! And please recognize that God reads hearts! (Ref. 1 Samuel 16:7)

Jesus warned,  “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20
SO…BEFORE YOU START SENDING ANY POOR SOUL STRAIGHT TO HELL, BECAUSE THEY DON’T MEASURE UP TO YOUR STANDARDS, MIGHT I SUGGEST THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR OWN SALT IS SEASONED WITH MERCY AND GRACE!

SELAH!

“Have a WONDER-FILLED day!”

 Ann Caffee