Tag Archives: discourage

WHATZ N 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 and fed 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 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 nah—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 Truth 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 crucial 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.  C’mon, don’t shout me down nah! #ijs!!!

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! Don’t look at me with that tone of voice, Y’all know I ain’t by myself!

I know it’s not always easy, especially when 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

INSIDER ADVANTAGE!

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INSIDER ADVANTAGE 2

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

 
“The rich get richer and the poor get poorer!” Ever heard that ol’ addage? I was thinking about the Wall Street moguls, sitting in penthouse corner offices, puffing on expensive cigars, bellowing out orders to their subordinates, (who’re most likely in some crowded rooms filled with discarded ticket tapes with the I-Phones glued to their faces) ‘Buy low; sell high’! ‘Buy now; sell it now’! We’ve seen Hollywood’s behind the scenes depictions of the ‘the powers that be’ conducting transactions that keep the big ballers on top and the rest of us clamoring to make ends meet!

Down thru the years, we’ve watched the rising and collapse of major financial institutions, heard stories of CEO’s jumping out of windows at the threat of bankrupty, the accusations and a few convictions of corporate corruption as a means to topple their competitors to gain or maintain ‘top dog’ recognition and witnessed the slander of whistle-blowers who dared to expose the tyranny of boardroom shenanigans all in the name of capitalism!

As you’ve probably determined, having no personal knowledge, experience nor a financial portfolio, I can only assume that there’s a whole lot of insider information involved that the rest of us are generally not privy to.

However, I do know a thing or two about Kingdom Economics! I know that God can do big things in tight places! How do I know, I’ve seen Him do it! I’ve seen Grand-Ma take a pound of chicken livers, mix it with a couple cups of rice, bake a pan of biscuits and turn it into feast to feed a family of fourteen! I’ve seen Mama mete out the equivolent of a two week paycheck over a month of expenses! I experienced the Hand of God drawing a spiritually drought, emotionally-hopelessly distraught, physically battered, single Mom into the Fountain of Life-giving Love, transforming her entire being in unimaginable ways from the inside out!
Oh don’t get it twisted! This was (is) not a one-and-done fix! But by the ever-increasing empowering Grace, we learn to lean and depend on the in-dwelling Presence of Holy Spirit. Who knu?

God is so determined to confound the wisdom of this world that He chooses those least likelys to be reflectors of His Glory! The greatest thing about the process, is that God is the One who begins and completes the work! Talk about guaranteed success, huh?

Ain’tdatamazing? Our Heavenly Father, already knew the frail-fickled-flaws of our flesh, yet before the foundation of the world, stragetically implemented His Plan to reconcile and restore those created in His image back unto God-Self through The Sacraficial Atoning Blood of His Son, Jesus! Now, God’s Spirit living on the inside of us enables us to live everyday shining His Light in the midst of the gross darkness of this world! That’s the Gospel of Salvation! WOW!

Sometimes, looking at ourselves and the surmounting circumstantial evidence, it’s easy to believe that your spiritual maturity is in the red and become discouraged, huh? BUT don’t give up! Remember, ‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’ 1 John 4:4) Hence, God will never give up on you until He sees Jesus’ image in you!

Jus knowing that God loves you ‘despite of-just-because’ should make u grab hold to the Hope of His Divine Help and His Healing Presence, in confident humility and grateful obedience—until He completes His Work in you! #ijs #INSIDE ADVANTAGE!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

ALWAYS & 4 EVER!

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ALWAYS AND 4 EVER

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. Isaiah 50:7

 

There’s never been a point, place or space in time where God is not! God IS and will ever BE—for He is ETERNALLY GOD! #didjaheardat?

To souls wearied and wounded from matriculating through the sporadic-tumultuous terrains of life, this  statement has proven to be the Source of great comfort and strength. At the same time, it’s the sting of predictable debilitating destruction and defeat against the insidious attacks to the forces of evil!

The primary mission of the Kingdom of darkness is to cause the people of God to abandon their hope and personal trust in The Eternal Father by any means necessary! Satan’s disciples strategically set up obstacles to ensnare believers with confusion, fear and doubt designed ultimately to contaminate their faith, causing them to re-evaluate the Reliability of trusting in an invisible, yet all emcompassing True and Living God!

Problem is, all too often, it’s the personal testimonies of triumphant victories down thru the years that continue to rigorously validate God’s Faithfulness, fueling the Believer’s Hope of Eternal Glory!

Finding ourselves knee-deep in the midst of this 21st Century Anti-Christ culture, there’s no shortage of opportunities to throw in the towel and tap-out on the Promises revealed in the Sacred Writ, resolving that they’re no longer relevant in this self-centered, self-righteous, intellectually astute, Hi-Tech, contemporal society!  

However, such thinking is only logical to those who have foolishly opted to avoid the reality of The Omnipresent Omnipotent God! Nothing ever happens that catches God off-guard. Hence, He is Alpha and Omega!  The Omniscient Creator, Sovereignly orchestrating the affairs of  humanity from eternity past, thru present into eternity future,  determined that His Purpose shall never be frustrated by the  inherent iniquity of flawed-fickled-fleshy-lust-filled mankind!

Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two inchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of The Hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this Hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Hebrews 6:17-19

 

Beloved, standing firmly on the Immutability of God’s Word, gives us the leverage to embrace every situation with confident assurance that we’ll never alone and God is always in control. Therefore, our Heavenly Father is always Present  to help, constantly undergirding our inabilities with His Infinite Excellence!

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Remember, My child, when the odds are stacked against the righteous—GOD’S AT HIS BEST! FAITHFUL…ALWAYS AND FOREVER!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

 Ann Caffee

IT’S A NEW DAY!

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IT'S A NEW DAY!

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth, Shall ye not know it?   I will even make a way in the wilderness, And rivers in the desert?  Isaiah 43:19

Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6

 
 

I still remember when I would curse the breaking forth of the morning. It only meant another day filled with excruciating pain, sadness, discouragement and disappointment–just like all the others. It is no stretch of the imagination to figure out who had perpetuated those thoughts, okay?  But that was B.C. (Before Christ came into my life)!!!!  But by The Grace of God, today I stand as a living testimony to reality of The New-Life-Giving Power of God! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
 
Yessirreee Bob, this old gurl’s gotta  new attitude!  Coming from an extremely negative environment, I thought that this was just the way of the world. However, once I accepted Jesus, I learned that God’s Salvation’s Benefit Package included a completely different attitude, faith!  Yeah Baby, this new faith attitude is the heritage of the saints, the children of God! 
 
Once you recognize that you’re really in a personal relationship with the True and Living God, it’s actually possible for you to embrace each day with  joy, hopeful anticipation and confident assurance that this is a great day because God made it! Seriously,  it’s a new day!
 
Before you open up your eyes or your feet hit the floor, you have the power to dictate your day.  You can say,‘Good Lord, it’s morning already or Good Morning, Lord’. You choose whether to approach your day with joyful celebration and gratitude for  another opportunity to experience God’s Glory, Grace and Praise for what He’s already done, is doing now and for what He is about to do or you can claim fear, discouragement and defeat by murmuring and complaining. 
 
Don’t get it twisted. Even as a disciple of Christ, everyday is not the same; however each day you’re becoming new as you grow in the Wisdom, Knowledge and the Grace of God! That’s right saints, the new you makes the decision to enjoy this wonderful gift of present by refusing to allow past sins, past failures, past wounds and past disappointments, to keep you from moving forward into this brand new day! Didjaheardat?
 
The Ol’ Saints used to sing, ‘Everyday with Jesus is sweeter than the day before!”  Don’t fool yourself, they lived through some very distressing times. Remember, The Great Depression!  Yet, amidst their adversity, they remained convinced that God was well able to keep them thru and to bring them out of anything that would unfold during a day!
 
When Jesus is your Shepherd, it doesn’t matter what happened yesterday.  God empowers each new day with new mercy, new grace and new faith to believe that today is the first day of the best of my life…because today is MY new day !

Soooooo, I decree and declare that Today, I have the mind of Christ! I believe that God is making a way out of no way, for me! Today, I believe that God is up to something that He’s never done before. Today, I expect to be strengthened, delivered and re-joyed! Today is another chance for me to do better and become more because today is another opportunity to get closer to Jesus!

Now if that doesn’t jumpstart your day, you better check your vitals and make sure you’re still living! OOOHHH GLORRRAAAAA!

HEY YALL, LIFE GOES BETTER WITH CHRIST! O HAPPY EVERYDAY!  IT’S A NEW DAY!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

MORE THAN THE I CAN C!

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MORE THAN THE EYE CAN C!

SELAH Daily Devotions!

“And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.” Mark 10:49-52

Jesus had spent the day in Jericho along with His Disciples. As was His custom, He’d taken full advantage of each opportunity to share and teach Kingdom Wisdom with them throughout the day as He mingled throughout the neighborhods enroute to Jerusalem.

A young man came running after Him anxiously inquiring,‘What can I do, God Master, to get in on this Eternal Life thing’. And Jesus reminded him that Moses has already told the Jews what God had commanded of them. To which the young man proudly affirmed, ‘Cool! I already got that covered from my youth up!‘

‘Well then’, Jesus continued looking him dead in his eyes with deep compassion, ‘One more thing! Go and sell everything you own and give it to the poor’. Suddenly every ounce of windy-arrogance deflated, leaving the young man grieved and hopless. Knowing in his heart of hearts that the cost was more than he was willing to pay, he turned and walked away from The Only Way of Truth and Life!

Jesus, breathing a sigh of lament, said, “It’s not easy for the ‘well-to-do’s’ to enter into TheKingdom.” Now, lookingat His Disciples,”It’s easier for a camel to go thru a needles eye than for the rich to get into God’s Kingdom”. One of the Disciples, feeling dazzled and disappointment, asked Jesus, ‘Master, if the rich and the famous can’t afford Eternal life, then what chance do the rest of us have?’

“None at all”, Jesus said, “if you’re trying to get there on your own merits. BUT EVERY CHANCE IN THE WORLD, IF YOU WILL ALLOW GOD TO DO IT FOR YOU!”

Later that day as they were leaving Jericho, picking up an entourage of cheering by-standers, they passed a blind man, Bartimaeus, sitting on the side of the road begging for help to support himself. Hearing the loud voices that usually accompanied Jesus wherever He went, he inquired of someone in the crowd, ‘What’s going on?‘ ‘It’s Jesus, The Nazarene!’, someone yelled back. All of a sudden, in an even louder voice, Bartimaeus cried out, ‘JESUS,Son of David; JESUS! HAVE MERCY ON ME’! His cry was so loud that the people tried to shut him up! But, Bartimaeus refusing to miss his moment of Divine Encounter, would not be confined nor intimidated by the approvation or opinions of the same folk who’d walked by him day after day, totally oblivious, unconcerned and irresponsive to his desperate plight!

JESUS STOPPED! Ordering His Disciples, “Call him to me!” Somewhat apprehensively, they turned to Bartimaeus, ‘Well, seems like this is your lucky day. The Master is calling you to come.’ Immediately, Bartimaeus throwing off his beggar’s coat, went close to Jesus.

When Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” Without hesitation, the blind-beggar responded, ‘Rabbi! I want to see!” Jesus being touched by this man’s God-Honoring faith and unwavering determination, compassionately responded “On your way! Your faith has saved and healed you!” Instantly, Bartimaeus’ sight was completely restored and he followed Jesus! Not only did he get what he wanted, but he got EVEN more than he’d dared to imagine!

FAITH IN GOD HEALS PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, RELATIONALLY, FINANCIALLY AND SPIRITUALLY! MORE THAN THE EYE CAN C!

SELAH!

“Have a WONDER-FILLED day!”

Ann Caffee