Tag Archives: evidence

AFTER THIS, LOOK 4 THE GLORRAA

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SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And said to his servant, 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

 

It’s one thing to say that we trust God, but it’s how we endure the proving time that determines the genuineness of our trust! #Didjaheardat?

Life inevitably includes intervals of those pesty impositions I call ‘the dark times’! Like unexpected uninvited guest, trouble has a way of poppin in and staying way longer than we’d prefer! And to make matters even more unsettling, it’s during these seasons that we’re most likely to experience times when all evidence to substantiate that God is still with you and any sign indicating that He’s even listening to your prayers is essentially non-existent!

Knowing personally, it’s not easy watching our children’s lives being ravished by sickness and their youthful dreams and ambitions dissipated by helpless-hopelessness. But this is where the clichés that we so impressively sprout off to others are proven real or Memorex!  Beloved, the longer we walk with Jesus we discover that it’s in the midst of the storms that God reveals His Best Handy Work!  Who would’ve ever imagined that in spite of the dire forecast, The SON yet shines, leading and drawing us closer to Himself! Clearly, He’s determined, through any means necessary, to prove unequivocally that everything that the devil meant for evil, God can turn it around and make it work in our favor! (Ref. Romans 8:28)

Oh My! How my soul rejoiced that day, hearing that my son had given his life to The Lord during a bible study class the evening before! Little did I know that God would use this storm to woo him into seeking Him for himself , thereby positioning him for the miraculous showers of blessings that would follow! And most certainly, I never imagined as I was praying that God would stretch my faith and increase my knowledge of His Wisdom and Power, that I’d have to bury his twin brother to experience a whole new dimension of God’s Super-Sustaining Grace!

The Prophet Elijah teaches his young protégé that even when we can’t see no way to escape the very real threat of emminent destruction, we can yet trust God’s Heart and His Hands. God’s vision is far greater than 20/20. It’s from eternity past to eternity future! God watches guardingly over us thru The Blood stained eyes of Jesus. And through Divinely-inspired confident trust and quiet patience we discover the inexhaustible treaures God’s Faithfulness!

Today, you may find yourself plagued by all manner of maladies. Many of God’s people’s lives are being wounded and worn out by the insidious attacks of the enemies of God and  unfortunately, many are losing hope for life getting any better. But remember, anything is possible with God! TRUST2KNO, while our troubles have a predesignated date of expiration;  our prayers are eternal! #DIDJAHEARDAT??

As people of Hope, instead of surrendering to the pressures of circumstantial evidence, we pray; committing ourselves and our circumstances to our Omnipotent, Omniscient Omnipresent Savior and Lord! By doing this, we’re demonstrating to God that we are relying wholeheartedly upon His Love and the sufficiency of His Grace to sustain and deliver us! As we pray, God intervenes in His designated timing, turning everything the devil meant for evil—around for our greatest good and His Highest Glory! (Ref. 1 Chronicles 7:14)  #4REAL!

Don’t allow the darkness to deceive you. Could God be using the clouds to shield you from your enemies view, aligning you up for an unexpected miracle? (Ref. Exodus 13:21) I know it’s been a long night, but don’t give up!  They tell me, the darkest hour is just before the break of a new day. #Ijs!

Beloved, go take another look! SEEDAT? AFTER THIS, LOOK 4 THE GLORY!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

ABOVE AND BEYOND

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SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Psalm 113:4

But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee:… Isaiah 43:1-5

 

Trying to find certainty admidst a world that’s permeated with uncertainty is becoming increasingly arduous today, huh? One thing for certain, two things for sure: Life happens fast and furious! Preparing for the unexpected is a challenge for any of us! Saved and Unsaved alike!

Yet as believers in The Lordship of Jesus Christ, we’re taught to do just that! The Word of God warns us that when faced with seemingly overwhelming circumstances, to resist panic and anxiety! How many times has your circumstantial evidence threatened to destroy all hope for recovering the calmness that we once enjoyed walking in the comforting Presence of God’s Favor? #bothhandsup!

Nevertheless, time and wisdom have trained us that Satan delights in using the sporadic turbulent winds and  upheaval waves of chaos, temptations and uncertainty to manipulate and vex the minds of unsuspecting sainted-souls of God’s elect.

 

From the beginning, The Master of Diabolic Deception, has proven himself quite adept in distracting our hearts away from what we know of God!  He suptly moves in derailing and transitioning our commitment to unwavering trust  into questioning, doubt, unbelief; ultimately dissipating our hope-filled confidence into pits of of desperation, fear and despair! Don’t shout me down nah?

While it sometimes appears as if Satan has been declared the victor, it behooves you to not fall for the ‘ookey-doke’, and never ever underestimate The Sovereign Power of God! 

Remember, your enemies can’t intrude into your life, except God allows! TRUST2KNO, the only reason  that He ever permits a demon to invade your personal space, is to prove that GOD’S Purpose excels far beyond your temporary pain and discomfort!

Granted, it’s not easy to deny what’s right before your eyes! However, the things you see with your natural vision does not necessarily negate the spiritual reality that there’s more with you than there is against you. According to God’s Word, what we see is temporal, but the unseen is ETERNAL!  The enemy’s arsenal is flanked by confusion, isolation, intimidation teeming in FEAR. #FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL! BUT, TAKE ANOTHER LOOK!  Chances are, it ain’t what it looks like!  GOD has equipped us with HOLY GHOST POWER, LOVE AND A SOUND MIND! (Ref. 1 Peter 4:12-14) (1 John 4:4)

While Satan’s plotting to impede your confident reliance on God’s Presence and Prominence, your Loving Heavenly Father has a Irrevokable Plan, guaranteed to lead and guide you safely through the murky rivers of this life to the shores of Heaven’s Glory!  EVEN IF, some water gets into your boat,  YOU WON’T DROWN because  your life is anchored in the Rock!

Beloved,  jus keep clinging to The Eternal Hope of God’s Word, fully persuaded by Grace that whatever befalls you, it can’t stop your destiny! Ride out the storms in quiet confidence knowing GOD GOTCHA! (Ref. Hebrews 13:5)

JESUS LIVED ABOVE THE CIRCUMSTANCES! SO, WHAT’S UP WITH U?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

ITZ GOT 2 HAPPEN!

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ITZ GOT 2 HAPPEN

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Luke 1:45-47

 

Have you ever wondered why it’s so much easier to clasp, with such enthusiasm, the worldly fables such as Hercules, Spider Man, The Easter Bunny, and Santa Claus and yet when everything within you wants to embrace the reality of The Unseen God, it’s such a struggle? WOW!  Don’t shout me down, now…#ijs!

I suppose it has a lot to do with the other concept that folk have a tendency to deny, huh? Yall do know that everybody doesn’t believe that there’s a real devil that’s out to kill, still and destroy God’s most precious creation, humanity! Belief it or not, it’s still True! Nevertheless, the mutual advesary of all humanity, Satan, knows that if we ever slip over into that realm of Faith and actually believe God, it releases God to do whatever He’s spoken over your life! Beloved, your potential to receive is only limited by what you’re able to believe! (Ref. Hebrew 11:6)

But Thanks Be To God! Our Heavenly Father, The Eternal Creator and Sustainer of ALL Life, has the uncanny ability to ignore what you and I think we know and do whatever HE purposes to do! Hence, therein lies the root of our challenge, looking beyond what we see and believing  and trusting whateverrrr God says, huh?

The virgin, Mary’s statement typifies our innate tendency to swallow a camel but choke on a gnat! “How can this be since I know not a man” (Luke 1:34) But! We don’t have to be so hard on ourselves! We have lots of pressure from unseen forces hard at work to persuade us to focus on the insurmountable circumstantial evidence, personal deficits, past disappointments, failures and mistakes strategically designed to keep us from believing the Promises of God shall actually come to pass!

Howeverrrr! We must never underestimate The Immutable, Infallible, Absolute Reliability of The Word of God’s Power! (Ref. Hebrews 1:3) When God speaks, HE has the power to make it good! Every Word that God utters shall never ever (cannot) fall to the ground.! It MUST accomplish what it is sent to do and it shall not return unto Him void! (Ref. Isaiah 55:11) #Didjaheardat?

If God has to interrupt nature to bring His Promise to pass, so be it! Ask Elizabeth and Zachariah! God had promised Israel that He was going to send The Messiah (that they’d prayed so deligently for) to deliver them from their oppressors and save His people from their si ! YYYYEEETTTTT, when Zachariah heard the angel’s message that his wife, who’d been called barren, would conceive and bring forth his son, because of his doubt, he scoffed at this strange promise. “Now that don’t make no sense, how can such a thing happen? Therefore, God had to shut Zachariah’s mouth to keep him from spreading unbelief! Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Proverbs 18:31 OMG! 

Sounds uncomfortably TOO familiar, huh? Have you ever asked God for something but doubted that He’d do it?

Even if God goes silent for 400 hundred years, He doesn’t change His Mind! TRUST2KNO…God remembers what He’s already told you, so don’t you forget! 

Like Mary, just keep calling those things that be not as though they already are! And watch God manifest it!  (Ref Luke 1:36) And in the fullness of time, God broke protocol and The Word became flesh and dwelt among us! (Ref. Galatians 4:4; John 1:14)

Dontchakno? God heard your prayers! Hold on to The Promise and leave the rest to Jesus! Is there ANYTHING too hard for God? ABSOLUTELY NOT! So defy and denounce Satan’s lies!  REMEMBER, Satan’s always plotting, but GOD’S PLAN WILL ALWAYS PREVAIL!

So put your doubts to rest and trust GOD! In fact, if you really want to wreak havoc and confusion upon the kingdom of darkness don’t wait for the fat lady to start singing, OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND JUS BEGIN PRAISING JESUS…THROUGH THE TEST!  #SERIOUSLY!

C’MON NAH! OOOOHHH MAGNIFY THE LORD WITH ME AND LET US EXALT HIS NAME TOGETHER! IT’S ALL GOOD! #putapraizonIT! #CUZITZGOT2HAPPEN!!!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

FACTS VS. FAITH?

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FACTS VS. FAITH

SELAH Daily Devotions!

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10

Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. John 8:43-45

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

 

I’ve been told that in our Judicial system, oftimes a case is won or lost, based upon the credibility of the witnesses? Hence, I’d imagine that attorneys conduct pretty substantial investigations prior to putting an individual in the witness seat. Sometimes the prosecuting attorney will drop the case before it even reaches the court room, if the credibility of their star witness could potentially jeopardize their chances of a favorable verdict. At least, that’s the way that it used to be!

Unfortunately, in light of the gross corruption and the massive influx of deception trickling down from high places, most of us have become viciously suspicious of  what is often presented as truth versus reality! I mean, when our leaders stand in front of the Flag and proclaim, “Don’t believe what you see or what you hear from the major news networks, because it’s all fake news, but believe what I say!”  I, KNOW; WHO EVVRRR THOUGHT, huh?

And within the hour, The Washington Post Fact Checker, who is keeping a running list of the suspect statements since the innauguration, assert that “In the 497 days since he took the oath of office, POTUS has made 3,251 false or misleading claims (averaging about 6.5 alternative facts per day)!  #SERIOUSLY? Kinda makes it a bit hard to injest what’s REAL and what’s perverted conjecture and selfish manipulation, despite the corroborating videos! C’mon nah! #ijs! 

I wonder how these alternative facts impact The False Claim Act?  And does anybody remember when Pluto was a planet? Ooops, I digress! 

Beloved, throughtout the Scriptures we find our common adversary, Satan, adamantly accusing those of us who have trusted in the Saving Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, before The Father day and night. He’s been at it for so long and surprisingly has far too many knotches on his belt. His primary SOP is to first target our will, confronting our pride, attacking our hearts and our conscious by reminding us of our failures and defeats. He knows that fear and doubt left unrestrained will soon paralyze our faith,  deminish any hope of receiving God’s Grace and eventually we’ll tap out! And then you know what happens, generally we find ourselves on the defense trying to justify ourselves rather repenting, asking God’s forgiveness and being restored to right-standing with the Father of All Mercies and God of All Comfort! (Ref. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

I don’t know about you, but I am tired of getting played like a three-strings guitar! Especially since, our Heavenly Father has already settled my case, once and for all! “And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” (Zachariah 3:2)

Didjacdat? God shut the devil down…WITH THE TESTIMONY OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS!

I don’t care how much circumstantial evidence the da devil has presented against you today, you need to carefully consider the facts. The devil is a thief, a killer and a liar! On the other hand, based upon the testimony of Jesus Christ as outlined in the opening statements above, God’s Holiness, Integrity, Faithfulness and Trustworthiness is time tested. “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. (Psalm 119:89)

Oh, don’t get me wrong, my decisions do not always hail me to be shiniest penny in the pocket! However, my precious ones, there are two adjudications that I can wholeheartedly guarantee which have proven to be regret-free! JESUS IS THE BEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPEN TO ME and EVERYTHING I HAVE EVER NEEDED, I’VE  FOUND IN JESUS! Sounds pretty solid to me, huh?

According to the author of Hebrews, our faith is not transitory! But faith in God, while not validated by visible circumstances, is an inward conviction that fortifies our confidence to forge forward, trusting wholly that He Who Promised, is faithful to perform that which we Hope for! (Ref. Hebrews 10:23)  

Now, it’s not my business to tell you what to do,  howeverrrrr,  but simply to encourage you to make an informed decision based on the facts presented from the mouths of two or more witness, Amen?  

THE HOLY BIBLE confirms, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Numbers 23:19)  Based on the incredible  amount of authenticated historical evidence accumulated and corroborated by the testimonials of a cloud of witnesses peering over the portals of heaven,  I’m stickin WITH THE ROCK!

It’s my profound belief that my readers are intellectually competent to make informed decisions! Amen?

NOW THAT THE EVIDENCE HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO YOU, IT’S TIME FOR YOU TO EXERCISE YOUR POWER OF CHOICE! WHO’S REPORT R U GONNA BELIEVE?  FACTS OR FAITH! #ijs #BOOM!!!!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

SMALL BEGINNINGS!

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SMALL BEGINNINGS

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

For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.  Zechariah 4:10
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 sees you or is 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, intentionally, by regurgitating what God has promised! 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 become an endangered phenomenon! Can you imagine  Elijah’s 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?

Like the Prophet Zerubbabel, I know,  all too well, the struggle involved to overcome the external and internal challenges of any Pastor, assigned to build a new ministry from the ground up! Especially, when it means persuading. encouraging and emboldening a small group of believers, firstly, that this is The Lord’s Doing and not ours! Secondly, we must be prepared to endure the ‘mean time’ armed with the realization that God’s vision for the church is always greater than natural eyes can conceive.

As leaders, we must also accept that everybody’s not going to be eager to jump onboard! Nevertheless,  God has assigned His number to lay the foundation and rejoices in the faithfulness of those who are willing to grab hold to His Word and move forward, convinced that despite of the opposition, under Jehovah’s watchful Eye and empowered by Holy Spirit, the vision shall come to pass!

Beloved, as Blood-washed-born-again-Children of The Most High God, we must understand that Satan’s never gong to High-5 us and say, ‘Uncle’! But from the cradle to the grave he’s going to work overtime to cause us to give up on our Lord! Hence, we must expect our faith to be stretched beyond our comfort zone!

Watching my son’s life ravished by sickness, unemployment, discouragement, depression, 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 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!

Always remember, 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 ones into The Kingdom. While weeping may endure for a night, however, with every breaking of a new day, God 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,  if you find yourself smack-dab-in-the-middle of what  seems like the sun ain’t never gonna shine again, keep looking up! You’re not alone! TRUTHBTOLD, 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 and Zerubbabel, 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!

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Eccl. 7:8  #SMALLBEGINNINGS!!!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

UNREASONABLE HOPE?

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UNREASONABLE HOPE

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 1 Peter 3:15

 

Daily, the end-time prophetic utterances are being actualized in real-time-illustrated- sermons. You don’t have to be a Biblical Scholar or Seminar Theologian to recognize that we’re living in troubling times and that the end is nearer now than its ever been. The world is spirialing towards Eternity at the speed of life and there’s absolutely nothing man can do to effectively change the course of destiny! Except humble himself and surrender his life to His Creator! The problem is, far too many are yet unwilling to accept Truth even as it’s glaring at us right between our eyes. What’s up with dat?  Perhaps we might glean some insight from The Bible.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. John 3:19.

Honestly, The Bible never tells us that after we make the decision to live holy, as unto The Lord, that we can just relax stretched out on a flowery bed of ease. Yet, it does promise rewards of a better life than those who refuse to accept The Savior’s Amazing Grace. Nevertheless, far too many still opt to take the pathway of least resistance. Falling prey to the assumption that rejection liberates them from that pesty notion called ‘accountability’, they prefer the more popular alleyway of “I’m the master of my own destiny; therefore I’ll do whatever seems right in my own mind for as long as I feel like it! And IF there is a GOD, then I expect Him to calculate my good and evil deeds and compassionately determine that since I’m not like so and so, He’ll let me come thru The Pearly Gates.”

Unfortunately, sometimes the-saints don’t fare much better! When challenged by unfavorable situations, fear and doubt will slither in, causing us to erroneously accuse and attack the Faithfulness of Jehovah Jireh with a “Where are you GOD? Why is this happening to me? I am born-again, I’ve been baptized. I’m not perfect, but I deserve better than this. Besides, I thought we’re no longer under the Law but under The Dispensation of Grace. So EVEN if I still walk in unfaithful disobedience, God, you know my heart, right?”

Ironically, the more holy your lifestyle, the more of a target of unsavory rejection and reproof you become to those who choose not to live Godly. Evidently, your Godliness testifies against their Godlessness! (Ref. 2 Timothy 3:12) Is there any wonder that our (those of us who actually believe that The Holy Bible is The Word of God) attempts to share TRUTH are often ‘buked and scorned, castoff with disgust, as if we’re such an annoying nuisance? That is until The Adversary rips into their comfortable lives threatening to destroy their self-orchestrated world! Can I get a good Amen?

Oftimes, these frantic inquirers have no clue that trouble does not discriminate between the just and the unjust. In fact, it’s almost as if Satan gets a double-kick out of terrorizing the saints even more than those rebellious unbelievers. Kinda makes you wonder if demons are rewarded with trophies for bringing down God’s Elect!

Nonetheless, God allows tests and trials to strike our lives, knowing full well that there’s a group of haters watching and waiting for you to faith, fail and fall! Remember, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” Psalm 23:4-5

Hence, the greater the darkness, the brighter Light shines! It’s almost unfair, considering the supernatural advantage that we, who no longer rely on fate-based-circumstantial-evidence, have over the unregenerated souls. But, then again; favor ain’t fair!  #ijs

When the world sees you still standing, having endured the ravaging assault of hell’s fiery darts, surviving the very same pitfalls, hardships and struggles, yet determined to sanctify our hearts, trusting God regardless of what the circumstances look like! Talk about a REAL living testimony, huh?

Can you imagine the devastating gut-ravishing rage that your commitment to Christ causes in the Kingdom of Darkness? More importantly, can you imagine the joy, applauds, shouting and dancing erupting from Heaven’s angelic hosts, not to mention the cloud of witnesses cheering us on? (Ref. Hebrews 12:1) NOW AIN’T DAT AMAZING!

Come what may…whatever we go through, we have The Blessed Assurance that our Victory is inevitable! Okay, now that’s just too good to keep to yourself!

That’s exactly why we gotta keep telling everybody that what we have reaches far beyond this world and RESTS SOLELY IN THE ETERNAL HOPE PERSONIFIED, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WHO REIGNS FOREVER! #SOUNDREASONABLE? #WOW!!!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

AFTER THIS…LOOK 4 THE GLORY!

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after-this-look-4-the-glory-2

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And said to his servant, 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

 

It’s one thing to say that we trust God, but it’s how we endure the proving time that determines the genuineness of our trust! #Didjaheardat?

Life inevitably includes intervals of those pesty impositions I call ‘the dark times’! Like unexpected uninvited guest, trouble has a way of poppin in and staying way longer than we’d prefer! And to make matters even more unsettling, it’s during these seasons that we’re most likely to experience times when all evidence to substantiate that God is still with you and any sign indicating that He’s even listening to your prayers is essentially non-existent!

Knowing personally, it’s not easy watching our children’s lives being ravished by sickness and their youthful dreams and ambitions dissipated by helpless-hopelessness. But this is where the clichés that we so impressively sprout off to others are proven real or Memorex!  Beloved, the longer we walk with Jesus we discover that it’s in the midst of the storms that God reveals His Best Handy Work!  Who would’ve ever imagined that in spite of the dire forecast, The SON yet shines, leading and drawing us closer to Himself! Clearly, He’s determined, through any means necessary, to prove unequivocally that everything that the devil meant for evil, God can turn it around and make it work in our favor! (Ref. Romans 8:28)

Oh My! How my soul rejoiced that day, hearing that my son had given his life to The Lord during a bible study class the evening before! Little did I know that God would use this storm to woo him into seeking Him for himself , thereby positioning him for the miraculous showers of blessings that would follow! And most certainly, I never imagined as I was praying that God would stretch my faith and increase my knowledge of His Wisdom and Power, that I’d have to bury his twin brother to experience a whole new dimension of God’s Super-Sustaining Grace!

The Prophet Elijah teaches his young protégé that even when we can’t see no way to escape the very real threat of emminent destruction, we can yet trust God’s Heart and His Hands. God’s vision is far greater than 20/20. It’s from eternity past to eternity future! God watches guardingly over us thru The Blood stained eyes of Jesus. And through Divinely-inspired confident trust and quiet patience we discover the inexhaustible treaures God’s Faithfulness!

Today, you may find yourself plagued by all manner of maladies. Many of God’s people’s lives are being wounded and worn out by the insidious attacks of the enemies of God and  unfortunately, many are losing hope for life getting any better. But remember, anything is possible with God! TRUST2KNO, while our troubles have a predesignated date of expiration;  our prayers are eternal! #DIDJAHEARDAT??

As people of Hope, instead of surrendering to the pressures of circumstantial evidence, we pray; committing ourselves and our circumstances to our Omnipotent, Omniscient Omnipresent Savior and Lord! By doing this, we’re demonstrating to God that we are relying wholeheartedly upon His Love and the sufficiency of His Grace to sustain and deliver us! As we pray, God intervenes in His designated timing, turning everything the devil meant for evil—around for our greatest good and His Highest Glory! (Ref. 1 Chronicles 7:14)  #4REAL!

Don’t allow the darkness to deceive you. Could God be using the clouds to shield you from your enemies view, aligning you up for an unexpected miracle? (Ref. Exodus 13:21) I know it’s been a long night, but don’t give up! They tell me, the darkest hour is just before the break of a new day.

Beloved, go take another look! SEEDAT? AFTER THIS, LOOK FOR THE GLORY!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

RISKY BUSINESS

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RISKY BUSINESS

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

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

 

At the hazard of being sacrilegious or sounding debasing, may I submit for your consideration that today’s scripture text may very well be the Preamble to God’s Covenant between every born-again, blood-washed believer and The Almighty Creator and Sustainer of Life! Truthfully, no one enters into a personal relationship with God without faith and without it, it’s impossible to please Him. (Ref. Hebrew 11:6) Yet, quiet as it’s kept, one of the hardest things for a Christian to do is to live by faith and not by sight.

The difficulty may stem from its decisive departure from the profound proclamation of this world’s culture, i.e., “seeing is believing”. Whereas, when we come into The Kingdom of God, we are taught “believe to see the invisible achieve the impossible”! (Ref. Psalm 27:13) Perhaps that’s why Christianity tends to defy the logic of the more mentally astute intellectuals. Expressly, if I can’t see it, touch it, smell it, taste it…it can’t possibly be real. Undeniably, faith demands risks that not everyone is willing to take!

Biblical Faith commands a conscious decision based solely on our willingness to trust in An Invisible Maker’s ability and commitment to fulfill yet unrealized promises. Specifically, we must first believe that there is A Holy God; Who before the foundation of the world, Sovereignly made immutable promises to His Chosen people which history has established GOD’s absolute commitment to fulfill every last one of them forever!

Coming out from a world where integrity is at an all time low, sometimes “trusting” can be an almost insurmountable challenge to even the most sincere hearted saints. However, as you continue to walk with Jesus, you discover that He is indeed Trustworthy and Forever Faithful! As you spend time in fellowship with HIM through prayer and studying The Word of God, you’ll unearth a perfecting of your faith and a level of trust mounting just like yeast in fresh dough.

A Living Faith is trusting the Promises of God, despite all of the circumstantial evidence that testifies to the pointlessness of expecting these things to somehow work together for our good and His Greatest Glory!  Just when everything within incites us to abandon all hope, suddenly out of  the depts of our inner-most being, a supernatural unction swells up igniting a Divine Impartation of Hope against hope! (Ref. Romans 4:18)

Can you imagine where we would be if Jesus had looked at us and decided, ‘What’s the point? Dad, scratch that! Let’s just start over again with a new batch”?  In Hell, probably, huh? But Thank God! Our Heavenly Father refused to leave so Great a Task up to the fickleness of our flawed flesh! The Bible says, Jesus looked beyond all our faults, seeing our needs, faithfully submitted Himself to do His Father’s Will and humbly came down to secure Eternal Salvation for any who would trust and accept His Divine Provision, GRACE!

WOW! KNOWING WHAT SOME OF US WERE B.C. (BEFORE CHRIST)…NOW THAT’S WHAT YOU CALL, TAKING A RISK…SERIOUSLY!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Pastor Ann Caffee

 

 

SLAVE 2 HOPE!

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African black hands in chains on white

SELAH Daily Devotions!

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”…being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. Romans 4:18, 21

 

Do you remember, as a child, ever being warned by your parents (supposing to avoid the pain of disappointment),“Don’t get your hopes up”? For many of us, the devil was laying a foundation for years of pessimism, doubt, unbelief, hopelessness, low self-esteem, depression and despair! WOW! Who Knu?

Ever wonder why God told us not to walk by our feelings? Well, if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably accumulated enough regrets, resulting from poor choices you’ve made listening to your fickle-feelings, to realize how irrational flesh can be, huh?

Let’s set the record straight! Sometimes, it’s difficult to ascribe a tag to feelings; feelings jus are! Directed by proper motivation, feelings are good! That’s why we need the Spirit of Discernment! Remember, when out of no where, you felt that bleep that kept on bleeping up  out of your spirit and something told you…‘don’t go that way, stop right now and turn around or call so-and-so, pray for him now?

Unfortunately, more often than not, we’re tempted to dismiss things if it doesn’t fit within the realm of our logic. Kinda like Abram’s first response to the burning bush! Yet, something pricked his curiosity to closely investigate and ultimately leading him into a personal encounter with The Supernatural Almighty God!

Abram over-ruling emotions and human reasoning, choosing to consider not what he could see (circumstantial evidence) but rather believed and reached for what was not seen! That was faith, yall!

Now, the world looks at this and calls it foolishness, weakness and denial! However, the scriptures reveal that Abram was clearly aware that except by Divine Intervention, it was impossible for a 100 year old man and a 90 year old woman to conceive and birth a child! Because God does nothing in the earth until He gets a man to come into agreement with Him, have you ever wondered what if Abram and Sarai had continued to jus laugh off the promised as an impossible pipe-dream, if perhaps…???

No doubt over the next 25 loonnng years, Abram faced many demonic challenges tempting him to give up his hope of  living to see the manifestation of such a miraculous feat. Yet, against all hope, Abraham hope on! Oooh Glorraa2GAWD! God testified that because Abram believed that His God had the power to shift nature and call those things that be not as though they were, Abraham received the Promise and thus became the Father of our faith!

Howeverrr, how often have we insisted upon ignoring that still small voice of conscience to satisfy feelings of our own lusting, self-centered emotions driven by fear of ‘What if and What’s in it for me’? Even if it means forfeiting our Hope and God’s Peace?  OMG! The next time, perhaps we need to re-think before we act on them, huh? #ijs

Beloved, HONESTLY! This walk of faith that GOD EXPECTS is NOT REALLY all that unreasonable when your HOPE is firmly rooted and ground in Jesus Alone, consistently trusting, wholly relying upon HIS Supernatural Grace to strengthened us to walk out our faith, looking unto JESUS, obeying HIS teachings and patiently awaiting HIM to fulfill every Promise that HE has ever spoken over our lives! #Didjaheardat? SLAVE2HOPE!

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