Tag Archives: favor

UNREASONABLE HOPE?

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

GOD DID IT!

 

GOD DID IT.1

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And thinkest thou this O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgement of God? Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness, and forebearance and long-suffering; not kowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? Romans 2:3-4

 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. Romans 7:24-25

 

A while ago, I heard a preacher confessing that at one time he was an avid believer and willing partaker of one of the greatest lies that Satan has perpetrated. As he went on to talk about his early perception of God, I began reflecting back on the  B.C. (Before Christ) in my own personal life, I humbly concluded, “You ain’t by yourself preacha!” If we would be honest, for real, a whole lot of us would have to raise both our hands and say “Amen 3X, Preacha!”

How many of you once believed that somewhere, way out there, there was a Great Big Ol’ Angry God, watching and recording every single thing you did? And when you had accumulated that mystical, unknown number of sins, His Hand of Wrath would suddenly appear from heaven, striking you down with a big sledge hammer, crush you and fling your po’ soul straight into the devil’s hell! Oh, C’mon nah; don’t play me like you never…

Perhaps you were with that other group—the self-righteous, who ascribe to the lie that when they get themselves together, they fully intend to start going to church but they’re not going to be no hypocrite, like all them other folk. They’re gonna be real about serving God! And we all know how that’s gonna turn out, huh?

Truth be told, this  sin-thing started way before any of us were born! Because of our original progenitor’s high treason against the Righteous instructions given by The Creator of Life, we are all born naughty by nature! Thus, every human born into the earth since our fore-parents’ willful rebellion is corrupted by an innate disorder called iniquity! Now, don’t look at me with that self-righteous attitude! (Ref. Ps. 51:5) 

But, it goes deeper! The Glory of Innocence that once covered Adam and us had now been disrupted by sin, exposing us to evil, guilt, shame and fear! That precious intimacy with God that man once enjoyed in Paradise was violently yanked from him plunging all of creation into gross darkness and utter chaos! And as they say, the rest is history, huh?

Now, just think about all those times GOD could’ve, should’ve, BUT didn’t serve you your just desserts! Remember all those unfulfilled promises you made (lies) just before GOD delivered you, againEvvrrr wonder, how many times God chose to withhold justice prefering to dispense Grace and Mercy towards us? WOW! Haven’t got a clue, huh? Neither do I! #ijs

Can we be for real? You and I will never, ever be good enough to remotely qualify as ‘acceptable’ to a HOLY GOD—SO….get over you! God already knew that we’d fall short numerous times, BEFORE AND AFTER WE RECEIVED JESUS!  That’s why, before we were even formed in our mother’s womb, God’s plan of Salvation was already established!

Ephesians 2:8 declares, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”! Didjaheardat? God never left it up to us! Salvation is God’s free gift.

That’s the GOSPEL! It’s called GRACE, YALL! And guess what?  This offer is still available to WHOSOEVER will humble themselves before God, acknowledge themselves as sinners who have no other Hope for Salvation but JESUS and accept His Amazingly-Gracious-Merciful GIFT OF FORGIVENESS!

NOW, don’t get it twisted! There is such a thing as frustrating the GRACE OF GOD! Hence, it behooves each of us to make a sincere concerted effort to daily live our lives doing those things that are pleasing to GOD! Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? GOD FORBID. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Ref. Romans 6:1-2)

I KNOW THIS SOUNDS 2 good 2 be true!  YET, IT IS! GOD ALREADY DID EVERYTHING NEEDED 2 SAVE ANY ONE OF US! THAT’S JUS HOW GOOD GOD IS! NOW??? WHAT’S UR EXCUSE, huh?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

STUPEFYING!

STUPEFYING

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? 2 Samuel 9:7-8
“Why me?”
 
How many times have we found ourselves spurting these words out of our mouths? Whether out of a sense of cynical-rhetorical contemptuousness or an overwhelming comeback to the lusciousness of God’s unexpected favoritism, we can all identify with Mephibosheth’s response to King David. (Ref. 2 Samuel 9) Especially, since none of us can honestly claim that we deserve to be so blessed in the first place, huh? Truthfully, any good that we do is generally accidental! So, as far as standing up to the standards of GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS, we’re all lame in both feet! (Ref. Romans 3:23) Can I get a holy Hallelujah and three AMENS?
 
But that’s the whole point! It’s the Wonder of God’s unmerited goodness that sets us apart from the rest of the world!
 
Knowing us from the inside-out, not just what you did–but why,  your Heavenly Father blessed you anyway! Despite all the justifiable circumstantial evidence to support our accuser’s objections, The Eternal Judge over-rules them, dismissing the case, covers you in HIS Royal Robe of Righteousness, leaving them (and sometimes even us) scratching their heads, dumbfounded and paralyzed uttering in amazement “What jus happened?” 
 
Creation clearly demonstrates God’s propensity for details. Behold, how marvelously God pieces the individual segments of our lives to fit perfectly jointed together for our highest good and His Greatest Glory! (Ref. Romans 8:28) His Handiwork, often mysteriously hidden behind the clouds, weaving the highs and the lows, the strides and the falls, the haves and the have nots, lovingly bonding the momentary to the eternal, paints a collage that captivates the attention of that passerby to stop and ponder; taking much needed periods of reflection, introspection, covetously inquires “Why not me?”
 
THANK GOD for that day when, like Mephibosheth, we finally get it! Casting off fear, we fall prostrate before our Benevolent Faithful King in humble obedience, with everlasting joy, declaring “For you O Lord are my Everlasting Hope!” (Ref. Psalm 16:5)

GOD SO LOVED…ME?  I KNOW IT MAKES NO SENSE, BUT…YES HE DOES!  AND HE ALWAYS WILL! #DIDJAGETIT???
 
SOOOO…WITH ABUNDANT JOY WE GRATEFULLY  SUCCUMB TO THE WONDER OF OUR GOD!  STUPEFYING, huh? #ijs #WOW!
 
SELAH!
 
Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!”
 
Ann Caffee

GOD’S HELP!

GOD'S HELP B

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Ephesians 4:7

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8

 

OMG! Did we ever get dat twisted? GRACE that is!

Guilty! I remember it, just like Mama and probably her Mama and undoubtedly my own kids to theirs, asking, “DidjasayyourGrace?” God knows, we didn’t know! But now, knowing the true meaning and eternal value of GRACE, (God’s unmerited, unearned favor towards us) makes it even more Awemazzzin, huh?

 When Jesus conquered death, He ascended into Heaven and sent back to us the Precious Gift of Holy Spirit emboldening the Body of Christ (The Church), with everything we’d evrrr need to fulfill, not only our individual God-ordained purpose, but GOD’s Eternal Purpose in the earth—To colonize a God-Centered society giving Light and Life to a dark sin-filled world!

Howeverrr, didjakno that even today, some believers act as if Grace is simply a free pass to continue in sin?  SERIOUSLY! 

In essence, not only does such erroneous thinking usually lead to continuous rebellion, it completely misrepresents and dishonors Christ Jesus’ Sacrifice on The Altar at Calvary! Grace is more aptly recognized as God’s Divine Enabling Power Gifts, which He has Sovereignly equipped, measuring out to each believer, according to their specific tasks in The Kingdom of God!

While there are a variety of spiritual giftings, every gift is vital to the health of The Body! Hence, jealousy, envy, covetous and certainly competitiveness between our brothers and sister’s gifts is uncharacteristically absurd for a Christian, considering the Source is the same for each gift, The Holy Spirit! (Ref. 1 Corinthians 12) After all, these gifts are not given to boast in ourselves, but to boost up and to glorify The Kingdom of Heaven in the earth! That’s why the scriptures warn us that The BookKeeper is keeping track of every deed that is done in our bodies and one day we will all be judged for how we used our gifts to promote the advancement of The Kingdom of God to a lost and dying world! (Ref. 2 Corinthians 5:10)

Sounds to me like it’s a total abuse of time bickering and complaining about what somebody else has or doesn’t and even more foolish, wishin’ and hopin’ you had, huh? Hence, time might be more wisely appropriated by diligently seeking to discover our own ultimate “WHY and WHACHA COME HERE FOR!”

IN OTHER WORDS, WHATEVER GOD’S PUT ON YOUR HEART 2 DO 4 HIS GLORY, RECOGNIZE THAT HE’S FAVORED U TO WORK DAT THANG!  OH, AND DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE NAYSAYERS, WITH GOD’S HELP, FAILURE AIN’T EVEN AN OPTION!  #datzGRACE!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

THURSDAYS’ PRAYERS!

prayn-and-fasting-pic

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

GOOD MORNING SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH! GOTTA MOMENT? AWESOME!

I am excited that you’ve decided to join us once again in our weekly Thursdays’ Corporate Prayer and Fasting! We are eternally grateful that God has extended His Scepter towards whosoever will entreat His Presence with our praise, petitions and supplications find Grace & Mercy, Wisdom and Understanding to withstand these last and evil days! SHALL WE GO IN…

Welcome Holy Spirit! We are IN YOUR PRESENCE! Fill us with Your POWER, LIVE INSIDE OF ME! YOU’RE MY LIVING WATER! NEVER-ENDING FOUNTAIN; COMFORTER & COUNSELOR; TAKE COMPLETE CONTROL…HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD! SING WITH ME HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD; FOR ALL 2 C HOW GREAT, HOW GREAT…IS OUR GOD!

Our Father and Our God, we come before You, once again, giving Glory and Honor to You! For You Alone are Worthy of all praise! There is none like You, neither will there ever be! For You Alone are Holy and Righteous! We bless You for revealing GODSELF to all who will call upon Your Name. We bless You for that day You opened the eyes of our understanding that we might behold The Light of Your Glory in the Face of Your Only Begotten Son, Jesus enabling us to accept His Life, Death, Burial & Resurrection as Substitutionary Atonement for our sin! We’re eternally grateful to Jesus’ Loving Obedience that caused Him to endure the suffering, despising the shame of Calvary’s Cross that we might be delivered, redeemed, vindicated, adopted to inherit the rich benefits of The Kingdom of God! For this cause we bow our hearts and our heads, in humble reverence crying out, Hallelujah to The Lamb of God!

We bless You Holy Father, for by Your Own Hand You have bought us unto GODSELF! For it is IN YOU that we live, move and have our very being! You are the Source and Sustainer Who Satisfies all life! We know that no man is justified by his own works but by faith IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST alone are we saved! We bless You Holy Spirit for abiding in us, leading, guiding, enabling all who have placed our personal trust in Jesus to live our lives everyday, yielding to The Spirit of Truth, which is able to transform us from Grace to Grace, perfecting us that we might exemplify Your Divine Nature to this lost and dying world!

Sweet Jesus, You are The WORD PERSONIFIED! We bless You for teaching us how to walk upright, enduring the mockery of those who despise and reject Truth! Your unconditional Love, Kindness and forgiveness towards us, while we were yet sinners, provokes us to love and forgive others who offend us, knowing not what they do. We bless You for Your Patience and Compassion that yet allows You to look at us through Blood-Stained Eyes, remembering our human frailty—EVEN SINCE WE’VE BELIEVED—and so graciously offering us mercy instead of justice, washing us in The Precious Blood of Jesus, cleansing us from all unrighteousness and restoring our peaceful fellowship with You, as we quickly repent by confessing our sin against You!

For this cause, we gladly present our spirit, soul and body as a living holy sacrifice to be used for Your Greatest Glory!

Precious Lord, because no man can come to the Father except you draw them, we intercede on behalf of every unsaved soul, please quicken the Spirit of Godly-repentance in their heart and in their mind that they will come to you today confessing a“sincere Yes” to your Amazing Gift of Grace and receive You as their personal Lord and Savior! We’re believing that You will Divinely orchestrate their footsteps settleling them into a local church home today.

Lord, we ask You to put a new “committed YES” in the heart and mind of every backslider! Let today be the day that they come back to You and come back to YOUR church where they will submit their lives to the sound teachings of Your Word, and learn to love Your Word and live their lives walking in holiness in order to please You First!

Father, we pray that You will touch our brother, touch our sister whose body has been afflicted by sickness and disease, especially the spirit of cancer, kidney disease, heart/lung disease, dementia, sickle-cell, MS, Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis and rebuke and cast it out at the root, for Your Name Sake. Heavenly Father, You have decreed that You are Alpha and Omega, the same yesterday, today and forever! Therefore, even as You walked this earth healing all who were sick, feeble, lame we know that You’re Well Able to do the same right now! Your Word declares that Your stripes have redeemed and healed us and we’re yet standing on your promises that the prayer of faith shall save the sick and raise them up, In Jesus Name! Amen 3x!

Dear Lord, we’re believing for every believer who is yet holding on to Your Hand by faith today, that You will release Divine power, Supernatural Strength and Health, Wholeness, Provision, Prosperity and Protection! We’re trusting that You will preserve each and everyone of us thru the tests that we must go thru and keep us constantly aware of YOUR PRESENCE and fully-confident that at the appointed time,You, will bring us out wholly restored, renewed, refreshed and with the reward as You have promised in Your Holy Word!

Heavenly Father, we pray according to Your Will, for the leaders of our nation, corporate, judicial, education, financial institutions and our churches! We’re asking that You touch the minds and hearts, that You speak to them in the nighttime with dreams and visions! Let them know that You Who Sit Enthroned Above the Heavens is OMNSCIENT and keep records of the deeds of every man’s heart and will reward accordingly!

Abba, we ask that You encourage and comfort the souls of Your Elect who are overwhelmed with fear, doubt and worry because of the things that are going on in our personal lives and in this ungodly world systems! Send Assurance that we are never alone, and never without Your Very Present Help!

Father, we’re thanking You for an outpouring of Your Divine Favor upon each and every one of your children who are seeking employment, promotion, approval for student/car/home loans! We acknowledge YOU as Jehovah Jareh, Who shall supply all of our need according to Your Riches in Glory!
Father we decree that every demonic-induced spirit of addiction and fear is defeated NOW because of Your Anointing and that the Spirit of Love, Power and Sound-mindness and Purpose is being released in the lives of Your people now, in Jesus Name!

Heavenly Father, as we close our prayer, we bring so many before Your throne O God. Those who are broken hearten, trapped by sorrow and grief, feeble in body and spirit, the one at a crossroad of life, the ones addicted to harmful substances, our armed forces, policemen, fire and rescue personnel, nurses, doctors, pastors and leaders, missionaries far and near; our leaders of the world. We’re trusting You to send peace where there is confusion, send love where there is hate, send unity where there is division. Bless the fatherless and motherless. Keep us ALL in your care. These favors we ask in Jesus mighty name!!For we believe that YOU WILL KEEP ALL WHO WANT TO BE KEPT!

Father we wait in confidence and quietness, rejoicing in hope and trusting wholly that all workers of iniquity are trembling and suddenly departing in shameful defeat, because You have heard the voice of our weeping, our supplications and received our prayer as a sweet savor coming up before Your Sovereign Throne of Grace and Mercy!

Abba Father, we stand in agreement with You Who hears ours prayers and forgives our transgressions! Holy Father, because You have chosen to call us ‘MINE’, we shout with exceeding Joy unto The Hope of all the earth, believing that as Your face shines upon us, You are making Your Ways and Salvation known among all nations for You Guide and Rule justly!

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

Now every child of God who is standing in agreement with this prayer, GO TELL SOMEBODY THAT JESUS STILL SAVES! HALLELUJAH!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

 

 

REFUGE

REFUGE

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. Nahum 1:7

 

One of those most prominent desires of humanity is a sense of security. Thanks to our progenitors, Adam and Eve, the moment that we submitted to the diabolic deception of The Tempter, Satan, we got what we wanted but lost what we had! Scriptures reveal the absolute perfection that they enjoyed walking in The Will of Creator God! Any and everything their pure hearts desired was readily available to them just for the asking. Yet, the one thing God required of them was the same thing that the devil used to lure them away from what God commanded, faithful obedience!

Since mankind’s expulsion from The Paradise of The Garden Eden, we’ve been trying to find our own piece of peace in the midst of this sin-fated world we’ve been forced to inhabit. Adding insult to injury, from the moment Abel’s blood hit the earth, all of Cain’s descendants, were destined to sojourn throughout the earth, cursed and marked for The Righteous Vengeance of The Lord! This spirit of rebellion soon gave way to anger, spiraling into murder nailing the coffin shut for any hope of returning to the blissful state of innocence and intimacy that once endowed God’s Most Precious Creation!
Despite the culmination of 21st Century’s technological achievements and the once unimaginable creative creature comforts and conveniences, a quick glance at any day’s breaking news headlines, confirm that man’s aspiration for attaining such lofty state of uninterrupted serenity, equanimity and freedom from disturbances continues to evade us!

BUT! Thanks Be To GOD! Jehovah’s Loyal Love (refusing to be denied) ordained before the foundation of the world, a Perfect Rest for anyone who cries out to Him earnestly, in sincere contrition for Salvation IN THE PERSON OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST! (Ref. 1 Peter 1:20)

Sometimes, looking back from this side of Calvary’s Cross, it’s more convenient to blame the horrid conditions of our world on the careless apathy of our first parents. And, depending on the weight of the trial or struggle, we just might point our fist toward God. After all, HE’S GOD and HE could’ve stopped sin in it’s track, right? Yet, Wisdom and Grace soon deter us from persisting in such foolishness!

The truth of the matter is that the seed of sin has regenerated, thus degenerating our morality, perverting our sense of right and wrong to the extent that we can no longer trust in the arms of flesh, particularly our own hearts!

BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD!

In the midst of these perilous times, we need to know that God has prepared (by HIS Own Hand), a safe haven for those of us, who will place our personal trust, confidence and absolute reliance in the immutability of God’s Righteous Character: Holy, Just, Truth, Honor and Omnipotent Power!

When life is raging beyond what you can weather and the billows of trouble threaten to devour you, remember there is a prepared place of Refuge! In God, believers, escaping from the cares of this world, dwell under the Wings of Adonai and find rest and safety from hurt and harm in this life and the life to come!

“The name of the Lords a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10

Beloved, the moment you make a conscious irretrievable decision to not lean to your own interpretations, but determine to acknowledge, from the seat of your soul, that regardless of all of the circumstantial evidence, God’s Unfailing Love shall never forsake you, you will begin to experience unspeakable Joy and overwhelming Peace that jus don’t make no sense! Didjaheardat? Awemaazing, huh?

YEP! TRUST2KNO, WHEN THE STORMS OF LIFE ARE AUDACIOUSLY RAGING AND THE  FRENZIED SURGE OF UNCERTANTY ARE THREATENING TO MAKE YOU LOSE YOUR FOOTING, THERE IS A DEATH-DEFYING ROCK OF REFUGE FOR THOSE WHO DARE TO COMMIT THEIR BEING TO THE FAITHFULNESS OF THEIR HEAVENLY FATHER…HIS NAME IS JESUS!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

HE’LL DO IT AGAIN!

hell-do-it-again

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

For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Malachi 3:6

 

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, to the forces of evil, it’s the sting of predictable debilitating destruction and defeat against their insidious attacks!

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!

Granted, finding ourselves knee-deep in the dung of this 21st Century Anti-Christ culture, there’s no shortage of opportunities to just throw in the towel, 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 millenial society!

However, such thinking is only logical to those who have foolishly opted to avoid the reality of The Omnipresent Omnipotent True and Living God! Nevertheless, absolutely 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’re never alone and God is always in control. Relax! Remember this ain’t your first rodeo, right? A quick glance over your shoulders will remind us that our Heavenly Father has always been our very Present Help, constantly undergirding our inabilities with His Infinite Excellence!

History declares that we’re surrounded by clouds of witnesses who’ve gone before us, therefore, we imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises! (Hebrews 6:12) 

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 it seems as if the odds are stacked against the righteous—GOD’S AT HIS BEST! FAITHFUL…IF HE DID IT B4, HE WILL DO IT AGAIN!  #seriously

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

 

 

GREAT EXPECTATIONS!

great-expectations

SELAH Daily Devotions!

Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?  Micah 6:6-8

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 2 Corinthians 2:10

 

Well, at this writing, we are rapidly approaching the half-year marker of this new year that our God has so graciously allotted to us! Chances are, some of us have already dropped our bucket-list (resolutions) for this year, huh? While others, perhaps, are just so glad that we made it over, we welcome everything that the future can throw at us with open arms and a ‘anything that happens gotta be better than where I’ve been! #HaveIgottawitness?

I realize that for the self-righteous religious tribe, you’re still pumped, ready and determined to build upon last year’s successes and primed for the next dimension of your  personal aspirations and spiritual elevation! Howevvrrrr, for those of us, who truly love God with all of our hearts, spirit, soul and body, yet feel an intrinsic urging to apologize to Him each and every day because it’s a guarantee that at some point between the time you get out of bed and the time you crawl back into bed, you have inevitably fallen short of living up to God’s Righteous expectations of you, have I got some great news for you!

Life has trained us that the only acceptable way to embark upon each new beginning is with extreme gratitude, absolute humility and purity of hearts void of any resentment because God’s purposes did not live up to our best laid-out plans!

I know this seems a bit too ‘unconventional, irrelevant and unsound ol’skool theological’ to the 21st Century 7-11 spin of the New Millennium Church, nevertheless, given the fact that He is our Creator, God is perfectly justified in establishing specific standards of behavior for us to live by! Hence, it also stands to reason that because He has shown such unfathomable loving-kindness, tender-mercy and unmerited favor towards us, that the only reasonable response should be radical thanksgiving and faithful obedience! Yet, try as we may, left to our own efforts, we’re totally incapable of reaching this level of holy worship that God so richly deserves.

I mean, even those random days where we actually do some righteous things, will never equal out all our unrighteous thoughts, words and deeds! So we certainly can’t gloat on our egotistical star. However there’s yet Hope for our terminal dis-ease!

According to God’s Word, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32

Truthfully, my precious ones, what God really expects from each one of us, is failure! And from sixty something years of personal experience, I can testify, with absolute confidence, that we can surely do! Royally! Can I get a Hallelujah and Amen 3x?

Dontchakno? It’s only when we come to the end of self and acknowledge our weaknesses that God is truly glorified!

For without Him, we can do absolutely nothing, however through Christ’s strength, we can do all things.(Ref. Matthew 19:26, Philippians 4:13) As long as we think we’re capable of doing anything on our own, we deceive ourselves and deny God the pleasure of delivering us from any and everything that is trying to hold us captive. That’s why The Bible encourages the weak to say I am strong. (Ref. Joel 3:10)

Therefore, it is with holy boldness and unspeakable joy-filled-anticipation, we humbly confess that the only thing standing between our strength and weakness, righteousness and wickedness, success and failure, is JESUS!

There is no failure in GOD! GLORRAAAA 2 GOD! Christ IN us, The Hope of Glory, guarantees our victory every single time! (Ref. Colossians 1:27)

Didjaheardat? WHO NU ACCOMPLISHING GOD’S  GREAT EXPECTATIONS WAS THAT EASY, huh?  ITZ A NEW DAY SO LET’S DO THIS!!!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

THURSDAYS’ PRAYERS!

 

prayn-and-fasting-pic

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

Good Morning Family! GOTTA MOMENT? AWESOME!

We are grateful that you are joining us today in our weekly Day of Corporate Fasting and Prayer! In light of the recent events having taken place in our nation, we know that it’s praying without ceasing time! As we entreat The Throne of Mercy and Grace personally and on behalf of our loved one, friends and this world, we must remain confident and assured that God hears and answers our prayers according to the Power that works within us! Shall we enter in together?

 

Father, I stretch my hand to thee! No other help I see! If Thy withdraw Thyself from me, where O where shall I be….Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now I’m found! Was blind but now, I see! Oooh Sweet Wonder! Ooooh, Sweet Wonder! Jesus, The Son of God! Oooooh Sweet Wonder…. Ooooooohhhh Sweet Wonder! JESUS, THE SON OF GOD! Ooooohhhh! Oooohhh! OOOOHHHH! OOOOOOHHHH! OOOOHHHH! OOOOOHHH! Jesus, Jesusssss; Jesusssss! JJJJJEEEESSSSSSUUUUSSSS! JJJJEEEESSSSSUUUSSSSS….

 

Heavenly Father, once again we come together, thanking You for this day! For this new day, is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it. We bless You, Lord Jesus, for making a Way for us to approach The Throne of Mercy with a holy boldness and confidence that YOU ARE YET SEATED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE GOD WHO IS, WAS, AND SHALL ETERNALLY BE THE ONE TRUE LIVING GOD, CREATOR AND SUSTAINER OF EVERYTHING!

Lord, as we come bowing reverently before You, we’re praying for ourselves, as well as all our sisters and brothers. We’re asking and believing for an immediate release from fear, anxiety, stress, hopelessness and despair that is burdening the hearts and minds of so many of Your Precious children everywhere! We’re believing for an immediate, Supernatural Impartation of Divine Peace, Hope, Love and Joy that we might be able to bring comfort and encouragement to those who don’t personally know You as The God of All Comfort and Grace!

Abba Father, we pray for strength to stand in hope-filled quietness, facing the adversity and terror of the unknown, assured that nothing happens in this life except You allow. And while sometimes our lives are abruptly interrupted by unexpected circumstances, nothing ever takes You by surprise! We still trust in the only thing that shall stand forever, Your Word! We yet believe that there is no problem, no circumstance, no situation that is greater than our God! Because our God is Greater than all, Greater in all, Greater through all, and Greater OVER all! For You, Heavenly Father, are Most High God of the Universes, Eternal Truth and Faithfulness!

While You have taught us to love everyone that You’ve created in Your Own Image, we cannot deny that we need You to heal the pain, anger, grief and distrust, and yes even that glimpse of revenge that taints the hearts of Your people at the prevailing injustice inflicted upon people of color. While many in ‘power’ who have sworn to take the position of being color-blind, nevertheless we continue to see and hear the length, width, depth and intensity of their true voices!

Lord, we pray, as you have commanded in Your Holy Word, for all our enemies, even those who have desired to deceive, manipulate, use, abuse and lifted up their hands and their tongue against Your Saints, we ask that You quicken their hearts to the reality that God is not to be mocked and whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap! We pray that a Spirit of Godly Repentance overcome their self-denial, racism, arrogance, false sense of humility and entitlement, and for Grace to forgive them for all they have done knowing that because YOU ARE THE VINDICATOR OF THOSE WHO HOPE IN YOU, NO WEAPON THAT IS FORMED AGAINST US SHALL PROSPER! In Jesus Name, for I am a Child of God!

Father, we are so grateful that as we continue to walk closely with You, we understand that every battle that we have ever encountered in our lives is always in the control of Your Loving Hands, for You, God, have Sovereignly Ordained everything to work together for our highest good and Your Greatest Glory!

Sweet Jesus, we interceded on behalf of every unsaved soul, please quicken the Spirit of Godly-repentance that the eyes of their understanding be enlightened, that the hardness of their hearts be broken and their minds transformed by The Glory of The Gospel of Jesus Christ, releasing them from the power and influence of Satan to humbly come to You today, saying ‘YES’ to your Grace Gift and receive You as their Lord and Savior.

We ask, believing that every one who has, for whatever reason walked away from you, shall be provoked by the anointing that is on our prayer, to come back to you today and that You will put a new ‘COMMITTED YES LORD’ in their hearts and a willful obedience in their spirit to live the rest of their lives faithful and committed to Your WILL (WORD) and WAYS!

Abba Father, please touch our brother, touch our sister who has been afflicted by any sickness and disease, including the spirit of cancer, kidney failure, high blood pressure, low blood pressure and rebuke and cast it out at the root, for Your Name Sake. We come into agreement with Your Word and declare that Your stripes have redeemed and healed us and we’re yet standing on your promises that the prayer of faith shall save the sick and raise them up! And as You are strengthening these, we ask that You also re-invigorate, encourage and replenish the spirits, minds and bodies of those who are charged to care for their loved ones! In Jesus Name!

Father, we pray for those who are distraught by grief and fear, the elderly, the widows, the incarcerated and all those who are downcast, having borne the heat of the day, those who pushed and prayed us through! Father, give them sweet peace.

Lord, we pray for every believer who is yet holding onto Your Hand by faith today, that You are releasing a double portion of power, strength and health, provision, prosperity and protection. Father, we’re trusting that You shall preserve them in the midst of every tests. Lord, keep them constantly aware of YOUR PRESENCE and fully-confident that You will bring them out wholly restored, renewed, refreshed and with a reward that is exceedingly abundantly more than they expected! In Jesus Name, Amen 3x!

Father, we thank You for an fresh outpouring of Your Divine Favor upon each and every one of Your children who are seeking employment, promotion, prompt approval for student/car/home loans and assure them that YOU are YET HE, Jehovah Jar-eh, Who shall supply all of our need according to Your Riches in Glory!
Father, as we lift up our children, our children’s children to a thousand generations; and by faith, canceling every scheme that Satan desires to inflict upon them, committing them into Your providential care, acknowledging that from their Mother’s wombs, You had a plan and purpose for their lives also and we have the Blessed Assurance that their steps are being ordered by Your eyes!

Abba, we lift up every Bishop, Pastor, Overseer, Apostle, Evangelist, Preacher and Teacher. Undergird them with Your Anointing to carry out their assignment, under the direction of Holy Spirit. Cover them as they go in and out amongst Your people and those who would seek to discredit, hinder and even destroy their faith, faithfulness and the ministry You have ordained. Grace them to be the holy humble examples in their homes, marketplace, communities and churches that will cause those who are in their sphere of influence to love, trust and live everyday of life serving and glorifying You, Our Heavenly Father!

Father, we declare and decree that every demonic-induced spirit of addiction, perversion, oppression, depression and terror is defeated NOW because of Your Anointing and that the Spirit of Love, Power, Sound-mind and Purpose is being released into the lives of Your people who by faith cry out to You now, in Jesus Name!

Lord, as You already know, there are so many other things, that we have yet to mention, but we’re trusting and believing You to fix it, Jesus, as only You can! Lord, we know that You are not just able, but willing to do anything that we ask, in accordance to Your Word, in Jesus Name!

We thank you Father that as we walk through this day, depending on you for an abundant life, divine health and Your Joy to strengthen us for whatever lies ahead, we give You all the Praise!

As we offer up this prayer, Father we wait in confidence and quietness, rejoicing in hope and trusting wholly that all workers of iniquity are trembling and suddenly departing, defeated in shame, turning away from Your people, because You have heard the voice of our weeping, our supplications and received our prayer as a sweet savor coming up before Your Sovereign Throne of Grace and Mercy!

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

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

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

 

 

FAIL FORWARD

FAIL FORWARD

 

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25

 

Isn’t is just annoying? I mean the constant bombarding your mind with intimidating thoughts to taint your perspective and sabotage your peace.  Satan, aka da devil,  knows fully well that he has absolutely no power to stop what God has planned for your future, yet,  he’s determined to strip us of the joy of our Salvation! Saints, regardless of his deceptive tactics, remember Satan is not God!  Since his first encounter with our foreparents, Adam and Eve, he’s become quite adept  in manipulating our thoughts to cause us to question the Faithfulness of God! How? Well, one of his favorite methods is to use our Memories!

Ever notice how the devil keeps bringing up your past mistakes and failures, reminding you of what you did and accusing you about what you should’ve done and didn’t? Oh Yeah!  Well, this morning I was reminded of something I heard many years ago ‘when the devil starts messing with your mind about your past, just remind him of his future!’

My Precious ones, we don’t have to tuck tail and squirm away in shame as if that’s the end of our story. We can remind the devil that what happened back then was just a chapter setting me up for future episodes of coming attractions! The Bible says, let the redeedmed of the  lord, tell their story! 

You have been authorized to speak The Word of God with confident assurance. You know, like James Brown, ‘SAY It loud! Say it proud! Failure ain’t Final!  In fact, because I AM the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and  I’m not in this thing by myself, Christ in Me enables me to fall forward! (Ref. Colossians 1:27)

Take a stand! Let the devil know, ‘I am fully persuaded that whatever you’re planning to trip me up,  give it your best shot, just like it didn’t work the last time,  it won’t work this time either.(Ref. Isaiah 54:17)

My God  has ggggrrreeeaaaatt plans for me, for good and not for evil, and He swore by God-self, to bring me into an amazingly glorious future! And remember all that stuff you keep reminding me of, it’s covered, blotted out by the BLOOD!! I know it ain’t fair, it’s called‘favor’! (Ref. Jeremiah 29:11)

“Oh, Devil, can we talk? I peeped in the back of the Book, and I know in the end, we win and you’re still a loser!

 #BAMM!  #Didjaheardat? FAIL FORWARD!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee