Tag Archives: Kingdom

R…U…N???

R..U..N2

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22

 

Didjaheardat? WHO KNU? Most of us (Christians) already knew that the Jews held a uniquely privileged position in The Kingdom of God, having been Sovereignly called out by GOD Who introduced Himself, calling them His Chosen and giving them The Laws of Commandments through His servant Moses. Yet the truth of the matter is, they were still denied direct access into The Presence of God! Why? Because they had the same problem that every other human being born into the earth had. Sin-lusting Flesh! Don’t look at me with that tone of voice?

While they were given Stone Tablets outlining God’s Righteous Expectations of His people, to which they’d ignorantly profoundly arrogantly sworn to obey, in and of themselves, they were powerless to fulfill. The problem was, if you broke even one of The Law’s Commandments, you were guilty of breaking them all. Therefore, The Law blocked them, just as it does us 21st Century Believers. So God, in His Infinite Mercy, instituted a substitute ritual (animal blood sacrifice) to temporarily cover them from the penalty of their sinful ways yet affirming His Righteous Judgment! However, the blood of bulls, rams, goats and pigeons could never remove the power which sin held over our lives!

But GOD had a Plan and a Secret Weapon established before the foundation of this world! JESUS! The Holy Lamb of GOD! The only MAN capable of systematically rejecting the Master of Seduction and ruler of this world, Satan, despising the lure of sin’s temptations and steadfastly submitting to The Will of His Father (Ref. John 14:30) thereby abolishing the enmity of the Law in His Own Flesh! (Ref. Ephesians 2:13) GGLORRRAAAAA 2 GOD!

Not only was this GOOD NEWS for us Gentiles, who were outsiders of The Covenant Relationship that the Jews boasted of, but they too (who confess faith in The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ) have now been granted total access through The Atoning Blood of Jesus Christ, to boldly enter The Holy of Holies, The Very Presence of God! Not just once a year and not just the High Priest, but any one of us at anytime we need, can confidently embrace His Throne of Grace and Mercy! (Ref. Hebrews 10:4)

THANKS BE TO THE HOLY LAMB OF GOD! We, who were once afar off, are now part of God’s Inner-Circle! BUT DON’T GET IT TWISTED! IT’S NOT based on our righteousness, but by GOD’S STANDARD OF PERFECTION, JESUS!  NOW THAT’S GRACE, huh? R…U…N?

SELAH!

PAUSE, PONDER, PRAY & PRAIZ!

Ann Caffee

 

THURSDAYS’ PRAYERS!

prayn-and-fasting-pic

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Good Morning Family, GOT A MOMENT? AWEMAZING!

Once again, we’re excited that you have joined us today in our Weekly Day of Corporate Prayer and Fasting. As we approach The Throne Room of our King, with up stretched arms and open hearts, we’re eternally grateful for the privilege that He has afforded every believer to enter into His Presence, casting all of our care upon Him and finding Mercy, Grace and Very Present Help in these vexing times!

WE TURN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS AWAY FROM ALL THE NOISE, ALONE WITH YOU, WE WAIT TO HEAR YOUR VOICE…NOTHING ELSE MATTERS… BUT TO WORSHIP YOU, I LIVE…TO WORSHIP I LIVE, I LIVE TO WORSHIP YOU..JESUS…OOOHHH…OOOHHH…With up stretched arms, empty hands and open hearts, SHALL WE PRAY?

 

Abba Father, we come before You today, In the Magnificent, All Powerful Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus, rejoicing, praising and thanking You for blessing us to see this brand new day. Acknowledging that it was not because of any goodness of our own that we live, move and have our being, we quickly thank You, Heavenly Father, for another opportunity to embrace and enjoy the abundance of Your Mercy, Your Grace, Your Power and Your Peace!

Heavenly Father, it is with unspeakable joy that we thank You for being The God of our Salvation, Deliverance, Breakthrough and Provision. With heartfelt humility and sincere gratitude, we recognize that it’s only Your Grace, Compassion and Faithfulness that allows You, knowing our frame, to continue to look beyond our human frailties, faults and iniquities. forgiving us and minister to all of our need!

From our hearts open, depending and relying solely upon You, we offer up our thanksgiving laced with precious praises to You today, for we revere and extol You as The Only Wise Savor and Lord of Life!

Father, we come this morning thanking You for choosing us to be Your very own children! Because of Your Lovingkindness towards us, we can now declare and unashamedly decree that we are joint-heirs to Your Kingdom and You are Our God, our Salvation, our Deliverance, Breakthrough and Provision. While our future remains a mystery, we have the confidence that by Your Grace, You have restored our strength, understanding and power, equipping us with everything that we need to carry us through one more day.

Lord Jesus, because we know that You already know everything that’s happening in each of our lives, our families, our communities, our nation, we’re so grateful that You are yet in absolute control of all things! Father while we slept safely in our homes last night, we know that there will be reports of shootings, robberies, accidents and all manner of maladies, and we will not fail to thank You, for it was only You who kept us alive! We’re so very thankful that even amidst these days of impending chaos, threats, hatred, anxiety, fear, confusion, deception and destruction, the safest place in this whole world is still in YOUR PERFECT WILL! 

Precious Lord, we ‘re believing that while we’re experiencing an unexpected shaking of this nation that You are setting up a massive exodus and deliverance! We’re trusting that a Spirit of Godly-repentance is is swelling up all over this world and that the end result will be multitudes of lost souls shall be saved and those who have walked away from You shall be re-claimed! Father, we’re trusting that Holy Spirit is imparting a ‘COMMITED YES’ into their heart and in their mind that provokes those who are outside of The Ark of Covenent Grace, will come to you today and receive You as their  personal Lord and Savior. We thank You now for blessing them, directing and settling them into a local church home today, where they will be embraced with Love, encouraged, nurtured, taught so that their lives are transformed by The Glory of The Lord!

Lord, we pray for every soul who is going thru a season of grief because of the lost of a loved one, those whose lives have been victimized and bankrupted by divorce, lost of employment, disappointment, hopelessness and despair! We plead The BLOOD OF JESUS over every demonic thought, Spirits of anxiety, oppression, depression and confusion, because we know that You are not the author of these confusing demonic thoughts and feelings, but You have given us who have put our personal trust in Your Son Jesus, Your Righteousness, Love and Joy in The Holy Ghost!

Abba Father, as we entreat Your Presence, we lift up every believer who is yet holding on to your Hand by faith today, that You will release a double anointing of Your Divine Peace, Power, Supernatural strength, provision, prosperity and protection!

Sweet Jesus, we’re believing that while we’re yet praying, You will strengthen us to persevere thru every test that You have allowed, confidently assured that You will bring us out restored, renewed, refreshed and with the reward us as You have promised in your Word! Lord, as we walk through the valleys, we ask that You anoint us for such a time with supernatural confidence, courage empowering us with an overwhelming consciousness of Your Abiding Presence and the immutability of Your Word!

Almighty Father, we pray, according to Your Will, for the leaders of our nation, be that goverment, corporate, judicial, education and financial institutions! We’re believing that You will touch their minds and break up the fallow hearts, speak to them in dreams and visions, let them know that You Who Sit Enthroned Above the Heavens is keeping record of the deeds of every man’s heart and will reward accordingly!

Father, as we lift up our spiritual leaders, we’re asking a special blessing upon each and every one of them who are yet standing on the wall proclaiming Your Word under the conviction and anointing of Holy Spirit. We pray that you will Grace them to be the examples in their homes, churches and community that will cause everyone who comes into contact with them to fall in love, trust wholly in and to live their lives serving You, Our Heavenly Father.

We pray, Heavenly Father, that You will stir up the hearts and minds of those who are professing Your Name! We believe that You  are increasing their desire to make our election sure, walking circumspectly in pursuit of an even greater personal, intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father through fellowship of Holy Spirit that we might prove what is the perfect and acceptable Will of The Lord Jesus for our lives!

Father, as we pray, touch our brother, touch our sister whose body has been afflicted by all manner of sickness and disease, especially the Spirit of cancer, dementia, Alzheimer, stroke, heart disease, kidney failure, arthritis, bi-polar depression and glaucoma! Lord,  rebuke and cast it out at the root, for Your Name Sake. Heavenly Father, You are Alpha and Omega, the same yesterday, today and forever! Even as you walked in this earth healing all who were sick, feeble, lame we know that You’re Well Able and Willing to do the same right now! Lord Jesus, Your Word declares that Your stripes have redeemed us from our sin, but has also 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!

Lord, we declare and decree that every demonic-induced spirit of temptation, anxiety, addiction and fear be defeated by Your Burden Removing Yoke Destroying Anointing and that the Spirit of Love, Power and a Sound-mind is being released now into the lives of all those who are calling on You, in Jesus Name!

Father we wait in confident quietness, rejoicing in hope and trusting wholly that all workers of iniquity are trembling, suddenly departing in shame and disgust, is now retreating in 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 personally chosen us and brought us near to live in Your House, we shout with joy unto The One to Whom all men will come! We yield all that we have, all that we have and all that we hope to be, in obedient reverence before The Hope of all the earth, believing that as Your face shines upon us that, You are making Your ways and salvation known among all nations for You Guide and Rule justly!

Heavenly 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 CARES!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

CHAINED OR CHANGED???

chained-or-changed-2

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

When crowds of people came out for baptism because it was the popular thing to do, John exploded, “Brood of snakes! What do you think you’re doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to deflect God’s judgment? It’s your life that must change, not your skin. And don’t think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as ‘father.’ Being a child of Abraham is neither here nor there—children of Abraham are a dime a dozen. God can make children from stones if he wants. What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it’s deadwood, it goes on the fire. Luke 3:7-9

 

Ever asked someone, “Are you saved?” to which they responded, ‘matter-of-factly’,“uuuhhh…Mama told me I been baptized!” or “I belong to First Bed-Rock of The Divine Pentecostal Kingdom Fellowship” Don’t shout me down, now yall….jus wondering?

Seems to be a lot of that going around, huh? We’re living in a world where pretty much everybody’s ‘saved’! I mean, just look at the explosion of ‘Mega Ministries’, that have popped up in this country alone, right? Kinda makes you wonder why Jesus hasn’t returned! Well, may I submit for your consideration, while church attendance is a critical component of our spiritual development,church membership doesn’t make you a Christian any more than living in a garage makes you a car!

I understand how one might be confused, given the ‘mob mentality’ of the more contemporary theological persuasions of The New Millennium Era, that more means better. This is nothing new! According to our scripture text, it’s been going on since the days of John The Baptist! One might wonder, given the number of churches and folk who pour into the buildings any Sunday morning, why we don’t see much change as individuals, in our families, communities, even as a nation?

Simply put, too many folk try to cut across the field, by-pass the cross and creep into the Kingdom through an imaginary backdoor!

That’s why some imposters casually enter the church house,‘carrying their chains, tuck them quietly under the plush pews, sanng, shout, dance up and down the aisle, sit like a bump on a log while the sermon is presented, Hi-5 your neighbor 10x, turn around 7x, repeat the benediction, greet your neighbor, pick up your chains and get back out there and do what u gotta do’! #OHYESSHEDIDSAYDAT!!!

Beloved! Jesus came not to set up another system of legalistic religious rituals, but to restore the personal intimate relationship, severed by our First Parents, Adam and Eve’s rebellion against the righteous commands of The True and Living God! And when He ascended back to The Throne Room on High, Father God sent The Holy Spirit to live inside of anyone who makes a conscious decision to humble themselves, repent and put their personal faith in The Only Saving Grace of Jesus Christ! The indwelling Presence of The Spirit of Jesus, empowers us to live a holy, separated, consecrated life of triumphant deliverance in the midst of this dark and depraved world! Didjaheardat?

“…for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose,” Philippians 2:13

Sadly, despite the finished work of the Cross, Satan has yet been able to keep too many of God’s precious ones, illegally chained to stuff that Jesus has already secured their glorious freedom from!  

But that’s why we’re here, right? To shine out for God by spreading the Good News,“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:36

CHAINED? OR CHANGED? #WOW

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

SEASONED SALT!

seasoning-salt2

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

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

Matthew 5:13

 

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

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

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

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

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

1 Corinthians 6:11

Hence, DON’T GET IT TWISTED! No matter how many right things you manage to do on a daily basis, at the end of your bestest day—every single one of us must acknowledge “that if it had not been for JESUS…where would I be.” (Ref. Romans 3:23) Truthfully, there ain’t none good but GOD!  That’s why He sent Jesus! The Perfect role model for us to keep before us. Righteousness Personified! (Ref. John 3:16-17)

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

Jesus warned, “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20

SO! Before you start sending any po’ souls straight to HELL, because they don’t measure up to your standardss, MIGHT I SUGGEST THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR OWN SALT IS  WELL SEASONED WITH LOTS OF LOVE, MERCY AND GRACE! #IJS #saltysaints

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

KINGDOM Matters!

KINGDOM MATTERS

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:1-2

 
Is it just me, or have you noticed the newest 21st Century jargon? The sheer variety of objectivity seem to suggests that there has been an awakening in the consciousness of The Millenniums that has shifted away from ‘It’s all about me’ to ‘a genuine concern for the well-being of other than self’!  Or NOT! Okay yall, I’m might as well let the cat outta the bag. I’m referring to the popular trending idiom ‘MATTERS’.

Apparently, everything and the kitchen sink, has taken on a persona of distinctive significance. And there’s a T-shirt somewhere out there to prove it! Hey, I’m not judging, simply highlighting the obvious, k? If you ask anybody what are some of the things that they’re mosted interested in, it’s guaranteed that their responses would be endless. However, may I suggest that given the innate nature of humans to be drawn to individual preferences, in order to secure its fundamental security and uniformity, certain things are essential to the future of any society!

Obviously, there will be those who’d swear that being ‘pet parents’ is no different from parenting ‘live children’ or wearing pants 25 inches below your waist-line to a job interview is as acceptable as nudity in a court room. As long as you’re comfortable with yourself, huh? Now that The Supreme Court has determined that regardless of sexual orientation, Love Matters! The capitalist affirm that it’s the bottom line that counts, not human rights! Hence Money Matters! Since, The NRA ascribes to ‘the right to bear arms’, above the ‘right to live in a safe neighborhoods’ thus—everybody’s packin! Billions of funds are being funneled to Animal Rights activists discretly away from those insidious issues of education, homelessness and hunger! Seriously!

Of course, we are not implying that as Christians we’re not supposed to have interests outside of the church. But! Does anyone care about what Matters to God? Well? Looking at the more contemporary-all-embracing, newly-enlightened, come-as-u-r-stay-as-u-r doctrines of the 21st Century church, apparently, ain’t nobody got time for dat?  It’s common place, now that church-folk tend to gravitate (assembling together) to like-minded sophisticated folk who prefer creature comforts above christian character! And if the ol’ skool preacha insists on sticking to those irrevelant antiquated suggestions of The Holy Bible and preachilng against SIN, well we can just Google the net and fine another church that’s more condusive to our religious persuasions!

Far be it for me to infer that Father GOD knows what’s best for His Children! However, isn’t that the reason that He drew us out of the world? God wants us to be happy and holy! That’s why He sent The Holy Spirit to live in us, leading and guiding us through the maze of a hellish world, instilling godly morals to assure that we get safely home to Heaven’s Glory! “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14

It’s perfectly understandable that an unregenerated person has no hope beyond this life, hence their universe is focused on accumulating a wealth of materialistic trinkets! However, where did so many carnal-minded christians come from?

I still remember when those who have a personal trust in Christ, peering through  the clarity of the Scriptures, wore our earthly life as a loose-fitting overcoat, easily discarded and replaced by the robes of righteousness, laced with Love, Loyalty, Grace and Mercy as garments of praiz! WOW! #GOALS #KINGDOM MATTERS!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

THIS IS GOD’S WORLD

THIS IS GODZ WORLD

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Psalm 24:1

 

Here I go again, reflecting back to days gone by. Perhaps, it’s because I just recently celebrated  another birthday, yall! Nevertheless, perhaps a few of my readers may remember the words of that Great R&B Prophet, James Brown’s hit song recorded in 1966, “This is a Man’s World!” My My! Did we ever groove off of that one. However, in retrospect (accompanied by a good ol’ dose of The Holy Ghost), I must confess “Boy were we ever wrong!”

In fairness to my fellow human-kind, it’s no wonder we were attracted to those lyrics. Given the fact that it supports man’s insatiable urgent need to dominate, control and conquer his environment. I suppose this mindset has it’s own advantages. For some at least, it alleviates that pesty loathsome notion of accountability, huh?

As life long east coast residents of The DMV, some of us are now living in a suburban tree lined, street lighten, well manicured lawn, 3-car garaged mini-mansions, just outside of the metropolis, in gated communities from which periodically we’re forced to venture onto rush-hour crowded cement roadways up to historical monuments of governmental, judicial, legislative, communication systems, financial and academia institutions, state of the art medical facilities, opera halls, convention and shopping centers, fine cuisine restaurants, fast-food drive-thru lines, soccer fields, football and base ball stadiums–it’s easy to forget! Oh Yeah, we’ve come a long way, baby! But God has a way of making Truth clear as the ground you walk on, remember that earthquake no body expected?

With so much going on in our sophisticated Hi-Tech 21st Century lives, we’ve created a man-made superficial reality that subtly separates us from the Eternal Truth. Whether you call home The White House or the out-house, we’re all co-inhabitants of a massive celestial sphere, constantly turning, masterfully choreographed from eternity past through time into eternity future at the specifically detailed instructions of The Universal Sovereign Invisible Creator! My Lord!

While The Bible teaches us there’s a place in our lives for worldly wisdom, ambition and hard work, it also cautions us that we must never allow any of these things to take precedence over our aspiration and commitment to seek to fulfill our God ordained purpose for being part of His Story! Sadly, many a person has left this world (and all their accumulated richest) wealthy, according to this world’s standard, yet spiritually impoverished; never knowing nor desiring the benefits of living life to the fullest intent of The Life-Giver. (Ref. John 10:10)

According to God’s Word, the soul is the most valuable possession of man’s life! It is The Father’s greatest desire to live in eternal fellowship with the most precious of all his creation—mankind! In order to get His Plan back on track, God’s literally tore Himself apart to accomplish so great a Salvation by demolishing the the enmity of our sinful rebellion against His Lordship!

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. “ John 3:16

Through the eye-opening repentant heart, The Light of Life is miraculously revealed, The Majestic Radiance of The King of Glory is esteemed and Grace is dispensed saturating and quenching the thirst of the way-faring soul! Man discovers, much to his delight, that truly… THIS IS GOD’S WORLD! #PEACEOUT!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

 

HE’S ALWAYS THERE

HE'S ALWAYS THERE!

SELAH Daily Devotions!

I am with you always, even to the end of the age

Matthew 28:20 
 

One morning I received an email that took me back to an all too familiar place. As I read  on, I immediately realized that the lost sheep could very well had been me. Feel free to eavesdrop on the conversation,…
 
 “In the early 1980s I counseled a Christian young woman who was languishing in deep spiritual, mental and emotional torment. She wrote:
 
“Dear God, Where are you? How can you watch and not help me? I hurt so bad, and you don’t even care. If you cared you’d make it stop or let me die. I love you, but you seem so far away. I can’t hear you or feel you or see you, but I’m supposed to believe you’re here. Lord, I feel them and hear them. They are here. I know you’re real, God, but they are more real to me right now. Please make someone believe me, Lord. Why won’t you make it stop? Please, lord, please! If you love me you’ll let me die…A lost sheep”
 
I deal with many Christians who are filled with such confusion that their daily walk with Christ is unfulfilling and unproductive. When they try to pray, they begin thinking about a million things they should be doing. When they sit down to read the bible, they can’t concentrate. Whenever they have an opportunity to serve the Lord in some way, it comes up short by discouraging thoughts of self-doubt.
 
Having found freedom and deliverance, “the lost sheep” penned a response to her own prayer based on her new understanding of God’s provision in Christ.
 
“My dear lost sheep, You ask me where I am. My child, I am with you and I always will be. You are weak, but in me you are strong. I am so close that I feel everything you feel. Be crucified with me and I will live in you, and you shall live with me. I will direct you in paths of righteousness. My child, I love you and I will never forsake you, for you are truly mine…Love, God”
 
Saints, by The Grace of God, while I too have experienced the freedom of  being delivered from the tormenting trauma and enslavement to depression; however I will never everrrr forget to remember How Great A Salvation that The Lord wrought in my life!  
 
It’s incumbent upon us to remember, this is not heaven, the devil is still a liar and God’s Word is Truth! If the saints are feeling the heat of the devil’s wicked devises, can you imagine what he’s putting the unsaved through?

Saints, ask God to open the eyes of your heart that you may see who’s hurting around you. If the whole world’s coming out the closet, we certainly can’t afford to be closet Christians! We have an awesome responsibility and an obligation to be the Love, Compassion and Hope of Christ to a lost generation! You ought to tell one somebody that there is a Hope that’s out of this world…I mean, really?
 
His Name is Jesus and He’s Always There!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

UNDER THE INFLUENCE

UNDER THE INFLUENCE 2

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to god must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ Hebrews 11:6

 

The other day I heard someone say something that I thought was quite profound, at least thought provoking. It was said that “we are swirling towards eternity at the speed of life!” History is being written every day. Memories are being made, every day. Lessons are being taught and learned, every day. Attitudes are being formed and developed, every day.

As I began to think about this, several questions flooded my mind. First, does God’s Presence influence your life? How has the Presence of God influenced your life? What impact has God’s Presence made in your circle of influence?

We love to sing the song, “Jesus you are the center of my joy, all that’s good and perfect comes from you; you’re the Heart of my contentment, Hope for all I do….” But when the music stops, how’s your walk?

The Bible does not merely ask us to have faith to believe that God does exist. But we must also believe that God is who He says He is, that God is with us and that God is for us. (Ref. Hebrew 11:6) Accordingly, if we desire to please The Lord we must walk out our lives under the influence of His Presence that we may exemplify our beliefs throughout the course of daily living.

Does your character reflect the Presence of God in your life? Does the influence of God’s Presence affect the choices that you make? Does your life style reflect the influence of God’s Presence?

We are living epistles (letters) and folk are reading our mail, every day! How is the Presence of God in you influencing your readers? Just a thought! #ijs (Ref. 2 Corinthians 3:1-3)

The Bible says, we are the salt of the earth. I believe that means that we ought to make someone who doesn’t know God, thirsty for a drink of The Living Waters. (Ref. Matthew 5:13-14) As Christians, our greatest desire should be to allow the influence of God’s Presence to be reflected on those around us so much so that it provokes them to envy  and thirst for The God that we worship and  ultimately seek to claim Him as their personal Savior and Lord! 

KEEP IT MOVING! LIVE EACH DAY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GOD’S PRESENCE IN YOUR LIFE! 

SELAH! 

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

ABBA’S HOUSE

ABBA'S HOUSE 2

SELAH Daily Devotions!

“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” 1 Corinthians 3:11

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

 

Have you ever heard a freshly born-again believer lamenting “if I’d only known how great Salvation was, I would’ve given my life to Christ a long time ago”? While this sentiment may shriek volumes of the tremendous gratitude with which every one of us who share this awesome privilege of becoming a part of The Kingdom of God, it might be more aptly acknowledged that as difficult or challenging our life B.C. (before Christ), there’s absolutely nothing within the scope of the un-regenerated man’s spirit that inspires him to seek God on his own! In fact quite the opposite is true. Since the down fall of our original parents, in the Garden of Eden, we’ve been known to invent unparalleled manner of deviant ways of escapism to avoid submitting to God’s Plan for our lives.

Nevertheless, according to The Holy Bible, God’s Love would not be denied! Before the foundation of the world, the entire plan of Salvation was initiated in the Mind of God and through the ministry of Holy Spirit that prompts us to draw nigh to the Heart of a Loving Creator and the Atoning Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ! Thanks be to GOD,  GOD’s Grace is made available to all who will welcome Him into their hearts and lives.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:8

The Heavenly Father’s determination to build Himself a Sacred House, a Holy Temple, where He would dwell forever!  Sparing no expense, from the very foundation to the Chief Corner Stone, GOD continues day by day, lying new bricks! The Heavenly Father, takes particular care in adding luxuriously custom-built gold, silver and wood furnishings accentuated by exquisitely handcrafted sapphire, purple and scarlet colored silks and linen cloth tapestries, most befitting of The King of Kings and Lord of Glory, one soul at a time. Hence, while Salvation is free, it certainly wasn’t cheap!

To the absolute amazement of the world’s most renown high-class well-paid fashion experts, most of the pieces in God’s House were presumed castaways, throw-backs, out-dated, worthless and totally unsuitable for such Majestic Display! But The Master Architect/ Designer’s keenness, seeing the potential hidden treasures in the dirt covered cavernous lives of those created in His Image, digs down into the desolate places of our sin-clad spirits, picks us up out of the muck and the mire of our dark desperate pits, power washes us with the Flood of His Cleansing Blood redeems, refinishes, restoring us back into our rightful relationship as sons and daughters of The Most High God of All Creation where we now sit in Heavenly Places as Joint Heirs with The First-Born of Creation. (Ref. Ephesians 2:6)

Who knew? Certainly not the devil, or else he never would’ve crucified The Lord in the first place. (Ref. 1 Corinthians 2:8)

BUT GOD DID! CHRIST IN YOU…THE HOPE OF GLORY! WELCOME HOME TO ABBA’S HOUSE!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

NEVER SHOULD’VE MADE IT!

NEVER SHOULD'VE MADE IT

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it. Isaiah 5:14

 

Wow, didjaheardat? I know, in today’s New Mellennium, sophisticated, intellectually astute, high-tech, contemporized, all embracing, all inclusive society, conversing about such things is deemed highly inappropriate; HOWEVERRR, at the end of the day…we all gotta go somewhere, huh?

Hell is growing everyday; filling herself with self-righteous pompous souls!

And the devil is laughing; because every single soul that arrives…Gets there by default!

That’s right, not one single one of them EVER SHOULD’VE MADE IT! 

The devil is claiming unsuspecting souls everyday all day! He’s taunting them with condeming accusations of unworthiness, knowing fully well that Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection has rescued us from the curse of the law (ONCE AND 4 ALL) transferred HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS  to OUR account, THEREFORE REDEEMING US BACK TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER!  (Ref. Romans 8:1) And the only thing GOD requires of us is to believe it and accept it by FAITH!

Can you imagine the shock of many who had pre-determined, “One day I’m gonna get myself together and I’m gonna start going to church, but I’m not gonna be like those hypocrits, I’m gonna be real with this thing”, yet that one day never came! #ijs

None of us is saved by our own self effort! None of us are saved because we deserve it! For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Glory To God! And guess what, if you’re still breathing, that means the deal is still on the table!

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house,we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15

I know, right? …NEVER should’ve made it!!! But by The GRACE OF GOD! Hallelujah!!!!! #SERIOUSLY

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee