Tag Archives: satan

TRUTH OR DARE???

truth-or-dare2

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Jeremiah 31:3

 

As a child, I imagined God as this Supernatural Giant Bully, somewhere far off, standing above the circle of the Earth; eyes roaming throughout the north, south, east and west; scoping the territory for the worst of the unrighteous, anxiously anticipating His next victim of massive destruction.

No wonder, looking back my childhood was basically engulfed by constant fear, trauma and terror. Knowing that you’re cursed from birth, yet not knowing when your sins would have piled up reaching that mystical number thereby provoking the anger of God’s Wrath, until His sledge-hammer clutching Hand would pierce the sky, pouncing upon your head and smashing your body into bits and pieces, which would immediately be gathered up by demons and transported to The Devil’s Hell for all of Eternity!

Well! Not being raised in a church-going christian household, meant that most of my GOD knowledge came from an ungodly environment. So, because most of us just naturally assumed we were that pre-destined part of the ‘have-nots’, we attempted to comfort one another with sayings like “at least I won’t be there by myself; all of my friends are gonna be right down there with me; and we’re gonna parta forever!’ Okay, I hear yall sanctified folk gasping, but what else could you expect, huh?

Can you imagine my surprise and the sheer delight of my po-fallen-soul when my heart was exposed to The Life-Giving-Light-Gospel of Jesus Christ? Seriously! Who knew that such a Holy God, did in fact love sinners like me, so much so that He actually gave up His Only Begotten Son, Who willingly sacrificed His Life, allowing sinners to be reconciled back to His Heavenly Father. Sounds incredibly unbelievable, huh? BUT IT’S THE TRUTH! (Ref. John 3:16)

Absolutely Amazing! Despite man’s continuous proclivity to rebellion against GOD, the door yet remains open to anyone who will accept GOD’S Gracious offer of Salvation! HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD! (Ref. Romans 10:13)

His eyes continuously patrolling the earth, looking for a single soul, who’s trying to live a pure life pleasing to HIM, that HE might forgive that person! (Ref. Jeremiah 5:1-2) Can you imagine The Holy Father’s grief? GOD being WISDOM, knowing that many have come swearing with their lips their dedication to GOD yet the wickedness of their lying hearts giving them away! Probably not, huh? Remember, “The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.” Proverbs 20:27

However, at the end of the day, I guess the question is not whether GOD is WHO HE SAYS HE IS, but rather,  will you choose Truth and live or dare to resist THE LOVE OF GOD, defy THE POWER OF ALMIGHTY GOD and perish in your sin, huh? #ijs…

Hope 2 C U at the Great Coronation! NOW DATZ GONNA BE A PARTA! TRUTH OR DARE?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

READINESS!

READINESS

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:13

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee, for thou hast delivered my soul from death; …will, not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?  Psalm 56:3,13

 

Today’s scripture texts are a reminder that each and every day we might as well expect to be attacked by the enemies of our soul. In fact, according to the Apostle Paul, we should not even consider it a strange phenomenon. Yes!  Even after we’ve confessed our faith in The Lord Jesus Christ, you can’t expect that deceitful devil to wave a white flag, pat you on the back and throw you a retirement party! For lack of a better word, he is committed to tearing down The Kingdom of God, one soul at a time!
 
Does this mean that the people of God are defenseless? GOD FORBID! 

Contrary to the world’s notion, saints ain’t no chumps! It takes tremendous strength, fortitude and determination to walk worthy of this calling! 

The Cambridge English Dictionary defines readiness as ‘a willingness or a state of being prepared for something!
 
As a child of The Most High God, we have been anointed and authorized by the Lord of Hosts to annihilate the works of the devil. But you must remember, that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual! God has equipped our arsenal with Weaponry of Mass Destruction! It is THE WORD OF GOD!  When you speak God’s Word, it comes alive and releases the power to rebuke the threats and pull down the strongholds of your enemies, unmercifully!  OooohhhWell! If Satan is bold enough to raise his ugly head, because you are IN Christ, you have been empowered to step on his throat and cut off his head!
 
Since the Garden of Eden, Lucifer has tactfully  planted seeds of doubt in the minds and hearts of  unsuspecting prey! Unfortunately, many of God’s people have allowed the cares of this world to lure them into a state of slothful weariness! SHAKE UP! Be aware of the enemies attempts to diminish your confidence and trust in God through Fear! FEAR (FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL)! 

 As soldiers in The Army of The Lord,  regardless of the political/social/economic climate, you have sworn to defend the Kingdom Constitution from dangers seen and unseen!  SO…WATCH AND PRAY! Hence, you must stay on high alert, armed with the mindset of Christ, fully persuaded that “No Weapon that’s formed against  you shall prosper!” By the Grace of God, You shall overcome the wiles of the devil! (Ref. Isaiah 54:17) 

Just as sure as there is an enemy determined to destroy you, your God is Jehovah Shamah, The One Who has sworn by Godself to always cause you to be victorious!(Ref. 2 Corinthians 2:14) Remember,  He’s not coming, HE IS ALREADY HERE  ready, willing and able to execute judgment on your behalf!

 
The same God Who  delivered your soul from the clutches of eternal damnation, will He not deliver your feet from falling prey to those awaiting to conquer your hope as well?#shonuff!
 
As Believers, our steps and  stops are being Divinely orchestrated by The Creator and Sustainer of The Universe! As we walk confidently in the path that God sets before us, be confident of this very thing we are never alone!  Goodness and mercy SHALL  accompany me all the days of my life. Therefore, as I walk thru valleys overshadowed by death,  I shall delight in the Light of His Loving Presence!

Beloved, rest assured, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (Ref. 2 Timothy 1:7)  You and God make a majority! So, take a stand, dig in your heels, draw a line in the sand and with Holy Boldness proclaim, “COME WHAT MAY, I WILL TRUST IN THEE, MY GOD; NOW DEVIL, ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK BCUZ I’M READY 2 TAKE U DOWN!!”

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
 
SELAH!
 
Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

UP & AT ‘EM!

up-at-em

 

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

For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. Proverbs 24:16

 

LIES! LIES! AND MORE LIES!

Isn’t is jus annoying?  I mean, the constant bombarding of your mind with those pesty intimidating thoughts, strategically designated to taint your perspective and sabotage your peace. Unfortunately, sometimes, the video has been playing in our minds for so long, we just might get confused and start to believe that it’s prophetic, huh? 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 Hope and Joy of our Salvation!

However, regardless of his deceptive tactics, Saints we must know that Satan is NOT God!

Since his first encounter with our foreparents, Adam and Eve, he’s become quite adept in manipulating our thoughts causing us to question the Faithfulness of God! How? Well, one of his favorite methods is using our Memories to provoke guilt, shame and self-unworthiness! You do know he’s been studying you from the moment you showed up in the earth, right?

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!  He is the Accuser of the bretheren. (Ref. Revelation 12:10) 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 condemnation, 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!  Remember, The Bible does say, let the redeedmed of the lord, tell their story!

You have been authorized to speak The Word of God with a holy boldness fueled by  confident assurance! You know, like James Brown, ‘SAY It loud! Say it proud! I don’t care whether the fat lady sanngs or not;  for the Blood-Washed Child of The Living God…Failure ain’t Final! In fact, tell ’em,  “I AM the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! I’m not in this thing by myself!  AND when I do stumble and fall, The GOD in Me enables me to fall forward, get back up and keep on moving into my destiny and God’s Purpose! (Ref. Colossians 1:27)

Beloved, 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)

If you really wanna shut his mouth, let ’em know that you know“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)

Now seal the deal! “One more thing, You Lyin’ Devil, I peeped the back of the Book, and the TRUTH is it ain’t looking that good for you! In the end, we win and you’re still a loser!

#BAMM! #shutdafrontdoor! Didjaheardat?  HOPE SO! UP & AT ‘EM!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

THURSDAYS’ PRAYERS!

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SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

GOOD MORNING FAM! GOTTA MOMENT? WOW!
Once again, we’re delighted that you’ve joined us in Thursdays’ Corporate Prayer and Fasting! We count it an honor and a privilege that the Creator of Heavens and Earth has stretched out His Scepter, inclining His Ear and welcoming us to enter into His Gates with thanksgiving and His Courts with praise! We run boldly and joyfully to The Rock that covers even the most timid of souls, casting our cares at His Feet! Shall we pray…
I come to the garden alone, While the dew is still on the roses, And the voice I hear, falling on my ear, The Son of God discloses. And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own, And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has everrrrrr known!

There’s a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place, And I know that it’s the Spirit of the Lord; There are sweet expressions on each face, And I know they feel the presence of the Lord…

Good Morning Abba Father! Good Morning Jesus! Good morning Holy Spirit! We’ve come to say thank You for one more day! We’re grateful for such Faithful Loving-kindness that You’ve extended to us allowing us rest under the surveillance of Your watchful Eyes. As the gross darkness hovered around us, You shielded us from death and destruction and at the designated moment You awakened us to a brand new day, flooded with rays of Glorious Mercy and lavished with Your Amazing Unmerited Grace to overcome any challenges that we might incur during the journey of today!

Holy Father, as we embrace this day, we first want to ask You to forgive us for any deed, thought or word that was spoken that was not pleasing in Your sight. As we pray, according to Your Word, that if we would confess our sins from a sincere repentant heart, You will forgive us, cleanse us by The Precious Blood of Jesus and restore us back to right-standing in The Kingdom of Your Son! By Faith,we believe and now receive the Cleansing Flood of Christ’s Atonement in Jesus Name! Amen 3x!

Father, we know that nothing will ever happen in our lives that will escape Your Dominion! However, You know that the frailness of our flawed, fickleness and finite frame often causes us to fall prey to the intimidating turbulence that is erupting around us resulting from those who deny, defy and reject Your Lordship! You also know how easily we tend to forget that You have committed Yourself to never leave nor forsake us! We beseech You now, Sweet Jesus, to open our hearts, our minds that we might understand that You are our Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent God Who can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities and responds faithfully, patiently and compassionately to our every moan to calm our doubts and console our fears!

Lord Jesus,  we lift up Your children who are holding on to Your Hand today, by faith, trusting You to release a double-portion of Your Divine Peace, Power, Supernatural Strength, Health, Provision, Prosperity and Protection into their lives even as we pray! In Jesus Name, Amen 3x!
Heavenly Father, we pray that You will continue to preserve us thru the tests, trials and sometimes tragedies that we go thru! Keep us, Holy Spirit, constantly aware of YOUR PRESENCE and fully-confident that You only allow these seasons to prepare us for promotion in Your Kingdom. Assure us that this momentary light affliction will not compare to the Glory that shall be revealed in our lives as You bring us out wholly restored, renewed, refreshed and with every reward You have promised in Your Word!

Abba Father, we pray, because no man can come to the Father except You draw them, that as Your Eyes continue to search the hearts of mankind that You draw and save the lost, reclaim every back-slider and direct their footsteps to their local church home today that they might be nurtured, encouraged and committed to live out the rest of their lives pleasing and magnifying Your Name! We declare and decree that all of our unsaved loved ones and friends will be saved in the year 2017 and join our Eternal Royal Family!

Father, we ask You to touch our brother, touch our sister whose body has been afflicted by sickness and disease, especially the spirit of cancer, high/low blood pressure, heart disease, kidney, lung failure, satanically induced depression/oppression/addictions and rebuke and cast it out at the root, for Your Name Sake!  Lord, 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, It Is So!

Lord Jesus, we lift up every political, social, judicial, business, religious leaders, asking a special blessing upon each one! We pray that you will visit them in the night with dreams and visions that will break and convict their hearts so that the morning’s light will spread Your Grace upon them to be the examples in their homes, communities, church and the marketplace that will cause those who are in their sphere of influence to love, trust and live their lives fully devoted to serving and glorifying You, Our Heavenly Father!

Father God, we pray that every demonic-induced spirit of fear, failure, hopelessness and disappointment be defeated by Your Anointing and that the Spirit of Power, Love and a Sound-mind be released now, in Jesus Name! We’re trusting that each morning of this new year Your children will awaken, armed with Grace to accomplish every assignment and earnest hope-filled tomorrows!

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

Heavenly Father, we seal this prayer with gratitude, honor and praise. Believing that it is done, In The Exalted Name of Jesus we shout Halleleujahhhh!!!! Amen 3x!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

PUT A PRAIZ ON IT!

put-a-praiz-on-it

 

 

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 struggle to embrace the reality of The Unseen God? 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, our common enemy, Satan, knows that if we ever slip over into the realm of Faith to 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 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 trust 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 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 (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)

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 for to deliver them from their oppressors and save His people from their sin ! Yet, 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 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! Trust to know…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)

Beloved, 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! Didjaknow?  Beloved, when you believe and trust God, you can wreak havoc and confusion upon the kingdom of darkness by praising JESUS…through the test!

NOW…OPEN YOUR MOUTH…OOOOHHH MAGNIFY THE LORD WITH ME AND LET US EXALT HIS NAME TOGETHER! IT’S ALL GOOD! #putapraizonIT!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

THE NIGHT SHIFT!

 

the-night-shift

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. Psalm 121:4

 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.  Genesis 28:15 ESV

 

Whether you’ve been walking with Jesus for a long time or just recently made your decision to follow Christ, none of us are excluded from faith’s stresses, test and trials! If you don’t have a clue about what I’m talking about, may I draw from dem ol’ skool Mothers’ terminology, “Baby, jus keep getting up in the mornin’ and going to bed at night, sooner or later you will encounter a season in your life when you’ll feel as though God has left you in the valley of the shadows of death to fend for yourself!”

I understand that this kinda theology may seem a bit strange, (not to mention unbiblical, after all we live in the Dispensation of Grace) to some Millenniums who’ve been spoon fed Gospel-Lite-Prosperity pablum prepared by the more sophisticated-socially-acceptable-all-ingratiating-all-inclusive preachers! But check The Book, it’s still in there! “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:” 1 Peter 4:12

Yet! When you’re forced to trample through the turbulence terrains of this life, know, that your Heavenly Father is not a dead-beat absentee Father. God has left His Eternal Word as a Light to the 21st Century Saints! Hence, The Word of God is still well able to comfort, strengthen and encourage those who seek Him!

Precious ones, perhaps, at this reading, you find yourself smack-dab-in-the-middle of a loooonnnnggg night of overwhelming fear and anxiety,  yet Truth remains! Even when you’re unable  to trace God’s Face or feel His Hand, trust His Heart!

Sometimes, we’re so focused on the trauma of the moment that we forget that we have a real enemy who delights in secretly launching attacks against God’s elect, under the cloak of darkness with his diabolical wiles, strategically aimed to diminish your confidence and trust in God!  Nevertheless,  don’t fall for the okey-doke…Satan ain’t running nothing! Your God is Sovereignly watching over you 24/7! He never naps! Day and night are the same to Him! Every step you take is Divinely-ordered by The Lord! He’s already gone before you preparing designated rest areas along the road to revive and re-energize our spirit and soul! #Didjaheardat? IT’S TRUE!

Beloved, when it seems as if everything is falling apart, Holy Spirit says, ‘It’s falling right in place’! Abba Father is weaving each piece of your life together for your greatest good and His Highest Glory! And at the appointed time, He will flip it over to display His Magnificent Masterpiece! (Ref. Romans 8:28)

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” 1 John 3:2

Like Jacob, as we continue our pilgrimage through the gross darkness of this fallen world en route to the celestial city, we may all proclaim of our Savior “The God that led me all my life long” works THE NIGHT SHIFT!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

HONEST 2 GOD

honest-2-god

SELAH Daily Devotions!

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:7-10

O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure. Psalm 7:9

Sorry Father Adam, but once again this is on you! 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! Like Adam, the Glory of innocence that once covered us had now been disrupted by sin, exposing us to evil, guilt, shame and fear!

The 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!

Hence, there’s an inbred-inclination to cover ourselves with fig leaves attempting to hide from the Only True Source of Hope for deliverance and restoration!  The moment we allow our desire to satisfy the wickedness of self’s lust to take precedence over our desire to please God, the hedge comes down and all hell breaks out! And as they say, the rest is history, huh?

That’s why God hates sin! Don’t get it twisted like Eve and fall for the deception of the Tempter! Not because He’s trying to control us! Not because He’s arrogantly trying to keep us down! Not because He wants to keep us from enjoying ourselves! Not even because He’s Sovereign Lord! And He is! But God hates sin because it robs us of the freedom, peace and pure delight to openly commune with The Lover of our souls!

You do realize that God knew exactly where and what Adam had done when His Voice came walking through the Garden asking, “Adam, where are you?” God IS The All-Consuming Presence over space and time! There’s NO spot where GOD IS NOT! Someone once said, IF GOD MOVED TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT, HE’D BUMP STRAIGHT INTO GODSELF!

But do we also hear the pain of God’s Heart, knowing that He would have to evict His Family out of their home to keep them  away from certain eternal death and destruction...until JESUS came to our rescue? Do we realize that there’s no such thing as a little sin? SALVATION IS FREE BUT IT WASN’T CHEAP! #WOW! HONESTLY!

Yet, like David, sin perverts our mind and we foolishly assume that if we don’t tell God, He won’t figure it out!

Do you realize that confession benefits us more than it does God? “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.” Psalm 119:67 You do know that we don’t pray to inform God, but we pray to invite Him to step into our misery and fix our mess!

When we confess our faults (sin) to God, He’s able to heal our broken and contrite spirit, revive the brittleness of our bones and clear our hearts, minds and souls of the debris that’s left behind by sin’s breach! It was a good thing that God revealed that He knew David’s sin, sending His servant Nathan allowed David to repent honestly before God, liberating him from the burden, torment, tragedy, grief and condemnation that resulted from harboring secret sin in his heart and hindering him from enjoying the fellowship of God’s Presence!

If we confess our sins, HE is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 #Didjaheardat?

Jus wondering? When was the last time you had some REAL face2face time with God? THAT LONG, HUH? Well, last time I checked, JESUS WAS STILL SEATED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FATHER, WAITING AND WILLING TO INTERCEDE ON YOUR BEHALF! SOOO, WHACHA WAITING 4? HONEST2GOD!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

DROP IT!

DROP IT2

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13

 

There’s  a theme out there that an athletic company promoted, I know you’ve probably heard it…. JUST DO IT! Well can I share my spin on this whole thing. DROP IT! #GETIT? WELL,  JUS DO IT!

Okay, let me brake it down for you! Instead of rehearsing the dilemma over and over and over in your mind, replaying every scene, every detail, every ounce of pain, inch of failure, every second of disappointment, the depth of the hopelessnessJust Drop It!  Back-off from it. Make the decision, once and for all, I AM THROUGH WITH THIS – RIGHT NOW!  From this moment on, I am going to lean and depend on God to take care of this. 

I hearya! I’ve tried that! It’s easier said than done! I totally get it. But may I offer a suggestion for your consideration? Stop trying to do it yourself!  This might seem to be a strange concept, in a world that teaches independence, self-reliance, pull yourself up by your bootstraps!  But Saints of God, we must remember, first of all, we are in this world but not of it.  The Kingdom of God operates on principles and precepts that are diametrically antithetical to the world’s perspective! The WORD teaches us that God resists the proud but gives grace, strength and help to the humble. (Ref. James 4:6)  Hence, GOD never intended those who’ve turned the reins of their lives over to Jesus, trusting in His Saving Grace, to do life on our own! He sent us help, y’all! The Holy Ghost!  #TILT!!!!
 
Now, I already hear some you thinking, asking, but how? Here’s how!  Ignore it, show a lack of concern for that thing that the enemy is constantly using to torment you!  By acknowledging the Truth –because God cares for you, He’s watching over you and He knows exactly how to bring justice (all things working together for your highest good) into your life. (Ref. Romans 8:28)
 
Next, renew your mind!  Don’t take those negative thoughts, in other words–CONSIDER NOT ! ‘But, but…but how do I do this? ‘ It’s a lot simpler than you might think.  Just try it, think about a cat….see it…now think about a dog….what happened to the cat? 
 
Just think about something else!  Replace that negative thought with a positive one.  Think (set your thoughts, focus on something good, lovely, pure, honest, true, some thing that’s promised in the Word)! (Ref. Philippians 4:8)

Saints, when you intentionally apply GOD’S WORD to your life, it puts Satan in his rightful place! Under your feet! The Word of God tells the devil, “Ooooh H#### No!  It didn’t work the last time, devil and guess what? IT AIN’T GONNA WORK THIS TIME EITHER!” 

Got it? C’mon nah! Now, you pick it up! “AND… OH, BY THE WAY, GO TELL THE REST OF YOUR COHERTS THAT U R STILL A LIAR AND A THIEF! OBVIOUSLY YOU’VE FORGOTTEN. I DON’T BELONG 2 U ANYMORE,  REMEMBER! I BELONG 2 JESUS! THEREFORE, I’VE BEEN ANOINTED, AUTHORIZED AND APPOINTED BY THE LIVING WORD OF GOD TO RESIST YOU; THEREFORE I REFUSE TO ACCEPT YOUR NEGATIVE REPORTS!  AND GUESS WHAT? IF U KNOW WHAT’S GOOD 4 U, U’D GET OUTTA MY WAY! CUZ, I AIN’T FIX’IN 2 DO THAT THING U SAID I COULDN’T, I’M DOING IT!”

GREAT JOB!
 
Now, stop talking about it, stop picking the wound! LET IT GO!  VICTORY IS WAITING 4 U! Didjaheardat? Wel?, Jus do it…DROP IT!  #BOOM!!!!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee 

 

I WON’T TURN BACK!

I WON'T TURN BACK

 

Selah Daily Devotions!

 

The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back, I gave my back to the smitters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair; I hid not my face from shame and spiting. For the Lord God will help me, therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I SHALL NOT BE ASHAMED. He is near that justifieth me; who will content with me? Behold the Lord will help me, who is he that shall condemn me? Isaiah 50:5-9

 

The Psalmist said, ‘Before I was afflicted, I went astray’. Well, King David, you’re not the only one! Can I get a witness? Before our ears were opened, before our personal encounter with The Divine Kind, before we met Jesus, all of us rebelled against God’s Righteous standards! Amen 3x!

But! Just like The Prophet Isaiah, when we finally heard that ‘un-mistakable’ Voice of Our Lord speaking to our heart, we turned our face to God and our back to Satan! We made the conscious, irrevocable determination to commit ourselves to The Redeemer, begin a new life, walk a new path, and emphatically denounced our former Task Master, declaring—I’m through with you!

However, I must confess! Much to my surprise, not everyone celebrated! In fact, some of the same folk that we used to kick it with backndaday ‘don’t treat me like they used to, since I laid my burden down’! Many of your peeps, who used to ‘have your back’ become back-stabbers or now avoid you like a bubonic plague. Don’t think it strange if some even set traps to get you to fall, just to let you know that you ain’t no better then they are!  #ijs For real!

But guess what? No one who walks away from the world ever comes up short. Nothing that you give up to follow Jesus is ever in vain. So don’t worry about your haters. Remember, you now have a Friend who sticks closer than any brother; and He has promised to never leave you or give up on you. (Ref. Proverbs 18:24; Hebrews 13:5)

Don’t try to defend yourself, just let your life speak for you! Trust me, some of those folk who walked away, they’re still watchin’. And guess who they’ll come to when they hit that pothole? EXACTLY! The ‘new and improved you’!

For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. Hebrews 4:2

Precious one, God’s got your back! Just keep walking, unashamedly, looking unto Jesus! Trusting in His Promises, with all of your heart knowing that God’s got a plan for your life and I hearrrd  (in my best preacha voice) that what’s coming is better than what’s been! (Ref. Jeremiah 29:11) #Didjaheardat? #WOW!

So the next time that lying devil tries to make you doubt God’s faithfulness and derail your destiny—tell him—”Obviously, you’ve mistaken me for someone else! I ain’t Lot’s wife! I WON’T TURN BACK!” #BOOMMMM

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

FAITH-BASED INITIATIVE

FAITH-BASED INITIATIVE

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 1 Samuel 17:48

Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. 1 Samuel 17:51

 

Us  ‘baby-boomers’, have witnessed  major transformations in the culture of this country and the world at large. We’ve seen the powers that be set into motion various legal and judicial orders, reforms and deregulations calling for separation of church and state, which under the radar,  were really directed to push the very Presence of God out of the focus of our daily lives.

This Satanically-induced plot was introduced under the guise of safeguards to protect our human rights, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of choice, etc. But while the flesh was enjoying its emancipation from the antiquated codes of morality and moving  into the land of parta hardy, it’s your thang, do what you wanna do, we were lured into a false sense of security. Never realizing that there would be consequences of this so-called liberation. When you eliminate God from the equation, what you’re left with is hell on earth!

Along with free love, free sex, free drugs, fast money, came increase in teen pregnancy, abortions, STD’s (and worse), drug addictions, divorce, fatherless homes, suicide, fraud, just to name a few by-products of an ‘it’s all about me’ generation!

In January 2001, President George Bush signed an Executive Order establishing a program that would ‘Rally America’s Army of Compassion’ to stimulate and enable private, charitable and religious organizations to access federal funds for social service programs to address the rising challenges and concerns that the nation was experiencing.  At least, this was what The White House Press Release reported.

But in ‘laymen’s terms’, America was jacked up, unraveling at the roots, and they were clueless as to how to turn this mess around. Hence, somebody realized that the Church was the only real hope to preserve this nation. They invited churches and community leaders to come get this free money (grants) and do something to calm the restless beasts who were getting out of hand. Perhaps you’ve already guessed, this program was dubbed ‘Faith-Based Initiatives’.

If the world got sense enough to know that God is the ONLY ONE who can fix the wiles of this world, what’s up with the real faith-based people—THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD? Over a decade has passed, and what’s changed?  What are we waiting for? When will we start taking some faith-based initiative and start walking in the power and authority that we shout about in the sanctuary?

According to today’s scripture text, 1 Sam 17:45-51, we see one individual, David,  who put his faith to work to impact the environment and to make a difference in the lives of the people. May I submit for your consideration, that the underlying strength of Satan’s kingdom is the persistently passive complacent Saints. His whole kingdom is utterly reliant upon what I call the ‘spirit of toleration’ that has many believers shut-up and locked down with a victim mentality. #ijs

The Apostle James says, ‘you show me your faith without works, and I’ll show you my faith by what I do’. (Ref. James 2:14-26). The devil is not impressed because your faith gets a bigger house, a new car, 20 credit cards—for a season. He knows that with you paying 32% interest rates, any time he’s ready, he can pull the rug right out from under you, while you’re walking around so high and lofty. However, just don’t take your faith to the trenches of the marketplace, hospital rooms, schools, court room, prisons, crack house, state house and certainly not into your own house!

Unfortunately,  many of God’s elect have  become lethargic, disgruntled and are merely biding their time, waiting for Jesus to show up and rapture them off to Heaven? Can you imagine what could happen if instead of blaming God for what’s going on in the earth we’d actually believe that God is Sovereign and satan ain’t running nothing? 

Saints, this is war! Like David when challenged by Goliath, we must stop waiting for the devil to make his next move. The Bible says, “Since the days of John The Baptist, the Kingdom of God has suffered violence, but the violent shall take it by force.” (Matthew 11:12)

It’s time for the Church to take the initiative and confront the devil on our terms! God has given us weapons of mass destruction that enables us to pull down Satan’s strongholds — THE WORD OF GOD, PRAYER & PRAIZ! “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land”. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Those who recognize their Godly lineage and legacy, will not be content to sit behind the doors of the church, bracing for the devil’s next blow. There’s a remnant of true believers, who will put their faith into action, as the Army of The Living God, and take dominion over the works of the kingdom of darkness!

God has not given us the spirit of fear, but a holy bodacious faith! We ain’t scarred to let the devil know, “I am not losing my mind and I’m not giving in!  I will bless The Lord at all times! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! I’m fully persuaded that Greater is He that’s in me. I am more than a conqueror through Christ and ain’t no devil in hell gonna walk on the Jesus in me! NOW BACK UP OFF OF ME, YOU LYING DEVIL!”

Didjagetit? NOW, GET UP AND DO SOMETHING! TAKE SOME FAITH-BASED INITIATIVE!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee