Tag Archives: win

THE HIGH LIFE!

Leave a reply

THE HIGH LIFE

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? Psalm 56:12-13

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. Ecclesiastes 9:11

A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it. Isaiah 35:8

 

The Bible is so real that it’s difficult to understand how so many folk yet consider it irrelevant to today’s contemporary society. Amassed within 66 Books, 929 chapters in the Old Testament and 260 chapters in the New Testament, GOD has captured every aspect of the human experience from eternity past, eternity present and eternity future!

Unlike many of my readers, I wasn’t born on the left-hand-back-pew of the church! In fact, I wasn’t even raised in a so-called Christian environment. Hence, I’ve lived on both sides of the Cross!  Therefore I’ve experienced both ends of the sin spectrum. I said all that to say, unequivocably, I truely believe in the miraculous, uncomparable , incomprehensible depth and breath of God’s Grace and Mercy to transform the life of the most ungodly into the sanctified!

Sometimes, life comes at us fast and hits you hard! Nevertheless, how we respond to the unexpected, is ultimately a matter of perspective! King Solomon, dubbed as the wisest man in the known world, having been set-up from birth to inherit God’s riches blessings, decided to turn away from following in the footsteps of his Father David. Like so many, who were raised up in the fear and admonition of the Lord,  preferring to fulfill his fleshy lusts,  Solomon eventually found himself plunging headlong into the endless pit of darkness, desperation and dispair!

While Salvation does not guarantee automatic exemption from experiening test, trials or tragedy, as followers of Christ, we have this assurance, absolutely nothing happens that ever takes GOD by surprise!

In fact, GOD knows our endings from the beginning! Not one smile is ever unnoticed nor is one tear ever undocumented. (Ref. Psalm 56:8) Nothing that you’ve been thru; nothing you might be going through now escapes His Watch!   However, God doesn’t promise that every day will be a stroll in the park on a sunny day dancing through flowery beds of ease, nevertheless, Beloved, it behooves us to be content and confident that “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Ref. Hebrews 13:5)

As you voyage through The Scriptures, you’ll discover that God’s servants were tempted, tested and tried by the same tactics and schemes that we are; all of which are strategically launched by our common diabolical enemy, Satan. Nevertheless, they  persevered and prevailed by the AWEMAZING GRACE  of  the self-same Good Shepherd that’s available to you and me.

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8

Didjaheardat?

GOD has promised to supply everything we will ever need to overcome and conquer every and any thing that attempts to resist or prevent the absolute fulfillment of every vow that He’s spoken over our lives!

Don’t allow fear to limit your expectations of what GOD has prepared for you! Don’t let your past cause you to doubt or settle for less than He’s promised! Take care that your steps don’t become slack lingering too long in what’s behind. Keep moving forward; remembering what God has for you is always in front of you!

While Life continues to be a journey into unchartered territories, keep walking; fully persuaded that you are never alone. Yes! There will be some valleys to tread, some mountains to climb, some twists and turns to meander and some dead-ends to re-calculate from. Nevertheless, I encourage you to keep your hand in HIS HAND, confidently trusting in The Master of all Life; knowing that what’s ahead of you is always greater than anywhere you’ve been! IN THE END YOU WIN!

BELOVED, JUST KEEP WALKING, LOVING, LEARNING, LEANING AND LIVING! LIFE GOES BETTER WITH CHRIST! HENCE, DON’T OPT FOR THE ROAD OF LEAST RESISTANCE,  CHOOSE THE PATH THAT LEADS TO THE HIGH LIFE!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

THE LAST LAUGH!

1 Reply

THE LAST LAUGH

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Why the big noise, nations? Why the mean plots, peoples? Earth-leaders push for position, Demagogues and delegates meet for summit talks, The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers: “Let’s get free of God! Cast loose from Messiah!” Heaven-throned God breaks out laughing. At first he’s amused at their presumption; Then he gets good and angry. Furiously, he shuts them up: “Don’t you know there’s a King in Zion? A coronation banquet Is spread for him on the holy summit.” Psalm 2:1-6 THE MESSAGE

So, rebel-kings, use your heads; Upstart-judges, learn your lesson: Worship God in adoring embrace, Celebrate in trembling awe. Kiss Messiah! Your very lives are in danger, you know; His anger is about to explode, But if you make a run for God—you won’t regret it! Ps. 2:10-12 THE MESSAGE

 

Since the initial act of high treason, which resulted in his being kicked out of Heaven, Satan has not ceased in his efforts to cast off the righteous restraints invoked by God! One might say, ‘He’s committed’, huh? Down thru The Ages, the Prime Minister of The Kingdom of Darkness has endeavored to recruit the most iniquitous, viciously wicked and evil of humanity to carry out his war against The God of Heaven’s Dominion in the earth!

Unfortunately, there’s been no shortage of available willing candidates for this dastardly deed! Hence, unbeknownst to those who, diabolically reject God’s holy commandments, eagerly gravitate to the lewd lustful perverted temptations of their own fleshly desires, are merely puppet prisoners dancing to the beat of their Master of Deception, Lucifer! While those who have enlisted as his leaders, rulers and foot soldiers, relishing in the arrogant ignorance of their presumed power, continue meticulously  plotting to make a mockery of The Lordship of God’s King, The Sovereign True and Living God, sitting Eternally Enthroned above The Heavens, laughs at the vanity of their futile attacks and the certainty of their inevitable destiny!

Didjaheardat? WOW!

Saints, granted, it’s not always easy to trust God! Especially when it seems that the unrighteous are prospering and we, who name the Name of Christ, are left behind to fend for ourselves, at their mercy! HOWEVERRRRR, can I submit this TRUTH, for your most earnest consideration? WE AIN’T IN HEAVEN, YET!

Beloved, God never promised us a trial-free life in the earth, however, HE PROMISES TO BE a TRIAL-PROVEN SAVIOR! “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Psalm 34:19

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. Deut. 31:6

OMG! #DIDJAGETIT? Everything that the enemy intends for evil, God will turn it around  and use it for our good!  (Ref. Genesis 50:20)

Precious one, The Creator and Sustainer of all LIFE, HOPE AND CONSOLATION has ESTABLISHED an EXECUTIVE DECREE that all those who embrace (kiss) THE SON, putting their absolute trust in HIS Saving Grace are already blessed! TRUTHBETOLD, we might not win every battle, but TRUST2KNO…WE SHALL WIN THE WAR! Check the back of THE BOOK! #ijs! #SERIOUSLY!

Satan, get a clue! LOOKS LIKE THE JOKE’S ON U! From where we’re seated, Devil, you ain’t never gonna win! As a Born-Again, Blood-Washed, God-Fearing- Believer, I shall never be defeated and I will never be denied! OUR GOD REIGNS 4EVER!

THE LAST LAUGH! #GAMECHANGER, huh?
SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

FRONT-LINE WARFARE!

Leave a reply

FRONTLINE WARFARE

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.  2 Timothy 3:12
Thou therefore endure hardness, a a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangled himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 2 Timothy 2:3-4

 

OMG! Do we ever love to sing those ol’ songs that tend to stir up our emotions and at the same time, placate the reality that each and any day of this life we might find ourselves on the front line of a battlefield!  Most of us recognize, at least on some cognitive level, that when we enlisted into The Lord’s Army, that Ol’ Ship of Zion is a battleship and not some luxurious ocean front cruise liner! Yet, there’s an innately human propensity to glamorize our voyage to the ultimate conquest, Eternal Life with our Heavenly Commander-in-Chief.

Sometimes,  season-saints can forget that Christianity has always attracted danger,  persecution and even death! Hence, our decision and commitment to become disciples of Jesus Christ must not be taken lightly, but emanating from a heart fully persuaded, entrusting wholly our spirit, soul, mind and body, that… come what may, He Who called you is well able and willing to keep us from  failing  and falling prey to the wicked devices of our common Adversary! (Ref. Jude 24-25)

Didjakno that your enrollment into God’s Kingdom demanded rebellion against your former slavemaster, Satan, Ruler of The Kingdom of Darkness and his host of enthusiastically organized agents of disastrously diabolical deeds? Remember how hard you had to fight to get out from under the clutches of his domineering cruelty? BUT for The Grace of God, you never could’ve, would’ve, should’ve made it, huh?

Nevertheless, sometimes—even, Born-Again-Blood-Washed Believers wearied and overburdened by the cares of this world, can become slouthful, letting down our guard, leaving a inch-sized crack in your armor, thereby exposing your vulnerability to Satanic strategies. How? Any good soldier knows the crucial sine qua nons of assuring that your weapons are kept  readily accessible and armed for optimal peformance in case of sneak attacks of your arch enemy. Therefore, it’s incumbent upon God’s footmen to engage in diligent daily exercises to ensure confident courageous valor!

According to the Scripture, The Apostle Paul, instructed his young protegee, “Timothy, your entire life’s experiences have been training ground for this assigment. And now, I admonish you to advance forward, fearless in your struggle, keeping a firm grip on the faith that was delivered down to you from your Mother and Grand-Mother. Son, this is a fight for your life! If you hope to succed in this mission, you must stay prayed-up! Pray every day and every way you know; pray about everything and every one!” “And above all, keep your faith energized and ablazed by The Power of The Holy Ghost, because this walk means you’re guaranteed to experience your share of suffering, simply for sharing The Gospel of Jesus Christ. BUT! If you will stay your life, focused, firmly faithful and rooted in the Love of Christ, regardless of what comes against you—your victory is imminent!”

The Apostle continues encouraging the young servant, “Timothy, run for your life, keep this commitment to the letter, don’t slack off and don’t ever give up. Arm yourself with the same mind as your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Epitome of a True Warrior of Faith!”

Beloved, perhaps today life has launched you smack-dab-indamiddle of a spiritual war zone,  but GOD has already equipped you to win! Jus remember what them ol’ skool Mothers said? “GOD DON’T NEED NO COWARD SOLDIERS’! 

WELL? WHACHAGONNADO?  Hold fast to His Eternal Promises! Be strong and courageous. “Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake.”  (Deuteronomy 31:6)

 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” 2 Corinthians 10:4

As an experienced 30+ veteran of the Faithulness of God, may I audaciously suggest your best option? “Stand your ground and guard your treasure with your life! Be faithful and with holy boldness, pass on His Word and The Grace of God will always keep you safe, secure and saved!”

B READY 2 RUMBLE…AFTER ALL, THIS IS FRONT-LINE SPIRITUAL WARFARE!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

 

FATE OR FAITH

Leave a reply

FATE OR FAITH3

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?  1 Samuel 17:28-29

The Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not want! Psalm 23:1

 
Life is challenging! WOW! Is that ever grossly understated?

If you can’t say Amen then like the ol’ saints used to say, ‘Jus keep getting up in the morning and going to bed in the evenings!’ Surely surely, sooner or later you’ll get the depth of the revelation, huh? Regardless of how your attempt to walk circumspectly, there is always going to be something or someone who’s sole purpose in existing is to challenge your peace, patience, prosperity, position or your purpose. #ijs

Here’s the clincher! Sometimes your worst adversity comes from your own house! I mean, one might expect opposition competing for a job, after all the unemployment rate being as high as it is. And of course, given the diminishing numbers of viable bachelors/bachelorettes these day you kinda know how steep the competition is for someone looking for the whole package (head, body and heart). But when you gotta overcome rejection and disrespect from those who are closest to you, even your own brothers and sistas, well that’s a beast of an entirely different species!

Most of the time when 1 Samuel 17 is preached or taught Goliath stands out as David’s most prominent archenemy! Yet, upon closer observation of the context, David faced serious opposition even before he dealt with the 10 ft. Philistine. Remember what happened that day God sent Samuel to anoint the next King of Israel? (Ref. 1 Samuel 16) Well, it was only after much resistance from his own Father, Jessie, that David was even considered an option. Isn’t it something when your own kinfolk can only see you the way you used to be or never acknowledge that where you are now is not necessarily your final destination?

Even more grueling, is rising above those who’re secretly intimidated by your desire to excel to dimensions beyond where they’ve chosen to settle in the comfort of complacency, paralyzed by their fears rather than risk failure. 

But the young shepherd boy had somehow learned that when you can’t find support or encouragement from without, you don’t give up! Flip the script by looking to the only One Who’s qualified to determine your true worth or define your destiny is The Creator and Giver of Life, The Lord Almighty! Down thru the years, David had learned how to draw strength and to encourage himself by trusting in the Unfailing Love he found in The Presence of His Shepherd, Yahweh, translated, I AM THE ONE, or I AM WHAT I AM!

While most of us can look back at those ‘almostsesses’  and rekindle those undeniable ‘look what the Lord has done moments’, sometimes it takes us a while to realize the folly of depending on self …and others, to get out of our mess, huh? Fortunately, when we do finally come to the end of ourselves, we must recognize that when God decides to bless you, it doesn’t matter who tries to curse you! In fact, I’d dare say that it behooves any who attempt to mistreat or abuse a Child of God, to be careful. God loves His children and doesn’t cotton much to those who seek their destruction. Oh Gggglorrra!

In the midst of foreboding clouds of impending threats, persecutions, peer pressure, hopelessness and despair, we jus gotta believe that nothing just happens! Inspite of all the circumstantial evidence, GOD IS IN TOTAL CONTROL of our steps and our stops! Needless to say, He rarely fills us in on the details, nevertheless He assures us that in Him, we are more than conquerors! (Ref. Romans 8:37) Hence, the precious personal revelations awaiting you as you place your faith in His Irrefutable Word, is well worth enduring the weight of confronting every challenge!

Beloved, God’s got a plan for your life and IT’S ALL GOOD AND YES, IT ALL TRUE! You jus gotta fight the good fight of faith to win! God appoints Divine Coincidences! NOW…IS THAT NOT A CAUSE? FATE OR FAITH?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray and Praiz!

Ann Caffee

BLESSED LIKE THAT?

1 Reply

BLESSED LIKE DAT

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

“And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Hebrew 6:11-12

 

Can we talk?

None of like waiting, right? Yet, life teaches you that it’s inevitable! Hopefully, eventually we will get to the point that we understand since it’s virtually impossible to avoid, how you wait is vitally important!

For some mysterious reason, (The Wisdom of God) even the most sainted of us will be challenged in this area. On one hand, The Bible encourages us that ‘the promises of God are Yeah and Amen’; yet in order to inherit the promises we must wait–in confident expectation! Okay, but how?

Let me be frank with you up front, it’s not easy but IT IS POSSIBLE! Some folk  (a lot wiser than I) now honored in The Hebrews Hall of Faith, left an example for us to follow. In order to fill that gapping season between when the promise is given and the manifestation of the promise, you’ve got to talk to yourself! Now don’t just swipe this under the rug as ‘holy talk’!

Experience has proven this to be factual! Because there’s someone waiting for you to throw in the towel and surrender to your circumstances so he can begin to talk to you! And can you guess what he’s gonna say? The conversation will probably go something like this, “whatcha waiting for”; “what you got now is all you’re ever gonna get; none of your people ever got any higher, further, never accomplish anything greater than where you are right now” “Your Momma wasn’t nothing, your Daddy wasn’t’ nothing…WHO DO U THINK U R?”

Can I tell you something? It’s time to let your ears hear your mouth, talking to yourself! Even if it means standing in the mirror and saying out loud in your best MLK voice, “I have a dream!” Next, add some fuel to the fire by writing the vision, making it plain so that every time you read it, it will fortify your will and re-affirm your resolve that no matter what it looks like, “I’m determined to run for it!” Hence, this will help you to line your thinking in that direction and curtail your actions to take you towards that dream.

Stop sabotaging your future with your mouth! What ‘they say’ is not as important as what you say to yourself. Make sure that you tell your feelings that they don’t get a vote! Above else stop procrastinating and command your feet to run in the direction of your vision!

Watch it! Ihearya! “But! Obviously, you don’t know what I been thru”! SHUT YOUR MOUTH and set your face like a flint towards the vision that God gave you then SHIFT! The fact that you’re still here means that you’re a survivor and most importantly, God is not thru with you yet!

At the end of the day, it boils down to this…CAN you STAND TO BE BLESSED LIKE THAT?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

AIN’T NO QUIT IN ME

3 Replies

AIN'T NO QUIT IN ME

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

For our light affliction which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory… 2 Corinthians 4:17-18a

 

Someone, with far more wisdom than you and I, penned these words, “Winners never quit, and quitters never win!” Granted, we’re living in times that could easily tempt us to just fall apart, succumb to our dire situations and even begin to doubt God‘s ability to turn things around in our favor. Yet, Jesus never told us to rely on what we think, we see or even what we feel. The Word admonishes us to put no confidence in flawed fickle flesh, particularly our own. Believers walk by faith and not by what it may look like in the natural. Believers believe!

When the enemy comes upon us flooding our hearts with intimidating fear and discouragement, a spirit of super tenacity, and holy boldness, begins to flow up from the pit our inner most being and when it kicks in, it really doesn’t matter what we go thru, a true believer will refuse to throw up our hands and give in! The Ol’ Skool Church used to say, “I’m in it, to win it”! You see they knew something—I don’t care who sanngs, God Reigns, therefore it ain’t over until God says it’s over!

When it appears that the circumstantial evidence against us pretty much guarantees we’re going down for the count, we have a secret weapon on the inside of us that assures us the victory! Greater is He that is in me than anything that comes against me! (1 John 4:4)

The Apostle Paul, encouraging a troubled Corinthian Church, lets us know we’re don’t have to deny the severity of our situation, we just deny it’s  power to work against us. (Ref. Isaiah 54:17) Didjaheardat? Yes, it’s okay to acknowledge what’s happening, but don’t just stop with the bad stuff, remember Who we have going right for us.

Okay, we might be feeling some pressure, but we’re still standing! We might not have all the answers, but we know The One who does! Our circumstances might not be what we expected, but God already knew about it before He allowed us to be in it! It may seem that the burden is much more than we can take, but God’s Grace is sufficient! We might not know how long we’re be in it, but God knows! He’s predesignated a set time for our deliverance! And when God brings us out we don’t come out empty handed, but we come out with Greater Glory!

YEP! Believers may bend, but we don’t break! We hold fast to the Hope that is within us! (Ref. Colossians 1:27)

BELOVED, DON’T STOP, ‘TILL YOU GET IT! GET IT?

Seriously!  Obviously Satan didn’t get the text, huh? So you tell ’em, ‘Ain’t nobody got time 4 dat; check the back of the Book, WE WIN! Ain’t NO QUIT In ME!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

TRIAL-SIZED gODZ!

2 Replies

TRIAL SIZED gODS

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. (Exodus 20:3-5)

I recognize that the sheer suggestion of idol worship tends to rattle the righteous indignation in the spirit of a true Believer! As followers of Christ, we know how despicably foul such worship is in the nostrils of The Holy God of Heaven and Earth. And for the most part, we’d never consider breaking this Commandment. After all, we don’t bow down before carved images of God nor do we display at the entrances or scatter stone replicas of God throughout our homes or businesses, right? Yet, will closer investigation of our lives reflect closely guarded idols formed in the recesses of our imaginations?

According to the scriptures  ‘O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.’ (Ref. Matthew 12:24) Hence, while man will attempt to hide the true intents, insights and purpose for being, ultimately, his lifestyle will reflect the secret things of his heart and clearly define where their loyalty lies!

Do we worship our personal ‘trial-sized’ images of God?

I see further explanation is in order! We have a tendency to make up our own images to represent who God is to us. The problem is we will never be able to fit “The All Encompassing Is-ness of GOD” into the small-minded-frail-framed-carnal-comprehension of our temporal-flesh. In other words, it’s absolutely impossible for us to fathom “Unlimited Presence, Power and Potential” within the limitations of our humanity!

While The Living God is Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient, HE can only be known through Revelation!

GOD reveals His character, His purpose and His plan for each of as we traverse through our individual life experiences. It’s the knowledge gained through following The Good Shepherd’s lead, cautiously climbing cloud-covered mountaintops and timidly trembling through the death-valleys of our everyday lives that we learn the rewards of faithful trust, patient obedience and the security of resting in The Eternal Hope! 

Today’s takeaway?

Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his… 2 Timothy 2:19

Therefore, Beloved, as you continue to set the Lord  before you, you shall walk in HIS Everlasting JOY! 

AMERICA, WHO IS YOUR GOD?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

GIANTS DO FALL!

1 Reply

GIANTS DO FALL2

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Then said David to the Philistine, you come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelIn; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, whom you have defiled.

This day The Lord will deliver you into my hand; and I will smite you, and cut off your head; and I will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hand. When the Philistine came forward to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to me the Philistine. 1 Samuel 17:45-48

 

Life is challenging! No matter how we try to avoid drama, we might as well accept that there’s always going to be something or someone who’s sole mission in life is to challenge your peace, your postion or your purpose on any given day!

There was nothing unusual about this day for David,  an ordinary shepherd boy,  going about his daily chores and obeying his Father instructions  to deliver lunch to his older brothers who were part of Israel’s Army; that is until suddenly, he found himself smack-dab-in-the-middle of an unsually challenging situation!

As David approached the camp, he couldn’t help but notice this 10 ft. Philistine giant, Goliath, yelling out threats to the experienced warriors of God’s Chosen.  Israel’s army was reknown for their courageous military tactics; yet in this instance, most likely because of the monstrosity of this opponent, not to mention the threatening words bellowing from his lips, the Israelite soldiers immobilized with terror and paralyzed by fear, were hiding amongst the rocks. Okay now, don’t act like you would’ve responded any differently!

What was going on? Well apparently, these mighty-men-of valor who were normally confident, relying on their own strength and the effficiency of their arsenal to defeat their adversaries, but when faced with the size of Goliath, had reckoned that the risk and danger of this task insurmountable!

However, David’s perspective was quite different! David was no stranger to seemingly futile confrontations in his past, nevertheless, had victoriously overcome them all. Therefore, armed with his determination that if GOD did it before, HE’D SURELY DO IT AGAIN,  David chose to stick with the tried and proven!

Instead of running away from the potential imminent destruction, David’s memories of God’s Faithfulness enabled him to forge ahead, trusing soley in His God, thorougly convinced that the greater the challenge, the greater the reward! Life had trained David that if GOD be for you, it doesn’t matter who tries to come against you! Faith in God assures you that no matter what it looks like, GOD will turn it around in your favor guaranteeing that you’re always more than a conqueror! (Ref. Romans 8:28, 37)

Unless you were born late last night or just landed on earth early this morning, like David, I kinda believe you’ve racked of a collection of personal testimonies of God’s Miraculous Saving Grace, huh?  Nevertheless, for whatever reason, whenever we’re confronted by a new challenge, rather than relying on your God to work it out, more often than not, you develop a severe case of spiritual amnesia and look for the nearest exit, huh?

But, Beloved, God left us a record of David’s response to model a different spirit! Time and time again, instead of running away from the giants, David stood firmly rooted and convicted that his adversaries were not just challenging him, but they were challengilng David’s GOD!

Saints, you will never overcome anything that you’re not willing to confront! You’ve got to know that we have a common antagonist, Satan, who is intent on challenging you each and every day. Some situations will be easy to handle, however others will be more than you can bear on your own. But keep in mind, God never intended you to! That’s the reason He promised you that He’ll never leave you, nor forsake you. (Ref. Hebrews 13:5) So, no matter how big your problem appears to be, don’t be scarrred! YOUR GOD IS GREATER! (Ref. 1 John 4:4)

As a born-again-blood-washed-Holy Spirit-filled-baptized believer, don’t let the devil find you naked! Every day, strap yourself in the whole Armour of God and go get your victory! (Ref. Ephesians 6:11) God’s gotcha covered!

REMEMBER, GIANTS DO FALL!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

INVITATION ONLY

1 Reply

INVITATION ONLY

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

For the commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into the heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it, and do it?’ But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. Deuteronomy 30:11-14

 

Who in this world would wanna make God’s Grace soooo complicated and difficult to acceptt? Dat lying devil, of course!  The last thing Satan wants a lost sinner to recognize is that God is the ONE who initiated Salvation IN THE 1ST PLACE and makes it available to all who will repent and return to The Maker of Heaven and Earth!  Appealing to the SIN that so easily besets us, ‘PRIDE’, Satan  manipulates our thoughts, enticing the lusts of our flesh to do those things which are unseemly, then slams the door condeming us to fear, doubt and utimate, logical, justifiable terminal  self-rejecting eternal damnation!

Uuuuummmm? So what exactly was Moses saying?  

Moses, God’s appointed Covenant Mediator, was telling God’s Chosen nation that God, knowing the inadeqacy of human’s frame, has always planned to restore His  wayward children back into right-relationship to Godself, independent of our  puny efforts to warrant such Wonderous Gift of Love!  

“And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendents, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”…For the LORD will again rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book. “(Detuteronomy 30:6, 9b-10)

This is the core of  every true Gospel preaching! It’s encouraging diligent seeker to say the welcoming word to God—“Jesus is my Master”! Hence, embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what He did in raising Jesus from the dead.  That’s it!  #didjaheardat?   

You’re not “doing” anything!  By simply calling out to God from a grateful and sincere heart, you’re trusting Him to do it for you. With your whole being you embrace God’s Mercy, setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between Him and me!” That’s  the essence of SALVATION, yall!  

The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest. It’s the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us and IN US!

Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it.” It’s exactly the same no matter what  your religious affiliation may be! When any soul is depending solely upon The Cross of Jesus,  we receive all the benefits of the same God for all of us! God is no respecter of person! He demonstrates the same incredible generosity to everyone who crys out for help. “Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.”Romans 10:13 THE MESSAGE  

AWEMAZING, huh?

GOD doesn’t bumrush HIS WAY in and crash your party, but Graciously awaits HIS Personal Invitation from YOUR heart to HIS heart!

Is GOD welcome in your house?  Is GOD welcome in your LIFE? Have you invited THE SAVIOR into your heart?

Your  SALVATION is as close to YOU as your TRUSTING heart’s cry! 

Shhhhh!  didjaheardat knocking?  REALLY? #whatRUwaiting4?
 
REMEMBER, SALVATION COMES BY  INVITATION ONLY!  #HALLELUJAHHHH!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

STAY N IT 2 WIN IT!

1 Reply

STAY IN IT 2 WIN IT!

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

 

Apparently, somewhere along the way, many of today’s contemporary Christians have picked up the erroneous impression, that The Road of Salvation is a meticulously manicured lawnscape—free of sticks and stones, crabgrass and weeds, lumps and humps and especially parasital insects.

Now! Given my extreme paranoia of bugs, I certainly don’t profess to be no expert in the science of horticulture, however I don’t think it would be going too far out on a limb to suggest that our neighbor’s lusciously green tarp (that we so yearn for) involved a certain moderate-to hard-working-up-sweat-hands-dirty-knee-dropping-diligence and discipline. Right?

So what makes us think that the most important road-trip we’ll ever take, our journey from Earth to Glory, would be a choreographed Boogaloo-Down-Broadway?

I can’t tell you how many times I find myself reminding myself that all of those ‘cheering witnesses’ we stagger at in Hebrews 11’s Hall of Faith, were just plain ordinary everyday folk, just like you and me, who faced the same struggles, tests and trails that we confront. Yet, because they kept their eyes focused on the prize, they overcame their life’s challenges, successfully!

While we understand, at least on some level, the reason that The Apostle Paul compares our walk with Jesus to a race, we have a tendency to think of it as a sprint, rather than a marathon! Okay, here’s how it is—it ain’t a one and done thing! The Master Husbandman, The Sovereign Creator, GOD, has allowed certain interruptions, along our way, that are strategically designed to develop and grow us up into perfect spiritual maturity.

The scriptures reveal that our forerunner, God’s Son, JESUS, learned obedience through his sufferings. (Ref. Hebrews 5:8)

Now, don’t get it twisted; this doesn’t mean that Jesus was ever disobedient to His Father, but rather, His suffering enabled him to intimately-identify with what we endure in our wilderness experiences!

Paul instructs us to study how Jesus did it and follow His lead. Begin with stripping down—laying aside anything that would slow us down—like un-repented sin, unrealized fears, unspoken doubts and worries  and concentrating on the Joy at the completion of the mission.

The mission for which HE was SENT, Salvation, Redemption and Restoration of God’s  most precious creation—us—empowered Our Lord to look past the pain and the shame of The Cross and not quit until He’d Won our Victory!

My brothers and sisters, seeing we have such A Great High Priest, who promised to be with us all the way, don’t give in to that lying Accuser, Satan.! 

Take a big whist of that ‘second wind’  (GRACE) and discipline your mind, body and spirit and keep it movin’. After all, we’re not just hurling aimlessly toward a phantom mirage; this is a sure thing we’re running after! 
God has planned a Great Celebration at the finish line for us! STAY IN IT TO WIN IT!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee