Author: Travail and Transform Ministry

Dr. Jean Stepter-Gray, in March 2003, she heard a Word from God, saying it’s time to elevate! She prayed with exuberance to God to be a woman of faith, who would inspire others to be great, she says, “If she had known that this journey would have taken her through so many seasons, she would have packed lighter! But thanks be unto God, for He is answering her prayers, one season at a time. (Smiling) Jean serves as Minister, Mentor, Speaker, Teacher, Chaplain Licensed and Board-Certified /Therapist Christian Counselor and has experienced so much of God’s love, mercy, grace, and favor; and she wants to share it with anyone who truly desires it. Her goal is to ignite in women and men a passion for the Word of God so that they can see the beauty of Jesus Christ, so that they may have a personal relationship with Him. She believes that it is through personal interactions with God and His Word that we will grow. Jean believes that God gave her gifts to share with others for His Glory. She uses her natural gift as a communicator and practical teaching style to serve others. She says that her grandmother use to tell her, “The people around you reap the benefits of you serving God”, which means that you won’t go to God in any old way, you go to Him correctly! Jean’s ultimate desire is to help one somebody know that it does not matter the path that it took you to get here, but it is the journey that God is using to get you to your next destination! Let’s embrace our new journey of being Transformed at the Well and drinking from wells that we did not dig! To God be the Glory!

Good Morning Sunshine! God Has Healed Your Bruised Heel! Say Thank You!

Genesis 3:15 NKJV ~ “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

This verse is called protoevangelium, it is a compound of two Greek words, protos meaning “first” and evangelion meaning “good news” or “gospel”. It was known as the first mention in the Bible of the “good news” of salvation. The context of this first proclamation of the gospel was the serpent being defeated! When the serpent beguiled Eve and she gave the forbidden fruit from the tree of good and evil to Adam, and he ate of it contrary to what God had told him not to do! It caused an immediate separation from God and made a covenant with death. He chose fellowship with the devil rather than fellowship with God. In this first proclamation of the gospel, one thing sticks out, “The gospel was first spoken as a curse upon the serpent.” Your enemy will be and has been defeated, it was spoken in the beginning! 

When you choose your flesh over God, you are choosing to be in bondage, and you cannot free yourself from this place. But there is good news for you, the power of the devil must be and will be broken off of your life by the Power of God! God promises the serpent that his kingdom will not last; his head will be bruised; and there will always be a remnant a “seed” who will be at war with the serpent’s seed! And the serpent will be defeated every time because of what God did!

Woman, (Man too) your victory has been achieved! You have this complete revelation of God, that the defeat of Satan came at the hands of the Seed of the Woman, through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ defeated the devil, not with armies and weapons, but by suffering the death of the cross. Your covenant with death must be broken, and it can only be broken when it is carried out. The Son of God chose to taste death for you that the power of death might be broken off and in your life! This is a Glory Hallelujah Time!

You are a Warrior made by God and the crushing of the head of the devil just bruised your heel, it only superficial, you will be okay, you will get your momentum back again! You know that because you are doing what God wants you to do, the enemy is going continually strike at your heels, trying to inflict a wound that keeps you from moving forward in your walk with Jesus. Satan is a real enemy, he is not to be played with, you can’t be on both sides of the coin, you have to choose! (Joshua 24:15) For he will do anything he can to get you to follow his evil, deadly path. But I know that you have choose the better way and that is to follow God!

The enemy has tried to take you out more than once, but thanks be unto God, that you are still here, and you are still standing! I know you have read this scripture before but ask God to give you new eyes to see clearly what this means for you as a Believer, the phrase “you will strike his heel” refers to Satan’s many attempts to defeat Jesus when He was on the cross. And “He will strike your head” is the foreshadow of Satan being defeat at Christ’s resurrection on the cross. (Do you see how important the Cross was in your life?) A blow to the heel will not kill you, but a blow to the head will! (This is why it is so important to watch your thoughts, it all starts in the head, 2 Corinthians 10:5.) Take the enemy out from his head! For it was in the Garden that God revealed His plan to defeat Satan and offer salvation to the you through His Son, Jesus Christ. Now if this isn’t good news to you, then I don’t know what you really call good news. But rather you believe it or not, it’s the truth! The Good News is that Jesus is going to heal your bruises and remind you that He is using what the enemy meant for your harm, to be used for your good, Romans 8:28! 

After God cursed the physical serpent, God turned to the spiritual serpent, the lying enemy, Satan, and cursed him, you shall bruise him on the head, and he shall bruise you on the heel. This was the first Gospel Prophetic Word of the struggle and its outcome between “your seed” (Satan and unbelievers, who are called the Devil’s children in John 8:44) and her seed (Christ, a descendant of Eve, and those in Him), which began in the garden. For in the midst of the curse, a message of Hope was birth forth, the woman’s offspring called “He” is Jesus, who has defeated the Serpent. Satan can only bruise Jesus’ heel, but Jesus will bruise Satan’s head and destroying him with a fatal blow to the head, that he’s not coming back from after this! 

As a believer in Jesus Christ, I want you to be encouraged in this day according to the Word of God in Romans 16:20, “And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet!” Today you should recognize that you are a participant in the crushing of Satan because, along with your Savior and because of His finished work on the cross, for you are of the woman’s seed! It all happened because of the Cross! The Warrior, Jesus Christ destroyed the enemy for you to become the prayer warrior that you are today! 

This is paramount to your faith. Do not pity the One on the Cross, but marvel at His love for you! You should ponder (think) about the Power of the One (Jesus) who entered into battle with death and conquered it! Jesus was not a victim on the cross, carried away by circumstances out of His control. Rather He was the One, a Conquering Hero, who not only waged war against the kingdom of the devil, but defeated everything that would try to come against you! 

It was all done at the Cross, casting out the strong man and ushering in the Kingdom of Heaven. And He will reign until He has put all enemies under His feet! This is the same Lord today as He was yesterday, (Hebrews 13:8) and He is saying to you, “Take up your cross and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)! When you are united to Jesus, you will also do battle with the kingdom of the devil, but being united to Christ, you can be assured the victory, you will be victorious! Don’t worry about your heel being bruised in war, for your enemy’s head will be crushed! Your heel will be healed in the Name of Jesus Christ! 

Knowing that you will have the victory should change how you view suffering. Stop asking the question, why is this happening and start saying the right thing, “I know that my God is taking care of this.” In yesterday’s devotional there is a prayer that I want you to pray, “Father, Thank You for my trials and tribulations, for I know that this is drawing me closer to you, and they are only temporary. May You accomplish in me a new perspective that will lift me up into heavenly places and produce in me a transcendent Glory never to cease! In Jesus Christ Name! 

What a wonderful thought! Your suffering is not simply meaningless!  It is because you have been doing battle with the enemy, and you are winning. The devil was in his greatest danger when Jesus was in His greatest pain! When Jesus gave up the ghost, the devil’s power was destroyed! This is the greatest paradox of your faith. Jesus defeated the enemy when He was weak, hungry, and tired. He crushed His head by obedience to the death of the cross as a common criminal, (Luke 4:1-13)! Jesus set the stage for you to follow Him, He paved the way for you to be free of bondage and victorious at the same time! 

Jesus is calling you today to take up that cross and follow Him, (Matthew 19:38)! The path to resurrection and victory is through suffering and death, for from the very beginning, God purposed to destroy the kingdom of Satan by bruising the heel of the Seed of the Woman, and you are partakers with Christ in His death as well as in His victory. It’s in your suffering that you are destroying the power of the devil. Don’t view your hard times as signs of God’s displeasure. Instead view them as opportunities to crush Satan’s head!

You are doing battle with an ancient enemy, and you will Prevail by the Power of Jesus Christ who has already assured you of your outcome, you will have the victory when you choose Jesus! Yes, it will bruise your heel, but you will be able to walk with an uplifted head, a song in your heart, a glitter in your eye, a praise dance in your feet. And the God of Peace will bruise Satan’s head under your bruised heel. It’s a promise!

Let’s Pray:

Thank You Father! Thank You for rescuing me! Thank You for Your promise of healing and victory through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Father help me to recognize the enemy’s attacks and embrace Your healing power. Give me strength to overcome challenges and walk in the confidence of Your love. Father, Thank You for Your Power that heals and restores me from any and all hurt or setback, both physically and spiritually. Thank You for Your Grace that has and is still mending the most painful trials and tribulations that I have had to face.  Father, I trust You completely and I am totally committed to surrendering everything to You, for there is no one else that has the ability and Power that You have to save and deliver me. Father, grace me to serve You in whatever state I am in, for I know that victory is mind because of what You did on the Cross for me, You may have had Your heel bruised, but I know that I know that Satan took a death blow to the head and he will not rise again, but Glory be to God! You defeated the enemy in Your death, and You rose again with all Power in Your Hand and because You got up, I have the opportunity to get up today! Father I have a song in my heart and dancing in my feet, because You healed my heel! In the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ! Amen! 

Blessings…

Love, Minister Jean

Have A Blessed Weekend…

Good Morning Sunshine! Don’t Just Listen To God’s Voice, Follow It, He Will Lead You The Right Way!

Isaiah 30:19-21 AMPC ~ “O people who dwell in Zion at Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. [20] And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide Himself any more, but your eyes will constantly behold your Teacher. [21] And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.”

In this world, there is noise and voices all around; people are talking over you, about you, and around you day in and day out; and sometimes it is hard to tell who’s who! And to be still and silent in this hour is even more rare and unusual. But there is a voice and it doesn’t matter how many other ones there are out there, this One should be clearer and louder to you than all the rest of them, it is the One telling you which way you should go, be it left or right, back or front, you should know the voice of God in your ears telling you which way to walk! So, which voice are you listening to today, yours are God’s? John 10:14!

Every day you are bombarded with different types of voices, some are clear and precise, soft and muffled, and others or loud and rowdy, each one can bring clarity, clutter, or confusion if you are not careful! But in the midst of all the voices that you hear, there is that One, the One that should stand out from the rest, it’s the Voice of God! A voice that you can be sure of, One that will break through all the barriers and remove the fog from your mind, the One that will break up the clutter and confusion, the One that will speak directly to your heart and reveal, renew, repair and restore you!

Some of the most challenging times in my life have been when I was facing difficulty, and I couldn’t hear God speak. Have you ever been plagued with a persistent problem (bread of adversity) and it seemed like it wasn’t going to end, (water of affliction) and you needed to hear something or someone? But who can you trust to talk to about this problem with? It’s during these trying times that you reach out to God, and you reflect on the kind of friends that He has given you. There is one quality that I look for in true friends and it’s to know that someone has my back! Alway know this one thing, God will always have your back, and He has designed a friend just for you!

There is something rare about a relationship where you know someone is really behind you. In your moments of struggle you can hear your friend saying, “keep going”, “you’ve got this”, can sometimes be all that you need to keep pushing you in the right direction. It’s during this time that you need to hear the right voice speaking because the wrong voice will lead you down the wrong path in life. It’s not the loud voice that you want, it’s the still small voice that will speak clarity to your confusion, it’s the small voice that will speak the truth and you can hear it loud and clear, it will flood your heart with peace and bring back to your memory that your Teacher (God) is your True Friend!

When you are going through it, you need to see it as an opportunity to get to know your Father better! See this problem as a tutor who is always by your side teaching you some new things and alerting you of the forks and crossroads that are on the road ahead of you; and know this that your learning opportunities are only limited by your willingness to be teachable. As a matter of fact, thank God for your problems today, because when you do this, your problem loses its power to weigh you down. Now ask God to help you see and hear from His perspective and watch what will be accomplished through this difficulty in your life, it will produce a Glory that will transcend what you are experiencing in this moment!

Today, God has your back, and His Voice is on the inside of you and it is behind telling you how to keep steady and true. His Voice is your constant reminder to be consistent in your walk with Him! You don’t have to see the whole road, you just have to listen to the Voice of your Lord and Teacher as He speaks continually to you on your journey, He is speaking to all who will listen. For these slight momentary afflictions that you are experiencing right now are preparing you for an eternal weight of Glory that is beyond all comparison, trust the process of God (2 Corinthians 4:17)!

Let’s Pray:
Father Thank You! Father, today I am thankful that You always have my back! I Thank You, that You never leave me in a place of confusion, but You remind me to stop and listen for Your clear directions. I am grateful for Your steadfast Voice that breaks through all of the noise and clutter in my life and speaks clarity to my heart on my journey. I am grateful that the noise that I hear does not stop You from revealing Yourself to me as my Teacher, and that You are training my ears to hear Your still small Voice and to know Yours over every other voice that I hear in this loud world. Father, open my eyes and ears to hear You speak clearly to my heart and help my feet to follow the way you lead. Father Thank You for preparing and producing a transcendent Glory in me that will never cease as long as I follow Your leading. Father, help me to have consistent faith over fear! I am blessed and covered by You God and I am grateful for Your leading me on this path call life! In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Blessings…
Love, Minister Jean

Good Morning Sunshine! Have You Learned How To Turn Yet? 

2 Peter 3:9 AMPC ~ “The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people’s conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance.”

It’s time to repent! Do you really know what repentance means? According to Webster’s Dictionary, it is the action or process of repenting especially for misdeeds or moral shortcomings. 

However, according to the Bible, “It is the act of leaving what God hates and returning to what He has commanded.” Luke 13:3, “I tell you, no; but unless you repent (change your mind for the better and heartily amend your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins), you will all likewise perish and be lost eternally.” True repentance takes place in your heart and not in your head! It’s not a feeling but an act of reverence and obedience unto God! 

True Repentance has nothing to do with your feelings, it’s not just saying I’m sorry and moving on, it’s about you having a change of heart and behavior! It’s about conviction and you being fully aware of your actions or lack thereof! When true repentance does not take place, you need to seek God and ask Him to show you what you need to do to get your life back in alignment with Him and what He wants for your life. Having remorse with no change in your heart is not called repentance, it’s you just trying to buy some time before you do your next thing or the next incident occurs, whichever one comes first! 

One more thing to know, True Repentance is not without consequences! This means, you have been forgiven by God, when you repented, but sometimes you may have to face the consequences of your actions, (God will see you through this). In True Repentance you will have a change of heart, but if your heart remains unchanged, then you are not fully operating in repentance, you have just learned how to manipulate the situation by mitigating it with a temporary corrected behavior. However, your heart is still corrupt and inwardly you are still unrepentant! This is a dangerous place to be in, please repent for real, because you do not want to leave this earth in this state. And since you don’t know when He is coming back, you need to make repenting a top priority!  

True Repentance is not you just saying a bunch of words, it’s an inward revival that is accompanied by the peace of God, that shows up on your outside! Your inward change becomes a revival of righteousness with a desire for Holy living with Jesus Christ! You now can appreciate what you have been taught by God, you have learned how to truly repent and be one with your Father. Learning this has transformed you from the old to the new, Romans 12:2, and you are guided by the desires of your Father, recognize and receive His good counsel, that you may live in freedom, and never go back to the old! You are free, free, free, Galatians 5:1! 

True Repentance is a serious act of the heart, it’s totally surrendering to God and a faith walk, Hebrews 11:1! It’s the catalyst that brings forth the work of ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Will of God in your life! This process cultivates the gifts of God and the fruit of the Spirit in you!  

Repentance is a critical part of your life, it’s the driving force that renews your mind and puts your mind, mouth and motives on Jesus Christ! It is here that you are able to flow freely in the things of God, every moment becomes a movement bringing you closer and closer to God because you have been inspired and instructed by your Father! True Repentance is about accountability to God first, yourself and others, and it shows in your heart, and in your actions! You become the change catalyst that you want to see! 

Let’s Pray:

Father, Thank You! Thank You for the gift of Repentance! Father, I come to You right now as humbly as I can, I repent right now for every sin that I have committed, sins of omission and commission. Please forgive me and teach me how to forgive others and myself. Father, create in me a pure and clean heart that I may be in right fellowship with You and others! If you said this prayer from your heart, your Father in Heaven heard your confession and He is faithful and just and He will forgive you and purify your sins. In the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ. Amen! 

Blessings…

Love, Minister Jean

Good Morning Sunshine! Listen Up, God Is Going To Give You Instructions For The Day!

Isaiah 50:4-5 MSG ~ “The Master, GOD, has given me a well-taught tongue, So I know how to encourage tired people. He wakes me up in the morning, Wakes me up, opens my ears to listen as one ready to take orders. The Master, GOD, opened my ears, and I didn’t go back to sleep, didn’t pull the covers back over my head.”

It’s morning time, time to rise and shine, it’s time for you to get up and open your ears, for it is time for you to have your first conversation of the day with your Father! Have you ever wondered why regular school starts in the morning? Do you remember when you went to school? Class was early in the mornings! The reason why, this is best time of day, you are alert, focused and ready to learn something new. Your teacher was prepared to enlighten you and encourage you to do better and to be better, he or she was consistent in doing the same thing every day, so that you could get it in your head and heart, and not just to memorize it for one day but to learn it for your life’s journey!

There is a book called, “All I really need to know, I learned in kindergarten.” (By Robert Fulghum) it says that you, “learned how to share, play fair, clean up, work hard, say you’re sorry, you learned how to wash your hands before you eat and after you used the bathroom, you learned how to learn, live, think, draw, paint, write, sing, dance, and rest! Now, think about it, you still do all of these things now! Well, your Father wants to teach you even greater things, but you have to do three things first, wake up, get up and listen up! It is what you hear that you speak! (Think about the words that you want to come out of your mouth? It starts with what you take into your ear gates, it then goes to your head and to your heart. Pay attention to what you take in, because it will come out!) This is why you must ask God to instruct your tongue!

Well, this is what your Heavenly Father is offering you every day, morning by morning when He blesses you with a brand-new day, one that you have never seen before. He wants you to receive instruction from Him, just as you received it from your natural teacher, you should receive even greater knowledge from your Lord and Savior! You are now hearing from the One that created you and He’s teaching you, and it’s taking place early in the morning, (I know that you have heard this before, “the early bird catches the worm!” Same thing applies to you, catch the Word of God in the morning so that you will know what to say, your tongue will be instructed by God, your speech seasoned with salt, and in the noonday, you will become pregnant with the Word of God and give birth to a Harvest in the evening!) He wants you to hear Him and hear Him clearly day after day! For what He gave you yesterday was for yesterday and it won’t work for today, so what He has for you today you must rise up in order to receive it, open your ears and eyes that you may hear and understand what He’s saying to you!

I love early mornings with God! What about you? Let me tell you, the more time you spend with God in the morning, the wiser you get, and the better you will be. There is nothing that can compare to being in the Presence of the Lord! It soothes everything that is in you! Spending time with God early in the morning, is how you build a strong and secure relationship between the student (you) and the Savior (The Teacher)! The Word of God is given to you, to help you remember who God for every season and chapter of your life, His Word has sustaining Power to keep you and to help you when you are tired and weary, remember His Word tells you, don’t get weary in well doing (Galatians 6:9). You can’t be rebellious in this place, you’ve got to be ready and obedient to do, hear, receive and speak the Word with understanding and clarity. If you don’t take the time to be taught correctly, then how can you share His Word with anyone else, you must first learn how to follow before you can lead! Be Teachable, so that you can hear and receive instructions from God!

Be Available, so that when God speaks to you, you will know how to encourage someone else with the same Word that He taught you with; and then Be Faithful, get up every morning with your God on your mind, go into Worship with Him, spend some quality time in fellowship, so that you may Hear a Word, Share a Word and Receive a Word in this Season to make you a better servant for the Savior! Today, there is nothing standing between you and Him, no priest, no protocol, just you and Him, the curtain has been torn and removed, and your way is clear to meet your Father face to face! Now you can just go to Him, He’s waiting on you, He would like to have an audience of one with you! It’s in this place that you will be given an instructed tongue that will lead, guide, direct and sustain you. God woke you up on purpose this morning and He has opened up your ears that you may hear, this is not the time to lean on your own understanding, but to trust Him. This morning He has opened up your ears to hear and listen like one being taught by Him! Oh what lessons you will learn today, when you come into the Presence of your King first thing in the morning!

Let’s Pray:
Father, Thank You! Thank You for waking me up this morning into a new day of learning and sitting at Your feet.  Father thank You for all of the Tuesday’s that You have given me in 2024, for there are only 2 more Tuesday’s left, help me to be wise and obedient to what You want me to do. Father, Thank You for giving me Your Words of wisdom and instructing me on how I should move, speak, be still, and learn today. Thank You Father, for speaking to me and through me and giving me revelation of Your Word! Father, today I will share what You teach me, and I will speak what You tell me to say to those who are tired and weary, that they may be encouraged and receive Your guidance and instructions for a better day. In Jesus Christ Name. Amen!

Blessings…
Love, Minister Jean

Good Morning Sunshine! It’s The Seasoning Of The Salt For Me! What About For You?

Colossians 4:6 ~ Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

I wrote this devotional on January 16th and the question was, “Do you have any salt?” Today God brought this back to me with the question above. Sometimes you need to see and read something over again and again! 

The Morton Salt Company slogan is, “When It Rains, It Pours!” This was the logo when I was a little girl and it’s the same today, it’s a little girl walking in the rain with an umbrella, this was created in 1914! For as long as I can remember I have used this brand of salt, my grandmother used it, my mother did too, I use it and now my daughters do too! I can remember eating my watermelon and pouring that salt on it, it made it taste so good; and I still do it the same way today. The Morton company had found a way for their salt to flow freely even in adverse weather conditions! I’m going to say that again, “they found a way to keep the flow going even in adverse conditions!” Has the Power of God given you the strength to keep flowing even in adverse conditions? Inquiring minds want to know! 

Are you wondering why I’m giving you another history on salt. I’m glad you asked, so let me tell you why! You should be like salt! In your personal, professional and private life and most definitely in your ministry and service unto God, (for all of you have a role to play and a ministry to be in; in one way or another, because you do profess with your mouths that you are servants of the Most-High God! Now, it’s time you be about what you talk about! Yes, I know that some of you are titled, Pastors, Prophets, Prophetess, Evangelist, Elders, Ministers, Teachers, Deacons, Deaconess, Greeters, Ushers, and Worship Leaders and there are countless others, but it all boils down to you being a Servant for God, nothing less, nothing more!) So, just so you know, no matter what title or position you may hold, you should display the same usefulness, integrity, and truthfulness as the box of salt that you use, for everything else is meaningless, Ecclesiastes 1:2! 

In today’s world there are so many ministries and minister’s that are trying to market the gospel, they want to wrap it up into a nice little package like you are advertising something and then you want to call it evangelism; and to top that off instead of you having a pure Worship experience with God, you have replaced it with what you now call entertainment! Your Worship should not be for entertainment, but for an Encounter with God. But as I pondered the Morton’s slogan and being a Christian, this thought came to my mind, as, a child of God, I should not be a fair weathered Christian as I minister for Jesus Christ! You should not be a fair weathered Christian! Are you and I good every day, no, but I believe that you strive to be every day. (Be honest)! Listen to what the Word says you should be and how you are to be, 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.” This is not based on how you feel, but on who and what you are supposed to be and do! 

There is one thing that I have learned after truly saying yes to God. Folks don’t just want or need help when it is the most convenient for you. When it rains, it pours! In my honest and transparent moment, there have been times when it’s raining in my life and someone will call for help and in my weakness I want to say, I don’t have enough in me to share, I want to put a sign up that says “off duty” and then I remember that I said yes to God, in season and out of season and then He brought me to His Word, 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” Now my behavior and speech should be seasoned with salt, I should know just how much salt to shake out each time, that I may know how to answer every man, (Colossians 4:6)! It’s at this point that you are being seasoned with The Grace that Jesus Christ Power gives you, and it should come alive in your weakness, and it will be distributed evenly through you so that you may minister to those that He sent your way! 

As a Servant, a Minister of the Gospel you must have good moral and ethical standards both in private and public, they go hand in hand. You might get away with hiding stuff from man and you can pray that they don’t see it, but God sees everything! Nothing is hidden from God; He sees and knows all things! When your relationship with God is solid, it will make your relationship with man will be solid. You live in a society that is full of corruption, and if the people in the world can’t tell you from them how can you influence them to do or be better for God! Jesus Christ needs you to be in true and honest so that you can be a positive influence in the society where you live. Think about it this way, the more you are like the world, the less influence you can have upon it; but the more you are like Christ, the more influence you can exercise over those to whom you are called to minister too. Your level of influence for Jesus Christ will never rise above the level of your likeness to Jesus Christ! 

The grace that Jesus Christ has given you is good. There is an additive that is in salt to preserve it, well Jesus put the same thing on the inside of you which enables you to pour out when it’s raining, so that you are able to maintain your sincerity and character in ministry as you minister to those that are outside of your season that where you feel weak. Jesus says that salt is good: but if the salt ever loses its saltness, how can it be season again? It can’t, just like you and your witness, if you lose it, you can’t get it back. You need to determine from the beginning how your conduct will be and how it will affect your ministry. It’s simple, either you are going to depend on you and the worlds gimmicks and tricks or, you going to depend on the effectual fervent Power of God and His Word alone! 

Remember this, as you minister to others you are supposed to be leading them to Jesus Christ, you should be a fruit producer, producing fruit that is changing the lives of those that are around you, for they are soaking up what you are giving them! Who are you influencing? The Word says in Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” It’s in this place that your heart posture and motives must be right. The Word of God is living and it’s powerful, and when you preach and teach the Gospel, it is strong enough to stand on its own. (Just like salt, it can stand alone!) It knows all things and it sees all things, especially in your heart, Hebrews 4:12. It is the preaching of the Word, in season and out, that the Spirit of God, is made available, it’s pure, it saves, it changes, it produces, it exalts, and it Glorifies your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! 

Let’s Pray:

Thank You Father! Thank You for giving me Your Grace and Mercy to run this race. Father forgive me for the times that I got weary and wanted to quit, thank You for Your strength to endure to the end. Father help me do all things without complaining and murmuring, thank You for making my crooked paths straight, help me hold firmly to the Word of God, so that on the day that Christ’s return, I will be able to go with You and that I did not run my race in vain and that my work was not useless or trampled on by men. Father, today I choose to rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering unto You, let my service be an offering to You. Father, I say yes to You! Thank You Father for preparing me for Your blessings and the fulfillment of Your Promises in my life. Thank You Father, that Your pressing, pruning, and purging has refined me and purified my heart that I might live like You, love and desire me to live. Thank You for burning away my insufficiencies and fortifying me in my weakness that I may look and sound more like You every single day of my life. I am going to hold tight to my confession of faith for it is the Word of Life and I am going to run my race of faith without stopping, I will remain committed, for great is my reward for seeking after You! Father thank You for being the protector of my salt, may every word that I say be seasoned just right by You and for You because of Your Grace and Mercy. In Jesus Christ Name. Amen! 

Blessings…

Love, Minister Jean

Good Morning Sunshine! You Were Designed Peculiar On Purpose!

Deuteronomy 26:18-19 AMPC ~ “And the Lord has declared this day that you are His peculiar people as He promised you, and you are to keep all His commandments; [19] And He will make you high above all nations which He has made, in praise and in fame and in honor, and that you shall be a holy people to the Lord your God, as He has spoken.”

In July of 2022, one of my prayer warrior friends said the word Peculiar and it was like a spring of fresh wind burst in me and I heard God’s Spirit speak and I typed every letter that He said! I heard this Word and I’m sharing it with you again because as one of my friends was praying for me last night, she prayed and said the word Peculiar, and this word from back then came back into my spirit and I believe someone needs to know that God made you peculiar on purpose, you were destined to be designed this way!

This is what I heard, “I heard God saying, you belong to Him! With your face beholding His Face! He is the Master Creator, the Greatest Designer, who for pure love and joy, threw up dust in the air and breathed on it and it became you!” He didn’t make anyone else like you, even if you have a sibling or twin, you are still you! You are fashioned after His own likeness to create change in this peculiar world while solving the problems in it! You are here because you are needed! You are necessary! Stop doubting who you are! No longer downplay the potency of your reach! Seize today, with every second, minute and hour that passes!

Know that the oxygen that you are breathing in your lungs right now is a gift from the Creator who designed oxygen, and He is giving it to you because He loves you, plain and simple! You are great and getting greater because the Greatest One, Jesus Christ, lives on the inside of you! He gave you your life for this great moment that you are living today! What you do on this peculiar transformational Friday is up to you, but know this, it will change the Trajectory of your life, embrace it! God says it’s time!

Don’t doubt where God is taking you, because it doesn’t look like what He did last time, He doesn’t want you to be familiar with this season, so that way you have to trust Him and not yourself, it will not be what you are use too! You may feel like you do not have the strength nor sense, but the Spirit of God says go! Peculiar, will be your next move, you won’t have time to analyze or debate it! Embrace the peculiar and watch God!

When you accept, agree, and acknowledge that the Lord is your God, and promise wholeheartedly to obey and listen to His voice, you can be assured just the Israelites that you have been chosen by God to receive His blessings and the calling to witness His glory and to all the world! See Ex 19:5, 6. Your peculiarity is on purpose and on point! You have been designed by God and destined as a chosen vessel to show forth praises to the One who created you in the beginning and brought you into the light, God! Now you need to act accordingly, you are royal, chosen and peculiar, own it, 1 Peter 2:9!

Let’s Pray:
Thank You Father! Father, I stand here before You today and I embrace how you made me in my uniqueness that makes me stand out and a part for You. Father help me to see my peculiarities as you see them and not as flaws, but as the beautiful tapestry that You have woven into my being in my encounter with You. Father, lead me into fully accepting me as You made me, help me to celebrate all the parts that might seem different, and to use them as a strength for my good and for Your Glory. Help me to see me through Your eyes. Thank You for creating me as I am, and for the gift of being uniquely Yours. Thank You, Father, for calling me out of the darkness of this world, into Your Marvelous Light in Christ Jesus, to show forth Your praises. Thank You, Father, for saving my soul and making me a part of Your chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a peculiar people. Thank You, for making me unstoppable, godly, and loyal and for making me a solution provider and barrier breaker. Father, thank You that You know and see everything about me, I’m so grateful that there is nothing hidden from You. Thank You Father for redeeming me by Blood of Jesus Christ, for Your blood was enough to forgive all of my sins and the sins of mankind. Father, Thank You. May the light of Jesus Christ shine brightly in me for all to see and may I do good for You as I labor in the kingdom, for Your Glory! Father, thank You for setting me free and may I never be entangled again. (John 8:36). Father give me the Grace to continually do Your Perfect Will. In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Blessings…
Love, Minister Jean
Have A Blessed Weekend…

Good Morning Sunshine! Are You Planted By The Right Stream?

Psalm 1:3 AMP ~”And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season; Its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity].”

What is your source? In order for a tree to strive and survive it needs water, it’s essential to the vitality of the tree. Trees need water to live like you need air to breathe. If a tree lacks water, it will become weak and wilted and die! But when the tree is positioned near a stream, it will have a continuous supply of water and therefore become stronger, vibrant and alive!

There are so many different types of fruit trees; apples, peaches, and oranges, just to name a few. Each tree bears its own type of fruit. So, what is their purpose? They exist to produce fruit that is good. The same is true for you and me. Like trees, you have a specific purpose that you were created for. God has equipped you with everything that you need to be good and to produce good. He gave you gifts and talents to fulfill His purpose. You have been Anointed, Appointed and Ordained for that gift, the calling He has called you for, and the way you discover your purpose and develop your gifts is by being planted and connected with the God and His Word.

You need to be planted by the right stream, for the right stream is the right source and that source is God. For it is impossible to bear good fruit away from God! The same is true for you, you will either be planted in the wrong place and produce no fruit or in the right place and produced a harvest. For when you are planted in the right house of God, you will strive and grow. God’s house provides a place where you are constantly being filled by the source, and it is where your faith is consistently being watered by the Word of God, His Presence, and the Holy Spirit, and you will produce fruit that is good and pleasant.

The most important thing that you can do when you are planted in the right place is to intentionally cultivate your relationship in God and meditate on His Word. For you have two choices, you can live, the way the world leads you are you can be led by The Word of God! If you choose a life of independence you are choosing to depend on you and not God! When you seek independence away from God, you have an earthly perspective and live according to the world’s standards and not God’s.

Sometimes you may think you are living the good life and that you are successful, accepted and prospering, but you really are not at all, you have a false sense of hope, and you are not connected to the right stream! Just know that the wicked prosperity is fleeting and will be like chaff that the wind blows away. However, when you are Dependent on God and what He says you are planted by the right stream and you will have unlimited blessings and a bountiful life, you see things from God’s perspective and not yours, you can delight in His divine instructions, you recognize the value of His wisdom and orient your life around His Word.

Today, lay hold of the blessings of God as you bask in the beauty and value of His love as He strengthens your roots and nourishes your soul as you are planted by the right stream! Which is going to yield good fruit in this season and your leaves will not wither and whatever you do today, you will be prosperous; it’s for your good! Your life will be full of blessing and fruitfulness, for you are a beautiful tree planted by in God and soaking up His Grace and Mercy, and it is all for His Glory!

Let’s Pray:
Thank You Father! Thank You for planting me in and by the right stream. Thank You for giving me everything that I need to grow in my relationship with You, for I know that without You I will wither up and fade away, but when I stay connected to You, my Source, Your Word I’m going to strive and survive. Father, forgive me for every time I tried to do it on my own. “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)! Father, I want my life to glorify You in all things and to point others toward, Jesus. Father the more I spend time in Your Word, the less time I want to follow the world. I want to grow in the knowledge and understanding of Your Will and Your Ways. Thank You for keeping, sustaining, growing and loving me into the purpose that You Ordained me for. Father, please keep nourishing me for You are my source of strength and joy. Father, may I develop deep roots to sustain me through any and all difficulties that may I face. Help me to understanding through Your Holy Spirit as I apply the truth of Word to my life as I know that I am secure, because I am planted in You. In Jesus Christ Name. Amen!

Blessings…
Love, Minister Jean

Good Morning Sunshine! Who Are You At Your Core?

Proverbs 23:7a NKJV ~ “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

Who are you at your core? What is the truest thing about you? Who do you say you are?

You are so quick to tie your identity to the role of what you do in life (Mom, Dad, Teacher, Wife, Husband, Preacher, Business Owner and the list goes on and on). These are roles that you hold, but they are not who you are at your core! The core of you should be who you are in Jesus! “For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:21b. You are God’s beloved. A child of the Most-High. You are fully loved and known by Him! When you know this, this solidifies you in Him and helps you to operate in your roles correctly, for you have learned that your identity in Jesus precedes the activities that you do. And this keeps you from being selfish and only thinking about what you want or need.

The Word of God says this, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves. [4] Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. [5] Have this same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus [look to Him as your example in selfless humility].” Philippians 2:3-5. You are to do nothing from selfish place, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each one of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others!

You see in today’s society we live in Need Minded place. You always feel that your needs must be met first and you quote this scripture to try and justify what you are doing, “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” Phil. 4:19. You try to put a demand on God for your needs be met and you want the world to revolve around your own personal wants and desires. You believe that your needs are more important than other people and their needs.  And you will after me, you’re next, becomes your way of life!

But I need you to be sure of this one thing, the promise that God gave in Paul’s letter to the Philippians, was an expression of God’s concern for your heart and your motives, He wants your soul saved! Stop being distorted by the selfishness of the flesh and the trickery of false advertising. God is going to meet all of your needs, you don’t have to be need centered, He promised, and He is true to His Word! You can trust and believe in Him! Think about your basics core needs, air, water, food and shelter.  (If God takes care of the sparrow, how much more will He do for you?)

Think about those who have to sneak away to spend time with God before doing their chores because they are not allowed to worship God, for their basic needs can be taken away if they are caught, (food, water and shelter, gone) or what about those who have to huddled together in the corner of to keep warm as they praise God, Now compare their basic needs with yours. Do they have the need for the latest cell phone, house, job or car? No, they just want God, and you have the opportunity to praise Him in the open and have all of your needs at the same time.

 Now there is one more thing I need you to see, I need you to see things from the perspective of God.  How does He see your needs?  There are three basic levels of the human needs and they are, physical, spiritual and the emotional. For physically you need air to breathe, water and food to survive and shelter to keep you warm and dry. Spiritually, you need to know that you have been forgiven by God through what Jesus Christ did on the Cross for you. And finally, you have Emotional needs, you are made to give and receive love, that’s it, plain and simple! When you follow God and keep Him at the center of your core, you will eliminate the feeling of loneliness, and you will feel worthy which gives you hope and security.

Stop comparing and confusing your wants with your actual needs, there is a difference between the two! You spend so much time chasing after material things only to find out that you really didn’t want it after all. When you get that feeling that your need must be met over any and everything else, you are on the borderline of selfishness and danger, it’s time for you to go to God in prayer. You need to immediately bring your needs into focus with God’s perspective, and let it become “Thy Will Be Done” and not your will be done! Ask Your Father to meet your needs and then expect Him to meet them according to His riches in Glory! For, certainly, He can, and He will.  He is bound by His promise to you.

I read a post yesterday on LinkedIn by Life coach Douglas Woods that says: “Each of us holds many values…Some…superficial, transitory, or fitting solely the moment in which we find ourselves. Others are more fixed and stay with us through our life; these are our ‘core values.” Your seasons and circumstances will change, but who you are at the core, the root will remain! The Apostle Paul could adapt to any culture in order to reach people for Christ? But who he was at his core remained the same. So what about you, are you flexible and adaptable? Paul could always say, “We have wronged no one.”  Because he did not change in what he believed about God, he remained true to his core self!

See your life as a compass, it always points in the right direction, and that direction should be towards Jesus Christ.  Here’s the thing, if you don’t have a true relationship with God, then you will be up and down in your core, which means your values could be off. The carnal minded person won’t understand why you are so dedicated to God; they will say it doesn’t take all of this! They will try to convince you to follow them or stop doing so much. But because you have an anchor, that holds you down no matter what, you can keep it moving! Think about a storm, it can take you under if you are not secure, currents can carry you from one place to another, but, but God, because He is at your core foundation, He will and He can hold you down when it rough! Just keep Him at your core and you will never go wrong, this will keep you true to your core which is Jesus Christ Himself, because when all else is gone, it will be Jesus that remains!

Let’s Pray:
Thank You Father! Thank You for being my core! Father, because You are my core, I can be strong and strengthened throughout the day by You. Father, I pray that You will strengthen me with all Your glorious power so that I will have all the endurance and patience that I need to make it through this day, please fill me with Your joy. Father, help me to keep my focus on what matters most and that I don’t get sidetracked by what’s not important to You. Father help and keep me from being deceived by what I think I need, stuff that brings You no Glory and me no good. Father let what You desire for me be what I desire for me. Father, keep me from placing my attention on secondary issues, and empty promises, and performance based what others deem as needs, but they are only puffed-up stuff based false promises and teachings. Father, fix my eyes on Your deity, power and authority. Send Your Spirit through my entire body and keep me connected to You, let nothing separate or pull me away from You, and especially my own selfish needs. Father, help me to put others first because I want to honor You in all of my ways. God you are my everything that I need, You are my beginning and my ending, for there is nothing I need without out You and there is nothing that I need beyond You either! You’re everything that I need and more, for You are the Center my life on Jesus! In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Blessings…
Love, Minister Jean

Good Morning Sunshine! You Have Pass To The Other Side, To Get Your Promise! 

Mark 4:35-39 AMP ~ “On that [same] day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side [of the Sea of Galilee].” [36] So leaving the crowd, they took Him with them, just as He was, in the boat. And other boats were with Him. [37] And a fierce windstorm began to blow, and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already being swamped. [38] But Jesus was in the stern, asleep [with His head] on the [sailor’s leather] cushion. And they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are about to die?” [39] And He got up and [sternly] rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still (muzzled)!” And the wind died down [as if it had grown weary] and there was [at once] a great calm [a perfect peacefulness].”

Every one that will read this devotion has a different opinion on what a storm is in your life. I read an article and the called it “Storm Theology.” It means, what you believe about God when storms come into your life. What and how do you handle storms when they come into your life? Do you see God as a good God or a bad God? What do you pray for when you are going through the storm? Do you see God as caring or uncaring based on how He answers you? 

There are four things that storms do when they come into your life. First, they can happen suddenly; secondly, they will bring to the surface what’s really on the inside of you; thirdly, they will teach you about you and do you live by fear or by faith. Storms will reveal to you if your heart is full of the trust that you proclaim that you have in God. Or if you need to do better! And fourthly, they will teach you about God and His Power. Only Jesus can rebuke the wind and said to the waves, to be silent and still and they obey immediately, and calmness comes over the waters! Who wouldn’t want to serve a God like this? 

The way you react to God during your storm will tell you the truth about who you really are, whether you want to know or not! The truth will surface in the storm! How bad do you want the promise? Are you willing to follow Jesus at all costs? Sometimes Jesus Christ will call you to come to the other side while the wind is blowing, and the windstorms are rising and the waves are beating the boat (and you)! Don’t worry God is in the process of getting you across to the other side, just go ahead and follow Him, He won’t let you down or drown, He got you! 

You do know that the enemy does not want you to get through this thing that you are going through, he likes to see you in the storm and the wind blowing and beating on you, and he will do everything he can to keep you in this place, and I mean he will do any and everything to keep you from reaching the other side! Now he doesn’t mind you showing up to church, singing in the choir or serving on the deacon/deaconess board or being an usher, he just doesn’t want you to reach your God ordained destiny, period! 

Be encouraged today, because what’s waiting for you on the other side is worth every single thing that you are toiling and going through in this present moment! Getting to the other side is going to change the trajectory of your life! The best days of your life on the other side of obedience and then you will be able to stand and say, if it had not been for the Lord who was on my side where would I be! But Thanks be unto God, you are going to cross over, and these two words should forever be on your mind, in your heart and on your lips: Obey God! 

For this is how you will cross over, this is how you will survive, this is how you will live, by Obeying God! Every day, of every hour, of every minute and every second, Obedience is better than Sacrifice and you win every time you choose to Obey and Follow God! Storms will stretch you to your full capacity and they will increase your faith in God.  I want you to keep this is in mind as you think about storms, either headed into a storm, in the middle of a storm, and coming out of one. God wants you to learn from your storms. God is teaching you something about Himself, for it’s in the crossing over to the other side, that a paradigm shift will take place and show you who Jesus really is and how He will take care of you in your storms, so ride the waves and listen to God! 

Let’s Pray:

Father, Thank You for another day! Father it’s me again calling on You and trusting You to lead the way! Father, teach and train me to follow You in all things, especially in those instructions that don’t make sense to my natural mind, give me the strength to deny myself and what I think or feel and follow You to the other side, for I know that You have greater for me over there. Father, help me today, to not lean on my understanding but to trust and acknowledge You in everything. Father, please take my hand and lead me to where you want me to be, I’m Your willing vessel and I trust You and I Thank You for crossing me over to the other side! In Christ Jesus Name. Amen! 

Blessings…

Love, Minister Jean

Good Morning Sunshine! The Wind Of God Is Blowing Your Way, Welcome It In!

John 3:8 ERV ~ “The wind blows wherever it wants to. You hear it, but you don’t know where it is coming from or where it is going. It is the same with everyone who is born from the Spirit.”

You are born of the Spirit of God, and when He blew His breath in you, you became alive! And it’s not just the wind of God, but the Breath of God. The wind comes from the outside, and His Breath is from the inside, healing you from inside out! He is breathing on you and in you, do you feel it? Today, you are entering into a very distinct season of wind blowing and it’s making one sound, pray and ask God to show you how to “Hear and Ride the Wind!” God is shifting the wind for you, embrace it!

God is looking for atmosphere changers today, will you be the one, will you let His Holy Spirit lead you into producing the change? A change that brings His Spirit, with you wherever you go producing all of the fruits of the Spirit for others to see. God is shifting the wind for you, ride the wind of increase and blessings, ride the wind of wisdom and discernment, ride the wind of love and peace, and ride the wind of change and courage. For when you are connected to God, He will give you the endurance to ride out the wind of adversity and challenges for His Glory! When you ride the wind, you are in a Holy-Ghost flow, and you will gain mass momentum and speed! This is your place, that sweet spot where you have supernatural favor with God and man!

When the wind blows, a shaking is taking place, you can feel the breeze even though you can’t see it, just know that the Holy Spirit is up to something big in you and you will be in awe of what God is doing in you and through you, there’s a shaking and shifting in your atmosphere, so go with the flow! For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land;) 7) and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts.” Haggai 2:6-7.

You are a Spirit, born of God, and you cannot live in your head, you must listen to your heart. You have to determine in your hearts that you are going to listen to God and ride the wind of the Spirit of God no matter what, no matter what the naysayers say and no matter what the devil says, you are only listening for the one sound that the wind of God is making! When you go into pray, you need to know without a shadow of doubt that prayer changes everything and something happens in the atmosphere when you pray, (emphasis on the you), a shifting is taken place. Jesus is changing your atmosphere today!

I want you to pray for discernment on what the Holy Spirit is breathing in you and go with that flow. When you learn how to discern the grace of God and what’s taken place, you will tap into the winds that are shifting you in your atmosphere, even if you can’t see it yet, things are turning around, and you will be free! This is your place, that sweet spot where you have supernatural favor with God and man! When He enters the room, He’s filling it up with light and you will be changed from the inside out, He’s that Powerful!

Let’s Pray:
Thank You Father! Thank You for Your Breath and Your Wind! Father, help me to embrace the sound, the shifting and the blowing of Your wind in my life. Father, help me to be a change agent in whatever atmosphere that You send me in to today, and I’ll go in Jesus Name, Father I give you my yes today. Father, help me to be ready to receive the blessings that You have for me in this place. Father, no matter where I go today, I will follow You and Your Wind and Word, and I want you to strive to be the atmosphere changer through power of Your Anointing and direction. I will be the light because of Your Breath in me. In Jesus Christ Name. Amen!

Blessings…
Love Minister Jean