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! If Not Now, When Will You Choose Him?

Luke 9:57-62 NIV ~ “As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” [58] Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” [59] He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” [60] Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” [61] Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” [62] Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

I have a question for you to consider when you think about walk in this life. And I hope and pray that by the end of this devotional, that you can answered this question and mean it! If Not Today, When Will You Choose Him?

It is with urgency that I say this to you, for it is about the Gospel and God’s Kingdom! Jesus has proclaimed the arrival of the kingdom of God, and it is with urgency that you need to choose! Jesus approached the fisherman, not for small talk but with a fervent plea to choose Him right then! It was in His tone that you heard the of a command to drop everything that you are doing and follow Him! It’s now or when! This was not a casual passing! It was on purpose and intentional!

When will you put God first? Why does He always have to be the One to wait? Because if He stopped you from breathing right now, whatever you had planned would be over! No breath, no life and this is not a negotiable moment, it is either you are living or you’re dead! For some of them it was immediately, and others wanted to do this or that first. So, what do you need to do first?

You do know that when you choose Jesus first in your present, it forgives your past and secures your future! Matthew didn’t hesitate, He was ready at the first call! Why does Jesus have to keep calling you and you are not answering Him. Think about your mom, what happened to you if she had to call you more than one time? I’m sure you remember, and she didn’t just let you get away with it! Chastisement, God chastises those He loves!   

It is so sad that you have taken so long to choose God! It’s like when you would rather do anything else. You want to do this and that while you are young while you can move and serve and then when you get older you will say if I was young, I would do such a such. But here is the thing, as long as you have breath in your body, you can serve God! So today if you are reading this devotional, today you can choose to follow God! Get a sense of urgency and immediacy in your spirit!

Don’t be like the man in Luke 9: 59-60, when Jesus, said to him, “Follow me.” And he asked Him, if he could, bury his father first. Was his father even sick, or was he already dead? But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Jesus didn’t have any time to waste, either you follow me now or not, it’s your choice, but whatever it is, don’t give me any excuses! We choose so many things first before God, and He will not be second to anyone or anything. Where and who are you loyal to? When will you put Jesus and the Gospel first? When will you join His in proclaiming the Good News to others?

It can be so easy to put off God because you think you have all the time in the world to choose Him! It’s like you know He will always be there, so you can choose yourself now and Him later, but this is so no real! Choose God now, not just in word, but in deeds also. Every day that you put off choosing Him, is a day that you are missing out on the greatest day of your life. Each and every day you have I’m going to do it lists and if you are careful, you will use this excuse day after day, month after month, and year after year, and you are still saying to God, I was going to!

You know the things that are important to you, you remember, and you don’t forget to do it. Stop letting the days slip by. For it is God, Himself who created you; and it was Jesus, who died on the cross on your behalf; and the Holy Spirit, who draws and reminds you that He is watching over you with His loving eye and thinks about you day in and day out. With this being said, tell me why you have not chosen Him yet?

It’s time to choose on purpose and intentionally in your repentance, worship and serving. Somebody is waiting on you to proclaim the Good News to them about Jesus Christ. Today is the day that you need to be serious about wanting to be connected to God and choosing to follow Him, while the blood is still running warm in your veins, because when it stops, you will be cold! This is not a do-over moment!

Every devotion this week has been about the Blood of Jesus Christ and His Word! It is because of what Jesus has done, is doing and will do for you. So, When Will You Choose Him? I want you to think about this while you are pondering your answer, when you choose not to decide, you just decided, “For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2 NIV.

Let’s Pray:
Thank You Father for this day! Father, thank You that Your love for me is true and that You are faithful until the end. Father help me to constantly see those things in my life that keep me from choosing You.  Father as I identify those things, help me to release them and choose You and Your Ways every time.  Father help me to serve You and do Your will. Help me to shun the wicked works of darkness and become obedient to You. I thank You Father that there is nothing You cannot help me with.  Father, help me with my family, my friends, my co-workers and everyone and everything that I need help within this life. Father, I want to commit everything to You for I trust in You, for I know that You are my help me. Father, I pray for Your Mercy and Grace and that Your Will be done in my life every day. Father, help me to follow You all the way. Father help me move away from every and anything that tries to deter me in my faith and give me the courage to choose You above all things.  Father, give me wisdom and discernment to know what to do at all times. Father, I ask all of this in the Precious Name of Jesus Christ!
Amen!

Blessings…
Love, Minister Jean
Have A Wonderful Weekend…

Good Morning Sunshine! They Will Know You By His Blood, The Word, And Your Testimony!

Revelation 12:11 NKJV ~ “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

It’s Another Day’s Journey and I’m Glad About It!  When you looked back over your life and see where God has brought you from, you should say Thank You Jesus! When you opened your eyes up today and you realized that God had invited you into His new day you should be saying the same thing, Thank You Jesus! When you look back over your life and see where God has brought you from, your first three words should be, Thank You Jesus!

With this being said, do you have a Testimony? Did the Blood of Jesus Christ save you? Wash You? Cleanse You? Delivered You? Does the Word of God feed you daily? Has God been good to you? If you know He has, you should be able to share your testimony with somebody, any one somebody, today and tell them about the goodness and the love of God! This should not be hard or complicated to do!

It’s another day’s journey and you should be glad about it; you have been found alive on the top side of the dirt; you are not six feet underground! That’s enough to shout about! Now I’m going to ask you again, when you stop and look back over your life, what is your response to the One who allowed you this opportunity? Your response should be, Thank You Jesus!

I know that some days are down, and things don’t go as you planned, (you didn’t know, but what happened did not catch God off guard, He knew, and it is well) so when you encounter those days don’t complain and just remind yourself and remember that your God is Still Greater, so get a Nevertheless in your spirit! Say to yourself, “I got a Nevertheless mindset” and know that no matter what may or may not happen, you are glad for another day’s journey to tell somebody else about your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! That He shed His Blood for you and them, and that He is the Word and the Word is Him! I know that God has plans for you and your life. Plans for you to prosper in this day! Don’t think about tomorrow, just focus on today. God got today and tomorrow in His Hands.

You were designed for this day to be dependent on God, “for It is [God] who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3! You did not create yourself to begin with, nor were you designed to find your own way in life. Rather, God has wired you to commune and depend on Him and when you exercise your faith in Him, you are doing the one thing that you were put here to do, and that is to accomplish His plans for you, by reaching beyond your own human strength and acknowledging and tapping into God’s infinite strength and knowledge that He set in place for you on the day’s journey!

Today, Plead the Blood of Jesus over whatever it is, Seek and Meditate on The Word, day in and day out and give your testimony of what the Blood of Jesus and the Word of God did for you! And then be grateful and thankful because you are still on this journey called life, because somebody else didn’t get the opportunity that you have today! So, open your mouth and tell somebody what the Lord has done for you, cause can’t nobody tell it like you can!

Let’s Pray:
Father, Thank You for this day! Father, I say yes to You and Your Word, Will and Way and I will do what pleases You and brings You Glory! Father, Father, today, I plan on telling everyone that I know about what You did for me. Father I seek to share Your Word and my faith with all my family and friends who have not yet called on the Name of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior! Father I want to tell everyone that I know that have not surrendered their lives to You, that time is running out and that You will be coming back soon! Father I know that it is Your desire that none would perish. Father, help me to share with them and to not push them farther away, give me the Words to speak that they may see You in me and see the transformation that had taken place in my life since I accepted You! Father I Thank You that nothing can separate me from You and Your love, for the length and breadth and height and depth of Your Grace and Mercy is beyond my understanding. Father, Thank You, for saving me, I pray that my testimony will draw others to You. For You are a Healer, Deliver, and a Comforter to the lost and to the broken hearted, Thank You for binding up all of our wounds and making us whole! Father I thank You that every thought that I have is held captive by You and Your Word. Father, I am willing to go where You send me and to tell those whom I meet, of the great things You have done for me. Thank You Father for having mercy on me, in Jesus Christ Name. Amen!

Blessings…
Love, Minister Jean

Good Morning Sunshine! It’s Because Of The Blood!

Revelation 19:13-14 NKJV ~ “He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.”

After you have read these verses, if you are a true believer of Jesus Christ, there should be no doubt or questions about who He is, The Blood, nor The Name of God! For, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1! Everything points you back to God!

Jesus is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His Name is the Word of God! For the believers who had come out of the Great Tribulation had their robes washed in the blood of the Lamb and made them white! For Christ himself, when He rides to the earth on the white horse, will be dressed in a robe dipped in blood.

The Name given for Christ, is the Word of God. In the Greek, the word for “Word” is logos, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1. Jesus is the final word of God, the voice of God himself, the revealer of God!

The blood is significant and represents life that has been given and sacrificed. The Blood of Jesus has washed you and cover your old life with His new, spotless life. Because of what Jesus did, His Blood dissolved your guilt and shame and is protecting you from the snare of the enemy.

Jesus Christ has an army that will be following Him on white horses, they will be clothed in fine linen, white and clean, because they are believers who have been saved by the Grace of God through their faith in Him! When you choose God, you choose all of Him because when He comes back in His Glory, you will be with Him in His Glory. “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. [4] When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:3-4. This is your praising moment, To God Be The Glory, for He is coming back, and He is going to take you with Him!

In order for you to live this life you need to deny your flesh and seek after God with all of your heart while the blood is still running warm in your veins, because when the blood flow stops, you stop! God is saying, look at who and what you are now, and who and what you are going to be when He comes back, then, for heaven’s sake, act like it now! (Meaning, don’t let who you are now trip you up and miss out on who you were predestined to be from the beginning.) You need to flush your flesh with your faith in God! He knew you first, “And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Colossians 1:17.

You need to live each day that God affords you in an expectation of His return. For nobody’s knows the day nor the hour, so it would be in your best interest to keep that day in the forefront of your mind. This way you are always ready! “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Luke 12:40. Verse 11, starts off with what John saw, and he saw God coming, The Lord Jesus is coming back in full power and with great judgement. He is the incarnate Word, the Word of God made into flesh.

Jesus is clothed in a robe that has been dipped in blood, because He is the warrior of Warriors, He has come to destroy all of your enemies at one, for one and for all! His robe was bloody even before He meets your enemy! How do you know that you are the victor when you go into battle? It’s because of how you are dressed. Jesus armies were not dressed for war, but they were dressed as followers of Jesus Christ, and they were going to be victorious because of Jesus! The Blood was necessary!

Let’s Pray:
Father, thank You, thank You and Thank You! Thank You for Jesus, for He is Your is Word made flesh. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit that convicts my heart and the heart of those who have not yet learned about You, and especially those who have not put their trust in You yet! Father, have Mercy on me. Father please fulfill Your plans and purposes for Your Glory in my life. In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Blessings…
Love, Minister Jean

Good Morning Sunshine! It Is The Blood Of Jesus Christ For Me! What About For You? 

Romans 5:8-9 NKJV ~ “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [9] Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”

You can’t think about yesterday’s devotion without thinking about the Blood of Jesus and what He’s done for you! I did part of this devotional on August 4, 2024, called “Good Morning Sunshine! The Blood Shall Be A Sign To You! The Blood Still Works Today!” (Go back & read it)

The Blood, The Blood of Jesus Christ! Y’all, The Blood Still Works! 

You have been covered, washed and justified by the Blood of Jesus Christ. So, what’s coming may be great, but the Blood of Jesus Christ is always Greater! Because of the Power of the Blood of Jesus, your Praise should be different today, for your Praise is going to stop what was supposed to stop you, because you have learned how to Plead the Blood of Jesus Christ over every circumstance! 

The blood in your body is so significant and your Father was strategic and specific when and how He made you and your blood system. Webster Merriam Dictionary defines blood, as the fluid that circulates throughout your body, it’s in your heart, arteries, capillaries, and veins, it carries nourishment and oxygen, and it removes all waste products from evert part of your body. The second definition is, the blood is your lineage, the persons related through common descent. The Blood is your lifeline, for without the blood, there can be no life, physically or spiritually! No Blood, No you! Thanks be unto God that you are in Jesus Family!

There are four blood types: A, B, AB, and O, and there is a positive or negative factor that is associated with each of them. Every person has one or the other.  If you are A positive you cannot receive the blood from a B positive person or vice versa. These restrictions are in place to help with who can donate and who can receive blood, based on your blood type and the donor and that of the recipient. Then there is one rare blood type, it’s O, it is the universal blood type. Anyone with this blood type can donate their red blood cells to anyone, A, B, or AB! 

Yes, I know that O is a good one, but let me tell you about someone who is a universal Carrier and Type! That is Jesus Christ, He is the ultimate Carrier and His Blood covers all blood types! He can give His blood to anyone at any time, it’s all about who wants it, who’s in need of a blood transfusion, it doesn’t matter what your sin type is, His Blood is the remedy! The Blood Still Works! Now whenever the Father looks at you, He does not see you in your sin but He sees what you shall become all because you have been washed by Blood of Jesus Christ that He shed for you, His Blood redeemed and saved you from eternal death.

His Blood did these seven things for you and all mankind: 

  1. It Redeemed ~ Jesus paid the cost to redeem you, He died on the cross, He paid your sin debt and bought all humanity back from the enemy.
  2. He Forgave ~ the Blood of Jesus Christ provided forgiveness for all of your sins (sins of omission and commission).
  3. Justified ~ It justified you and all mankind!
  4. Protection ~ The Blood of Jesus Christ is your covering, it protects you from any and every thing. 
  5. Healing ~ The blood of Jesus Christ provides healing to your body, soul and spirit.
  6. Sanctification ~ The Blood of Jesus Christ sanctifies and cleanses you from all unrighteousness. 
  7. Victory ~ The Blood of Jesus Christ gives you victory over death! You are living now to live again! 

Are you a believer today? If so, it is your responsibility to stand in the gap to pray for others, that they might come to know Jesus. (Somebody prayed for you and is probably still standing in the gap on your behalf) so you are to “Plead the Blood” of Jesus Christ over them before God’s throne. You are to cry out for God’s Mercy and Grace and to know it is because of His Blood that, “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13), for when you pray this way, your prayers strike the mark without fail every time! You can apply for Blood of Jesus! Pray! And Confess the Word! It will only work when you accept the Blood sacrifice, then you will be accepted! 

Let’s Pray:

Thank You Father for Jesus Christ! Father I thank You that I am saved by Your darling Son Blood! Thank You God for allowing Jesus to shed His Blood for me on the Cross. Father help me to have a proper reverential fear for the Blood of Jesus Christ. Father, I come in the Name of Jesus Christ to plead His Blood on our lives and on all those that are a part of my family, those that You have made me a steward, a covering over. Father, I Plead the Blood of Jesus over the portals of our mind, our bodies, our emotions, and our will. I believe that I am are protected daily by the Blood of the Lamb which gives me access to the Holy of Holies. Father, I plead the Blood of Jesus over the children of this world and over my children, grandchildren and their children, and on all those whom You have given me in this life. Father, You have said that the life of the flesh is in the Blood, so I say Thank You for this Blood that has cleansed me from sin and sealed me in the New Covenant of which I am grateful to be partakers of. Father, I worship and love You for the way You laid down Your life for me at the cross, that I might be here today to pray for someone else and to Plead the Blood of Jesus Christ over them!  Father, I apply the Bloom of Jesus Christ to every area of my life where I need victory, In Jesus Christ Name. Amen! 

Blessings…

Love, Minister Jean

Good Morning Sunshine! The Debt Has Been Paid!

Colossians 2:11-14 NIV ~ “In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, [12] having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. [13] When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, [14] having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”

Have your parents, grandparents or any other family member ever paid a debt for you that you couldn’t afford to pay?

My grandmother was such a big help to me as a single mother, with three children. She would help me financially to pay off debt and she would instruct me on how to pay my bills and stay out of debt. Though I had a lot, I didn’t have wisdom on how and what to do. And because my grandmother had money, I would think I had money to and that whatever debt I acquired she could pay off my debt, so, I had peace of mind that was elusive to other families that was beholden to debt and was held in hostage by fear of not having enough to take care of themselves and their children.

But there is a debt that my grandmother could not pay for me no matter how much money she had! She could not pay my sin debt! Yes, every single one of us has a debt that we cannot pay! I mean can’t nobody pay this date for you, not your mom, dad, or the richest person in the world cannot afford to pay this debt for you! This debt could only be paid for by God! And He sent His only begotten Son, to pay and cancel the payment due for your sins and instead accepted the payment His Son Jesus Christ provided for you when He died on the cross. God gives this freedom to all who choose to follow His Son Jesus Christ! This is why the only way that you can get to the Father, is through Jesus Christ, John 14:6!

Jesus Christ was born to die for you and me. He was the perfect sacrifice wholly and acceptable to God as payment in full for your sins. He came down from heaven, wrapped Himself in flesh to walk the earth, was mocked, beaten, hands and feet nailed to an old rugged cross, chose to die a criminal’s death, for your debt and for my debt! “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. [10] The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. [11] In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:9-11. Jesus Christ suffered and died so that your sins could be washed and taken away, by the only thing that could pay your full debt off and give you eternal redemption and restore you in right fellowship with God for all eternity. It was The Blood of Jesus! Your new life is going to be full and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Paying this debt is the one thing that no one else can do for you, but Jesus Himself, He paid the debt of your sin so that you might be adopted and called into His family! Now your life has purpose and that is to seek to bring Honor and Glory to His Name!

Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart! He wants to offer you salvation, healing and deliverance. Stop being so afraid to let Him in! Just think of what you are forfeiting by not letting Him in! He is coming to you bearing gifts just for you. You no longer have to be indebted to sin. You no longer have to be weighed down with sin and the fear that someone is coming to get you. God is knocking on the door of your heart, not to give you what your debts deserve but to give you what only His love could give you, a new start, a clean slate, and a brand-new story. Your debt was canceled, when you opened your heart and accepted Jesus Christ into your life and welcomed Him as your Lord and Savior!

Today, you need to be consciously aware of the debt that was paid on your behalf. Because of this, you are no longer a slave to sin and its penalty; no instead, you have been set free and adopted as child of God. And with this adoption you have the great privilege of calling God your Father. You don’t have to lie and hide behind doors or run from your debt, you are now free! Now that you have tasted the freedom of your debts being paid you should have joy and peace in your life and you should be screaming, to God be the Glory! There is a song, “Jesus Paid It All” proclaims, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.” Today, rest in knowing that your debt was canceled, that God transformed you from being a debtor to adopted into His family with all privileges as a child of God! Thank You God, to God be the Glory for what You have done for me!

Now that you know this, how will you govern your life differently? How will you allow this truth to change how you see yourself and how you see what’s before you today?

Let’s Pray:
Thank You God for sending Jesus to die for my sins! Thank You Jesus for going to the cross on my behalf. Thank You Jesus, for canceling my spiritual debt through what You did on the cross, You paid a debt that I could never ever pay or repay. Father, help me to show my gratitude by living in the wonder of my freedom in You! Father, there is nothing that brings me greater satisfaction than the deep, settled peace in my soul that results from receiving Your forgiveness. Thank You Jesus for covering all of my sins, not just one or two, but all of them! You paid it in full and I fully commit my life to You. There isn’t one merit badge I can earn or apply to my standing in Christ, for it is only through Your Mercy and Grace that I have overcome the power of sin. Thank You God for sending Jesus and receiving His death as an atonement for my sins. I stand forgiven and fully delivered in Your grace and I am so thankful in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Blessings…
Love, Minister Jean

Good Morning Sunshine! Your Transformation Process Is Over, Now It’s Time For You To Emerge!

Isaiah 43:18-19 a NIV ~ “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. [19] See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

Romans 12:2 NIV ~ “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

As you learned from yesterday the butterfly starts its journey as a caterpillar with two jobs, to eat and to grow. As a Christian, you have two jobs once you have been saved and accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord, it is to feed on God’s Word and to grow in God’s Word, so that you can be used for and by God for His Glory. The growth stages that you go through are designed to propel you into the most important stage. The final stage, where you move from being a caterpillar (the old you) and emerging to the butterfly (the new you)! It is in the becoming, that the stages change, you are transformed from who you once were to who you were created to be from the beginning! God knows your end from your beginning, you just have to go through the process (stop trying to skip stages and processes) learn to enjoy the experiences and encounters as you go!

So, last night I had this thought, what if the caterpillar decided that the changes were too hard, and it was not going to do it? What if it decided it wanted to stay a caterpillar forever? Well, you know this isn’t going to work, the process from caterpillar to butterfly is the natural order and no matter how much it may not want to change, it’s going to change! It cannot stay a caterpillar; it will become a butterfly, whether it wants to or not! Think about a baby, a baby grows from stage to stage until it becomes an adult like you and me! A baby can’t say that I don’t won’t to grow up, I want to remain a baby forever! You don’t have a choice, you will grow up, (so why do you try to use this excuse as a Christian when you don’t won’t to be obedient, do what your Father says. You are without excuse; obedience is better than sacrifice!) You are going to grow whether you like it or not, you just get to choose who you will serve. Joshua 24:15!

Now let’s use our imagination for just a moment then. What if that could really happen? The caterpillar would never reach its full potential, and it would never be all that it was meant to be, a beautiful reflection of God’s splendor and handiwork, an original! Well, think about yourself in the same way, you were made in love by God, and you were made to love Him back, you were made to worship Him! You were made to be a Christian (you just have not surrender to Him, but just know that time is running out, choose now where you want to spend eternity, in Heaven or Hell, only you can make that decision). Your Father is showing you things that you need to change and or let go of, that’s what the processing is for, to help you move from the old self and to embrace the new you, so that you can emerge and become all that you were created to be. It is time for you to reach your full potential! Processing is over, it is time for you to emerge into the beautiful creature that you were designed and destined to be!

But when you refuse to change, or you think it is too hard, you never will reach your full potential (in and of yourself it is hard, but when you give it to God, He performs a miracle. You serve a God who specializes in the Impossible.) You cannot remain where you are and expect to become anything more than what you are right now. You can’t want His blessings and live a disobedient life, you can’t want all good things to happen to you and all you put out is bad, you have to live right. God called you to live a Holy and Righteous life. This means you chose Him over you every time, even when you don’t understand, you still follow His plan, trust Him, He knows the end from the beginning. You need to allow God to work in you, to transform you into the beautiful creation that He established from the beginning, it was and has been His plan all along for you to grow and prosper in Him!

Just as the butterfly was created by God, so are you! You are a reflection of His love, and you could take a lesson or two from them.  First, thing you see is that the transformation process is not easy, change requires the giving up of you, moving from your place of familiar to take up the position of the uncomfortable, but this is where any and everything that is not like God gets removed off of you, when the caterpillar goes through the chrysalis process, it sheds it hairy, slimy form, it grows legs, wings and antennas (all things become new.) It wasn’t easy changing, but it was necessary! Say that again, It Was Necessary! Everything that you went through was necessary to get you to where you are right now! Secondly, you have to learn how to stretch out and flap your wings, yeah sometimes it might be a little hard, but trust the process of God, let His Wind get in you and beneath your wings so that you may fly, for if you are going to be useful to God’s Kingdom, you can’t stay where you are, you have to be willing to feed on the Word and to grow up in the Word!

Let’s Pray:
Thank You Father, Thank You for transforming me into Your beautiful creation! Thank You for making me an original, for there is no one else like me, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made by You! Father, Thank You for giving me just the right amount of food to feed and to grow on, for I love the way it tastes, for Your Word says, Psalm 34:8, “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” Father Thank You for being the wind beneath me and in me, and through me. Father, I know that changes are not always easy, but I surrender to Your Will, Way and Word, that I may flap my wings and fly. That I may see all that You have in store for me, I may not know the end, but I trust and know that You do, and I know that my end results will be well worth it for my good! Father have Your way, feed me, grow me and transform me into anything that You desire, for I want to be used for You and by You for Your Honor and for Your Glory. In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Blessings…
Love, Minister Jean
Have A Blessed Weekend..

Good Morning Sunshine! It Is Transformation Time!

Romans 12:2 AMP ~ “And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].”

I read this quote from Dr. Maya Angelou, “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” God designed the butterfly to go through an amazing transformation from a bug to beauty on wings, gliding in the wind that He created. God knew what was going to happen. And He knows what is going to happen with you too. He knows how you will be change and transformed also!

A butterfly doesn’t just become a butterfly, it has to be transformed into it, by going through the process of change. Today welcome change, as you are being transformed into who God called you to be!

There it goes, crawling on the ground, hairy and creepy, it’s making its way to your flowers leaf! Do you like caterpillars? They are wormlike creatures that crawl around on the ground and eat everything in sight, even your favorite flower bush? It’s in search of the perfect leaf to begin the butterfly transformation. You may see yourself with little value and worth, but God sees you through His eyes and it’s a different view! He knows the beauty of His creation. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 1 Corinthians 12:7 (ESV)!

Because of God’s Mercy and Grace that has been given to you, the believer, you should live a life of service to God.  Your new way of living, involves you transforming from your old self to the one who lives and acts like God.  This “metamorphosis”, or complete change, involves the renewing of the mind.  And your mind feeds on the true Word of God in order to think with the mind of Christ. You must go through the process to be transformed to walk in the transformation and there is no way to circumvent the process!  “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18!

The process is always going to be the same, it’s how God designed it. The Egg, the caterpillar must hatch from the egg. You must be, got to be born again to accept Him. John 3:1-8. Now that you have been born, hatched from the egg, you are now a caterpillar, and it’s time to eat, eat everything that you see, sleep with the Word, rest in the Word and meditate on the Word, this is how you are going to grow strong to support your change. In order to be changed spiritually, you must also feed on the Word of the God, the Bible.  The Word is what renews the mind and brings metamorphosis.

Then you transition to the Pupa stage.  This is where you grow your wings, legs, antennae that make up the butterfly.  Now as you grow into a Christian the food, the Word that you ate, helps develop your spiritual attributes, your faith, your love and your character, things that were not present in your former self. You have moved from your old self to your new self! It’s where the fruit of the Spirit is evident and established in you! And it is evidence that you are not the same as you were. Now you have arrived, you are a beautiful butterfly that is able to fly into the purpose that you were made to be by God, and to reproduce another believer just like you, one who is mature and Christ-like! Mark 16:15 AMP, “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

When the world looks at you, they should see Jesus, they should see a Christian. One who has been changed from caterpillar, your former, sinful selves into beautiful butterfly that reflect the image of your Savior Jesus Christ! It is my hope that you would continue to feed on the Word of God and allow the Word to change you into who God destined you to be and that you might share the Gospel wherever you go, in order to make new disciples wherever ever you can throughout your journey!

Let’s Pray:
Father, Thank You! Father, search me and know my heart. Try me and know my anxious thoughts and see if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Father, I choose to crucify my flesh during this transformation time, break and remove everything that is not like You off of my life. Please remove all distractions and unholy influence that have tried to hold me captive! I stand before you open and acknowledging the areas of my life that need your refining fire. I want to be free! Father, I Thank You for transforming my heart and filling it with what You desire to be in me. Father, mold me into the person You created me to be. Fill me with the fruits of your Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Father, grant me the wisdom to discern Your voice above the noise of every other voice I hear. Father, empower me to embrace every season and stage of my transformation process that I may be just like You, for my good and for Your Glory. In the Name of Jesus Christ! Amen!

Blessings…
Love, Minister Jean

Good Morning Sunshine! The Glory Is In The Jar! 

2 Corinthians 4:7 ~ “But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.”

You have been given a gift from God, and it is to be used for the good of others and for the Glory of God, that’s it, plain and simple! And because of the Glory you should be compelled to do good for God! And because of the gift on the inside of you, you will be persuaded to do your best at whatever you do because of the Glory of God that is on the inside of you! 

So how do you show that you are responsible for the gift? The evidence lies in the Word of God that you embody due to your encounter with Him. Experience has taught us that we are all different, but the Glory of God is the same for all of us! For it is God who creates and sustains the world and everything in it including you and me. You have a responsibility to thank and honor God in the way that you use your abilities that He gave you, not only for God’s honor, but also for the good of those around you! You are totally responsible to use the gift that God gave you for His Glory! 

The Word of God says, “As each has received a gift, employ it for one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace . . . Whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies, in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 4:10-11. These two verses should be your standing scriptures as you do the work that God called you to do! See God’s Hand at work, you received a gift, God is gracing you with the ability to complete it, but you have to do your part, it’s your job to employ it, and who are you doing it for, it’s for the good of others and for the Glory of God! 

This should be personal for you; God has put a gift on the inside of a clay jar for His Glory! Don’t miss this special manifestation of God’s Grace in you which can help other people in their life of faith and will honor God all at the same time! The gifts are not just for the pastor, the minister, the prophetess, this is for everyone, this includes you, for you are a part of the body of Christ! There are no exceptions! You have been given a gift from God, and you are not to let it just sit there and you pray for it to go away, it’s not going anywhere, stop being negligent with His Grace! 

You and only you are responsible to use your gift for the good and the glory of God. God called you to be a good steward over His gifts, you need to move past your name and title and embrace who you are, a Servant! God is not coming back to get names and titles, He’s coming and calling for the servant, that’s all! God is stirring the gifts up in you, they are calling out to you, it’s time to use what’s in your jar! He made the clay, and He fashioned you in it and He poured His Glory all over it! 

Have confidence in the Glory not the jar, be confident in this one thing, you have the Holy Spirit on the inside of you! For you are not sufficient in and of yourself, but your sufficiency comes from God, who has qualified and equipped you for that gift and talent! Rely on The Word, rely on the Spirit, for your gift is from the Spirit; and there is Power in the Spirit; and therefore, the fruit you produce is the life of the Spirit. You are not left to yourself and your own sufficiency, but to the One and Only Sufficient One, God! 

This treasure that has been put inside of you, has been designed by God Himself, to show you that all Power belongs to God and not to you! How God see you is so different from how the world views you. The world stresses out the clay pot (you) and the Glory of God contains the pot (you) that you remain intact and don’t crack under the stress of your weakness! If there is one thing that you could learn from these devotions it would be, that everything and I mean everything is for God’s purpose and His Glory! For this determines how you do all things. 

God’s purpose is to make sure that you see that all Power belongs to Him and not to you. So, He puts His treasures in clay pots like you and me to take His gifts and His Gospel into the world! You think that you are ordinary and that you don’t matter, you do, it’s because of ordinariness that God wants to use you, this is an asset and not a liability; for this is how God gets the Glory! There is nothing about you that is common, you are complete just like He made you, you are just the right clay pot to be used for this job! God has anointed you (the pot) with everything that you need to be successful for Him! 

Let’s Pray: 

Father, Thank You! Father, You are the Master Potter and I’m the clay, have Your way! Break me, mold me, shape me, do whatever You want to do to make me what you want me to be! Father, I repent for trying to fight against the pressure of Your Hands while You were shaping me, I will be still and obedient as You work. Thank You for reminding me of Your gentleness as You work on me and in me! I thank You Father that You see beauty and purpose in my mess, and You delight in bringing out the best in me so I might be filled up and used for Your Glory. Father soften my heart as You shape and mold me, smooth out my rough edges that I may be just like You want me. Father may I embrace the work of Your Hands upon my life, may I embrace the heat of the kiln’s flames that completes the work. Father Help me trust the process and know that the final process will be perfect, unbreakable, unrepeatable, (an original) and uniquely made by You and for You, for I will fulfill the plans You made for me. Fill me and use me, for I am Yours, Father, I am Your beloved son and daughter. Use me for Your Glory and for their good! 

Blessings…

Love, Minister Jean

Good Morning Sunshine! God’s Got What’s Surrounding You!

2 Kings 6:16-17 NKJV ~ “So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” [17] And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

Sometimes you might feel outmanned and outnumbered, but I want to assure you that you are not! God is surrounding what is surrounding you! Be encouraged! 

There was a story of a little girl being bullied at her school and, her big sister told her tomorrow when they come don’t run, so the next day when the bully and her friends came, they circled all around her, and her big sister showed up and stood where the ring leader could see her, she didn’t say a word, she just gave her a look and that said, I dare you to do her anything, is all it took, was that one look and the bully turned around and went away and she never bothered her again! 

This is what your Father is doing for you. No one will be able to overpower you, because your Father has your back. God is saying He got you, you just have to stand still and be strong. As Elisha was coming under attack his servant felt overwhelmed about what was surrounding them, but God, Elisha was not worried, nor did he panic. You see when you have things going on, you need to make sure you have the right kind of people in your circle! 

There is a song of worship. “This is how I fight my battles. It may look like I’m surrounded, but I’m surrounded by you.” This song is a reminder of what the Power of Praise can do for you! Because Elisha had a direct line to God, and He spoke to him, he could hear what King Aram’s thought and spoke in his bedroom because of God and he would tell the Israelites where and when the assault would come, which led to his defeat. And the king thought he had a traitor amongst him, so he was angry at him and wanted to take him out, his servant was guilty by association as far as he thought, and because the king was so angry with him, he sent army to track Elisha and his servant down, there was going to be no escaping for them, but God, 2 Kings 6:11-12! 

Have you felt like Elisha’s and his servant, pressed in on every side by life’s issues? And you just felt like you were fading in the background as you cried out, this is too much for me! It’s tough when you have to start off your day and you can already sense the enemy is trying to surround you, and all of your problems are there too and you cannot solve it nor please the people, it seems like a tough place to be in! Just stop and call on God, for He is already there waiting on you anyway. He said that He would never leave your nor forsake you, and it is time that you believe in what you say, for it is true, you just have to believe that God is there. Yes, I know it can be fearful to admit how you really feel. But trust God, you are telling the One that can help you.

But Elisha had faith, and He told his servant, “‘Don’t be afraid … Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:16-17, NIV). Get connected to a community of believers, who know, and trust God like you do, so that even when it does not look good to the natural eye, you still know that God got you, He has you covered and whatever is surrounding you, that He is surrounding for you because you chose Him!

And that’s how it goes, when you have God, there are more with you than those who are with them. Because Elisha knew that there was power in knowing God, the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings, his servant’s reality was nothing compared to the unseen reality of God’s heavenly host and His army became the reality that was seen surrounding the enemy’s army. This is what God is doing for you! Elisha didn’t pray for God to send the army; because he knew they were already there! You don’t have to pray for the army of God, He’s already there, you just need to open up your eyes and ask Him to let you see. God’s warring angels on chariots of fire is already in place for you and God will defend you. Elisha didn’t pray for himself; he prayed for his servants’ eyes to be opened that he might be able to see God’s protection all around them and that he didn’t have anything to worry about.

You may never see in the natural God’s angels surrounding what’s surrounding you, but you can trust that God is always there with you now and forever more. God has divine angels destined to help you every day, you just have to open your eyes. For God will always be with you in every situation when you invite Him in. This is what Elisha knew, and he wanted his servant to experience and believe the same thing. Elisha trusted God and prayed for his servant’s eyes to be opened. Whose eyes are you praying for today? For God said it from the beginning in Psalm 3:6, “I will not fear though tens of thousands rise up against me on every side.” I’m going to trust you! So, focus your attention on God and not the fear of what you do not see, for when you look again, you will see!  

Trust in the power of God, even if you are surrounded by more than 10,000 soldiers, and the odds seem awful, don’t lose hope nor look at your surroundings, fix your eyes on God, for all of your help comes from Him! Ask God to open your eyes to His promises that you may see and that you may see clearly! 

Let’s Pray: 

Father, thank You! Thank You for always being there, even when I couldn’t see you, I’m grateful! Father as I walk through challenges and struggles in this world, I pray that You will help me to keep my eyes fixed on that which is unseen. Help me to realize that you are with me every step of the way. Father help me to remember all of Your promises that You made to me and that You are a promise keeper. Father help me to remember that this is not my battle! Father, help me to fight with my spiritual weapons, my faith and with Sword of the Spirit, Your Word, and to not cease to pray, praying at all times and for the spreading of the gospel, according to Your Word. Father, Thank You allowing Your angels to surround me and everything that I do today, even when I can’t see clearly with my own eyes, I’m going to I trust your present. Thank You Father, that angels are surrounding whatever is surrounding me. I Thank You, because of you I have no need to fear, for You are my protector. In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen! 

Blessings…

Love, Minister Jean

Good Morning Sunshine! It’s Time For You To Choose!

Matthew 10:32-33 AMP ~ “Therefore, the one who confesses and acknowledges Me before men [as Lord and Savior, affirming a state of oneness with Me], that one I will also confess and acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven. [33] But the one who denies and rejects Me before men, that one I will also deny and reject before My Father who is in heaven.”

A time is coming in your life when you are going to have to make a choice, to choose God over the people in your life, your mother, father, brothers, sisters, children or anybody else that is close to you, you must even be willing to choose God over your own self, nothing or no one should come before Him! 

Life is about who you are trying to please. And when all is done, who do you want to be, will stand up and out for His Glory! I accomplish in life won’t mean anything if those three things don’t happen now and when you meet him face to face. You see, Jesus lived for those things with his Father and was successful: “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy” Luke 3:32, Jesus tells us in today’s verses that we can look forward to that same welcoming statement if we confess him before others.

Do you have any friends that are well off and it warms your heart to see them in public and especially when you greet them, and they acknowledge you back? I’m sure you are smiling, showing all of your teeth with pure joy and excitement! But what about your friends who are not living up to your standards, and they don’t measure up, to what you and society deems normal. They have been plaque by the many bad choices that they lived. So, would you even admit that you know them in the presence of your friends?  Most likely would avoid them like the plague, and distance yourselves far from them as far possible.

God, He is Lord of all, so that everyone matters, no life and death (and everything else) rest in His hands. And yet, He is the One who has lowered Himself to our level so that He might grant to you the forgiveness of your sins and give you a share in His divine Glory. Will you we acknowledge Him as a close Friend and Brother? God says that you must first count the cost, you have to fully know who you are in Him before the decision needs to be made of who you truly are! 

And if you wait to decide who you are when you are forced to make a choice to choose Him because of your social status or whatever you are going through, you will most likely fall to the temptation to deny Him. But if you have determined in your heart that you are going to follow God no matter what before you ever need to make the choice, you will succeed! Choose wisely, choose God while you still have a chance! 

Let’s Pray: 

Father I Thank You for firmly planting me in Your Word. I am grounded and rooted in You, I believe in the truth of Your transforming Power and the Anointing that You have put on the inside of me. I know who I am in you and I Thank You, I will not waiver, I’m standing on Your promises and I’m not ashamed or scared to tell anyone who I serve and why. God, You are my Father and I’m Your child in Father.  Righteous God, and Almighty Savior, I believe Jesus of Nazareth was your Son, come in human flesh, and is both Christ and Lord. Give me the strength not only to confess that before all who ask but also to live in such a way that they ask me about my hope and my confidence and my salvation. In the Name of Jesus Christ Mighty Name. Amen! 

Blessings…

Love, Minister Jean