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

Good Morning Sunshine! Pay Attention To The Details!

Matthew 10:27-31 NKJV ~ “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. [28] And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. [29] Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. [30] But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. [31] Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Have you ever said or heard these words, “It’s In The Details!” Guess what, God is interested in the Details! This is how important it is to pay attention to the tiniest things. That principle holds, but there is a greater sense to these words, namely, that your Creator reigns fully over every detail of your life. From the timely arrival of the smallest rock to the greatest flight of the eagle that show the impact of Jesus Christ, there is nothing that can ever occur outside of God’s decree and providential rule in your life.

I was in one of my counseling classes and the pastor said this and last night it came back to my mind just for you, he said this, “We want the Experience and Expansion, but we don’t want to go through the Pain and the Process, it’s not until you “Get Out of Your Head and pay attention to the details. You see your destination has been set, you are Heaven bond, so it’s not like it’s the Details versus Destination! Just focus on the details and leave the destination to God and He will show you the way through the details that will come forward!”

So, what am I saying, when you focus on God, you will see the details that He put in place for you. Stop focusing on everything else, you just have to make sure that your motives and your heart is in the right place. You have to slow down so that you can see what God is showing you. You are looking for things in the top of the tree and God is showing it to you in the flower, get out of your head, so that you can see and hear God’s heart for you. That night in class I heard, “you need to slow down, you are moving too fast.” So now I’m saying the same thing to you, slow down, you will get everything done, you just need to do it in moderation. Stop and smell the flowers, see the grass and look at the sky, see the splendor and handiwork of your Father. This will help you with your discernment, it will force you to pay attention to what you are doing and saying in that moment.

You see when you are moving fast you can sometimes fall prey to things instead of actually praying for that thing. There are wolves out there that are dressed like sheep, and they know what to say to make it sound good, and when you are moving fast you can miss some of those details that God was trying to show you, (Matthew 7:15), Slow Down! God has intercessors covering you day and night! His Angels have taken charge over you, and they are on guard over everything that you hear and see and everything that concerns you! God is going to show you where the enemy is so that you are not caught off guard. Pay close attention to who is trying to connect with you. Filter it through the Blood of Jesus Christ!

Your Father is in the details of everything that happening in your life. For it’s in a detail that makes a situation turn one way or the other in your life, just know that God allowed it. And it’s in the detail that turns another way in your favor, just know God allowed that as well. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28. Your Father will not allow anything that doesn’t bring glory to His Name, to happen in the life of His chosen ones, (you) for His glory, and for your good, for His Glory and your good are synonymous in the details, God allowed if for His Name’s Sake.

Just know that there will be no agreement in the enemy’s camp where you are concerned, God is in every detail! I plead the Blood of Jesus Christ over every eye that would look upon you today, they will only be able to see what God allows! Pay attention and be mindful of calling every one friend in this hour, right now they are associates and they have to be vetted through the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ first before they can be called your friend, it’s in the details! Pay attention and be mindful of every one that has access to you, seek Jesus first and then watch in the details for what He does next for you! Your testimony is the details that you share with others of what God did for you! And just like He is concerned about the sparrow think about how much more He is concerned about you; every single detail is of the greatest importance!

Here’s a reminder for you, God is in control of every single thing that happens to you. So, in turn, you should give thought to your actions and how you spend your time. The Lord is gracious, so you should not be doing or saying things haphazardly, but by making sure every moment is filled with what you know about God and His Kingdom Work, for that is proof of the details and the evidence that His Word works! Today, be careful not to waste the time God has given to you, but to use it wisely!

Let’s Pray:
Thank You Father, thank You for my rising this morning and my lying down last night, thank You for being with me, my God. Thank You for my going out and my returning home, lead me, Father wherever You want me to go, and I’ll follow You. Father thank You for nourishing me in the details of my life, may I always be mindful and grateful for Your Presence and Provision that You provide for those who choose You. Father, help me to slow down and linger over Your Word today and to see the details as You lay them out in my life. Father, help me to accept the truth as You lay it out and give me clarity of Your revelation and not the information from my own thoughts. Father, help me get out of my own head and way.  Father, help me to always see Your Hand at work in me. Father Thank You for always loving me more than I have loved myself, Father I choose You today and every day, and I am going to worship and praise You all the day long and I want to be present in Your Presence and see all the details as they unfold right before me, because of Your Grace and Mercy. In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Blessings…
Love, Minister Jean
Have a Blessed weekend…

Good Morning Sunshine! Please Watch Your Words!

Psalm 141:3 AMP ~ “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips [to keep me from speaking thoughtlessly].”

Be careful with your words! Think first and then speak! God gave you one mouth and two ears! There is a movie that Eddie Murphy plays in called 1,000 Word, he was a fast talker and would use his words to manipulate people to get what he wanted, it was all about him. Then a tree appeared in his backyard with 1,000 leaves on it. And when the last leaf falls off the tree, he would be no more. It made him more mindful of the words that he was spoke. God wants you to be more mindful of the words that you speak. Remember that you have to give an account for them, so don’t let idle words fall to the ground!

You must be mindful of the words that you speak, because once they hit the atmosphere you cannot put them back into your mouth! You must protect the doors of your lips. I know that sometimes it’s hard to keep the words in, but just because you think it, doesn’t mean you should say it. And this is when and where you let God step in and have His way, He will tell you exactly what to say and how to say it!

God’s Word says that you will have to give an account of every idle word that you say. The Word also says, “that by your words you can be acquitted and by those same words you can be condemned, Matthew 12:36-37, “be careful of the words that you say, you can’t pick them up and put them back in your mouth!

When you own something valuable and it is important to you, you will go to great lengths to protect it from harm. Well today I want to remind you that your words are important, guard them with every fiber of your being (heart)! Your words are powerful, and they determine how you see yourself.

God’s Word says that you will have to give an account of every idle word that you say. Your words can cause you to be free or put you in bondage, so be careful of what you say, again I’m reminding you, once you say it, you can’t pick them up and put them back in your mouth, so choose wisely!

Today, choose your words carefully, put a guard on your words and ask God to remind you of every word that you have spoken. Be the person that speaks life over yourself and others. Be determined to think good words so that good words will flow out of your heart and your mouth shall speak them clearly and with clarity, bringing Your Father in Heaven Glory!

Let’s Pray:
Our Father who art in Heaven…please forgive me for every idle word that I’ve ever said, I repent right now. Father, I want my words to Glorify You and to bless Your son’s and daughter’s, to tell of Your goodness. Father, let the Word that You have put on the inside of me, draw others to desire to learn more about You Lord, I don’t want my language to ever betray You or hurt someone else. Thank You for setting a guard of my lips today. Father, please forgive me for every idle word that I’ve ever said, I repent right now. Lord, I don’t want my language to ever betray or offend you or anyone else. Father, please help me refine and reform any parts of my speech that does not align with Your Perfect Will. Father please help me redeem, refine and reform my speech and use it to glorify You, to bless Your son’s and daughter’s, to tell of Your goodness, to tell someone else about You and how You can save them, to tell somebody about “The One” that can save anybody because You saved me and if You did it for me, You can do it for them. Let every word I speak bring You Glory. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!!!

Blessings…
Love, Minister Jean Stepter

Good Morning Sunshine! Is Your Skin Thick And Do You Have Tender Heart?

Ecclesiastes 7:19-23 ERV – “Surely there is no one on earth who always does good and never sins. But wisdom can make one person stronger than ten leaders in a city. [21] Don’t listen to everything people say. You might hear your own servant saying bad things about you. [22] And you know that many times you too have said bad things about other people. [23a] I used my wisdom and thought about all these things.”

In the mid 1500’s, this term was coined, “thick-skinned” originated in English in the mid-1500s. It’s an idiom that describes someone who is able to withstand criticism or insult without becoming upset or offended. The term is a compound of the adjectives “thick” and “skinned”.

We live in a world where some people don’t know how to say a thing to you! Has anyone ever said harsh things to you and made you want to cry or fight? Did you use wisdom before you said it? Now have you ever said the wrong thing at the wrong time? And you ignore all the filters and cues to not say that thing that would hurt, offend, and or tear a person down. You just commence to say and do whatever you wanted. And then you will say, it wasn’t intentional, it just comes out. And then you proceed to say this, “they just need some thick skin, toughen up.” Well just like you don’t like being on the other side of this, no one else does either. So, stop saying that others should have thick skin, when you don’t want to be spoken of badly or spoken to rough.

As I pondered on today’s scripture, it made me think about how often I have heard someone saying a thing about me, and that I need to be tougher; and this is the part, what did I say or think about them after hearing what they had said? Can I be transparent for a moment and tell you something, I didn’t always think something nice, when I knew someone was speaking badly about me, or if they said something harsh and they just wanted me to take it and get over it; well, it’s not always that easy or black and white. Somethings people say are just plain cruel! But God! God says, “Don’t listen to them.” Stop listening to what everyone is saying and start listening to God!

If you would be honest with yourself for a moment, you would remember that you have been guilty before of chosen poor words or saying the wrong thing at the wrong time! We all have been there, but now that you have surrendered and submitted to God, He can submerge you in and under the Anointing of the Holy Spirit and your speech will be seasoned. You see in the book of James, it says “that no man came tame the tongue” but that doesn’t give you the right of way to speak and say anything that you want, filter free!

The Bible says a lot about your the tongue and your words. You do know that you are going to have to give an account for every idle word that you have spoken, Matthew 12:36! I believe that while you will never tame your tongue, you can learn to control it and use it for good and not evil. You have a choice in the words that you choose to use each and every day! Stop speaking out in the heat of the moment and feeling like you can say anything that you want, and you don’t care who is on the other end of that conversation. And you do it and say that you prayed about that. Now, I want you to weigh every word you spoke to what and how the Bible says you should speak and see if what you said line up with it; if it does good, but if it doesn’t, you need to repent and apologize! Plain and Simple!

It takes only a second to say those words, but it takes a lifetime to forget them. (If you have done that repent to God and ask Him to forgive you and then, if possible, ask that person that you hurt to forgive you and please forgive yourself.) Because once those words leave your mouth, they can never put them back in. “Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.” Proverbs 21:23. This is why it is important, that you choose your words wisely. Proverbs 3:5-6! Ask God for wisdom on how to answer and what to ask.

I want you to develop a resilience spirit in the face of criticism or challenges, and I want you to have a heart pure and full of compassion. Don’t get on their level, rise above it knowing that vengeance is The Lord’s, every time you sow a kind word to someone who sowed a harsh word to you, it is heaping coals of fire upon their heads and God is going to reward you because you thought, said and did the right thing, the way God would do it. Proverbs 25:21-22! You can always ask yourself WWJD, (What would Jesus Do) and He will give you the answer!

Ask God to give you a heart of compassion for those who don’t speak well to you and of you. Draw your strength from Jesus Christ who set the greatest example before you. He showed you how to endure hardship while remaining focused on love and forgiveness; and, learning how to let things roll off your back, without letting the negativity harden your heart. “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”

Let’s Pray:
Father Thank You! Father, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties, and see if there is any wicked way in me [NLT: ‘point out anything in me that offends You’].  Lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalms 139:23-24). Father, help me to examine myself, to be aware and to be humble with ourselves.  Father, help me to stay close to You and Your Will in prayer and by meditating on the Word of God as I read my Bible. Father, help me to guard my heart daily, that I may be active and in a constant state love in my daily life.” Father, help me, ask You for thick skin and a big heart. Have mercy on me when I am too sensitive, too easily offended, or too quick to hold grudges. Father, give me thick skin and a soft heart, especially when my natural impulses are to flare up under pressure. Free me to do the right thing in the moment and show me how to make peace with everyone that I come into contact with today. For Your Glory!

Blessings…
Love, Minister Jean

Good Sunshine! There Are No Shortcuts Or Easy Ways Out!

Deuteronomy 1:46; 2:1,3 NIV ~ “And so you stayed in Kadesh many days—all the time you spent there. Then we turned back and set out toward the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea, as the LORD had directed me. For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir. [3] “You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north.”

Have you ever been on a road trip or driving somewhere and after riding for a while you realize that you were on the wrong road? And then you thought to yourself, it’s nothing to worry about, “I’ll just take a shortcut, it will save me a lot of time.” It will either save you a few minutes or cost you dearly! Shortcuts can actually be quite expensive! And so can easy ways out! Before you purpose anyone of these thoughts in your head, stop and pray!

The problem is that the shortcut that you used 10 years ago is no longer a shortcut and now because of this decision, it has delayed your move, it will take you even longer to get where you were going, your shortcut ended up being a longer journey than what you expected because you got impatient and couldn’t wait any longer. I mean look at the children of Israel, an eleven-day trip turned into a 40-year journey. (For forty years one year for each of the forty days you explored the land, you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.) Did you hear that, they spent 40 years on a journey that should have only taken 11 days.

If only you had stayed on the main highway. You would have missed those potholes and pitfalls; you could have actually gotten there on time! That shortcut could have cost you your life, a life-threatening experience for you to understand the importance of traveling and staying on the right road. I know it cost you some money and that can be quite painful when it’s not done properly! Shortcuts can cause you a heap of trouble; and leave you with scars for the rest of your life from that one act of disobedience!

If there is one thing that I have learned, it is that you must always travel right and never get off the path God has set in place for you! And just to be clear, shortcuts come in all sizes and descriptions. They are designed to get you somewhere the easy way, to get something that you do not deserve, or they will try to get you to avoid something which you ought to face.  Life is a lot like a journey which involves a starting point and an ultimate destination one that can be reached only one way! You should be traveling Heaven bound!

You know as I’m writing this devotional, I’m wondering about the children of Israel in the desert, they had to go through it, God needed to show you something that you could only learn by facing the wilderness. “Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.” Romans 12:17. Just be honest and avoid taking shortcuts to the places that you are trying to go.  Let’s think about this, would you be comfortable flying in an airplane that is 99% working and the inspector simply signed off on it saying it’s okay, without making repairs which were vital to the safety of an aircraft to be at a 100%? Would that make you uneasy? Think about how God feels every time you take a shortcut and try to circumvent the process, you can’t take shortcuts to your destination, you have to go all the way through it.

William Shakespeare wrote, “To thine own self be true, and it shall follow as does day the night, thou canst not then be false to any man.” When you don’t have a conscience, you will make any choice and take whatever shortcuts that you see regardless, you are just in a hurry to get somewhere! You see when you get in a hurry and try to go before and without God, it will cause you to fall prey to sin, grumbling, bad attitude, rebellion, ingratitude, and worrying (which is a lack of trust in God) and it will lead you down a road that you don’t want to travel. This has caused your shortcut to become public knowledge and has put you and your business on front street! Stop right now and repent and ask God to lead you back to the right path immediately!

When you take shortcuts, it can strip you of your hope and leave you with regret.  It is a path that will rob you of years of your life that you can never get back. I don’t want you to wander for another 40 days, months or years and waste any more precious time.  I’m sure that was not Moses intention to be on a 40-year journey. When you can learn how to live without taking shortcuts, you are living like you know that you have to stand before God someday and you don’t want any regrets, no secrets, and no shame! In living this way, it may take you a little longer to get where you want to go, but it is the surest way and you can be certain of this, God is with you! For, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

As you think about your journey and when and where you started, can you see the end? Most of the people that started out with Moses on the journey were dead and gone by the time the 40 years had ended, they never made it. But to God be the Glory, some did, Joshua made it to the Promise Land! It’s time to take heed to what God is saying, stop looking for a shortcut and an easy way out! Take heed to the Word of God and choose this day, who you will listen to, follow and serve! As for me and my family we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15 (NLT)!

Let’s Pray:
Thank You Father! Thank You for leading and loving me. Father, as I navigate through this day, help me to follow all of Your instructions and to not want to take any shortcuts or easy ways out. Father, guide me to always choose the path of integrity and hard work. When tempted to take shortcuts, strengthen my resolve to follow the right way, even when it’s harder. Grant me the wisdom to see the value in doing things the right way, and the understanding of how true success comes from the journey and me the courage to resist the allure of quick fixes. Father, help me to embrace the process and trust that your way, even if it is longer, is still the best way. Father help me to trust in You and to know that You are with me and leading me the right way. Help me to find fulfillment in the journey, not just the destination. Father walk with me alone the route and may right now in this present moment, may Your Presence be my peace in the process.  In Jesus Christ Name. Amen!

Blessings…
Love, Minister Jean

Good Morning Sunshine! It’s Time To Unpack What You Don’t Need!

Colossians 3:5-8 NIV ~ “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. [6] Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. [7] You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. [8] But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”

Journeys, vacations and trips! You have just come back and instead of you unpacking your suitcase, you rolled it in to a corner and walked away. You didn’t unpack a thing! You never even looked at it! When will you be ready to unpack it? Isn’t there something in that bag that you packed that you need for your everyday use? So, why haven’t you unpacked that bag yet? It’s time to unpack, clean the old and get rid of what you don’t need! Just like it is time for you to do this after a natural trip, it is time for you to do this spiritually also!

Just like you have not unpacked your natural suitcase, you have some bags packed from past, that you need to unpack now, do it before 2024 ends, you have 29 more days!  And this is not a time to play like you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’m referring to secrets that you have never parted with, memories that replay like a broken record that skips, past jobs, past hurts, past relationships, and past anger. It’s time to unpack it! That hurt is not bothering the one that hurt you, it’s only hurting you. So, stop dwelling on the past and let it go! “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:28! You have been weighed down long enough by this stuff and you don’t have any room or capacity for anything else!

As a matter of fact, you can’t even take a new trip or move on because of all the stuff that you still have, that you are hanging on to from the last trip! And let’s not forget all of that stuff that’s in your heart! You keep asking God for the new and for more, but where would you put it? It’s time to remove it and release all of that outdated stuff it’s to heavy! Unpack those bags, clean out your heart and mind and get rid of all of that clutter so that when it’s time to travel and move again you will be ready to go!

When you get ready to travel, you will pack your bag, now how I do mine is different from yours and vice versa, but we all have our bags, some of you are light travelers and some of you bring everything that you own! But only you know what you really need in your bags and how to pack and unpack it, and how to face it when you arrive at your destination and when you get back home.  Part of you maturing is learning how to sit down and be still with your stuff and figure out what you need and what need to leave behind. It’s time to downsize!

Don’t you know that the more baggage you carry, the harder it is to move! If you go to the airport to travel right now your bags have a weight limit and if you are over, you are charged an additional fee per each bag (this can be costly, so you need to weigh this out carefully.) What if God charged you a fee for the extra bags that you carried daily, after He told you to cast all of your cares on Him? Let me tell you something, you will never be able to repay Him! So, let your past be your past and walk into your present weight free!

You need to learn how to keep the memories that make you smile, and you ditch the ones that make you frown! Your life is designed for you to encounter God in every choice that you make, so your life doesn’t have to be consumed by the mistakes and troubles of your past. Because if you are always looking back, you will never be able to see, how see to move forward! Stop comparing your old to your new, because if you do, you will never enjoy where you are right now. Let the past of your childhood go so that you can live in your adulthood, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17!

Let me tell you how to make your baggage light, trust God, love and forgive, forgive, love and trust God, either way you do it, it’s going to make you lighter in your moving and traveling as you journey in life! God wants to help you unpack your heart and mind by getting rid of everything that is not like Him, that is weighing you down! Yes, this is what God does just for you, He lightens your load! Today, work on unpacking those bags with the Word of God and get rid of all the weight that weighs you down, so that you can flow freely in the things of God!

Let’s Pray:
Thank You Father! Father, I praise and thank You that have covered me and that my life has been secured with You Christ Jesus. Thank You that I am a new creation in You and have I have died to sin and have been raised to life, together with You, in heavenly places. Father help me to live as unto the Lord, to lay aside all that is displeasing to You, and to set my mind on things that are above and not beneath. Forgive me for the times that I have lied and was careless in my speech or partook in any form of double-talk, gossip or massaged the truth for my own personal gain. I pray that from this day forward, that the thoughts that I think will be developed under Your leadership and guidance and that my mind would immediately be taken captive to You so that the words that proceed from my mouth would honor Your Name and bring Glory to You and ridding myself of all things as that are not from You, and that I will speak only what comes from You and the Holy Spirit. Father, thank You that I am no longer under sin, but I now live by faith, and I have become Your child, and a member of Your body. Thank You Jesus for breaking the power of sin and death in my life, and clothing me in Your own righteousness. I pray that I may not be enticed by the things of this world that try ensnare me to be disobedient and I pray that Your Holy Spirit would convict me every time that I may repent in the Name of Jesus. Father cleanse my lips and help me to get rid of every weight that has weighed me down. Father today I want to unpack and get rid of everything that I don’t need in my life, for I want to be pleasing to You in every area of my life. In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Blessings…
Love, Minister Jean

Good Morning Sunshine! Press In and Press Onward, It’s Revival Time!

Hosea 6:2-3 ~ “After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up that we may live before Him. (3) So let us know and become personally acquainted with Him; let us press on to know and understand fully the [greatness of the] Lord [to honor, heed, and deeply cherish Him]. His appearing is prepared and is as certain as the dawn, and He will come to us [in salvation] like the [heavy] rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth. “

What will happen to you now that you have been revived by God! True Revival can only take place at your house because you pressed your way through!

To press means to leave your comfort zone, it means that when things are not easy or comfortable, it’s going to take everything in you to keep pushing, to keep moving, when the pressure is, even if you have to press when you are uncomfortable, you are going to keep it moving, to press. That’s the Pressing!

It’s something about pressing your way to God! Something happens when you press, when you press to acknowledge who He is! Something changes, something breaks loose, and somethings fall off! Keep pushing, praying and pressing, your healing and deliverance is in your Pressing!

All this is saying is that you need to pick up on the spirit of this verse, which says, “Let Us know … Let Us press on …” there is a power in your relationship with God and you need to be sure that you do not neglect it. Be faithful in services unto God! Be encouraged by God’s Word! Be an encourager for others to press on in the things of God! “Let Us In and Let Us Press On, for there is a Blessing in the Pressing!”

There is one goal that you should be aware of, and that is that you were created for God, created to worship Him and Him alone! Do hear it, the verse is telling you to press in “To Know The Lord.” That’s it, if you focus and follow this goal, you will be filled to overflowing, for this goal of life should be the goal of every person in the world, God created you is to know Him and then everything else will follow!

Now, let’s read today’s scripture again from the Message Bible, make it personal, (paraphrased) “Come on, let’s go back to God. (You must return back to your first love, Revelation 2:4-5, Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. [5] Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place-unless you repent.)

For God is the only one that can heal you! (God chastise those He loves, and He holds you in the palm of His Hand). He breaks off of you everything that is not like Him in your life, so that you can be right again with Him. (He will allow you to go through it, to draw you closer to Him). (But) In a couple of days (you) will feel better. And by the third day he’ll have made (you) us brand-new, Alive and on your feet, fit to face him. Then you will be ready to study God, eager for the God-knowledge; and as sure as the dawn breaks, so sure is His daily arrival (He’s coming back for you), He comes as rain comes, as spring rain refreshing the ground, it’s time for your revival!

Here is some fresh manna for you to eat today. After you have repented to God for trying to do it your way, He will revive you, and you will get your second wind! Now keep pressing towards the mark, you serve a Powerful and Perfect God who is sure of everything that He does every day! You have to press to lay your will down, to crush and deny your flesh, you have to press to see His Will be done, remember there is a blessing in the pressing! Press In and Press Onward!

Let’s Pray:
Father, Thank You! Thank You for the gift of Pressing! You have taught me how to push, pray until something happens! I know that there is a blessing in my pressing! Thank You for Your healing, Your love, Your peace, Your joy, Your deliverance and Your strengthening in me mentally, emotionally and physically! Thank You for feeding me in your Word daily. It’s Revival Time! Time to Press On! In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Blessings…
Love, Minister Jean
Have a Blessed Weekend…