The Lesson in the Present
I was sitting outside in our backyard, writing, when I noticed a tiny, tiny creature, maybe the size of a pinhead, scurrying along my computer. My first thought was, God, how can there be life in something so small? I would not have even noticed it if it hadn’t been moving so fast. This prompted me to start writing. I was thinking that God shows us evidence of His majestic power and presence every day, but often we miss what’s right in front of us.
It was only a few weeks earlier, I’d felt a deep desire during prayer to ask God to let me experience Him in a new and different way. In reality, God was saying, Jacqueline, I need you to speak this word out loud, because I have more of Myself that I want to reveal to you. God places desires in our hearts, and we must speak them out for those things to manifest in our lives. I was speaking what God had already placed in my heart.
At that moment, I noticed another small spider on one of the chairs next to me. It was moving around and seemed to be looking directly at me. Although this one wasn’t as tiny as the first, I probably wouldn’t have seen it if it hadn’t been moving. It felt as if it were looking right into my eyes! It would turn in the opposite direction, then pause and look back at me before finally going on its way.
As I reflected, the Holy Spirit spoke to me, saying, So why are you afraid of any situation, circumstance, or person in this world? Why would you doubt Me? I made you fearless! Who else in this world can create life like this? There is absolutely no one and nothing greater than Me! Fear nothing! I began to praise God, feeling overwhelmed by this revelation. He used the smallest creature I could see on earth to help me understand that He is inexhaustible!
Key points:
YHWH I AM that I AM
ELOHIM, the Creator
He is in the present, don’t miss Him.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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God Answers
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21:22, ESV
My husband is one who is very cautious about going up to strangers to talk with them about the Lord. He loves to share about the Lord, but he does not want to impose himself on anyone. So, when he came home from an errand and said he felt like the Lord said that we were to go talk to this unhoused person who had camped out along the bike trail down the street from our home, I was very surprised!
My husband was so serious! He said that God told him to take a bottle of water and give it to the individual and talk to him about Christ. So we walked down the trail together and there was the man sitting on a bench with all of his items all over the place. My husband spoke to him and introduced himself to the individual. He spoke back and my husband offered him the water. As they began to talk I just kept praying for God to take control. As my husband spoke and told the gentleman about the Lord, he listened and said that he knew God. But the more we talked to him the more we realized that there were some other mental issues that he was dealing with and he probably did not even realize it.
My husband asked him if we could pray for him and he accepted our prayer. Our encounter reminded me of how Jesus sent the disciples out two by two. They had no idea who they were going to meet and how the people were going to respond. But they obeyed God and moved. Walking with God requires us to walk in faith and trust that God will meet us where he send us. I’m not sure if the gentleman will remember much of what we said to him, but I know God prompted us, he had purpose for us going and he answered our prayers.
We may never get to witness how God moves in that man’s life, but our job was to move when the Holy Spirit told us to move and give him what we were directed to do. We can always give thanks to God for what he did in that individual’s life because the word says, “God’s word will never return to us void, but it will accomplish that which I desire and will prosper where to it was sent.” Isaiah 55:11 We have assurance that even if we don’t see God’s hands working in someone’s life, we know he never stops working.
Key points:
When God says move, go where he tells you.
When we speak his word it will never return void.
We may never see God working, but he never stops.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss
The Watering
The Watering
But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. Genesis 2:6
Mist: a cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere at or near the earth's surface that limits visibility (to a lesser extent than fog; strictly, with visibility remaining above 1 km (1,100 yards): the peaks were shrouded in mist | [in singular] : a mist rose out of the river.
• [in singular] a condensed vapor settling in fine droplets on a surface: a breeze cooled the mist of perspiration that had dampened her temples.
Before God caused rain to water the earth he had a way of ensuring that the garden would receive it’s nourishment. The earth and all the vegetation could not function without water. The Bible says he watered with a mist. I love how the fog settles on the earth. The plants get a complete drenching through the mist. You can see the fog, and feel the dampness, but you can’t really see the water. The ground becomes damp and little speckles of moisture will hit your face, but you can’t really tell how that is happening.
It reminds me so much of the Word of God. As believers, we cannot function without it—it is our lifeline; without it, we die! When we read the Word and meditate on it, a gentle mist begins to form in our spirits, and if we sit with it long enough, that mist transforms into a river of living water flowing out from within us.
For example, God was speaking to me about the plants in my garden. He showed me how each of those plants started from a single seed, and as each plant grew, it matured and produced abundant fruit. In the same way, this happens within us as we sit meditating on the Word. The seed that God has planted within us, fully equipped, begins to grow, mature, and produce fruit.
While God was showing me this example I was being saturated God He gives us revelation and understanding as we allow ourselves to be soaked in him. At the time God caused the mist to water the whole face of the ground, the ground did not move but received all the nourishment. We have to do the same thing to become all that he has anointed us to be.
As God showed me this example, I was being saturated, through the misting of his words. He gives us revelation and understanding when we allow ourselves to be soaked in Him. Just as, in the beginning, God caused a mist to water the whole face of the ground, which simply received the nourishment, so we too must remain still in His presence to receive all He has for us.
I have no idea how a tiny seed can yield a reservoir of fruit, but under the right conditions and with proper watering, it happens. The same is true for us—God’s miraculous works happen!
Key points:
You have a revisor of fruit inside of you.
Manifestation comes with the word.
The Word of God is your complete and only source.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss
Helper
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14:26
Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to the disciples so they would have all the help they needed to accomplish the work He had ordained for them. That same Holy Spirit lives within every believer today.
The Holy Spirit is our helper. Jesus sent Him to assist us.
He is our Comforter, providing solace in times of sorrow.
Our Advocate, pleading on our behalf.
Our Intercessor, intervening and interceding for us.
Our Strengthener, making us stronger when we are weak.
Our Standby, a reliable resource we can always depend on.
Our Advisor, offering counsel and guidance.
The Holy Spirit works in such remarkable ways. I had just gotten my nails done less than a week earlier, and my thumbnail cracked. I thought I could simply wrap a bandage around it and it would be fine, but then my other thumbnail cracked in the middle and started catching on my clothes. I realized I needed to make an appointment to fix these two nails, but I kept putting it off. Then my index fingernail started breaking too, and I thought, "What is going on with these nails? This has never happened to me before." So I sent a text to my nail technician to schedule an appointment and she had an opening the next day.
Normally, when I visit my nail technician, we talk about family, the Lord, and how God works in our lives. We had talked a little about her fiancé before, but not much. This time, however, I asked her how he was doing, and she began to open up about the struggles they were facing. She had told him that she no longer wanted to be in the relationship, but as soon as she said it, she felt God telling her it wasn’t the right decision. Still, she was so angry that she wanted to end it. She said that on the very same day she received my text asking to come in and fix my nails.
She said, “I knew God was sending me help.” God loves us so much that he allowed my nails to break so that I would schedule an appointment, and he could use me to encourage her with his words. There is no problem too difficult for God, and he is always there to give us the encouragement and direction we need! He loves us so much that he will change someone else's schedule just to reach us and show us his care!
Key points:
The fullness of God dwells within you.
God goes out of his way to encourage us.
Even when we make mistakes God is not mad at us.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss
Trusting God
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6, KJV
My husband asked me what I was doing on August 1st. Whenever he asks a question like that, I get the feeling there's something he wants me to do that I don’t want to do, so he's checking to see if I already have plans. I replied, "I don’t know, why?" He said, "A friend of mine wants us to come over for dinner." I asked, "What friend?" and he responded, "Jacqueline from Facebook." I was like, "What? No!" and that sparked a heated discussion. I eventually gave in and said okay because I truly had nothing on my calendar, but I was upset that he would even suggest something like that. I didn’t feel it was safe.
Then a quiet voice in my head asked, "Do you trust the God in your husband?" When I heard those words, a sense of peace came over me. But my mind quickly shifted back to how illogical it seemed to go to someone's home for dinner when I had never met them. I started getting angry again. A flood of emotions ran through me, and part of me felt this was an attack from the enemy, but I couldn’t let go because it didn’t make sense. When my husband tried to reassure me that Jacqueline was a nice person, I reacted aggressively. He tried to calm me down and, realizing this may not have been the best idea, promised never to do it again.
On the day of the dinner, I still felt a lot of resistance and pressure, so I asked God for help again. In His humorous way, He sent me one of my own devotionals, titled Trust God! I knew then that the spiritual warfare I was experiencing was from Satan, who didn’t want me to go. After praying, my spirit calmed, and I said, "God, I trust You.”
When we arrived at Jacqueline’s home, she was the sweetest woman, and her spirit radiated God’s presence. His light shined through her. We didn’t get to meet her husband, as he had to work late, but she explained that they were believers and just wanted to connect with other married couples who loved God. They had been married for four years, and she had been following my husband’s posts for over eleven years. She said she could tell through his posts that we had a heart for God. My husband had met her once, nine years earlier, at one of the wineries where his band was playing.
I believe the entire situation was a setup for my growth and to reveal where my faith in God stood. Every day, God is taking us to a new level of faith. Moving in faith requires letting go of control, no matter how irrational things may seem. God didn’t want me to trust in my husband or in my own common sense—He wanted me to trust Him! I realized that day that I was still clinging to control, but I also reached a new level of faith by letting go. I know there will be other tests in different circumstances, but I pray that when they come, I will follow Proverbs 3:5-6 with all my heart: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.
Key points:
Trust means releasing control to God.
Depending on common sense can hinder your faith.
God is truly watching over you.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss
Hidden Thoughts
Every morning I spend time listening to an encouraging word. I always asked the Holy Spirit who should I listen to for encouragement for the day. This one particular morning the name of a person came up in my spirit that I had not listened to in years and I was not really fond of him. I said to myself, “I don’t know why that name came up in my spirit.” Now I had just asked God, but because God had me listening to someone else for weeks, I thought for sure I was supposed to be listening to him and so that is what I did. But then the following day I asked God the same question and that same first person’s name rose up in my spirit. I was like, “God, is this who you want me to listen to?” And I could feel the presence of his peace in my spirit.
So I tuned in to listen to the individual and I found that there was so much judgment in my spirit. I was like, “I don’t know if I like the way they are explaining the message.” I could hardly hear the message for all the stuff that was coming out of my mind. I literally stopped the YouTube video and I began to pray for myself. I repented and asked God to help me. Literally after that prayer things changed. The message that God had me listen to was all about what we had been studying at our church. The teacher actually brought clarity to some of the questions that I had in my own heart!
What I believe God wanted me to see is that I had no idea that I was carrying around judgment for someone that I had never met. I had heard some negative things about this individual, but I did not know it had seeped into my spirit. I’m reminded of what Dr. Juanita Bynum said, “You cannot sit and listen to negativity and it not affect you.” I had no idea that the comments I heard someone else say about this individual had landed so deeply inside of me that judgment had filled my heart of that person.
God is the revealer of our soul. When Jesus taught the disciples the Lord’s prayer he added “And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”. Everyday we need to seek God for forgiveness of our sins. It is hard to see sin creeping up in our hearts. Scripture says “…to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ…,” That means any thought, good or bad, because in truth we have no idea of the source of the thought and what it can do to our soul.
God is consistently transforming us into the image of him. Our thoughts can take on a character of its own and if we are not paying attention we will be like that wild branch that needs to be pruned. But praise God that he prunes us!
Key points:
Your thoughts reveal your heart.
Our thoughts are invisible, but extremely powerful.
Lay your thoughts on Jehovah and walk in his power.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss
The Unknown
And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. Exodus 33:15, AMP
In the passage above Moses says to God, “If your presence is not going with me then, I’m not going.” God had given Moses the assignment to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt and into the promise land. Moses was saying to God, “I will go if you go with me. But if you are not going, I am staying put.”
When God gives us an assignment, the unknown is always present! What stops many from moving forward is the fear of the unknown. To walk in the unknown means we have to shift. We shake when we are afraid of the shift and we are afraid of the shift because of the unknown. We have to become more confident in the one who is leading us into the unknown.
We must remember that God is in control of everything and what he has called us to he will not leave us. Actually the assignment is an invitation to come closer to God. If we just look at some of the patriarchs in the Bible we will see how each individual who moved in the unknown grew closer to God. Look at Gideon in Judges 6. When God sent the angel to him, the angel called Gideon the mighty warrior and told him to deliver Israel out of the Median’s hand. Gideon said, “How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest, and I am the least in my family.”
God had called Gideon to the unknown and Gideon was looking at what he knew. But Gideon said, “Yes” to the Lord and God gave him victory. We learn that his relationship and faith grew in trusting God. If you read further in the book of Judges, you will see that Gideon had 32,000 men to march with him to defeat the Midianites. But God had him reduce the army to 300 men. God wanted all of Israel to know that it was him who delivered them out of the hand of their enemies.
In every assignment that God calls us to it will require courage and a deeper relationship with him. Just like Peter learned that walking on water requires keeping your eyes on Jesus. So each of us will need to do the same thing. Stepping out into the unknown is walking hand in hand into a deeper relationship with our Father! Hallelujah! He loves us so much that he invites us to walk closer with him!
Key points:
Shifting requires trust.
The unknown is an invitation to a deeper relationship with our Father
The unknown increases your faith.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss
Taylor Made
Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. Proverbs 8:23, ESV
I love the passage above because it speaks about wisdom and that she was here before the beginning of the earth. I always marvel when I read a passage that says something was here before anything was started. What simply amazes me is that we were all here before God brought us to the earth, because we all came from him. Romans 11:36
Absolutely nothing was here except God. He literally took from himself and created it all. I guess that is why Psalm 139:16 is one of my favorites. Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began. That passage among many others makes it so clear that we can rest in the creator ELOHIM.
If we could just take the time to sit with God and let his spirit speak into our soul we would understand that we have been custom made for the time that we are living in. This season of circumstance, issues and whatever is going on in this world or in our lives, we were hand chosen and prepared for! He has everyday of our lives planned out. Yet, he has given each of us the choice to choose to walk with him in that plan. In ELHOIM’s master plan it included each and every one of us who are on the earth today to do his work and enjoy the abundant life he ordained before we were born!
The instructions our creator gave us was to seek first the ADONAI the MASTER, we would live in complete peace, joy, success and prosperity. Success has always been his plan for our lives. He said to meditate on the word of God day and night, so that we may be careful to do everything written in it. Then we would l be prosperous and successful. Every problem and situation that we face, God has already handled it. You have already been prepared for what you face, we just need to check in with the Holy Spirit for instructions on how to move.
Key points:
ELOHIM designed a tailored made plan for your life. The plan gives you the desires of your heart.
Success happens with meditating on the word day and night.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss
Prepared
…and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. Luke 3:22, ESV
I love how God always prepares us for what is coming. Many times we have no idea that he is making a way. Our Bishop told the congregation at the beginning of the year that he would be teaching us about the Holy Spirit for the whole year.. I love that this is the teaching we are receiving. I have no idea what is coming, but I know the Holy Spirit in a more personal and intimate way. I know without a shadow of doubt that I can count on the Holy Spirit and he will never leave me!
A few Sundays ago our Bishop started a new series about the symbols of the Holy Spirit. The first symbol he spoke of was the about the dove. Scripture said that after Jesus was baptized the Holy Spirit descend upon him like a dove. Luke 3:21-22. Our Bishop shared that we are to look at the characteristics of a dove and it will tell us what the Holy Spirit is like. So he described to us the characteristics of a dove: gentle, pure, clean, constant in love, and eats what is clean. When I returned home after service I looked up the words that described the characteristics of a dove and I just meditated on it for a while.
Later in the week, God would have me and my niece to minister to someone and it required all the characteristics of a dove. Gentleness, kindness, loving and not being specific to the letter of the law. This individual wanted all that God had to offer him. He was in search of it, but the route he was taking seemed to have had some Christians criticizing him. When we asked him if we could pray for him, he wanted prayer, but he was very defensive about his process.
God had prepared our hearts so that we listened and never put down the path he thought he needed to take. We both knew that God had sent us to show him his unconditional love. When he finished sharing, which was about thirty minuets, he was open to receive all that God had us to share with him. When we finished he was in tears and the Holy Spirit showered down on him in a way that he did not know what to say! My niece and I later talked and we were so thankful to God for the message that he had put in our hearts days before! God used us so that this gentleman’s soul could hear all the Lord wanted to give to him!
Key point:
God always prepares us for what is ahead. We never have to fear what we are going to say.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss
Nothing is Lost
Many times in our life we may feel that what God has called us to do has ended because we did not move in time. The thing that God has given you to do is for you. God is waiting for you to come into divine alignment with him so that he can manifest that thing in you. I love that God puts desires in our heart for the ministry that he has given each of us. The seed sits inside of us waiting for us to plant it in our spirit and walk hand in hand with the Holy Spirit. The seed never leaves.
It reminds me of my garden, I have a variety of seeds to plant, but if I do not plant them I will not see the fruit. The seeds are actually packed away in envelopes in a box in my closet. The fruit of those seeds are not lost. The abundance of the fruit still sits in my closet. It is not lost; I just have to plant them in the right season. See, even my seeds have to be in alignment with the season or they will not grow!
Although we have the seed in us, if we are out of divine alignment with God it can’t manifest according to God’s plan when are not in alignment with him. Alignment: the act of aligning or state of being aligned. So how do we align ourselves with God? When apostle Paul was speaking to the Romans he said, I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. We align ourselves through the word of God by giving over our will to him.
In Proverbs it says to, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 We must make sure that we are acknowledging God in all that we do. That means to check in with him in everything. I have come to the place where when I get up in the morning I ask God, “What am I supposed to read in order to minister to my soul today? What would you like me to wear?” We must remember that we were brought here on assignment by him and for him. He gives us choices, but we have to choose to walk with him. We must also do as the word says to keep our heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23
Many times I will just listen to a message over and over again because I want that message in my thoughts and rooted in my heart. So I will repeat it. Think about the songs that you listen to. If you play them enough they will be in your head and on your heart, which will then be spoken out of your mouth. When we draw near to God, he draws near to us. Draw near to God and he will work through you that ministry that you thought was lost! Remember Moses was eighty years old when he became the leader of the Israelites. Do not give up on God!
Key points:
We align ourselves through the word of God.
We do not concern ourselves with what we see, or how things look. We keep our eyes on God.
What we say out of our mouths, is what we will reap in life. Keep your words aligned with God.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMoEcr3koSqRbqVma5EGWgA/videos
My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss
Move
I love having my quiet time with God. I have set a time everyday at 5:00 pm to meet with God where ever he directs me. Sometimes it is in my prayer room, sometimes it is out on a walk and other times it can be in a coffee shop. Wherever he tells me to go I follow.
Now after saying all of that, I still have this idea of how my prayer time should go. I do not take my cell phone with me during my prayer time and many times I take off my watch because it can be a distraction. I want to hear all of what he is going to say to me. So on this particular day I was sitting outside in the back yard writing what was in my spirit and just listening to him speak. In the midst of all of those moments these two companies that were hiring came into my mind. I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit saying to call my niece and tell her about those companies. I thought okay, I will call her when I am finished with my time in prayer.
We all know that prayer is a dialog and I said I was listening for all God had to say to me. He was speaking and I was not moving. Then I felt this pressure on my heart to move right then. I said to God, “You want me to get my cell phone and call her now?" I did not hear him answer, but I could feel him directing my path. I immediately went and got my phone and called my niece. The call went to voice mail and as I was leaving a message she picked up. I told her that I was in prayer and I felt that the Holy Spirit wanted me to tell her about these two companies that were hiring. After I finished giving her the information, she said, “God is so good!” Then she preceded to tell me that she had just finished praying asking God where he wanted her to apply for a job. Then the phone rang and it was me with the answer! Hallelujah!
It does not matter what you are doing or whom it is that God directs you to, when he says move, move! We are his mouth, hands and feet and he is constantly answering prayers through those who have said “yes” to him. Amen.
Key points:
God’s direction is not usually a part of our plan.
Timing with him is immediate, do not hesitate.
We have been hand selected for such a time as this.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMoEcr3koSqRbqVma5EGWgA/videos
My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss
Preparation
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10, ESVs
The weather in Sacramento was going to be in the triple digits. I knew this would impact my garden. So, early in the morning I would get up and give the garden a deep watering. I wanted to make sure that it had what it needed for the high heat. One part of the garden gets the really high sun, I put a shade over it so that the plant could survive the high temperatures.
While I was out there watering and getting things prepared, God said, “This is what I do for you. Right now your church is in a series on the Holy Spirit. I am teaching you all that you will need to know for the season that is ahead. When I bring you a word it is preparing you for what is ahead. Do not think that a word that comes to you is just a good message. It is for now and the season ahead. It is preparing you so that you are fully equipped to face what every trail that will come.”
Remember Shadach, Meshach and Abednego and the test they had to go through. God had prepared them for what was ahead. Promotion was coming, but they had to go through the test. They said to the king If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Daniel 3 God had prepared them for the trail they would face.
They had to go through the fire to get to the other side. Just like my plants had to go through the triple digit heat for weeks, but they had been prepared. The only way my plants could produce the fruit was to go through some hardships. It is the same way with us. We will have to go through the trials, but God will never leave us. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever…John 14:16. Hallelujah!
Key points:
Whatever you are going through, preparation has already been made.
You are being prepared for what is ahead.
Even in the fire, he will never leave you.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss
Behind the Scene
“Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she. Esher 1:19-20, NIV
God is always working behind the scenes and no one is ever aware of what is actually happening. In the passage above Queen Vashti has angered the king in such a way that brought disrespect to him in front of all his nobles. The consequences for her actions were to remove her as queen. When you read the rest of the story you learn that God was in the midst of making a way for his people to be saved.
I was reflecting back on how our God cares for everything about us. A dear friend and I had agreed to get together for a quick visit and to go over some work. Her schedule was so tied up that we only had time for a very short get together. I thought that we could have a very productive time together. I suggested we order lunch in and spend the time at my house visiting and going over the work. She agreed.
I sent her the menu for a local restaurant and asked her to choose what she wanted so that I could order the food. My husband said that he would pick-up our meals so we did not have go out. Here is what actually happened. She did not see the message I sent her until she was on her way over to my home. She suggested when she got to my house that we go and pick up the food.
Now I had no idea that she had spoken to God about a dear friend who was moving out of state that she wanted to see before leaving. We arrived at the restaurant to order our food, and because there was a Starbucks next door we went and grabbed a drink. When we got back to pickup our food, the dear friend she wanted to see was sitting in the restaurant! Our plans were never just our plans, God had already worked out an opportunity for her to meet her friend the week before they were moving! Listen, we were sitting waiting for our food talking when she looked around the establishment and saw her friend!
Her friend said that she is never at that restaurant and my friend did not even know the restaurant was even there! See, God knows about every detail and all we have to do is trust him because he is working everything out on our behalf. He is always working behind the scenes.
Key points:
Trust God with all your heart.
God holds every soul in his hands.
The Shepherd brought you here and he has already made plans on your behalf.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMoEcr3koSqRbqVma5EGWgA/videos
My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss
Never lost a battle
“Miracles when you move such an easy thing for you to do. Your hand is moving right now. You are still showing up at the tomb of every Lazarus, your voice is calling me out.” I was at church when I heard the lead singer of the choir start to sing those words. I knew immediately that God was speaking to my soul. And now in this moment of writing while waiting to hear what God wanted me to pen next those same words come back into my spirit.
He said, “I am still moving. I have not stopped performing miracles. Ask for them. Look for them. Seek me for the miracles with expectation because I am still working.” As I wrote those words I wondered what miracles had I asked for. Was I still expecting miracles, or did I think my thoughts were too far fetched and would not happen? The song said, “Jesus is still showing up at every tomb of Lazarus,” meaning anything that has died in you, or seems to be gone the “miracle working” God is waiting on our faith.
Scripture says to, “Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door shall be opened.” We all have to do something to receive. I asked God to help me get my cookies into stores. He told me in January to start calling vendors for my cookie business. He said call five vendors a day Monday through Friday. I followed his instructions and by February I had two vendors and by May my cookies were in three different stores.
Even though that was amazing, I believe God wants us to seek him for the impossible, because at Lazarus’s tomb it required a miracle. It required Jesus to show up for something to change. I believe that we all have a “Lazarus’s tomb” in our lives and that something miraculous can only happen when we look with expectation for the “miracle working” hand of God.
There are some dreams that God has put into my spirit that seem incomprehensible, especially at my age. They are so outrageously big that I will not share them with anyone for fear people may think I am crazy. See that is what God gives us! Impossible things that cannot happen without him! I believe he is saying to us today, “Believe and trust what I have put inside you.” Walk with him hand in hand, step by step. You will have opposition, but he has never lost a battle. The outcome is totally up to us to choose to say, “Yes” and stay in the fight!
Key Points:
Opportunities are in the opposition.
Miracles are still there for you.
Allow God to open up the grave of promises.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMoEcr3koSqRbqVma5EGWgA/videos
My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss
Divine Connection
Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” 1Kings 19:19-20, NKJV
Elisha was divinely connected to Elijah by God. When Elijah left the earth Elisha asked for and received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. We can see in scripture that Elisha did twice as much as Elijah. We have to pay careful attention to whom God has us connected to. It was a divine connection for Elisha and God does the same thing for us today. It is important that we do not jump from teacher to teacher because you will get confused and missed what God wants to give you in this season. It is so easy because of the internet to go from church to church, but everything that is being taught is not for you.
God leads, guides and directs you to the place where he wants to bring teaching, revelation and to put that anointing on your life. You must make sure you do not leave a place of teaching because you don’t like them anymore, or because someone said come over here. It is vital that you check in with God before you move, or you may miss the anointing there for you. You heard the saying, “Bloom where you are planted.” God has planted you, so don’t leave until he is finished with you there.
As a pastor’s kid most of my youth and into my adult life I grew up in my father’s church. But there came this season when I knew it was time for me to leave. I could feel God moving upon my heart. The best part of all was that I did not even go looking for a new church. God sent people through my work to invite me to their church. This one co-worker was attending a church who the pastor was someone I had known since third grade! We grew up together as family, but had not reconnected in years. I went to visit the service one Thanksgiving Eve and I felt a complete peace. I was so refreshed in a way that was not happening to me at my father’s church. Now it was not that there was something wrong with my father’s teaching, but God had something different for me at this new church. He had a different anointing that he wanted me to receive. Funny thing was that after I started going to the church, God moved my co-worker to another church. She was the instrument he used to move me.
Our family has been so blessed and has grown in ways that could have never happened at my father’s church. God divinely connected us to our current church and the teaching we are receiving is phenomenal for the season we are in. Elisha could had never received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit if he was moving from teacher to teacher. If you are not sure where God wants you to worship in this season, just ask him. Scripture says that he is our shepherd who will lead guide and direct us!
Key points:
God has divinely ordained a special place for you to be right now.
Stay focused on where God has you planted and bloom there.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMoEcr3koSqRbqVma5EGWgA/videos
My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss
Walk with God
Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’ 2 Kings 7:1, NKJV
The passage above is so good! I love when I read the word and hear of someone proclaiming what God said so boldly and see it happen exactly as they had spoken! I’m always saying in my spirit, “God that is exactly how assured I want to be when I speak your word!” I want to say it and know without a shadow of a doubt that what was spoken is what will happen.
God told the prophet Elijah to go and anoint Elisha to be the prophet after him. 1 Kings 19:15-21 When the prophet came to anoint Elisha he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen. The prophet went over to him and threw his cloak on him. Elisha knew that God had called him to follow the prophet. Scripture says that Elisha immediately ran after him and requested to say, “Good by” to his father and mother and then he would follow the prophet! I find it interesting that the prophet never said a word to Elisha about following him, but the spirit spoke to Elisha as soon as the cloak landed on him.
I could not find in scripture how long Elisha served the prophet, but he was there when God took him away. 2 Kings 2:9-11 Elisha stayed where he was assigned and when his teacher was about to leave Elisha asked the prophet for a double portion of his anointing. How awesome is it that Elisha not only got to ask for a blessing, but he was there to witness the chariot of fire with horses of fire, that took his teacher away. Elisha never left the place God had assigned him to and we can see the results of his obedience to the prophet. Elisha could boldly proclaim the words of God to the king and know it would happen!
To walk in that power and authority calls for totally submission unto God and those he puts you under. The prophet knew that God had called Elisha to replace him, but we never read where Elisha was given any authority to heal, or speak while the prophet was alive. Elisha served as a humble servant until God promoted him to the position of prophet. I am not saying that we have to wait until someone dies before God opens a door, because in truth Elisha was serving God as he served the prophet!
It is important that we don’t get impatient with where God has us serving because he knows the ultimate plan for our life. We must stay steadfast in humility moving in love and we will walk in the full authority and power with confidence as Elisha did. Amen!
Father, thank you that you have chosen us to be your disciples. We praise you that all power and authority has been given to us. I pray that we will stay where you have planted us so we can learn how to use all that you have given us in fulfilling the call you have placed on our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
Take aways:
Submission, faith and obedience is the key to walking in God’s authority.
We each have the authority to proclaim God’s word and see it come to pass.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMoEcr3koSqRbqVma5EGWgA/videos
My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss
Measure of Faith
…each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. Romans 12:3, ESV
God has given each of us the measure of faith we need to do what he has already put in our spirit. He does not tell us to do anything without giving us what we need. I was in prayer when the Holy Spirit said to me pray your faith! Listen, if you aren’t hearing from God, you need to spend sometime in prayer listening. He is always talking because prayer is a dialog not a monolog. When we go in with a monolog and we talk to God, get up and walk away we have missed all that God wanted to say to us!
So while I was praying, I head him say, “Pray your faith.” I thought, “Pray my faith?” I then heard, “Yes.” The thing that you are having doubts about, or think you can’t do, I need you to say, “I trust God in the measure of faith he has given me.” So, I started to say, “I trust God in the measure of faith that all the things I have going on are organized and easily accessible. I trust God in my measure of the faith that he has already opened the door for my new home.” He said, “Your faith is enough for what I have put in your spirit.” Satan wants us to believe that our faith is not enough. We have to stop listening to the lies of the enemy. God has given us what we need to move in everything he has placed in our hearts! Our Bishop says to stop saying the facts and instead say the promises of God. If we say the facts, we receive the facts! But when we speak the promises of God, we receive his promises!
For example, God showed me in prayer someone delivering J. C. Irresistible cookies on a dolly to different grocery stores. I saw these white boxes stacked up and they all had J.C. Irresisitibles stamped on the boxes and they were moving them to a certain store. God just gave me that vision so I know the direction in which I am headed. I have no idea how I am going to get there, but he has given me the measure of faith to believe this will manifest if I keep doing what he has instructed me to do. So no matter what comes, or goes, or what the facts are, I must trust God through the measure of faith he has given me.
We are not supposed to depend on ourselves, but him. If he put a new home in your spirit and you don’t have the resources to purchase this new home, he already has a door opened to handle all your needs! He tells us to not lean on our own understanding, but to trust in him. Go and start looking for your home. Whatever you limit your faith to is what you will receive.
Many years ago our son attended a university in Los Angeles. He was a student at the University of Southern California and every time we went to visit him we would have to get a place to stay. We were on a tight budget so we were staying at hotels that were okay, but not really nice. One day when I was reserving rooms online I was really frustrated that I could not find a nice place on our budget. While sitting at the computer I said to God, “You said that you would give me more than I could ever think, or imagine. I could imagine the type of hotel I wanted to rent, but not the expensive cost. My son was moving to Pasadena because he had graduated from school and he had landed a job near Pasadena. I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Type in luxury hotels in Pasadena.”
Listen, I had never even thought to type in luxury hotels because they would be out of our price range. But I did as the Holy Spirit instructed me and the Langham Hotel popped up at the top of my search list. I loved what I saw but as I looked at the prices online they were well over our budget. God said, “Call them.” When I called and asked about the room availability the sales clerk started to ask me if I was apart of any of the companies that they offered discount’s to. She started to list the companies and we qualified for the discount! The discount made the cost affordable and well within our budget!
I said to God, “All this time that we had been staying in LA we could have been staying here?” God reminded me that I had not trusted him in that particular level of faith. God had available for me what he had put in my spirit. He had given me the faith I needed to trust him, but I was leaning on my own understanding. Do not miss out on your blessings by depending on yourself. Walk in the faith he has given you. After that, every time we went to LA to visit our son we stayed at the Langham!
Key points:
You have all the faith you need.
Do not lean on your own understanding.
God has more for you than you could ever ask for.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMoEcr3koSqRbqVma5EGWgA/videos
My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss
God Delivers
Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. Genesis 41:14, ESV
I was up early one morning praying and I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Joseph could not move out of prison before I ordained it.” God knew very well that Joseph was in prison unjustly. Jospeh had even worked on his own to try and get out of prison. But God blocked his efforts.
And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody. And one night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation. When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.” So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me, and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand.” Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh's cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer. Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.” Genesis 41:2-15
It was not until two whole years later when Pharaoh had a dream that no one could understand that the cup bear would remember what Jospeh had said to him. Many times we do not realize that we are in the perfect position for the blessing God has for us, especially when we have been treated unjustly. Sometimes the circumstances that God allows to come upon us will make us believe that this could not possibly be what God had ordained for our life. But as we read through the Bible we will find that just like Joseph, God knows exactly what he is doing with our life. We just have to trust him. God did not allow the cup bearer to remember anything Joseph had said until it was time for Joseph to be released into the abundance that God had waiting for him.
Joseph was in the right place for many years and it probably seemed like to him, this could not ever be the place God wanted for him. But prison was where he needed to be to fulfill the calling God had told him about so many years earlier in Genesis 37. Joseph was seventeen when he received the dreams from God and he was thirty when the vision God had given him came to pass.
Your situation is not a surprise to God and he knows exactly what he is doing. Do not try and free yourself, God says vengeance is mine and he will fight your battles. Where God has you right now is exactly where he needs you to be. Let him deliver you into the blessing that he had planed for you before the beginning of time.
Key Points:
Just because it is unfair does not mean it is not a part of God’s plan.
When we try and do things on our own, we can miss the blessings that are right before us.
Obedience keeps us in alignment even if things are unjust.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMoEcr3koSqRbqVma5EGWgA/videos
My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss
It is Never Old
The Holy Spirit had prompted me to read a passage in the Bible that I had not read in a long time. It was the book of Amos. Amos was a minor prophet who spoke to the people of Israel and Judah about the coming judgement God had placed on them. After I finished reading this short book, I immediately got on my knees and repented.
Later that morning I was sharing with my husband what I had read. I then heard myself say, “The word of God never gets old.” The Holy Spirit started to give me an example. He said, “Just like I go to bed with my husband every night and the experience never gets old.” We always have different conversations and fun quiet times together. We chat about our day and any issues that came up. It is always a new conversation!
The Holy Spirit then showed me that the word of God is the same way. He said, “No matter how long you have been with your husband, you are always learning something new about him.” He said, “Reading the word is the same. Every time you read about me, I bring you a new revelation about who I am.” You can never just read the Bible once, or twice and think you know God and understand all of who he is. His word is inexhaustible and you will never be able to fully know all of him until we are face to face!
He then reminded me of the passage, “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, Deuteronomy 11:18-20, ESV
Every moment God has something new to teach us about himself! But we have to seek him out and listen to how he speaks to us through his creation in everyday life. If we seek him, he is sure to be found. If we ask him about himself, he will answer. He is just waiting on us to open the door of our hearts! Pick up the Bible and let him tell you all about who he is. I promise you that he will reveal to you something new! His word never gets old!
His Word is ancient, but it is never old.
Seek to know God.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMoEcr3koSqRbqVma5EGWgA/videos
My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss
Hearing God
I had been listening to this song by Anthony Brown and group TherApy called, “Speak Your Name.” Some of the words to the song just kept playing over and over in my head…When we speak your name something happens in the room, our hands go up, we can't wait to see what you're gonna do… When we speak your name, power is released. As we bow down before you every demon has to flee. Before we do anything else (yeah) we call on you (we call on you).
Before we do (yeah-yeah) anything else we call on you, we call you Jesus. As I meditated on those words while working I could not hear God say anything. I was asking some questions. I said, “God, I am working and my mind is quite. I am listening for you, but I do not hear you saying anything.”
Later, he reminded me of a time when I took a trip with my dear friend and sister in Christ. We had taken a trip to Tennessee and decided to drive to Kentucky so we could go see the Ark Encounter . It was about a five hour drive and we used our GPS to give us instructions on how to get to the location. At one point in the drive, we noticed that our GPS had stopped talking. We were like, “Why is this system not saying anything?” We turned off the phone to start the navigation system over again and we noticed that it was still not saying anything. At some point the Holy Spirit revealed that it was not talking because we were headed in the right direction. When something needed to change the GPS would tell us.
The Holy Spirit was saying the same thing to me when I was questioning him. He said, “You checked in with me, I gave you instructions and you were following them.” If he needed me to do anything different he would tell me. It’s funny I remembered that we had this same conversation in the car! Jesus has sent us the Holy Spirit and he is here to help lead, guide and direct us. He will never leave us, nor forsake us. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another [a]Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— John 14:16. Therefore, if you have checked in and he has not said anything else, keep going because you are on the right track!
Key points:
Do not let Satan put doubt in your mind, you can always hear God speaking to you.
Be assured that if God needs you to change directions, he knows how to get your attention.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMoEcr3koSqRbqVma5EGWgA/videos
My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss