Fire of God
We had a guest speaker at our church on Sunday and the message just lit a fire under me. It is so ironic how the Holy Spirit can speak something into your heart and then you hear those same words spoken to you a few days later. You know what the Holy Spirit is saying is especially for you!
After having the opportunity to see the replica of Noah’s Ark in Kentucky, I went back to listen to the story of Noah and the ark again. As I was meditating on Noah’s responsibility, I began to wonder what would have happened if Noah had not fulfilled his calling. I heard the Holy Spirit whisper in my soul that your gift and calling is tied to someone else’s blessing. If you do not complete your calling, you can cause others to miss their blessing.
The guest speaker’s message was entitled “The Call” and the scripture reading was from Exodus 3. He spoke to how Moses’ calling was not just for him but for all those people God wanted to save through him. This just registered so deep in my soul - how many of us are sitting on the gifts God has given us? When we do this, we are hindering someone else from being saved. Could it be that the answer to homelessness in this world is tied to someone’s calling? My God! Family, we have got to move. We can’t sit and wait for someone else to answer the call.
Fear will not be an acceptable excuse to God for us not fulfilling the assignment He has called us to complete. The other thing our guest speaker shared that lingered in my spirit was that if Satan could have killed you he would have already done it!!!! That means we have nothing to fear!
Father,
Your word is so powerful. Thank you that each and every one of us has purpose and a calling that you want us to complete. We ask for forgiveness for not moving and we pray that your fire will rest upon our soul so deeply that we are completely uncomfortable until we move! In Jesus name, amen!
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 Draws
Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. John 1:19, NIV
The scripture above refers to John the Baptist. He was out preaching the word of God in the wilderness of Judea (Matthew 3). The Pharisees and Sadducees had sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. I find this scripture to be so powerful because it gives us such insight on how we must be in everything that we do.
John the Baptist was in the wilderness preaching the message of Jesus Christ. Scripture says that everyone came to John in the wilderness. He did not go to them. He did not go and announce to the Pharisees and Sadducees that he was preaching about Jesus. He did not send people to go to the synagogue to tell the leaders to invite him to speak . As a matter of fact, when he saw the leaders coming he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matthew 3:7). He insulted them.
John reminds us that we never have to do as the world does to draw those to hear the message God has put in our heart. It does not matter what assignment God has given us, He will make the way for us to be successful. John was so prepared and spoke God’s message so powerfully that they thought he was the prophet Elijah. Some even thought he was the Christ! John did not heal anyone. John did not do any miracles. All he did was speak the word of God and people came to the wilderness to hear and be baptized.
When God gives us an assignment, such as working in our career field, we do not have to bang down doors to get noticed for promotion. We do not have to sacrifice our character to be put in a position of authority. We just have to prepare ourselves for the assignment and God will open the door. He will send people looking for you! When I first started writing these devotionals I would ask my husband to look them over for me before I sent them out. After several years of writing God sent me an editor. A beautiful spirit filled young lady who knew I was writing came up to me one day and said, “If you would like, I can edit your devotionals for you.” I was like what??? She offered to edit them free of charge!!! Look at God! Although that season has passed God continues to provide what I need so that the messages can be edited, posted and schedule for you to receive them.
He wants us to know that when He gives us an assignment, He provides the provisions. We just have to be prepared for the door when it opens.
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 recently 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
Harvest the Land
There are times when I am praying to God and He starts talking to me, but I'm not sure if I should get up, write, or sit still. During one of these moments, I felt an urgency to move to the computer. I began reading 1 Corinthians 11:23-26: For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for[f] you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
As I sat and read this scripture I became overwhelmed with grief for those who do not know Jesus Christ. My heart ached because there are so many people living in such horrible conditions. They have no idea that Jesus died to give them eternal life and a better life while living here on this earth. It is imperative that every time we get the opportunity to speak to someone, we let them know that Jesus is Lord!
God wants our conversations to be about Him and what He has done for all of us. We can spend so much time having these conversations with others yet we do not give them any insight about Christ. I pray that as God presses upon our hearts to share His word, we will move in boldness to minister to everyone we come in contact with. Time is winding up and our neighbors, roommates, grocery store clerks, coffee shop workers, bank tellers, estheticians, co-workers, etc. can all die without receiving our Savior because we held back on sharing His word!
It can sometimes be hard to remember that we are here on assignment! This human experience can really deceive us at times and cause us to miss our opportunity to share His word. We have to remember that we are spirits placed in a body sent by God to do His work on this earth. Everyday someone is dying. We cannot be afraid to tell others about our Savior. We must let our light shine whenever the Holy Spirit prompts us to do so! Wherever we are right now there is land waiting for us to harvest!
Father,
Thank you for the amazing gift of Jesus’ blood that gives us eternal life. Thank you for using others to draw us to You. Father, show us how to minister in whatever way you have designed for us to draw others to You! My God how we love you and praise You. In Jesus name, amen!
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 recently 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
Darkness
Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the Light which is Life John 8:12 AMPC.
Do you know if you are in darkness? Can you see in the dark? When I worked for the Department of Justice many years ago, I got the opportunity to go into what was called a “dark room.” The private investigator gave me special goggles that would allow me to see in the dark. While listening to my Bible app read the book of Acts I came across the 23rd chapter where Paul was defending himself to the Sanhedrin, which consisted of Sadducees and Pharisees. As he was sharing with them about Jesus, they became angry and wanted to kill him. They were so focused on defending what they believed to be the light that they did not realize they were in darkness. They thought they were in the light.
My friend and I were having a conservation about her trip to South Africa. While in South Africa they got the opportunity to go on a Safari. She said that while they were out on the Safari they spent the night and all around them was pitch black. All of a sudden, she and her husband noticed that there were these big bright beautiful lights. At first, she did not recognize them but instantly realized they were stars. She said they appeared so close that she felt like she could touch them.
As we continued our discussion about the stars we reflected on how much light is in the city. There is so much artificial light in the city that we can hardly see the darkness. It is the same way with many Christians; we attend church every Sunday, sing in the choir, serve at the greeting table and follow all the laws and rules of the Word, but are we living in darkness? The activities in the church are good but they can become artificial lights that make us believe we are saved. Scripture says, The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it (John 1:5).
The way to avoid being deceived by artificial light is to have a relationship with Christ and not with the activities. Although Christ called us to be his disciples, his first command was to Love the Lord our God with all our heart with all our soul and with all of our mind (Matthew 22:37). And The second command Love our neighbor as yourselves (Matthew 22:39). The key to recognizing darkness is to apply these scriptures. If we make love our focus we will never miss the light or walk in darkness!
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 recently 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
Patience is Key
Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Romans 12:2, CSB
I was just brushing my teeth getting ready for bed when the Holy Spirit reminded me of an incident that happened while we were on a month-long trip to Italy, our first time together traveling out of the country.
We flew from San Francisco to Rome. We had a driver pick us up at the airport in Rome to take us to Santorini which was a three hour drive. When we got off the plane at the airport in Rome we waited for our luggage for about 45 minutes only to learn that our luggage did not make it. We then had to wait in a line and report to the airport as well as the airline that we did not receive our luggage, which was another hour-long wait.
When we finally got to our location in Santorini, we decided to complete the other paperwork to let our airline know we did not receive our luggage. We were told we needed to report to the airline within three days of the date we lost our luggage. The only problem was the lady who helped us at the airport did not give us a parcel number for us to report to the airline. We tried several times with no success to get through to the airport. We decided to wait until the next morning and give them a try again.
With a bit of frustration building, we called the airport the following morning but we still could not get through. We prayed and asked God for guidance on how to move. In our anxiousness my husband decided that we needed to buy a new phone from Italy with a local service in hopes of getting through to the airport. We found a place to purchase a phone with the local phone service. We paid an extremely large amount of money for this phone and service only to find out that when we called the airport number it still did not work!
Feeling defeated, we decided to just go and have lunch. While sitting outside at the restaurant I decided to try calling all the numbers the airport had given us one more time with my phone. To our surprise the call went through and we were able to speak to someone. They were able to give us all the information we needed so we could report the lost luggage to the airline.
God taught us that patience is key. In our haste, fear and frustration we allowed our emotions to get the best of us and we spent a large amount of money that was not necessary. God showed me that if we do not have peace in our heart when we move, we are moving without Him. He is always working things out for us and we just have to be patient and wait on Him. I will admit that in the midst of a storm it can be hard to not react to our emotions. But God has shown me over and over again that when we move outside of Him we will be disappointed with our outcome. Patience is the key!
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 recently 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
Obedience Moves You
If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; Isaiah 1:19, ESV
Obedience moves you to all the desires of your heart. God said that as long as you are obedient to Him you shall have all the desires of your heart. He showed me how obedience brings us joy, peace and happiness. Think about it: when we are disobedient we feel the tug in our spirit to stop but that flesh will keep moving. Those disobedient actions can lead us into stressful situations and most times, regret
God will not reward our disobedient behavior because we will continue in that way which is not in agreement with His instructions. When our children are disobedient to our instructions we do not give them blessings but discipline for their negative behavior. We want to correct the behavior and when our children are back in alignment they receive our blessings. The absolutely amazing part is that the blessings for them are always there waiting on them to be obedient.
It is the same with God! When we get in alignment all that we have prayed for is just waiting for us. Our blessings are never lost or taken away; we hold them up by not being obedient. God tells us to do the simple things and we say okay but forget to do it, then we wonder why our God has not answered our prayer or why the manifestation has not come. The problem is not God, but us not doing as we were told. Scripture says, …”We must obey God rather than men.” Listen to this promise, but if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. Exodus 23:22, ESV
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 recently 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
Joy
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13, ESV
My husband, our daughter and I went on a hike through Point Reyes. We had a great time just sharing with one another and spending time together! At times during the hike we would all be together. Other times we’d be separated, depending on what each of us wanted to do. On a portion of the hike I caught our daughter walking by herself and she reminded me of when she was a little girl.
I noticed that she had this unusual happiness and a kind of a skip in her step. I wondered what was going on in her head. When she and I were together I told her that she seemed to be really happy and I asked her what she was thinking about. She said that she was singing this song called Blessings on Blessings that had just popped up in her music feed a few days ago. She then began to sing the words to me. The words to the song were so encouraging that I started to write them down on my phone. She said, “Mom, don’t do that. I will send the song to you as soon as we get to an area with internet service.”
I got the opportunity to listen to the song and I totally understood why she was so full of joy! Every time I listen to the song, joy comes into my spirit! God’s Word is so true! Words are so powerful! The name of the song is Blessings on Blessings by Anthony Brown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwNzTSLE-4Q
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 recently 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
REAL (the song)
I wrote in a previous devotional about this song REAL by Anthony Brown & group therAPy. I have listed below the lyrics to the song. I truly hope that it will minister to you like it did for me! You may have to listen to the song a couple of times to understand what they are saying, but the words are so powerful! https://youtu.be/eBexSmg2xFU
I only got time for the real this year I only got time for the real this year I only got time for the real this year And it don't get no realer than you I only got time for the real this year I only got time for the real this year I only got time for the real this year And it don't get no realer than you
Who was right there every time that you call (My God is) Who was right there to pick u up when you fall (My God is) Who was right there to meet every one of your needs (My God is) Who makes way after way never forsakes you and never leaves (My God Is)
I don't care what the worlds saying I've seen the works of his hand He's come through time and time again And you can't make me doubt him (I don't care what the worlds saying) (I've seen the works of his hand) (He's come through time and time again (And you can't make me doubt him)
I only got time for the real this year I only got time for the real this year I only got time for the real this year And it don't get no realer than you I only got time for the real this year
I only got time for the real this year I only got time for the real this year And it don't get no realer than you
Who was right there every time that you call (My God is) Who was right there to pick u up when you fall (My God is) Who was right there to meet every one of your needs (My God is)
Who makes way after way never forsakes you and never leaves
I don't care what the worlds saying I've seen the works of his hand He's come through time and time again And you can't make me doubt him (I don't care what the worlds saying)
(I've seen the works of his hand) (He's come through time and time again) (And you can't make me doubt him)
The love he gives me is real The joy he gives me is real The peace he gives me is real
Yeah he's so real to me The healing he gives is real The feeling he gives is real He is always there when I need him He's so real to me
That is why I love him so That is why I love him so He's so real to me That is why I love him so
That is why I love him so He's so real to me
The love he gives me is real The joy he gives me is real The peace he gives me is real
Yeah he's so real to me The feeling he gives is real The healing he gives is real
He is always there when I need him He's so real to me
That is why I love him so That is why I love him so He's so real to me That is why I love him so That is why I love him so He's so real to me
I only got time for the real this year I only got time for the real this year I only got time for the real this year And it don't get no realer than you I only got time for the real this year I only got time for the real this year I only got time for the real this year And it don't get no realer than 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 recently 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
Glory
I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other…Isaiah 42:8, ESV
Glory, glory, glory! Yes! That is what rang out in my soul as I sat with my Father. He told me to close my eyes and imagine God. He said, “Just sit quietly with your eyes closed and see me.” As I saw Him in my thoughts, He began to open up my mind to really, truly see Him. All I could say was, “Glory, glory, glory!” My soul was overwhelmed with all the wonders of God! He said to me, “Imagine if that was all there was. Everywhere you look in your imagination, just see Me!”
As I started to see His presence in my mind, He said, “This is how it is to be. It has always been Me. There was nothing before Me and there is nothing after Me; It has always been just Me. I created you and everything in your world. Just like picking up a pencil and drawing a picture. That picture is drawn exactly as you see. In order to truly understand that picture, the one looking would have to talk to the artist.”
He then said, “It always surprises Me that when my people ask Me for help, they are always so surprised when I answer their prayer! I hear them say, “Look at God! He did it!” He said “That is because people don’t sit with Me long enough to know my character. If they spent more time with Me they would never worry about a thing. Tell them to spend more time with Me. Just like a parent does not like to see their children worry and be upset, I don’t like it either. I have handled their problems and provided for their every need. I want them to be at peace and enjoy all that I have ordained for them!”
God told me, “The life I give has great blessings, challenges, excitement, fellowship and is full of love from Me. Invite them to join Me. I really want them to experience all that I have for them. I am everywhere. Tell them they can see the effects of Me by just looking around them. Every single thing in the earth came out of me. I am God and I provide goodness, growth and challenges so that we can get to know each other before your season on this earth is up!”
Family, friends, and loved ones….if you have not yet had the opportunity to know God, He is waiting at the altar of your heart for you to invite Him in. Just ask Him and I can guarantee you that He will come in!
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 recently published book Life’s Journey is now available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VYJKJ9K/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_6Z95ANB487AMDF3VTDP9
I Just Want to be With You
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7, ESV
I asked the Holy Spirit what I was supposed to share with you today and He said, “The song I gave you.” I woke up this morning with this verse to a song in my spirit. I’m not sure I know any other part of the song, but these words kept humming in my heart: “Bread of heaven fill this place. I just want to be with you, I just want to be with you.” It felt as if my spirit was singing to God out of my subconscious mind. I just want to be with you, God. I felt like He was sending me a message through this song. He was saying to me, “Jacqueline, I just want to be with you, say these words.” The song stayed with me all day!
The Word says that God gives us the desires of our heart. I believe in my flesh I’m not capable of wanting to be with God. “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day” John 6:44, KJV. The desire to be with Him comes from Him into my spirit. When I speak those words, they manifest, and I can feel a complete oneness with Him.
It is truly a blessing to know that our spirit hears God. I love that God can drop songs in our spirit that come from a place of complete peace. Listen carefully to when God speaks to you. He is so serene that you may not even recognize that it is Him. I literally heard myself humming this song out of nowhere. When I heard myself humming it, I was overwhelmed by God’s graciousness. My husband heard me humming the verse as I got dressed and asked, “Are you singing that song?” He went on to say the words. I just nodded yes. I knew then that God had manifested the word in both of us!
Bread of Heaven fill this place; we just want to be with you; we just want to be with 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 recently 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
Charging
Seek and you shall find…Matthew 7:7
When my husband and I were in Greece, we brought adapters to make sure we had what we needed to charge our phones and all the other gadgets we had. We started in Athens and all of our chargers worked and we had the right adapters. When we got to Santorini, we found that only one of our adapters was working because they only had one specific size in our hotel. This meant that my husband and I were constantly sharing this one adapter.
One morning while I was sitting with God, I was giving thanks and praise to Him when the scripture that says “…seek me you shall find me” landed in my spirit. I thought about the ways and opportunities we have to seek Him. Prayer, worship, reading the word and sitting with Him is what came to my mind. At that moment I was just sitting with Him. I said, “God, sometimes I am not sure about this sitting thing because it can feel like I am not receiving”. He reminded me of my phone and how often we were both trying to get our phones charged.
He said, “All the phone does is sit on the charger. The phone just sits, and because it is connected to the source it gets charged and is ready for the next time it is needed. How about you? How often do you charge? How long do you sit to be charged? Can you sit with Me, which is your source, as long as your phone sits on its source?” I thought about how long I let my phone sit on the charge. Sometimes it is all night because it can be completely dead. Other times it would be for 30 minutes to an hour depending on how much additional power it needed.
I get up every morning to sit with God but sometimes that morning time is just not enough. I know when I am not completely charged. I know when my heart is still yearning for God. God drops that yearning in us because He has more to say to us and He needs us to stay and listen. I am learning not to leave His presence until I am fully charged. The Holy Spirit said to me “Try to sit quietly with me every time you charge your phone”.
Every time we sit with God we are seeking Him. We will find Him. We will be charged up and ready for whatever is to come. It does not take a long time to hear from God but what I have noticed over the years is that God stretches us. Each time you are with Him, He puts the desire in you to want more of Him because He wants to give you more. So your time will be extended. You will not get from Him…the intimacy you are looking for if you do not take the time to sit with 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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My recently published book Life’s Journey is now available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VYJKJ9K/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_6Z95ANB487AMDF3VTDP9
Giving Thanks in the Midst of Darkness
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
I Thessalonians 5:18 ESV
One of the reasons why I have a Mac computer is because I love the AppleCare support that they offer. I contacted them because of some problems I was having with my computer. The individual that worked with me was very kind and supportive. However, later that evening, the issue that I thought we had fixed caused me even greater problems than before!
My emotions were all over the place because I had so much work to do. I knew the issue truly had nothing to do with my computer and more to do with God testing me. At that moment, I came across a devotional titled “Casting or Keeping.” I knew that I was supposed to cast that care on to God, however, I felt my emotions all tied up in the thing. I said to God, “I know you are testing me and have given me all these emotions to feel. So how do I cast this thing on you while my emotions are running wild?” Immediately I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Give thanks!” So I said the prayer below. Afterwards, I shut down my computer with my heart trusting and knowing that God was refining me.
Even in our most difficult times, we have to trust that God is in the midst of things. He is always working it out for our good.
Father, I thank you that in the middle of my emotional rampage you are here with me. I thank you that you know exactly why I am in this space. I thank you for what you are doing in me and for the changes that are taking place. I surrender my will to your will and I give you glory and praise. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Spiritual Hunger
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Matthew 5:6 ESV
I got ready to take a run one morning but the whole time I was getting dressed I could feel something in my spirit. I had this feeling of desperation, like I needed to get in the word. Now I had been up between 2am and 5am to spend time with God. At about 5:30 I started to fall asleep so I went back to bed and got up around 7:30am to run. I wanted to run earlier because I knew the weather was going to be warm that day. I tried to ignore the feeling that was in me, but it would not let go of my spirit. I went into my office to pray and seek God’s face about what I was feeling. I could not shake it. It was so heavy on me that I knew I could not go running until this feeling was dealt with.
While in my room praying and reading, my husband came in and asked me why I was sitting in the room alone. He thought I was going running and wondered why I did not come to say I was headed out. As I began to explain to him why I was sitting, praying and meditating, the Holy spirit spoke out of my mouth that I was spiritually hungry. He said that just like when we wake up in the morning and we are hungry for breakfast, my spirit was hungry for its spiritual breakfast.
When the words “spiritual hunger” came out of my mouth I thought, “Wow, that is exactly what I am feeling.” So I told God I would sit there until I am spiritually stuffed. I did not want to leave until I made sure that I received all that He wanted to give me. My mind raced back again to the breakfast table and God showed me that I never leave the breakfast table half full. I may leave food on the table but I am always completely full. He showed me that every time I fill up my spirit with spiritual food I will always leave food on the table because my spirit just can’t take it all in at one time.
God is always speaking to us. Many times we are so focused on what we want to do that we miss hearing the gentle signs that the Holy Spirit places in our soul. God sent us the Holy Spirit to give us direction. The more we respond to the small voice of God the more we will hear Him speak on the matters that we so desperately want answers to. If we don’t listen and adhere to the small voice of God we will never hear the answers to our questions we have because we have not trained our ear to hear when He speaks. God speaks to our spiritual ear. Our physical ear is for this world but He has given us a spiritual ear. If we do not train ourselves to hear with it, we may never hear God speaking.
The answer to our miraculous healing may be to take a ten minute walk everyday. But because we have not trained our spiritual ear to hear God, our physical body tells us we don’t have time to take a walk. We listen to that voice when in fact, we could be missing the answer to the miraculous miracle that we prayed for. When God taps your spirit, sit quietly and listen. Do not rush God. Wait because He is speaking to your soul and your spirit needs to be fed. Amen.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Spiritual Blessing Chosen
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Ephesians 1:3 ESV
Our church is going through a series called “Reclaiming Our Identity”. The scripture above is a part of the foundation of study. I love that it said we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places through Christ. This means that those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior receive all the blessings that God gave to Jesus.
It just so happens that during this season of study, God had called me from all of my activities to sit here and focus on this word. So, I guess my task is to write as I go through this study. As soon as I read the verse above the first thing I wanted to do was to understand my spiritual blessing. I immediately began to look up spiritual blessings through the internet and read further in the scripture to get clarity and understanding. Ephesians 1:4 starts to give us clarity on the first blessing: Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world…Being chosen by God before the world was ever created is a spiritual blessing. We could not get this blessing physically. God chose us in the beginning. I looked up the word “chosen” to make sure I understood it.
Chosen: one who is the object of choice or of divine favor: an elect person selected from a number; picked out; taken in preference; elected; predestinated; designated to office. 2. Select; distinguished by preference; eminent.
When I think of the definition of this word my heart rejoices and becomes so grateful. This tells us how special we are to God. He could have created anyone and made them look any kind of way. But He chose each one of us on purpose, designed us just the way we are, and we are perfect to Him. There could be no one else to take our place. Out of all the miraculous things God has done, He deliberately made you and I, choosing us to be here and serve as part of His team. We were chosen before the foundation of the world with all of our mistakes and idiosyncrasies. We are the number one perfect pick for God!
You may not feel like you were chosen or have what it takes to be on God’s team but those feelings do not matter to God. He sees what we cannot see about ourselves. He knows that we are the most excellent, most desirable and effective team member for His purpose. We must rest in Him and trust the creator, that we have been chosen by Him and are perfect for the assignment He has for 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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The Steadfast Love of the Lord
Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds. The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. Psalm 33, ESV
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Inner Peace
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 ESV
I saw the words Inner Peace on a sweater at my yoga studio and instantly I was drawn to it. Inner peace is what all of us strive to have in the midst of whatever is going on in our lives. The dictionary says peace means freedom from disturbance; tranquility; freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions.
In John 16 Jesus was telling the disciples what was to come before he left the earth. He wanted them to beware so they would be equipped and not be surprised when certain things happened. He shared with them that in the world they would have tribulation (great suffering, trouble, worry, anxiety, burden, and sorrow), but he told them that they could have peace in Him. Jesus was saying you have the option to have inner peace.
I knew I was drawn to the shirt because it reminded me that my inner peace only comes form God who lives on the inside of me. I can have inner peace at anytime because God is always with me. The problem is I don’t always check-in and use the source that is within me. Our God is not the author of confusion, or any kind of crazy thoughts that run through our minds. As we slow down in our moment, second, minute, hour, or day we can hear the inner peace of God speaking to us and directing our paths.
Scripture says, “God keeps us in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him” (Isaiah 26:3, ESV) and confirms that the Lord of peace himself will give us peace at all times in every way (2 Thessalonians 3:16, ESV). As we acknowledge God, check-in with Him on our every thoughts, stay on the righteous path than there will be complete peace. When we find ourselves having anxiety, worry, fear, stress, we need to check our thinking because those emotions are radar alerts to let us know that we are not in alignment with God. Therefore we have no inner peace!
None of the following emotions sit with God:
Anxiety: Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7, ESV
Worry: Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life,… Matthew 6:25 CSB
Fear: Fear not, for I am with you. Isaiah 41:10 ESV
Stress: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30 ESV
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 recently 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
Good News
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself am serving the law of God, but with my flesh, the law of sin. Romans 7:24-25, CSB
Our church has been in a series of study on reclaiming our real identification. One of the passages our pastor spoke from in this study was Romans 7:24-25. For years I had struggled with this verse trying to get a clear understanding of how to walk out this battle of the flesh. It became clear to me in the verse above.
We are spirit and we live in a fleshly body. Once we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal savior immediately a battle for our mind takes place and that will never stop. See, before we accepted Jesus Christ we lived out of our natural normal nature; which is sin. That is what Paul is speaking about in the verse above. In the previous verses he speaks of his struggles between his spirit and his flesh.
Think about starting a new exercise program. In our spirt we lay out our plan and have everything ready to go. But on the day of implementing our plan, or a few times after we are working in the new program, our flesh says, “I do not want to do this anymore.” At that moment we enter a battle with our spirit and our flesh. This is similar to the struggle we sometimes have following Christ.
But the good news is that we have Jesus Christ who is our Deliver. He gives us the power to overcome. This does not mean that we will not have the battle of the mind; we will daily. But because we understand why there is the fight and who we have on our side it gives us strength to overcome! We also understand that when negative thoughts come into our consciousness it is Satan.
We can now use the words of Paul with power when evil approaches our consciousness. We can say, “That is from the sinful nature of the flesh, and I am NOT serving you!” And walk in the freedom of the law of God!
Father, thank you that you know this sin nature is real, normal, and common and that it is a daily battle for us. We praise you that you have given us victory over our sin nature and we do not have to move in guilt and commendation, but in freedom in 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 recently 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
Here’s My Heart
I wanted to spend some time with God in worship. I grabbed my laptop and pulled up YouTube to look for some worship music.To my surprise one of my favorite songs came up and I played it. As that song was ending I asked the Holy Spirit to move in the midst of the playlist so that after this song was finished more uplifting music would play.
I love how God answers so immediately. I had never heard the song that came up in the play list but it just ministered to my soul! The words are perfect for quiet prayer time. I wanted to share it with you. I have also added the lyrics and url so that you can listen to the song as well. The name of the song is Here’s My Heart by Casting Crowns.
Lyrics
Here's my heart Lord, Here's my heart Lord, Here's my heart Lord, Speak what is true
Here's my heart Lord, Here's my heart Lord, Here's my heart Lord,Speak what is true
I am found, I am Yours I am loved, I'm made pure I have life, I can breathe I am healed, I am free
Here's my heart Lord, Here's my heart Lord, Here's my heart Lord, Speak what is true
I am found, I am Yours I am loved, I'm made pure I have life, I can breathe I am healed, I am free You are strong, You are sure You are life, You endure You are good, always true You are life breaking through Here's my heart Lord,
Here's my heart Lord, Here's my heart Lord, Speak what is true Here's my life Lord,
Here's my life Lord, Here's my life Lord, Speak what is true Speak what is true
You are more than enough You are here, You are love You are hope, You are grace
You're all I have, You're everything
Here's my heart Lord, Here's my heart Lord, Here's my heart Lord, Speak what is true
Here's my life Lord, Here's my life Lord, Here's my life Lord, Speak what is true Speak what is true Here's my heart Lord, Here's my heart Lord, Here's my heart Lord, Speak what is true
Speak what is true
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 recently 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
Great Grace
I was sitting in my office listening to Acts 4 and reading along with the scripture. When I heard the reader say, “And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.” I stopped the reading and just meditated on the term “great grace.” I thought, God, what is great grace?
I had an understanding of grace defined as God’s unmerited favor, giving us what we have not earned or deserved. I wanted to understand it better so I started researching grace. The more I researched, the more I began to understand. I found an article that said, “Grace is love that seeks you out when you have nothing to give in return. Grace is love coming at you that has nothing to do with you. Grace is being loved when you are unlovable.”
I love this quote that also I found: “Grace is most needed and best understood in the midst of sin, suffering, and brokenness.” We come to God with nothing in our hands to offer but our brokenness and sin and he gladly takes it and gives to us new life as His child.” (whatsinthebible.com) Right after I finished reading this, my girlfriend sent me a text with the scripture: Leviticus 1:2-5 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.’ If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord. He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. Then he shall kill the bull before the Lord, and Aaron's sons the priests shall bring the blood and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.” Jesus is our perfect sacrifice and it is by His great grace that we are accepted and receive eternal life.
As I reflected on great grace, the Holy Spirit showed me that grace comes with a price. Jesus paid the ultimate price for us to receive grace. I was reminded of an incident that happened to me in the grocery store. I was waiting at the deli counter to pick up a couple of items. Two ladies were ahead of me and I was standing in the middle of both of them waiting to be served. They were both being served. When the clerk finished serving his customer, he saw me standing there waiting and he walked right past me and went to the lady on the other side of me and asked if she was being helped. I stood there in shock that he would do that. The lady of course said that she was being helped and then he came back to me. My mind was still focused on the fact that he walked right past me; he skipped over me. Never mind that I was the only black person there and all the emotions from what we have seen on television recently came rushing forward to my mind. I gave him my order but all the emotion of what had just happened was wailing up inside of me. I did not react in any way. I just asked God to deal with me. When I received my stuff, I thanked him and walked away. As the Holy Spirit was playing this back in my mind He said I had the opportunity to show great grace because I could have given him $20.00 and thanked him for his service. The Holy Spirit said, “That is what great grace looks like.”
The Holy Spirit showed me that to give great grace in our daily walk does not feel good and it is not deserved. We want all the grace Jesus offers but we have no idea what it feels like to give it. He reminded me that it did not feel good to Jesus to die for us and take all our sin to the cross but that was great grace.
The next time you think of grace and mercy following you don’t forget to reflect on Him who paid the price for us to have that kind of backup!
Father, your word says grace and mercy follows us every day. They have our backs. For some reason we think that everything we do in this life is supposed to feel good and be the best ever for us. But that is simply not true. You called us to be your ambassadors and to do that we must offer grace which will not always feel good. Help us to cling to you as your word says acknowledging you in everything so that we don’t allow our flesh to act up when you are trying to get great grace out of us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCallingtv:
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My recently published book Life’s Journey is now available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VYJKJ9K/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_6Z95ANB487AMDF3VTDP9
His Presence Is Here
Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? Psalm 139:7, ESV
I have always had my schedule set in a way that did not allow time for me to just stroll around and see what surrounds me. I felt like that was a waste of time. I had been taught that you should make the best use of your time, so hanging around doing nothing was a waste of the gift God had given me. I love how God has this gentle way of showing us His plans for our life and usually it does not look like what we had planned.
Across the street from my former job is the State Capitol which has a beautiful park. I had taken many lunch breaks at that park. I loved to sit in the Rose Garden because there were so many different roses. On this particular day I was sitting in the garden when I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Look around you.” So I looked all around and saw the people walking around the park. Others were sitting having lunch with friends and some were taking a tour of the park. I heard Him say, Look!” again. This time I looked at the trees and the birds in the sky and I admired God’s beauty. I heard Him say, “You don’t see it yet, keep looking.” A little frustrated I said, “Where am I supposed to look?” Then out of nowhere my eyes were opened and I saw dragonflies everywhere, ladybugs flying, butterflies and all kinds of insects that I could not even name! The Holy Spirit said, ‘You are missing the beauty of my world. My world is very busy. Look at how they are moving without anyone telling them what to do.” I was mesmerized by all the activity and the beauty of God’s creation! At the time I was not sure why the Holy Spirit was taking such time to show me these things, but I later came to understand that the more I looked at His creation, the more I came to know who He is.
In our life God continues everyday to demonstrate His love and show us who He is. He has given us so much abundance that we don’t even realize it is there for us. If we truly want to know who God is, we have to take time to sit with Him. We must pay attention to His creation and allow Him to reveal Himself to us!
Father,
Thank you that you have made yourself available in ways that we could not even imagine. Thank you that even if were an unbeliever you still speak to us through your creation so that we may come to know you. All praise and glory to you in Jesus name amen!
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 recently 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