Article by: Judy Jacobs
The Lord said, Later, I will give my Spirit to everyone. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions.
29) In those days I will even give my Spirit to my servants, both men and women.
30) I will work wonders in the sky above and on the earth below.
[Joel 2:28 28-30a (CEV)]
Personally to me, these are some of the most exciting words in the Word of God today concerning where we are in end-time prophecy. Why is it so exciting to you, one might ask? Because it is literally talking specifically about me as a woman. Jesus declares before He comes back, He is going to pour His Spirit out to such a degree that it will affect every one of us who are yearning to be used of God, including women. Not only are we going to be used, but also He says that He will work wonders through us. That includes my husband, children, our brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews and me and as many that shall seize the moment.
This is a day when women are being encouraged to live as free moral agents and new millennium women and not be bound by anything. That includes your husband, children, the sacred vows that you said to your husband, and anything else that would prove to be old-fogy in the eyes of the world.
Right in the middle of this kind of renegade spirit, there is a wind that is blowing across this world. We are seeing anointed women of God, who are becoming bold in their faith, and they are stepping up to the excitement of this prophecy and they are pursuing territory they would never have dreamed of pursuing 10 or 15 years ago. What they are discovering is such a release in the Spirit and an anointing that they never knew existed. I would DECLARE to you today, ladies…IT IS OUR TIME!
God has given us purpose and He has given us destiny. Whether you are a mother of three, single adult, single parent or a senior adult, GOD HAS A PLAN AND A PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE and for this day. God has a wonderful and magnificent design for you as a woman in the body of Christ.
A design to fulfill and carry out your created purpose in the earth.
A design to enlarge your distinct uniqueness.
To make you an anointed vessel to the world thus bringing fulfillment to your life and glory to the name of Jesus, the one who called you. Jesus said, Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. [John 15:16]
If there ever was a time to be all that God has intended for us to be, IT IS NOW! It is time for the body of Christ to be serious about holiness and righteous living. It is time for us to be serious about destroying bad habits that affect our relationship with Christ. If there ever was a day when women should say to their husbands, “Honey, let’s have a home that is filled with God and let’s see the salvation of our children. I want to be a submitted wife to you and to the Lord,” THAT TIME IS NOW!
It is time for godly men to say to their wives, “Whatever it takes for me to be the priest and the prophet and the example in this house that’s what I am going to do. I’m going to start loving you as Christ loved the Church. I’m taking off this mask of masculinity. We are equal in God.” MEN OF GOD, THAT TIME IS NOW!
The Bible says, That this same power that raised Jesus from the dead shall also dwell in you. [Romans 8:11] Can you imagine the power that was exerted when God raised Jesus from the dead? It is more than our finite minds can imagine but that is the SAME POWER that God has promised to every believer who will go after Him with all of their heart.
We sometimes assume that God gives that kind of power to pastors, evangelists, people we may see on television, or any other name you might want to add, but I believe as the Bible has said, I will give YOU power… That power is for housewives, school teachers, librarians, mill workers, fast-food workers, you, your children and as many that shall seize it.
I am reminded of an incident that happened to the late Pastor John Osteen who relates a testimony to how he and his family and church had seemingly been under such an attack from the devil. He shares that he was in his office one day praying and seeking the Lord. All of a sudden he begins to have a vision. In this vision the devil shows up right there in his office. He could hardly believe it. But the moment that the devil showed up, Jesus showed up right there in the middle, between him and the devil.
Pastor Osteen relates that in this vision, he gave a sign of relief and says to Jesus, “Oh Jesus, I’m so glad that you are here. You get that devil, Lord, get him!”
But the funny thing in the vision is that Jesus isn’t walking toward the devil, He is walking toward John Osteen. Then he says to the Lord, “No, No, Lord. He’s right there, He’s behind you, get him!”
Jesus pays no attention to John Osteen’s cry of concern, but just keeps walking toward him until finally Jesus steps into John Osteen’s body and says, ‘NOW YOU GET HIM…IN MY NAME!’
WE have that power, that power is IN you and it is FOR you. This is our time to have ALL the things that God said that we could have in Jesus’ name. Everything that God has spoken over you, your children, your marriage and your ministry shall and will come to pass.
The devil is a liar and he is a defeated foe in our lives. Solomon wrote, To everything there is a time and a season. That time and season is NOW for you to seize and to take your position and authority in Christ. There is a new confidence and a new boldness that is going to HIT you. When you begin to remember…..
…..WHO YOU ARE
…..WHO CALLED YOU
…..WHO SENT YOU
…..WHO ANOINTED YOU
…..WHO APPOINTED YOU
Then everything will change. It is time! Prophecy must come to pass. He promised that He would pour His spirit out upon our sons and daughters and that is what He is doing.
I’m telling you, men…move over…the women are coming! Why? Is it because we want to hold it over your heads or be in some kind of position over men or some other far-fetched idea? NO! I say that on the authority of God’s Word, IT IS OUR TIME! We are coming forth because prophecy MUST COME TO PASS! I believe God is raising up believers whether they are male or female, black or white, educated or illiterate. If God can just find ANYBODY that just says, “Here am I, Lord, send me.” He is searching for vessels that are pure, holy, swept clean and ready for the master’s use. IT IS TIME, IT IS NOW!
When Paul wrote to the Christians at Philippi he told them that his goal was, To take hold of the purpose for which God had apprehended him. [Philippians 3:12] That word apprehend means, “to take hold of.” If you commit a crime, a policeman will arrest or apprehend you. THIS IS OUR TIME to take hold of the purpose that God brought us here for in the first place. It was not to necessarily be a mommy or a secretary to climb the corporate ladder. Our purpose in the earth is to destroy the works of the devil. God brought you into the kingdom, into the world, into your city, your neighborhood, into your particular family, INTO THIS TIME ZONE, FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS!
Again the wise King Solomon wrote, To everything there is a season, and a TIME to every purpose under the heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) I would say to you today, my friend, that TIMING IS EVERYTHING!
I remember reading of a lady who had been sick with a disease for 12 long years. The Bible says that she had gone through a great deal at the hands of many doctors, spending all her money in the process and she had derived no benefit from any of them, but on the contrary, she was getting worse. One day she heard that Jesus of Nazareth was going to be passing by. The Bible said that she began to talk to herself saying, If I can just touch the hem of His garment, I shall be whole. I can imagine hearing her saying that to herself, over and over again, reiterating that in her mind as her point of reference. Walking down that dusty road to the place where Jesus was going to be passing by, hear her talking to herself… “If I can just touch Him, If I can just touch Him.” Now here is my point. She could have said, “No I’m not going to go over there today, there will be too many people, I’ll never get to Him.” Or she could have thought, “If I do go over there, someone may recognize me for who I am, and will report me to the high priest and besides that I don’t want to offend anyone with this odor.” (Come on lets be real!) But instead I believe she said to herself, “This is my one and only chance. If I am ever going to be healed of this disease it will have to be now. I can’t wait for another time, He may not pass this way again, and I have got to seize the moment.”
Now, let’s be honest, have you ever been to one of those one-day-only sales at some mall, when merchandise is going to be on sale dirt-cheap. Have you noticed how people grapple for some thing or other that was scarce and they really wanted it? It is embarrassing to watch, to say the least. With that idea in mind, I would not have wanted to be in the path of this woman that day. I believe before she left her habitation that day, she could already by faith, see herself restored and healed. She was determined that she was going to get what she was going after; her healing. No doubt she had heard about all the miracles that Jesus had performed on people just like her and she wasn’t about to miss him.
You can just about imagine when she saw the crowd that maybe she felt some kind of despair, but it didn’t stop her. She didn’t get close to Jesus by tiptoeing or by politely saying. “Excuse me, excuse me, I need to get through,” because there would have been other people there who wanted to be near the Master also. I’m sure there were times when she had to crawl, push, or shove; hey listen, if it had been me, I might have even bitten a few people. In other words, when people are desperate, they will do desperate things. I believe she was desperate and I believe she showed desperate actions. The Bible said that finally she touched the hem of his garment. I love the way that Mark described it so vividly, he said, IMMEDIATELY her flow was dried up and SUDDENLY she felt she was healed of her disturbing disease. IT WAS HER TIME! TIMING IS EVERYTHING! [Mark 5]
Now here it is in a nutshell. You can sit passively by if you want to, but I need to tell you, that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by where you live. Some of you have been waiting for the right time and that’s OK, but sometimes you have to get up and DO SOMETHING. Now is the time to go after God with all of your heart. Don’t wait for somebody to approve you. Don’t listen to people who would tell you, “You’re a woman; you’re Black, Hispanic, Native American (the forgotten people), not educated or any other lie from the pit of Hell.”
It is your time to seize the moment and to go after all the things that God said in His Word that you could possess. The devil would say to you, “NO! God doesn’t have a plan for your life. Look what is going on in your life.” But listen to what God said thousands of years ago to Jeremiah to tell you, For I know the thoughts that I have toward you saith God. Thoughts to give you a future and a hope. You have a future and you have hope in Him. [Jeremiah 29:11]
Don’t wait, seize the moment now. We are not promised tomorrow. Write that letter, take on that youth group, that ladies intercessory prayer group, get involved with a feeding program, lay hands on the sick, teach, and preach. What has He called you to do? Stop making excuses, saying, “I’ll wait until my children are in college, or until my husband feels good about my decision.” Get in that prayer closet and hear the Lord say, “This is the way, walk ye in it.”
Declare this is YOUR TIME, YOUR YEAR, and YOUR MOMENT IN THE TIMETABLE OF HEAVEN.
Will you dare to say as Jesus did, The Lord’s Spirit has come to me, because He has chosen me to tell the good news to the poor. The Lord has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers, and to say, ‘THIS IS THE YEAR THE LORD HAS CHOSEN.’ [Luke 4:18-19 CEV] Come on, get going! IT’S YOUR TIME!
Judy Jacobs is an inspiring and anointed woman of God who through word and song presents the Good News of Jesus Christ. She is known for her dynamic singing and also ministry in the word, demonstrating the joy of true worship and encouraging followers of Christ to worship freely, allowing God to transform their lives.
Judy was involved in many successful music groups, but it was not until 1989 that she began to broaden her territory of ministry when she established His Song Ministries. Since then, she has expanded her ministry by recording music albums and creating preaching sessions on tapes and compact discs.
In addition to all her previous ministry work, Judy has also been involved with many powerful ministries including: T.D. Jakes and The Potters House, Mega Fest, Benny Hinn Crusades, Dominion Camp Meetings with Rod Parsley, Christian Woman’s Conferences, Trinity Broadcasting Network and many others facets of ministry.
Further extending her ministry, in 2002 Judy established the “Press…Push…Pursue” Women’s Conference, and the International Institute of Mentoring designed to train, equip, instruct and impart into women who are called to minister. She has also authored a variety of Christian publications such as Christian magazine articles, devotions and her soon-to-be released book from Charisma House Publishing.
