Crossroads Restoration Ministries

Crossroads Restoration Ministries Crossroads Restoration Ministries is an at-large teaching and equipping ministry serving the Body of

Crossroads Restoration Ministries features the teaching ministry of John Gould, Jr. Recognized as a gifted and anointed teacher, John, a native of Newport News, VA, was saved and filled with the Holy Spirit at an early age. He received a life-changing call to the ministry in 1975, redirecting his life from the pursuit of a career in the business management. He was ordained in 1977 by the First Uni

ted Churches of Jesus Christ in Baltimore, MD. John's early development in ministry included serving on ministry teams in Baltimore, MD and Newport News, VA. In 1984, He, with his family and a small team, founded Rehoboth Fellowship Church in Newport News which he led as pastor until 1994. From 1994 until beginning the development of Crossroads Restoration Ministries in Mechanicsville, VA in 2014, he engaged in limited itinerant ministry in Charlotte, NC, Austin, TX and Marietta, GA. John possesses a deep passion for teaching the Word of God to equip believers to grow in knowledge and spiritual depth as fully committed followers of Jesus Christ and to see the Church live out its calling. He points to three key “words” which have shaped his life and ministry. The first, the call of God was revealed in a glorious encounter around midnight in his hotel room in Raleigh, NC while attending training for a new job. Here he heard the voice of God for the first time, “I have called you, go do my work.” Shortly thereafter, while praying at home, the Lord spoke again, “My people need to be taught.” And, thirdly, while sitting in the back of the church during a Sunday night service, he heard the Lord say, “I’m charging you to build my house.” These encounters have motivated him throughout the years and drive the vision of CRM. John teaches truths and insights gained through intensive study, prayer and deep personal trials. He knows first-hand the brokenness of a wounded spirit and the ensuing battles with anguish, guilt, self-condemnation and shame, but, more importantly, the grace and mercy of God, in whose hand he found restoration. John holds a BS in mathematics from Trinity College, Hartford, CT and an MBA from UVA’s Darden School of Business. In addition to ministry, he has held positions in corporate financial analysis, healthcare administration, teaching at the college level and nonprofit financial management. John is the blessed father of five children and currently resides in Henrico, VA.

05/08/2026

A New Creation In Christ
God’s purpose in this age is to restore to the human family what Adam forfeited through sin. Scripture reveals that Jesus came as “the second Adam” to give birth to a new creation. About this new creation, Paul wrote, “Assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph. 4:21-24) This theme of the transformational nature of the new birth is the core message of the New Covenant and is emphasized by all the apostolic writers. God’s desire is for a new creation. His call to us is to “put off our old self” and to “put on our new self,” to present ourselves to Him as a “living sacrifice,” having our minds renewed through His Word and inward life transformed by His Holy Spirit. Too many preachers and teachers have lost sight of the imperative to charge the people of God to pursue righteousness and holiness and have rather focused on peripheral or less weighty matters.
Crossroads Restoration Ministries/Proclaiming Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God 05/08/2026

03/11/2026

Enduring Hardship As A Good Soldier
Persecution, trouble, suffering, opposition, afflictions and similar life struggles are the normal and inescapable experiences of all sincere followers of Jesus Christ. Let no one deceive you with false expectations founded upon twisting Scripture, claiming some secret to living free of such trials. Paul wrote the church at Thessalonica that his intention in sending Timothy to them was “to strengthen and encourage you for the sake of your faith, so that no one would be shaken by these persecutions. Indeed, you yourselves know that this is what we are destined for.” (1 Thes. 3:3) Take note of this reality, “this is what we are destined for.” Serving God is not for the faint of heart. We live in a world corrupted by sin and evil and dominated by the unseen realm of spiritual darkness. Peter wrote the church, “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking…” (1 Pet. 4:1) Out of human zeal and ignorance, there are those who embrace ideologies contrary to Scripture. However, no one can lay hands on you or pronounce some declaration or decree over you to remove the Satanic opposition that God intends you to discern, stand up against, war against and, thereby, prevail over to His glory. As Paul commanded the church at Ephesus, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power; put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places...” (Eph. 6:10-16)
Crossroads Restoration Ministries/Proclaiming Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God 03/11/2026

03/09/2026

Abuses Of Sowing Seed
Misuse of the Scriptural type of giving as sowing seed is among the most abusive practices within the church to manipulate people into giving. Men and women, some out of ignorance and others who are unscrupulous, have devised all kinds of schemes and scams, frequently tied to the chapter or verse number of some Scripture text, calendar date, or some other contrived number, often giving “prophetic weight” to their appeal, e.g., “God told me there are 100 here who can give $1,000” to manipulate their hearers to “sow a seed.” Saints of God should beware of and not be intimidated by such unbiblical tactics as exhortations to “sow into this anointing,” “sow a seed and speak to your money, money cometh to me,” promises of uncommon favor and multiple streams of income,” “come quickly, run up to the altar to get in on this anointing,” the promise of a “prophetic word” for sowing a seed, and other manipulative schemes to line the preacher’s pockets. Scripture is clear regarding God’s will for us as regards our giving, i.e. that we give willingly and liberally without coercion, that we give to support the work of God, that we give to the poor and that we progressively grow in the grace of giving. Finally, my brothers and sisters, beware of wolves.
Crossroads Restoration Ministries/Proclaiming Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God 03/08/2026

01/03/2026

Prophetic Prognosticators
With the dawn of the new year, a number of “prophets”, some well-known and others not so, are sharing the “word of the Lord” for the new year. A YouTube search will pull up videos like “Urgent Prophetic Word For 2026”; “What God Showed Me For 2026”; “2026 The Year Of…” A sampling of some of the tag lines include, “2026 Will Change Everything”, “The Shift Has Begun”, “This Year Is A Year Of Connections…A New Era”, “The Year Of The Well Diggers”, “A Shaking Is Coming”, “A Year Of Reclaiming, Recompense, and Repayment”, “The Year Will See Acts Of Holy Boldness”, “A Divine Reversal” and “Everything Is Falling Into Place For You In 2026”. Testing these supposed “prophetic words”; first, the practice of “releasing a prophetic word” at the start of each new year has no precedence in Scripture and, secondly, the substance of such messages do not conform to the pattern of Biblical prophecy. Theologically, I am a continuationist, holding that the gifts of the Holy Spirit and Christ’s ascension ministry callings which include the gift of prophecy and the office of prophet continue to be functional in the Church today. However, much of what is put forth as “prophetic words” each new year are no more than “prophetic prognostications” conceived within the “prophets'” own imaginations. As I weigh the words, I hear indefinite and broad generalities, declarations which excite the emotions, vague predictions such as “something is coming”, yes, something is always coming, promises of a “shift” coming, the speaker’s own political views cast in prophetic language to give them weight, and so on. As people of God, it is crucial that we are wise and discerning, especially as we draw closer to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Crossroads Restoration Ministries/Proclaiming Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God 01/02/2026

07/03/2025

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE? (Re-post from 7/3/2022)
Sitting in my garage a few days ago resting after working in my yard, I found myself thinking about my older brother, it being July 1, his birthday. He passed 10 years ago on June 30, the day before his 66th birthday. As I sat cherishing the memories of his life, my thoughts extended to other family members who have passed into eternity, my Mom who died 43 years ago, my Dad 11 years ago and my oldest sister just 6 months ago. Tears welled up but knowing that I was alone I did not restrain them. Then the sobering thought hit me of how tragic it is for the millions who live without hope beyond the grave. I miss my family members but then I know that my Redeemer lives and I know that I shall see Him and I shall see them again! To God be glory! We have this hope as an anchor of our souls! Many live with no conscious thought of God. I recently posted, “There is no greater or more costly deception than the illusion that we can live independently of and without accountability to the God who created us.” My heart cries for the many living in darkness perishing daily who refused the voice of God. They loved darkness rather than light. They sought freedom apart from God only to discover the reality that true freedom is found in Christ alone! Scripture asks, “What is your life…?” Think about it…what is your life? What control do you really have over today or tomorrow? Death is an inescapable reality. You say you do not believe in God or in Jesus Christ. What if you’re wrong? Further, truth does not bend or conform to what you believe. Truth is independent of what you think or believe. It is the prideful, deceived heart that ignores the realities of human frailty, the offer of divine grace and forgiveness and impending divine judgement. Again, Scripture sheds light on the true nature of life, “For what is your life? It is even a v***r that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14) Life is uncertain but it need not be without unfailing hope, for today, tomorrow and beyond. May God give you eyes that see and ears that hear. Amen.
Crossroads Restoration Ministries/Proclaiming Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God 07/03/2025

02/25/2025

Scripture, Divine Encounters and Godly Discernment
I continually come across online videos like those seen on Sid Roth’s It’s Supernatural, Destiny Image, Charisma Media, Elijah Streams and other channels with speakers claiming some divine encounter or heavenly visitation in which they received a “download” of new revelation. It seems that the more bizarre and outlandish the description of their encounter, the more their followers are captivated by their wild stories. Comment after comment express excitement and praise to God. Beloved saints, please know that the great challenge and need facing the church in every generation is not in experiencing downloads of new revelation but in walking faithfully in the message of Scripture as entrusted to the prophets and apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17) We will never exhaust the depths of God’s love or grow beyond our need to walk more fully in it.
Crossroads Restoration Ministries/Proclaiming Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God 02/25/2025

10/15/2024

Exhortation For Today:
"For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with excellence, and excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For anyone who lacks these things is blind, suffering from eye disease, forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you." (2 Pet. 1:5-11)
Crossroads Restoration Ministries/Proclaiming Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God 10/15/2024

10/12/2024

The Preeminence Of Love
The acid test of whether “Christian” is more than a label we wear and is, in reality, a true representation of what we have become through the inward work of God’s grace is that love has displaced self-will as the well spring of our lives. The central theme of all Scripture and the ultimate call of God is to love; to love God and to love others. Somehow, this essential truth is lost in broader society and, in particular, in the current cultural, religious and political climate. And fault can be pinned to folk across the spectrum of professing Christians. Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Jn 13:35) If I am truly a servant/disciple of Jesus Christ, then my life is no longer my own and I am not free to choose whom I love. Rather, I am under a divine mandate to love, whether love is reciprocated or not. Also, Scripture states, “Let love be without hypocrisy (sincere and impartial).” (Rom. 12:9) And, then, the apostle John declared in no uncertain terms, “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 Jn. 4:20) To embrace Jesus Christ is to embrace a radical lifestyle, radical in its rejection of our natural inclinations and the norms of society and culture and instead find through the power of the Holy Spirit an ever-increasing capacity to love others as we are loved by God.
Crossroads Restoration Ministries/Proclaiming Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God 10/12/2024

09/28/2024

Finding Refuge In Christ
We are a messed-up people living in a messed-up world, some living in messed-up situations in their families, finances, work and other areas of life. Evil and violence are rampant. Lawlessness abounds. Hearts are consumed with fear. Many have turned away from God. But we are never without hope and the help that we need to endure and rise up. The song writer got it right, “God is a burden bearer, a heavy load sharer…” David in the Psalms made an appeal to the Lord that we should all hide in our hearts, “Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Ps. 61:1-2) God is faithful. He is our refuge. He is our hiding place from the storms of life. He is a present help in the time of need. His mercy and grace are extended to us if we will but approach His throne and cry out to Him. His grace is sufficient for us, no matter the situation. His mercy covers all of our sins. He will give us grace to endure those things which He in His sovereignty chooses not to change. Beloved, may we say with the writer of Hebrews, “So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?’” (Heb. 13:6)
Crossroads Restoration Ministries/Proclaiming Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God 09/27/2024

09/26/2024

Pitfalls In The Prophetic Movement: Election Prophecies
In the wake of numerous failed prophecies that Donald Trump would be re-elected to a second consecutive term in 2020, Mario Murillo, a well-known evangelist in California, posted a video in 2021 to address these prophecies. In the video, he poses the question, “did the prophets fail by predicting that Donald Trump would serve a second term as president of the United States.” After some comments on the consternation caused within the Body of Christ due to the unfulfilled prophecies and without directly answering his key question, he concludes, “…now what should be possessing the Body of Christ at this moment is not whether or not these prophets are right but whether or not an election has been stolen, whether or not America is now under siege. That should be on the minds of all of us, that should occupy our thinking, that should galvanize our unity, that should energize all our efforts.” It is shocking that a major Christian leader would be more focused on making the unsubstantiated claim of a stolen election, a claim debunked numerous times by multiple courts, the primary issue rather than the reproach brought on the name of Jesus Christ by the numerous “prophets” who claimed falsely to have heard from the Lord. Not to detract in the least from Mario Murillo’s years of effective evangelism, he is sorely misguided on this matter. I listened in disbelief to his thoughts on how the Church should process the numerous failed prophecies and unite around the conspiratorial narrative of a stolen election. Shouldn’t we instead be deeply troubled and grieved over the underlying spiritual roots of the false pronouncements? Shouldn’t we be moved to deep humility, to humble acknowledgement of failing God in bearing false witness, and to seeking God for understanding and guidance? Mario Murillo’s take on the failed prophecies highlights the deception inherent in the American Christian Nationalism movement in which he is deeply involved. As Paul declared, “…But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…” (Phil. 3:20).
Crossroads Restoration Ministries/Proclaiming Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God 09/26/2024

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