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Which Way Do You Go?

Apostle Ric and Prophetess Kathy Steele

GPS

Life is full of hustle and bustle. Every day we commute to our daily obligations whether it is school, work, church, practices, rehearsals, etc., It seems that we are always on our way somewhere. Occasionally we may have to travel somewhere that we are unfamiliar. In today’s modern times, this is not really a big deal.  We just pull out our phones or GPS, type in the address and receive turn by turn directions. Along the way, the voiceover commands will suggest an alternative route to avoid traffic delays or other road occurrences that could slow down our commute.  If we follow the directions given, we will find ourselves at our destination and go on about our business. As Spirit-filled believers in Christ, we have a spiritual GPS living on the inside of us. As Leaders in Training of an Excellent Spirit, we must train ourselves to hear the Spirit of God leading and guiding us so that we can get to our expected end without any delays.

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” – John 16:13 KJV

When we were born again,  when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior and became filled with the Holy Spirit, we received a truly Awesome Gift! It was a Gift that is necessary for navigating through life.

The earlier in life that we learn to listen to Him and the sooner that we learn to continually follow His Voice, the better off we will be. Life is full of many very important decisions as we progress through it; i.e. where to attend college, what car to buy, which employment opportunity to accept or who to marry etc.

All of these decisions can come to us fairly early in life. It is important to be diligent to seek the Lord on His say on all these and every decision. It is great to receive advice and counsel from trustworthy and mature believers, but nothing is better than hearing from the Lord directly. Based on the scripture above we have a right to trust that God to speak to us concerning what we should do in every situation We have a right to believe that we can and will receive the answer from the Holy Spirit in a way that will be easy to understand.

“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 3D5-6 KJV

Another benefit of having the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us is that we have access to Godly wisdom at all times. We all have naturally occurring wisdom to a certain degree, but we can also ask for wisdom concerning situations knowing that God will give it to us (James 1:5).

“If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.”  – Jas 1:5 AMPC

An important disclaimer to this, however, is that we should never simply utilize our natural wisdom without being sensitive to listen to the Voice of God. He will tell us what to do in reroute. When we often travel to a place, it is easy to get comfortable with the route and find ourselves no longer needing the turn by turn directions. It is easy to develop a tendency to turn down the navigation or turn it off completely.  However, sometimes there may be some things we that are unaware of just a few miles down. If you knew early enough, you reroute now so you could avoid the difficulty down the road. We have to be those that always keep our trust in God and allow Him to direct us.

We encourage you always to put what God says First on your list when you are considering what steps to take in life. Learn to hear His Voice clearly.  Seeking wise and Godly counsel is also of tremendous benefit. You must understand that as His child you have access to wisdom both by His Holy Spirit and through His Godly Leaders.   His desire is for you to prosper and avoid danger.  He wants you to safely get to the destination that He has prepared for you

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”  – Jer 29:11 KJV

Allow The Lord to be your life’s GPS.  With Him as your GPS, you will never get lost!

May God Bless You!

Jovan & Sierra Johnson

 

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Don’t Let The Thief In!

Apostle Ric and Prophetess Kathy Steele

burglar- No more

The Bible tells us…

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 KJV

At times, it may seem like we are not living our lives “more abundantly”.  Meaning that there might be areas where we think we should have more, areas where we could have done more, or been better. The enemy wants to make us think those kinds of thoughts.  That is one way the “thief” tries to come in.  He wants to ‘steal’ your joy.  The enemy knows that if he can get you to think that there are things that you could have done better or should have done better is his way of getting us to take fault with God. It is his way of getting us to become offended by God.  If we look at our lives and think “Well how come this didn’t happen….” or “why didnʼt that happen…”, then as a result, we start to look at things beyond our control.  There is no point in crying over spilled milk!  What’s done is done. Let’s move on! When we release things into Godʼs hands, we give Him room to move on our behalf.   When we release our burdens to the Lord, we authorize Him to help us live our lives, “More Abundantly.”

Abundance comes as we learn obedience to the Lord.  And with that obedience, comes submission. Our elders, parents, teachers, leaders, etc. are placed in our lives so that we have guidelines concerning the better way to do things. God has put them in our lives because they have experienced more of life,  God’s Word and His Ways.  As a result, they have a better understanding of what will help us. Consider them as types of guardrails on the highway of life that help keep us on the road.  Without guardrails, we could accidentally drive off the road and crash. We would not get to where we are trying to go. Why hurt ourselves unnecessarily?  When we don’t listen to the Godly influences that God has placed in our lives, it only makes our situations worse. Learning to talk through situations with them allows us to understand things clearly. Further, talking to them gives us the ability to get an understanding.  This is extremely important during the difficult or hard times in our lives.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

Lately, there has been a TV show that highlights a person’s life and their decision not to want to enjoy life anymore.  It emphasizes and romanticizes the total opposite of life.  This show shows many reasons why the main character chose the negative decisions they made.  The show spends entirely too much time emphasizing the negatives things rather than the positive.  The enemy works this way too.   The enemy tries to get us to focus consistently on the negative things in life.  His goal is to overwhelm you into thinking that there is nothing to live for. The thief tries to steal your ability to see all the blessings and miracles that already surround you.   The thief tries to steal your positive outlook on life.

Nothing couldn’t be further from the truth! We receive many miracles daily! It is easy to take these daily miracles for granted.  It is easy to overlook breathing, blinking, walking, talking and simply looking at beautiful things. It is easy to overlook that you are unique! It is easy to overlook that you are fearfully and wonderfully made!

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.“  – Psa 139:14 KJV

It is easy to overlook the fact that you are a miracle of God, just being alive!  Miracles are all around you and happening through you, right now, even as we speak! You just have to open your eyes to see them!

The Bible also tells us,

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”  – Php 4:8 KJV

The danger of this show and others like it is that it targets young people, at a point in their lives when they are the most vulnerable.  It targets them at an age where they typically donʼt want to listen to their parents, teachers, etc. It tries to reach them at a time in life when they may be concerned that if a certain ‘so-and-so’ doesnʼt like them, that it is the end of the world. It tries to influence their desire to belong and subtly plant seeds of destructive thinking into them that if they donʼt make it into the popular group, then they have no value.

God’s plan is that He has made us each to be unique! He never intended for you to be a copy of someone else just to fit in.  God’s plan also, is that we would need each other. We need the flavor of other Godly people adding something to our mix.  You need us, and we need you!  Think of it this way, if something is limited edition, it puts it in higher demand and increases its value.  You are one of a kind and therefore, PRICELESS!!  You are unique and secure in Christ, and that makes you stand out in such a dark world.  Understand that you are in high demand! Satan would love to twist and destroy God’s purpose for your life.

Always remember that you can speak with those Godly elders, parents, teachers, and leaders around you about any low moments that you might be feeling. They were put on this earth to help you. They are here for your good.  Also, memorize this scripture so that you can speak it to yourself when needed:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you [and approved of you as My chosen instrument], And before you were born I consecrated you [to Myself as My own]; …” JEREMIAH 1:5 AMP

In our lowest moments, God is always there for us. If you can’t think of anyone who cares, know that Jesus does!

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” – Deuteronomy 31:6 KJV

Remember, here are four simple words that will change your life!  Say them out loud.  Whisper them if you have to, Jesus will still hear you!   Four simple words…

“Please, help me Jesus!”

Always remember, Due Season loves you and weʼre praying for you!

You are PRICELESS!

 

Ministers Jovan & Sierra Johnson

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“I’m Doing Everything Right, But…”

Apostle Ric and Prophetess Kathy Steele

Be Nice

Do you remember when you had to share a presentation with the class, and the teacher gave you a list of requirements? You had to include almost all of the items on that list in order to receive a high grade, and if you exceeded those items, you’d get extra points. Sounds easy right? Well, it is. The plot twist is that sometimes people tend to carry the same thoughts towards the things of God. We think if we follow the Ten Commandments, if we’re “nice,” if we give our tithes and offerings as much as we can, pray every day, read our Bibles every day, etc., we think God will reward us with the things we want. We can tend to think “if I just pray five more minutes then God will…”, or “if I give five more dollars then God has to…” This is a very dangerous mindset or a set of thoughts to have. Check this out…

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33 KJV

Notice what it doesn’t say. It doesn’t say “Follow these requirements, and I’ll give you what you want.” It doesn’t say “You’ve done all the ‘right’ things, so I’ll reward you.” This scripture says to “Seek the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness.” This means you have complete free will and choice to want God FIRST, and then the blessings that come from walking with Him. Now when I say “walk,” I mean getting to know Him. Usually, when you go on a walk with someone, you’re able to talk to them freely, in a safe space, with little to no distractions because you can see what’s going on around you. Walking with Christ is exactly the same.  Since He lives on the inside of us, we can talk to Him at any point of the day.

“Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:12-13 KJV

Thinking that if you were to do all of the things that would label you as a Christian, doesn’t truly make you a Christian. Being a Christian means “Christ-like.” We’re to be like Christ in the things we say, what we do, how we treat others, etc. But it doesn’t boil down to a list of Do’s and Don’ts. Bring a Christian means that you are one that seeks the Kingdom of God FIRST, and is one who is less concerned with what He has to offer you. Now that doesn’t mean that you don’t want anything, but rather, it means that you’re trusting Him to do what He needs to do, or give you, in your life. This usually equates to a better, higher quality of what we want or think we need in the first place. When you seek God and all of His goodness, the things that you need will be added to you. If you look at the surrounding scriptures, God even tells us how He’ll take care of us…

“For the [pagan] Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; [but do not worry,] for your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6-32-35 AMP

As we continue to mature in the things of God, we need to continue to do a heart check and make sure that we don’t fall into a routine of things. We need to be those who actively seek God’s heart, and walk with Him, before seeking His blessings.

If you ever catch yourself seeking His miracles, or blessings more than God, pray this prayer:

“Lord, please forgive me for putting other things in Your place. Please forgive me for trying to figure things out on my own. Draw me closer to You. Remove any distractions that may be hindering me from hearing or seeing You in my life. I would like to renew my heart with You, and submit my life to You. Lord, I love You, and I trust You. Amen.“

 

May God’s Grace Rain Abundantly In Your Life!

Ministers Jovan & Sierra Johnson

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You Are Not Alone!

Apostle Ric and Prophetess Kathy Steele

Alone

Teamwork. Unity. Togetherness. These are elements that you have likely learned about even in secular settings. These basic elements teach us how to accomplish things or get things done.  We must be careful that as Christians, we don’t forget that these are in reality, Godly principles. Further, we must not abandon these key principles, ever.

“Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” – Matthew 18:19-20 KJV

God created us from the beginning to work together with others. Even from the garden of Eden, we see that God created Adam first. He then said that it was not good for man to be alone and then He created Eve to be his companion and helper. (Genesis 2:18). Later on in the Bible, we learn that being around Godly people of Faith helps strengthen our faith. It is one of the ways that we can immediately access The Blessing that we need.

“A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!  …for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.”  – Psa 133:1,3 KJV

The devil has been very diligent and sneaky about trying to divide people. He works to divide all people.  Just look at the world around us and unfortunately youʼll notice a great many divisions.  The devil has been both deliberate and specific in making these dividing lines or topics seem as big as mountains because he knows that forcing us on to opposites sides will eventually turn simple offenses and arguments into huge disagreements. This divisive concept of turning molehills into mountains can cause the offense to stretch across generations to make unity seem impossible. We have to be diligent as Leaders in Training of an Excellent Spirit to not be blinded or tripped up by these divisions but know that the Love of God is bigger than any difference.

“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” – Matthew 7:6 KJV

Unfortunately, even though we know the Love of God can overcome anything and everything (1 Corinthians 13:4-8), we still have to exercise wisdom. We know that the enemy uses pride, worry, doubt, fear and unbelief among other things to force us into isolation from our spiritual family in Christ. But, it is also important to know that we must be wise about who we connect with because the truth of the matter is not everyone is or is ready to be, on the same team. Sometimes with people, this simple fact though obvious is often overlooked.

“And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;” – 1 Th 5:12 KJV

Developing the patience to learn someone’s character and wisdom to discern their spirit, motives, etc. is key.  The enemy would like nothing more than for you to read this post, get excited and get connected to the wrong people all because you ignored key things resulting in your hurt. All because you didn’t spend the necessary time to qualify their character or their behavior. If allow this to happen to you, it can quickly force you into, or back into, isolation.

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” – Mat 10:16 KJV

Our prayer is that as you walk daily in this life that you understand and believe that you are not alone. First God loves you and will never leave you or neglect you.  Second, know that He sent His Spirit as a Guide and Comforter. It is important that you make a conscious and deliberate effort to grow your sensitivity towards Him. As you do, He can lead and guide you the third thing: the correct spiritual family according to His Divine Will where you can be nurtured, loved and allowed to grow in the things of God.

We know that this world is becoming increasingly dark. With the eyes of social media that are everywhere seeing and exposing us to things and concepts of which we should never have been exposed. And as you become increasingly aware of this, we believe it is important especially in this time to encourage you to cover yourself in prayer every single day and for you also to know that You Are Not Alone!

We, as your Due Season family love you and are here for you. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us using any of the various methods we have like Facebook inbox, the Instagram direct message even the prayer request feature in the Due Season App. We love you, we are praying for you! We want only Godʼs very best for you.

God Bless,

Ministers Jovan & Sierra Johnson

 

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Religionship??

Apostle Ric and Prophetess Kathy Steele

Relionship

Christianity, much like everything in our modern age, appears to have taken on a slightly different form than what it once was.  Seemingly gone are the days of three-piece suits and hymnals. We now seem to have a less traditional view of things.  With all of the changes, can leave you asking the question; “What is being a Christian really all about?”

Although modern times call for less formality, it is important to be mindful not to merge the things that simply appear to be good or ‘churchy’ with having a true relationship with Christ.  To have a true relationship with Christ, it is important to monitor three key things. Simply put, they are  ‘Getting to know the Lord’, ‘Speaking to Him’ and ‘Walking with Him.’

Reflecting on some of the things from childhood often causes a smile to form and the realization that profound life lessons can be taught in the simplest ways. The same holds true for our relationship with Christ. I recall a song taught while singing in the children’s choir that has a part that said “Read your Bible, every day and you grow, grow, grow“. This is how we get to know the Lord initially. We learn things about what He likes and dislikes, what He thinks of us, what He wants for us and much more. We learn His personality by reading His written Word.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” – John 1:1 KJV

In reading God’s Word, it is important to read it as not simply a novel but as instruction that He uses to communicate with the people He loves, including you!  While reading His Word, you will begin to have questions, who better to ask than God, Himself?

God is alive. It is easy to hear and even say this and not truly grasp what that entails entirely. God truly is alive and in being so He hears you AND will speak to you. Prayer, or simply put is a conversation with God.  It is vital to fostering a relationship with Him.  You can’t truly get to know someone unless you have a conversation with them.

“Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.” – Jeremiah 29:12 KJV

This scripture, very simply, is God telling us that He will not only hear us when we pray but that He is also intently listening to what we are talking about. Prayer is our time to go to the Lord and not only speak to Him but listen to what He has to say as well.  Unfortunately, this can be a mental block for many people. It is important to understand that God can speak in many forms. He can speak audibly where you hear His voice externally or internally. He can bring scriptures to your remembrance. (That is another important reason why you should read His Word 😉 ).  He can use other people and speak through them. God can speak through situations and circumstances. These are just a few of the way that God can speak to us.

God is not limited in how He communicates with us.  This is why it is important for us to train our spiritual ears and senses to be sensitive enough to receive His communications regardless of whatever form in which they may appear.

“Call unto me and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” – Jeremiah 33:3 KJV

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me” – John 10:27 KJV

Be a Christian any length of time, you will inevitably hear ‘life with the Lord’ referred to as a journey.  While we live this earthly life we will have to do just that; live this life. Although accepting the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ guarantees victory and eternal life; we are not exempt from fighting battles in this world.  Therefore, our relationship with Christ cannot be limited to a once or twice a week or even just on special holidays gathering at the local church house where we listen to a great praise team, an encouraging message and then go home. Those things are great, and they encourage us, but it is important to truly implement what we study in His Word and what we hear during our prayer time.

It is important that we develop a personal relationship with Him.  All of these things in conjunction work together to lead and guide us in our everyday lives. It equips us with the tools to live a life that is pleasing unto the Lord and that ultimately allows for His Grace and Favor to flow freely in our lives.

“If ye love me, keep my commandments” – John 14:15 KJV

In this day of identity labels, it is easy to lose the true heart of being a Christian through the traditions or cultural aspects that have been created over time. It can be easy to merely act ‘religious’ or be involved in  “Religionhip’” where we become accustomed to the routine of Wednesday Bible studies and Sunday Services.

Religionship should never be confused with Discipleship. Discipleship is there to help teach and train us concerning the True things of God and His Word through His mature minsters. Religionship has all the sights and sounds of ‘churchiness’ and ‘plays the religious game’ but has no true substance.  God has not called us to be caught up in the traditions, culture, trends and all of the bright lights, but rather, to have a relationship with Him.

Be encouraged to truly get to know and understand God’s heart and develop the relationship with Him that He desires to have with you!

 

God Bless!

Minister Jovan Johnson

 

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