Rejoice Essential Magazine August 2020 by Kimberly Moses

REJOICE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020

06 Of Trial and Triumph

12 Prophet Job: The Debatable Prophet of the Bible

See I’m Doing A New Thing

Miriam the Prophetess

Jeremiah: The Weeping Prophet

15 Prophet Habakkuk 18 Esther

Dealing With Difficult People

Prophet Amos

Prophet Samuel

Prophetess Anna

28 Prophetess Deborah

Prophet Moses

38 Prophet Ryan Johnson

Domestic Violence

21 Prophet Jonah 24 ChickPea Burger 26 There’s A New YOU on the Horizon

REJOICE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020

CONTRIBUTORS

Kimberly Moses

Tron Moses

Taylur Holland

Founder And Editor

Photographer, Marketer, Designer

Writer

Effingham, SC

Dallas, Texas

www.prophetessk.org

www.tronmoses.org

www.thescribesheart.com

Tamekia L. Washington

Pastor Brian Machache

Zoe Louise

Writer

Tallahassee, Florida

569 Mkoba 2, Gweru, Zimbabwe

Bedfordshire, England

tamekiawashington17@gmail.com

brianmachachebooks@gmail.com

Zoemitchell1980@icloud.com

Keiyia Jackson-George Writer And Chief Editor Cane Garden Bay, Tortola Virgin Islands www.rkgconsultinggroup.com www.justmekjg.com

Shirley Ann Cooper Writer Kissimmee, Florida praise_write@gmail.com

REJOICE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020

OF TRIAL AND TRIUMPH By Taylur Holland

In the face of Trial

And announce the Presence of a King,

For it is by Mercy

The eyes of Triumph are set ablaze.

To announce the coming of His hand

We are not consumed.

And the sovereignty of His plan.

Be still and know He is God

What do you see? Have you gone up to see from His throne,

He will be exalted among the nations! Even the path of Adversity

Or to rest in the beating of His heart? Even the face of Trial Bows at His feet

Meets the resilience of steadfast Mercy And kneels.

And arises with a Trumpet in its mouth -Oh how he yields at the power To Trumpet through the land

Of Mercyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stance,

He will be exalted in the earth!

REJOICE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020

PROPHET JOB THE DEBATABLE PROPHET OF THE BIBLE BY ARLENE HOUSEY

Background of Job The prophet Job was a chosen prophet of God that demonstrated the upmost adoration for God in the bible. He was a wealthy man in the land of Uz, an area identified as the kingdom of Edom but is southwest to present-day Jordan and south of present-day Israel. In his possession, Job had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yokes of oxen, five hundred she asses, and a very great household (Job 1:

3-4 KJV). Job was very consistent with God and maintained good will until his faith was tested in the eyes of his family and friends. The journey began for Job as a debatable conversation between God and Satan, which manifested in three cycles. The first cycle: Job and his friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, where God punishes the wicked and blessed the good (Job:4: 1-14-22 KJV). Eliphaz accused Job of being inconsistent with the results of suffering from sin. Eliphaz

felt no one is pure before God. He told Job to ask for help so he can be delivered. Job stated that his sufferings were causing his desire to die. Bildad stated he is a righteous man, but God will allow the ungodly to perish. Job felt that he was going against God by asking for forgiveness if it was a sin. Zophar began to rebuke Job by telling him to turn to God so he can be blessed. Job responds to Zophar by not helping him with anything new and by asking God to

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I put myself in Job’s shoes for a journey that increased my faith even the more with a daughter that died of brain cancer. I asked God, “Why did this happen to my daughter at an early age?” I had to deal with people talking about me and a lot of setbacks that had me frustrated with life. die. The second cycle: the response of the wicked suffer and perish because they are against God (Job 15: 1-2134 KJV). The conversation of his friends continues with Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar accusing Job of being wicked by rebuking him of his sins. The friends feel all of his sufferings attributed to the punishment of sin. The third cycle: Job’s response to his friends that God is a good God and pleads his cause to God. This

time Job understands his friends are no more help to him. He realizes God’s power is great and mighty over all of the Earth. In the end, Job was restored by God’s power with more than he had ever before with health, wealth and family. The Book of Job will become a major book to reference in days to come while America is going through a pandemic. My favorite Prophet Prophet Job is my favorite of all of the prophets in the bible. He was a prophet that defied all odds but did not lose his faith in God. The trials and tribulations that he went through took a great deal of strength and patience to wait upon God. I admire his faithfulness during the loss of wealth, health, and family. I’ve gone through many losses in my life. It was very difficult for me to take advice from people. I had to realize everyone is not for me and do not have the faith and patience to wait (James 5:11 KJV). I began to read the Book of Job. It gave me hope to focus on God more than anything in life. The key part of the book that made me turn my life around was knowing God never abandoned Job during his sufferings but rewarded him in the end. The understanding of our suffering should allow us to trust God’s wisdom more than ever through our sufferings (Job 28:28 KJV). I put myself

in Job’s shoes for a journey that increased my faith even the more with a daughter that died of brain cancer. I asked God, “Why did this happen to my daughter at an early age?” I had to deal with people talking about me and a lot of setbacks that had me frustrated with life. As a single parent, I needed a savior to walk with me to show me the way to understand Him more. The youngest daughter was diagnosed with hydrocephalus and given six months to live. I realize my only hope was to have a talk with God and listen for His voice to instruct me on how to make it through. During my journey with doctor visits and hospital stays, I still reference the Book of Job, along with other scriptures to help me focus more on God. I lost my daughter when she was six years old, and it taught me to persevere even more after her death. This was a loss in my life, but it made me appreciate God even more due to reading my Bible and praying, which is the key. I know Job was a man that was tested, but being a woman, your faith can be tested as well. I know we handle sufferings differently but with God, He always makes a way for His people. Job’s Opposition Job was faced with many oppositions that tested his faith in God. The oppositions of losing everything,

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I lost my daughter when she was six years old, and it taught me to persevere even more after her death. This was a loss in my life, but it made me appreciate God even more due to reading my Bible and praying, which is the key.

including his wife, told him to curse God and die, but Job remained steadfast and spoke of the goodness of God (Job 2:9 Job 6:29 KJV). His wife wanted Job to give up on God but his faith did not allow it to happen. Job’s friends had felt like he committed a sin before the eyes of God. They advised Job to repent. Job criticized his friends’ responses and continued seeking God’s wisdom and understanding to avoid evil. The enemy’s opposition was to take everything away from Job to see if he would lose his faith in God. During his sufferings, he knew in his heart God would come through for him because he was blessed with abundance. The

oppositions that Job faced led me to understand more about my surroundings of family members, friends and myself. I know facing this opposition led to believing God still keeps His promise by allowing my daughter to live. She beat the odds with the proper care and attention, along with prayer. I am so glad that taking the advice of putting my child in a home was not be the best option. I experienced so much with my daughter and got to see her grow, smile and be loved. How are we related The loss in my faith increased my faith in God to learn to wait on His will. I learned to consult God on situations that made me wait on Him about my daughter. I watched the hand of God move in my daughter’s life just because of trusting in Him more and more. I also saw God change her doctor’s words. They ended up giving me encouragement to support her through the journey in her life. The finances to travel to and from doctors were a huge opposition for me until God blesses me with an opportunity. A job along with a great babysitter that was trained to keep children like my daughter. I know that questioning God was a hard thing, but through it all, He wanted His angel back in heaven. The debate about how I made it through put a question

mark on people’s minds. I know God used me for an example to show people to have patience and wait upon him. The people around me would tell me they do not know how I did it with my daughter. I believe God each day. I prayed for her to beat the odds. Job’s Assignment Job assignment was to have patience and perseverance to wait upon God no matter what was going on around him. Job’s loss increased his faith more in God and allowed him to gain more patience to wait. The word patience was a major factor in the book that attributed to his faith. He knew God loved him dearly and will come through, but patience was perfected in its own time. We have to wait on God and not to get in a hurry so it can be perfected. I know we are in a pandemic, but we still have to wait upon God to instruct us on how to move. I would recommend reading about Job if anyone is going through difficult times in life to see the glory of God. The Book of Job gives us a daily assignment to have patience in everything, whether it is good or bad. I know now patience is a virtue that will help us endure the race to the end.

REJOICE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020

PROPHET HABAKKUK BY ASHLEY DIXON

Prophet Habakkuk is my favorite prophet because he was a man who sought answers. He was troubled by what he observed and he asked God difficult questions. I too ask God questions such as why it seems like evil people get away with so much and it seems like they are winning. Habakkuk boldly and confidently took his complaints directly to God and God answered with an avalanche of proof and prediction. It’s great to know that we can ask God questions. The problem is not with God and His ways but with our limited understanding of Him. God wants us to have a really close intimate relationship with Him and we can come to Him with all of our struggles, concerns, and doubts. I can relate to Prophet Habakkuk because I have seen a lot of things, especially in churches today, that I question God for and I hate to see people get mistreated. It seems to get covered up like nothing ever happened. Things like this happen in the world on a daily basis,

but I believe that it shouldn’t happen in a church among the leaders. Habakkuk asked God why the wicked in Judah were not being punished for their sin. Every time I turn on the news, all I see is violence, destruction, and people who love to argue and fight. The law has become paralyzed and there is no justice in the courts (Habakkuk 1:3-4). One day He will rule the whole earth with perfect justice and evil will utterly be destroyed. Habbakuk couldn’t understand why a just God would allow such evil to exist. God promised to use the Babylonians to punish Judah. When Habakkuk cried out for answers in his time of struggle, God answered him with words of hope. His assignment was to show that God is still in control of the world despite the apparent triumph of evil. He manifested three characteristics in the midst of adverse times: honest inquiry of the lord in (Habakkuk 1), unshakable faith (Habakkuk 2:3-4; 3:18-19), and concern

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Every time I turn on the news, all I see is violence, destruction, and people who love to argue and fight.

for revival (Habakkuk 3:2). His declaration was that the just shall live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4). Habakkuk didn’t have to prophesy like his contemporary, Jeremiah. He did not prophesy to backslidden Judah; He writes instead to help the godly remnant in Judah comprehend God’s ways with regard to their sinful nation and its approaching judgment. God doesn’t overlook sin. One day God will rule the whole earth with perfect justice and evil will utterly be destroyed.

REJOICE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020

ESTHER BY ANGELA RICHARDSON

Esther was my favorite prophetess because God had placed her in the kingdom of Shushan to be the wife of King Ahasuerus at a very important time for the Jews (Esther 1:17). She was picked to be the queen after Queen Vashti refused to go to the King after she was summoned to do so (Esther 1: 10 -18). In Esther 1:19, King Ahasuerus stated that he would give her Royal Estate unto another that is better than she. According to Esther 2:8, “Many maidens were gathered together into

Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai.” God gave Esther favor with Hegai and she obtained kindness from him and he speedily gave her things for purification. He preferred her above all the maidens and placed her and her maidens in the best part of the palace. God also gave her favor with Shaashgaz, the king’s chamberlain, who kept all the concubines (Esther 2:14). Esther 2:15 states that Esther obtained favor in the sight of all them that looked upon her. The king loved Esther above all

women and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti (Esther 2:17). God placed Esther and had her groomed to be the queen during a time when it would be beneficial to save her people from being slaughtered by Haman. I can relate because God is preparing me for the calling that He has on my life as well. When she was waiting to be chosen as the queen,

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Therefore, when God elevates me to where He is preparing to take me, I will be able to stand and represent Him at all times so He will get the glory out of my life and ministry. I will also be able to tell a lost and dying world about Jesus.

she was being prepared by Shaashgaz and being taught how to act and what to do to get prepared for the role of queen. I am getting prepared as well by reading the Word of God, praying, fasting, and worshipping. I am also taking classes that are offered by Prophetess Kimberly Moses at the School of the Prophets. This course will teach me everything that I need to know concerning walking in the office of a prophet. It will teach me how to carry myself and walk in excellence the way God wants me to walk. Also, it will teach me how to hear from God for myself and for other people as well. Therefore, when God elevates me to where He is preparing

to take me, I will be able to stand and represent Him at all times so He will get the glory out of my life and ministry. I will also be able to tell a lost and dying world about Jesus. The opposition that Esther faced was that Haman wanted to kill all of her people, the Jews. When Haman went near the city gates and Mordecai, and he refused to bow to Haman. Haman grew angry and he plotted to lay hands on Mordecai, but he changed his mind and devised a plan to have all the Jews killed throughout the whole kingdom Ahasuerus (Esther 3:5 -6). In Esther 3:8-10, Haman went to King Ahasuerus and told a lie on the Jewish people to get the king to write a decree to have all the people killed. The king took the ring from his hand and gave it to Haman. He also gave him the silver and the power to be able to destroy the Jews. Letters were sent out to all the provinces to destroy, kill, and to cause all the Jews to perish: young, old, little children and women. (Esther 3:13-15). When Mordecai heard what had been done, he ripped his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes and went out in the midst of the city and cried with a loud and bitter cry. When the Jews heard of the king’s decree, there was great mourning, fasting, weeping, and wail-

ing and many lay in sackcloth and ashes (Esther 4:1-3). Mordecai sent word to Esther to tell her about the decree, sent her a copy of the decree and charged Esther that she should go into the king, make supplication unto him, and make a request for her people (Esther 4:8 -9). Esther sent Mordecai a message by Hatach that all the king’s servants and provinces do know that whatsoever, whether man or woman, shall come into the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is a law of his to put him to death. Except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter, that he may live: but she has not been called to go in unto the king these thirty days (Esther 4:11). Mordecai then sent Esther another message by Hatach. He told Esther, “Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews” (Esther 4:13-14). For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther sent the message back to Mordecai to assemble all the Jews in Shushan and fast for her. They were to neither eat nor drink for

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I am getting prepared as well by reading the Word of God, praying, fasting, and worshipping. I am also taking classes that are offered by Prophetess Kimberly Moses at the School of the Prophets. three days and nights. She told them, “I and my handmaidens will do the same and I will go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.” So, Mordecai went and told the rest of the Jews in Shushan (Esther 4:15-17). Esther’s assignment was to go to King Ahasuerus and plead for the lives of her people. Esther dressed in her royal apparel and stood in the inner court of the king’s house and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house (Esther 5:1). When the king saw Esther standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. So, Esther drew near and touched the top of the scep-

ter (Esther 5:2). The king said to Esther, “What wilt thou, queen Esther and what is thy request? It shall be given thee half of the kingdom.” Queen Esther wanted to have a banquet and invite the king and Haman to it, and when they had all arrived at the banquet, the king asked Esther, “What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee and what is thy request? Even to the half of the kingdom, it shall be performed.” Esther told the king that she wanted him and Haman to come to another banquet that she was having the following day. She stated that she would tell the king what she was requesting of him. But I believe that Esther was waiting for those three days of fasting to pass before she told the king what she wanted (Esther 5:6 -8). Haman was summoned by the king to go to the banquet that Esther had prepared in Esther 6:14 (Esther 7:1-2). Queen Esther told the king, “Let my life be given to me and the lives of my people at my request.” She stated in verse 4 that “For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish.” King Ahasuerus answered and said to Esther, “Who is he and where is he that durst presumes in his heart to do so?” Esther told the king that the adversary and the enemy was the

wicked Haman! Haman was hung on the gallows that he had built for Mordecai. King Ahasuerus took off his ring and gave it to Mordecai and set Mordecai over the house of Haman (Esther 8:1-2). In Esther 8:5, Esther asked the king to reverse the letters that were sent to destroy the Jews. King Ahasuerus gave Mordecai permission to write a letter and seal it with the king’s name and the king’s ring that will reverse the decree to kill all of the Jews. The letters were sent to all the provinces in the kingdom. The king granted the Jews in every city to gather themselves together, stand for their life, to destroy, to slay and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women and to take the spoil of them for a prey. (Esther 8:11). In Esther 8:16, “The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honor.” This was going on in every province and city because their lives were spared because of the bravery of Queen Esther.

REJOICE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020

PROPHET JONAH BY STEPHANIE DEFRANCE WILLIAMS

Prophets have a hard job. Many Prophets are often perceived as abnormal and are misunderstood. They are called to encourage and correct in the body of Christ, which can make them very unpopular. They can hear from God by having a close relationship with Him, which includes prayer, worship, reading his word, fasting, and living a Holy life. Jonah is my favorite prophet because he showed that he was human by refusing to go to Nineveh to preach against sin as God told him. Instead, he ran away (Jonah 1: 3) and he showed just because God gives prophet an assignment doesn’t mean they are always eager to do it. Sometimes they don’t want to be bothered or are just afraid. How I related to Jonah is that I have not always been eager to do what God has called me to do. I remember I was in my late 30s and 40s when I started getting all these prophecies from different prophets saying that I would be traveling around the world as a missionary

and working with children. Next, I saw this picture in my mind. I was wearing African clothes and holding a baby. At that time, I wasn’t ready for God’s work because I already had told God that I wasn’t going to no jungle. Lastly, I had my own agenda, which was very important to me. I wanted to become a Physician Assistant specializing in the heart and cosmetics surgery. I also wanted to drive a sport, red Mercedes Benz and live in Beverly Hills. The opposition that Jonah faced was that he had to be thrown overboard by the men on the boat because of his disobedience. The Lord caused a bad storm. (Jonah 1:4 ) He fell into the mouth of a well for three days. (Jonah 1:17) Then he repented and prayed to the Lord. He was vomited up by the whale. (Jonah 2:1-10) Jonah’s assignment was to go warn the people in Nineveh that God was not pleased with their wickedness. (Jonah 1:2) Next they would be destroyed in about

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Prophets have a hard job. Many Prophets are often perceived as abnormal and are misunderstood. They are called to encourage and correct in the body of Christ, which can make them very unpopular.

40 days. (Jonah 3:4) The people repented and God showed them mercy and did not destroy them. (Jonah 3:10) Lastly, Jonah got upset. (Jonah 4:1) What I learned from the Prophet Jonah is just obey God.

REJOICE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020

CHICKPEA BURGER

READY IN: 25mins SERVES: 8 INGREDIENTS 1 carrot (medium size grated)

2 slices whole wheat bread (cut in round shapes) 1 tomatoes 1 red onion

1 garlic clove

DIRECTIONS

1 (19 ounce) can chickpeas

Peel the carrots, grate them coarsely and set them aside.

1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground coriander salt & pepper 1 large egg 2 tablespoons plain flour oil (for frying)

Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and put them into a food processor with the garlic, ground spices, salt and pepper. Slightly process to obtain a rough paste then add the carrot, egg, and flour

and process briefly until evenly mixed but slightly rugged. Heat the oil in a frying pan and divide the mixture into 8. Fry in batches for 2–3 minutes on each side, until golden, then drain on kitchen paper. Keep opened chickpea can to cut round shapes in bread slices. Toast each slice in toaster or in frying pan. Serve with slices of tomato and red onions and mayonnaise. Recipe from: https://www. food.com/recipe/chickpeaburger-338863

REJOICE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020

THERE’S A NEW YOU ON THE HORIZON BY TAMEKIA L. WASHINGTON

I had it all planned out, you see. I was being super diligent and wrote down all my goals for the day. It was the perfect to-do list. I intended on fulfilling it thoroughly. There was no doubt in my mind that it would be a day of great productivity. I was not, however, expecting my son to have an unplanned sports practice, and I was also not prepared for the other host of things that were hurled at me nonstop. As I sat down and looked over my elaborate, wellplanned list, I realized I did not accomplish my goals. I didn’t master my day.

See, even though it was planned out, it wasn’t executed. This was a total disappointment. I began to meditate on the promises that God has given me, the promises over my life. I realized then I needed to make serious concrete changes to go forth into my destiny! After having a talk with my Heavenly Father ( whom I ardently call Daddy), He reminded me that I have to “become to be.” So much has been awarded to me by God in the spirit realm eternally, it would be foolish not to materialize it physically

here upon the earth. I knew then, I would have to create a new me; I would have to “become” to “be.” Let us talk about this for a moment. Creating a new you is all about agreeing with God. God knew you before he formed you. He knew who you were before you were shaped and molded into the iniquitous ways of the world. To agree with God is to say I receive the word spoken by you alone Father. I agree with the knowledge of who I was before I was deceived by the adversary. God, however,

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I began to meditate on the promises that God has given me, the promises over my life.

will show you who He has planned for you to become physically and spiritually. This is what I refer to as transformational awakening. Becoming aware or awoke to who you are in Christ via the revelation of the Holy Spirit, then exert effort to “become” who he has called you to “be.” After God has revealed to us who we are, then we must become best friends with wisdom and apply it. Here are five actionable steps that can help in becoming the new transformed you! 1.) Take a self-test Take time to find out how you have been living below your standards. This will help you understand your weaknesses, so they can be eliminated or changed into strengths. 2.) Learn who you really are Find out from God who you are created to be. You are created in His image, so there is great purpose, intentionality and strength in you. Get into Dad’s presence and get understanding and wisdom regarding your identification.

3.) Look into the mirror and declare who you are The hard sometimes for people to agree with what God has spoken, so look yourself in the mirror, and confess who God has said you are. This will make you accept the truth; you can’t run from the truth when it’s literally staring you in the face. You will then build a confidence that is unbreakable. 4.) Don’t take the bait When you embark upon your new journey and becoming the new you, there will be setbacks that will try to deter you from going forward, but you have to recognize the bait of the adversary and don’t relent in your efforts to transform. 5.) Practice the new you daily There is a trick that the enemy tries to impose upon his people. This is called the imposter syndrome. This is when he tries to convince you that you are not who God has called you to be. This makes you feel like an imposter and that you are not “being real.” This can cause great insecurity and possibly make some revert to mediocrity. So please don’t take the bait by believing his lies. Friend, this is what is needed to see a new consistent you. As you practice these steps,

you will be gazing upon the horizon. You will be able to look and see who God is ushering you into becoming. The more intentional you are, you will inevitably see a new dawn. Psalms 45:6 says God is in the midst of her and God will help her when the morning dawns. You will see your prophetic promise dawn as you become. So, step out unto the horizon with me beloved. There is a new day calling us, a new dawn, a prophetic promise, a new life. Meet Father in the secret place, as the new you is not realized, its’ revealed. Embark upon the changed life beloved: the life of dominion and power, the life where you master your day and take authority over your life, and the life where you can heal the sick raise the dead and cast out demons? Get there by becoming a new you. Embark on all God has called you to do. Live an empowered life that exudes confidence and mastery in selfcontrol and dominates every area you are called to. The new you is on the horizon and it is calling you forth to “be” …. and expecting you to “become.” It’s Time Beloved! Go “BECOME” & “BE!”

REJOICE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020

PROPHETESS DEBORAH BY BRITTANY LASHAY THOMPSON

The Bible speaks of many great individuals who performed bold acts for the Lord. We know all about David slaying Goliath, Abraham obeying and presenting Isaac as a sacrifice, Daniel in the lionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s den, and more great people of faith; but, what about the women who were in the face of God, ruling righteously, being the carrier of the Word and speaking precisely what they heard from the Lord. What about

them? I will tell you about one of my favorite women. Her name was Deborah. She is relatable to women today. Prophetess Deborah was a judge, wife, mother to a nation, bold and courageous warrior. Who said women could not do it all? She surely did it all while keeping God at the center of her heart. Sit back and relax as I take you on a journey

through the life of Deborah and why she is one of my favorite people in the Bible. Before we dive into why I like Prophetess Deborah so much, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s understand who she was and where she can be found. The Book of Judges, chapters 4-5, speaks of Prophetess Deborah. Who was Deborah? Scripture states:

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Deborah. She is relatable to women today. Prophetess Deborah was a judge, wife, mother to a nation, bold and courageous warrior. Who said women could not do it all? She surely did it all while keeping God at the center of her heart.

Wife And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, (Judges 4:4) Prophetess “And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.” Judges 4:9 KJV • At the end of this scripture, we can see the prophecy of the Lord. This was a

prophecy of what was to come. Deborah heard from the Lord and released the Word. She did not go boasting saying, “This is the Word of the Lord,” rather they knew if she spoke, they can trust it. • Life Application: As prophets/prophetess, we must become so discipline in our walk like Prophetess Deborah and be a true conduit that people can trust that the Word of God is flowing through. When people trust the Word you are speaking, they will be more likely to hold on to it and know that God will perform. How many times have you prophesied and people were saying, “Only God could have told you that?” Quite a few huh? Yes, that is what happens when He flows through us. We must be like a vault where only God has the combination to open us to speak. When doing this, we eliminate idle talking. For the Bible tells us, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36). Judge (shophet-Hebrew): properly a magistrate or ruler, rather than one who judges in the sense of trying a cause “…she judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel

in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment (Judges 4:4-5, KJV). • Deborah was not in a fancy office with nice air conditioning and an overview of the big city. However, she was in a totally opposite position, one we today may not find suitable for “an executive leader.” The Bible says she “dwelt under the palm tree.” Imagine that today, a CEO or the President under a tree with all their security. Deborah had no security other than the Lord. From her position, she could see the corruptness going on. She had a good view. Today, we must find ourselves in much prayer, fasting and consecration to get a good spiritual understanding of what is going on in today’s world and how are we as the mouthpiece of God called to combat or pray for such things. Deborah arose at a time of chaos; much like today with COVID, political issues, and other concerns of society. • Symbolism: The palm tree is significant because the tree served as a covering to Deborah while she performed the assignment of God. o Covering: The tree giving Deborah a covering while she performed the duties assigned to her. This is symbolic of God covering

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her and us today. As Deborah went forth in such heavy assignment, God continually provided strength. We can see this today in our life as we move in sync and timing with God, He covers us. Psalms 91:4 KJV states, “He shall cover you with his feathers, and under his wings shall you trust: his truth shall be your shield and buckler.” As a covering, the trees can shade and sometimes not. Shade can be symbolic of giving rest while no shade can be diligently working and sweating. o Tree: Trees are deeply rooted in the earth and are not easily moved. A palm tree stands upright, bears fruit, is beautiful to the eye, and “the tree is made of elastic fibers so that even when it’s loaded down it will still grow upright.” Her obedience and trust in God were deeply rooted and from reading scripture, it is safe to conclude that she did not waiver in her walk. Being a judge to a nation carries a lot of weight and responsibility, but much like the palm tree Deborah continued to be upright in her walk with Christ and judged righteously. This blossomed into a beautiful relationship of her trusting God and the nation trusted her. We can learn a lot from Deborah in today’s world because no matter the pressure we are under, we must stand upright in God and keep our

integrity. • Let’s look at position again. Scripture said she was positioned “between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim” (Judges 4:5). o Ramah was a city in ancient Israel in the land allocated to the tribe of Benjamin, whose names means “height.” o Bethel means “House of God.” o Deborah was once again positioned between a tribe of Israel and God. Ramah was allocated to the Benjaminite and Bethel was the House of God. Her being positioned like this can be seen much like how Jesus Christ is our mediator and advocate in Heaven. He was the bridge that connects us to God (1 Timothy 3:5). Mother “The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel” (Judges 5:7). Being a mother to a nation can be quite a job. This scripture speaks to the character of Deborah because as we all know, a mother is a caring and nurturing figure. In this walk as a Prophetess, we must be compassionate to others and bear their burdens. Galatians 6:2: “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Also, this speaks to her gen-

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From her position, she could see the corruptness going on. She had a good view. Today, we must find ourselves in much prayer, fasting and consecration to get a good spiritual understanding of what is going on in today’s world and how are we as the mouthpiece of God called to combat or pray for such things.

tle nature. When a mother comes to mind, you think of a gentle person but also one that can provide tough love when needed. I’m pretty sure she had to rebuke some at times because people did come to her for settlement of disputes. Deborah was a distinct individual because throughout all of the Old Testament, there was no other woman regarded as a “judge.” Let’s understand something about being a judge. We know the

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Lord is the one who judges (Psalms 75:7; Isaiah 33:22; etc.), but when we study scripture, we see that He gave this privilege to others within the bible. To judge mean to form a conclusion about a matter or settle something. A judge governs. Deborah was the governing leader over the Israelites that sought God’s face to give a settlement of matters and speak the words she heard from God. It is safe to say that Deborah was one that God could trust. Deborah was in sync with God’s timing and rhythm. Why Deborah is my favorite prophet? Deborah is my favorite prophet because she was relentless in her mission for Christ. She performed the works of God with seriousness and authority. She did not mishandle her influence within the nation of Israel. To show how highly regarded she was, we can see in Judges 4:8: “And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.” This shows that Prophetess Deborah was much respected and feared in a positive way. They respected the anointing upon her life and trusted that she heard from God. How could that type of trust even be established? Surely they had to see her doing some acts that referenced God.

How do you relate to them? I relate to Deborah because much like her, I am called to a sphere of leadership and influence. This has been confirmed to me in dreams and through prophecy. I am called upon by friends and acquaintances to pray, give Godly wisdom and words, and help those birth out the purpose God has for them in their life. I know that I am to rise in this hour (when God says so) and do the work of the Lord. I have a disgust and disdain for injustice and oppression. I want to attend law school and eventually have a voice in the political world. What opposition did they face? Deborah had to settle disputes among the Israelites, and she was up against 900 chariots of iron (Judges 4:3). What was their assignment? Deborah’s assignment was to judge Israel, be a mouthpiece for God, and a mother to the nation.

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She was relentless in her mission for Christ. She performed the works of God with seriousness and authority. She did not mishandle her influence within the nation of Israel.

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PROPHET RYAN JOHNSON INTERVIEWED BY KIMBERLY MOSES

Interviewer: Thank you so much, Man of God, for accepting our invite for the interview. Prophet Ryan Johnson: Oh! I appreciate it very much. I consider it an honor. Interviewer: I became aware of your Ministry not too long ago. I saw you on Sid Roth and I saw you do some interviews with John Veal and other Ministers that I follow. I just felt led of the Lord to invite you today. Prophet Ryan Johnson: That’s awesome. Interviewer: I just want to start by asking about your process of getting saved? Were you raised in the church? How was your process of salvation? Prophet Ryan Johnson: First of all, I was raised in a great home with a very loving father and mother. My dad is a Veteran of the United States Airforce. I didn’t grow up in a Military home, but by the time I was born, my dad was medically discharged. My dad was listed as a 100% DAV, which is a Disabled

American Veteran. I grew up with a dad who physically couldn’t do everything that in your mind you think dads can do. I grew up with him constantly telling us what we could do. He was definitely more of a father who loved you, but he was more of a coach if that makes sense. Interviewer: Yes. Prophet Ryan Johnson: Mother was very loving. They’re both still alive by the way. They cared for us, me and my siblings. They gave us a loving home but as far as the church world, we did go. We were never what you considered as dedicated at that point in our lives. We did attend some. It was never a necessity in a sense because we missed church from time to time for multiple different reasons but we did go to a Baptist Church and occasionally a Methodist Church. Growing up, I had knowledge of God and Jesus. Interviewer: Amen. Prophet Ryan Johnson: As far as the Holy Spirit, I didn’t

know anything about Him. That just wasn’t in the realm of things. Where we grew up, you went to Church more as a social status to make sure that people in the community didn’t talk about you. (laughs) You know? (laughs) Interviewer: (laughs) Prophet Ryan Johnson: It was not that we were going to Church to serve the Lord. We’re going to Church so that nobody talked about us. Nevertheless, I brought home all that stuff. I made some very poor decisions. I grew up playing sports and stuff. It was a time frame in which a lot of drugs were on the scene. There was a lot of peer pressure, alcohol and such. I wanted to play college ball more than I wanted to do anything in this world. When I was about 12 or 13 years old, I knew that God had spoken to me but I didn’t like His dream. I didn’t like His vision. I didn’t like His plan for my life, so I did a 180 and went in the opposite direction. When I was 12 years old, I had my first beer and

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from then on, it was one of those things where I really loved - the taste of alcohol, especially liquor. And I kept this very, very private. I sampled a couple of what we would consider minor drugs, but they just never really did anything for me. Now, I did become very addicted to speed. Being an athlete speed was something that really helped me. It gave me that extra boost, that extra energy. Even when you’re in high school, there were many days when you got up and you practiced ball before school, then you went to school, and then you practiced after school and after that practice, you had another practice for another school. So speed was something that you’d begin to pop like Tic-Tacs. During this process, I’m keeping this very well hidden. I was doing things that you shouldn’t be doing when it comes to liquor and pills, but I did them nevertheless. And in my senior year in high school, I had some things that just went wrong for all the reasons in the world. I had an injury my junior year. I had a coach that had done me very, very wrong and admitted it after the year was over. Interviewer: Wow! Prophet Ryan Johnson: I lost my dream to be able to step into that next level, so when I graduated from high school, I was very, very

angry. I was bitter. I was hurt, and I was mad at the world. I had dated my high school sweetheart that I met in 10th grade. After I had graduated high school and my dream was ripped out from underneath me, it sounds awful, I know this sounds so bad, but I felt like all I had in life was to get married. So November of that year, I married my high school sweetheart and at this time, she still had no clue that I was drinking and popping pills. I kept it very, very well hidden, and so we were married. In that first year of marriage, the anger, the bitterness, the resentment, every bit of that just kept boiling over. Eventually, I got to the point where I didn’t care who knew I was drinking, or who knew I was taking pills and stuff and it became more and more public. I was consuming so much liquor so quickly that my heart was enlarging from the inside and I would find myself in Walmart suddenly collapsing. Interviewer: Wow! Prophet Ryan Johnson: I’d wake up in the ER. They’d be pumping me full of Nitroglycerin, trying to get my blood pressure down. I was at stroke levels multiple times. Interviewer: Wow! You were so young! Prophet Ryan Johnson: Yes,

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I grew up playing sports and stuff. It was a time frame in which a lot of drugs were on the scene. There was a lot of peer pressure, alcohol and such. I wanted to play college ball more than I wanted to do anything in this world.

I was very young. At that time I was 19 years old. Interviewer: Wow! Prophet Ryan Johnson: I went to the hospital three different times. One particular time I remember my mom looking at me and saying, “Have you not learned your lesson yet?” I remember looking at her and saying, “No.” I had so much hurt, so much anger, and so much bitterness. This went on for a little bit. We were married in November of ‘96. In September of ’97, I came home, I had been on a pretty good little binge, and I just told my wife, “I can’t do this anymore. I’m outta here.” She fell to the ground, wrapped her arms

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So November of that year, I married my high school sweetheart and at this time, she still had no clue that I was drinking and popping pills. I kept it very, very well hidden, and so we were married. In that first year of marriage, the anger, the bitterness, the resentment, every bit of that just kept boiling over.

around my legs, and begged me not to go. I dragged her across the living room floor and I eventually kicked her off of me. Interviewer: Wow! Prophet Ryan Johnson: And I walked out. And I stayed gone for about 36 hours before my dad found me. There are two people in this world who have been my hero: my grandfather and my dad. And my dad found me and he had picked me

up and he looked at me and he said, “There’s this little blonde headed girl sitting at my house crying and for some reason, she wants you back in her life.” My dad blew me away when he said, “But I’m doing everything I can to convince her to get rid of you.” Interviewer: Wow! Prophet Ryan Johnson: And it hit me hard when my dad said that because my dad who has never really ever talked to me about me in a negative manner because I grew up with a very positive image of who I was because of my dad. So I went home but I still hadn’t really learned my lesson. It was still bad. My grandfather ended up showing up at my house and he said some things that kind of jolted me, but it still wasn’t enough. In November of ‘97, my wife and I would have celebrated our first year anniversary on the 23rd and so on November 30th, she gets up and she says “I’m going to church and when I come home I want you gone! I can’t do this anymore. I cannot live this life anymore.” Interviewer: Wow! Prophet Ryan Johnson: And in my mind (laughs), I had told myself that it’s ok for me to leave but it’s not ok for you to leave. Interviewer: (laughs)

Prophet Ryan Johnson: Yea, arrogant man right there. And so I said, “I’ll go to church with you.” And so I got up, got dressed, and went to church. It was a Baptist church. It was the church we got married in. There were about 225 to 250 people in the church and I sat in the church. I cannot tell you what the Minister said. I have no clue what he preached. But he said something to this day that drives me nuts (laughs). Interviewer: (laughs) Prophet Ryan Johnson: He said, “I feel like I’m talking to one person in the sanctuary.” I’m not a big fan of that statement because I’m like, “You ain’t talking to one person, you’re talking to everybody!” Interviewer: (laughs) Yea. Prophet Ryan Johnson: But he said, “I feel like I’m talking to that one person.” And when he did, I know I was under so much conviction I said, “Me.” But when I said, “Me,” I said it very loudly and heads in the entire church turned around and looked at me, and by that time, I was boohooing. I looked at my wife and I said, “I know what’s wrong with me.” And I got up. I first went to a guy that I knew who knew me and I said to him, “I can’t live this way anymore.” I was crying so much, he didn’t understand what I was say-

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ing and I said again, “I can’t live this way anymore.” So we went down to the altar and that’s where I died. I died that day and I should call it the day of my death because that Ryan died and went in the ground. Interviewer: Amen. Prophet Ryan Johnson: The new Ryan was raised and I was born again. I immediately confessed that day to the whole congregation that I will never go through another church door without proclaiming the Gospel. So now we are almost 23 years later and I have held true to that. I was immediately delivered from alcohol and pills and I have not had any alcohol or pills since November 29, 1997. Interviewer: Thank you God!! Prophet Ryan Johnson: I did have to work on the unforgiveness, the bitterness, the anger, and the hatred. Those came in steps after my salvation through Christ. I went back and apologized to people that had hurt me and all of this stuff and everything. I had physically done so much damage to my heart that I was facing open-heart surgery. Interviewer: Wow! Prophet Ryan Johnson: At a very, very young age. I had done all these tests and I went to one of the highestrated hospitals in the na-

tion for heart issues and stuff. I had done all of the tests and I had failed every single one of them and so I was getting ready to have open-heart surgery in January 1998. They told me that there was a prayer meeting. I had never been to a prayer meeting, and I didn’t know what a prayer meeting was, and I said, “Ah, I am going to go to that.” And so I go to it, and I just kind of kneeled at the altar and I said, “God, I really don’t know a whole lot about you, but they tell me you’re a healer and I need to be healed. I don’t want to do this.” And so I said to God then, “I am not going anywhere until I know that I am healed.” And when I did, I just sat there and I promised you that I thought I was there for 20 minutes, I didn’t hear a thing until all of a sudden I heard, “Healed!” That is all I heard: “Healed!” Interviewer: Amen! Prophet Ryan Johnson: I never heard you are healed or anything else, but I just heard, “Healed!” When I got up, the entire church was empty except for one person that had known me all of my life and she looked at me and she said, “Ryan, do you know how long you’ve been at the altar?” And I said, “No ma’am,” and she said, “Three and a half hours.” Interviewer: Amen! Prophet Ryan Johnson: I

had no idea and I honestly thought it was 20 minutes. I told her that I know my answer. I called the doctors and I had to beg them to let me do all the tests again. I went through all the process and everything. The last week of February of 1998, the doctor’s office called me and they said, “Mr. Johnson, we don’t know how to explain this and we can’t explain this, but we want to do more tests, but we want to postpone this surgery because where you failed everything, you’ve passed every aspect. Not only did you pass, but you also surpassed them.” Interviewer: Amen! Prophet Ryan Johnson: The numbers were like greater, an increase. The day before my 20th birthday, I was preaching at the church where I was married and born again. I was going to preach on March 1st. That’s my 20th birthday but the day before on Saturday, I got a letter in the mail from the doctors giving me my clearance. Interviewer: Amen! Prophet Ryan Johnson: And so it was a very, very cool 20th birthday (laughs). Ultimately that’s what launched everything. Interviewer: Good. And I think that it is so powerful. First of all, you had a childlike faith. You said, “God, I

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know you’re my healer and I don’t know much about you, but I know that you can heal me.” And that was so powerful that you just got lost in God for those three hours and it didn’t even feel like that to you. I want to go back and bring out something you said about the hurt and the bitterness. I went through a lot of trauma myself. I went through a bad divorce with my ex-husband and I hated him to be honest. It took a lot of praying. I had to pray for him because God said to pray for him but I didn’t want to pray for him, but that’s how I got over the hatred and the bitterness for him. Now, I know you said that there was steps, but what kind of steps did you take for that deliverance? Prophet Ryan Johnson: The first year in my marriage, I put my wife through hell. The second year of my marriage was ok. I got to grow

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I was crying so much, he didn’t understand what I was saying and I said again, “I can’t live this way anymore.” So we went down to the altar and that’s where I died.

and to develop. I really didn’t know what I was doing as a Son of God, as a husband, and in the midst of being a young man in this world. When I was younger, I had attempted suicide a couple of times and thankfully failed at suicide. Interviewer: Amen. Prophet Ryan Johnson: I had a loving home and all that but I went through a pretty heavy depression as a young teenager. So there were some things that I had endured that were very difficult for me in the athletic world while I was in high school and all of that. I remember this event one particular morning. The way our house was, our bedroom did not have a bathroom but right across the hall was a bathroom. If the bathroom door was opened, you could see the bed through the mirror. I was in the bathroom that morning and I was getting dressed. I looked up in the mirror and I saw something for the first time ever. What I saw startled me to a degree because I didn’t hate what I saw in the mirror. For the first time in my life, I did not hate me when I saw me. I didn’t hate my image, I didn’t hate my thoughts, and I didn’t hate who I was. It sounds so cheesy to say it, but there was this feeling that came with it and I asked, “What is this? I don’t understand what I am seeing. I don’t understand what

I am feeling.” And the Lord spoke to me and said, “ You see you how I see you,” and I asked, “What is it?’’ He said, “Love.” And when He said, “Love,” it was like I didn’t need a definition. It was as if I understood and the minute that He said it, I also looked up and I saw my wife asleep in the bed. When I saw her asleep in the bed, that’s the moment that I fell in love with my wife. Now I had been married, we had dated, I had been married but I fell in love with her in the third year of our marriage. And I mean I was just like overwhelmed and I said, “Oh my gosh. I love this woman! Like, I love her!” I was kind of talking to God kind of goofy and I was like, “What is happening?”. And God said, “You can now love her because you love you.” Interviewer: Amen! That is so powerful! Prophet Ryan Johnson: And so what I had learned is I could learn to love other people and have love for other people but it had to begin with me first. There was something. Even though I had been done wrong, had been mistreated, and had this opportunity taken out from underneath me, It was out of my control. I had this dream ripped from underneath me. Even though those things had happened, I still had to have a love for those individuals. I could never truly forgive them,

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I couldn’t pray for them, and I couldn’t be whatever I needed to be until I first worked on me. Now that sounds crazy because when you are hurt and have been done wrong, we automatically think that they’re the ones with the problems. They’re the ones that have this problem, but what I believe that God is saying, “You can’t be what you should be.” In other words, you’re not going to be the one to bless others, to encourage others, to equip others, and to love others until you can first do those things in yourself. You can’t. You got to love who you are. You got to forgive yourself for the things you may have done in life. A lot of that was on me and you know I had to take the responsibility for some of the things that I have said and done even though they were the ones in the wrong. I think culturally, when we are hurt, we want so desperately for someone to take responsibility, but there are little things in our own lives that we must first take responsibility for. Then we can take that pure breath and when we take that pure breath, then we’re able to say, “Okay, first of all, I forgive you. Second of all, I am going to pray for you and when I pray for you, I’m not going to pray that you’ll die. I am going to pray that you live and I’m going to pray that you are blessed. So it began with that moment

that I fell in love with who God created me to be and I saw myself how God saw me and those little steps came. But the irony of all that was the coach that really did me very, very wrong, he did admit it and there were times that I used to see him out in public when I was filled with anger and I would say things to him and his family. Horrible, horrible things and so I went back and I apologized. I said, “I am sorry. I’m sorry for the things that I’ve said, and I’m sorry for the things that I’ve done.” It was not like he was going to take ownership of the things that he did to me. He did, I mean, in all honesty, he did admit to my Dad back when I was in high school, but at that time, he was just like, “Hey, I appreciate it!” But the truth of the matter is he didn’t have to. He didn’t have to say a word to me because the beauty of forgiveness is not about me getting my apology. The beauty of forgiveness is taking the burden off of me to where I’m not weighed down with this anymore. These came in those steps and it didn’t happen overnight. It was a process. Interviewer: Yes. Prophet Ryan Johnson: How do I get better in this? It is a challenging process, but it is a possible process. Interviewer: Amen! That’s so good. How did you transi-

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When I saw her asleep in the bed, that’s the moment that I fell in love with my wife. Now I had been married, we had dated, I had been married but I fell in love with her in the third year of our marriage.

tion to the Prophetic Ministry? Prophet Ryan Johnson: Interesting! (Laughs) I was born and raised in Northeast Alabama. In Northeast Alabama, back then, there was no acknowledgment of anything Apostolic or Prophetic. None whatsoever. There is a little bit now and when I say a little bit, I would say that in the county that I was raised in, less than 10 percent acknowledge an Apostle or Prophet and that is my opinion of the numbers. But when I was in ministry and serving the Lord, no one could really explain me and it was kind of a running joke to a degree because I would have dreams. I would have these visions. I would have these words of knowledge. I would see things. I would feel things and all people could say was, “Man, you

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have the ability to read people’s mail.” Interviewer: Wow! Prophet Ryan Johnson: “You have the ability to read people’s mail.” But no one ever said you’re a Prophet. No one ever said that’s Prophetic. No one ever said, “Hey, that is the gift of Prophecy or words of knowledge.” No one had ever said these things. So there were many, many years where I lived with a little bit of frustration with not being able to explain who I was. I served in positions where people would call you Pastor. At one time, I was a Senior Pastor, then I was an Associate Pastor and a Student’s Pastor and people would just say Pastor. And it would bother me. It would bother me to be called Pastor but not for the reasons people typically would think. In my mind, I was saying, “ I’m not the Pastor.” Even when I was a Student Pastor and people would call me Pastor, I would look and go, “That’s the Pastor, I’m not the Pastor.” I could not explain it but I knew it just didn’t sit right with me because I would go, “I’m not Pastoral,” because what people were looking for in a Pastor I could not give them. I couldn’t be that. But I had no vocabulary to articulate that definition, so, unfortunately, for a while, I lived frustrated because people would want to be respectful and people would

want to be kind and call you Pastor, and I said, ”Just call me Ryan.” They would be like, “Oh no! That is a great insult. No, I can’t do that.” It’s not meant to be disrespectful at all but when I would be called Pastor, I would cringe because I knew that’s who I was, but I couldn’t explain it and I couldn’t say this is why I am not a Pastor. I had a gentleman give me a book called Apostles & Prophets and the Next Coming Moves of God by Bishop Bill Hamon. He said, “You need to read this book,” and I said, “What for?” I had read in the Bible about those titles, identifications or however people want to say it, but it really hadn’t leaped off the pages for me.

identify as a Prophet, so let’s try to figure out what is going on.”

Interviewer: Right.

Prophet Ryan Johnson: And I am going “God, that’s me!” And when he got done talking, honest to goodness, this is a true story. It was one of the wildest things ever in my life, even though it’s a simple thing. The entire table of leaders, almost in unison, turned around and pointed at me and said, “You’ve just described him.”

Prophet Ryan Johnson: And he said, “You’re in here. You need to read this. You’re in here.” Interviewer: Amen! Prophet Ryan Johnson: And I said, “Ok.” So I started reading it and it intrigued me for the first time because it was the language that he was using in that book. Well, a gentleman came through who was a Prophet, and the church where I was serving brought him in to speak. I was intrigued because I just had that book given to me a few months prior to that time and I thought, “WOW! Here’s somebody that could

Interviewer: Amen. Prophet Ryan Johnson: We went out to dinner. We’re sitting at a table with about 12 leaders from the church and someone asked a question: “What are the characteristics of a Prophet and how do you identify a Prophet?” So he started saying all of this stuff and as he is saying it in my mind I am going, “That’s me! You’re describing me.” That’s what I am thinking in my mind and it was kind of like one of those ‘ah-ha’ moments, you know. Interviewer: Yes.

Interviewer: Wow! Prophet Ryan Johnson: And when he did that and that happened, it was like this weight just instantly went off of me and I went ‘Ahhh’ (sighs). Woo! I got the vocabulary and so I went to the gentleman and I said, ‘Look, I don’t know anything

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about this stuff because this is relatively very new to me, but a lot of this is making sense to me.” I said, “Would you consider mentoring me and helping me walk through this process because I don’t know and I don’t understand. I’m learning I’m diving into this.” He agreed and we spent the next two days together and he asked me questions and then he agreed to mentor me, and I immediately took six weeks off. I still went to church and all that, but I was off from my responsibilities for the next six weeks because I spoke to the Senior Pastor. I said, “This is pretty heavy. I need to kind of work through some things here,” He mentored me for nearly two years and the process began but that is how you know the light bulb moment occurred. It was a book and a conversation with another Prophet that unleashed this thing of going, “Wow!” This explained so much why I am not a Pastor. I love Pastors but I am not very Pastoral. I don’t think that way. I don’t operate that way. People that are Pastors have a heart that is totally different. I say all the time, Pastors love people; they have a heart for people. Prophets love people but cannot love people the way that Pastors do. Interviewer: That’s good. Prophet Ryan Johnson: And so it’s one of those things. Don’t misunderstand. A

Prophet loves you in a different way than a Pastors does. Where a Pastor may ask how your family and everyone is doing, how’s school, and all this and all that, a Prophet may never ask these questions. A Prophet may spend a lot more time in intercession for your family, but I’m not saying a Pastor doesn’t do that. I am just saying that the interaction is totally different. Interviewer: You had the book and then you had the church affirm you of your gift. It just makes sense. That was interesting! And you hit on something about mentors in this walk. How important are divine connections because I believe that this was a divine connection for you? Prophet Ryan Johnson: Yea, I think at the time ,I didn’t know what I was doing when I said mentor me, but because of my athletic world, I knew the importance of a mentor. I knew a coach is someone who coaches you, but ultimately there are mentors in your life. If you listen to professional athletics, you will hear people who played for one of the greatest basketball coaches of all times, John Wooden for UCLA, talk about who he was off the court. He was a mentor to these young men’s lives. We just saw the documentary on Micheal Jordan and the Chicago Bulls and they talked about Dean Smith of North Carolina and

how he mentored these young men, so I knew what a mentor was and I realized I needed that in my life. Even my dad was a mentor, even though he was my dad, so I understood that now looking back. I see us as a generation that is obsessed with spiritual fathers and mothers but obsessed in error. What I mean by that is I believe in spiritual mothers and fathers. I believe they are very vital and very important, but in this world, unfortunately, it’s very much like the natural world of the foster care system. We have a lot of spiritual moms and dads who audition orphans and they take them in for a little bit. When they decide it is not going to work, they get rid of them. The problem

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So he started saying all of this stuff and as he is saying it in my mind I am going, “That’s me! You’re describing me.” That’s what I am thinking in my mind and it was kind of like one of those ‘ah-ha’ moments, you know.

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is when they take them in, they call them son or daughter and then they totally abandon them. I had people come up to me and say, “Hey, would you be my spiritual father?” I’d say, “ Well, first of all, it does not work like that way.” I don’t agree to become anyone’s spiritual father just for the sake of being one’s spiritual father. The way that I do it is I say, “Here’s what we’re gonna do. If you’re really serious about developing that kind of relationship, you need to go through the process of being mentored for 2-3 years, before we ever cross the line of being a spiritual father or spiritual mother (because of my wife),” and they just look at you and go, “Like what?”

Interviewer: That’s right.

Interviewer: (laughs)

Interviewer: Amen.

Prophet Ryan Johnson: And I’d say, “Look, we need to work through a lot of stuff and it’s going to come through mentoring first before you ever gravitate to another level. I have to know the level of your commitment to the relationship.” I cannot invest in someone who only wants the glitz and the glamour of the ministry but doesn’t want to cultivate the relationship. And I’ve absolutely had some say, “Why so long?” And I said, “Well, before Jesus ever promoted the disciples, he spent 3 to 3.5 years with them.”

Prophet Ryan Johnson: But it doesn’t happen just because, “Hey, I signed up or joined your network, I joined your fellowship, I joined your organization, or I pay $100 a year so now I’m a spiritual son.” No that’s sponsorship. We have a lot of people into sponsorship but very few into sonship.

Prophet Ryan Johnson: So it’s the model that I prefer and the interesting thing about this is it weeds a lot of people out. Interviewer: Yes, I was just thinking that. Prophet Ryan Johnson: A lot of people don’t need to cultivate an authentic relationship. The reason I believe in mentoring first, before you gravitate to sonship or a spiritual father or mother, is mentoring is me saying, “I’m going to submit to your leadership and in this, we’re going to cultivate an authentic relationship. Out of that, we will have leadership and relationship, which eventually produces sonship.”

Interviewer: Yep. Talk about it! (laughs) Prophet Ryan Johnson: This is something that the church world has to get better at. I personally think it comes through mentoring. The guidance and the cultivation that will eventually

produce that because after a year, I can think of many, many cases where people say, “Oh, that’s my spiritual father.” A year or two years later, they have a different spiritual father and a year or two later, another different spiritual father and a year or two later another spiritual father, so something is amidst in that and what I learned it begins with the mentoring process. Interviewer: Amen. Prophet Ryan Johnson: Ultimately, not that I’m calling Jesus a mentor, but that’s what he’s doing with the disciples in those three years. He is mentoring them, he is leading, he is guiding them, he is teaching them, and then this grows into something deeper. But the reason, the proof is definitely in the pudding. When Jesus is crucified, how many disciplines showed up? Interviewer: Right. Prophet John Johnson: Only that one. Even in that call, how close are you with me? Only one shows up. Interviewer: Jesus! Prophet Ryan Johnson: But Jesus being who he is, full of mercy, grace, hope, love and redemption and restoration, goes and presents himself to them. He eventually says go and tarry. Thank goodness they tarried and they were filled with the power

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of the Spirit but we see an initial change in their lives. I believe that’s when they truly entered into sonship. He breathed upon them, and then they tarried, waited on the promise, and then boom! They’re totally different than they were there. So there’s this transition that takes place. I think it first begins with the mentorship, but that’s just how we do it. Interviewer: I love how you broke that down. That’s really good and I totally agree. What exactly is a Seer Prophet? Prophet Ryan Johnson: Huh! You know there’s a lot of opinions on that. (laughs) Interviewer: (laughs) I heard Sid Roth call you that. Prophet Ryan Johnson: You know, ultimately, I think the best definition of it comes actually from Bob Jones. Years ago, when Bob Jones was alive, he gave the definition. A Seer Prophet is definitely someone that can see in a spiritual realm. A multidimensional individual, but Seer Prophets also feel. They feel atmospheres. They feel the presence of angels and demons. They’re very sensitive and not like sensitive in hurt feelings. They’re sensitive to when something sig-

nificantly shifted, something happened. They’re supernaturally sensitive if that makes sense. They articulate things very differently because of how they see, feel, and hear, and those are things that can kind of ruffle some feathers in a lot of structures. Seer Prophets are often considered a little bit of corky. Sometimes they can get labeled as troublemakers because Seer Prophets have to have a high level of discernment operating at all times. Interviewer: Amen! Prophet Ryan Johnson: But we live in a generation where discernment has been redefined as judgment: “You’re judging me.” A Seer Prophet, they can hear someone talk or see someone walk in the room and all of a sudden because of their sensitivity to the spirit of God, discernment is really elevated, it’s articulated at a higher level and that Seer Prophet can see something on them. They can hear something in their words or they can sense something feeling wise and a seer prophet can look at another person and say, “Nope, that person ain’t good.” Well, that person is putting out a great personality, but the Holy Spirit discernment is going, “Something’s off, something’s off, something’s off, something’s off!” And unfortunately in the Church world, the Seer Prophet can

sometimes be identified as a troublemaker. “You’re always warning me about all this and so and so forth.” It’s one of those things that I believe is often misunderstood. That’s the reason why I do feel like Bob Jones does give it a good definition, but defining it is one thing. Learning how to walk in it is something that is totally different. Because one area I do believe Seer Prophets fail in is, just because you sense it, you hear it, you feel it, or whatever the case may be, doesn’t mean people understand how it is that you’re saying. Interviewer: Right. Prophet Ryan Johnson: That’s one of the things I do believe the Seer Prophet has to work very hard in walking in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. I know a lot of people who’ve ruffled feathers. I have ruffled the feathers sometimes. Any prophet from this level can inadvertently offend people just by repeating exactly what they have heard or said, you know. (laughs) Sometimes that’s what people call the shotgun approach: you don’t need a name; just point and fire. Interviewer: (laughs) Prophet Ryan Johnson: I do believe because of the anointing on a Seer Prophet, it can be something that can be easily misidentified

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A lot of people don’t need to cultivate an authentic relationship. The reason I believe in mentoring first, before you gravitate to sonship or a spiritual father or mother, is mentoring is me saying, “I’m going to submit to your leadership and in this, we’re going to cultivate an authentic relationship. Out of that, we will have leadership and relationship, which eventually produces sonship.”

and abused, but it has to be something that is walked in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding because Seer Prophets, man oh man, if there ever was a time that we could definitely be better, it would be now. Interviewer: (Laughs) Yes!

Absolutely! That’s a good breakdown of what you have said. I’ve never heard anybody break it down like that about that term. What inspired your book Illegitimacy? What inspired that to come forth? Prophet Ryan Johnson: Lord have mercy! Interviewer: (laughs) Prophet Ryan Johnson: It’s so funny because it came right after the election of President Donald Trump. Interviewer: Wow! Prophet Ryan Johnson: And when the President was elected, I saw something that really bothered me. It grieved me, to be honest. I saw a lot of Christians, and I saw a lot of leaders, I saw Pastors, Apostles, Prophets, Teachers, Evangelists leaders in the house of God. I saw them through social media and in-person ridicule, mocked, criticized, and really choose horrible words to describe a generation of people who did not like how the election went. I saw Pastors, for example, make posts. When President Trump was elected, there was protest and people were in the streets and they were protesting and stuff. I saw Pastors say, “These cry babies need to get over themselves, and this millennial generation need to learn how to...,” you know They were using all these derogatory words

to say ultimately, “You need to get over yourself. He’s the President.” And in my mind, I was struggling with that because I was thinking, “You are criticizing this generation, yet if you saw them at the mall, you would tell them how much Jesus loves them, how much you love them, and you would invite them to church.” I could not understand how the leaders could be so vicious verbally. Interviewer: Yes. Prophet Ryan Johnson: Because people didn’t like that President Trump got elected, but at the same time you would be like, “Hey come to our church! Jesus loves you and we love you.” Interviewer: Right. Prophet Ryan Johnson: And I was struggling. I mean, I was really, really struggling with it and I was praying. I was asking God. I said, “I don’t understand what’s happening? Why is it this way?” The Lord took me in a vision and in the vision, He first showed me my dad when I was younger. And when I was younger, my dad would tell me and my siblings, “There’s nothing in this world that you can’t do.” Dad would say, “You’re going to do great things because you’re my son. My son isn’t a quitter; my son is a winner.” Interviewer: Amen! Prophet Ryan Johnson:

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I do feel like Bob Jones does give it a good definition, but defining it is one thing. Learning how to walk in it is something that is totally different. Because one area I do believe Seer Prophets fail in is, just because you sense it, you hear it, you feel it, or whatever the case may be, doesn’t mean people understand how it is that you’re saying.

“Whatever you do, you will not quit. You will finish the race or the job whatever.” And I grew up with this image of positivity. That’s how my dad raised us. So in the vision, I saw myself as a little kid and my dad talking to me that way and then the vision shifts. When it shifts, I see this father and this other son. The father is looking at the other son and he’s saying, “You disappoint me so much!” Interviewer: Oh wow!

Prophet Ryan Johnson: “You can’t do anything right! No matter what you do, you fail. You’re a horrible excuse of a son.” I saw this father talking to this son in a totally different way than what I was accustomed to. In the vision, I cried out, “What am I seeing? What am I seeing?” The Lord spoke to me and said, “You’re seeing a spirit of illegitimacy. Look in the church.” And I said, “Wait, what!? Interviewer: Jesus! Prophet Ryan Johnson: (laughs) I had to go in prayer and I really had to seek the Lord because I said, “I really don’t understand this spirit of illegitimacy.” He said, “In the church, the church has embraced an illegitimacy spirit,” and I’m being honest with you. When I first heard the Lord, when I saw the vision, I was not all that excited. It’s not like I went, “Oh, God! Fresh revelation! Fresh manna from heaven!” I was more like, “Oh God, I don’t want this.” You mention Jezebel and one camp says there’s no such thing as the Jezebel spirit. Then you have the other camp that everything is the Jezebel spirit, and I’m like ugh! I don’t want to go down this road with an illegitimate spirit because, in my mind, I’m going, “There’s no verse on the illegitimate spirit. I mean, how am I going to say there’s a spirit of illegitimacy when I can’t point to a book,

chapter, or verse?” So the Lord took me on this revelation of what happened in the life of David. Interviewer: Yeah. Prophet Ryan Johnson: Satan cannot create evil. He can only mimic, duplicate, or pervert what God has already created, what God has already established in the natural and in the spiritual realm. For example, God is love. We would all naturally say the opposite of love is hate but the truth of the matter is there are things God hates. In our minds, a lot of the times, we say that Satan creates hate. No, Satan perverts it because God hates sin. There are seven sins that God hates. Satan perverts that. For example, Satan can pervert it into, well right now in our day and time, there are people that hate people simply based on the color of their skin. That’s a perversion of what God has established for a purpose. Satan doesn’t create anything. God is joy. He is life. Satan perverts that with depression or anger, bitterness, and suicidal thoughts. However, Satan can’t create anything. So something has to be established either on a spirit level or on a natural level. You go to the life of David and what God showed me in the Bible is that David in the natural is an illegitimate son. Interviewer: My God.

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Prophet Ryan Johnson: The minute that David is in the natural-born illegitimate, it opens up an opportunity for Satan. So what the Lord began to reveal to me about the life of David is that in the natural, he’s illegitimate. It’s why his father didn’t bring him there to begin with when the Prophet Samuel said to bring all of his sons to the feast and we are going to honor the Lord and sacrifice. He didn’t. He left David in the field. There was a shame about David’s life and I broke all that down, but you have this massive problem because David ultimately takes out Goliath and the final four brothers of Goliath. So there were five giants left on the face of the

earth and David takes out all five of them. The giant race was ever so created to taint the bloodline of Jesus but David, an illegitimate child, destroys the plan of Satan. Interviewer: Amen. Prophet Ryan Johnson: That’s enough to make Satan mad. Well, if you fast forward all the way to Jesus, who is known as the son of David because he’s in the lineage, you have the first temptation of Christ’s life is, “If you really are a son…” The attack on Jesus’s life is over whether or not he was a son. Here’s this illegitimacy coming back. And throughout Jesus’s life, the battle between him and the Pharisees was never wheth-

er or not He professed to be a God; it was that He professed to be the son of God. An illegitimate spirit is ultimately a spirit that is convincing you that you’re not good enough, you’re not smart enough, you’re not well received and nobody wants to hear you teach or nobody wants to hear you preach. An illegitimate spirit isn’t intimidated because you professed to be a Christian. What an illegitimate spirit’s goal is to convince you that you’re not a son of God. There are a lot of people that profess to be Christians but they’re really not a Son of God. Have you truly been born again? Just because you go to church doesn’t make you a Christian

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or just because you said a little prayer. There are a lot of people who said the prayer but never truly surrendered. That’s why born again is the accurate definition of that. An illegitimate spirit is a nagging spirit. I don’t define it as a possessive spirit. I define it as an oppressive spirit. Constantly nagging. You have a call on your life. You have a purpose on your life. You have a destiny on your life, but you don’t do anything with it. And if you talk to those people, “Well, I don’t have the confidence, well… I just don’t... I don’t think anyone really wants to hear me sing. Nobody really wants to hear me preach, Nobody cares.” How can you truly be a son of God and be so negative about yourself? Well, there’s an illegitimate spirit and that can come either in natural ways or spiritual ways. In the natural, you can naturally be an illegitimate child because you naturally entered the world illegitimate and Satan has a right of passage in that. The other side of it is that you could be raised in a home with a dad that constantly verbally told you that you were never going to be good enough or smart enough, or pretty enough. That verbal accusation opened itself up to a spirit of illegitimacy. So the whole book came together because of that. I saw what the church was doing to a generation. He gave me the keys to understand what

it was and how to overcome it and how to overthrow it, and we eventually put it in book form. We tried to simplify it. When I went to my editors about it, they said, “Who do you want to read this?” I said, “I want everyone to read this book!” Interviewer: Amen. I’m going to read it. (laughs) Prophet Ryan Johnson: They asked, “Do you want men to read it?” I said, “Yes. I want men to read this book.” They said, “Keep it under 100 pages.” I said, “What!” They said, “If you keep it under 100 pages, you will have more men that will read the book.” And I said, “What are you talking about?” They said, “Statistics show men between 18-55 years old will not read a lot of things over 100 pages long, so keep it under 100 pages.” So I did. I worked very hard to simplify it as best I could to keep it under 100 pages. We did it and you’d be surprised of the people who came up to me after I shared that and said, “Had you not said that I would have never gotten it. But because you said that, I bought it.”

beyond and into your purpose. Interviewer: Amen. I have a lot to learn. So my next question is, can you give us one nugget out of your new book How to Contend for Your Miracle? Prophet Ryan Johnson: One nugget. That’s a good question. I would have to say for me, personally, how we as Christians sometimes misappropriate our faith to be something that it’s not and because of that, we take prophetic words and hypothetically set them on shelves never to actually contend for them. What I mean is we have this tendency to say that we have faith and you know, when it comes to, let’s just say healing. Do you believe this person can be healed? We’ll say, “Yes, I have the faith that they can be healed,” but then if I stop and say define that faith, most people will say, “I have seen it and done it before.” Well, therein lies the problem. That is encouragement. That’s a reminder of what God has done in the past. He’ll do it again, but that’s not faith because faith is the evidence of things hoped for not yet seen.

Interviewer: Wow!

Interviewer: Teach us! That’s right!

Prophet Ryan Johnson: So it’s a very simplified understanding of the vision and how to overcome it and get

Prophet Ryan Johnson: There are a lot of prophetic words that come our way. Whether it’s dreams, vi-

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sions, a prophet, a person, or whatever and they come in a manner to where we can’t see ourselves fulfilling that word or that word being fulfilled because we don’t have anything that we can look back on and go, “Oh, okay, I see that happening,” but see the call to see a prophetic word to be fulfilled, a miracle, a healing, a sign or wonder, there has to be a contending. That contending is through our faith. “God, you said it and I do not have anything to go on, but I know that my faith is not in what I can see or what I have seen. My faith is in the evidence of things hoped for. You are my hope. I trust you. I trust you because you would not lie to me or manipulate me. You will not deceive me, so if you said it, I’m going to contend for it. I’m going to cultivate the prophetic and I’m going to pursue it.” The other side of this nugget is, “That means I’ll contend for it whether or not I see it,” and what I mean is a lot of people abort prophetic words, dreams, visions and all this because they believe the measure of authenticity is based on their ability to see it. Interviewer: Jesus! Prophet Ryan Johnson: If I take an older couple and they have a son that’s bound on drugs and alcohol and the prophetic word is they will get delivered and they will preach the gospel. Then,

ten years pass, twenty years pass, thirty years pass, the child is still a drug addict and that parent is now 80 years old and they are on the latter part of their life and they’ve still not seen that prophetic word, so we have a tendency to go, “God, you’re a liar cause this hasn’t happened.” That parent eventually dies and five years after that parent is dead, that child is delivered from drugs and alcohol and is preaching the gospel. Did the prophetic word fail? No, that’s where the faith, the trust, and contention has to be aligned in His word. If He said it. It will come to pass! Interviewer: Amen! Amen! Prophet Ryan Johnson: (laughs) Interviewer: That’s good! That’s good, Prophet! I want to ask you about 2020. A lot has happened thus far this year. So, do you feel like we are in a revival? I hear ministers saying that we’re in a revival, a spiritual awakening. How’s the rest of 2020 going to be? Has God shown you anything about the rest of this year? Prophet Ryan Johnson: I can’t speak for every region because I don’t know what’s happening everywhere. I don’t know that I would use the word revival yet. I’m longing for it, but I don’t know that’s how I would use that word. I think I’m

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Satan cannot create evil. He can only mimic, duplicate, or pervert what God has already created, what God has already established in the natural and in the spiritual realm. For example, God is love. We would all naturally say the opposite of love is hate but the truth of the matter is there are things God hates.

of the mindset that says where we’re at currently in 2020 is really a purging and a purification stage. I believe that what we’re seeing is there is an internal purging within the body of Christ but in that purging, there’s this purification that’s taking place. I think the byproduct of this will one day be revival and reformation. Out of that, eventually, we’ll see an awakening across a global standard, but I don’t think we’re at revival yet. I don’t think we’re anywhere close

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Contending is through our faith. “God, you said it and I do not have anything to go on, but I know that my faith is not in what I can see or what I have seen.

to an awakening yet. I think what God is calling upon within the body of Christ right now is this internal purging. There is the separation of the wheat and tares. There is the separation of the foolish and the wise. Just the other day, I heard the Lord saying, “I’m calling my people to be carriers of oil as the wise and not the foolish.” Interviewer: Amen! Prophet Ryan Johnson: When we go back to the parable of the ten virgins, you know the five wise had enough oil not only for themselves but for the arrival of the bridegroom. Whereas the five foolish only had enough oil for themselves. Unfortunately in our day, we have a lot of ministries that aren’t pointing the finger to Christ or the way to the Father. They’re pointing it to them-

selves. They’re elevating themselves. So they have enough oil for themselves, but not enough oil for the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. When the announcement that the Bridegroom is coming sounds, the foolish will say to the wise, “Give us some of yours.” We have in the body of Christ people that aren’t willing to pay the price of cultivating their own oil and purchasing their own oil. They look to other people to give them their oil. That’s why we have altars that are filled with people that say, “I want what you got. Impart into me what you have.” You don’t want to pay the price. You don’t want to go through the hell that I’ve been through in order to get to this point. You don’t want to suffer the losses. You don’t want to suffer the agony. You just want me to purchase it and give you the oil when God is actually calling you to cultivate that oil so that you will not only have enough for yourself, but you’ll have it for the arrival of the Bridegroom. There’s this purging. There’s this purification process that is happening and we’ll continue to see it, I believe, for some months. We’ll continue to see this process of the church divided. When I say divided, I don’t mean against one another. I mean to different aspects you’re going to have the ones that are just satisfied with what they do. They’re not going

to advance the kingdom. They’re not going to grow the kingdom. They’re not going to equip. They’re just going to do their little thing, you know, and then you got the ones that they’re being reformed to be more about the kingdom, more about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Out of that comes the reformation of many things and then it births genuine revival. Now when I say that, I’m of the mindset that when we say revival, we think of lost people coming to know Christ and that is an application of that, but revival is actually the body of Christ. To be revived means you have to first have life and a lot of people in the body of Christ said yes to Jesus but have walked away, so they must be revived. I believe revival first occurs in the church and out of that, it will eventually produce an awakening. When you have dead people who have no relationship with Christ, they’re dead even though they’re walking around and their breathing, they’re dead, they’re dead, they’re dead, they’re dead. They have to be awakened to life and then we see an awakening take place. There’s this separation right now that is occurring, it’s this purging. It’s a good kind of purging if that makes sense. Interviewer: Yes, it does and as you’re talking, I’m feeling

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the presence of God. So, Amen. I totally agree! That is the end of the interview and I appreciate your time. I know this is going to bless our readers. I just bless God today. Thank you so much! I appreciate you and I bless God for you! Prophet Ryan Johnson: Thank you so much!

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SEE I’M DOING A NEW THING BY ZOE LOUISE

Be still and know that i am God just come and take some time , Come and sit in my presence rejuvenate and unwind

age you have potential and worth The old is gone and in this new era things will be new ,

Take time to listen as much as I listen to you ,

In this time of confinement deeper in me you shall bloom

My sheep hear my voice and are obedient to me too

you are like a butterfly just for now in a cocoon ,

This season is different but with me you will be just fine

A time of transformation discarding the old and embracing the new

For those who have ears let them hear what the spirit says for the plans I have are so divine creativity is in each of you for you are unique , Take this time to find and enhance in the gifts that I give In all good things I am there take time to look all around , From the highest mountain to the lowest sea in all of nature I am found Take time to reflect on my goodness and the beauty of the earth , For you are made in my im-

An invitation of fresh consecration

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So will the body of Christ and on wings of eagles they will soar As I purify you’re hearts as you yield yourself to me

a time to seek my face , Allowing pure refinement that only I can make As a butterfly too emerges its not as it was before , So will the body of Christ and on wings of eagles they will soar As I purify you’re hearts as you yield yourself to me ,

ing and idols are being stripped As you align your hearts and minds with heaven as you walk into the normal new , It’s not a time to go back to religion or sitting in the church pews

I will make you like Gold for all the world to see

For it is your time to rise and shine to overcome and to win ,

As the world is shaking you are about to shift ,

Just remember in all of this I am doing a new thing

I’m sifting out worldly think-

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MIRIAM THE PROPHETESS BY STACY LLOYD

Why are they your favorite Prophet? The sister of Moses and Aaron was an important part of the sibling team that led Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness. She was a prophetess, dancer, and leader. How do you relate to her? Exodus 15:20 is considered the scripture that states the first mention of dance in the Bible. God called me to the ministry of dance over 20 years ago. It was particularly important and significant to learn of her not only being a prophetess and leader, but one that took up a timbrel and dance, and all the women followed her in the dance. This was called prophetic dancing, and this is the dancing in church that I have been most graced with over the years. For years I was comfortable with just dancing, but God called me to so much more. I personally preferred not to be in any ministry that I had to speak, but when I graduated from the school of ministry at my local church years ago,

the Pastor prophesied to me that, “Just like that dance, it will come out of your mouth. “ Exodus 15:21 says, “And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.” She prophesied after a victory over Egypt. The message was well-received because all the other women went out after her to join in the prophetic dance. This message would be well received today because we are living in a time of the restoration of the church and during this time, dancing is a sign of blessings and restoration in the church. Dancing in the church is a fulfillment of prophecy. What opposition did they face? Miriam’s status as a leader, established at the Sea of Reeds, becomes a source of some complication as the Israelites move through the wilderness. In Numbers 12, Miriam and her brother

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Dancing is a sign of blessings and restoration in the church. Dancing in the church is a fulfillment of prophecy.

Aaron complain that, despite being his siblings, they do not have the same close prophetic relationship with God that Moses does: “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us as well?” (Numbers 12:2). Both she and Aaron had some rough things to say about Moses’ Cushite wife, too. Given her role early in Exodus, and her status as a prophetess in Exodus 15, Miriam may well feel that she is being excluded from her rightful place in God’s confidences. But God declares that she is in the wrong: only with Moses does God “speak mouth to mouth, plainly and not in riddles” (Numbers 12:8). When the divine communication

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is over, Miriam finds herself struck with skin disease commonly translated as leprosy. Aaron and Moses plead for her to be healed, but God declares that she will “bear her shame” for seven days (Numbers 12:14). It is a mark of her status that, despite being so prominently punished for her insubordination, the Israelites do not continue on their journey until Miriam is healed. Some may say that the punishment might have been a bit harsh for Miriam, but I believe God gave her this punishment because of her leadership position. And she had so many women that looked up to her. This is a good lesson about staying humble and keeping your mouth clean from things such as gossip and bad language. It is important for prophets to be filled with the word of God. What was their assignment? When Miriam first appears in the Bible, she is but a child, and not even named; eventually, she comes to be known, along with her siblings Moses and Aaron, as one of the three figures who led the Israelites out of Egypt. At the beginning of the book of Exodus, when the Pharaoh decrees that all male Israelite babies are to be drowned, Moses’s mother saves him by placing him

on the Nile in a basket. We are told that Moses’s sister stood on the bank of the river to find out what would happen to the infant. When the Pharaoh’s daughter discovers the basket and realizes that it must be a Hebrew child, Miriam is quick to act. She offers to get a Hebrew nursemaid for the baby and fetches none other than Moses’s — and her — mother. When Miriam next appears in the narrative, the Israelites have left Egypt, led by Moses, and have just crossed the Sea of Reeds (traditionally, though erroneously, identified as the Red Sea). Upon their miraculous rescue from the Egyptian army, now drowned, Moses and the Israelites sing a hymn to God’s power, known as the Song of the Sea (Exodus 15:1–18). When they have finished, Miriam — now identified as a prophetess — takes a timbrel, and, along with the other Israelite women, dances and plays while singing the same hymn that Moses had just sung: “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has hurled into the sea!” (Exodus 15:21). In taking up the Song of the Sea, Miriam does more than simply echo Moses. She provides space for the Israelite women, so often subsumed into the Israelite community to have their own moment of celebration. In the entire Torah, this is

indeed the only place where the Israelite women act as a separate body. It may be no coincidence that this is the time and place, or that it is Miriam who steps forward. The drowning of the Pharaoh and the Egyptians in the waters of the Sea of Reeds echoes and reverses Pharaoh’s decree to drown the Israelite boys in the Nile. The women who saved Moses as a baby have now seen their brave choices pay off in the final elimination of the Egyptians. And who better than Miriam to lead them in celebrating their accomplishments? Less than a handful of episodes, yet Miriam is said by the prophet Micah to have been sent along with Moses and Aaron to redeem Israel from Egypt. In later Jewish tradition, Miriam’s role only grows in stature. Despite there being no mention of her having any children in the Bible, the tradition makes her the ancestor of both Bezalel, the architect of the Tabernacle, and of King David. Because she was labeled as a prophet, there are stories about her predicting that Moses would save Israel. Perhaps the most prominent postbiblical tradition, however, is that of Miriam’s well, a miraculous source of water that accompanied the Israelites through the wilderness — until Miriam’s death, when it disappeared.

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JEREMIAH: THE WEEPING PROPHET BY TERRA DOBSON

Meet & Greet Jeremiah was born in 650 BC. He grew up in the Benjamite village of Anathoth. It was a village northeast of Jerusalem. Jeremiah’s dad was Hilkiah. His father was

a Jewish priest (Jeremiah 1:1). According to biblical scholars, Jeremiah began his prophetic ministry before the age of twenty-five. He is affectionately known as the ‘weeping prophet.’ He de-

veloped this nickname due to his extreme love for God, which caused him to grieve over the stubbornness of God’s people. Also, due to the difficulties Jeremiah faced described in the books

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We must speak and say only what we hear the Father speaking to us. This is what I love about Jeremiah. He wasn’t afraid to speak the word of the Lord. The word God gave Jeremiah for Israel was to pluck up, to pull down, to destroy, to overthrow, to build, and to plant.

of Jeremiah and Lamentations. From my research, Jeremiah was mentored by Prophet Zephaniah and he was the cousin of Prophetess Huldah. Jeremiah is known as a major prophet due to his long tenure in ministry and the many chapters we read about him in the Bible. Jeremiah is the author of the books of Jeremiah, Kings, and Lamentations. In Jeremiah 36:4, we read that Jeremiah hired Baruch the scribe to help him record his prophecies on a scroll. Hence, fast-forwarding to this current moment, we view these chapters in our Bibles.

The Call of Jeremiah & His Assignment Jeremiah was called into his prophetic ministry around 626 BC. My mind can’t fathom how long ago that was. What amazes me is how God preserves His word, and how we read about Jeremiah’s ministry today like it recently occurred. Jeremiah 1:4-19 is my favorite passage of scripture. I want to encourage you to stop and take a moment to read these scripture verses. Wow, this blows my mind! It blows my mind that God called Jeremiah into ministry when he was in his mother’s womb. God had a unique plan for Jeremiah’s life before he was born. Jeremiah didn’t call himself into ministry, but our sovereign God appointed Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations. This was so much more than just making Jeremiah famous and his name great. It was about bringing deliverance and restoration to God’s chosen people, Israel. Jeremiah is chosen by God to be his mouth-piece. Not only did Jeremiah walk in the office of a prophet, but God gave him the ability to see into the spiritual realm. He was a seer. We need to ask God to touch our eyes to help us have the ability to see with our spiritual eyes. The world is more than what we physically see. Lastly, we must pray to ask God to touch our mouth as

he did with Jeremiah. We must speak and say only what we hear the Father speaking to us. No more or no less, only what the Holy Spirit places within our mouths. This is what I love about Jeremiah. He wasn’t afraid to speak the word of the Lord. The word God gave Jeremiah for Israel was to pluck up, to pull down, to destroy, to overthrow, to build, and to plant (Jeremiah 1:9-10). Jeremiah was told by God not to marry (Jeremiah 16:1-2). This didn’t stop Jeremiah from being faithful to his ministry and obedient to the Father. We must ask ourselves this question: are you willing to follow God against all odds and obey Him when our desires are different from what God wants us to do? Jeremiah’s ministry wasn’t popular and it wasn’t glamorous. Jeremiah was rejected by the people over and over again. Jeremiah suffered assassination attempts by his own people (Jeremiah 11:21-23), a priest and temple official had Jeremiah beaten and put in stocks for a day (Jeremiah 20:2), and he was thrown into a cistern to starve to death (Jeremiah 38-40). These are some of the persecutions Jeremiah endured in his ministry. For Jeremiah, it wasn’t about a popularity contest to be a prophet. Jeremiah complained about him being a

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For Jeremiah, it wasn’t about a popularity contest to be a prophet. Jeremiah complained about him being a laughingstock and a target of mockery by the people. These are some of the persecutions Jeremiah endured in his ministry.

laughingstock and a target of mockery by the people (Jeremiah 20:7). However, he didn’t give up or quit. God placed His Word so deeply into Jeremiah that if Jeremiah tried to be quiet and not mention God’s name, God’s Word would become as a fire inside of him and he had to release it (Jeremiah 20:9). Jeremiah couldn’t keep God’s word hidden. Jeremiah had to stay loyal to God, his calling, and his assignment. Jeremiah’s ministry covered the reign of five kings of Judah. The kings were Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim,

Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. Jeremiah’s ultimate ministry assignment was to urge God’s people to turn from their sins and return their hearts back to God. Their problem was the people were participating in false and insincere worship. They practiced idolatry. The people served and worshipped false gods. Plus, the people failed to trust God in national affairs. This sounds like the current state of our nation. As in Jeremiah’s days, we as a nation must repent and turn our hearts back to God (2 Chronicles 7:14). This is the only way a spiritual awakening will transpire in our world.

Jeremiah was divinely called and appointed by God. This is good news. His calling didn’t begin when he was born. His calling began before God created his mother and father. This revelation illustrates to me that God has given each of us a divine calling. However, it’s up to us to seek God for revelation as to what is our purpose. Jeremiah wasn’t a part of ministry for his own selfish ambitions. Again, he was handpicked by God to be an oracle to God’s chosen people (Israel). If you are reading this, you are handpicked by God. You have a unique assignment that no one can fulfill except for you.

Why is Jeremiah my favorite prophet and our similarities?

As I stated earlier, Jeremiah was relentless. He didn’t stop preaching because people wanted him to be quiet or shut up. In most cases, they didn’t agree with his message. They strongly disliked the word Jeremiah ministered to the people. Glory to God for Jeremiah being constant in season and out of season. His delivering God’s Words wasn’t based on if the people liked it or not, but his loyalty to God. Like Jeremiah, our hearts and motives have to be pure before the Father. We can’t minister what we deem as popular to the people and what we think will entertain/ excite people, but only what we hear the Father speaking. Jeremiah stayed in the council and presence of God

What I love most about Jeremiah is his boldness! Despite everything Jeremiah endured, he refused to quit! Jeremiah continued to boldly prophesy and proclaim God’s Word. He didn’t allow the rejection, people’s opinions, and the assassination attempts to stop his purpose. He knew God called him and no one could derail his purpose. We must be willing to walk in our assignment no matter what. We have no excuses to not fulfill our purpose. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) Another thing I want to point out about this prophet is he didn’t call himself into ministry.

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to ensure he had a divine revelation from God. Likewise, we must do the same. I applaud Jeremiah for being faithful to his calling. We must reflect the same. Be faithful to God’s leading and not the leading of man. When God called me into ministry, He would always have me to read Jeremiah’s calling (Jeremiah 1). Like Jeremiah, when I began in ministry, I had so many insecurities and I didn’t feel adequate. I love how Jeremiah tried to give excuses in the beginning of ministry. Jeremiah told God he couldn’t speak because he was only a youth (inexperienced), and afraid (Jeremiah 1:6-9). God was like…, “Um, nice try Jeremiah, but I’m not buying these excuses.” God knew the gifts and talents He had placed with Jeremiah. The same for us! We have to say later for the excuses. God knew us before we were in our mother’s womb. Stop looking at what you can do through your own abilities, but we have to see what we can do through God’s Spirit. Lastly, when God called Jeremiah, he was in his early twenties. With my ministry calling, I was in my twenties. I have suffered extreme rejection by people due to my love, peculiarities, and obedience to God. For the record, I haven’t suffered to the extent of Jeremiah. However, I can relate to Jeremiah’s isolation and loneli-

ness in ministry. I love how God uses the weak things of this world to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). You might think you don’t matter or fit in. However, like Jeremiah, God is going to use you for His purposes and His glory. God has a unique plan for you! Conclusion I don’t care how many times I read and study Jeremiah. God always gives me fresh revelation concerning his ministry. Jeremiah was a prophet called by God to preach and prophesy against Israel’s idolatry and pagan worship. Also, he challenged the false prophets during his time. Despite his opposition, Jeremiah remained steadfast to his purpose and the message God had given him to deliver. He didn’t waiver or quit! Jeremiah was a prolific prophet. God gave Jeremiah great insight and revelation. God gave Jeremiah a timeless message, which is relevant for today. My favorite scriptures inspired by this prophet are the following: ● “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.” (Jeremiah 29:11) ● “Call unto me, I will answer thee, and show the great and mighty things, which thou knows not.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

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Jeremiah was relentless. He didn’t stop preaching because people wanted him to be quiet or shut up. In most cases, they didn’t agree with his message. They strongly disliked the word Jeremiah ministered to the people. Glory to God for Jeremiah being constant in season and out of season.

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DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE BY PASTOR BRIAN MACHACHE

When the [uncompromisingly] righteous triumph, there is great glory and celebration; but when the wicked rise [to power], men hide themselves (Proverbs 28:12 AMP)

• In the neighborhood

• They will mock you.

• At work

• They will criticize you.

• At school

• They will discourage you.

• In the family

• They will fight you.

(Proverbs 24:1, Romans 12:21, Psalm 34:14, Luke 6:27, 33, 35, Galatians 6:10)

• At church

• They will speak negative things about you.

You will meet difficult people everywhere:

It doesn’t matter the number of good things you do. You will still meet difficult people in life.

• They will tell lies about you. • They will steal from you.

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It doesn’t matter the number of good things you do. You will still meet difficult people in life

CULT PEOPLE • They can steal your joy. • They can steal your faith in God. • They can cause you to lose your focus. • They can cause you to live a bitter life. • They can cause you to give up on life.

• They will threaten you All great men in the Bible came across difficult people in their journey: • Joseph • David • Jesus • Paul CHARACTERISTICS OF DIFFICULT PEOPLE • Some are agents of the devil sent to stop you. • Some are immature people who need your help. • Some are wounded people seeking revenge. • Some are jealous people seeking for relevance. • Some are proud people who never want to see anyone above them. • Some are failures in life looking for people to perish with them. WHY YOU NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT DIFFI-

• They can cause you to move out of God’s will for your life. WHAT DOES THE PRESENCE OF DIFFICULT PEOPLE MEAN? • It means there is a great destiny upon your life. • It means there are leadership qualities in you. • It means you are a threat to the kingdom of darkness. • It means you have great potential. • It means you are an overcomer. • It means you are on the right track. MISTAKES THAT YOU SHOULD NEVER MAKE • Don’t be afraid of people (Proverbs 29:25, Matthew 10:28). • Don’t worship people. • Don’t allow people to determine what you be-

come in life. • Don’t try to please people at the expense of your relationship with God Acts 5:29, John 12:43). • Don’t hold grudges with anyone. • Don’t major on other people’s issues to the extent of diverting from your God-given assignment. HOW TO HANDLE DIFFICULT PEOPLE: • Love them • Pray for them • Forgive them • Do good for them • Preach to them

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PROPHET AMOS BY YOLANDA SAMUELS

Prophet Amos was one who tended to the flock of sheep or goat. He calls himself a herdsman (Amos 7:14). The Bible also states he took care of sycamore trees and gathered the fruit. God sent him to minister in the northern kingdom of Israel, although he lived in Tekoa, a town located in the southern kingdom of Judah. He was a prophet to the nations.

Why are they your favorite prophet? Amos wasn’t originally called to be a prophet. He was doing his natural job and God called him. His name means ‘burden bearer.’ When God called him, he did not hesitate to answer the call. He could have made excuses, but he didn’t. He left his homeland to preach a harsh message of judgement to the northern kingdom of

Israel. He was not a “professional prophet.” He had no former training. He spoke to those who were comfortable with complacent. Amos 7:14 says, “I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, but I was a sheep-breeder and a tender of sycamore fruit.” He was not afraid to say what God said. How do you relate to them? As a new member of a

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I spent several years serving as an usher in the church. I was told I was called to be a prophet. I knew some things about the prophetic, but I never flowed in my gift in public. This time, the Lord sent me as a watchman to this ministry. Not long after I got there, the Lord gave me a word of correction for the church.

ministry, I spent several years serving as an usher in the church. I was told I was called to be a prophet. I knew some things about the prophetic, but I never flowed in my gift in public. This time, the Lord sent me as a watchman to this ministry. Not long after I got there, the Lord gave me a word of correction for the church. I gave the word and many were shocked and offended. God called out many things only He could have known. I was only a member for a few months. He revealed

what was in the foundation of the ministry. Many members were playing a role and He called it out. Some were thankful; others began to distance themselves from me. What opposition did they face? With delivering a word from the Lord, there will usually be someone who is offended. Amaziah was not thrilled with having a prophet come from another town to rebuke them. He complained to Jeroboam, king of Israel. He lied and said Amos was leading a conspiracy against the king and his preaching should not be tolerated. Amaziah told Amos to leave before he would be arrested. He tried to intimidate him. He was angry that Amos was calling out sin and their disobedience. Even though they were worshipping idols, who was Amos to call that out when King Jeroboam had this chapel built? Prophet Amos was not going anywhere; he had a job to do. What was their assignment? Prophet Amos was sent to warn the people. He gave eight pronouncements, which were five visions and three sermons. He gave warnings of coming disaster because the people were complacent, committing idolatry, and oppressing the poor. He told the people

how God hated hypocrisy. The people said with their mouths they loved Him, but their hearts were far from Him. He encouraged the people to check and renew their hearts on a daily basis. He cried aloud and spared not (Isaiah 58:1). He had a vision of a plumb line. A plumb line is a string with weight attached to the other end so it will hand straight down. A plumb line is what is used by building inspectors to see how well the masons or bricklayers did in building a building. The Lord was going to test the wall Israel built. Just like Prophet Amos, many did not want to hear what the Lord gave me. It wasn’t my job to sugar coat what He said. Hebrews 12:6 says, “For whom the Lord loves, He chastens.” Correction is always for our good. God loved them enough to send them a warning. It was up to the people to take heed. God knew he could trust Prophet Amos to deliver His messages without compromise.

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PROPHET SAMUEL BY DELISIA JAMES Samuel is my favorite prophet because he represented righteousness and the authority of God. He called the people into obedience and he really cared and was concerned for the people. He was always praying for them (1 Samuel 12:18; 16:4-5; 7:7-8; 15:11). Prophet Samuel was the first of prophets after Moses and the last Judge of Israel. Samuel operated in many roles: seer, priest judge, prophet, and military leader. He was faithful to the Father and about His business and his words never fell to the ground. He didn’t compromise in the will of the Father in his life. He responded to the people justly with integrity and with the love of the Father. Samuel loved the people sincerely. This can be seen in his actions, not just with his words. I feel like I relate to the prophet Samuel as being called at a young age. I recall hearing the Father’s voice at the age of six and not recognizing it. Quick testimony: I was in the bathroom playing in the water in the sink with toys. At that time we where in a big house in the country and it was just me and my uncle who really could not walk. He was in another

room down the hall with the tv turned up. As I was playing in the water in the sink, I heard the Father say, “Won’t you go outside and play.” Of course, I looked around like, “What was that voice?” The second time it got louder so I listen. As I was walking out of the bathroom, I heard a loud beeping noise down the hall. I shut the door behind me as I stepped outside. I heard a loud explosion and the house shook. I ran around the back of the house to see what the noise was and the bathroom was gone. The water heater had exploded. After I started having visions and dreams and hearing the Father’s voice, but I was not in the right environment for it to be cultivated so I could understand. I love the people of God with a sincere love and want to see people free and prosper in the things of God. The opposition that Prophet Samuel faced was living with having to tell Eli that his house has fallen (1 Samuel 13:1-4:22). Prophet Samuel had to rebuke Saul and prophesy his downfall because he went ahead of him (1 Samuel 13:8-15). Prophet Samuel had to tell Saul that God rejected him because

he disobeyed the Lord (1 Samuel15:10-25). Prophet Samuel repeated Eli’s sin by appointing his sons Joel and Abijah to be Israel’s leaders. Like Eli’s sons, Prophet Samuel’s sons were not the best pick for this role as they turned toward wickedness similar to Eli’s sons (1 Samuel 8:1-3). The people wanted a king and it made Samuel disappointed. He warned the people about burdens that would be put on them if they got a king (1 Samuel 1:4-6). Prophet Samuel’s assignment was to govern the people, watch over them, and call the people back to God, causing them to put down their idols, repent, and get back into right standing with God (1 Samuel 7-8); to lead the people in a righteous and just way, dethrone kings, set up kings, anoint, and to appoint; and (2 Samuel 23:3) (1 Samuel 16) (1 Samuel 10-1) (1 Samuel 15) to oversee and judge difficult situations by settling disputes the people had ( 1 Samuel 7:16). Because of his assignment, he led Israel to a great victory over the Philistines at Ebenezer (1 Samuel 7:10-12).

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PROPHETESS ANNA BY ALLENA DOUGLAS-BRATHWAITE I chose to write about Prophetess Anna. She is not as popular as some of the more popular Prophetesses and could be easily overlooked. Many probably haven’t heard of Prophetess Anna’s story in the Bible. Prophetess Anna’s story is told in Luke 2:36-38. Even though her story is told in three scriptures, there is an incredible story of redemption, hope, and fulfillment of prophecy and work for the Kingdom. Luke 2:36-38 (KJV) 36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem Anna was married at a young age for 7 years and her husband died. That in itself is terrible, but in a culture where women depended

on men in many ways, I can only imagine the extra grief that was set before Anna. Anna heard from God and fully committed her life to God with a life of submission and went to the temple and didn’t leave. Anna chose to serve God. For 84 years, she fasted, worshipped, prayed, witnessed, and prophesied to all she encountered. I can relate to Prophetess Anna because I have been overlooked or went through things during my assignment I felt as though I was in isolation because I was unknown. But like Anna, I depended on God. I remained faithful. In the end, God was glorified. Prophetess Anna is a role model for Prophetesses. Her story teaches that: • We must follow God’s voice and to never give up (Hebrews 12); • Follow God’s voice. He is faithful (1 Peter 4:10-14); and • Be strong and courageous. God will not leave you (Deut 31:6). Anna put her trust in God to provide for her. She lived a life of full-time ministry. God did provide (Phil 4:19). Fast-

ing produces greater results and should be practiced by prophets (Acts14:22). Anna was committed (Romans 5:3-5). Anna was a strong witness( mouth piece for God). She told everyone she encountered about Christ and about the goodness of God (1 John 2:28). Anna stood firm in the knowledge that she was called as a Prophetess and that this was her assignment. This was an era where men were mainly given this type of power in ministry. However, Anna was backed by the Power of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Anna’s assignment is one of the greatest examples of perseverance there is and how God’s plan strategically worked. Anna’s devotion and continued commitment were rewarded with an encounter with the Savior that she prophesied about and told others of. Anna waited on the Lord and was blessed to bring honor and witness to the coming and consecration of the baby Jesus. After highlighting this awesome Prophetess’s story, I hope that we can learn and model even just an ounce of her characteristics for the Kingdom.

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PROPHET MOSES BY ANNETTE STADMIRE

I love the story of Moses because as a child, I watched it on television during the holiday seasons. With a childlike mind, I believe that Moses was the closest human being to God. With my eyes, I wanted to find and believe that there were many leaders around me that could represent a Moses. I truly thought my mother certainly was a Moses who showed leadership and strength. As my mother did her daily duties around the

house. She would bust out with songs of praise to God and people in their homes would listen as her voice echoed throughout the community. She always said to her children, â&#x20AC;&#x153;God has a plan for you.â&#x20AC;? As the story of Moses unfolds to me, according to the Book of Exodus, the children of Israel were held in bondage for 400 years due to the insecurities of Pharaoh. Being fearful of the children of

Israel because they exceeded in such a great number of people, Pharaoh had a bitter cold heart against the children of Israel. Out of his hateful heart, they suffered while enduring hard labor with despair, yet they cried out the more for God to deliver them. This made Pharaoh establish a decree to kill all male children who were Hebrews. He spared the lives of the girls because he could use them for domestic purposes such as cleaning,

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I truly thought my mother certainly was a Moses who showed leadership and strength. As my mother did her daily duties around the house.got there, the Lord gave me a word of correction for the church.

cooking, sewing, and gardening, etc. Exodus 2 indicates that the parents of Moses were Amran, his father, and Jochebed, his mother. Moses was the third child and yet he was such an extraordinary and bright child. Unbeknownst to his parents, God had a plan. This child has been ordained and appointed even though Pharaoh carried out his plans of killing all Hebrew boys. As the soldiers went door to door looking, Moses’s parents hid him. It’s hard to imagine as a parent the thought of someone taking your child’s life and hearing all around you the screams of parents’ children being murdered. Because of his size, Moses’s

parents could no longer hide him. Moses’s mother placed him in a basket along the Nile River with his sister far off watching the basket. That day Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah came to the river to bathe. Upon seeing this basket in the water, she discovers a child in it. With amazement and joy, she knew the child was Hebrew because of the cloth he was wrapped in. She took him and hid his identity because of the decree made against Hebrew male children and gave him the name Moses. She raised him in wealth and luxury and gave him the education as an Egyptian. Moses was very gifted, intelligent, skillful, and strong. He stood as a leader but was very humble and compassionate to the slaves, which unknowingly were his own people. Upon killing one of the taskmasters because of the brutal treatment of the slaves, he was forced to flee because he took the life of an Egyptian soldier. He finds himself in the wilderness with nothing. I can relate to Moses being in the wilderness land losing everything that brought comfort in my life and having people show you love and then turn their backs on you. I’ve had people make false promises. Those who said, “I would always love and care for you,” ended in disappointments. Through

this, you learn the reality that people will hurt you and break promises they cannot keep. Situations happen in your life to draw you to seek out God for the reasons of why you. God still has a plan out of a mess for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11). Moses learns to live in the desert with everything but the luxury he’s grown accustomed to as an Egyptian. He married the daughter of Jethro, who was a priest of Midian. Moses’s wife’s name was Zipporah. She bore two sons with him. He was a sheep handler. Eventually, Moses ventured up to the mountain where God was and God revealed himself to Moses. Moses began to learn who God was. He was building his confidence and faith for the assignment of returning to Egypt. His assignment was to lead the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. God gives him instructions on what to do. The opposition he will face is the very house he was raised in. Pharaoh and his army laughed, mocked, and scorned him. Moses saw the bitter cold heart Pharaoh has. No matter what obstacles Moses encountered, he came out victorious. This experience shows me that no matter what Red Sea I cross, I will come out victorious as did the children of Israel.

REJOICE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BY KIMBERLY MOSES

We all heard horror stories about husbands beating on their wives or the wife pouring hot grits on their cheating spouse. Most of us have watched, “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” which was Tina Turner’s life story. We were horrified as we watched Lawrence Fishbone, who played Ike Turner beat Angela Bassett, who played Tina. Some were empowered as Tina started to fight back. I will never forget that famous car scene when she bit Ike. Many have heard about Lorena Bobbitt, who cut off her ex-husband’s penis. Lifetime Movie Network recently aired her story. When she committed this act, many

people have never heard of such a thing and she became a worldwide sensation and jokes of many headlines. Some may feel like her husband deserved it because he beat her for years. Others may feel like violence isn’t the way. Do you feel like Lorena Bobbitt was right? Domestic violence was embedded in me because that’s all I knew. I grew up fighting and I always condoned violence. I am the oldest of four girls and my poor sister Ashley was a victim. I used to scratch her every time she messed with my toys. I got plenty of spankings, but they didn’t help. I was very possessive. I remember when I was five years old,

scratching up Robbie’s face. He was a little mean white boy who picked on me all the time. He was a bully and he took my toys. He didn’t expect me to fight back, but I always did. I couldn’t beat him because he was faster and stronger, so I scratched to leave my mark. I used to feel like if I am going to fight someone, then I will go crazy so they will leave me alone. One day Robbie took one of my toys and I couldn’t get it back. So I found a big rock and threw it. It hit the center of his back. He fell over in pain and I ran as fast I could into the house and locked the door. Later his mother, Claudia, came over to talk to my mother. My mom pretended she was upset with

REJOICE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020

me in front of her but after Claudia left, she told me, “Good. That kid will never mess with you again or steal your toys.” She was right. The bully became scared of me. I never had to worry about Robbie pushing me off my bike, stealing my jump rope, or calling me names ever again. I used to be really angry and I fought almost every week in middle school and my freshman year of High School. The girls didn’t like me and they never gave me a chance based on how I looked. I went through puberty early so I was developed at the age of twelve. The kids used to pick on me being top heavy and spread rumors about me. I never forgot when I beat up a little boy named Antwan. He teased me every day in my 7th grade year. I was so afraid of him and embarrassed about my body. I used to cry and tell my mother, “Mom, the kids at school are saying that I stuff my bra.” She would get upset because no mother wants to see their children hurting. Since Antwan spread many rumors about me in school, most of the kids believed it. One day after lunch, we were standing in line. Antwan hit me and I just exploded on him in anger. I blacked out and slammed him into the wall. He was taller and stronger than me. I guess the adrenaline gave me the strength to fight him.

I was tired of him making my life miserable and touching me was the last straw. The next thing I know is that I hit his back with my fist multiple times and scratched his face up. The crazy part is that he never got any hits after that initial hit. The teacher pulled me off him and I had to do after school detention for two weeks. Now the tables were turned. The kids started teasing Antwan for getting beat up by a girl. I had a trend of violence because that’s how I was raised. I watched my aunt get dragged out of homes because she would flip on women that wanted her husband. Someone had to intervene so the women wouldn’t be hospitalized due to my aunt’s temper. I witnessed my mother get drunk and call people to curse them out. All these experiences factored into my life big time. I will discuss further in a later section of how I was violent in relationships. Domestic Violence was a big part of my first marriage. When things turned sour, we both hit each other. I had to complete 36 domestic violence classes while I was on probation. It wasn’t fun. I was so depressed and stopped attending class for about three months. My probation officer threatened to have me arrested for not completing them. So I went to class broken on the verge of weeping. My classmates

encouraged me to keep coming and the instructor favored me. He doubled and sometimes tripled up the classes in one setting, so I was able to finish quicker and on time with the rest of my classmates before a new group arrived. I have learned the hard way of not being angry. It’s not worth hitting, destroying property, or getting in your flesh. We will be discussing various domestic violence topics, so you don’t make the same mistakes. With Jesus in my life, I am a different woman. I no longer fulfill that mad black woman stereotype. Many people always tell me how quiet and meek I am. That’s God! If they would’ve seen me years ago, then they would have said, “There’s no hope for that one.” However, God has a way of turning the worse people’s lives around. Whether you are the assaulter or the victim, God can transform you from the inside out. Now, it actually takes a lot for me to snap. When I said, “I am not going back to jail for no one,” I meant that. It’s not worth it. I learned to let God fight my battles. I can’t change anyone but He can. We are going to go deep as we discuss domestic violence. Are you ready? Put in the comments if you had a history of violence or any feedback for this blog. Don’t forget to share on your networks and subscribe to our mailing list.

REJOICE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020