Breaking the Generational Curse

2 Chronicles 16:9

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

I love the scripture verse above! God is looking for someone to bless! I've got my hand up, saying, "Lord, please choose me!" So, what about you? Are you seeking to get your heart and mind to agree that they need to be perfect toward Him, so that He can show Himself strong in your situation?

Today's lesson is a quick overview of how we can - and should - get our heart and mind to fully agree with God.

The simple answer to this question is, of course, by studying His Word! Not by reading a lot of bible study devotionals. Not by solely living off of what the preacher, teacher, prophet, apostle or evangelist have said. And, not by simply reading over the Word of God. No, scripture says that we are to study the scriptures while pondering or meditating upon every word. In doing so, the Word of God transforms our hearts and minds, thus, allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us exactly what it is that God is saying to us right now. He wants to communicate truths that will help each of us in our daily lives... right now!

We should always approach His Word with an open slate saying, "Holy Spirit, teach me." If we have a true desire to break away from generational curses, we cannot go to God's Word while determining to hold fast to own erroneous ideas about His precepts. We should never try to find scripture that supports our personal belief system BUT RATHER find God's truths that change our minds about our personal belief system. As born-again believer's who should become more like Christ everyday, we must cultivate a humble and willing attitude that seeks to know God's Kingdom mysteries, precept upon precept, realizing that He will not force us to do so. In addition, we should never base our faith in God, or form an opinion about God's will, upon the foundation of our personal experiences. Instead, our faith in God should be solely hinged upon His Word - His Commands - His Promises - His Holiness.

In looking at some basic fundamentals of How to Break Generational Curses, or better said, How to Live in Generational Blessings, I'd like to offer you a brief outline to the question... "How do we break destructive, dysfunctional cycles that seem to be passed from one generation to another in our family tree?"

The outline below is NOT exhaustive, BUT, it will get you started on the right path to healing and wholeness...

1) You must PASS THE TEST! What test? Whatever test life presents to you. You must fight to win the battle according to God's promises. Isaiah 48:10 & 1 Peter 1:7

2) Agree to lay your life down for the cause of Christ. Rev. 12:11 & Galatians 2:20 & John 12:24

3) Separate yourself and come our from among them (could be family or family traditions & beliefs). 2 Corinthians 6:17 & Matthew 19:29

4) Repent from ALL known sin... CHANGE YOUR MIND! 1 Kings 8:47-51 & Acts 2:38 & Acts 3:19 & Psalm 51:10

5) Identify and renounce ALL known curses and their origin (the root cause)... decide in your heart and mind to never again make up excuses or exemptions for you or your family members being disobedient to God's word. (Note: You do NOT need to try and "fix" your extended family members. Your job is to LOVE THEM, but not accept their value system if it does not agree with the word of the Lord.) 2 Corinthians 10:5-6 &

6) Do things God's way... IN LOVE! 1 Corinthians 13:8

7) Seek BALANCE in your understanding of God's word... RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE WORD OF TRUTH... find the sweet spot in your belief system! 2 Timothy 2:15

8) Trust in God's LOVE and POWER to set you and your household FREE! Romans 5:8-9

9) Drive out iniquity with the TRUTH applied in LOVE. Psalm 109:14 & Ezekiel 3:18 & Matthew 23:28

10) Pull down STRONGHOLDS in your mind that hinder you from understanding God's Kingdom principles. 2 Corinthians 10:4

11) Stop trying to qualify God's word according to your life experience. Deut. 5:33 & Joshua 22:5

12) Cast away all religious dogma (sayings, questionable denominational beliefs, unbalanced truth, etc.) and seek the BALANCED TRUTH straight from God's word. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you. Colossians 2:8 & 1 Timothy 4:1

13) Change your mind about sickness, disease, poverty, addictions and shortcomings of any kind. Just because it is a fact, does not mean it is God's will... nor does it mean that it is God's truth concerning that situation. Exodus 15:26 & Psalm 103:3 & Deut. 28 & Luke 6:19

14) Don't be a rebel against the ways of God or the teachings of God or the holiness of God. - 1 Samuel 15:23 "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king."

GOD LOVES YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND HE WANTS YOU WHOLE!

FOR MORE ON TODAY'S MINI LESSON...

Invite Deborah Ross to teach/preach/speak at your church or next event. 

Consider one of these conferences...

Keepin' It Real Women's Conference

911 Marriage Conference.

Please check out her website and let us know how we can serve at your location! www.DeborahRossMinistries.org

Deborah Ross Ministries, Inc.

P.O. Box 2186

Indian Trail, NC 28079

Start Over

When you've trusted God and walked His way
When you've felt His hand lead you day by day
But your steps now take you another way...
Start over.

When you've made your plans and they've gone awry
When you've tried your best and there's no more try
When you've failed yourself and you don't know why...
Start over.

When you've told your friends what you plan to do
When you've trusted them and they didn't come through
And you're all alone and it's up to you...
Start over.

When you've failed your kids and they're grown and gone
When you've done your best but it's turned out wrong
And now your grandchildren come along...
Start over.

When you've prayed to God so you'll know His will
When you've prayed and prayed and you don't know still
When you want to stop cause you've had your fill...
Start over.

When you think you're finished and want to quit
When you've bottomed out in life's deepest pit
When you've tried and tried to get out of it...
Start over.

When the year has been long and successes few
When December comes and you're feeling blue
God gives a January just for you...
Start over.

Starting over means "Victories Won"
Starting over means "A Race Well Done"
Starting over means "God's Will Done"
Don't just sit there...

START OVER!

Author Unknown - from Email Ministry

Being Strong and of Good Courage in Marriage

1 Chronicles 22:13


Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.

When you think of someone who is brave, what comes to your mind?  Do you think of a soldier who is not afraid to invade enemy territory?  Maybe you visualize a skydiver who thinks nothing of jumping from an airplane.  Often times you may stand in amazement at the person who is not afraid to take on a "bigger than life" project.  Or, perhaps your thoughts of bravery imagine someone who has the confidence to speak before large crowds of people.  For some, being brave simply means not being afraid of the dark. 

In the word of God, we are admonished, over-and-over again, to trust the Lord in all things.  Trusting in God requires faith.  When we act upon our faith - by obeying the voice of the Lord - we step out into the unknown, which requires bravery.  Then, once we move toward acquiring what the Lord says we can have, we must remain strong and of good courage so that the devil's sure resistance (which tries to thwart God's promises) won't cause us to back down from our obedience. 

Did you know that marriage requires us to be strong and of good courage?  From the moment we say "I Do" and throughout our entire journey of life's ups and downs, marriage requires bravery!

Let's think, first, about the obstacles in life that tend to cause many marriages to dissolve:  communication problems, financial problems, sexual problems, children problems, in-law problems, agreement problems, spiritual/church problems, addiction problems, sickness problems, adultery problems, lack of team work problems... and the list goes on.  The devil comes up with nothing new.  He throws the same stumbling blocks across the path of every marriage.  Why?  Because marriage is a sacred covenant ordained of God that brings multiplication to His Kingdom.  Godly marriages produce a lineage of faith and so the devil tries everything in his power to destroy God's formula for creating generational blessings upon the earth. 

Joshua 1:6


Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

So, what is a person to do when faced with crippling hardships in their marriage?  The answer:  FIGHT!  Now, we are never instructed to fight against flesh and blood.  Instead, the Lord teaches us to war against principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness.  When we fully understand the Lord's desire for us to trust in His love, we will then be able to free-fall into the arms of our faith knowing that His promises not only can, but will, bring healing and blessing to our marriage.  God is "for" our marriage.  He is "for" our family.  The Lord is "for" the salvation of every person and He wants every marriage to inherit a land that is flowing with milk and honey.

In Numbers 13, when Moses sends twelve spies out to report back about the Promised Land of Canaan, ten of the twelve came back with fear and doubt.  Yes, they saw a land that flowed with milk and honey just as God had promised.  Yet, because they also saw giants in the land, they assumed that it would be impossible for them to ever obtain what the Lord had promised to give them.  Ten of the spies allowed fear to overrule bravery; and, therefore, God did not allow them to enter into that place of victory where they could eat of the fruit of His bountiful inheritance.

On the other hand, Joshua and Caleb - who saw the exact same thing as the other ten spies, were not afraid of the giants.  God's promises were magnified in their hearts and minds above the obstacles that their eyes beheld.  Only Joshua and Caleb came back to report that they were ready to fight for their inheritance.  These two spies were confident that the Lord would give them what He had promised.  They believed that God was on their side and that He would make a way where there seemed to be no way.

Sadly, the tens spies who feared fighting for God's promises encouraged the entire congregation of Israel to walk in terror.  They began to murmur and complain about their circumstance instead of speaking to their trepidation according to the word of the Lord.  Because of their unbelief, that entire generation of God's chosen people died in the wilderness, having never walked in the promised land.

Isn't the voice of those doubting spies much like the call of the world today which says, "If things get too tough in marriage, get a divorce.  After-all, the giant of adultery... or, the giant of addiction... or, the giant of financial pressure is just too overwhelming to ever overcome.  God didn't really intend for your promised land of marriage to come with so many battles, did He?  You are justified to murmur and complain against your spouse and against the commandments of God.  It's OK to vindicate bitterness in your mind toward those who seem to have it so easy in their marriage.  You'll never defeat these giants in your life.  You'll be better off to die single than to fight this battle of trying to stay married.  Patience and forgiveness are just too hard."

Choosing to enter into battle in order to gain victory requires bravery.  In Joshua 1:7, the Lord says to, "Only be strong and very courageous... turn not from it to the right hand or to the left..."  When faced with marital hardships that seem impossible to overcome, that is just the time to trust the Lord in all things.  It's easy to trust God during times of peace, but the real test of our faith comes when we can believe him in the times of our troubles. 

Remember, God will allow His children to choose their path.  Then, just as He provided for the children of Israel after they rebelled against His commandments by refusing to fight for their promised land, He will also provide for His children who bail out of their marriage.  Still, there will always be that unknown blessing that could have been obtained if only married couples would be strong and courageous in every battle that is set before them.  Like the Israelite's who never lived in the promised land, those who give up in their marriage will never experience the blessings that only come through entering into battle.

The Lord has a land of milk and honey in mind for every marriage and every family.  He paints a picture of it in His word and then places those desires in our hearts.  Yes, He wants His children to have His best and He will be faithful to His word if we will just believe Him and fight against the powers of darkness which try to divert His plan.  Marriage takes courage.  It requires bravery.  But, oh, the prize that awaits those who - like Joshua and Caleb - magnify the promises of the Lord above the obstacles in life.

Some powerful visualizations to help you endure the conflicts that are sure to come in marriage might include:  Think of one day sitting in a rocker on your front, with your false teeth, and looking over at your spouse to say, "We made it!"  Think of the joy of winning battles together and then testifying of God's power working in your lives.  Think of growing old with someone who has seen you at your worst and at your best, yet, still finds you the most beautiful creature on the face of the earth.  Finally, think of taking your last breathe as you reflect on the memories of your children, your grand-children, and maybe even your great grand-children whom you have watched inherit generational blessings because of your obedience to fight for the things of God. 

Marriage should be a picture of our relationship with Christ.  In our marriage to Jesus, we are confident that He will never leave us nor forsake us - no matter how we sin against Him, and no matter what our faults.  The Lord is always there for us.  In this same way, we should be resolute to our marriage vows as we stand in bravery with our mate (who is sure to disappoint us many times over throughout the course of a life-time).  Finally, marriage should be an unwavering commitment to the love story of 1 Corinthians 13 which states:

1 Corinthians 13:4-8:

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.Charity never faileth:

Will you choose to fight for your promised land?  Will you choose to be strong and of good courage in your marriage?  Because... marriage requires bravery!

By: Deborah Ross

www.DeborahRossMinistries.org

www.HealingABrokenMarriage.com

Investing Your Talents

James 2:26
     "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."   

Are you living for Jesus? I mean, is your whole heart sold out to Him so that every fiber of your being lives for Him on a daily basis? Or, are you lukewarm in your relationship with Christ? Maybe you love to hear the good news preached - as it tickles your ears. Or, perhaps you really enjoy hearing others testify of their faith. But you? Well, you're just not there, yet. 

The Lord is very specific in the scriptures that He wants our whole heart (Psalm 138:1 & Jeremiah 24:7). He wants our absolute allegiance because He knows that it is only through our complete surrender that we position ourselves to receive the blessings He so lovingly desires to give to each of us.

In thinking of giving him your whole heart, I have a couple of questions for you today:

1) Are you born-again? Do you know the time and the place where you chose to follow Christ and repented from your sin? You must be born-again in order to see the Kingdom of God come to pass in your life! - John 3:3

2) Are you plugged into a Bible believing church? The Bible tells us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. - Hebrews 10:25

3) Are you using your time, talents and resources for His glory? I am thinking of the parable in Matthew 25:14-30 where each servant is given a certain amount of talents and time, but the person who received only one talent was afraid to invest and so he hid his one talent in the ground until his master returned. This did not make his master very happy - at all.

God has called each of us into His ministry here on earth.  Now, it doesn't necessarily mean that each of us is to be an "official" apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher (Ephesians 4:11),  but it does mean that we each have a unique gift - or perhaps many gifts - that are to be used in the body of Christ for the growth and expansion of the Kingdom of God.  In fact, Romans 12:1 says that we should present our bodies as a living sacrifice because that is our reasonable service to the Lord.

So, how are YOU using your gifts for the glory of God?  How are you presenting your body as a living sacrifice unto the Lord?  I remind you that the evil servant in Matthew 25 who was afraid to invest his talent was stripped of his one gift when his master returned (Matthew 25:28).  So, no matter whether you are rich or poor; whether you have many skills or just one; whether you are outgoing or rather quiet in nature; or, whether you are young or old - God wants YOU to participate in His Kingdom Work with what you have!

So, whether giving Time, Talents, or Resources, know that God has placed each of us in His body so that we all work together to accomplish His Will.  Every Christian has something to give.  He has made sure that every individual has something they can do.  Let's not sit back and expect everyone else to do the work of the Kingdom fo God, because God's Word is very clear, He wants our whole heart and He wants us to participate in His daily agenda in this life.

As we use what we have, He promises He will muliply back to us even more!

Matthew 25:14-46 KJV

"For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.  And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."
  

In Christ,
Deborah Ross  

PS - Thank you for donating your TIME, TALENTS and RESOURCES toward this ministry!  You are a blessing!  And, you are the hands and feet of Jesus working through every project, every message, and every gift given by Deborah Ross Ministries!

You Need the Holy Ghost by David Wilkerson

Hello There:  I just read this article from David Wilkerson, August 13, 1990, that I thought was very interesting.  I hope you enjoy it!

You Need the Holy Ghost by David Wilkerson 8/13/1990 

Some of you have been saved for a number of years, some perhaps a year, and some just months or a few weeks. Being saved from sin is wonderful! Old things fade away - and all things become new, I am so glad you're saved!

But to be a good soldier in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ, it's not enough just to be saved. There is much more for you! You need to be baptized with the Holy Ghost!

In Paul's time, some believers didn't even know there was a Holy Ghost.  "He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him. We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost"; (Acts 19:2). These people were saved, but it is clear they were not filled or baptized with the Holy Ghost.

I believe we are saved through the power and ministry of the Holy Ghost. But Scripture tells us that in addition to this, there is also a baptizing, an infilling, a possessing that the Holy Ghost does in us! Jesus Himself did not send His disciples and followers into the world until they were baptized with the Holy Ghost. Certainly His disciples had pure hearts. They had faith to heal the sick, to cast out devils. They had the word of the Lord and already had been preaching Christ and gaining converts. They were witnesses to His resurrection. What more could there be? They were willing to die for Jesus! Wasn't their love for Him enough to send them into the world to do His work?

Beloved, none of that was enough! Clearly, there was more: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

These great apostles - this inner circle of followers who knew Him so intimately, who had done such mighty works, who had been baptized in water and fully taught by Christ - needed still to be baptized with the Holy Ghost!

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind.... And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:1-4).

The need for the Holy Ghost was evident after Philip went down to Samaria. He saw a great move of God there: "Then Philip... preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.... And there was great joy in that city.... Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John" (Acts 8:5-7, 14).

God's "Holy Ghost Squad" came down! There had been signs and wonders, miracles, unclean spirits fleeing, people crying out to God. The city was full of joy because of all these things! Yet there was still more! "(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost" (Acts 8:16-17).

We have another example in Cornelius. He was a devout believer, "one that feared God with all his house... (who) prayed to God always"; and was a kind and generous man as well. He and his family were pure and holy, their hearts wholly given to the Lord. Yet his devout heart told him there was more.

Cornelius sent for Peter at the direction of an angel. When Peter arrived, he preached for a while - and suddenly the Holy Ghost fell on the people: "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished... because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.... Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized" (Acts 10:44-48).

[This Scripture clearly settles the issue that water baptism is not the baptism of the Holy Ghost. "John indeed baptized with water: but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 11:16).]

Even after his dramatic conversion experience with Christ on the road to Damascus, Saul needed the Holy Ghost. He was hidden in a room in the city, broken in spirit and receiving a glorious revelation of Jesus Christ! God sent Ananias to him with the word that Saul was a special, chosen vessel for the Lord. Yet, still, Saul needed the Holy Ghost to fall on him:

"And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized" (Acts 9:17-18).

You Need the Holy Ghost to Help you Break with the World Once and for All! When the Holy Ghost baptizes you, He takes over! "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19).

The Holy Ghost comes to drive out all the remaining claims of the old sinful life! He purges all evil powers. He puts down all rule and authority of the enemy. He raises up a holy standard, and He notifies Satan and his demon hordes that this temple belongs wholly to Jesus! "All principalities and powers of darkness, take heed: Your claims is lost! This is my house, and I have moved in to make Jesus Lord of this body, soul and mind!"

If you have the Spirit of Truth, you will soon line up with God's Word and love to do so! He begins to reveal the mind of Christ to you. And when you read and hear the Word, you tremble and have the power to obey!

The first message He discloses is this: "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26).

I have often wondered how those calling themselves Christians can distort the Word of God - how they can read the clear warnings contained in the Bible and yet ignore them. They lead a double life! They invent their own standards and mix freely with the world. They are two people - split personalities. One part continues to do everything sinful and evil, while the other one says, "But that's not me. The real me loves Jesus!"

Scripture makes this division clear: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial?... And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?... Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you" (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). How can any lover of Jesus miss or distort this?

How can an actor and actress play in raunchy, sex-and-violence movies and say with a straight face,"God told me to"? How can Christians rent evil movies or go to filthy places and say, "I am a witness for Jesus"? It is because the Spirit of truth is not in them! They need the Holy Ghost to come in and open their blinded eyes!

Jesus said, "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (John  14:16-17).

All the preaching, counseling and Bible reading you can absorb will be dead to you unless you have the Holy Ghost living in you! He makes you to understand and know it is God speaking! Some in our church here in New York have heard these words and warnings over and over again. Yet, after a year or two, they are still babies - still not separated, still half in the world. Why? It is because they don't have the Holy Ghost! He has not yet been called upon to possess the temple of their body! They still have control of their body - and they don't want to yield control to Him!

You need the Holy Ghost, for He is the Spirit of Truth who "shall teach you all things." You won't be sidetracked by a distorted, compromised gospel. "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you" (John 16:13-14).

Holy Ghost Baptism Is For You! Do you really want the Holy Ghost? Do you want Him to fall upon you and baptize you with fire? You have to be convinced this is for you. You must come to the place where you know you are nothing, have nothing and can do nothing without the power and leading of the Holy Ghost.

You must know He is still baptizing, still falling upon believers - possessing their bodies! "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:38-39).

Every hour of every day, multitudes worldwide are being baptized with the Holy Ghost! They have read of this promise in the Bible or have heard it preached. So they cried out claiming the promise, and they have been baptized!

The baptism is especially for those living in these last days. "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh... I will pour out in those days of my Spirit" (Acts 2:17-18).

Jesus told a parable about a certain man who got up at midnight, went to a friend's house and asked for three loaves of bread (Luke 11:5-13). This parable is about the need for the Holy Ghost - about seeking, asking and knocking!

This man had been in his home when a friend arrived from a long journey and was hungry. But the man had nothing to give him. This represents a lack of power, spiritual weakness! So the man who had nothing to give went to the one who had bread.

This man who had nothing to give needed the power of the Holy Ghost. He was desperate!

Beloved, it is midnight and you have family and friends who are hungry and needy - yet in yourselves you have nothing to offer. You need the Holy Ghost! And He is yours for the asking: "How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luke 11:13).

God wants you to live and walk in the Spirit. You should not have to run to find someone else to meet a person's need. You are called to speak the Word of God as the Spirit moves on you, and to lay hands on the sick and cast out devils just as the apostles did. We are all called to be witnesses who are full of the Holy Ghost and power!

You Must Realize You Do Not Have All Jesus Wants You to Have Unless You Are Baptized With the Holy Ghost! John the Baptist preached, "I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire" (Luke 3:16).

Beloved, the Bible makes it very clear: When Jesus comes to you, He desires to baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire! The Holy Ghost brings fire - a red-hot, consuming love for Jesus. Why are so many believers hot one minute and then cold the next, never totally yielded, never sold out? Is it because they refuse to let Jesus baptize them with the Holy Ghost?

"When (the Holy Ghost) is come, He will reprove... of sin" (John 16:8). Could it be that these believers are not convicted because the Holy Ghost has not yet moved in - that He has never been invited to take His rightful place in them? If the Holy Ghost were in residence He would be convicting, convincing, probing - holding them to the Word. He is God's plumb line. Anything that does not measure up to Christ, He reveals - and He convicts us and empowers us to conform to His Word! Truly He becomes our Comforter in this, because as He convicts us of sin He empowers us to remove it. That is true comfort!

You Must Be Willing to Let Go of Decorum! That is Your Pride: Etiquette - Primness - Starchiness! In both the Old and New Testaments, the Holy Ghost fell upon people in the most unusual ways! He shook buildings. People's tongues began to praise Him - in new tongues. The Holy Ghost took full control!

At Pentecost he came with a mighty, rushing wind! Fire fell! "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2;4). Can you imagine what this crowd looked like to passersby - 120 people, all preaching and praising God at the same time and in different tongues? It must have looked like drunken chaos!

When the Holy Ghost comes down, things get shaken up. "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together: and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spoke the word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:31).

Some say, "The Spirit came down at Pentecost. We don't need to pray for Him to fall on us now." But throughout the Book of Acts, after Pentecost, the Holy Ghost was still falling on believers!

He fell at the house of Cornelius: "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them" (Acts 10:44). Again, they spoke with tongues!

He fell at Ephesus: "The Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied" (Acts 19:6).

The Holy Ghost will never make you do anything stupid. But He will come upon you in such a way that sinners may think you are drunk! He is not welcome in many churches because He is thought to be too noisy, too upsetting, too unpredictable!

The Holy Ghost Is Received by Faith! "This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" (Galatians 3:2). Saints, this message should ignite your faith, - and by faith you should lay hold of God's great promises! "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think he shall receive anything of the Lord" (James 1:6-7).

The Lord says, "Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it" (Psalm 81:10). Praying for the gift of tongues should not be our focus; we ought to pray to be baptized in the Holy Ghost - and speaking in tongues is an expression of His indwelling.

Have you asked God for this gift? Are you seeking the Holy Ghost? Are you continually knocking? "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?" (Luke 11:13).

Simply ask and you will receive! Seek your heavenly Father for the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and He will give it to you!

Here in New York City we have come to realize our desperate need to be constantly filled with the Holy Ghost, always dependent on His power and presence, and fully trusting in His ability to do the impossible. For example, we have been led to pray for HARD CASES - praying in the Holy Ghost for the salvation of those considered too far gone to be saved: the pornographers, the drug dealers - the evil-minded big-shot business men who have lost all sense of morality.

We are witnessing great miracles as a result. The most wicked, evil-minded sinners are being strangely convicted by the Holy Ghost: and they are getting right with God.

The Holy Ghost is the HOUND OF HEAVEN, and He is hunting down sinners and the backslidden everywhere. They are falling under an incredible "misery," and are beginning to hate their sin for the first time. They are feeling an urge to seek spiritual help. That, my friends, is the powerful ministry of the Holy Ghost.

We face a mad devil on the loose in our world today. He is unleashing all the power at his command; and legions of evil powers are digging in for the final conflict with heaven. It is going to take more than the dead, powerless religion practiced by most denominations. Our modern church programs are silly - carnal - and the laughing stock of hell. Demonic hordes will simply walk all over backslidden, apostate Christians and pastors. Unclean, unholy Christians are weak, powerless and afraid of Satan's power. They can no more stop the onslaught of Satan than an ant can stop an armored tank.

But Satan cannot stand up to a righteous, Holy Ghost-filled child of God who walks in faith and obedience. Show me a truly Holy Ghost-possessed believer, and I'll show you one who puts the legions of hell to chase.

We don't need bigger churches or more Christian TV or more sophisticated religious methods! We need more Holy Ghost-baptized saints - separated and sanctified - who will live and walk and talk in the power given them! We need to be on our faces crying out to God for a fresh Pentecost: that the Holy Ghost would again fall upon us, our churches, our pastors and evangelists - and rid ourselves once and for all of everything profane and fleshly.

God, send the Holy Ghost! Fall upon us! Baptize us mightily. And send us forth against satanic strongholds with an uncompromising faith that He will prevail in our day!

Marriage - Are You Doing the Word?

James 1:19 KJV

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man (or woman) be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man (or woman) worketh not the righteousness of God.

- emphasis added -

My grandmother always taught me to "kill'em with kindness."  She always said it would be difficult  for someone to be ugly to you if you continued to treat them with respect and dignity.  As hard as her lesson was for me to understand as a child, today, I can clearly see how her teachings were Biblical principles that God would one day reveal to me as truth.  These words were buried deep within my soul as a child, and, no doubt, have helped me to withstand some difficult situations in my own marriage while I patiently waited for my breakthrough to finally arrive.

I think the book of James is a good starting place for us to study in seeking how we can learn to silence arguments and put an end to dysfunction in our homes.  James says that we are to be "swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath."  Until we recognize that change begins within US, we will forever be trying to "fix" everyone else  - in particular, our spouse.  We will never rest in the promises of our Lord for complete victory in our marriage, until we settle it in our heart that "we cannot change our spouse!"  So, let us take instruction from James that our breakthrough will manifest only if we do our part.  We must learn to control OUR MOUTH by praying, "Lord help me to listen more and talk less, so that You can work in my marriage."

In addition, James 1:22 says that we should be "doers of the word, and not hearers only."  Now, being a doer of the word does not mean that we make others...  "do the word."  On the contrary, it means that we make ourselves come into agreement with the word of the Lord even while in adverse circumstances.  Marriage is not always easy (especially if one spouse is lost).  Even so, as Christians, we are to do our part by being obedient to the things of God - even while it is not convenient.  If it were easy to be a "doer of the word", then being a "doer" would not require faith.  But, we are people of faith and we need to understand that our faith grows as we exercise it.  So don't be afraid to exercise your faith when it comes to being a doer of the word in your marriage.

There is one themed rebuttal that is always spoken to me by someone hurting in marriage:  "But you don't know what they did to me" or "You don't understand what I have to put up with."  When these valid comments come across my ministry, I gently take these broken souls back to God's word which speaks of self control, controlling our tongue, praying, and trusting Him.  Granted, one spouse in the marriage may be like a wild bull running through a china store.  Still, that doesn't justify the other spouse to be moved, shaken, or provoked to sin against God.  In the midst of a marital storm, we must remember that God is on the throne and He loves our marriage.  He is on our side and will fight our battles for us if we will just tame ourselves and lay our marriage on the altar for Him to work a miracle.  Malachi 2:16 says, God hates divorce, so our job as a married Christian is to work toward avoiding divorce... even through the fiercest storm. 

The devil is forever tempting God's children.  He knows that if he can just get a Christian to be drawn away of his own lust and enticed to sin then he can kill them.  His greatest thrill is to see sin conceived in a child of God because it is sure to bring forth death in certain areas of their life.  For instance, if the devil can get us to enter into arguing with our spouse, he has a better chance at getting us to believe that we are justified in hating them.  Then once we are convinced that we don't need our spouse anymore (because we just can't get along), we are now in a position to believe that divorce is OK in our situation.  Divorce is the calculated death that the devil is ultimately seeking to arrange in the lives of every married couple.  But the devil doesn't stop there.  The enemy of our soul will go much further than the initial divorce.  Most often, divorce  causes bitterness to fester.  Bitterness leads to wrath... and wrath leads to revenge.  Now does anger, bitterness, wrath, and revenge sound like characteristics of one claiming to be a Child of God?  (See James 1:3-15)

So in conclusion, James 1 says that our religion is vain if we don't learn to bridle our tongue.  Remember the trying of our faith (especially in marriage) teaches us to have patience.  And, the patience produced in us will make us perfect in the end.  This means that our faith will be purified in our trials, making us ready to receive the reward that God has waiting for those who believe Him and act according to His word even throughout adverse circumstances. 

Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

If you haven't already read my story, I'd like to encourage you to pick up a copy of my book, Healing a Broken Marriage, today.  I have experienced, first hand, how God's word will come to pass in seemingly hopeless marital conditions of my own.  Today, my marriage is healed and thriving because the Lord is faithful and His word is true!  My book is a step by step faith walk of praying for my husband for twelve years as heartache after heartache pointed toward divorce.  Glory to God, the devil didn't win the battle and now I live to tell others how they, too, can claim victory in their home.  My book teaches practical and spiritual lessons that must be mixed together to bring results.   

The Lord doesn't want any to perish.  He wants all to come to salvation.  As the spouse who professes to know God (I say this because you are reading this article), I exhort you to stand strong and see the salvation of the Lord for your loved one.  Believe God against all odds.  And, very important, mix all of your faith with God- centered actions that will create fertile soil for your miracle.  When you line yourself up with Kingdom principles in your "doing", you can expect results from a God who loves you, loves your marriage, and loves your children.

So take the narrow road, tame your tongue, harness your emotions, exercise your faith, and trust God in all things.  He loves you!

 Job 6:24 KJV
Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.

Healing a Broken Marriage - Robin LeClair Testimony

Healing a Broken Marriage - Robin LeClair Testimony (entire) from Deborah Ross on Vimeo.