Popular Quotes by Deborah Ross

FORGIVENESS is a PROCESS that begins with a DECISION.

It's better to die in FAITH than to live in fear, doubt and unbelief.

It's better to die while believing to be healed, than to live while believing to die.

God wants YOUR FAMILY whole!

God wants YOU whole!

God is FOR your marriage!

Somebody must go FIRST.

Obedience to God's Word creates fertile ground for a miracle!

God hates divorce because divorce hurts people.  He does NOT hate divorced people.

In marriage, there are no "what if's"; there is only "what is."

A pattern of dissatisfaction is probably a result of bad choices.  Change your thinking and change your direction.  Follow Him.

The little choices we make each day either fertilize our God-given destiny or breed road blocks, dead ends and detours in our journey.

Church: Do we go to be seen of people; or, do we go to see God?

When you fall in love with Jesus, your spouse will notice.

Broken people do broken things.

Sinners sin.  That's all they know.

It's better to reach for the stars and only make it to the moon, than to never leave earth.
(Vision, Purpose, Destiny)

The little choices we make each day make up the sum total of our life as it is right now.

Life is about CHOICES.

We aren't set free from the bondage of sin only to become entangled with religion.

  

God Heals In Spite of Rebellion

Psalms 107:20 KJV

"He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from THEIR DESTRUCTIONS." 

Did you know that God wants to heal us from our own ignorant behaviors that have caused our sicknesses?  

Many years ago, I was seeking the Lord on how to pray for someone who was 70 years old and bleeding to death from an aneurysm. Was it right for me to pray for them to be healed? They had been an alcoholic their entire life... plus, they were old. Had they lived out their days? Was it their time to die? In my human heart, I even justified their demise because, after-all, they brought their suffering upon them self.  

Anyway, as I desperately sought the Lord on this persons behalf, the Lord revealed to me that He wanted to heal them IN SPITE OF THEIR REBELLION.  Why?  

Psalm 107:21 KJV

"Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"

My answer for "why" God would want to heal this person who had lived a life of rebellion was found in Psalm 107:21 - "so that they will praise Him!" God wants to work a miracle in our lives... so that we will praise Him! He wants to repay good for evil... so that we will praise Him! He wants to save us from destruction... so that we will praise Him!  

Now, as far as the age of this person was concerned, the Lord reminded me that He didn't want any to perish but for ALL to come to everlasting life through repentance.  

2 Peter 3:9

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but (He) is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

Revelation from God... I needed to pray with faith and sincerity that this person be healed so that they could become born-again!  Death for this person would have meant eternity in hell!  

So... We all gathered around and prayed for this almost dead man to live. And... after 30 days of being in a coma, He was healed!  

This man was my father-one-law and he went on to live another 15 years as a humble and sober man who sought the Lord!

Is there someone that you are praying for today who has brought destruction upon themselves? Perhaps you aren't sure of how to pray. Let me encourage you today that God's plan is to give humanity a good long life on earth and an eternity in heaven. He doesn't want anyone's body to be prematurely broken down and He certainly doesn't want anyone to spend eternity apart from Him. 

When we pray for someone to live - even when they cannot or will not pray for themselves - we are asking God to give them TIME to repent. And friend, TIME is God's grace extended so that faith can be activated - believing for the salvation of that persons soul.  

Jeremiah 29:11

"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."

Psalm 91:6

"With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation."

Granted, not everyone will live through certain sicknesses and diseases, but God's good plan is that we pray for healing, we believe for His best, and we accept the outcome. We should boldly go to the throne of grace that we might find mercy and help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

Friend, it's the devil who's out to kill our flesh, destroy our dreams, steal our God-given destiny. God is not to be blamed. God's love is not to be doubted. He is our healer. He is our salvation. He is our hope!

John 10:10

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

I have posted the entire Psalm 107 for you to meditate on. I pray that the Lord will give you a WORD about healing so that your faith will grow to a new level of love and mercy for those who are sick because of their own bad choices.

Psalm 107 (NIV)

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

2 Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.[a]

4 Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
5 They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle.
8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.

10 Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness,
prisoners suffering in iron chains,
11 because they rebelled against God’s commands
and despised the plans of the Most High.
12 So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness,
and broke away their chains.
15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
16 for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.

17 Some became fools through their rebellious ways
and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
18 They loathed all food
and drew near the gates of death.
19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them;
he rescued them from the grave.
21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with songs of joy.

23 Some went out on the sea in ships;
they were merchants on the mighty waters.
24 They saw the works of the Lord,
his wonderful deeds in the deep.
25 For he spoke and stirred up a tempest
that lifted high the waves.
26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
in their peril their courage melted away.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards;
they were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
29 He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea[b] were hushed.
30 They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.
31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
and praise him in the council of the elders.

33 He turned rivers into a desert,
flowing springs into thirsty ground,
34 and fruitful land into a salt waste,
because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
35 He turned the desert into pools of water
and the parched ground into flowing springs;
36 there he brought the hungry to live,
and they founded a city where they could settle.
37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards
that yielded a fruitful harvest;
38 he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,
and he did not let their herds diminish.

39 Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled
by oppression, calamity and sorrow;
40 he who pours contempt on nobles
made them wander in a trackless waste.
41 But he lifted the needy out of their affliction
and increased their families like flocks.
42 The upright see and rejoice,
but all the wicked shut their mouths.

43 Let the one who is wise heed these things
and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.

WALK IN YOUR DESTINY!

Our study today comes from Genesis, Chapters 12-21. I hope this speaks to some of you today!

In Genesis 12, verses one and two, God tells Abram to go to a foreign land where He will make Abram a great nation. God said he will bless anyone who blesses Abram, but He will curse anyone who cursed him. I think this was God's way of saying, "Don't worry about the people you encounter in the place where I am sending you, because I will protect you."

When Abram arrived in Canaan, God said, "Unto thy seed will I give this land." But because the Canaanite was already living in this new land, Abram decided to keep traveling. I guess he forgot about God telling him not to worry about "people". Besides, these Canaanites were probably not too excited about Abram moving into town. They certainly did not want him to posses "their land".

Did you notice God said He would give that land to Abram's seed? That sounds like God was telling Abram he would have children! Abram was around 75 years old at this time (vs. 12:4). Pretty far-fetched, huh?

When Abram "moved" from where God said stay, he ran into trouble… FAMINE. So in an attempt to provide for the needs of his family, he gives his wife (Sarai) to the Pharaoh of Egypt; claiming she is his "sister" so that they can have peace and wealth for a season. It makes no sense, but to Abram it was the only way. Yuk!

Abram was not being obedient to the Lord. He was not living in the "destiny" God had spoken into his heart back in Genesis 12:1. Even so, in compassion God delivered Abram and his wife from the Egyptians. He even gave them cattle, silver and gold as spoils from the Egyptian people. God had a plan for Abram and even Abram's immaturity of how to stand on His Word couldn't stop God's plan from coming to pass.

Chapter 13: When back in Canaan, once again God told Abram to look around because everything he saw was to be the inheritance of both him and his seed. In Chapter 15, verses two and three, Abram questions God for prolonging his ability to have children (seed). God reassures Abram that his seed will surely be as numerous as the stars of the heavens. God reminds Abram that He brought him out of his homeland to bless him in the promised land.

You know the story… Sarai, his wife, becomes impatient and tries to help God. She gave her handmaid, Hagar, to her husband, Abram, so that God's seed promise would come to pass. Even though Sarai and Abram were disobedient in trying to force the Will of God to come to pass "in their time", God still had a plan. Abram and Sarai's immaturity did not stop His plan.

Yet again in Chapter 17, when Abram is ninety-nine years old, God tells him, "I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan…" God even changed Sarai and Abram's names to be called Sarah and Abraham, further reminding them of their position in His eyes. Here again, Abram didn't quite get it. In verses 17 and 18, Abram actually laughed at God saying surely you must be talking about Ishmael. Is he the seed that will inherit the land of Canaan? (Ishmael was the son born out of disobedience.)

Finally, in Chapter 18, God appears as three men (FATHER, SON and HOLY GHOST) before Abraham to tell him that this time next year, they will have a son (Isaac). Now Sarah was very old "she" laughed within herself at God! Still, her doubt didn't stop God from pursuing them. He wanted them to take their rightful position in His plan to bless them.

For some reason Abraham "moved" again. This time he came to a place where he felt he had to lie (again) saying Sarah was his sister. (Well, it wasn't a complete lie. After-all, he and Sarah did have the same father.) Although God had told Abraham time and time and time again that his seed would inherit the land of Canaan, Abraham continued wandering aimlessly; not realizing his position as Sarah's husband and a man chosen to have favor by God. Still, in spite of Abraham's immaturity, God delivered Sarah and Abraham out of the hand of Abimelech. God even gave them favor to receive silver from this experience.

In Chapter 20, verse sixteen, Abimelech goes on to rebuke Sarah and Abraham by saying, "He is a covering to your eyes". In other words, Abraham was a "husband", not a brother! He was the man who God appointed to be an heir to God's promises. Sarah and Abraham needed to stand tall and to "be" who God had called them to be. It seems (up until this point) while they knew God had spoken to them and promised them land and children, they did not fully receive their positional standing of who God called them to be. He had called them to be man and wife in a land where He would send them. Yet, they kept holding onto their past, saying they were brother and sister.

Is there something God has called you to be? You know you have heard the voice of the Lord many times speaking to your heart about the inheritance He has for you; yet, you are immature (afraid, fearful, insecure, or timid) over accepting the position He has appointed just for you. Will you be reproved right now by the Word of the Lord and begin to confidently proclaim the thing He has spoken to your heart?

Yes, even in old age (or at least old to you) God will perform that thing He has promised! So PROCLAIM your position. Stand strong. Believe. And, walk in your destiny!

In Christ,
Deboah Ross
http://www.deborahrossministries.org/

A New Year's Challenge...

PUTTING HIM FIRST PLACE

John 21:15-17 -

"So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep."

I - like most of you - have spent the past few weeks reflecting on 2009, while anticipating the future of 2010 with all of life's decisions, plans, twists and turns. Now that I am 47, I feel the need - more than ever - to press into life's most sacred journey; the path that God has specifically ordained for "my" life. I don't want to waste one minute of my days on fleshly goals that lead to perpetual dead ends of momentary bliss; all the while, lacking any real inner peace of knowing that I am doing "exactly" what God has planned for His Kingdom and for my best interest. I want to leave a legacy; I want to hit the mark.

So in my deepest thoughts and prayers, I am sitting quietly, seeking to hear the voice of my Lord to know what direction He desires for me to move in as I begin my expedition into the year... 2010. As I proceed into the new calendar, which rolls ahead - ready or not - my first Sunday of the New Year brings me to a wonderful time of worship at my local church where I diligently sought the Lord's presence: to hear His voice; to sense His direction; to clearly see Him like never before. I love to worship the Lord.

Then it happened! I heard a Rhema Word from the Lord that thrilled my innermost being. As I was listening to our Life Group Teacher on being and ensample and not an example (ensample = being a vessel of Christ who shows forth godly fruit; example = being a billboard of worldliness) and as we were reading some text from John 21:15-17 about Peter being questioned three times by Jesus concerning the depth of his love for Him and subsequently being instructed to "feed the Lord's sheep", I stumbled across a passage that God illuminated to me for such a time as this. I found the answer to my New Year prayer that was so deep within my heart.

As I began (silently) reading ahead to verse 18 which says:

John 21:18-19 -

"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, when thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst wither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, FOLLOW ME."

I wondered, "What does this verse have to do with Peter understanding the importance of loving Jesus with an agape love? What does it have to do with Peter learning to feed the Lord's sheep?" That's when the Lord answered my question and supernaturally revealed to me His direction for my life. He explained to me that it is the immature - or, as the text says "young" - who continually insist on doing things their own way. They forge ahead with their own plans and then hope - and even pray - the Lord will bless it. On the other hand: those who really love the Lord with a deep agape love (a love that stays faithful through thick and thin); those who desire to do His will (feed His sheep); and those who are willing to follow Him; they are referred to as "old" because they are more mature in their understanding of the Kingdom of God. The text reveals that these "older ones" (more mature ones) must "stretch out their hands" to be "carried" by another.

So what the Lord is saying is, "Don't go into 2010 doing fleshly 'good works'. Instead, enter into this New Year with your arms outstretched and your eyes (spiritually speaking) closed. Trust me (Jesus) wholeheartedly to lead you into the perfect destiny designed specifically for you. As you do this, I will use you to 'feed my sheep'." Notice the verse says He will carry you where you "wouldest not." God will carry us through new, unfamiliar, territory where we would not ordinarily adventure to travel as we trust Him. The Lord wants to show us "new things." He wants to break us away from the mundane and give us a life of fresh, new, fate that brings with it joy and abundant peace.

So then, as I am reading verse 19, I am still having trouble understanding the significance of Jesus speaking of Peters death as being glory to God. That's when it hit me. Jesus was not speaking of Peters natural death, but rather, teaching him the importance of "dying to self." It is only after we learn to put to death our personal agenda's, fleshly desires, and carnal works that we can ever expect to glorify God. Once we truly "die to self", we are then positioned to "follow Jesus" the way that He desires to be followed. Just as Peter was exhorted to LOVE DEEPLY, FEED THE SHEEP, DIE TO SELF and FOLLOW JESUS, we too, are to do the same.

That's it! The Lord's instructions for 2010 are LOUD and CLEAR. Putting Christ first is so much more than "saying" this is a New Year's resolution. Yes, putting Christ first requires laying everything else down... EVERYTHING. Once we get to that place in our spiritual journey where we "really" lay it all down, we step into a mature position of "following the Lord" in such a way that the Kingdom of God is revealed in our every step.

So my prayer for 2010 is, "Lord, help me to die to self. Teach me to follow you... and only you. Help me to not be moved by the arm of the flesh or great ideas that are not part of your plans for my life. This year, I want to LOVE DEEPLY, FEED THE SHEEP, DIE TO SELF, and FOLLOW YOU. I want to put You first, not in word, but in deed. May my life be an 'ensample' to a lost world as you lead me through unknown territory and new adventures that bring ultimate peace and purpose to my life on earth. Amen."

Would you join me, by laying down your life and taking up your cross... daily? The Lord is good (Psalm 118:1). He has good things in store for His children (Matthew 7:11 & Luke 11:13). His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30). Hallelujah!

Matthew 16:24 -

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

Deborah Ross

Speaker / Singer / Author / Choreographer

Strengthening Families & Encouraging Women

www.DeborahRossMinistries.org