Author Archive
PERSEVERE AND KEEP YOUR HOPE IN GOD
Struggles, challenges, and times of severe stress come to all. It can come in all kinds of ways—from a struggling teenager to an urgent trip to the hospital, from a bad doctor’s report to betrayal, from a crisis to a crash in your emotions. No matter what, and no matter how it comes, there is hope in God.
Jesus uses our struggles to develop greater intimacy with him—because in most cases, people will turn to God in times of stress and severe challenges. (See 1 Peter 1:6-9) Time doesn’t heal all wounds—it is when we turn to God and learn to trust Him where we find healing and hope for the future.
When storms come, they tend to reveal the weak points and strong points in houses—from windows to roofing. Struggles in life also point out the weak and strong points in our personal lives. Faith rises when we sense God’s help in any circumstance. Jesus builds his church or house—the body of Christ—here on earth. We can remain faithful to serving Him as we realize He is helping us and is always faithful—even when people are not.
The life of the fully committed believer is demonstrated through persevering over the long term, not the short term. We must keep our hope in Jesus Christ and hold firmly to the confidence that He will do what He says He is going to do. “But Christ as son over his own house; whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end” (Hebrews 3:6 KJV).
The times of waiting and persevering can be hard—especially when waiting for God to answer a prayer of desperation or longing. If you’re in the “waiting room,” wondering when and if God will answer some prayer you have prayed consistently and faithfully, you can encourage yourself by reading Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 7:7-11 on being persistent and trusting in Him through prayer.
Read Isaiah 64:4 and choose to praise God. Praise God—who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him. Talk to God today about how you feel when you wait, resolving that you will trust in Him no matter what! “For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for Him.”
Don’t you dare give up. God has greater things planned for you. He is at work in the midst of your family that is lost. He is vindicating you. He has gone before you to make every crooked place straight. He is bringing your prodigal son or daughter home. He is your Redeemer. He is your Healer. He is your provider. He has greater plans for you than you have for yourself. God is not a man that he should lie. Keep your faith and hope in Jesus Christ and persevere. You will be glad you did!
Every situation gives the opportunity for perseverance that builds trust to keep moving forward. Choose to respond to struggles with full confidence in God, that he knows all, sees all, and plans and directs our lives for the good. Choose to move forward, keep on serving God and others in love—not out of guilt or fear—and watch what God will do in and through your life.
Love,
Deborah
BOOKS BY DEBORAH STARCZEWSKI
GOD’S PRICELESS TREASURE (How To Overcome Challenges, Be Transformed And Know Your Purpose)….move from drama to destiny, pain to purpose, hurt to healing, and a test to a testimony. God can turn your mess into a powerful message of hope and healing for others.
A LEAP OF FAITH (25 Days At The Mercy Seat)…the full account of God raising my husband from death, healing him from two strokes and two open-heart surgeries. This book will increase your faith to take your own leap of faith.
THE MIDNIGHT HOUR (Will America Turn Back To God?)….a must read for all!
Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.starministriesinc.com and other distributors.
SHIFT HAPPENS (Anthology with co-authors—on Amazon. Click on Dr. Deborah Starczewski)
NEVER GIVE UP
God has the most amazing ways to touch the heart of just one person. And He goes to extreme measures to do so. I don’t know what you are walking through right now, but God does. Be assured that He is at work behind the scenes to make all things right. He loves you with an everlasting love and has greater things than you can imagine for Him to do through you as you cooperate with Him.
“Exercise foresight and be on the watch to look [after one another], to see that no one falls back from and fails to secure God’s grace (His unmerited favor and spiritual blessing), in order that no root of resentment (rancor, bitterness, or hatred) shoots forth and causes trouble and bitter torment, and the many become contaminated and defiled by it” (Hebrews 12:15 Amplified).
The person who is bitter over something from the past can get mad at the slightest little thing—like something springs up out of their heart. It can be a wrong glance, a misread text, a bad report, or something they even assume to be factual that is not so. People can become crippled emotionally and defeated—spending all their time battling emotional problems.
No matter what the circumstance, you must choose to forgive all who have trespassed against you. This frees you and opens the door for God to vindicate you. You can hear the Voice of God when you walk in freedom as well. He can use you to encourage others, while all along it is great encouragement to see the Lord at work in your own life.
Let your first thought be, “Lives are at stake” and reach out to touch someone. God has the most amazing and unique ways to reveal what is going on behind the scenes to encourage one person. Always listen to the Holy Spirit and follow Him as He leads.
This past week we had to have a cedar tree cut down—as it was growing strong and roots could damage the underneath of structures. I won’t share all the details…but God went to extreme measures for one man that needed encouragement. Later in the day, as I was taking my dog (Beau) for a walk, there was a large truck in the middle of the street grinding up the pine tree that we had taken down—with dust flying all over the place. I thought to myself, “Oh my goodness—that looks like lung cancer”…..as the workers’ trucks were covered and appeared brown at this point. I didn’t understand why the truck didn’t move forward away from cars, but perhaps they didn’t see them. Who knows.
At the time, I didn’t realize what the Lord was doing—but He did. The last storm that came through this area took one of our shudders off our home from the strong winds and we had asked J.R. to put it back up. He has a great lawn and maintenance service and we’ve known him for many years. When J.R. went to secure the shudder, he realized his ladder wasn’t long enough and walked across the street to ask workers at another home if they could help him or let him borrow their ladder for about ten minutes.
The next day, one of the workers came over to ask about my husband’s request of putting up new shudders and doing some extra work. As we were talking, the owner walked over and said he would talk with me. He began coughing and I knew in my spirit (by the Holy Spirit) that he had lung cancer and the Spirit showed me why He allowed me to see the dust. I began to share the story of the tree and the dust and then Fred opened up and told me he was just diagnosed with lung cancer. He shared his heart about how his parents died with lung cancer and how he had lost his wife several years ago (also to cancer) when his two boys were younger. He had prayed and asked the Lord to please allow him to live till the boys were grown.
I asked Fred if I could pray with him and asked if he was saved. God opened the door to allow me the opportunity to pray for this precious man. I prayed with him on the spot and we connected on facebook. I told him he would enjoy reading the encouraging posts. God did all of that to show Fred that HE saw and knew he had lung cancer—and GOD showed a total stranger. It was all the work of the precious Holy Spirit. He is amazing.
Fred told J.R. about how God moved the next day. He told him that God told the lady across the street about his cancer. J.R. called me today to share this with me. I stand in awe of how our loving Heavenly Father works.
Now, take a minute and think about this—if the storm had not blown up, the shudder would not have fallen off the house. If the cedar tree had not kept growing through the seasons of wind, rain, and sun, with potential of causing a problem, we would not have had to take it down. The dust would not have blown all over the place from the truck that ground it up and made it go all over the vehicles in the street. The wind was blowing in every situation—and what appeared as problems were actually a setup to connect people and bring encouragement.
Choose to view problems as opportunities to connect with new people. It is the way God works. He loves all people. He loves you. Look for and expect opportunities to encourage people. You may be the very one God uses to silence the critic in someone’s life and to inspire them to keep moving forward. You never know what people are walking though until you get close enough to care. Be an extension of the heart of God today.
God has greater things planned for His Sons and Daughters than any of us can imagine. He promises to vindicate and protect us in His Word. There is healing in the name of Jesus. Sickness and disease have to bow at the Name of Jesus.
Thank God the HOLY SPIRIT guides us—and He always does it according to the Scriptures. He reveals ALL hidden truth and shows us things to come…what an amazing LOVE HE has for us and HE sings over us…. be a blessing to all you meet.
I have permission from Fred Gilfillan to share this story—and it will be in my new book as well. Please join me in praying for Fred for healing from cancer—in Jesus’ name. Pray for your family, friends, and enemies. Pray for the President of the United States- President Donald Trump and his family, staff, and all those connected to him in every capacity. Pray for the military and all other organizations from police to firemen and women. We are instructed by God to pray for those in authority over us—and to obey, as long as it does not go against God’s Word, or they command us to do things that God forbids. Never give up, lives are a stake. Keep your heart clear and free so you can hear the Father’s Voice at the slightest whisper at the door of your heart—and obey!
Remember, there is always room for one more at the Cross of Jesus Christ. He is our healer and Redeemer!
Love,
Deborah
BOOKS FOR ENCOURAGEMENT BY DEBORAH STARCZEWSKI:
Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.starministriesinc.com and other distributors.
GOD’S PRICELESS TREASURE (How To Overcome Challenges, Be Transformed And Know Your Purpose)….learn how to move from drama to destiny, pain to purpose, a mess to a message. There is life after separation, divorce, cancer, abuse, abandonment—there is life in turning to Jesus.
A LEAP OF FAITH (25 Days At The Mercy Seat)…..the full account of God raising my husband from death, two open-heart surgeries….this book will teach you to overcome in any area.
THE MIDNIGHT HOUR (Will America Turn Back To God?) …a must read for every leader.
LOVE PEOPLE RIGHT WHERE THEY ARE…
If you will choose to love people right where they are—love will light the way. Everyone is on their own journey in life. How does God see a young mother who is struggling with rage, or a young father who is struggling with his temper? How does God view a child who is crying out for help with pain from being bullied at school?
Jesus paid the price in full for sin—and it is nailed to the cross. God has rescued us from any possibility of a curse. The Bible says so and that settles it. Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrong-doing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree”’ (Galatians 3:13).
That is great news my friends. The powerful truths found in God’s Word are life sustaining and enable us to extend the same life to people who are distraught and caught in the tangled web of sin—no matter if it is their own doing, or someone else’s. None of us have arrived–we have all fallen short of the glory of God.
When a person knows that someone cares about them, no matter the distance, it’s like a breath of fresh air and rest for the soul. Confession is good for the soul and brings healing. Choose to be a safe place for others to share their hurts so they can move forward to healing. A safe place is where the intent of the heart is for healing and restoration.
Many Christians wonder will God ever answer their prayers–to heal a relationship, repair a marriage, to bring back a prodigal child, to heal a sibling, to save a lost parent. Many times after we pray, things seem to get worse rather than improve. I’ve got great news– be reassured in the fact that your heavenly Father is at work behind the scenes on your behalf and in the lives for whom you are praying.
It is time to plant hope in others through Jesus Christ—the Blessed Hope. Learn to love people right where they are in life. If you don’t know how to help them, ask God. He will lead you in the right direction.
You can’t clean a fish till you catch it ….and God doesn’t expect us to get cleaned up before we come to Him. (That is the beauty of God’s grace and mercy). Choose to intentionally extend grace and mercy to those in need of help.
God extends open arms to all. Don’t live another day thinking, that just maybe, because one trial hits right after the next, that your life is off course. Take time to turn to God’s Word and read about the trials and tribulations of those who submitted their lives fully to Jesus and followed Him. It wasn’t a rose garden with sweet smelling flowers perfectly lining a yellow brick road.
God uses our trials and tribulations to prepare us to receive the blessings of His divine favor. He uses trials to position us in new platforms to touch the masses in need of a Savior—His name is JESUS!
Let me tell you one more thing—one of my favorite verses. I remember over twenty years ago how the Holy Spirit led me to a special service at a specific church and I heard a speaker share this verse: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). I will never forget that day—hearing that man say, “God changed the entire order of this service for someone to hear this word tonight.” That is the amazing love of our heavenly Father. Don’t you dare give up. Don’t you dare stop short of all God has for you—keep moving forward IN CHRIST!
Don’t fall for the trap of Satan and don’t believe his lies. Don’t listen to religious spirits or those who point fingers—turn to our loving Heavenly Father that has open arms for you. Turn to God and His Word—our map for success in life.
You can become a world changer. God has removed every barrier and limitation to reveal the fullness of His glory in Jesus. “We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Everything we need comes from God’s presence, and He does not withhold it from us. Choose to renew your mind in the Word of God–read and pray God’s Word. It’s the only way to experience the transformation God promised in Christ. The River of Life–only found in God–is at work in us to draw the world to JESUS.
Jesus Christ blesses all who believe in Him with rivers of living water so that we are satisfied in Him and can be a source of blessing and refreshing to others.
Choose to be fully committed to Jesus. He has great things for you to do WITH HIM. You may be the very one that delivers the greatest love letter ever written–the Bible–to someone in need this upcoming week. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be more sensitive to His guidance. He will answer that prayer!
HIS love and mine,
Deborah
BOOKS BY DEBORAH STARCZEWSKI
GOD’S PRICELESS TREASURE (How To Overcome Challenges, Be Transformed and Know Your Purpose)….. how to move from drama to destiny, pain to purpose, and a mess to a message.
A LEAP OF FAITH (25 Days At The Mercy Seat)…the full account of God’s divine intervention, resurrection power, and miracles on a daily basis….you will be changed forever.
THE MIDNIGHT HOUR (Will America Turn Back To God?)… a must read for every leader.
Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.starministriesinc.com and other distributors
SHIFT HAPPENS (Anthology – with other authors – available on Amazon—-click on Dr. Deborah Starczewski