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. 

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

Peace won’t be found in sexual relationships, agendas, boardrooms, new houses, new cars, in the political realm, manipulating systems to achieve a desired result, or in anything other than Jesus Christ. He is Peace Himself. 

Don’t put your hope in any man. Don’t put your hope in anything here on earth. This life is only temporal and Jesus is coming back again. Because of the Resurrection, we can have life and Peace. Put your faith in the Lamb of God!

Donkeys, elephants, democrats, republicans, independents—none of these hold the answers to the world’s problems and the present chaos. Jesus warned us of all these things in the Book of Matthew. (Matthew 24)

It is amazing to me that Matthew 24 and the Passion week of Jesus Christ line up today. It is being fulfilled in front of our eyes. 

You can sit comfortably in a nice home to a small apartment and feel safe, but only eternal protection is found in the Lamb of God—Jesus, the Redeemer of the WHOLE WORLD. Because of His ultimate sacrifice on the Cross, we have a Covenant that cannot be annulled. 

I recently taught on the Blood Covenant again at Life Christian University and was reminded …..Unlike man’s agreement which used to be valuable—where a man’s word or handshake was his bond, or in ancient days between people in a tribal covenant—we have a Blood Covenant with Jesus that cannot be annulled. I have often heard….Your life works exactly to the degree that you keep your agreements. An agreement has integrity because you make it, and for no other reason.

The natural mind wants what it wants when it wants it and if an agreement gets in the way, the mind will move toward breaking the agreement in order to get what it wants. Integrity does not rest on what your mind wants but on willingness to keep agreements, no matter what excuses the mind comes up with to break them. Thank God for Jesus who always keeps His Word and who honors His Word even above His Name. Thank God Jesus went to the Cross for the whole world. 

Thank GOD for the Lamb of God—the Redeemer of all mankind. Thank God for His Character and amazing love for all. I love the word all—it means all. He desires that none should perish. 

Jesus went to the cross, died for all mankind, and rose again on the third day. One word from God can change everything. He is the ultimate sacrifice—the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. 

When you truly know Jesus through a born-again experience and relationship, you can experience His resurrection power. You can have life again after walking through heartbreak, hurts, anxiety, loss, and anything else that happens to you in this world. 

I personally know that the Resurrection power of Jesus is still working today. You can read the full account in my second book: A LEAP OF FAITH (25 Days at the Mercy Seat)—an up-to-date story of God’s power and divine intervention that gives God glory. 

While today is Easter Sunday and many people went to church, many know about God, some may even be in leadership roles, and have never fully given their whole heart to Jesus or put their faith in Him. Many are so busy doing ministry or work that they have forgotten ministry to the Lord Himself. This can happen to anyone.

Many come to church in search of hope. I believe the worst possible feeling is the one of feeling unwanted and uncared about in this life. That is the ultimate poverty. Jesus came to accept us as His own through redemption. He gave Himself that we would be accepted by God. When we face rejection in this life, we are accepted by God. When we face hardships of any kind, God is with us in the fiery trials of life—from abandonment, abuse, betrayal, cancer, divorce, emotional pain, failures, hurts, loss, and anything else the enemy tries to throw at us—God is with us. We can choose joy as we wait on God—fully trusting the outcomes to Him. 

We have the Good News of the Gospel which produces a contagious joy and freedom like nothing else can give. While Jesus spoke SEVEN sentences from the Cross, we also have the Names of God to reveal His character—and the Truth that He will never break His Word to us. We have a Blood Covenant through the finished work of Jesus on the Cross that cannot be annulled. What a relief and hope for all eternity for all humanity.

Jesus is the LAMB OF GOD (Seh He’Elohim). The Bible says, “The next day John saw Jesus coming unto Him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

Jesus is our ultimate sacrifice. He is the fulfillment of the entire system—His sacrifice pays for our past, present, and future sin. He is our Passover Lamb. (see Hebrews 7:26-29).

Jesus is Resurrection and Life (Hatekuman v’haChayim). The Bible says, “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live….” (John 11:25).

Death could not hold Jesus, nor can death hold any who are born-again IN HIM. The grave could not keep Him. Death nor the grave have a hold on any of us as believers. We will be raised up with Jesus when He returns. 

Jesus was 100 percent man (born of a virgin), and Christ 100 percent God. In Jesus Christ  we can have abundant life. This is the reason Easter or Resurrection Sunday is a beloved celebration of the life of Jesus. The same resurrection power resides in us as born-again believers. We are crucified with him (our past, present, and future sin), but we are resurrected and made brand new in Him and that is the best part that can never be taken away.

Like Mary who chose to sit at the feet of Jesus when He came to visit the home in Bethany—she chose the best part. (You can read the account in John 11) We must also choose. Life is all about choices. 

Jesus is our Redeemer (Jehovah Go’el). The Bible says, “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth…” (Job 19:25). 

Redeem means to purchase or buy back something (or someone). Take time to read the account in the Bible about Boaz and Ruth. In ancient times, customs played a huge role in the lives of people. For example, when a Hebrew became enslaved, it was the custom for the next of kin to pay the necessary price to purchase the relative’s freedom—the part of a “redeemer.” That is what God did for us by giving His Son Jesus as The Lamb and the finished work on the cross. I keep saying FINISHED WORK because it is complete. It is our choice if we miss eternity with God. Our redemption has been paid in full. 

Jesus bore our sorrows. (Ish-Makh-Ovot: Man of Sorrows)

The passion week shows the ultimate sacrifice Jesus gave for us. The Bible says, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3).

Jesus, who was sinless and perfect, was put on the cross for all mankind. He did it for the joy set before Him. Jesus understands our sorrows and hurts. God cares deeply for all mankind and is present with us today because he went through it all for us. 

 Jesus is our Righteousness (Jehovah-Tzidkenu). The Bible says, “In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety…is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Savior” (Jeremiah 33:16).

It is through the finished work on the cross that we are made right with God. What an amazing love the Father God has for all mankind. God sees us through His Son. Tzidkenu comes from the Hebrew word: (tsedek) and it means “right, righteous, declared innocent.” 

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:21 NIV)

Take time after Easter to dig deeper into God’s Word. Study His names and be changed from the inside out. You will learn to trust Him in greater measure and learn more about His character and nature. It is key to understanding that God is love, that He has a good plan for your life, and is essential to knowing WHO you are IN CHRIST, and God’s purpose for your life. Since God sees and knows all, why not pray and ask God Himself. 

No matter what you are walking through, God is with you. No matter how terrible the storm, we can survive because God is with us. Don’t allow fear to take over. Reflect and remember that the resurrection power of God resides in us as believers.  

Don’t allow sorrow to stop you from moving forward. Don’t allow doubt to delay your obedience. Don’t allow fear to immobilize you. Look up toward Heaven in faith—Jesus is RISEN. 

Can you imagine how Mary felt when she came to the empty tomb? This life can make you feel empty, but when we keep our trust, hope, and faith in Jesus, we are full of hope and joy—that only comes from a personal relationship with Him. 

The conditions in this present world can seem so impossible that any of us can be tempted to jump ship. Choose to cling to God instead of putting your security in anything other than Jesus. Things that promise security but don’t deliver it—wealth, hard work, alcohol, drugs, worldly wisdom, worldly pleasures, relationships, stuff, and food. Misplaced hopes are dangerous because they keep us from anchoring ourselves in God, the only One who can save us. 

It is amazing to me that Matthew 24 and the Passion week of Jesus Christ line up perfectly. We can see the same happening today—severe betrayal like Judas (from family, friends, business associates), the government and authorities going after Christians, those thinking they are doing God service by killing and murdering those that believe, and the earth quaked at the Cross and darkness fell over the earth. Jesus arose and He is our High Priest in Heaven now, interceding for us that our faith will not fail. He is RISEN indeed and alive forevermore—and is coming back again. 

God is not caught off guard by anything that is happening globally or personally in our lives. He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. The present day events are lined up perfectly on God’s timetable and Jesus is coming back again! Pray for your family, friends, and those who have betrayed you—for they would not have done so had they not been blinded by Satan. 

Do not let your heart be troubled. JESUS is ALIVE! 

HIS love and mine,

Deborah Starczewski

Other books by Deborah: THE MIDNIGHT HOUR (Will America Turn Back To God?) and GOD’S PRICELESS TREASURE (How To Overcome Challenges, Be Transformed, and Know Your Purpose)…moving from drama to destiny.  Available on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, Xulon.com, etc. 

Always remember, God has the final Word! Trust Him!