THE GRACE UMBRELLA

God goes to extreme measures to make Himself known to us in small ways so we totally trust Him in the big things of life. Last week, Mother and I were in a department store and as we were about to leave, it began to rain—buckets from heaven. I knew we would get soaked if we left so we talked to a friend that works in the store. I have known the clerk for over 25 years and she said, “Deborah, we have a couple umbrellas that customers have left—and you can borrow one.” I asked her if one was a small black umbrella by Sharper Image. She said, “Yes, and the lady who borrowed it a couple weeks ago returned it today.” I had left mine in the store a couple months earlier.

Look at the extreme measures God went to make sure I got my umbrella back! God has the “sharper image” and the view from heaven. He is not caught off-guard or by surprise by anything. Trust Him today!

 What was amazing about the timing was that it was Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement on the Jewish calendar. God never ceases to amaze me how He makes Himself known. God made sure I received my umbrella back that I had inadvertently left in the store on that specific day on the calendar. God is our covering—and He covers us with mercy and grace. His banner of love is over us. God was working behind the scenes to make sure I got that umbrella back—but on a much larger scale, it represents God’s covering, and His total restoration in the process. Won’t you trust Him with everything today?

 If you are searching for God’s Will or direction in your life today regarding a decision you are facing or a certain aspect of your life, rest assured that God has a plan and purpose for your life (Jeremiah 29:11), a master plan. If you seek Him prior to making a decision instead of running ahead without His direction, God will direct your path and meet your needs. If you have run ahead of God and feel like you are in a battle, turn to Him and He will guide you—right in the middle of the storm that may seem to be raging. The Bible instructs us to seek God in all our ways and not to lean on our own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

 Trust Him today! He cares greatly for you!

Deborah Starczewski

UNRESOLVED ISSUES WILL BRING OUT THE TISSUES

There is always a box of tissues at the end of each row in church where we worship. Ever wonder why? It’s for tears of sorrow, tears of heartbreak, tears of joy, tears of mourning, tears of repentance, and tears in times of waiting. God’s Word says He bottles our tears. How awesome is that?

Tears can soak the pillowcase at night from many different kinds of issues. Tears can come from anger at a situation when we know something is not quite right. Tears can come from too much stress and not enough rest—and sometimes when God is warning us to wait. Tears can come from outside interference as well. There are all kinds of tears.

There are seasons in life when we are involved in many diverse activities and that is necessary and good in God’s timing. There are also seasons when life can be too busy and not productive. One of my favorite psalms in God’s Word is Psalm 37. As a matter of fact, we chose to use Psalm 37:4 on our wedding invitations. “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (NKJV).

Nobody can ‘commit his (her) way unto the Lord” who has not begun by ‘delighting in the Lord’; and nobody can ‘rest in the Lord’ who has not ‘committed his ways to the Lord.’

The secret of tranquility is delighting in the Lord. The reason why life is troubled and restless comes not from without, but from within. Changing our circumstances does not bring peace—it is in the quieting of the soul where we find out what is really happening inside—and sometimes what the Spirit of God is speaking to us.

God loves to help us discover wisdom from His Word. He wants us to know our value and that He has a divine plan and purpose for our lives. The Bible says, “I will be found by you” (Jeremiah 29:14). He wants to be found by us, but we must learn to seek Him where He may be found. It is a delight to enter into the rest of God that comes out of knowing who He is in us, and who we are in Him. This is imperative for any couple starting out in marriage, as well as all believers.

Psalm 37:7 says, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass” (NKJV).

We find a beautiful portrait of what it means to rest in the Lord. It is a place we sense, deep in the soul, where we no longer feel the world’s pressure to strive to prove ourselves to anyone, and we know who we are in Christ—and are following Him with our entire being. Waiting on God makes sense when we come to trust God and His timing for everything.

Patience requires focus and strength. We are to wait on the Lord with an unflinching focus and resolve. Patience means “the quality of forbearance and self-control which shows itself particularly in a willingness to wait upon God and His will. Believers are called upon to be patient in their expectations of God’s actions, and in their relationship with one another. Did you catch that? It matters to God how we treat one another.

Unresolved issues show up in all kinds of ways. People get divorced and the kids grow up with old hurts and wounds. Sometimes adult kids have had their ears defiled by listening to one or both parents rip the other to pieces with negative words. Grandparents can do the same. Adult kids can do it to their own parents. Every person must choose to forgive and live in God’s order. God comes first, then the husband, then the wife, then the kids. It is when the in-laws or out-laws try to interfere that can and will cause issues.

What I tell young ladies is this: how a man treats his mother is a reflection of how he will treat you. Pay attention to how a man treats his mom. Pay attention when children don’t honor their parents—life will not go well. Family matters to God and it must to us well. Amen!

It is in the blending where we also can have issues that show up. When they show up, we are to walk in love and not blow up. Blowing up never accomplishes anything. The best One to turn to is God. Make sure to set a family time where you read the Word of God and pray. There is no excuse with all the devotionals available today. My new book: The Midnight Hour: Will America Turn Back To God?”— is much like a devotional and is great book to read together. Rick Renner’s SPARKLING GEM—is another great devotional to grow together.

Now let’s see what a blended family might look like.

BLENDED FAMILIES

Blended families can be much like turning a blender on with strawberries, ice cream and ice for the making of a perfect shake. It takes order to make a great shake and a covering. Wouldn’t you agree? If you don’t agree just yet, you will later. Can you imagine what your kitchen would look like after you have touched the button to blend with no lid on top?

Blended families and blending families can also be like turning a blender on with lots of unresolved issues, a little resentment, a little anger, old hurts, and a great spouse, but when you blend it altogether, it doesn’t work so well. When a man and woman get married, their hopes and dreams are coming together. They must leave their parents in order to cleave to each other in marriage. God’s design for marriage is found in the Bible—and you can look at all the translations—from King James to whatever you read.

The Bibles says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24 NKJV). It takes leaving in order to cleave together as “one flesh” according to God’s Word. This simply put—means God comes first, the husband is the head over the home and the wife is covered by God and her husband as they each submit to each other and to God. This is divine order. The children come next. Once a man and woman come together, they don’t need Holy Ghost Junior mother or mother-in-law running the show. They don’t need a father or father-in-law controlling them either. Decisions must be made, people move and change jobs, and they must learn to please God and not man.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It is when we have fear of God that we will move into His divine plan—not listening to mom and pop’s plans—but learning God’s together—as husband and wife.

It’s time to take back the family across America for God—according to His plan. It doesn’t mean you can’t seek advice from your parents—but that needs to come after you have consulted God’s Word first. Don’t run to mom and pop when you have the first problem in marriage—when you do, many times, long after the issue is resolved, they will remember the problem and pain and hold onto issues.

Family can sometimes feel like war. God calls us to be the army of God but not at war with each other. We are being transformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ, but the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. Satan uses distractions to thwart God’s purpose. Sometimes life can feel so chaotic that you just want to quit—but you must remember God is your covering, and run to Him.

Satan tempts people to start blaming others and making excuses instead of being who we are designed to be by God. As long as the enemy can keep anyone blaming others, they have not truly repented. Sometimes people blame others because they don’t want to deal with issues or don’t know how.

Life can sometimes feel like a battle, can it not? There are wounded soldiers in war. Second Timothy chapter 2 teaches about being good soldiers, suffering, and instruction, while chapter 3 moves into last day warnings. We must learn to live while looking for the return of Christ. People will be living their lives, getting married, having babies, and whatever else they do when Jesus returns.

I saw a personalized car tag recently that meant: LOOKING FOR HIM. Due to legal reasons, you can’t put the exact tag in print, but this is what we are called to do—live our lives according to God’s Word, love people, and watching for the return of Jesus. Make sure you have been forgiven by God, received Him as Lord and Savior and forgive others.

Forgiveness starts in the heart. God doesn’t remember anyone’s past who is born-again and neither should we. Learn to seek God, obey His Word and warnings, and thrive in your marriage—don’t simply survive. Which will you choose?

Wisdom from God’s Word—biblical principles that work today

Deborah Starczewski

THE MIDNIGHT HOUR: Will America Turn Back To God?

(New release: available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Xulon Bookstores, etc.)

(By Deborah Starczewski)

From the Harbingers, the Four Blood Moons, to the Shemitah, and explicit timing of events that we are witnessing across the globe, we are watching the Bible come to life before our eyes.

With the world in chaos many are living in fear, discouragement, and despair, while some are going about life oblivious to what is happening globally.

Discouragement is not a respecter of persons or even rank. Satan comes to discourage and paralyze the people of any nation.

The Bible says: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Keep your eyes on Jesus and refocus. It is time to pray strategic prayers to take down the enemy and run him out of our homes, families, and communities. When we take time to pray, we begin to see what God sees. You have never locked eyes with anyone that does not matter to God.

Begin to pray like Elisha prayed and said: “Lord, open his eyes, that he may see…and Elisha said, Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see” (2 Kings 6:17, 20).

 “Encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13 NASB). Pray for a pure heart (Psalm 51:10).

It is not God’s will that any should perish. He has already paid the price for all mankind. We must receive the gift of salvation in our hearts through believing and confessing Him as Lord. We are born from above to believe within.

The message within the new book the Lord inspired me to write is a heart-cry for America to turn back to God in repentance—before it is too late. It is a call for repentance for all people in America, to move away from power, prestige, performance, and position—to caring about what matters to God—people. There is a path that leads to life and one that leads to death. “The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road difficult, and only a few ever find it” –Matthew 7:13-14  

It is more important how you live your life than what you accomplish. Knowing about God and not knowing Him personally in your heart leads to death—separated from God for all eternity.

We could be the generation that sees the return of Jesus Christ. From threats of terror, beheadings, wars and rumors of wars, the spirit of Anti-Christ rising up against believers, family turning against family, attacks against marriage, family, and the Bible, to the signals from heaven that are confirming the times, we must return to God and repent for America—and stand with Israel.

Jesus explains His return in Matthew 24 and the signs of the times and the End of the Age. Jesus warned us the times would be like the days of Noah.

The recent series of events are confirmations of a timely message needed for America—she must turn back to God in repentance. The Church must awake—waking has everything to do with prayer. Real battles are won in prayer. Strategic praying of God’s Word brings the dead to life, brings lost kids back to God, turns nations around, restores marriages, and can heal a nation if she will repent.

Pay attention to the details of what happened just before the book released.

We drove to visit family on Wednesday 6/24 and arrived at the midnight hour in John’s Island, SC which was actually on Thursday 6/25.  Later in the morning, I checked my emails and saw the final proof for THE MIDNIGHT HOUR (my new book) came through for me to approve. Due to a storm and power surge throughout the night, my Apple laptop went into protection mode and it would not charge. The computer showed I only had two hours left so I had to take it to the Apple Store in Charleston to be reset. Much like the laptop had to be taken to the Apple store, we must return to God as individuals in need of His help for America. We cannot continue to defy God as a nation, and expect His hand of blessing and protection.

When driving to Charleston, I remember seeing a restaurant on the corner “FIVE LOAVES CAFÉ” and I heard the Spirit of the Lord say, because you look to me like My Son did, I will bring multiplication. What a beautiful Word. We all have the opportunity to look up to our heavenly Father God, and be led by the Holy Spirit here on earth. It is imperative that we have a close relationship with the Holy Spirit by spending time in God’s Word, renewing our minds, praying, and paying attention to the signs from heaven. We must testify to the authority of God’s Word here on earth by praying His Word back to Him—as we have been given direct access to all of heaven’s resources. We are designed to be in relationship with the God of the entire universe, to love Him, love people, and pass it on–building relationships with others.

That’s what we did in the Apple Store—connected with other people. We actually saw someone we knew that was unexpected—but planned by God. That is how our heavenly Father works. I believe that if we are not willing to stop for one, we are not fit to stand before thousands.

The wait at the Apple store was over four hours so I chose to leave Mother with our friend to talk while I went to move my car closer to the store. I walked the main street of Charleston—all the way to the bridge and back, praying for the people of Charleston. Nine people recently lost their lives at the massacre at Emanuel AME Church when Dylann Storm Roof chose to open fire during a Bible study.

The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart that we had to walk to the bridge and back because everywhere we place our feet, we claim that land for Him. God needs each and everyone to make a stand for Jesus Christ. After moving the car to a closer parking place, we walked the streets of Charleston, talking with owners of stores and hearing their stories about what happened and about the upcoming funeral.

THE NEXT DAY

President Obama attended the funeral of slain pastor and state senator Clementa Pinckney (called a “bridge builder”) on Friday, June 26,and sang “Amazing Grace.” The same day the Supreme Court ruled on same-sex marriage for America. Then to top it all off, “The Bethlehem Star” was clearly visible for the first time in 2,000 years on June 30^th. Jupiter and Venus lined up and offered a heavenly display—which may be the same event that led the three Wise Men to Jesus. God is giving us signals from heaven—time is short and we are living in the “last hour.” The Bible is unfolding before our eyes—with all the signs of the times showing forth from Jesus’ discourse in Matthew 24.

The Bible says, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV). He is talking to believers in this verse—that’s the church!

From the 4 Blood Moons to the Feast where the Lord spoke to Moses in Lev. 23:1-2, the word Feast means a fixed time or season—to fix upon or engage (for marriage). When Jesus calls His church home—there will be a great celebration as the Bride of Christ meets the Bridegroom.

Our only hope is in turning back to God in repentance and trusting in Him through His amazing grace—from the President of the United States and all forms of government to the Church and every pastor and leader across this nation, as well as every family and individual.

It is way too late to sit on the sidelines. We are not here to be entertained but to live in God’s power and advance His kingdom here on earth. We need God’s wisdom. God’s Word can make you wise—wiser than your enemies and even those older and more experienced than you. It is plain and simple. All you have to do is love God’s Word, keep it as number one—holding first place in your heart and mind, and obey it (Psalm 119:98-100).

This is a timely message for America to turn back to God in prayer and repentance! We are called to endure to the end. We must hold our ground in conflict, bear up against adversity, stand firm, persevere under pressure, and stand strong upon the solid rock of Jesus Christ! The King is coming! His name is JESUS!