Prophetic Encouragemenmt for 2013

Hang with me for a few minutes as we go on a journey of potential for this New Year! I am convinced this is the year for an army to rise up out of the ashes of burnt dreams and deferred hopes. It is the year for a declaration of great Kingdom implications. At the same time I am sensing a sweet simplicity in what I hear from Papa's heart. He is telling me to be the igniter (among many others) of a fresh outpouring of Holy Spirit and to become the instigator of a new Jesus Movement!!!

 

"Perhaps this scripture as I saw it recently interpreted sums it up. Taken from the text of Luke 22:35. Shortly before the last days of Jesus on this earth He reminded His disciples of a mission He had sent them on. He asked them how He had sent them out. They were to take nothing with them they answered. He then asked did they lack for anything? They said, No.

The interpretation I had read asked its reader to consider this possibility.  As we enter into the life of eternity perhaps the Lord will ask us if we lacked for anything when we obeyed as He asked us to follow. We could only answer, no. And continue by saying, You gave us all we needed pertaining to life and Godliness. We had our identity offered in You. We had a peace that surpassed our understanding. A comfort that was not of this earth. Hope blossomed in sorrow, joy exceeded our soul. We were complete and justified in Christ. No past to hold us back; as our sins and the stain of shame they left on our soul were gone. They were literally thrown into the sea of forgetfulness and washed away by His precious and powerful blood. Love has no definition accept by Your loving character and name. Our cup overflows with goodness and mercy." adapted from Michael McBane

With the absolute assurance of His complete, Sovereign and loving provision; we simply follow Him! This is how he did it; we are called to follow His simple example!

“I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son does also.” (John 5:19, NIV) The “seeing” and “doing” of Jesus’ life came directly out of the wellspring of what he heard his Father say each day. “I can’t do a solitary thing on my own: I listen, then I decide. You can trust my decision because I’m not out to get my own way but only to carry out orders.  If I were simply speaking on my own account, it would be an empty self-serving witness” (John 5: 30 The Message)

It is our call in 2013, like never before to capture the essence of how Jesus listened to His Father and then to follow his example. I firmly believe that the ones who can hear as Jesus heard can also follow as Jesus followed. The pattern Jesus set is the very same pattern we must follow.

“Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant.” (Ephesians 5: 1-2, The Message)

Jesus did not just come to do something for you, He came to do something with you. If you consider yourself as one of the chosen, it is only so you can go and call all others.  When you see Jesus, the Hell of your existence becomes Heaven! That is our message; hell becomes heaven when we follow Jesus! Innocence is you being fully you, your original, true self.

This is where many I know have come to after years of searching and at times being caught up in what amounted to either; hopes deferred, disappointments, tragic losses or mere silliness. Christ in us is still the only hope of anything meaningful and certainly the only hope of glory! Bless you in 2013 as you simply follow Him. His invitation has never changed, "come follow me and I will make you fishers of men." I will ignite a fresh Holy Ghost Jesus Movement through you this year! By all means get ready! 

In the grip of Amazing Grace, Ron Ross 

The following four songs will help your heart grasp the enormity of this call from Jesus!

http://youtu.be/8VdXLM8H-xU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= vGnpWo9SLuk&feature=share&list= ALYL4kY05133q2s5oIUfAIVinjpsXXazzh

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7KRYM8TNLc&feature=share&list=ALYL4kY05133q2s5oIUfAIVinjpsXXazzh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY0Vz8fvIhE&feature=share&list=ALYL4kY05133q2s5oIUfAIVinjpsXXazzh

 

"Your life is hidden with Christ in God..." Maybe the single greatest part of our journey with Jesus is  to discover, experience and plumb the depths of the treasure we have within. Spiritual growth and development call us to live from the inside out. As we do we find ourselves moving incrementally from hiding to hidden. This is not a play on words. It is the essence of living simply, securely, safely and successfully!

Hiding is one of the ugliest and scariest parts of the fall of Adam and Eve. They fell from enjoying unhindered fellowship with God to hiding in shame from God! (When hiding from God, which side of the tree do you get on?) Hiding is entrenched in lies believed about God and ourselves. It convinces us to live in the shroud of doubt and shame. And we then become ensnared in the insidious trap of fear and tragically push the advancements of God away. Blinded while hiding we lose sight of the riches God has put in all humanity.

2 Corinthians 4: 7-16 (Mirror Translation) 

"We have discovered this treasure where it was hidden all along, in these frail skin-suits made of clay. We (can) take no credit for finding it there! It took the enormous power of God in the achievement of Christ to rescue our minds from the lies it believed. (God invested all that he has in the redeeming of our original value! Our inner life hosts the treasure of the life of our design. Jesus said in John 7:37,38, "If you believe that I am what the scriptures are all about, you will know that you are what I am all about and rivers of living water will gush out of your innermost being!")  

He knows you, He understands you better than you understand yourself. He is fully aware of every detail of your life ... and He loves you. He is not uninvolved or unaware. The incarnation is the event in which God demonstrates His union with your humanity, with all its challenges and contradictions ... bringing His peace to you, no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. The Angels still make their declaration to mankind; Peace, Good-will be to all men!

God in Jesus demonstrates the integrity of His peace, not by avoiding our problems, but by embracing all of humanity with all of our problems and issues, without loosing His peace. He demonstrates the robustness of His life, not by avoiding death, but by entering into the heart of it, and there in the midst of the greatest contradiction He bursts forth into resurrection life. His resurrection life calls us out of hiding into hidden in Him! And His continuous proclamation remains; Peace be still.

 "I am leaving you with a gift -- peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid." (John 14:27 NLB) His love and affection keep us in His gift of peace. Soak in the attached song. Peace will flood your heart!

Living hidden in the peace and love of Jesus, Ron Ross

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoC1ec-lYps&feature=share&list=FLfHylgO4PsXdhOzG5wIpE6w

In the Grip of Grace

A dear friend shared this song with Janis and me. The past six months have been the most difficult of our entire life and ministry. But we remain steadfast and unmovable in the Gospel of the Kingdom.

"Therefore, my dear brothers (sisters), stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Corinthian 15:58)

We cannot afford to be sidetracked by trials and tribulations. Yes, they hurt like the dickens, yes they are very difficult! Listen to the admonition of scripture.

"Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay.

But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." (Hebrews 10:35-39)

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an everlasting glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

In the meantime, Papa has placed a host of Angels and an Army of precious intercession on 24/7 dispatch to all that concerns you!

In the grip of Grace! Ron

http://youtu.be/_tWozBgy3fU

Mercy and Grace

by Keith Gardner

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. -1 Corinthians 11: 23-26 (NIV)

There is a mercy that is available to each one of us. We receive it with great ease; almost unnoticed. It is wrapped in the gift of forgiveness. When I am drawn to God for the first time, and I come to him asking him to forgive me, and he does; releasing me from the penalty of my sins and adopts me into his spiritual family; that is mercy. Mercy is where we do not get what we deserve. Jesus’s death on the cross paid the price for my sins; that debt payment was God’s mercy in action. The mercy is not applied until the free gift of forgiveness is received (Romans 5).

The Comfort Crisis

Our world desperately needs healers, now! And they are needed now more than at in any other time in history! But you can't be a healer in the world, without first being healed by Jesus. He is the one and only healer and he has chosen to empower us to partner with him in healing. The fact is we are either 'wounded healers' or 'unhealed wounders'.

"3 All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 You can be sure that the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6 So when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your benefit and salvation! For when God comforts us, it is so that we, in turn, can be an encouragement to you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7 We are confident that as you share in suffering, you will also share God's comfort." (2 Corinthians 1: 3-7, NLB)

Those who know God as their Father are resting secure in his comfort and affection and have no compulsion or reason to force their will on another human being, and will instead look for ways to help others who are victimized by the cruel realities of life in a broken age. As the traumas of life in this age increase our call is to first open up to His healing comfort for ourselves and then to comfort others with that very same comfort.

Too many (in the church) are suffering in silence for fear of rejection or religious abuse. Thus, the Body of Christ is in a crisis of comfort! We continue denying our own need for comfort and at the same time have nothing of spiritual substance inside to offer to those around who are still ensnared in unresolved life issues. Instead of receiving the comfort of God we fill our comfort-less vacuum with substances and behaviors in a vain attempt at survival. Survival is not God's will--abundant Overcoming mercy, comfort and victory is.

"Sing for joy, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains! For The Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion upon the afflicted." (Isaiah 49:13) 

Embraced by loving comfort in Christ, Ron

Piercing the Darkness

Gross darkness covers the earth! God is continually piercing that darkness with His light. Because of the digital age in which you and I live we can easily be overwhelmed by that darkness. May the following nuggets of GOOD NEWS (in word, song and video) help you focus on some of the realities that are always piercing the darkness.

1. Darkness creates a profound sense that there is no longer a safe place in this world. There is only one safe place-the arms of Jesus! "Your life is hidden with Christ in God" May our sense of security compel all to come to Him! In Him is the only place where His peace passes our ability to interpret or understand the events around us. His peace seeks to assure us that we don't have to question God. We don't have to have an answer for the proverbial WHY? It's not even a question; it is an invitation. Compel them to come into the only safe place with the invitation of Christ in and through us! 

http://youtu.be/sY0Vz8fvIhE

2. Darkness seeks to tyrannize you and I with reports of evil; which will overshadow the report of the Lord if you lift them up! Lifting up opinions, political ideology, the positions espoused by pop culture, doctrines of men or devils, the wisdom of man, the wisdom of fools, knowledge, or the perspective of the world system-you name it; matters not, and changes only minds. Lifting up only One-Jesus Christ, will call all to Himself to change the only thing that ultimately matters---the HEART!

http://youtu.be/UU3ZzcBJTvI

3. Darkness seeks only to lure you and I into its snare; capturing the attention of our heart gates-the ears and eyes of the inner man. Set the eyes and ears of your heart to heaven and you will see Him in all things everywhere and His awesome voice will drown out all others!

http://youtu.be/1A3i0GATnRI

4. Darkness exaggerates itself in an insidious attempt to block out the good and convince us that it is more prevalent than the light. Maybe, just maybe; if we look hard enough we will be delighted in the discovery of love and hope in the most unexpected places?

http://youtu.be/0g9poWKKpbU

5. Darkness shrouds the potential that is always possible; wherever we are, no matter our outward circumstances. This video represents the true view of humanity made in the image and likeness of God. The warped distort ions the enemy wants us to believe lead only to hopelessness. WE are all jewels from the devils junk pile or landfill. The world gives us garbage, we give them back music!

Use whatever is available for Glory; whatever your hand finds to do-do with all your might for the Glory of God and you will become a significant part of the Orchestra of grace. Those beautiful sounds are more real than the dissonance of the evil one!

http://youtu.be/fXynrsrTKbI

7 My dear friends, I'm not writing anything new here. This is the oldest commandment in the book, and you've known it from day one. It's always been implicit in the Message you've heard. 8 On the other hand, perhaps it is new, freshly minted as it is in both Christ and you - the darkness on its way out and the True Light already blazing! 9 Anyone who claims to live in God's light and hates a brother or sister is still in the dark. 10 It's the person who loves brother and sister who dwells in God's light and doesn't block the light from others. 11 But whoever hates is still in the dark, stumbles around in the dark, doesn't know which end is up, blinded by the darkness. (1 John 2:7-11 Msg)

The darkness is on its way out and the true light is already blazing! Ron Ross

Unhindered, Unfettered-Yet Tethered

Journal Entry-December 13, 2012

(Normally my posts are written in a format that takes it from my personal Journal to a Nurturing Devotional for all who wish to read. Today, I Am is leading me to simply post my journal. I hope it encourages...)

You mean I have a choice? You mean I am not required to please you with my self-effort, greater levels of trying harder this time, dazzling you with my new found devotion? Come on, really? I really mean it this time Jesus! I've worked up a whole new gig for us Jesus.

It is a new season, a new resolve, a new year! What did you just whisper? I thought I heard a strangely, somewhat familiar voice? Surely it wasn't you? It was you? But, but, but... Shhhh. Don't speak. Listen.

I Am not after your resolve. I Am not interested in your desire to please Me. I never asked for those religious activities or attitudes. I Am not the One tying you up with the tyranny of time. I Am not demanding anything.

I Am after you. I only want you to join Me, My Father, and My Spirit within. We want to gently lead you into Our Unforced rhythms of Grace. You are Favored simply because we love you! Yes, really, We make the difference! Yes, really, Our Grace is sufficient! Just enter My rest and listen...

25 Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. 26 Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work." 27 Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. "The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen. 28 "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. 29 Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 30 Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."(The Message)

My Child, do you recall playing Tether Ball as a child? We simply desire for you to surrender to being tethered to US. Nothing less, nothing more. Allow US to hold you when you fly around daily anchored to US... 

 

Tethered to Pure Love, Ron Ross

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9uLzN1elks&feature=share&list=FLfHylgO4PsXdhOzG5wIpE6w

Pull Me a Little Closer

 

Just moments before the dawn of a new day; Papa pierces the dark night of our soul with the blinding brilliance of His heart. It blazes against the contrast of  the darkness as a constant reminder of His great love!  

The question is not whether He will pierce our darkness; but, can we receive His heart-sight? (This is a real photograph taken just before dawn by a friend capturing this powerful, prophetic image!) 

" Look, God, your God, has placed this land as a gift before you. Go ahead and take it now. God, the God-of-Your-Fathers, promised it to you. Don't be afraid. Don't lose heart."Deuteronomy 1:21 (MSG) 

The land placed before us as a gift is the security of the same closeness Jesus has enjoyed with His Father for all eternity. When life seems the darkest he is just around the corner with fresh blazing revelation and wisdom. 

"Jesus reveals that we pre-existed in His Father; He defines us. He justified us and also glorified us. He redeemed our innocence and restored the glory we lost in Adam's fall...What further ground can there possibly be to condemn us?

In His death he faced our judgment; in His resurrection he declares our innocence; the implications cannot be undone! He now occupies the highest seat of authority as the executive of our redemption in the throne room of God.

What would (could) it take to distance us from the love of Christ? You name any potential calamity; intense pressure of the worst possible kind, cluster-phobia, persecution, destitution, loneliness, extreme exposure, life-threatening danger or war? His love has placed us above the reach of any onslaught. (Adapted from verses in Romans 8)  

  

Therefore; throw caution, fear and religious inhibitions to the wind of Holy Spirit and embrace His passionate draw, pulling you closer to His heart than you ever imagined was possible! 

As the previous waves come crashing on the shore of your faith journey, be pulled by the overwhelming undertow of His great love and be ready to ride the next waves of Glory!  

Drawn by Papa's Heart, Ron Ross

http://youtu.be/QLQOC_MSVLY

Draw me a Little Closer

Living Embraced

Living Embraced

What happened? What happened to our abundant aliveness? Are we spiritually acquiescing to living our life on the outer fringes of Grace? Are we simply content to live on the edges of God’s love? Have we allowed a wall of fear or doubt to come between our reality and Papa’s continuous kisses of intimacy through Jesus, by His Spirit?

The struggle of the centuries has been to free our souls from a narrow or jaded interpretation of Father’s love for us in Jesus. He is the very essence and heart of the Father’s love message. The world is still waiting to see Jesus as He truly is through us!

He is: Jesus the magnificent lover, Jesus the resurrected Lord and Savior, Jesus the hope of History and the Nations, Jesus the kinsman redeemer, Jesus the compassionate healer, and Jesus the dynamic wonder of the ages!

Take the shackles and/or blinders off; let Him have a chance to bless mankind through us without limitations! Daily embrace the Father’s lavish love in Jesus! This is our first matter of faith, removing any and all shackles, blinders and/or limitations. Only then can we see and show what great love the Father has lavished on us. It matters not what we are going through. Even:

When I feel the cold of winter
Endless cloak of sadness, I need You
All the evil things that shake me
All the words that break me, I need You

Over the mountains, over the sea
Here You come running, my Lover, to me

Do not hide me from Your presence
Pull me from these shadows, I need You

Beauty, wrap Your arms around me
Sing Your song of kindness, I need You

Over the mountains, over the sea
Here, You come running, my Lover, to me.
All through the valleys, through the dark of night
Here You come running, to hold me, til’ it’s light.

Over the mountains, over the sea
Here You come running, my Lover, to me.
All through the valleys, through the dark of night.
Here You come running, to hold me
‘Til it’s light.

Song of Solomon - Martin Smith

1 What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it - we're called children of God! That's who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or takes us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he's up to. 2 But friends, that's exactly who we are: children of God. And that's only the beginning. Who knows how we'll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we'll see him - and in seeing him, become like him. (1 John 3:1-2, Msg)

 http://youtu.be/AoJ91a9AeBk

Living embraced by The Lover, Ron Ross

 

Over the Mountains

Even if you are presently in the deepest fog of pain, shame, despair, fear, confusion, lack or sadness, He is coming over the mountain, running to you. Over the valley, through the dark of night; faith gives clarity to my heart-sight. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen!

Through the eyes of faith, I can see all and who I am presently agonizing over turning and running to jump heart-first into His waiting embrace. The prevenient grace of God (that part of God’s Grace which draws us to him) will not be denied—His great, unconditional, patient love will finish all He started concerning you before the dawn of eternity.

Anchor all of your faintest hopes in the surety of His completed Calvary, blood washed embrace! Simply open wide the ears and arms of your heart afresh to Him and him alone. He is all and in all and he is always more than sufficient for all that will ever concern you. Over the mountains, He comes running…Ron Ross

 http://youtu.be/AoJ91a9AeBk