Blogs

Fall 2011-Ron Ross Update

Dunklin and Net Casting Ministries

“Writing to those loved by God the Father, called and kept safe by Jesus Christ. Relax, everything’s going to be all right; rest, everything’s coming together; open your hearts. Love is on the way.” Jude 1, The Message

We all need this daily reminder: we are his beloved, we are called to his heart and Kingdom, and we are totally safe in Jesus! Question; do I/we believe this? I can’t follow him without taking up my cross daily; which is the same as being reminded that His payment on Calvary is the only reality, all else is either a mirage in the desert times on the journey or an out-right lie.

The moments we lose this perspective, feel alone or abandoned, think we have to use people to somehow make it, are the times we must stop ourselves ‘dead’ in our tracks and listen only to His heart in our heart. Heed Jude’s poignant cry; open your hearts, everything’s coming together…love is on the way!

Paul put it this way in 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

The Message (MSG)

 ^7-12If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That's to prevent anyone from confusing God's incomparable power with us. As it is, there's not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we're not much to look at.

We've been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we're not demoralized; we're not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we've been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn't left our side; we've been thrown down, but we haven't broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus' sake, which makes Jesus' life all the more evident in us. While we're going through the worst, you're getting in on the best!

 ^13-15We're not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, "I believed it, so I said it," we say what we believe. And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God's glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise!

 ^16-18So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.

 ¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. NIV 

This may seem like a ‘hoax’ at testing times; but don’t listen to all the “excessive life noise.” At those times when I doubt his grace, is when I need his grace the most! I have to cry out; take my heart captive, wrap me in mercy, bind me to forgiveness, where I am safe. We must take spiritual breaks, simply rest and trust his unchangeable (non-circumstantial) love for us.

What am I up to? After eight round-trips to South Florida since February, serving Brother Mickey Evans at Dunklin, here is an update. I am now completing a third re-write/editing of The Inner Journey, which is the most critical part of this project.

We have spent countless hours praying, dreaming, talking and working. Brother Mickey will be 80 his next birthday and this has been one of the greatest challenges and honors of our thirty two year history of Kingdom partnering. We finished two projects between February and June and since then it has been The Inner Journey. I am hoping to have this complete by the holidays as Dunklin enters its 50th year.

I also continue the nurture/pastoring of the leaders of the Dunklin International network of ministries. These are wonderful ministries with a like heart and leadership that were helped and trained at Dunklin. This phase of my direct involvement will likely continue.

I also continue to mentor and nurture younger pastors and recovery leaders around the US and the world. As many of you know, it is getting increasingly easier to be younger than me.

In September I submitted some of the Nurture for the Heart writings to a publisher that may want to publish this into a year-long devotional. Please pray for Papa’s will and timing in this respect. I continue to fulfill my call to Nurture, Equip and Train; thus Net Casting Ministries.

What do I need? I realize most are making many and deep financial adjustments to survive the present economy, as are we. But, we also still need to raise some mission support to complete the first year phase of the Dunklin/Brother Mickey project. I put it this way because I committed to raise most of the support for this first year and then to re-evaluate.

I have at present $1, 200.00 in regular monthly support. I need an additional $800 to $1,000 total in regular monthly contributors or 3-5 thousand dollars to complete 2011. As you can see-this is not daunting or un-doable. Janis and I are so grateful for all the faithful Kingdom partners we have had for almost 32 years. Please pray again and ask if Papa would have you play some part.

Any support can be made out to NLCF (New Life Christian Fellowship) as they process all of our support monies or checks. It can be mailed to Ron Ross or Net Casting Ministries, 131 Fentress Dr., Stony Point, NC 28678. You can contact us at:  jamesronaldross@aim.com , ron@netcastingministries.org , ronross11@hotmail.com , www.netcastingministries.org , or

704-929-9665.

Everything is going to be okay and come together, love is on the way! I am attaching a small portion of The Inner Journey just so you can have a taste of what I have been doing with/for Brother Mickey. Janis and I love you and pray for you so much.

In the grip of Papa’s provision and grace, Ron Ross

The Inner Journey-A Love Journey

The Inner Journey produces a daily love experience beyond human comprehension. While journaling, you will be overwhelmed by the many ways that God communicates his love to those who will listen deeply and regularly. One could say that the Inner Journey is a Love Journey.

As we experience the Inner Journey, we can expect to have the strings of our heart securely tied to Father’s heart of love. If prayer journaling reveals anything, it is that we are always supremely loved by Jesus, Heavenly Father and precious Holy Spirit! Following are some of how that love will be expressed in prayer journaling.

“Writing to those loved by God the Father, called and kept safe by Jesus Christ. Relax, everything’s going to be all right; rest, everything’s coming together; open your hearts, love is on the way!...But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God’s love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life!” Jude 1b-2, 20-21, The Message

We are always changed by our experiences of being loved by God. As we Practice His Presence we will be gently challenged as to what we believe about love. The Inner Journey will correct our love perspective and mature us in God’s love. Our wounds associated with love will be “being healed” as we practice his presence, hear him and journal/share what we’ve experienced.

Also, as we journey toward a more mature love, we will begin to see (through our Inner Journey) how our contribution to others will start becoming the bigger part of love. We love because we want to be an expression of who Jesus is for us. We begin to love without strings or thought of reward. Following is some of what love will look like as we heal and mature through the Inner Journey. As we Practice the Presence of Jesus our previous love experiences will become greatly challenged in the fresh light of His love.

We discover in Him: Love gives permission to change and supports the process. It does not wait on the sidelines until change is complete before it rejoins the relationship. Love is a willingness to share the journey and be part of the story. Life can be a comedy, a tragedy, usually a drama, always an adventure, and unfortunately, occasionally a soap opera. Real love always plays a leading role, never a bit part.

We want excitement, not boring predictability, yet we often fail to understand that real love is mostly about how we overcome circumstances, not how we avoid them. Life is unforeseen, unpredictable, and made up of pleasure and pain. To navigate the twists and turns of our journey without using love as a compass and guide, means we will neither discover nor become the relational equivalent of True North. This is the most genuinely true alignment that can exist in the harmony between us and God.

His love does not accept a negative. It will challenge fear in an appropriate manner. Love stands up for love. The evidence of our lack of love is that we are afraid to be hurt or rejected. That can mean that we relate to people in the present so as to prevent ourselves from being hurt, as we once were in the past. That is dysfunctional and sad. We are governed by a present/past mindset that is protective in a completely wrong way. Perfect love casts out fear. The antidote to fear is to fully understand the power of love.

Love is not about opening yourself up to another. It is choosing to be your real self no matter what occurs. Love is about how we love, not who loves us. “I am what I love, not what loves me.” The Inner Journey secures our heart to God as the ultimate focus of our love; even as we are the focus of his love. This will become the most powerful identity statement that can ever be made about us. It will produce a freedom that revolutionizes your relationships.

Real love cannot be rejected, because it never seeks a return. Love is not an investment. It is the right thing to do. It is a part of our righteousness. That is, it is not just about doing the right thing, but more about being the right person. His love within calls us to be true to ourselves and love others.

When the relationship of one person to another becomes toxic, love is still possible even if trust is negotiable. In real love, we always believe the best of someone. If their pattern of behavior does not change, eventually the lack of trust will bring us to a crossroads. It is no longer possible to believe the best, but we can believe that they have the potential to become better. Love relates to people’s potential rather than their actual nature.

Love overcomes our own hurts and wounds. How do we love someone when love is not returned? In exactly the same way as if it were! We love for the joy of loving. Love means that we don’t have to “fix” people. We simply resource them with how we see them, think about them, and value them. When we do something for someone else without the need for recognition or gratitude it will benefit the giver as much as the recipient. Love expressed increases.

Love does not control another’s destiny nor stifle their identity. We are learning to love openly and generously. Love that is founded on dependency can become toxic. We can suffocate people with our expectations and demands. We can over-protect like a security blanket that smothers people and allows them no freedom to discover life. Love releases people. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. It is not our responsibility to change people but to give love freely and without strings. We earn the right to give advice. Loving-kindness opens up the door of trust.

We are accepted in the Beloved. The Father has put us into the place of His truest love and utmost affection. He put us into Jesus. He loves us exactly as He loves Jesus, even though we are at this time very different in lots of ways. He loves to express his love through The Inner Journey. We are learning to be made in His image. In the process of learning, we are loved as though we have made it! Being in Christ is a paradox. We are in Jesus with all the benefits of being like Him while we are learning to become as He is.

With true love, the process is as good as the end result! God gives love not by measure, but in fullness. Therefore, if we are worthy of love to begin the process, the same love that empowered us to start will compel us to finish. There are no degrees in the love of Heaven. Love is love, God is love, and so are we. You can look forward to many love lessons while journaling your Inner Journey!

Following is an example of an Inner Journey journal where Heavenly Father is sharing his heart of love:

Father, what do you desire for me to hear from you today? My child, read Song of Songs 8:7-8.

“Love is invincible facing danger and death. Passion laughs at the terrors of hell. The fire of love stops at nothing—it sweeps everything before it. Flood waters can’t drown love; torrents of rain can’t put it out. Love can’t be bought, love can’t be sold—it’s not to be found in the marketplace.” Rather, it is found in the quiet place of you and me sharing my love each day as you practice my presence.

My child, I remind you that “I AM”—therefore I would impress my love upon your heart. Because “I AM” there is no need for worry, fear or dismay. “I AM” fully in control and “I AM” with you. “I AM” your one and only source. There is a vital aspect of “I AM” that I desire for you to focus upon and it is: “I AM” love. It is my love that will sustain you. It is my love that will cover you. It is my love that will bring the unity my Beloved Son prayed for. Lay your head upon my chest. Can you hear and sense my heart beating? If you focus on my heart of love you will know each moment the many ways I want to express my love through you. You need nothing more. My love is the source of vision. My love will enable you to build My Kingdom. My love will re-assure you that it is not too late to receive and do what I have put in your heart! Your only job is to let me love you and release my love to all I put into your path. My perfect love will cast out the fear and cares of this world. “I AM” love; receive and release my love. Focus on my love and I will direct your steps—one at a time. My love will mend and my love will send. Allow my love to kiss you at all times. You are my beloved, Jesus…

In the grip of Papa’s loving grace! Ron Ross

(Parts of describing love adapted from Graham Cooke)