Sid Roth - Raised by Two Lesbian Mothers, Look What Jesus Did
Sid Roth: Welcome, Holy Spirit. Go and flow. My guest, Ross Johnston, grew up in a lesbian household, and was born through artificial insemination. Ross, what was your childhood like?
Ross Johnston: Well, for me, it was normal, because when you're born by artificial insemination and you have two lesbian moms, a baby only knows what a baby knows. And so I remember as I grew up, and I looked at the world around me, I noticed that they didn't have two moms. They typically had one mom and one dad. But when I went home, that wasn't the case for me. And I remember, as I started to get older, I didn't recognize what the root or the cause was, but I began to feel lonely. I began to feel like nobody truly saw me. And I didn't really know my destiny or my purpose, or why I was on the earth. And then at 15 years old, my whole life changed forever.
Sid Roth: Okay. What happened at that point?
Ross Johnston: So I remember that my friend decided, for some reason, which to this day I still don't know why, she invited me to go to a Sunday service with her and her grandma.
Sid Roth: That was the first time you ever went to church?
Ross Johnston: The first time I ever heard a sermon, the first time I heard a worship song, the first time that I actually had an encounter with a Christian. So I'm sitting in the back row of the church, and I say it like this, now, "God will get you in the back row". And as I'm sitting there, I remember for the first time in my life, I experienced the power and presence of God. I went home that night and the preacher said at the service, "You need to give your life to Jesus". So I went home, and as I look back at it now, this is what I was saying, Sid, "God, please don't let me be a good person who reads a good book and goes to a good church. God, if You are real, I have to know You personally". And I remember for those next three nights in my room, the power and presence of Jesus would meet me. I went to church the following week. I lifted my hand. I didn't even know what this meant, but I said, "Jesus, I want to surrender my life to You, because You are real. And since You're real, you deserve everything that I have".
Sid Roth: Now, help me out. You said you felt the presence of God for the first time in your life. What was that like?
Ross Johnston: The best way I can describe it is, I'm weeping, I'm dancing, I'm laughing, I'm shouting, I'm lifting my hands up on my knees. I didn't really know what was happening, but I knew that there was a supernatural presence in the room. And as soon as I recognized that for the first time in my life, I felt my soul actually begin to feel satisfied. And I knew that it was the presence of God, that though I tried the things of the world, they left me empty, they left me broken, and when I laid my head on the pillow at night I knew there was more for my life.
Sid Roth: Then you went to the service for high school students. What happened there?
Ross Johnston: Well, I remember I walked in... now keep in mind, I never had a conversation with God, a dialogue with God, let alone a prophetic word over my life. And so this pastor comes up to me and he says, "Ross, I have a word for you". I'm, like, "Well, aren't we speaking? What do you mean by 'a word'"? And he said, "I see God speaking to me, and there's a leadership on your life". And I remember thinking, awesome. I've always felt like a leader, I'll just take this and run with it. And lo and behold did I know that through the ups and downs of life, that God was speaking to me at 15 years old, to where I am today.
Sid Roth: And you really didn't have a mentor in your life at that time. And you fell into sin. Tell me what happened.
Ross Johnston: Well, you see, I never like to give more power or authority to the enemy, because he has none. However, he has real schemes and he has plans for our lives. And I remember, right before I went to church, that first ever church service, I was actually introduced to pornography. I had never seen it for 15 years in my life, which in our culture today is almost a miracle in itself. And I remember that started about an eight-year long journey of battling with a porn addiction, because why? I graduated high school, I had an encounter with God, awesome, but I didn't have a mentor. I didn't have a spiritual father. I wasn't plugged into a local church in college, and I kind of floated. And that brought us to 2016 wherein I graduated college, and once again, my life would shift forever.
Sid Roth: Now you say you made a bad decision by staying in San Diego. Why was that?
Ross Johnston: Well, before we even get there, I played the blame game with God, because when I got to college in San Diego, I said, "God, I don't have the car I want. I don't have the girlfriend I want. I don't have the house I want. So you know what, God? I'm going to put You on pause, I'm going to figure out my life, because I know what's best for my life". Worst decision ever. And for the next three and a half years of my life, thought once again I had everything the world told me would satisfy my soul, I was longing for God. And 2020 comes, and when the pandemic hits, I hear the Holy Spirit speak to me. And He says, "Ross, if you do not stand now, you never will". And here's the deal. I love the Father heart of God. I love Abba. But this was not a daddy-God type of moment. This was a stern Father looking at His son, saying, "Ross, you have a decision to make that's going to impact you not only today, but for the rest of your life". And so I'm weeping on the floor. I repent. I re-surrender my life to Jesus, and it's been like a rocket ship ever since.
Sid Roth: Tell me about your God adventure that was birthed.
Ross Johnston: So in 2020, I walk into a tent revival. There's something about the glory in tent revivals, I just love them, they're so amazing. And I walk in, and I see this worship leader on stage. We had never met, and God says, "You need to connect with Him". So that night, he received a prophetic word about revival in California, and actually received a brand new Jeep car from the person preaching at the tent revival. We meet that night, and we start talking about California. William Seymour, Frank Bartleman, the Azusa Street Revival. Aimee Semple McPherson, Jesus People Movement, Lonnie Frisbee, and we knew that we were tapping into something in the golden state where a well of revival was beginning to open up in 2020. So we decided to do this, we decided to follow the Bible. And we said, you know what? We're going to worship, we're going to preach the Gospel, and we're going to see what God wants to do with this. And man, did He blow our minds.
Sid Roth: And what did you do, briefly, when you got to California with your friend?
Ross Johnston: So what we decided to do is, we showed up at Huntington Beach an infamous iconic beach, no permits. The cops did not like that we were there. They were, like, "What are you doing"? I was, like, "Sir, I have the permit of heaven". So we decided to worship and preach the Gospel, and baptize people. And people were walking off from the boardwalk, being delivered, saved, baptized, and plugged into a local church within four hours. Amen. But then, and then after that, people were coming up to me, "Ross, how long have you been a pastor"? I said, "Thirty minutes". "Ross, what church is this"? I said, "Bro, I just started going back to church six months ago". But we decided to name the movement "California Will be Saved," and for the last three years, we've been traveling the golden state...
Sid Roth: Boy, I feel the presence of God on that statement!
Ross Johnston: Come on. Yeah.
Sid Roth: See if you feel it. California WILL be saved!
Ross Johnston: Amen. Amen. And so as we started traveling these last three years, we've seen incredible things. Last year, we shut down Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Walk of Fame. Two thousand Christians showed up; 118 documented salvations and 40 baptisms right there in front of the Chinese Theater. The next month, we go to Huntington Beach. Thirty-five hundred Christians showed up. Literally, if you came to that beach that day, you had no choice. You were going to hear the worship, and hear the Gospel. And so we've been seeing God pour out His Spirit in the place that many have written off, many say it's too dark. It doesn't take a prophet to call out darkness, but it takes a believer in Jesus filled with the Holy Ghost to say, you know what, we see what the world is saying. What is God saying?
Sid Roth: Okay. When we return, I'm going to have Ross pray for you to be fearless, just like him, and fulfill your purpose, fulfill your destiny, just like Ross. Be right back.
Sid Roth: Now I'm kind of curious, when Ross becomes a true believer in the Messiah, what did your lesbian mom do?
Ross Johnston: So at first, there wasn't much conversation. But because she loves me so much, she would take me to church, she would pay for summer camps. And I remember when I first got saved, because I was so new in the faith, I didn't quite know how to engage. But here's what I did know, that every seed planted by the Holy Spirit will always bear fruit. So even 'til this day, I am believing my mom is on the edge of coming to Jesus. She sees my life. She won't show up to my gatherings because she knows she'll get saved. But the moment is near. The moment is near for my mom.
Sid Roth: Well, let me encourage you. On my father's death bed, as an orthodox Jewish man that would never believe in Jesus, I heard with my own ears, "I receive Jesus as my Messiah and Lord". If my dad could do it, your mom could...
Ross Johnston: Amen.
Sid Roth: Tell me what's happening in your meetings.
Ross Johnston: So we're seeing some incredible testimonies, because as we gather, the Lord told us we have two weapons; worship, and the proclamation of the Gospel. And the Bible makes it clear that when we worship God, He becomes enthroned on our praises. What does that mean? He becomes more near in the atmosphere. But we also know that once people encounter the true presence of God, now they're looking for the language. What is going into my heart? What am I feeling? And so when we preach the Gospel, they're, like, "Oh my gosh, this is what I've been longing for, for my whole life". We were in San Francisco in the Tenderloin district, which is almost like a third world country atmosphere here in America. And we found out that this couple was walking to a satanic ritual that night. They heard the worship, decided to stop. One of our team members went over to them, prayed for the lady who actually was in a car accident, her back got healed. They decided to stay and then when I preached the Gospel, they were the first couple to receive Jesus that night.
Sid Roth: You've even witnessed transgenders and lesbians?
Ross Johnston: So this is a really special moment. My birthday is on October 31st, Reformation Day is what I like to call it, and we were in Downtown San Diego in front of the most infamous bars and clubs of that entire region. And we pulled up right there, we brought our full sound system, we're worshipping or preaching the Gospel...
Sid Roth: Yeah, you've got, there's a Hebrew word, "chutzpah", you've got nerve!
Ross Johnston: Come on, yes. Boldness, it's the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Jesus came like the Lamb, but He's returning like the Lion. And so I remember as I preached the Gospel, I looked to my right, and the first person to respond is a transgender man. As soon as he walks forward, the only thing I think of to do is to give him a massive hug. As soon as I hug him, he begins to weep. He receives Jesus and stayed the rest of the night and began to worship with us.
Sid Roth: You seem to be a very positive type person, all things are possible. But how about America? Is there hope for America?
Ross Johnston: Well, Sid, I truly believe we're living an Isaiah 61 moment, where those who used to be captives, used to be prisoners, used to be broken, used to be poor, are now the ones that God is using to rebuild the ancient ruins. I've been saying it like this: God is choosing, pursuing, and saving those who come from the most hopeless, Godless and darkest situations to turn America around.
Sid Roth: Tell me about the dream of red and blue.
Ross Johnston: So in 2022, I saw this vision. And I saw the state of California half red, half blue. I was, like, "This is easy, politics"! God was, like, "No, no, no". And in the middle of the state, I saw a dividing line. And I started thinking, "Lord, what does this mean"? Instantly, this thought hits my mind, what does the color red and the color blue, when they come together, what do they make? The color purple. Purple signifies glory, majesty, beauty, the presence, the power, and the awe of God. And immediately as we entered into 2024, Psalm 24 flashed into my sight. And I connected it to the dream, that I believe in this year and in the years to come, we will see that greater glory. What does Psalm 24 say? It says, "Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, in battle". And I believe, Sid, the only hope for America and the nations of the earth, and for the Glory of God, to not just be a head knowledge, but a heart revelation. And we will see that in our time.
Sid Roth: And I found something else interesting about you. You're not Jewish, but you are very pro-Israel.
Ross Johnston: Mm-hmm.
Sid Roth: Where did this come from?
Ross Johnston: Well, I keep it simple. The Bible says that if you stand for Israel, God will stand with you. But not only that, we see all throughout history, from Haman to Hitler to Hamas, there has been an attack on the Jewish people, but guess what? It never succeeds, and it never will. We've seen that an anti-Sematic spirit that it's tried to rear its head throughout the entire world history; however, it'll never actually succeed. But Romans 11, Paul said something really interesting. He says this: He goes, "If you Gentiles have been blessed by the rejection of the Messiah by the Jews, how much more will the world be blessed once the Jewish people come to Jesus"? And he says this statement, "All of Israel will be saved". And I'm believing that when revival breaks out in Israel, let me say it like this, could we be in a divine setup moment where all attention is on Israel, revival breaks out there, and when revival breaks out among the Jewish people, it'll break out across the entire globe.
Sid Roth: When you see anti-Semitism, how do you feel in your heart?
Ross Johnston: When I see it, it breaks my heart because so many times, the most pushback I've received, unfortunately, come from Christians. And it blows my mind, because not only is our Messiah Jewish, He's coming back to Israel. But we know that without Jesus, there is no hope for the Gentiles or for the world. And so if we can't support God's people, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Yahweh, Yeshua, if we don't support Him and His people and His purposes and His promises, how in the world can we say that God has become our everything? You know, many people know Jesus is Lord, but they don't know Him as lover. What do I mean by that?
Sid Roth: Stop. Look into the camera and talk to a person that needs to know Jesus as "lover".
Ross Johnston: I want to encourage you, if you know Jesus is Lord, that is a great place to start, but that is not where you finish. And Jesus is actually the one who loves you more than anything and any person ever will. And I want to encourage you right now that if you have a head knowledge of Jesus, I'm so proud of you. But He wants to enter into your heart, He wants to become your Lord, your Lover, the Lamb and the Lion, the four L's of Jesus. And I encourage you right now in this moment, if you want to surrender to Jesus, it's so simple. He didn't say you have to do a crazy, religious ritual. He said that if you would confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that He is Lord and rose from the dead, you will be saved. So all you have to say is, "Jesus, I make You my Lord. I repent from my sin and from this day forward, I follow You and receive You into my heart". And just say, "Holy Spirit, Spirit of God, fill me now. Welcome to the family of God".
Sid Roth: What do you see in your heart of hearts? Can you paint me a picture of what you see happening in Israel?
Ross Johnston: You know...
Sid Roth: I mean, there's the war situation going on. It's a fearful thing to be living in a war zone.
Ross Johnston: Absolutely. Any time I see tension or darkness or war happen on the earth, my first thought is, it's a divine setup. Now absolutely, we recognize that there's real atrocity, there's real pain, real people are losing their lives. And we know that the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But Jesus said, "I have come to bring life, and life abundantly". And so when I see these things happening on the earth, my perspective is, "Jesus, what are You doing, and where is the life, and life abundantly"? And I believe that in this moment, as tension increases on the earth, what also increases is the Glory of the Lord. So I'm believing that in the midst of all this turmoil, that people's hearts would begin to say, "Who is this Jesus? Who is this Messiah? I've heard He is a religious figure, I heard He's a prophet, I heard He's a lunatic, I've heard all these things". It's Matthew 16, when Jesus comes to Peter and says, "Peter, who do you say I am"? And he says, "You are the Son of God". And Jesus says, "Oh, no man revealed this to you". And Jesus said, "I will build My church upon that revelation and the gates of hell will not prevail". Could it be we're in a moment where the Lord is looking at people and saying, "Forget what you've heard. Who do you say I am"?
Sid Roth: You know, we've seen the devil's explosion in the land of Israel, the war, the devastation of October 7th, the brutality that's going on. Now we're going to see another explosion. We're going to see the explosion of the living God, His glory is going to cover this earth. And I believe it's going to start in the land of Israel. Just very briefly, you had, because of your background, upbringing, et cetera, what is known as an "orphan spirit". What is it, and how did you get rid of it?
Ross Johnston: So the orphan spirit is everything, and the natural could be going well for your life. I had good grades, I was good at sports, I had food on the table. I was blessed in my life. However, internally, it always felt like nobody truly cared for me. It always felt like I was alone. Felt like I had no value and I had no purpose. What it was, was it was the lack of a father. And I say it like this, Sid, until God becomes your Father, the world is your father. Culture is your father. Entertainment is your father. And maybe you know it and maybe you don't know it, but I encourage every single person to call on God, the Father, to become your Father. But not only that, I'll say it like this. We all have a scroll in our life. We were all planted. We all have a seed of destiny planted in us from the moment that God formed us in our mother's womb. And God wants you and I to partner with Him to fulfill His dream and His desire on the earth. And so I overcame this orphan mentality and orphan spirit by recognizing that though I didn't have a natural father, or maybe you don't have the best representation of a natural father, but you know not just the good Father, but the perfect Father in heaven.
Sid Roth: There are people watching us right now, they're even Christians, but they have an orphan spirit.
Ross Johnston: Mm-hmm.
Sid Roth: How do you know you have an orphan spirit?
Ross Johnston: Typically you can tell when someone's operating in an orphan spirit when they always try to get the most, take the most. There's a lot of "I's," a lot of "me's," because when you have the orphan spirit, you're not quite sure if God will provide for you tomorrow. And all you can see is what's happening today. And I believe that this orphan spirit, you know, we actually see in the natural, and almost every major crime statistic ties back to one point: A lack of fathers in the household. So could it be in one of the most fatherless generations that God, the Father, is being revealed to flip it all around? That's what I'm believing for.
Sid Roth: Would you pray for the viewers right now?
Ross Johnston: Absolutely. I just declare in the Name of Jesus if there is any orphan spirit or mentality that has tried to grip your life, or even your family, we declare that you are no longer simply in the bloodline of your natural family, but in the bloodline if Jesus Christ, and who the Son sets free is free, indeed. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So I declare over every captive, every prisoner, freedom in Jesus' Name, that instead of the garment of heaviness, you would have the garment of praise. And we declare that you would come into the revelation of God the Father being your Father. And I pray right now for the spirit of revival to mark your life, that if you want to disrupt the plans of the enemy, you have to let God disrupt your life. So I declare a bonus, the lion of the tribe of Judah that's already in you to begin to flow out of you. May you preach the Gospel, may you lay your hands on the sick, may you cast out devils, may you make disciples. And you will not miss the call of God on your life. You will fulfil the divine plan that God has for your life, and I declare that starting today in Jesus' Name.
Sid Roth: And I, and I want to repeat to you, and I want to pronounce it over you. You're not fatherless. God is your Father. God is your Father. I say once again, God is your Father.