Once again, Dr. Charles Stanley’s TV broadcast message this week is a very powerful and important message for men and women standing for marriage restoration, so I strongly encourage everyone to listen to Bearing Each Other’s Burdens, especially if your spouse is caught up in a sinful lifestyle or behavior. There’s so much about this message that applies as we stand for marriage restoration; particularly when our spouses are involved in adulterous relationships. Dr. Stanley teaches an awful lot about the attitudes we should and shouldn’t have if we want the Lord to work through us to help restore our spouses to Him and for the restoration of our marriages.

As God continues to move mightily in the lives and marriages of so many in our midst, FAM members have witnessed undeniable and powerful proof that when we do things God’s way, we get GOD’S results…AND GOD HATES DIVORCE AND UPHOLDS THE COVENANT OF MARRIAGE! So we have to learn WHAT GOD SAYS about dealing with and responding to the shortcomings and failures of those we love when they are caught up in sin, which is definitely NOT what most counselors keep telling men and women all over this country; even Christian pastors and counselors. So I STRONGLY urge anyone currently seeking or considering marriage counseling to listen to this message and see if what you hear elsewhere lines up with GOD’S plan for restoration; because marriage restoration is NOT likely to happen any other way…at least not real and lasting restoration. And contrary to what most counselors believe, the change has to begin with US, and WE are powerless to effect change in our spouses…BUT GOD IS NOT!!! I can’t find anywhere in the Bible where we are taught to establish “boundaries” for our spouses as most counselors seem to believe and promote. And this is a VERY sore subject for me personally, because so much of my time is spent teaching men and women how to overcome the harm and destruction caused by the ungodly counsel given by so many pastors and Christian counselors. And they often literally need to be “deprogrammed!” So no matter what ANYONE tells you, including me, please make sure you can back it up in the Word of God. And if you can’t, please have the wisdom to recognize it as ungodly counsel and heed God’s warning and awesome promise in Psalm 1:1-3 (NKJV), which says:
Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

We just can’t hold onto our “rights” and identities as victims and the ungodly idea that we have the right or power to demand and/or effect change in our spouses, or look down on them with pious self-righteousness and expect to effectively stand for the full and complete restoration of our marriages, because that is absolutely contrary to EVERYTHING God’s Word teaches, and Dr. Stanley’s message makes that abundantly clear. So take the time to thoughtfully listen to this important message and follow along with Dr. Stanley’s Sermon Outline, along with the scripture references. When WE get right with the Lord and learn HOW to be vessels for HIS glory, and HOW to allow the work of the Holy Spirit to be done in and through us, we will indeed be blessed and encouraged, and our marriages will be supernaturally restored!!!

Posted Monday, October 27th, 2008 at 10:39 am in Seeds Of Faith.