Waiting and trusting God to act on our behalf as we stand for the restoration of our marriages continues to be the topic of quite a bit of discussion on the private websites, so I wanted to share two Heart To Heart messages posted on the private sites yesterday, because I’m sure they will bless and encourage anyone standing for marriage restoration, especially those who are really struggling. Here’s the message Dan posted yesterday, which I know will be a great blessing and very encouraging!

Peace Leads to Patience

I always get fired up when I read a new book, and I just finished reading Rick Warren’s book, God’s Power to Change Your Life. And I would highly recommend reading it if you get a chance. It’s about the “fruits of the spirit” and I want to share what he has to say concerning patience, which he connects to our faith. I found it very powerful, especially in terms of our faith in God and believing that He is working to restore our marriages. (All the scripture references are listed at the end.)

He begins by saying that a lack of peace causes impatience. When we have peace in our heart, almost nothing can make us impatient. But, on the other hand, when we don’t have peace, almost anything can make us impatient. Rick uses Proverbs 20:24 to make the point that we may experience some divine delays and some heavenly interruptions! And I love that description…they’re not setbacks, not obstacles, not problems, but divine delays and heavenly interruptions. That statement tells us God always has everything under control; he is not burdened or hindered by our human frailties and obstacles.

He continues by sharing that throughout the Bible, God equates patience with maturity. Proverbs 14:29 says maturity involves the ability to wait, to live with delayed gratification. A person of understanding and wisdom, who sees life from God’s point of view, can be patient. I know when I am in the Word, whether it is hearing it, reading it, praying it, or sharing it in writing I am at peace. It is during these times I find I am most patient with my circumstances, because that’s when I’m confident that God has orchestrated everything to happen according to His perfect plan.

Warren describes four areas in which we can become patient and enjoy the peace God intends for us. The areas are developing a new perspective, acquiring a sense of humor, deepening our love, and depending on the Lord.

In developing a new perspective, the first area, he suggests that we find a new way of looking at the situation or the person that is causing the problem. The root of impatience is selfishness. So learn to see things from other people’s point of view; look at a situation from the other person’s perspective and discover why that person feels as he or she does. (Proverbs 19:11)

The second area is acquiring a sense of humor. So learn to laugh at your circumstances; somehow find the fun in the frustrating. Humor is a tension dissolver, an antidote to anxiety, a tranquilizer without any troublesome side effects, and a life shock absorber. So learn to laugh; it can preserve your sanity. (Proverbs17: 22)

Thirdly, deepen your love. (1 Corinthians 13:4) When we are impatient, we are being unloving. When we love someone, we care about their needs, desires, hurts, and point of view, and not just our own. And when we are filled with love, almost nothing can provoke us to anger or cause us to be impatient. When we are under pressure, whatever is inside is going to come out. And if we praise God for people or circumstances that irritate us or bother us, we become so much more like Jesus that they won’t bother us anymore. Maybe the devil is even using a person or situation to get at us, but he will stop doing that when the situation motivates us to praise God. If we learn to praise God in every situation, we will develop a wall of praise around our life that even the devil cannot penetrate. So deepen your love. (Ephesians 4:2)

Finally, he shares that patience is not merely a matter of human willpower; it is the fruit of the spirit. Patience is not will power; it is not wearing a mask and pretending. So if it is God’s patience we feel, if it is the genuine fruit of the spirit, we will have genuine peace, and certain situations won’t bother us the way they used to, because we are depending on the Lord.

Warren concludes by saying that patience is a form of faith that says “I trust God. I believe that God is bigger than the problem and I believe that God has His hand in these irritations and can use them in my life for good.” Faith helps us say, “God, what do You want me to learn in this situation?” Because of faith we no longer need to ask God why, but instead, what do you want me to learn. Waiting demonstrates faith, and faith pleases God.

Warren also said that it is hard when we are in a hurry and God isn’t. It is hard waiting for an answer to prayer; waiting for a miracle to happen; waiting for God to change our wife or husband.

So as we wait for God to restore our marriages, which may seem sick, dying, dead, and maybe even over because of a “legal” divorce, we must be mindful of the faith and patience of Noah, Moses, Abraham, Elijah and many others who did wait upon the Lord. And we especially need to remember Lazarus! From all appearances, Jesus arrives too late to save him. He had been dead for several days, prepared, and sealed in a tomb. One’s life can’t get much more over than that! Yet Jesus knew it was not too late. He simply told Lazarus to get up.

John 11:30-43 (NLT)
30 Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him.
31 When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there.
32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled.
34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them.
They told him, “Lord, come and see.”
35 Then Jesus wept.
36 The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!”
37 But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”
38 Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance.
39 “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.
But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”
40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?”
41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me.
42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.”
43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”

God is never too late; His timing is perfect. He may not move according to our schedule (He usually doesn’t), but He is always on time. He wants us to trust Him and wait on Him. Psalm 37:7 (NLT) says Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.

Father, I pray that You will help us to be patient as we wait on Your promises and help us to receive the fruits of the spirits – all of them- not just patience. God, we want to be like Jesus; help us to have the knowledge and understanding of Your Word so we can use the wisdom You provide as we deepen our love for You and our dependence on You, and surrender every area of our lives to You. In Your Son’s Holy Name, Amen.

Scripture References:

Proverbs 20:24 (NLT)
The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?

Proverbs 14:29 (NLT)
People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.

Proverbs 19:11 (NLT)
Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.

Proverbs 17:22 (NLT)
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.

1 Corinthians 13:4 (NLT)
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud

Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

And I really loved the following message from the Spirit of Prophecy website, which was shared on the ladies’ private site yesterday. Tammy said she was very encouraged by the message, and it’s easy to see why! What awesome instruction, wisdom and encouragement it provides, so be blessed and encouraged!

“July 18, 2007 Bill Yount – Spirit of Prophecy
CAUTION: “HEAVEN AND HELL ARE BEING ACTIVATED THIS HOUR BY CERTAIN WORDS BEING SPOKEN ON THE EARTH …BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU THINK AND SAY!” (Daniel 10:12) GABRIEL IS STILL ON CALL! Daniel 10:12 “Then said the angel Gabriel unto me, Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that thou did set thine heart to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God, your ‘words’ were heard and I am come for your ‘words’. YOUR MOUNTAIN WAS PROBABLY MADE OUT OF A MOLEHILL! In a vision I saw a range of gigantic ‘rocky mountains looming tall before God’s people. Our words of fear and doubtful thoughts had caused some of these mountains to grow out of molehills. Hell was pushing them upward against us through even our thoughts that had formed our negative words. These mountains towering before us now represented impossible situations and insurmountable circumstances that we, the Body of Christ had come up against in our walk with the Lord. These mountains stood unmovable in our path as though defying us to go any further. Many in the Body of Christ were standing on the word of God, believing and speaking to the mountains to be removed, persevering for a season until their lack of patience convinced them to lose hope and give up. These mountains seemed to remain steadfast and unchangeable; indifferent to our faith in God’s word to these impossibilities and believing for a miracle. Then as though through a telescopic vision I saw in the Spirit a close up view of these mountains. In the Spirit I saw hair-line cracks coming upon these huge mountains. I then heard the voice of the Lord speak as these cracks appeared…”IS NOT MY WORD LIKE A HAMMER THAT BREAKS THE ROCK IN PIECES?” (Jeremiah 23:29) A remnant of the Body of Christ standing on the word of God, speaking it to these mountains, persevered in their faith and patience though they saw nothing change in the natural. But each time they spoke with authority of God’s word, I saw a spiritual hammer striking each mountain that was spoken to. Following the cracks, I began to see a small piece of rock falling here and there from off of these mountains… perhaps still not visible to the naked eye of the believer below. Line upon line the cracks increased…here a little, there a little….while small pieces of broken off rock were falling. Slowly but surely these mountains were weakening as this hammer gained momentum, pounding these mountains of solid rock relentlessly as though God’s vengeance was in each fatal blow! God’s voice then spoke so loud and clear, shaking the very foundation of these mountains…”IF YOU CAN BREAK A ROCK IN PIECES, YOU CAN MOVE A MOUNTAIN! THESE MOUNTAINS SHALL BE REMOVED BY MY SPIRIT” says the Lord and “IT IS MY ‘WORDS’ THAT ARE SPIRIT AND LIFE!”KEEP MY WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH AND TELL YOUR MOUNTAIN WHERE TO GO!”

One of the greatest challenges, and most rewarding, as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, is believing what we can’t see, when there’s no reasonable or rational reason to believe it! After all, IF there’s reason or evidence that causes us to believe or expect something, no faith is required. And Hebrews 11:6 reveals why this is so important, because it says And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. And Hebrews 10:38 even says But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” So when we’re faced with what appear to be impossible situations, instead of fearing and dreading them, we should welcome them as opportunities to pleas God by demonstrating our trust and faith in Him. Finding ourselves in “impossible” situations is exactly when we can count on the Lord to come through for us, because Jesus said so, as we see in Mark 10:27, which says Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” And to make sure there’s NO doubt about what God expects when He tells us to have faith, we only have to read Hebrews 11:1, which says Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. And it is by no means just a coincidence that Psalm 119:105 says Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. , and that Romans 10:17, then says Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. So we can find our way through dark and difficult times by understanding and relying on God’s Word. And we have Jesus’ assurance that when we do that, He will not leave us to walk in darkness, because John 8:12 says When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” And then in John 12:46, Jesus said I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. So the danger of concluding the outcome of our stand for marriage restoration during times of darkness, is that we will miss out on the awesome promise the Lord gives us in 1 Corinthians 4:5, which says Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. That tells me that if we continue to trust God even when our circumstances look the darkest and the most hopeless, walking by faith and not by sight, WE will receive praise from God! And when, even in our darkest hours, we continue to stand on the power and promise of God’s Word, we fulfill God’s call on our lives as described in 1 Peter 2:9, which says But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

This past week, there’s been an awful lot of discussion on the private sites about walking through difficult times and putting our faith in God, and God alone, so I appreciate Thursa’s permission to share the following Heart To Heart message, which she posted on the ladies’ site yesterday. And the next time darkness threatens, just remember God’s awesome promise in Psalm 37:4-6, which says Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. When we remember that, we can’t help being blessed and encouraged!

Walking in the Darkness
I am still reading Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. And I have taken my time to read it so that I could absorb certain parts that seem to always come at just the right time! This time I read the section that spoke quite loudly to me after I had already taken a “faith walk” and it confirmed many things that I felt God had been telling me! So I thought I’d share this section as is, because it was very powerful to me, which I hope it will be to you as well, since we are all continuing on our “faith walk” of marriage restoration.

“My problem is that I like light better than darkness. But if I can see what God is doing — how He is working everything together for good — then I don’t need faith. But still I want to see. I think we all have this problem. We say we want more faith, but really what we want is sight. Sight says, “I see that it’s good for me, so God must have sent it, “but faith says, “God sent it, so it must be good for me.” God asks us to walk by faith, not by sight. Faith is walking in the dark with God, holding His hand.

God doesn’t keep us immune from trouble. He says, “I will be with you in trouble.” In the book of Exodus, we find the children of Israel camped by the edge of the Red Sea. It was night, pitch black except for the pillar of fire God had placed between His people and the Egyptians. Can you imagine their fear? The screaming threats of the enemy filtered through the darkness. What would they do when dawn broke? Each mother hugged her child to her breast in fear that this would be their last night.

Who could have imagined the miracle that awaited them? Hidden in the text is the tiny phrase, “All that night the Lord drove the sea back” (Exodus 14:21). While the Israelites were quaking in their boots, the miracle occurred “all that night.” Because it was night, they couldn’t see what the “wind of God” was accomplishing on their behalf. God parted the Red Sea, and they walked on dry ground to freedom.

Perhaps your life is filled with darkness and you can’t see. Still God is working, just as He worked “all that night” for the Israelites. The next day simply manifested what God had done during the night. Do not forget, my friend, that God works in the night of your life, too.”

In Gary Samlley’s and John Trent’s book, Love Is A Decision, they stress that God must be the number one priority in our lives. When we put God first in every aspect of our lives, He promises to meet all of our needs. Matthew 6:33 (NLT) says Seek the Kingdom of God[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

But many of us have made our spouses our number one priority instead of God. When we love someone, that is often the case; whether it be our spouse or our children. They are someone we can touch, talk to, see and connect with in our flesh; that’s a human response. As we gain knowledge and understanding of the Word of God, we know that He has to be the priority in our lives, and He does not want anyone to come between us and Him.

Yet, many of us even now, maybe especially now, let our spouse take the top spot in our lives. And until we let God become number one in our lives, we can expect hindrances to our prayers in the restoration of our marriages.

We must get to the point where we experience the spiritual growth described in Ephesians 3:14-21(NLT) as follows:
14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,[a]
15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.[b]
16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.
17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.
18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Smalley and Trent state that the fundamental problem with expecting fulfillment from people, places, and things is that these are the gifts of life, not the source of life. Any time we expect gifts of life to give us what only God can, we are asking for our cups to be drained of energy and life itself. The source of life comes from God; not people, yet we often look to our friends, family, ministers or books.

They continue to say that the more we place our expectations on another person, the more control we give them over our emotions and spiritual state. And the freer we are of expectations from others, and the more we depend upon God alone, the more pure and honest our love for others will become.

How many of us are miserable because we continue to let our husband/wife have control over our emotions and spiritual state? How many of us know we allow this to happen, but for some reason are not willing to do anything about it. It is a scary thought to let go of our spouses. But we must get to the point where it is a much scarier thought to keep God from doing what He promises to do in our marriages! As long as we hang on to human qualities and reason, we are going to get human results!

But once our expectations for wisdom, love, peace and joy are placed in God and not our spouses, we are finally free to love them unconditionally. Then we will have the strength to keep persistently, and expectantly praying for positive changes to happen in the restoration of our marriages. Repeatedly, we have read on this site that we must let our spouses go, but that does not mean giving up on our marriages. It simply means that we let God be God, and know that HE will ultimately direct them to obedience in Him, which will lead to the victory we are assured – marriage restoration and the healing of our families.

Father God, I pray with all my heart that You will give us the strength, faith and trust in You that will allow us to surrender our husbands/wives, the ones we love so much, to You. Lord, we know You are the only source of life that we seek. Let us be released from our human tendencies to seek refuge in others and to fully trust in You to deliver the promises You have made to restore and heal the covenant marriage to which You were a witness. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen

The following message was the Spirit of Phrophecy Bulletin sent by email yesterday, which I’m sure will bless and encourage many! You can access and sign up for these messages and many others at Spirit of Phrophecy website. Now, here’s yesterday’s email message from Bill and Marsha Burns:

Spirit of Prophecy Bulletin

The Trumpet by Bill Burns
— July 16, 2007: I say unto you, My people, arise! These are the days of the restoration of all things. Do you not know that you are the Elijah’s of the end of the age? You are those who bring the freshness of heaven to the earth. You are those that defeat the enemy wherever he is found. I call you now to a place of redeeming the time — the times of sickness, heartache, depression and the times of unrighteousness. I call you to redeem all of these so that you may be well, healthy in body, soul and spirit. Redeem that which the enemy has stolen, the days lost, the days of sorrow, and let them become days of great joy. I am restoring My people to greatness and the demonstration of My power. So, I say again, arise and shake off the dust of weakness and the power of the enemy against you. Come forth in the fullness of the power of My Spirit, says the Lord.

Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
— July 16, 2007: Exercise your voice, for that is your weapon against the enemy. Many of you, My people, have been silenced through accepting condemnation and rejection designed to intimidate you and shut your mouth. But, now you must arise and use your voice as a sword, your weapon of choice. Speak against the devil and his devices. Resist him and refuse to allow him to violate your spiritual boundaries, and he will be defeated, says the Lord.
Ephesians 6:13-18 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

Last night, my Streams In the Desert devotional gave the Holy Spirit a wonderful opportunity to show me something about God’s glory, which I had not thought of before, so I want to share it.

The devotional referenced Genesis 22:16-18, which was God’s declaration to Abraham that because of his obedience to sacrifice Isaac, his beloved son, God would bless him more than he could ever imagine! The devotional said, “Abraham gave up his one and only son at the Lord’s command and in doing so, all his desires and dreams for Isaac’s life, as well as his own hope for a notable heritage, disappeared. Yet God restored Isaac to his father, and Abraham’s family became ‘as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore’ (v.17).” Those sentences spoke very loudly to me about our marriage restorations. How many of us, when first faced with this opportunity, were totally devastated, because thoughts of a separation or divorce ruined our hopes and plans for our future? I was totally devastated!!! In Abraham’s case, his son Isaac was truly a promised gift from God; one that he was given after a long wait and one he was so joyous over finally receiving; his long awaited promised blessing. And then God asked him to sacrifice Isaac? Yes He did! Just as with our marriages, which are also blessings from God. God himself made a tri-fold bond with us when He witnessed our marriage vows, so we joyously received our wedding blessing and began planning and living out our futures. Then it was gone? No, it’s not at all gone! God is simply asking us to do just as Abraham did and lay our most precious and blessed gift of marriage on the alter. And He wants us to do that with complete faith that His purpose and plan is greater than anything we ever even dreamed of! Just as the devotional says, “we surrender all our cherished hopes and die to self — then He sends overflowing joy and His ‘life…that [we] might have it more abundantly’ (John 10:10 KJV).” If we lay our marriages on the alter; giving it ALL to God, just as with Abraham, He PROMISES we will have life more abundant!

Right after those first couple of sentences, the devotional then said, “and through his descendants, ‘when the time had fully come, God sent his Son’ (Gal. 4:4).” At first, I overlooked this part of the devotion and even overlooked it in prior studies! It speaks about Jesus and how that through all of the descendants Abraham was blessed with beyond his imagination, Jesus was brought to US! That says to me that had Abraham NOT placed Isaac on the alter, our entire past, present and future may well have been different! So Abraham had a major role in the greatest love story ever told through Jesus’ life. Jesus’ life is also a story that shows the full extent of God’s glory! If we are to do just as Abraham did, and lay our marriages on the alter, we too will play a major role in the future of many generations!!! If we don’t do it, our future descendants may never experience the greatest love story ever told or see the full extent of God’s glory! WOW! God has trusted us with such an awesome God glorifying role!!! NO pressure here, though! It is not like we have to do just as Abraham did and lay out our marriage sacrifice, without knowing what is going to happen! God has given us His word, which is His promise to us! If we will just take that step in faith and lay our marriages on the alter, giving them over to God, He promises that He WILL give them back to us more abundantly; so much more abundantly that we can’t even imagine it!!! Just as with Abraham’s sacrifice, our sacrifice will also show the extent of God’s glory!!!

The devotional wonderfully concluded with everything I was so blessed to realize through Abraham and Isaac’s story:
“The moment of your greatest sacrifice will also be the precise moment of your greatest and most miraculous blessing. God’s river, which never runs dry, will overflow its banks, bringing you a flood of wealth and grace. Indeed, there is nothing God will not do for those who will dare to step out in faith onto what appears to be only a mist. As they take their first step, they will find a rock beneath their feet. F.B. Meyer.”

So as Dan wrote in yesterday’s SOF post, “How many times must God show us His awesome power before we believe?” He’s said it; He’s shown it; and He’s done it!!!! Are we ready to receive the overflowing abundance of God’s blessings and TRUELY place our marriages as a sacrifice on the alter before our Almighty God?

I was really touched by a Heart To Heart post, which was shared on the men’s private website last Friday, with a very emotional reaction when I read “How many times must God show us His awesome power before we believe?” That really spoke to something that so often breaks MY heart, because I know it must break the Lord’s heart as well.

I frequently receive calls from standers who are very excited, because they have received a “sign from God” that assures them that He is in fact going to restore their marriages; and it’s even quite often a specific sign requested in prayer! One would think that if we ask God for a very specific sign or feel that we have heard from the Lord that He’s going to do something, the matter would be settled in our hearts, minds and spirits once and for all. But that rarely seems to be the case, and I’m often amazed to see how little time passes before the same people are again calling; filled with doubt, discouragement and little hope, as if that encounter with the Lord had never happened. And even worse, the same thing often happens over and over again with the same people. How that must grieve the heart of God! And it could well hinder or delay the restoration of our marriages. But the good news, as Dan shared, is that we can ask the Lord to help us even in our doubt and unbelief; which He will be ever so faithful to do, just as He did for “doubting Thomas” when He told him to touch His nail scarred hands and put his hand in the hole in His side!

With rare exceptions, usually when people try to “intellectualize the things of God, the only difference between those who have great faith and those who don’t is the amount of time spent seriously reading and studying the Word of God; and that’s confirmed in Romans 10:17, which says Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. We just can’t win by trying to intellectualize the things of God, which 1 Corinthians 1:17-19 makes very clear, because it says For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

At some point in our walk with the Lord, and in our stand for marriage restoration, we have to come to the place of realizing that if we can’t stand on the power and promise of God’s Word, we have NOTHING to stand on, and no reason to have hope or the expectation of the restoration of our marriages and families. Psalm 119:105 tells us that God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path, so we aren’t likely to find our way to marriage restoration without relying on the light and power of God’s Word to show us each step along the way.

While there are many passages of scripture that make it very clear that God will uphold us as we stand for the restoration of our marriages and that He will NEVER condone adultery or adulterous marriages, one of the most significant is < href=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mal%202;&version=51;>Malachi 2, particularly verses 13-17 (NLT), which says:
Here is another thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn’t accept them with pleasure. You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows. Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. “For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.” You have wearied the Lord with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. You have wearied him by saying that all who do evil are good in the Lord’s sight, and he is pleased with them. You have wearied him by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”

How anyone can read Malachi 2 and not understand that God is seriously offended by adultery and divorce, which are indisputable violations of HIS covenant, and will not continue in righteous fellowship with anyone committing either, is beyond comprehension, other than being blind to the truth of God’s Word. And that’s strongly confirmed in 1 Peter 3:7 (AMP), which says In the same way you married men should live considerately with [your wives], with an intelligent recognition [of the marriage relation], honoring the woman as [physically] the weaker, but [realizing that you] are joint heirs of the grace (God’s unmerited favor) of life, in order that your prayers may not be hindered and cut off. [Otherwise you cannot pray effectively.] Obviously adultery and divorce does not add up to living considerately with our spouses! And Jesus reaffirmed God’s view of adultery and divorce in Luke 16:18, where He said “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. And Matthew 19:8-9 says Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.” And the question of how God sees divorce and remarriage just doesn’t get much clearer than what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:10-11, which says To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. That’s the passage that first spoke to me about marriage restoration, and I knew then that I’d never marry again unless reconciled to my husband. I was especially struck by how extraordinary it was that Paul made a point of saying that this was a command from God and not just his opinion, which was obviously intended to stress its significance; which should also make it more difficult to arbitrarily dismiss or rationalize away as many Christians (including many Christian leaders) do today.

So once we’ve settled and understand the question and issue of God’s will concerning marriage, adultery, and divorce, it’s important to take the next step, which is understanding that it is god who will do whatever it takes to bring about the restoration of covenant marriages, and that there’s nothing we can do to impact our spouses’ circumstances or change their hearts. But that IS something God, and God alone, CAN and WILL do, if we’ll just stand in faith and obedience on the power and promise of His Word and make a commitment to honor our marriage vows until the day we die. And Hosea 2 provides an excellent portrait of exactly how God does that, which we’ve seen played out over and over again in our midst, and which continues to be played out in the lives of many of our members’ spouses even today. And we have God’s assurance that He CAN and WILL do EXACTLY what His Word says He will do in Isaiah 46:11, which says From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. Unfortunately, I couldn’t count all the times I’ve heard men and women say But…my wife this or my husband that..”, actually trying to explain why God isn’t going to do EXACTLY what God said He would do! BUT God’s Word says otherwise in one of my favorite verses, which is Proverbs 21:30, because it says There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD. And Proverbs 19:21 even says Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. And Proverbs 20:24 goes even further to say A man’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way? Then another one of my favorites is Proverbs 16:1, which says To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. And we have God’s very explicit assurance that what He says goes; because Isaiah 55:10-11 says As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Since what makes us Christians in the first place, is based entirely on god’s Word, we must choose to base our stand and faith for the restoration of our marriages entirely on His Word as well. We can’t rely on what the world thinks or listen to what our spouses say, or even be swayed by what they do or don’t do. Our ONLY hope is in the power and infallibility of God’s Word. So our ability to BELIEVE that God CAN and WILL restore our marriages is directly in proportion to the faith and confidence we place in the truth and power of His Word, and His faithfulness and ability to bring it all to pass. So if we read the above passages of scripture and still struggle with our faith in God to restore covenant marriages, we need to examine our understanding of the Word of God and the value we give that in our life and in the determination of our faith and confidence as Christians. Because if we can rely on it to believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose again three days later, it shouldn’t be so difficult to believe that God can resurrect what appear to be dead marriages in the exact same way!

Now, here’s Dan’s Heart To Heart post from last week. So be blessed and encouraged!

God Will Provide Spiritual Relationship If We Want It – by Dan Spitz
A couple of my daily devotions this week dealt with God’s covenant with us, spiritual relationships and doubting God. And I’ve had some thoughts about that, which I’d like to share.

First of all, God’s covenant with us is not a contract that is conditional on our love for Him; it is a promise that He holds in His heart. Though others may forget their promises to us, and though we may at times forget the promises we have made, God’s promises will always be fulfilled. God promises to love us and provide for us, even when we have lost hope. And He also promises us healed marriages.

2 Samuel 7:21 (NLT)
Because of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant.

Our relationship with God is dependant on God’s unconditional love; not on the strength of our faith. We all have times when pain and hurt overwhelm us, or when we have a lapse in our spiritual relationship an walk with the Lord and it is difficult to feel His presence. When that happens, we need to be honest with God, admit our weaknesses and pray that He will strengthen our faith and give us back our hope. We can help this process by reading the Word, and seeking knowledge and understanding from God’s book of instructions. In Marsha Burns’ Small Straws today, she shares the following:

“July 13, 2007: If you are willing to receive it, I will reveal aspects of your life that keep you from being your spiritual best. All I need is your permission and cooperation to move you forward in truth and revelation. Now is the time to bring all things into the light because the devil can only work in the dark shadows of hiding and deception. Discover the freedom that comes from being open and honest in all things. Be assured that nothing you think or do is hidden from Me, says the Lord, but that there is nothing that can separate you from My love.
1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.”

Mark 9:24 (NLT)
The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

When our hope fades and our faith weakens, our hearts become frail, so we must stay focused on our God, who loves us unconditionally; our God who has made a covenant with us to provide what He promises; our God who will never leave us to ourselves.

As we increase our faith, our hope, and our spiritual relationship with God, let us not become Doubting Thomases; let us have patience to endure and persevere as we wait upon the Lord for His divine plan, which includes His promises to restore our marriages. Unfortunately, the account of doubting Thomas is a reminder of our own failure to have full confidence in the power of God. How many times must God show us His awesome power before we believe? “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” (John 20:29) Let us have the courage to be among those who have not seen and yet who believe. Let us look around and know that God is no respecter of persons; what He has done for others, He will do for all of us. And when we trust God completely, our faith, hope, and spiritual relationship with Him will bring about the peace and joy that only He can provide. Blessings!

John 20:25 (NLT)
They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

There’s no way to overstate how important it is for us to realize that we’re standing for the restoration of our marriages in obedience to God’s call on our lives and for His glory. Yes, there are other obvious natural reasons and personal motivations, but if obedience to God is not at the core of what we are doing, we will not have the grace, anointing and strength needed to endure to God’s victorious end, which is the full and complete restoration of our marriages and families!

So we have to understand that EVERYTHING God does is ALWAYS motivated by the praise, honor and glory of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, just as Ephesians 1 makes very clear, and that God will fully equip us to do what He calls us to do. And when we get that, we will understand why self-pity, self focus, self absorption, self edification, mumbling, grumbling and complaining and all the other things we do that magnify and glorify the works and power of the devil over the power and promise of God’s Word and the glory of our Lord, literally stop the flow of God’s divine supernatural power from working in our lives. When we so desperately need the power of God to work on our behalf, as we most certainly do when standing against the gates of hell and the rest of the world for the salvation and restoration of our marriages and families, we had better realize that the only way to assure that is to praise, honor and glorify the name and works of the Lord in ALL we say and do! Because the more we do to glorify Jesus Christ, the more God will bless us and give us to use for His glory (just read The Parable of the Talents, and what great glory Jesus gets when our marriages and families are restored right before the very eyes of a doubting world! And there’s no greater evidence and proof of that than the following praise report and testimony, which was posted yesterday on the ladies’ private website by one of the FAM Fellowship members! For obvious reasons, names are omitted (SNO – spouse’s name; NO – member’s name), but there’s no way to see what God has done in this family after six years of standing for marriage restoration, without being very blessed and encouraged!

“Sorry guys, I am late posting some praise, but work has me going long and hard of late. I’ve missed everyone terribly and I feel so behind on all the good news!

When I was standing, I tried hard not to get too detailed in wondering just what my marriage would be like restored. From the beginning, my marriage had issues, because I had issues and even though my husband loved me very much, I wasn’t equipped to receive it or give it back. But I can truly say that my marriage is better right now than it ever was before. It is just as the Word says, “He will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.” And God has restored much more than I ever could have imagined.

Now there is no lack of hugs and kisses in my house and I hear “I love you” every day. Look forward to it, ladies and gents, because it’s coming for you too. I used to write poems to my husband and send little emails but he never replied. But the other day he sent me an email with the words “I love you. Yours, (SNO)” and it included a drawing of a bouquet of flowers that our daughter had drawn on the computer when she was 3 years old. My husband also washed the dishes after dinner the other night and told me to sit down and rest. If I fall asleep reading in bed, I wake up when he comes in to tuck me in and kiss me good night and I get tucked in every night without fail. Now some people might think we’re just in some lovey-dovey stage that will pass, but I can tell you that it won’t pass. It won’t pass, because of the work that God has done in me all these years of standing, and when my husband expresses his love, I have my own to give him right back. God is systematically removing the fear, the insecurity, and the anger…all of it.

When I met my husband, I felt so unworthy of him; I was scared he was going to leave, and all of that is gone now; perished in that refining fire. Intimacy was a big issue in the beginning of my marriage; now it is as fulfilling and deeply intimate as I could ever wish it to be.

Also, (SNO) now has expressed a desire to tithe and we are both in agreement on wanting to bring all aspects of our lives under God’s divine order. And since he has not been to church, I asked him where he felt the money should go. He thought about 2 seconds and then said that until he got back to church, he wanted his tithe to go to this ministry. How awesome is that?

Also, my husband is becoming much more involved in our daughter’s life. Back in the dark days, he was either asleep or glued to the computer in an effort to protect himself from his hurt. But now, he is there to tuck her in every night, they play together and I can see the positive change in her, because of the sense of peace and security she has watching mommy and daddy taking care of each other and her. The other day she said she wanted a little brother and I told her that daddy and I had discussed it, but had decided to wait on having more children for a while. When I asked her if she knew the reason, she was correct when she said, “It’s because daddy wants to have more time with me, isn’t it?”

So many in this fellowship are getting closer and closer to their restorations. I know because I can recognize the signs in my own journey. When our spouses express their pain, it’s because they’re acknowledging our power in their lives to make it right. When they spend time with us and our kids, it’s because they WANT to. When they smack us on the butt or flirt, it’s because they also desire that connection to be re-established. There are so many more praises, but I have to pick up my little one. But I hope everyone is encouraged, because through my marriage restoration, especially considering my past, God is showing us all just how complete and long-lasting His handiwork is.

I love you all! …”

And further confirming the fact that we have to stand for marriage restoration for God’s glory is the following post from Dan, which he posted on the men’s private site yesterday as well! Thanks for sharing another great Bible study with us, Dan! What a great source of blessing and encouragement you are to all of us!

Haggai Reminds Us- We Obey, God Provides

As I was reading through Haggai this morning, I was reminded once again that God must be our number one priority in standing for marriage. We certainly may have other human motives for our stand, but God’s will must be why we stand. And we know that it is indeed God’s will for us to obey Him by honoring the covenant of our marriages.

Unfortunately, at some point in most of our marriages, one or the other, or perhaps both spouses shifted from putting God first to putting our own needs and interests first. And in Haggai, we are reminded that blessings lie ahead for those who put God first. Haggai 1:1-11 tells us that the people put aside doing God’s work in order to concentrate on meeting their own needs. He pointed out to them that setting God aside had not only kept them from moving ahead, but that conditions and circumstances had worsened. They had abandoned the one thing essential for success; the one who was in control; the one that could make them prosper – God.

Haggai 1:12-14 says “the Lord stirred up the spirit.” We know all the reasons we should trust the Lord, good and practical reasons, but many times we only respond when we allow God to stir up the spirit within us. As we pray for knowledge and understanding of God’s Word for us and our spouses, let us also pray that He would open the heart of the one we love and stir up the spirit in him/her to respond with obedience to our mighty God.

As we continue, Haggai shows us that we must not compare our accomplishments or tasks with others’. We must not become discouraged and drop our hands in defeat when looking at others’ marriage restorations. God’s response to this attitude is to “be strong” and continue to work on what God has given us to do. The new temple was not nearly as splendid as Solomon’s but the temple was glorious because of the immense presence of God in whose honor it was built. As long as what we do is done for Christ, His presence will overflow the work with glory. Haggai 2:1-4

In Haggai 2:8 God simply reminded the people of Judah that they were only responsible to work and follow Him in obedience; and He was responsible to provide. God gives us the same instructions and promise. We don’t need to know from where our resources will come just that when we do the will of God, He will provide them.

As Haggai comes to an end, we see God telling the people that they were receiving blessings; not because of their holiness, but because of the grace of God. It wasn’t worshiping in the temple or earning good things, but being obedient and putting God first that brought them to where His blessings flowed, where God was eager to give His blessings out of His love and grace.

Life changes when we put Jesus Christ first in our lives. It is the knowledge that we are pleasing God and fulfilling ourselves in the love of God through obedience, that we find peace. May God stir the spirit in all of our lives and those of our spouses, as we trust and obey, putting Him first and waiting patiently for the healing of our marriages.

Haggai 1:1-11 (NLT)
1 On August 29[a] of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the Lord gave a message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua[b] son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
2 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The people are saying, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.’”
3 Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai:
4 “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?
5 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you!
6 You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!
7 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you!
8 Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord.
9 You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses. 10 It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops.
11 I have called for a drought on your fields and hills—a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get.”

Haggai 1:12-14 (NLT)
12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God’s people began to obey the message from the Lord their God. When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the Lord their God had sent, the people feared the Lord.
13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord: “I am with you, says the Lord!”
14 So the Lord sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the enthusiasm of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of God’s people. They began to work on the house of their God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,

Haggai 2:1-4 (NLT)
1 Then on October 17 of that same year,[a] the Lord sent another message through the prophet Haggai.
2 “Say this to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua[b] son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of God’s people there in the land:
3 ‘Does anyone remember this house—this Temple—in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all!
4 But now the Lord says: Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Haggai 2:10-19 (NLT)
Blessings Promised for Obedience
10 On December 18[a] of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the Lord sent this message to the prophet Haggai:
11 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says. Ask the priests this question about the law:
12 ‘If one of you is carrying some meat from a holy sacrifice in his robes and his robe happens to brush against some bread or stew, wine or olive oil, or any other kind of food, will it also become holy?’”
The priests replied, “No.”
13 Then Haggai asked, “If someone becomes ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person and then touches any of these foods, will the food be defiled?”
And the priests answered, “Yes.”
14 Then Haggai responded, “That is how it is with this people and this nation, says the Lord. Everything they do and everything they offer is defiled by their sin. 15 Look at what was happening to you before you began to lay the foundation of the Lord’s Temple.
16 When you hoped for a twenty-bushel crop, you harvested only ten. When you expected to draw fifty gallons from the winepress, you found only twenty.
17 I sent blight and mildew and hail to destroy everything you worked so hard to produce. Even so, you refused to return to me, says the Lord.
18 “Think about this eighteenth day of December, the day[b] when the foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid. Think carefully.
19 I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn.[c] You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you

When we’re standing for the restoration of our marriages, there’s ONLY one certain way to get God’s results, and that’s to DO things God’s way. But when we don’t do things God’s way, and choose instead to rely on our own understanding and the ability and power of our own mind and flesh, and the way of the world, we will get the world’s results, which is divorce and the total and complete devastation and destruction of our marriages and families. And since none of us naturally know HOW to stand for our marriages, it’s very important to seek godly counsel and instruction, and to totally avoid any advice or counsel that is not grounded and verified in the Word of God. The Bible makes that very clear, and here are just a few verses demonstrating just how vitally important it really is:

Psalm 1:1-6
The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly
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.
The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Isaiah 28:29
All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom.

Isaiah 47:13-14
All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. Here are no coals to warm anyone; here is no fire to sit by.

Proverbs 14:12
There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Luke 6:46-49
The Wise and Foolish Builders
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.
But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

So when we’re serious about marriage restoration, we can’t afford to listen to and follow our own deceitful hearts, which Jeremiah 17:9 tells us are beyond cure, so we have to study and understand the Word of God instead and heed wise and sound biblical counsel; putting it into practice. So when we receive advice and counsel from others, we need to make certain that it is in full accordance with the Word of God because anything else will not lead us to the end result we seek. But we CAN and WILL get God’s results by DOING things HIS way!

So we are truly blessed to have access to the counsel of those who teach according to God’s written Word, such as the following messages one of the FAM fellowship members brought to our attention from the Focus on the Family radio broadcasts this past Monday and Tuesday, which I encourage everyone to listen to for encouragement and more godly counsel:
Letting God Mend Your Marriage – Part 1
Letting God Mend Your Marriage – Part 2

When we rely on the power and promise of God’s Word, He will “mend” our hearts and marriages, and we will truly be blessed and encouraged as we witness the full and complete restoration of our marriages and families, which is ALWAYS God’s result!

Eighteen months ago my wife told me she wanted a divorce. I was truly devastated and did all the things that any divorce book or group would tell you not to do. I tried to shame her and became self-righteous, manipulated her, begged, pleaded and anything else that I could think of to “win” her back. But nothing worked; in fact, all those things just made the situation worse and more hopeless. I was a “good” Christian, so wondered why God was letting this happen to me. I was crushed and hurt; beyond repair, or so I thought. Most of you know my story, so I won’t go into that, because the purpose of this post is to assure new members and standers that we have all risen from the same pain that you are experiencing right now. We are not where we are, without huge spiritual and personal growth through trusting and believing in Jesus Christ. We were not “magically” lifted to a place of peace and joy. Many of us have days when our feelings of despair are just as intense as ever, but by the grace of God, they don’t last as long and we know where to turn to take those negative thoughts captive.

Yesterday was one of those desperation days for me. I was having a melt down and cried (and I mean cried) out to the Lord; I was having what Linda would refer to as a pity party. I hate doing that; I know it is not productive, but needless to say, that is where I was. Of course, nothing is for naught. I sought out a friend, which I rarely do in the state of mind I was in, but sometimes we need to, who was a little surprised by my depressed state since he usually witnesses my enthusiasm as I encourage others who are standing for their marriages. It really is my nature to be positive and keep my negative feelings hidden. Who wants to be around a complaining, whining, and pitiful person. I usually find it easier to protect myself if I keep things to myself.

Anyway, through our conversation, it surfaced that it was beneficial for him to know that I was not born ready to be obedient to God in praying and standing for my marriage. It has been very difficult for me and everyone else, but by the grace of God, we are here today, some marriages are restored; and others not…YET! So, know that it is a process of growing in the spirit – listening, learning, seeking and being obedient to God’s will.

All this made me ponder just why I stand and why I expect God to do anything about it. Because I truly do believe God wants me standing for my marriage. It all comes from the scripture, the Bible, the written instructions from God about how to live our lives. It is through His Word that we know God’s will is that our covenant marriages not be destroyed. It is in the Word that we are assured that God hears our prayers and will answer them.

It is with that in mind, that I have included the following scriptures, which support what we are doing and why we are doing it. I pray that God’s Word will ignite our spirits, and give us faith, belief and trust that God wants our marriages to be healed and restored. We are standing on the promises of God; not a passing whim or just a love for our spouses, but because God commands us. May we stand strong, lean totally on our awesome God and know that we know that God is going to heal and restore our marriages. The first group tells us the He supports (commands) our stand, and the second group tells us that He will hear and answer our prayers. Be blessed.

SCRIPTURES THAT SUPPORT OUR STAND FOR MARRIAGEMarriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Romans 7:1-3 (NIV)
Do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to men who know the law—that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.

Malachi 2:13-17 (NIB)
Another thing you do: You flood the LORD’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. You ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. [a] So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. “I hate divorce,” says the LORD God of Israel, “and I hate a man’s covering himself [b] with violence as well as with his garment,” says the LORD Almighty.
So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith.
You have wearied the LORD with your words.” How have we wearied him?” you ask.
By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?”

Matthew 5:31-33 (NIV)
“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.'[a] But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery. “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’

Matthew 19:2-6 (NIV)
Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”
“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,'[a] and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'[
b
]? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

Matthew 19:7-10 (NIV)
“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

Mark 10:1-12 (NIV)
Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.
Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
“What did Moses command you?” he replied.
They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.'[a] ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,[b] and the two will become one flesh.'[c] So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”
When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

Luke 16:17-19 (NIV)
It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.
“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

1 Corinthians 7:10-16 (NIV)
To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (NLT)
If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it;[a] but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages[b] and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless.
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.[c] All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

GOD WILL ANSWER OUR PRAYERS BECAUSE RESTORATION OF OUR MARRIAGE IS HIS WILL.

Philippians 4:6 (NLT)
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Jeremiah 33:3 (NLT)
Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.

1 John 5:14-15 (NLT)
And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.

Mark 11:24 (NLT)
I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.

Matthew 21:22 (NLT)
You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”

Matthew 18:19 (NLT)
“I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.

Psalm 37:3-4 (NLT)
Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

Numbers 23:19 (NLT)
God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his Mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

More than likely everyone standing for marriage restoration is already familiar with the biblical instruction to take every thought captive, but the Lord has recently shown me that we don’t fully understand the power and significance of 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (AMP), which says For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), Being in readiness to punish every [insubordinate for his] disobedience, when your own submission and obedience [as a church] are fully secured and complete.

We tend to think of the instructions in this passage of scripture as a means by which we can overcome doubt, confusion, discouragement, bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness and a long list of other things that Satan brings against us to steal, kill and destroy our righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. But in reality, it also provides instruction to PREVENT strongholds from being established in our own hearts, minds and spirits in the first place. So not only can we overcome existing strongholds of arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the true knowledge of God, but by leading every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ, we avoid allowing those things to become strongholds for Satan to use against us over and over again later. But the significance of this verse that’s easily overlooked, is that if we DON’T do that, we ARE giving Satan reign in our hearts, minds and spirits, because the thoughts that we don’t take captive and make obedient to Jesus Christ and the power and promise of His Word, WILL inevitably become strongholds, and Satan will never miss an opportunity to use them against us as he works to destroy our marriages and families.

In the past month or so, we’ve had a lot of discussion about taking thoughts that are contrary to the restoration of our marriages and the will and Word of God captive by saying “It doesn’t matter.” But there’s more to it than that, because if that’s all we do, we may succeed in taking the thought captive, but that doesn’t necessarily make it obedient to Christ, and when we continue to do that, it becomes a stronghold in our hearts, minds and spirits, which is why Satan is able to repeatedly attack us with the same thoughts and issues over and over again.

So the practical solution is to find and memorize Bible verses that refute the particular thoughts we struggle with and when those thoughts come unbidden, as they always do, we will be prepared to take them captive and make them obedient to Christ by saying it doesn’t matter, because…, and then quote the applicable Bible verse or verses. And whenever possible, we need to do that out loud, because Romans 4:17 (AMP) says As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed. And by doing that, we can literally speak the non-existent things we want into being, according to our faith as described in Hebrews 11:1, which says Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. And Matthew 9:29-30 tells us our faith will be rewarded, because it says i>Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”; and their sight was restored… And what Jesus does for one, He will do for all!

Then in Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus Himself provides the most powerful example of what happens when we repeatedly SPEAK the Word of God back to the devil, as follows:
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.
6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

There’s an awful lot to be learned in this passage of scripture, the first thing being that NONE of us are beyond temptation and the attack of the devil, and the more we strive for purity and holiness, the more likely the devil will be to attack us. After all, he had the nerve to “tempt” Jesus of all people, and right after He had completed a forty day fast! So we are all capable of the same kind of attacks, but there’s obviously no sin in being tempted; the sin comes when we fail to RESIST the devil and remain obedient to the Lord and His Word, which we do by taking every thought captive and making them obedient to Christ. And another important point is something one of the FAM Fellowship members and I were discussing last night; there’s almost always a bit of truth in the things the devil uses to tempt and deceive us. And that brings us to the last point I want to make; we MUST know the Word of God in order to speak it back to the devil for victory over our circumstances and to be aware when what the devil is speaking to us does NOT line up with EVERY life sustaining Word that comes from the mouth of God!

So to start with, we have to know the specific Word of God that leads us to stand for the restoration of our marriages in the first place, because if we’re standing on anything other than the Word of God, we’re on very shaky ground to say the least. If we can’t instantly quote the verse or verses of scripture on which we base our stand for marriage restoration and which we use to confirm and assure us that God wants us to stand for the restoration of our marriages, we are indeed in serious trouble, and easy prey for the devil. Don’t forget that 1 peter 5:8 warns us, Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. But Revelation 12:10-11 tells us that the devil will be defeated by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony. And there’s no more powerful word for our testimony than the power and promise of God’s Word, especially since Isaiah 55:10-11 and Isaiah 46:11 assure us that God will do whatever it takes to bring His will and Word to pass, and Proverbs 18:21 (AMP) tells us Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]. Well, there’s no way we could do any better than eating the fruit of God’s Word, so we need to get in the habit of speaking it out loud, especially when we need to take thoughts captive and make them obedient to Jesus Christ, who, according to John 1:1-5, IS the Word, and it is and was by HIS Word that EVERYTHING is and was made, and NOTHING was made without His Word! And when we experience the light of God’s Word, we will not remain in the darkness, or be under the bondage of strongholds that Satan intends to keep us from fulfilling the purpose for which God called us to stand for the restoration of our marriages, as revealed in 1 Peter 2:9, which says But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

When we overcome and avoid these strongholds by taking our thoughts captive and making them obedient to the Word of God, we will experience the power and promise of the following verses, which make it abundantly clear why Satan wants so much to steal, kill and destroy our righteousness, peace and joy:

James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Psalm 37:17
for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.

Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Luke 2:14
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Haggai 2:9
‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”

Psalm 51:12
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Nehemiah 8:10
Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Romans 14:16-18
Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

So, as it ALWAYS does, tearing down and avoiding strongholds in our own hearts, minds and spirits, comes town to standing on the power and promise of God’s Word, as we literally speak it out loud to refute ANYTHING that would exalt itself against or above the written Word of God. And when we learn to do that, we will indeed be blessed and encouraged, because the devil will have absolutely no power and authority in our lives and we’ll be able to effectively stand in the gap for the restoration of our marriages and for the reconciliation of our husbands and wives with the Lord!

There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that many people standing for the restoration of their marriages would be greatly blessed and encouraged, and find it much easier, if they could truly grasp why we stand. So I was thrilled to see the following Heart To Heart message posted by one of the ladies yesterday on the private website. And I know Thursa and Diane won’t mind me sharing what they wrote here, because it is bound to bless and encourage anyone who reads it and understands it. Remember, there is ALWAYS a godly purpose for the stand we’ve taken against the world and the gates of hell for the restoration of our marriages, even if we can’t see or figure out what it is.

Just to use myself as an example to help make the point, if the Lord had not put it in my heart to honor my marriage vows over fifteen years ago now, and then more recently, taught me what it means to stand in faith and obedience on the power and promise of His Word for marriage restoration, FAM Ministries wouldn’t exist today. Do I believe God will ultimately restore my marriage, which certainly looks impossible and totally unlikely in the earthly realm? Yes, I do. Do I know when or how? No, I don’t. But that doesn’t matter, because more important than that is the indescribable joy and blessing God has brought to my life and the lives of countless others as a result of my stand and my willingness to allow the Lord to use my experience and what He has taught me for HIS glory! And as the result of my stand and prayers, I’ve been blessed to see my husband saved, and I’ve actually witnessed the amazing God glorifying changes I longed for being manifested in his life as he grows in his walk and relationship with the Lord. And now he has a powerful testimony of restoration and renewal of his own, which I have no doubt the Lord always intended to be a powerful weapon against the wicked works of the devil too. And in just the past two months, we’ve seen five FAM Fellowship members’ marriages restored, and now we’re being blessed to witness the amazing work of full and complete renewal and restoration, as the Lord’s plan is fully manifested in their husbands as well. And we’ll never know the full impact of their restored marriages, because it will go on for generations as a result of the effect it will have on their ten children…and their children after them!

So we really need to get it…our stand for marriage restoration IS NOT ABOUT US! It’s ALL a matter of fulfilling God’s divine purpose for our lives, which is always for the praise, honor and glory of Jesus Christ. And as Thursa so eloquently states, NO ONE ELSE CAN FULFILL THAT PLAN BUT US! So instead of thinking of our stand for the restoration of our marriages in terms of ourselves, we need to be a whole lot more focused on God’s purpose and what HE wants to accomplish by it. And many times that includes the salvation of our mates, and even our children; not to mention how our stand and testimony will be used to impact the lives of everyone around us. Just remember that the more impossible and hopeless the restoration of our marriage looks, the greater the opportunity for God’s glory! And that’s EXACTLY what Jesus was saying in Matthew 19:26, which says Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” So instead of thinking it can’t be done, we need to realize that God HAS called us for such a time as this for that very purpose, and because there’s something that ONLY we can do for His glory! So we need to learn to praise God for the more impossible our circumstances look instead of crying and being discouraged by them; because God has specifically chosen us to bring even more glory To His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, and He equips us with EVERYTHING we need to walk out His plan right into the victorious restoration of our marriages. So get that and be blessed and encouraged!

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

My “All Things” – by Thursa

I’ve been reading a book by Linda Dillow called Calm My Anxious Heart. And a couple of days ago, I read part of it that really put a familiar thought in a different light for me. Here are the paragraphs:

“How does this apply to us? It means that the Almighty Creator of the universe prepared a purpose for us to walk in. God acted with definite purpose when He created you because He had a plan for you to fulfill. How loved and unique you are! All of your abilities – and your disabilities – were created to fit the unique plan God has for you. No one can fulfill your purpose but you. And God’s plan for you and His plan for me embrace far more than the events or circumstances that happen to us. They also embrace what God wants us to be and do and what He desires to do in and through us.

In his book Trusting God Even When It Hurts, Jerry Bridges says that verses 13-16 of Psalm 139 must be taken as a unit.
God created our inmost being and fashioned us in our mother’s womb so that we might be equipped to fulfill the plan that He set out for us even before we were born. Who you are is not a biological accident. What you are is not a circumstantial accident. God planned both for you.

According to Ephesians 2:10, you and I “are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” When I’m not pleased with the talents, gifts, and abilities God gave me, I remind myself that He is the Blessed Controller of all things (1 Timothy 6:15). If I believe this, I also must believe that God is the Blessed Controller of my “all things”…my appearance, my personality, and my gifts and talents. In my heart of hearts I long to please God, and it pleases Him when I am content with how He created me.”

I think most of us know and realize that God has always had a plan for us, including being chosen by Him to stand for marriage restoration. But after reading this portion of the book, the concept was really brought home to me; NO ONE can fulfill my purpose but me…WOW! Putting that into application in our marriage; NO ONE can fulfill my purpose of being SNO’s (spouse name omitted)life mate, the one that God made a tri-fold bond with when He witnessed our marriage vows. And now, my role in the plan has changed from being wife to that of being a wife standing in the gap for my husband and our marriage. God chose ME for that role and NO ONE else can fulfill the purpose God has for me to stand for my marriage…NO ONE! God ALWAYS knew His plan for me to become a stander; He brought about all the circumstances prior to this time in my life, so I would be prepared and know how to stand as part of His life plan for me! So you see how He chose us to stand as part of our life plan, and how NO ONE else can fulfill that purpose? Wow, I’m just in awe. I don’t know if it connects as much with you as me right now, but I am just blown away! Every single circumstance that occurs, God has already taken the time, energy and LOVE to think through my plan and your plan. NO ONE else can fill the divine shoes God constructed just for us!!! AND NO ONE else pleases God and makes Him smile with our love, obedience and praise but US! So let’s put a smile on our faces and a kick in our steps, because we’re walking out the plan God cared enough to make just for us!!!

Response by Diane on July 3rd, 2007 at 11:05 pm
Amen, Thursa, it has such an impact when you look at it that way. God picked us and He had faith in us and no one else. We can do this, because God knows we can and that is all I need. God could have picked someone else for this job and SNO’s wife, but He didn’t; He picked me. That is big and I will walk out the plan God chose for me. Thanks for this. Diane

As we celebrate our nation’s birthday on July 4th, which brought our independence, let us be mindful of the many freedoms that we enjoy as citizens of the United States. As Americans, we have many rights and privileges that aren’t enjoyed in other countries. But our freedom came at a very high price, because many people lost their lives in the process of getting it, just as men and women continue dying to maintain those freedoms, which we still enjoy today; some 200 plus years later. So it was not easy to gain our freedom, just as it’s not easy to keep it from being taken away or exploited today.

Along with freedom comes responsibilities. And if we choose to ignore or disobey our responsibilities and the law, we risk losing those freedoms. But we often lose our rights and privileges because of the actions of those who do not respect the rights of others. In fact, many of our laws and regulations were created because someone took advantage of their freedom and hurt others. And when our freedoms are seen as infringing on the rights of other individuals, they are abolished or adjusted. Obviously, that means that our freedom as Americans is tenuous at best.

So as we celebrate our countries independence and freedom, I suggest we look at the freedom that is afforded to us by our God through Jesus Christ. That’s freedom that can never be taken away from us, regardless of what anyone else does. It is guaranteed on earth and in heaven. Now, that’s something that calls for some celebrating and fireworks!!

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 (NLT)

When we submit to our Heavenly Father; when we say to the Lord, you are God and we are not, that is when we discover true freedom. Jesus himself is the truth that sets us free. He is the source of truth, the perfect standard of what is right. He frees us from sin, from self-deception, and from deception by Satan. He clearly shows us the way to eternal life with God. Jesus does not give us freedom to do what we want, but freedom to follow God. Jesus’ perfect truth frees us to be all God meant for us to be.

Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, Psalm 95:6 (NLT)

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:10-11 (NLT)

In his book, He is God, We are Not, Ray Pritchard shares that people who rebel against God, usually do so in the name of freedom. They want freedom to go their own way; to follow their own desires; to do whatever they want, when they want, with anyone they choose. Ironically, that sort of “freedom” leads only to slavery. These individuals end up enslaved to sin, chained to addictive behaviors; locked in a personal prison of unrelenting guilt and shame. There is no freedom in rebellion against God. There is only slavery.

The point of sharing this is not to make our spouses “look bad” or bring condemnation, but to see and understand how important it is for us to pray for them and lift them up to our mighty and powerful God, who can do the impossible. Most of us would pray for any person who was caught in slavery to their rebellious ways; so how much more important is it for us to pray for the one we love so much!

Father God, You know what binds our spouses to their chains. I pray that You would remove all obstacles and hindrances that prevent them from breaking those chains and surrendering to You. If there are feelings of guilt, shame, unworthiness, arrogance, pride; Lord whatever the cause of slavery and captivity is, I pray that You would remove it, so that our spouses can become the person in You that You want them to be. Lord, give us strength and understanding to pray with confidence, perseverance and boldness; knowing that you are the only way out of bondage to freedom. I praise You and thank You for the faithfulness You demonstrate to all of us and may we each glorify and honor You for who You are and what You are doing in our lives and our marriages. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

A few weeks ago, one of our restored members shared with me a word of knowledge her mother-in-law believed she had received from the Lord. But at that time, she didn’t know who it pertained to or what it was about. All she received was July 3rd breakthrough.” So I began sharing that with our members to claim, and then on June 25th, she received further clarification, which Alex shared on the ladies’ private website as follows:

“My mother-in-law, who has been standing in prayer with me all these years, heard in her spirit the date July 3rd. I told Linda about this and I know she’s encouraging everyone to claim that date. My mother-in-law has sometimes received prophetic words, much along the lines of Marsha Burns-though not as often. In her prayer time today, this is what she heard, and I wanted to share it with everyone: “Restoration has begun and will continue in my people with great healing in familial relationships. This will continue and on the 3rd will bring about a decision of all people as regarding their faith in a personal God and a certainty of their relationship to me.” Now that encourages me so much when I apply it to the members of this fellowship. We see the restoration and we know more is coming. We see the healing taking place and we know that God’s ultimate message to each of us is that He loves us, will provide for us and just simply wants us to be in relationship with Him. God is doing a mighty work and this fellowship provides a clear window for the world to see that. Hugs, Alex”

Needless to say, I was indeed thrilled and excited to receive the following message of confirmation from Bill and Marsha Burns in my inbox this morning! And I’d encourage everyone to sign up to receive the Spirit of Prophecy Bulletin by email, at this link, where you can check out the rest of the Spirit of Prophecy website as well.

The Trumpet by Bill Burns
“– July 1, 2007: In a dream last night I was telling someone that this will come to pass when the sign of the seven sheep appears. This morning, the Lord said to me that the sign of the seven sheep is here. I asked the Lord what the seven sheep were, and He showed me that there were seven people in church today who don’t attend regularly. The Lord said when this sign comes I am going to bring My church to a point of breakthrough regarding all adversity. There will come an overflowing tide of victory in the lives of those who receive this sign and believe that it is for them. I am the Lord of the Breakthrough, and I will bring tremendous victory, says the Lord.”

Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
“ – – July 2, 2007: Beloved, I am bringing correction to a specific course that began three years ago, which has been a transitional time in which you have had to make an extreme effort to stay in the divine flow of My purposes for you. Many times the battle became so fierce that you would have lost heart unless you had seen the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13). You have been in the Valley of Weeping. I have seen your tears and have been your only help in times of trouble. Now I have opened a door of hope where you will have breakthrough and rejoice in the progression of victory. I am giving you new strength for the journey before you, says the Lord.
Hosea 2:13-15 I will punish her For the days of the Baals to which she burned incense. She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry, and went after her lovers; but Me she forgot,” says the LORD. Therefore, behold, I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her. I will give her her vineyards from there, And the Valley of Achor (trouble) as a door of hope; She shall sing there, As in the days of her youth, As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.”

Dear Lord, we thank you for your love and faithfulness, and we thank you for those you have chosen to speak to us through the gifts and anointing you have bestowed upon them. Now, it is my heartfelt prayer that thousands and more, who are standing in faith and obedience to your word for the full and complete miraculous restoration of their marriages and families, will receive the power and promise of your word today, and walk into the victory of restoration! We praise your Holy name, and give you all honor and Glory as we claim a tide of restoration and breakthrough by the power and authority of the name of Jesus Christ, our beloved Lord and Savior. Amen.

As Christian’s standing for the restoration of our marriages, we all want God’s results, because His Word tells us that He hates divorce and that HE will uphold and defend the covenant of our marriages (Malachi 2 and 1 peter 3:7). And Isaiah 46:11 makes it very clear that God will do whatever it takes to make HIS plan come to pass in our lives, because it says From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. But we have to BELIEVE that to receive it and be able to walk in the victory it GUARANTEES us as we stand WITH God for the restoration of our marriages. And we also have God’s assurance that He will bring those words to pass in Isaiah 55:10-11, which says As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. So that means that we can count on God to honor and back up His Word just as surely as we can rely on the laws of nature! Now with that in mind, we need to go back and very carefully read Malachi 2 again, because that IS what God is going to do and NOTHING will keep Him from doing it; nothing that is, other than our lack of faith and obedience. But the good news is that God even has a way of bringing us around to that too!

And we know we have to DO what God’s Word says based on many passages of scripture. But one of the most misunderstood and significant passages of scripture that best illustrates the difference between Christians doing things God’s way or the way of the world is Luke 6:46-49, which is about The Wise and Foolish Builders as follows:
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

If that doesn’t describe standing for marriage restoration, I don’t know what else does; because when we DO things God’s way, we GET His results. But when we do things the world’s way, we get the world’s results, which is nothing but divorce and heartache for our families and children. So HEARING God’s Word WITHOUT putting it into practice is totally useless, and that’s what determines whether our marriages will be built on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ or end in divorce and complete destruction!

So we all have to decide if we want God’s results or the World’s results, and then WE determine the outcome by being obedient and PUTTING INTO PRACTICE what His Word teaches us about marriage and restoration. And if we decide to follow the world’s wisdom and do things the world’s way, we should not be at all surprised when we get the world’s results. Just as we see testimonies of day after day, every day in the FAM Fellowship, relationships and marriages ARE being miraculously restored by simply walking out God’s plan for restoration, and the credit and glory is God’s and His alone! It’s not easy, but it is well worth the desired result, which is the complete and total healing and restoration of our marriages and families! God’s Word shows us the way we’re to go, but each one of us has to decide whether or not we’re willing to trust Him as He leads us through to victory! Like Joyce said in one of her messages recently, we can’t use a pattern for a coat and expect to make a dress! In the same way, we can’t do things the way of the world and expect to get God’s results. And we can’t do a little of God’s way and little of the world’s way and expect God to honor that either. The following Heart To Heart message was posted by Dan on the men’s private website yesterday, and even though it’s pretty short and simple; it makes a very significant point to everyone standing for marriage restoration. So thanks, Dan, for letting me share it here, because everyone who reads and understands it is bound to be blessed and encouraged!

We Have To Trust God to Lead Us – by Dan Spitz

One of my daily devotions today used Psalm 9:10 as the scripture for the lesson, which says Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you. And I would like to share the message written by Camilla Madding from South Carolina.

She told the story of how her friend Debbie, blind from birth, depended on her guide dog, Leader, to take her where she needed to go. Holding his harness, she would give the command “Forward.” and he would guide her to her destination.

One afternoon, Leader and Debbie set out for a walk. After a bit, the dog deviated from their usual course, slowed down, turned the “wrong” way, and even led her through a thick hedge! Frustrated, when she stopped, Debbie asked someone, “Can you please tell me what happened/”

The woman answered, “Your dog is amazing! That parking lot he safely led you around is covered with broken glass.”

How confused and stressed Debbie must have been as she was being led somewhere other than where she was familiar with and wanted to go, especially being unable to see or understand why. And I’ve heard other stories of how guide dogs have protected their owners by guiding them out of harms way.

Even though we are not without sight, with the exception of a couple of you, who I’m sure may better understand having to trust others to lead you, we don’t have the same vision that God has for us (Isaiah 42:16). Some times we are blinded by our emotions, situations or the enemy. And there are times when we don’t understand why things are not happening quickly or the way we want them to, especially when we see what appears to be a direct path to the desired change in our circumstances. But we can be thankful that God is our loving guide who leads us through every obstacle encountered in our lives. He knows all the situations that surround us, and He knows all the escape routes, because He created them (1 Corinthians 10:13). So we must put our trust in Him to be our guide and lead us to the restoration of our marriages, because He knows the plan and the only course that will get us there, and we don’t (Proverbs 16:9)! Amen!

One of the most important things I’ve learned since working in marriage restoration ministry is the absolute, undeniable power of our words; either for good or bad, as confirmed in Proverbs 18:21 (AMP), which says Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].

While I’m so thankful that the Lord finally brought this vitally important understanding to my heart and mind, it’s not always that easy to practice and be at peace with. First, even though I know it, I still find myself speaking things that I shouldn’t; not nearly so much as I used to, but certainly way more than I want to. But the most frustrating thing about understanding the power of our spoken words is hearing the negative, complaining, critical, hopeless and unpraiseworthy words that so often come out of the mouths of others, because they do not glorify the Lord in any way, shape or form. And that’s difficult, because I know without a doubt that when and if we could just fully grasp this message, our lives would change in ways so far beyond anything we could ever ask or imagine. So I urge everyone to listen very carefully to Your Words And Your Future – Part I and Your Words And Your Future – Part II, which are two AWESOME messages from Joyce Meyer from yesterday and today. They truly are life transforming messages, so listen to them several times if necessary, and definitely be prepared to take notes, because we WILL and DO eat the fruit of our words, especially as we stand for the restoration of our marriages!

And I thank Diane for her permission to share the following Heart To Heart message she posted on the ladies’ private website yesterday as a result of listening to the first message, as well as those who posted responses. It’s just not possible to get the point of Joyce’s message, as Diane obviously did, without being greatly blessed and encouraged!

POSITIVE POWER – by Diane

s I keep hearing messages about the words we speak and how powerful they are. So I know that God is speaking to me and saying “Keep it positive.” In Joyce Meyer’s TV broadcast message today, she was again saying…Believe it in your heart, confess it with your mouth and let God’s Angels work. I have heard this message before, but feel that God was reminding me that we need to speak Gods word and give our angels something to work with. We need to call those things that aren’t as though they are, and speak life into our futures; confessing good things over our futures, our marriages, and our families. With our words we can reach in to the spiritual realm and grab hold of all that God has stored up for us. Even though I know we have heard it before, I keep being reminded, so I know God really wants us to get it. We need to keep speaking positively about the future and keep the negatives out. We need to look deeper into things to find the positive, if all we see is negative. If we look at it differently, we will find the positive. We can even ask someone else if we can’t find something positive. We just have to keep looking, because it is there. We need to stop saying we “can’t” and just believe that with Christ we can do ALL things. We must be positive people and as we keep being reminded, God will work all things for good for those who love Him and have been called for His purpose. That is ALL THINGS, and that is US. He will turn our tears into joy and every hurt is for a purpose. So let’s keep praying and praising, believing and confessing it, and let God send His angels in to work in our marriages. Let’s stay positive and love unconditionally like Jesus loves us and we will all see Gods glory. Diane

Response by Maria on June 27th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Diane, I watched Joyce Meyer’s today too, and liked the idea that we have to speak positively and give God and the angels something to do. She said we are responsible for our own misery, because that’s what we are speaking and people don’t like to be around us. So we have to be joyous and happy and we will infect others as with the plague with our joy and happiness. God spoke the word and the universe was created so if we really believe that, than why doubt and not do it.

Response by Thursa on June 27th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
I’ve been told many times that my positive attitude is contagious. I am so blessed that God has given me so much to be positive about! He is in all of it and in everything when I look for Him! God fills me with joy when I ask and the positive attitude just flows out and really does attract others to “what I got”, and that includes our spouses!!! Remembering that Paul said ALL things and not just some or a few and also that he said WORKS not worked or will work, I believe is key! It says it right there that its here, now, and always for ALL things…what more do we need to get that positive booster shot?

Response by Paula on June 27th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
Diane, WOW! I’m learning to put this into practice, but I pray that I become more consistent in doing so. I am very grateful and thankful for so many things, -even in the midst of what I’m going through with my husband. God has been so faithful and good to me and the kids in his “temporary” absence. Thanks for reminding us of the importance of being and speaking positively about our situations.

Response by Kathy in Oregon on June 27th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
Diane, this just so ministered to me today — thank you so much for sharing your post and Joyce’s link! God was surely speaking and showing us how to speak His Truth into being! Wow! The awesome power of His Word we simply cannot fathom, but it DOES move mountains and causes all of our paths to be level!

Response by Robin on June 28th, 2007 at 12:43 am
Thank you, Diane for being obediant to the Holy Spirit and posting these words of encouragement. It is sooooo easy to focus on the negativity in our lives, but if we keep our eyes on Christ, and say, do, and believe what His word says, He will keep us in perfect peace. It is important for to remain positive daily.