Is Satan attacking or is GOD testing? Based on recent posts and responses on the private website, there appears to be some confusion about the power Satan has in our lives. But as we stand for the full and complete restoration of our marriages and families, we just can’t allow failure to understand that Satan has NO power in our lives to cause seeds of doubt and discouragement to be sown in our hearts, minds and spirits, because that just stops or hinders the flow of the Holy Spirit, and too much is at stake! So we OFTEN need reminding JUST WHO GOD IS AND WHO SATAN IS NOT!!! Therefore, instead of thinking we are helpless victims at the mercy of SATAN, or even vulnerable to his schemes and plans, we have to understand that SATAN can NOT touch us or come against us in ANY way UNLESS WE GIVE HIM PERMISSION AND invite HIM IN!!! As Jesus said in John 10:10 (NASB), “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. Despite having read and quoted this verse literally hundreds of times, when I reread it to include here, I couldn’t believe what just jumped out at me! I was amazed that I never noticed the significance of one little word that seems insignificant; yet is VERY significant! And that’s the word may. While might means maybe; may means that we have been given permission by one with the authority to give it! SO despite being taught otherwise by so many; life, and abundant life, is NOT GUARANTEED; it’s something we MAY have. And the ONLY WAY DO what God’s Word tells us to do. And though that’s confirmed repeatedly throughout the Bible, one of the most definitive passages about that is in Deuteronomy 30, which ironically is what so many people wrongly use to rationalize what I consider the False Doctrine of Free Will. Yet, God doesn’t say one word about having a choice; in fact, He ACTUALLY COMMANDS US TO CHOOSE LIFE in verses 15-19 (my emphasis added); See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. So, we MAY have the abundant life Jesus came to give us ONLY when we OBEY God’s Word. And one of the most important means of accessing the abundant life Jesus came to give us is using the power of His Word and praise to overcome and defeat the devil; which then becomes the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:10-11)

And the Bible teaches us that praising God and taking thoughts contrary to His written Word captive AND MAKING them OBEDIENT to Christ, the Word, ALWAYS stops the devil dead in his tracks! But when we don’t DO that, and look at what we perceive to be “bad reports” and never even consider or attempt to access the power and authority of God’s Word and that HE IS NOT A LIAR and that JESUS CAME TO KEEP THE DEVIL FROM STEALING, KILLING AND DESTROYING US AND ANYTHING IN OUR LIVES, we open the door and invite Satan right in! If we believe and SAY that we particularly come “under attack by the enemy” whenever we praise or serve the Lord in some way, do we REALLY believe or mean to say that the devil has more power to come against us just because we praise, serve or obey God? That is nonsense and totally against what the Word tells us. So let’s set the record straight right now and get rid of this notion that the devil can “attack” us; because IF WE SPEAK THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD BACK TO THE DEVIL WHEN HE COMES CALLING, JUST AS WITH JESUS, HE WILL FLEE (Matthew 4:1-11)!!! And God wouldn’t tell us to take our thoughts captive to WIN the spiritual warfare being waged against us if we don’t have the power and ability to do so or if it wouldn’t work (2 Corinthians 10:2-6)! So that means that there’s not a lot of taking thoughts captive going on; much less MAKING them obedient to Christ–the Word, when we’re proclaiming that we’re “being attacked by the enemy.!” And if we go around expecting to “be attacked” because we praise the Lord or serve Him in faithful obedience; then we shouldn’t be too surprised when we are; because we literally spoke it into being and gave Satan permission and power in our lives by doing so! IF we were praising the Lord instead, Satan would have to flee, because as Psalm 22:3 (AMP) tells us, But You are holy, O You Who dwell in [the holy place where] the praises of Israel [are offered]. The devil and God can not and DO NOT dwell together; so if we want to get rid of and overcome the devil; we have to praise the Lord and speak His Word out of our mouths, and not words that only magnify and empower Satan. The devil’s power is NOTHING compared to the power of Jesus Christ that dwells inside of every one of us when we have made (and continue to make) Him the Lord of our lives. So let’s read and MEDITATE on the following scriptures and realize who we are in Christ and then DO what Luke 10:19 tells us to do; we can’t be hearers of the Word only (James 1:23-25); that’s being like “foolish builders” who build our houses on sinking sand and houses so built WILL most assuredly come down with a great crash and be utterly destroyed (Luke 6:46-49)! In fact, that’s exactly why most of us are now seeking and standing for marriage restoration!

The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. (Luke 10:17-19)

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power
with us than with him. (2 Chronicles 32:7)

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.” As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. (2 Chronicles 20:20-22)

The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. (Isaiah 43:20-21)

Even when Satan comes calling, it is ONLY because God has allowed it; usually to test, prove, strengthen or discipline us in some way. And it’s important to understand that God does NOT test us so HE can find out what is in our hearts; He tests us so WE know what’s in our hearts and recognize the work that still needs to be done. As with Job, Joseph, many others, and even Jesus, God also uses those testing times in our lives to serve as a testimony to others of His power, faithfulness, love and goodness when they see the blessings, favor and protection brought about by our faith and obedience; such as the restoration of our marriages and families.
Read Job 1:6-12 and understand that it was GOD who even suggested that Satan “consider” Job. BUT He restricted and limited Satan’s access and authority to steal, kill and destroy Job’s life. Then read Job 2:1-7 and realize that Satan had to once again present himself before God to get permission to bring physical harm to Job’s body; making it undeniably clear that Satan does NOT operate outside of the authority of God; no matter how difficult that might be for us to comprehend and understand. And then again later, in Luke 22:31-34, we see that Satan had to request permission to “sift” Peter; “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

Unfortunately, just like Peter, we often think we’ve really arrived when we haven’t quite made the destination God has predestined for us yet; which HE has to point out to us to get us where He wants us. That’s why we are warned in 1 Corinthians 10:12 (AMP) Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. So it’s important for all of us to understand that when we start instructing and encouraging others concerning how they should or shouldn’t be, and what they should or shouldn’t say or do, we need to be sure we are practicing what we preach; because if not, we can be absolutely certain that GOD will point it out to us! And since Genesis 50:20 tells us that what is intended for evil, God in tends for good and that it will be for the good of many. We also have to realize that God uses even those times we fail for our good and for His glory!; You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. But…PLEASE STOP SPEAKING TIMES OF TESTING, TRIALS, ATTACK, STRUGGLES, DISCOURAGEMENT AND DEFEAT INTO BEING! I love something Lorraine said in her Coffee Break message the other morning. She said “Our mouths are not always like a pleasant stream bringing words of refreshing. They don’t always bring healing. They often do more damage–especially in an already bad situation.” That’s certainly true when we speak negative thoughts, attitudes and emotions into being, so let’s put an end to it, because it will indeed stop the flow of the Holy Spirit dead in His tracks, and none of us want or can afford that! PRAISE IS WHERE THE POWER IS! And if we haven’t seen proof of that lately, I don’t think we’ll ever get it! So read Tuesday’s SOF post (Lorraine’s message about our mouths) and GET IT!!! When our mouths are filled with praise and the Word of God, we will send the devil packing whenever he comes calling and we’ll most definitely be blessed and encouraged!

“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14

If you have a mouth and can speak, it’s because God gave it to you. Therefore, what should you do with it? Should you use it to tear down or build up? Should you use
it to bless or to curse? Should you use it to speak kind words or cruel hurtful words? Should you use it to criticize or encourage? Should you use it to speak truth or lies? Should you use it to accuse or to comfort? Should you use it to help or hurt? Should bitterness be in it, should anger come out of it? Should it be used for both good and evil? Blessings and cursing? Faith and fear? Pride or humility?
Should you use it to glorify God or exalt self? Should it be used to praise the Lord and to witness for Him?

What should your mouth be used for? If He gave you your mouth and you belong to Him then all of you– your mouth included– belongs to Him. So that means that you need to speak only what glorifies Him, only what He puts in it, only what He would say, only what would please Him. Sadly, that is not always the case. We often use our mouths as a weapon against one another. We use them to glorify the enemy when we talk like he does. Our mouths are not always like a pleasant stream bringing words of refreshing. They don’t always bring healing. They often do more damage–especially in an already bad situation.

Pay attention today to how you use your mouth. Notice what words come out of it. Who do they sound like, who do they glorify, who do they help or who do they destroy? Are they pleasing to God? Would it be something that He would say? Would it be something that He would want to hear coming from them? If you aren’t using it for His glory, then what does that say about your thankfulness that He has given you a mouth to speak?

Have a great day. He gave me my mouth, it belongs to Him… am I using it for Him?

*****
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell, and available online and sent by email free of charge for the asking from About the Master’s Business Ministry, Inc.
So please feel free to call Lorraine at (601) 833-5278 or E-mail her at mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
And you can visit her on the web at MastersBusiness.org.

These are indeed exciting times for all of us who have been blessed to witness the great and mighty ways God has been working in the lives and hearts of so many of the FAM Fellowship members, especially in the past few weeks! So I want to share some of the most recent praises and testimonies from the private website to encourage others as a reminder that WHEN WE DO WHAT GOD’S WORD TELLS US TO DO, WE WILL GET HIS RESULTS AND OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, WILL BE GLORIFIED!!!

After being separated for over fourteen months, and really struggling with understanding that God has to do a work in her heart BEFORE marriage restoration is even remotely possible, one of our newest members posted the following earlier today in response to “I Can’t Thank God enough!” (posted by another FAM member and included below, and there were several other powerful responses to that testimony as well):
“MNO (member name omitted), WOW! Your testimony has been such an encouragement for me. I am still struggling with letting go and letting God. When I think I have let go, I really haven’t and as Linda had to point out to me, I still had anger, resentment and bitterness in me toward my husband. And although I have been trying not to say anything to start an argument when he comes around, my body language speaks volumes (which also had to be pointed out to me). I have admitted some of my faults in our marriage crumbling, but focus
more on his. So I THANK YOU for this post because it touches on so many areas I have been struggling with lately and what Linda has been witnessing to me. I thank God that you shared this, because it came at a time when I really needed it, as well as a confirmation as to what I need to do!

God bless you! And please continue to trust in God, for He is doing AWESOME wonders in your life.”

And then that member posted the following response later today:
“MNO, I assure you that it has not been easy; I have to attribute a lot of it to God Almighty and to the FAMM family. Sometimes you know what you need to do, but you just feel like nothing is ever going to work. The enemy has deceived us into thinking that God cannot heal and restore because things have gone “too far” this time. But that is not at all the truth. God is ALL powerful and able to do whatever he needs to do when we let go and let him do it; when we stop trying to change them ourselves. The more
I tried to change SNO (spouse name omitted) and “make him come home,” the further from home he actually got. In essence, sometimes we can drive them away with our nagging and pressing them. Remember, their hearts are with us and not the NCP (non-covenant person). The NCP is actually a poor substitute for what they really want with us, and GOD eventually shows them that’s not what he has for them.

I understand the anger, resentment and bitterness you have felt. I felt it too; toward SNO and God. But we have to let GOD heal us in those areas because when they come home, if it is not healed, it will fester and come up again. I ask God every day to help me to forgive SNO, and him me, because it is hard in and of ourselves. Our natural flesh wants to hold onto the hurt because we feel that we have been done wrong, but it is not our natural flesh we should follow. When we hold onto that, it makes us a VICTIM and not a VICTOR. I refuse to be a victim; it is not in my personality so I have to let go of ALL past hurts from my marriage and whenever else I was done wrong to be able to heal properly. That’s where my controlling ways started, so I have to go back in the past and forgive even before SNO and let GOD heal it. Another one of my problems was that I didn’t have patience, and letting go developed patience in me. I wanted it fixed and fixed now and if it wasn’t, I was going to dabble in it to fix it myself or I had to say something about it. I wasn’t patient to let GOD fix it and fix it “right.” And now I know that we can talk too much and talk our healing away from us. But I thank God for all I have learned and that he is teaching me.

You can do it; just pray and trust God. I ask God to teach me to have a quiet and gentle spirit. And that is not normally my nature either; I am a communicator and I like to talk about things and have very strong opinions that I think are right, but I have learned just because I think that way does not mean it is correct and I am learning that being quiet is not soo bad. Sometimes it is best because we say things we can’t take back and “I’m sorry.” doesn’t always work. So sometimes silence is grand.
MNO, Girl, you’ve got this, and God has your back and your marriage. Be Blessed!”

After being separated for over two years, and divorced for several months, one of our members posted the following praise two nights ago:
“Oh, Praise God! … My heart is just bursting with joy today, and I just want to praise God for all that He continues to do for my family and me! Although this may seem like a small praise, it is HUGE for me, and it is all God’s doing! My husband has been on a business trip this week, and since being away from home, he has very rarely contacted me when he is away on business. Well, PRAISE GOD! Of the three days that he has been gone, I have heard from my husband on two of those days! Last night I received an unexpected text message that was longer than usual, and he let me know that he was on his way to dinner, that his project was going well, that he would be traveling to another city the next day, and that he would call me today. At that moment, I just felt so strongly in my spirit that my husband’s heart has turned! And tonight, he called! Although he sounded a bit tired, he also sounded so much like himself! It was so awesome to hear his voice and to find out more about how his project was going and to support and encourage him. And we made plans for him to come to our home on Sunday to work around the house. He even invited me to text him before then in case he needs to bring anything out before he comes! That invitation alone is HUGE, since he has seldom invited me to call or contact him. But God is making all things new! All praise, glory, and thanks to our Lord for ALL that He is doing! The mountain is crumbling, and restoration is on its way! Be encouraged and stay ready, everyone! God is moving mightily!”

After being separated for two years and sharing that she and her husband (who not all that long ago told her that he didn’t love her anymore and wanted a divorce) are actually discussing plans to go look at homes so they can move to another state and how they spent an evening together that was so much like they used to be (even with him cooking dinner and falling asleep on the sofa), and later initiated a time she described as being like teenagers necking and petting”, one of our members posted the following testimony two nights ago:
“I Can’t Praise God Enough!!! … I just thank GOD so much for everything. Just five to six weeks ago, at least once a week, we would have an argument because I would call him and even though I knew it would turn to an argument, I would ask, poke and prod him about “When are you coming home? Your kids need you.” Of course, he would just feel pressured and say whatever he needed to just to get me off of his case, and I would walk away from the conversation feeling “We will never work out.” He would be angry and I would be hurt. And one day right before I “came out of the closet” on this site, I just decided to do what everyone here had been saying and that was to “let go.” I said “Okay, God, I am not going to be a part of this tug of war any longer. I am not going to call him, text him or question him about any of this anymore. God, I let go to let you do what has to be done.” Believe me; it has not been easy. There were times when all I wanted to do was pick up the phone and hear his voice or I wanted to make a comment about our relationship and his intentions, but I started talking to GOD instead. I then realized that just as Linda and everyone else says, when I stopped calling him, he began to call me to see what I was doing or what the kids were doing and things began to change. I began to focus on me and the kids and what I needed to fix and not so much what he needed to fix. I asked God to help me be the wife I needed to be for him and to help me love him as God loves him. Slowly the anger started to melt and my attitude started changing from “He messed up our marriage.” to “God, I messed up our marriage.” I am so glad I “came out of the closet and let go.”

I came out because I started seeing that the ones who were getting results were the ones participating with the family and encouraging each other. And it has felt so good ever since I started participating instead of just watching from the background. I have learned to thank GOD for the little things and not always be so focused so much on the “BIG” thing of him coming home. I have been a Christian for a long time and read the bible every day, but I have learned to trust God more and to apply what I read to my situation. I had really begun to not trust God because of all that had happened and I actually thought “God, you were supposed to protect me and not let this happen.” But God already knew that all of this was going to happen; it did not take him by surprise and he knew my attitude as a wife was STINKY!!! And he already had a plan for this detour. I appreciate all of the encouragement from everyone here and the camaraderie. BE BLESSED!!!”

After seven months of separation, one of the FAM members shared the following in a praise testimony two nights ago:
“It’s Turning Around! … I have to say that I thank God for His faithfulness. I cannot remember the last time SNO and I had a conversation that wasn’t strained, awkward or hostile, but since I apologized to him, it seems as if he’s let his guard down, and so have I. Last week, a few of my family members planned a night out to see a new movie. In order to go, I had to secure a babysitter, which I was unable to do until three days before the movie. Just before I had my cousin purchase my ticket, I decided to let SNO know about the outing as he was always included in things like that before, and I knew he would enjoy the movie. In the past, he would say that he didn’t want to go – he used to say that he wasn’t big on movies. But I knew that really meant that he didn’t want to go with me. I asked anyway and he surprised me by saying yes. When I gave my cousin the go ahead, she informed me that the tickets were sold out. I told SNO and he said “Well, okay.” and that was that, but I was so disappointed. I hardly ever get a babysitter, especially for a Saturday night. So for the first time in I don’t know how long, my husband wanted to go out with me and now it wouldn’t happen. I finished my shift at my internship and when I got out I checked my text messages and there was one from my husband, asking if I wanted to go see the movie at another theater. Praise God!!! I couldn’t believe it. Well, that night I met him and we drove over to the theater and sat together, and we sat pretty close; so that our arms were touching, which was a vast improvement as we haven’t touched each other at all in a long time. I placed my hand on his and he didn’t pull away. And he put his hand on my lap and held my hand too. It was like we were teenagers but I think I was the only one that was a little nervous. And when the movie ended, we ate and talked for awhile, and then he dropped me off. He told me he was glad that I enjoyed the movie, and I secretly hoped for a goodnight kiss, but it didn’t happen. And when I got inside, I called and thanked him for taking me out and he said “Oh, any time.” And then he sent me a text message letting me know that he’d arrived home safely. I was so happy.

So I was reminded that God is in total control of everything and he orchestrates my circumstances and “coincidences.” I thought I had lost out on my chance to be with him, but God worked it out so that we could not go with the group and he put it in my husband’s heart to ask me to go with him alone.

Since then we’ve been having much better conversations. We can even make friendly eye contact with each other now. The hostility and awkwardness is fading and I’m so grateful to God for making this happen. At first, I didn’t think this would ever happen, but now I see that it can and is starting already. Praise be to the almighty God. I hope I’m not jumping the gun, but I have already told someone that I know SNO and I will get back together. I know that if I continue to be obedient to God, He will work a miracle in my life. And I know that this miracle will far exceed my expectations and imagination.”

After being separated for over eight months, with a divorce process under way, and posting a prayer request because her father was taken to the hospital, one of our members shared the following praise testimony three days ago (and that after she and her husband had already started acting like to lovesick teenagers!):
“Another Prayer Request and More Praises Too! … I have another praise to report about SNO too. I told my daughter to call her dad to tell him about my dad and within minutes he called me and asked what had happened. I told him I wasn’t sure but I was heading to the hospital. He said “If you really need me, I will be there; I will leave everything here (at work) and come to be with you.” He then explained that if I didn’t need him right then, he really needed to stay because he had over two hundred people that he had to cook burgers for and he was cooking alone; his day was already running behind and kind of messed up. My mouth about dropped to the floor. I told him that was fine and to stay at work and we would see what was going on with dad first. Never in a million years would he have ever even suggested doing that (leaving work) even if it was just seventy-five people! A few years back, he didn’t show up for my MRI test results because he had an outing of only thirty and said he was too busy. And by the way, my normal response would be to get mad and complain that he wasn’t there with me, that his priorities were screwed up. So this is a HUGE change and softening of the heart for him, and me too, I guess.

For the four hours I was with dad, I stayed in touch with SNO by texting, and that way he didn’t have to stop to answer his phone. He also called once and said “I have thirty seconds; how is he doing?” I am so amazed by how God is working in all of this. He really is turning things around and working in all areas of our lives. I even made sure my mom and dad knew what SNO had said, and they were happy to hear it. I have had a lot of medical issues going on in my family within the last few months, with my mom’s cancer, both of my grandmas and now dad. But this has caused SNO and me to communicate more in these last few months and communication was our biggest problem. God knows what he is doing. He is working all things out for the good. I lift these events all to the glory of God!”

After seven months of separation, one of our newest members was able to share her marriage restoration testimony ten days ago, and the following is an excerpt of what she wrote:
“Our marriage is Restored! … I would like to thank all of you for the prayers and encouragement you have offered up on my behalf. And know that this is not the end for me here; it’s just the beginning. I am just amazed that I have only been here for less than a month; yet Linda and you all have poured so much insight and godly wisdom into my life. And I thank God that I was open and receptive to receive all God had and has for me. But most of all, I am amazed by the transformation that has taken place in my HEART and MIND!

Linda, please move us to the restored marriage list! All Praise and glory goes to GOD Almighty!”

Also ten days ago, I received phone calls early in the morning from two other FAM Fellowship members with wonderful praise reports! The first was to let me know that after being separated for two years, her husband, who had returned home two weeks earlier only because he had nowhere else to go, had recommitted to both his marriage and to the Lord the previous night! And the other was from a woman who had also been separated for two years, and she called to tell me that totally out of the blue and unexpectedly (especially since things “appeared” worse than ever!), her husband had invited her to his apartment and they shared a wonderful night together, which she said was better than ever before. And everything he shared with her proved why God tells us not to lean on our own understanding, because everything she thought he felt and wanted was totally wrong! I cried upon hearing both of these testimonies, especially the last since that call came in while I was still on the first one! I was just so overjoyed, because both men were in ministry when they got involved in adultery; one was an evangelist and the other actually pastored a church that went under as a result of his behavior. But their wives stood on the power and promise of God’s Word and He did what He ALWAYS does when we just trust and obey!!!

And in addition to these praises, we heard from two of our members with restored marriages last month about how their husbands’ hearts have truly turned to the Lord and how their marriages are by far so much better than before! And of those who have been acting like teenagers and sharing intimacy for the first time in as much as two years, they all are amazed to see how much better things are than ever before! So God has indeed made their marriages and relationships NEW! And one of our other restored members shared the wonderful ways the Lord keeps working in their marriage and lives as well; they’re building a new home together, their last two children at home are moving out this month and they are on vacation together for the first time in ages, and for THREE whole weeks! So we’ve also been blessed to see how God’s love and faithfulness continue to work even after marriage restoration!

And, finally, the last testimony I want to share was posted by one of the FAM members three weeks ago, who has had a bitter divorce process in the works for over seven months…BUT GOD!!! Since her testimony pretty much speaks for itself, here it is:
“Praise HIM for the Little Things … I have been praying the scripture from Jeremiah 33 that says, “Call on me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things that you do not know.” I had been praying that God would show himself to my family and they would see things they have never seen before. Little did I know how God would answer and show ME things I have never seen before.

Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “You can’t see the trees because of the forest.” When you are in the midst of the storm, it is hard to see past the end of your hand. So it is good to take a look behind you at times by reading your prayer journal and seeing how God has brought you through. The battle rages, but I am still standing. I couldn’t see it at the time, but when I look back, I can see how many decisions were divinely orchestrated by God. There was no way in my finite mind I could have conceived or knew to make some of the decisions I have made.

I had requested prayer about a month ago for our first court hearing (all previous hearings had been postponed), and God answered that prayer in a way I did not expect. The bottom line was that the judge ruled one hundred percent in my favor, which was a total miracle. But my God did exceedingly and abundantly more than I asked when my husband told me he was putting things on hold after that hearing! It wasn’t because he had a change of heart about me as I would have liked, but nonetheless, it was being put on hold!

I called you, Linda, and we spoke briefly so you probably don’t remember me, but you told me, “It sounds like you don’t like your husband too much.” I didn’t like to hear it but I gave it a lot of thought and there is a lot of truth to that. I love my husband with all my heart but I didn’t like him or respect him. So I began to change my prayers for him. I started praying for him from a new perspective. I’ve been praying Ephesians 2 and 3 over him and Colossians 1; that he would be strengthened with all might according to His glorious power for all patience and longsuffering with joy. I’m asking God to let me see him as He sees him and to teach me to honor and respect him.

I wrote my husband a text message (he doesn’t like to speak to me) and told him that I was sorry that I judged him and should have been praying for him to build him up. Surprisingly, I received a message back that said that he might forgive me, but he could never live with me again. The words that he could never live with me again stung, and I almost overlooked the part that said he might be able to forgive me.

This is what I mean when I say that we must not overlook the small things. I am starting to see the “little things.” We cannot be so focused on looking for that BIG miracle that we overlook the little things.

I had company a couple of weeks ago and made up a big dinner. I texted my husband and asked him if he would like some of the food. Again, he surprisingly accepted and came to pick it up at my office. And even more surprisingly, later that night, he sent me a message and told me it was really good and said “Thank you.” And that is a BIG thing because he has had very little communication with me.

My grandson’s birthday is coming up, and I had been praying that God would allow me to see him for his birthday. (My daughter has shut me out of her life since my husband left.) I was willing to accept it if I could not see him, but the Bible also tells us, “You have not because you ask not.” So I asked. Well, God answered that prayer too! And I was able to see my grandchildren this week. I was disappointed that my daughter would not see me, but again, I almost overlooked the great miracle of answered prayer in seeing the grandchildren!

When my husband left, our family was torn to shreds, including our two grown children. I have often heard of couples being separated still seen each other because they had children to share custody with. Well, our children are grown and very fractured right now and there was really no reason for my husband to have any communication with me. But God has His ways. Little did I know that God was going to use our Dog. My husband has now been requesting that the dog come to visit. So this is his third visit now. On a humorous side, I had been reading a testimony from Covenant Keepers about how a woman allowed her little girl to visit her husband’s apartment over the weekend and how God used their little girl to speak to her husband’s heart. Well, I was praying the other day that God would use our dog to speak to my husband’s heart. And then God dropped it in my spirit that He used a donkey to speak to a man before, so he can certainly use a dog. So this morning, I sent our precious dog on a missionary trip to my husband!

The other night as I was driving home from work, I began to reflect on some of the things that had been happening. These are little things, but God dropped it in my spirit about how Elijah proclaimed it would rain again after the drought. He sent his servant to look out to the sea for a sign of the rain. He went out there six times and saw nothing, but on the seventh time, he reported that he saw a cloud the size of a man’s hand! Think about it; a tiny little cloud in the sky. It certainly wouldn’t look like you’re ready for a gully washer with something like that! So God began to remind me that these little things I have been seeing are like the cloud the size of a man’s hand, so get ready and begin to proclaim that the rain is coming.

But one of the biggest things I see is the change in me. I am beginning to see things in my marriage and our relationship in a whole new way. Our relationship has been very dysfunctional due to drug and alcohol abuse for many years. But I truly believe that God has allowed it to be torn to the foundation and now He is rebuilding it and starting with me. God is going to use this to bring about His plans and purposes in each of our lives, and I can’t thank God enough.

So today, I look through the eyes of faith and I thank God for those little things along the way and know He is faithful to perform all of His promises.”

So, as Thursday’s Seeds Of Faith post pointed out; it just takes one; one man or woman willing to stand on the power and promise of God’s Word for the full and complete restoration of his or her marriage as they trust and obey; allowing the power of God’s Word to change HIM or HER first! And when we get that, we will indeed be blessed and encouraged because we will see the mighty hand of God moving in our lives and marriages in ways beyond ANYTHING we could ever ask or imagine! So I thank all of the above FAM Fellowship members for permission to share the word of their testimonies here so the devil can and will be totally defeated and overcome as he comes to kill, steal and destroy even more marriages and families!

The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. (Psalm 18:13)

He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:10-12)

For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. (Psalm 108:4)

More than likely, most everyone standing for marriage restoration has heard more than once that if their spouse doesn’t want to “work” on the marriage, there isn’t anything they can do about it…because “it takes two.” But based on the Bible, we know that’s NOT true, because it just takes one.

When Abraham asked Sara to hide the fact that she was his wife and allowed her to be taken into the king’s palace, it isn’t too difficult to imagine the pain and anguish she experienced. She must have felt a terrible sense of betrayal, fear, shame and humiliation, anger and despair because the man who was supposed to protect her was so shamelessly willing to sacrifice her to save his own hide. BUT GOD had another plan, and it just took one; one woman submitting to her husband’s authority in faith and obedience to God! And despite Abraham’s failure to cherish and protect his wife, which was wrong in the eyes of God, Sara’s faith and obedience caused him to be blessed and enriched by the king when she was returned unharmed and fully vindicated! Sara humbled herself under the mighty hand of God and HE lifted her up in due time. So it just took one relying on the power and promise of God’s Word to bring about total deliverance and the prosperity that followed! Read Genesis 20.

When Gomer continued to indulge in adulterous behavior, presented Hosea with illegitimate children during their marriage, and eventually abandoned him and the children to openly pursue a sinful and rebellious lifestyle, the shame and humiliation must have been almost unbearable for Hosea, especially since he had only married a prostitute because God told him to. There must have been times when he questioned God’s plan and why He had asked him to do that when it all turned out so badly. BUT GOD had another plan, and it just took one; one man choosing to care for and protect his dishonorable wife in faith and obedience to God. Even though she had brought such shame to her family and was reduced to being sold on an auction block, through her husband’s reverence for God and willingness to show love though not loved, Gomer was reinstated to a place of respect and honor as his wife. Hosea was faithful to the covenant of his marriage despite his wife’s unfaithfulness, and God upheld it in due time. So it just took one relying on the power and promise of God’s Word to bring about marriage restoration and a lost spouse’s reconciliation with God. Read Hosea 1-3

When a rebellious and ungrateful son asked his father for his inheritance, in effect saying that he wished his father was dead, and departed to places unknown to squander it away on ungodly living; there’s no doubt that his father was heartbroken and terribly disappointed. There must have been times when he wondered what he had done to make his son despise him so much. BUT GOD had another plan, and it just took one; one man devoted to prayer, being watchful and giving thanks in faith and obedience to God. Despite his very immoral and irresponsible lifestyle and the loss of his entire inheritance, when the prodigal son came to his senses and realized he would be better off at home, he was welcomed home with open arms and his return was celebrated with jubilation! The father put his trust in God and let his son depart, and God brought him home in due time. So it just took one relying on the power and promise of God’s Word to bring a time of great loss and intense mourning to a time of incredible joy and celebration! Red Luke 15:11-32

When God invited Satan to test Job and allowed him to kill and destroy his children and everything he owned, and then to cover his entire body with worms and painful sores; when his wife and friends mocked and ridiculed him, offering no comfort or encouragement at all, it’s difficult to imagine the depth of his devastation and despair. Job understandably wondered what he had done to deserve such loss, pain and humiliation, and he felt totally abandoned and forsaken by God, and wished that he had never been born or that the Lord would put an end to the futility and misery of his life. BUT GOD had another plan, and it just took one; one man to hear His voice in the midst of the storm and respond in faith and obedience to God. Even though Job’s wife lost faith and told him to curse God and die; despite how bad the circumstances were, he told her she was talking like a foolish woman, and because of Job’s walk and relationship with God and his prayers for his friends in the midst of his own trials, God blessed both of them with ten more children and twice everything else they had lost! So Job refused to curse God and continued to worship and praise Him no matter what, and God vindicated, blessed and rewarded him in due time. So it just took one relying on the power and promise of God’s Word to bring an end to unbearable suffering and work all that the devil intended for harm and destruction to good and for God’s glory! Read Job 1-42.

So no matter what we face as we stand on the power and promise of God’s Word for the full and complete restoration of our marriages and families, let’s NEVER forget that IT JUST TAKES ONE, and we’re sure to be blessed and encouraged!

The ONLY way to come close to fully and accurately understanding God’s command that husband’s love their wives just as Christ loves the church is to study the Bible in search of other passages to support and further enlighten us since NO part of the Bible can ever be accurately interpreted to mean something contrary to anything written elsewhere in the Bible. And when we study to better understand the biblical relationship and roles of husbands and wives, we are told exactly HOW and WHY husbands are the head of their wives in 1 Corinthians 11:1-12, which says:
1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
2 I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you.
3 Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head.
5 And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is just as though her head were shaved.
6 If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head.
7 A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
8 For man did not come from woman, but woman from man;
9 neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.
10 For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.
11 In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.
12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.

Since most of the above passage should speak for itself, I want to focus on the verses I’ve highlighted; which are two of the most significant and enlightening verses of this passage; yet the ones most people probably tend to miss and fail to understand. But we can’t possibly understand what God is saying when we totally miss or disregard why He said it, especially when this passage of scripture makes it abundantly clear that the purpose of placing a man in “authority over his wife is for HER PROTECTION AND BENEFIT and NOT to exercise control over her.

For instance, when a woman is married, knowledge of that should protect her from the advances of other men. That’s why Abraham wanted Sara to deny being his wife; he feared being killed so that another man could take her as his wife or for less honorable intentions as happened. But that’s another story altogether; though one that demonstrates God’s supernatural power at work to protect and save a wife when she submits to her husband; not to mention saving her husband from his own folly (Genesis 20). And since it was God’s intention for women to be pleasing to men; being in fact, “created for man” (Genesis 2), it is natural for men to want and desire to possess what God created for their glory (in the same way we are created for HIS glory and the glory of Christ); thus one reason a woman needs the protective covering of her husband’s authority.

But God also provided a woman with the protective covering of her husband’s authority to shield and protect her from the advances of angelic beings, which Adam clearly failed to do when Eve was deceived and tempted by the serpent, who was the fallen angel, Lucifer, also known as Satan (Genesis 3). We tend to think of angels only in their glorified state as those mighty angels doing the Lord’s bidding; but there is another realm of angelic beings who were cast out of heaven right along with Lucifer. And they’re all supernatural and demonic beings who are much more powerful than human beings, which is why man needs the protective covering of Christ’s authority and women the additional protective covering of their husbands’ authority. So just as we are told of the Lord in Psalm 91:4; it ought to be said of a woman’s husband that He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Everyone who knows how excited I get about God’s faithfulness to confirm what He wants to convey to us can imagine how I felt when He prompted me to visit Sam Soleyn’s website (which I hadn’t visited in almost two years) and I found the following messages. I couldn’t believe it when the first message I listened to was on the same passage of scripture I was using in this post! So I strongly encourage everyone to listen to the following messages, because they really explain why women need the covering of their husbands’ authority; just as man needs the covering of Christ and why Christ needed the covering of God, and many other aspects of the roles of men and women in marriage.
God – Our Defender and Protector
The Reminder of God’s Provision

Once we realize that a husband’s authority and position of headship is for the PROTECTION AND BENEFIT of his wife, it’s much easier to recognize and understand Adam’s failure and accountability when Eve was deceived by Satan and why her sin was attributed to him. But let’s not forget that they BOTH suffered the consequences of sin. And even though most men probably struggle with the notion of being held accountable for their wives” sin and wrong doing, we’re already familiar with another example of that found in Matthew 5:32, where Jesus said 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. Obviously, Jesus holds the man who divorces his wife even though she hasn’t been unfaithful accountable for causing HER to become an adulteress, and being held accountable when our actions, or when exercising the freedom WE have in Christ, causes a weaker person to sin is spelled out in even more detail in 1 Corinthians 8 (AMP), where verses 11-12 say And so by your enlightenment (your knowledge of spiritual things), this weak man is ruined (is lost and perishes)–the brother for whom Christ (the Messiah) died! And when you sin against your brethren in this way, wounding and damaging their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. So husbands being held accountable for their wives’ wrong doing and sin is not really as surprising as it might first seem. And in 2 Corinthians 11:2-3 (NLT), Paul sets an example for husbands to follow as he expresses the attitude and concern husbands should have concerning their wives’ walk and relationship with the Lord; he said For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ. But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. So just as Paul was charged and burdened with the responsibility to present the church as a bride to Christ; the same is expected of husbands concerning their wives, as confirmed in Ephesians 5:25-27, which says Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. And since we know that the marriage relationship is a representation of the relationship between Jesus and the church, His bride, which Ephesians 5:32 even declares a “profound mystery”, we have to conclude that just as Jesus did for the bride He so loved, husbands bear the sins of their wives. But that’s not really so difficult to comprehend when we accept and fully understand that husbands and wives are truly one in flesh and spirit (Malachi 2:15), and that in the same way an unsaved spouse is “sanctified” by marriage to a saved spouse (1 Corinthians 7:14), even a righteous husband can be made sin for his wife just as Jesus was made sin for us; God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

So the ONLY way to possibly understand this mystery is to consider it through the filter of understanding and by acknowledging that a husband’s biblical role in marriage is meant to replicate and portray the love of Jesus christ and His role and relationship with us as our Savior. Therefore, as Christian husbands standing for marriage restoration, it is vitally important to understand that God created and intended marriage to replicate and portray His love and everlasting faithfulness to us, because that’s the only way to truly grasp how to deal with every issue now threatening to destroy your marriage and family and reveal the glory of the Lord as HE brings about the full and complete restoration of your marriage. And while there are SO many passages of scripture in the Bible that powerfully illustrate how God uses marriage as a representation and illustration of His relationship with us, including the book of Hosea, Jeremiah 3 is one that is often overlooked. Yet it provides such wonderful insight and instruction for how husbands should unconditionally love even their adulterous wives, along with a reminder that our own disobedience and unfaithfulness to God is no less sinful and defiling than the sin of adultery. And for those men standing for marriage restoration who mistakenly believe that other than relying on the supernatural power of prayer, fasting, praise, humility and DEMONSTRATING UNCONDITIONAL LOVE to your wives, there is ANYTHING YOU CAN DO to change or restore deceived, rebellious, disobedient or adulterous wives, please read Hosea 2 (NLT) and realize that it is God and God alone who can and will do the work of correction and restoration in your wife’s heart and circumstances and that others are watching and will be influenced by your willingness (or lack thereof) to trust and obey the Lord. So learn to love your wives as Christ loves the church, and allow God to do the work of restoration He wants to do in you, and then you can rest in the assurance that HE will do the same in the hearts, minds, spirits and circumstances of your wives. May the Lord be lifted up and glorified in all of your marriages and lives today and forever, as you grow in understanding, wisdom and capacity to love your wives as God loves us!

Since the Biblical role of husbands as “head” of their wives and households is often misunderstood and not well taught in many churches, resulting in exactly what is happening in so many marriages today; it is important to learn what the Bible actually teaches about a husband’s “role” and HOW to be the husbands men are called by God to be. And since these are issues that men standing for marriage restoration often struggle with, it’s important to delve into what the Word teaches in depth, because if we all keep our focus on what God wants to teach US and what He wants to do in OUR hearts and lives, He will take care of everything else. That’s what true humility is as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, because we must be willing to LEARN AND DO what the Word teaches if we want and expect to get God’s results.

By reading and thoughtfully considering 1 Peter 3:7-18, it’s clear that God expects husbands to recognize their wives as weaker vessels and to live with them in consideration of that; yet to treat them as EQUAL PARTNERS and JOINT HEIRS in terms of our relationship and inheritance in Christ. And we’re ALL called to PURSUE peace instead of taking offense or retaliating when mistreated by our spouses; when we submit to God, HE makes all of the wrongs right.

Since Ephesians 5:20-21 (AMP) says At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)., the Bible can’t truly mean that men are to control and rule over their wives without GENUINE CONSIDERATION AND TRUE UNDERSTANDING of them and their needs; just as Christ always does for us. So every time we read what the Lord has done and does for us, that’s what the Bible instructs husbands to do for their wives. And when men learn to be to their wives what Jesus is to all of us, AND TO LOVE AS JESUS LOVES, they WILL have the wives and marriages of their hearts’ desire! And studying Ephesians 5:23-32 (AMP) really illustrates how God intended for that to work and why it’s so important as follows:
23 For the husband is head of the wife as Christ is the Head of the church, Himself the Savior of [His] body.
So contrary to what most men seem to think (and what many churches teach), husbands are the heads of their wives IN A SACRIFICIAL ROLE and NOT as rulers or “lords” because Jesus became our SAVIOR when HE died for the remission of our sins on the cross. And when we read the account of how sin entered into the world, it’s very important and enlightening to understand that even though Eve was the one who was deceived and sinned, the sin was attributed to Adam (Genesis 3, 1 Timothy 2:13-14, Romans 5:11-13). So in the same way that our sin was accounted to Christ, who bore the penalty and shed HIS blood for it on the cross (even though HE was sinless); it appears that husbands are in fact held accountable for their wives’ sin. That should certainly give husbands a totally different perspective of God’s point of view concerning the sin of their wives, and certainly illustrates the need for demonstrating even more grace, mercy, forgiveness and much less judgment and condemnation; all of which God’s Word repeatedly declares will be given to us in the same way we give to others.

24 As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands.
How unfortunate it is that this is usually interpreted to mean that men are to rule over their wives and exercise control over them; yet that is not the relationship any of us have with Jesus Christ. We submit to Christ because of His amazing love, grace and mercy, which He so generously and consistently pours out on us. And even as Jesus Himself states repeatedly throughout the books of John; we gladly and willingly obey Him BECAUSE we love Him; and NOT because He enforces His will and way upon us. And He doesn’t get angry when we do disobey Him and don’t trust or believe in Him; instead He is grieved and weeps because He knows the consequences brought into our lives when we don’t obey God! What a difference it would make in so many marriages and relationships if husbands reacted with genuine compassion and sorrow instead of anger, self-righteousness and condemnation when their wives fall short of the glory of God. And it certainly is easier for women to submit to their husbands in obedience to God when they feel loved!

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, 27 That He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy and faultless].
WOW! That’s powerful! Again, we see the husband’s role as one of great sacrifice, because he gives HIMSELF up for his wife; just as Christ did for all of us. So, JUST AS we are through CHRIST, a wife is sanctified through her husband’s righteousness and she is then found “in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy and faultless].” Obviously, none of us are “without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that we might be holy and faultless].” Yet, because of the love of God and the sacrifice Jesus made for us, that IS HOW GOD SEES US! And as difficult as this might be to understand and comprehend, it is actually confirmed in 1 Corinthians 7:14 (AMP), which says For the unbelieving husband is set apart (separated, withdrawn from heathen contamination, and affiliated with the Christian people) by union with his consecrated (set-apart) wife, and the unbelieving wife is set apart and separated through union with her consecrated husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean (unblessed heathen, outside the Christian covenant), but as it is they are prepared for God [pure and clean]. As I contemplated what it means to “cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word”, I knew it couldn’t mean condemning, preaching and pointing out her sins; that would be so contrary to everything else the Bible teaches. But if a husband walks in the power and promise of the Word, demonstrating UNCONDITIONAL AND SACRIFICIAL Love, thereby humbling HIMSELF under the mighty hand of God, GOD WILL lift him up in due time (1 peter 5:5-6) and CLEANSE HIS WIFE; supernaturally doing whatever it takes to change her heart and life and bring her into right relationship with Him and with her husband. So husbands serious about “washing their wives with the Word” must stop focusing on every fault and shortcoming and start practicing what the Word teaches about HOW to LOVE AS CHRIST LOVES (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Proverbs 10:12, Proverbs 17:9, 1 Peter 4:8)!

28 Even so husbands should love their wives as [being in a sense] their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. 29 For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and carefully protects and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, 30Because we are members (parts) of His body.
So in addition to learning to LOVE AS CHRIST LOVES, husbands are instructed to nourish and carefully protect and cherish their wives, as Christ does the church. But many wives feel far from nourished, carefully protected and cherished, and that’s because their husbands do not love them as their own bodies; much less as Christ loves THEM. When husbands are verbally, emotionally or physically abusive, critical, inattentive and self-righteous, their wives feel far from protected, nurtured and cherished and they withdraw and become distant, and easy prey for someone else who appears to cherish and appreciate them. These are very important instructions for Husbands, because when women truly feel safe and secure (and that PARTICULARLY includes emotionally secure), well cared for and cherished, they will happily submit to their husbands; just as we happily submit to the Lord!

31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.
And this is a REAL important instruction as well, because husbands can not have divided loyalties between their wives and their other family members; a man’s wife should ALWAYS be his first priority next to his walk and relationship with the Lord. And when conflict arises, he MUST support his wife. The amazing thing is that when she feels confident and secure in her husband’s love and support, a wife will often change her position on the very issues that caused the conflict in the first place; again demonstrating how the supernatural power of God works when we humble ourselves under His mighty hand by honoring His Word and DOING what it teaches!

32 This mystery is very great, but I speak concerning [the relation of] Christ and the church.
To truly understand a husband’s role in marriage, it’s so important to always relate the marriage relationship to the relationship Jesus has with us as His church; His bride! And when husbands standing for marriage restoration pattern their attitudes and interaction with their wives after the example set by Jesus, He will indeed be glorified because their marriages will be fully and completely restored!

So, husbands, as you strive to be the husband God calls you to be, seriously study the Word to learn and better understand His character and nature and just how He loves and blesses you, and then you will know how He wants you to love and bless your wives. And when you learn to love your wives as Christ loves the church, you will most definitely be blessed and encouraged, because your wives’ hearts will turn back to you and you will experience the miracle of restoration that only God makes possible!

Note from Linda: The following was posted on the private website in response to yesterday’s Seeds Of Faith Post, and since it’s another important message for everyone standing for marriage resttoration, I appreciate the FAM member’s permission to share her testimony here. The truth is that we often sacrifice our happiness for the sake of being proven right; never realizing just how high a price we will pay. So I hope and pray that everyone will read and understand the importance of this testimony and be blessed and encouraged.

*****
I just read Lisa’s post, and I can really relate to having to be right all of the time. Linda has asked me to share a part of my testimony with you all, so here it is.

Several years ago, my husband and I had family, including my parents, and friends over for July 4th. SNO (spouse name omitted) and I lived away from our family for the first eight years of our marriage, so it was nice to have them over for a holiday. My father and I have a very strained relationship due to things that happened while I was growing up, and I had shared a lot of the details with my husband. Both SNO and my father have very strong opinions, so at times they clashed as well. Anyway, they had an argument outside while my parents were leaving that was very ugly. I wasn’t out there to witness it, but my mom called me and told me about it after they got home. Rather than taking my husband’s side, I immediately got angry with him for treating my father the way he did. He even said to me that I knew how my father was, and that I was not married to my dad but to him and that I expected more from him than from my dad. But we did not agree on an amicable resolution to the problem, which I deemed as being huge. At that time, my kids were the only small grandkids my parents had, and they loved them dearly, and I didn’t want them to stop visiting us because of a rift between my husband and my dad.

Anyway, I decided to go to a counselor at our church to discuss this problem. But I must admit that my sole intent for going was for the counselor to tell SNO how wrong he was for disrespecting my dad. And I didn’t tell him that I was going to a counselor. I explained the problem to her, and she asked me if I would divorce him if he didn’t apologize to my dad. I was taken aback, because the thought never crossed my mind. I told her that I hadn’t thought about it and left it at that. Well, she had a separate session with him and she must have told him that I SAID that I would divorce him if he didn’t apologize to him. But when we had one joint session, that comment never came up. He reluctantly decided to apologize to my dad, for the sake of our marriage, but it really took a toll on him because I didn’t respect, honor, or revere him as the bible said I should. He mentioned to me several months later that she told him that, and I denied ever saying it, but to this day he doesn’t believe me.

Linda particularly asked me to share this for those of you who are considering seeking out “Christian” counselors. If I had known what the bible teaches about a wife’s role, I never would have gone to her. And I should have gracefully exited her office after she made that comment. Linda also wanted me to share this and how I let my “pride” get in the way of praying for my husband and our situation. I was very angry with him, and wanted him to know it. I wanted to be “right” and for someone to tell him he was wrong. It happened, he apologized, and now I’m divorced. I wanted to be right, rather than happy, as Linda says.

I did not follow any of the scriptures on what a wife should be or do. But we all know that what the enemy meant for evil, God can turn around for good. So I hope that this post will help someone realize the dangers of “pride” and “being right.” Our husbands are the heads of our house, and the bible says that we should respect and honor them, and win them over without a word. Let us all learn to practice God’s ways, and we will get God’s results.

(Note from Linda: The following message and testimony was shared on the private website yesterday and I asked Lisa’s permission to share it here because it is such a significant message and powerful testimony for everyone standing for marriage restoration; especially as we have all been blessed to witness the Lord’s miracle of restoration so powerfully at work in Lisa’s marriage and family! So read it and learn from it and you will indeed be blessed and encouraged; because when you DO as God’s Word says, the Lord WILL most certainly move on your behalf just as He has for her! And not only has her relationship with her husband been restored, but she just started the job of her dreams last week too!)

*****
As we stand on the power and promise of GOD’S Word for the full and complete restoration of our marriages and families, it is vitally important for us to fully understand and implement the instructions given in Colossians 3:23-25, which says:
22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.
(And check out the Amplified Bible version as well.)

So no matter what the situation with our spouse, we should never say or think “He/She is just using me.” Instead we must KNOW and understand that GOD IS USING US! Nd we must come to realize that since we are the ones called to “stand” for our marriages, God requires complete obedience from us and that we have to obey His word no matter how we feel or what we think. And we need to understand that we are also the very vessel God will use and work through to bring restoration to our marriages. Therefore our assignment is to submit to God! And when submitting to God, we surrender and rely completely on HIS WORD (The Holy Bible) ONLY, and not on our thoughts; not on our emotions; not on worldly opinions or worldly advice; not on our education and not on our upbringing (traditions, sayings, social status, etc.).

With this in mind; there will undoubtedly be times when our spouses ask or expect something of us in certain situations that we feel is going above and beyond the “call of duty” or that requires us to give up our so-called “rights or entitlements.” Unfortunately, that’s when thoughts usually come to our minds like; “It’s just not fair.” or “He/She is just using me.”

Yet Colossians 3:23 states “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, NOT FOR MEN (in our case, our spouses). And, if by chance our spouses have wrong motives, we have God’s assurance in verse 25 that “Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.” So they are not getting away with anything, even though it may SEEM otherwise to us; we have GOD’S Word on that.

And look at what we get when we do things GOD’S way; verse 24 says “since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” And our earthly reward is a restored marriage! Praise God!

So we need to read and study the entire chapter of Colossians 3, and pull out every precious nugget of wisdom and godly counsel and PUT IT INTO PRACTICE! And we must ALWAYS check our motives for doing everything we say and do! Amen.

It was my failure to understand this and the resulting damage to my own marriage that taught me how important this is as we stand for the restoration of our marriages and families. After my husband and I separated, he would call and ask me to pay his bills online, or constantly ask me to do this or that for him. And after a while, I got tired of it and when he called, I would tell him, “The only reason you’re calling me is because you want me to do something for you.” And he would reply “Because I need your help.” So after a while, I just stopped answering his phone calls because I kept repeatedly thinking and saying “He is only using me!” In fact, one time I even called him and said “Don’t ask me to help you or your children with anything else, I don’t want to be bothered anymore.” He immediately came over to the house and asked what I was going through and if I was alright. I told him yes, but that I thought he was just using me and I was tired of it. After that, he stopped calling me and whenever I called him from that point on, he wouldn’t answer my calls and would call me back whenever he decided to. And when he did talk to me, he was very cold hearted toward me and things just got worse from there; and not just in my relationship with my husband.

Back in March of this year, I lost my job because even though I was totally in the right in a certain situation; the way I handle it was wrong. Again, I FELT like I was being used in that situation just because my boss felt he could. But that’s when I was forced to take a long hard look at ME and MY WAYS!

One of the areas I had to deal with was my marriage and once I decided to stand for my marriage, I had to allow God to change how I thought, felt, spoke and saw every situation in my life involving my husband, his children, my children and people in general. Everything about me had to change or nothing would improve. God had to literally bring me to nothing; that’s how stubborn and prideful I was and my husband could not stand that about me. After finally submitting to God and allowing him to change me and my outlook according to the word of God, I can truly say “To God be the Glory for the GREAT things He has done!”

So the question is “Do we REALLY trust God?” Let’s look at what the holy women of 1 Peter 3:5-6(AMP) did; For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who TRUSTED GOD also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands. As Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord whose daughters you are if you DO GOOD and are NOT AFRAID with any terror.

It’s so important to realize that when we pray and petition God for something, how we respond in the very situation we are praying about actually determines the answer we get. We have to remember that God is ONLY obligated to HIS WORD and nothing else! So we have to make sure that our hearts are pure before God and that they are full of love, because the greatest Gift is Love.

1 Corinthians 3: 4-8 (AMP) – Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].

So the next time we find ourselves in any scenario involving our spouses that causes us to feel as though we are being taken advantage of or taken for granted; instead of thinking or saying my spouse is using me; say “GOD is using me.” And our whole outlook on the matter will change and the ultimate outcome will be more restored marriages! WE MUST GIRD UP OUR LOINS WITH TRUTH!!!

My prayer is that our hearts will be open and receptive to receive what God is imparting to all of us! I love you all very much and know that I am praying for everyone.

I had a totally different post planned for today and for FAM Chat tonight, but as the result of a conversation I had with someone a couple of nights ago and a wonderful praise testimony posted by one of the FAM Fellowship members this morning, I decided to actually do a Bible study on submission. And since there’s SO much that could be written as a result, I’m not really going to do much more today than share some of the passages of scripture that best illustrate what the Lord has put on my heart, and what I know is so important for everyone standing for marriage restoration to understand and put into practice. But I will address some of that in later Seeds Of Faith posts.

When we read and study God’s Word, there’s no doubt that God is very serious about respecting and honoring those He sets up in positions of authority, and the way He is glorified when we do and the amazing blessings we receive when we HUMBLE ourselves and submit to the authorities in our lives and to God. And that’s very particularly the case in terms of God’s command and expectation for women to submit themselves to the authority and headship of their husbands. Whether or not we understand it, or even if we don’t like it; that is what the Bible makes VERY clear and we all ignore or disregard it at our own peril but we won’t be the only ones who have to live with the consequences of that kind of disobedience; which by the way is no less sinful or unacceptable than the eyes of God than adultery or any other kind of sin our spouses might be involved in.

The following passages of scripture make it very clear that God sets up those in authority over us in all areas of our lives and that He expects us to submit to their authority in submission and obedience to Him AND trust the consequences to Him. And THEY will give an account to HIM for what they do as they exercise the authority He has given them. And it’s not possible to do a thorough study of what God teaches on this topic without realizing that despite popular opinion; God expects us to be obedient and submissive EVEN to the UNGODLY people in positions of authority in our lives! So read the following verses with that in mind:

Romans 13:1-3 – Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.

Hebrews 13:17 – Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

1 Peter 2:11-15 – Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.

1 Peter 2:17-19 – Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God.

When we find ourselves in the midst of strife and conflict, our attitudes are not pleasing to God and we are NOT submitting to Him and what His Word teaches; and much of the time, probably not acting in submission to someone else in a position of authority in our lives. When we trust God and HUMBLE ourselves under His mighty hand, we don’t have to have our own way or “prove” that we’re right and that someone else is wrong; that’s pride. And as Proverbs 13:10 (NKJV) states By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom. And that’s confirmed in the following passage of scripture.

James 4:1-12 – What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping
it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

While submission and humility is ALWAYS contrary to the dictates of our flesh, there’s no doubt that it’s SO much easier when we understand the blessings it brings our way and the supernatural power it releases into our lives and circumstances. I’ve seen the Lord move in many amazing ways; but little compares to the supernatural power I’ve seen released through submission to the power and promise of God’s Word. And it NEVER ceases to amaze me how QUICKLY the Lord acts when we do humble ourselves before Him and others. I don’t have space to include them here, but there are a LOT of verses that PROMISE that the LORD will exalt, honor, bless, glorify and lift us up when we humble ourselves under His mighty hand and submit to Him and those in authority in our lives as He commands us to do. But the following verses are just a few to keep in mind as we consider that, especially the passage from Psalm 81, which promises that God will act QUICKLY on our behalf when we turn to doing things His way.

Genesis 49:14-15 – “Issachar is a rawboned donkey lying down between two saddlebags. When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor. “

2 Chronicles 30:7-9 – Do not be like your fathers and brothers, who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. Do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were; submit to the LORD. Come to the sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. If you return to the LORD, then your brothers and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will come back to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”

Hebrews 12:9 – Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!

Job 22:21-22 – “Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart.

Psalm 81:10-16 – I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. “But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. “If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

We need to realize that instead of giving up power (usually power we don’t even have, no matter how much we might think otherwise), the totally opposite is true, because when we humble ourselves before the Lord and DO as His Word instructs, including submission to those in authority over us, we in fact access the supernatural power of Jesus Christ and our Lord God Almighty and thereby walk in the AUTHORITY of HIS name! And the following verses are just a few to help us understand that and the awesome power and protection we have access to in the name and authority of Jesus Christ!

Luke 10:17-24 – The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

And without a true understanding and knowledge of the Lord, we can’t and won’t submit to His Word, will and way or walk in the power of His Spirit, as the following passages make very clear.

Romans 8:6-8 – The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

Romans 10:2-4 – For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

James 3:17 – But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

So it’s very important for all of us standing on the power and promise of God’s Word for marriage restoration to learn what it means to “submit” according to what His Word teaches. Therefore, the following passages of scripture are some of the most instructive and important for anyone standing for marriage restoration; particularly wives.

Colossians 3:17-19 – And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

1 Peter 3:1-7 – Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Ephesians 5:21-33 – Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church—for we are members of his body.
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.
However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

And if we have any doubt just how important submission is to God, it’s difficult to miss when we read Hebrews 5:7, which says During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. If Jesus, WHO HIMSELF IS GOD, was heard BECAUSE of His submission and reverence, surely we don’t think we can get away with anything less! But WHEN we DO submit to God’s authority (including those HE has put in authority over us), we can expect to see great and mighty things happening in our lives and at what I am personally convinced is likely to be at a greatly accelerated pace, because of God’s awesome promise in 1 Peter 5:5-6, which says Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

And since there’s never a more powerful way to illustrate the way God works and just how faithful He ALWAYS is and ALWAYS WILL BE when we submit in faith and obedience to what His Word teaches, we are blessed to have the following praise testimony (edited to protect the identity of those involved) from a FAM Fellowship member who learned about the power and promise of submission in a very real and personal way last night. So I thank her for permission to share her testimony here and I know everyone reading it will be blessed and encouraged!

*****
Hi everyone,

I know it’s early, but I just had to take this time to give God the glory for what just transpired. Monday was our wedding anniversary, and my husband and I spoke briefly to each other and he said “Happy Anniversary and God bless you.” So I extended the same back to him.

My daughter has been spending just about all summer at his house with his daughter; a miracle in itself, because they were totally opposite when we all lived together, and she did not care for my husband at all about five months before we separated. And now she just adores him and I praise God for that miracle. On Wednesday, she came home briefly and then left to go back to my husband’s house, which is just a few minutes away. I gave her mail to give to my husband and told her to ask him if I could use his truck yesterday since I had to take my car to the mechanic. I did that as I don’t like to intrude. She called later and said that he said yes and for me to call him. I hesitated a while as I was not sure what he wanted since he had already said I could use the truck. But I called and he said that I didn’t have to send a message; to pick up the phone and call him for anything and that it was okay to use the vehicle and “I love you and you can ask me for anything; I am always here for you and you know that. If I needed to ask you something, I would pick up the phone and call you and ask you myself and not send a message through the children.” So I apologized and told him I was sorry and that it would not happen again.

And then yesterday morning, he called on my cell to check on me and ask how it was going with my car and if everything was okay. After I explained what was happening, he asked why I hadn’t come over to his house the night before. The questioned caught me off guard, so I hesitated and then said because I wasn’t invited over. He then said “I need to ask you to come over?” I said “Yes, just ask and I’ll be there.” And then I asked if he wanted me to come over last night and he said yes. So I said I would. We then talked a little bit more and hung up. He called again later and relayed a message from a mutual associate and we joked a little and he let me know that he was home and we said our goodbyes.

My husband and I conversed with one another, watched a little TV and the rest is history! Oh Glory! I told him later that I had not eaten anything and he said I was welcome to anything I wanted and to make myself at home. So I went downstairs and snacked on something and then went to bed. And he stayed close to me throughout the night.

Around 1:30 in the morning, I went downstairs to get something to drink and he asked me to bring him back a soda. The girls were still up and talking in his daughter’s bedroom. When I came back he asked what they were doing and I said they were talking and he just said okay. But around 2:20, they were still up and that bothered me a little as I thought they should have been in bed at that time. I wanted to say something but chose not to since I was at his house and I didn’t want him to think I was trying to run his house. But at 2:30, I couldn’t sleep as the girls were getting a little louder; laughing and singing. So I started to tell them to go to bed, but again didn’t because I was at his house. Then I remembered talking to Linda on Sunday for over two hours and one of the topics we discussed was 1 Peter 3:1-6 and she enlightened me as to what those passages really meant, which truly blessed me and gave me a totally different prospective on the way I am to handle everything concerning my husband. I was truly blessed and couldn’t believe how I was missing the mark. The Lord brought our conversation back to my memory and I decided to put it into practice.

Then I got out of the bed and got down on my knees and spent a little time praising and worshiping God and then I made my prayer and supplication known to Him and asked Him to move by his Spirit and deal with my husband’s heart concerning the girls going to bed as it was way past their bed time. Then I began to thank Him. And as I was getting off of my knees and getting ready to get back in bed, he said “MNO (member name omitted), can you please tell the girls to go to bed; it’s 2:48.” Y’all can imagine how I felt! I wanted to shout right then and there, but contained myself and just said “Okay.” I opened the bedroom door (his daughter’s bedroom is directly across from his) and said “Girls, SNO (spouse name omitted) said it’s time to go to bed…good night.” I then closed the door back and proceeded to go in the bathroom to give God all the glory and my husband said “MNO?” I said yes and he said “Thank you.” I said “you’re welcome.” And then I went into the bathroom and praised God like I had lost my natural mind because he honored me for honoring His word! I then got back in bed but could not sleep for thinking about what God had just done and for thanking Him so very much for what He did. It was then time for SNO to get up and get ready for work as he leaves very early. So we left and he followed me home.

Let me tell you all something; this has tremendously increased my faith in God and allowed me to know that if I hold my peace instead of handling it my way; and DO it His way, He is obligated to fulfill His promise by bringing it to pass. My God, my God, my God!
To GOD be the GLORY for great things he has done! Amen, Amen and Amen.

THANK YOU, LINDA, so very much for all you are doing and for helping us. If it had not been for God using you to speak into my life and correcting me, I can truly say I would not have had this outcome and it was right on time. Know that your labor is truly not in vain. My prayer is that God tremendously blesses you spiritually, financially and physically. Amen!

Note from Linda: Living the abundant, righteous, joy filled and peaceful lives Jesus came to give us would be so easy if we only understood just how great and mighty our God is; not to mention His unfailing love and faithfulness! So read this wonderful message from Lorraine; take it to heart and you will be blessed and encouraged!

*****
“Thou shewest loving kindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name.” Jeremiah 32:18

Often we forget just how great and mighty God is. I wanted to remind you this morning that He is not a weak God. He is mighty and powerful. His power has not diminished with time. He has not gotten old and feeble. He has not changed. He is still able to speak a world into existence. He is still able to part a sea. He is still able to fight battles and win. He is still more powerful than the enemy. He can still bring down giants, walls, quench the fires of furnaces, shout lion’s mouths, send manna from heaven and water out of a rock. He can still feed thousands with a handful. He can still heal the sick, open the eyes of the blind, open the ears of the deaf, straighten limbs, and forgive sins.

How is it that we think that He is any less GOD?! We can’t even comprehend GOD– what that means or who He is. He spoke into nothing and created everything. He holds everything together by the power of His word. He sees the smallest sparrow when it falls. He sees each blade of grass as it withers. He can count the number of grains of sand on the seashores. He calls each star by name. He tells the ocean where to stop so it doesn’t daily flood the earth.

Don’t let what you see, hear or feel; don’t let the mountain you are facing; don’t let the impossibility of the situation you are going through; don’t let those who are negative– lessen the power and might of God. He is powerful and mighty whether you believe He is or not.

Have a great day. He is a great and powerful and mighty— Almighty— God!!!

“Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee. Great in counsel, and mighty in work: ” Jeremiah 32:17,19

“The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power..” Nahum 1:3a

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Ephesians 3:20

“Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.” Psalm 24:8

*****
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell, and available online and sent by email free of charge for the asking from About the Master’s Business Ministry, Inc.
So please feel free to call Lorraine at (601) 833-5278 or E-mail her at mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
And you can visit her on the web at MastersBusiness.org.

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” (Job 1:20-21)

What is the first response we have to our troubles? For some it may be to give into the emotions of the moment, to cry, scream, yell and get mad. For others it might be to shut down all together and go into a state of temporary shock. But would our first response be to worship and praise the name of the Lord? Well, that was Jobs first response when he found out that he had lost all of his property, his children and his servants. I can’t even begin to imagine the turmoil Job felt; the heartache and pain he bore all at once; it would be completely devastating!

Job could have understandably chosen many other things to do and say during that moment, but he chose to worship and praise God! As a matter of fact, during his second test, when his body broke out in boils, his own wife told him to curse God and die. And Job told her that she was speaking like a foolish woman!

So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. (Job 2:7-10)

Praise is a very important tool in winning all of our battles. Just as with Job’s troubles, ours too, come from the spiritual realms.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

We are able to see in vivid detail how Satan wages war on us in the book of Job. We actually get to witness conversations between God and Satan, and we can benefit from watching and taking notes from Job’s reactions to each test. And we also can trust that when we praise the Lord, refuse to curse him for our troubles and continue to worship him; He will give us wisdom and guidance, and He will bless us and RESTORE us so that we will be much better off than before the trials and struggles.

The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. (Job 42:12)

The importance of praise and worship is so vital to our relationship with the Lord, and we miss so much if we do not give Him the praises He so greatly deserves. We know that Lucifer fell because he coveted God’s praises; and make no mistake; Satan still desires to be praised. And when we fail to praise the Lord and start naming our problems, listing our troubles and sinking into a trap of self pity; we are praising Satan. We are in effect glorifying him and saying that he is doing his job so well that we can’t even offer up praises to Almighty God, because he has us so down. It’s not intentional, but that’s what we do; we steal and waste precious time that we could sing of Gods wonders just to cry in despair as Satan works to steal, kill and destroy everything dear to us and the glory that belongs to our Lord and Savior.

When we look at it like that, it’s easy to see why we are to praise God in everything! And when we do, He will bless us. I was actually thinking back to a story I read on this site close to a year ago by Diane. I tried my best to find it, but I couldn’t and because I don’t want the details to get too mixed up, I can only share that I remember Diane writing a post that seemed to read like a PRAISE REPORT about how her daughter’s car was broken into. I remember reading it and feeling “Wow, she is so faithful in her praises that not even that can stop her from praising!” She knew that something good would come from it, but she didn’t know what; nor did she need to know; she just trusted that God had a plan! Well, I did find the second post, which proves that praising God – no matter what – will open up the heavenly realms for God to use those moments to bring glory to our Lord. In the end one of the items stolen, a cell phone, was returned! Diane pointed out that if God can return a cell phone (something the enemy has stolen), He can return our spouses too. He is in control; COMPLETELY! So I encourage you to look back and read the post titled God Returns a Cell Phone by Diane. And remember that this post was written a few weeks after the first one, which described the details of how her daughter’s car was broken into; worded so powerfully with praise that God stepped in!

If we want God to step in and make our situations glorify the Lord, then we have to consistently praise him, worship him, and never blame or curse him for where we are in life. Everything we go through has purpose. Think of how many millions of people have been touched by Job’s story; In fact, the book of Job is said to be the oldest book of the Bible! In that case, Job didn’t have any other written words to rely on; he didn’t get to learn about God’s Word from others, or get to read the Psalms in troublesome times as we do.

We serve a powerful, amazing, loving God; let us never stop lifting His name up! Our whole lives will begin to change dramatically as we just thank him!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)

Are we anxious for our spouses to return home? Are we feeling miserable, worn out, or fearful that God’s timing may never come? Are we listening to the advice of those close to us who tell us to give up on our stand and let the dream go? Just as when Job’s wife told him to curse God and die, let’s continue to praise God! Let’s get excited and start calling those things that are not as though they are, just like Abraham did! Let’s be thankful in everything, content in all circumstances, and expect a miracle! God will get his glory; we just have to give Him room to work! And we as a ministry will move mountains together to end the cycle of divorce for all of our families. We can see so many wonderful things happening among all of us. We are on a roll of restorations, and more are to come; MANY more! FAMM is growing, and we are being blessed as we get to witness some awesome miracles, so stay encouraged and keep praising God with all of your mind, body and soul! May The Name Of The LORD Be Praised!

Nehemiah had to prepare his heart for God’s plan. God had put it in his heart to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls and the city. But he was up against tremendous resistance. Local officials didn’t want the walls rebuilt, and they were determined to stop him. Not only did they try to discourage Nehemiah and his men, they also tried to make them look foolish in the eyes of the people. And they mocked them with belittling statements. (Nehemiah 2:19, 4:3)

God has put it in our hearts to stand for our marriages; the covenant we made with him and our spouses. Perhaps we have been ridiculed, made light of, or even persecuted for our beliefs. We are often told to just move on, your spouse has made up his/her mind and there is nothing that you can do about it. But trust and obey all that God has put on your heart to do, because the opposition isn’t necessarily another person, but something we wrestle with in our own minds as Satan bombards us with seeds of doubt and unbelief. Often when God asks something of us, we face resistance and opposition from the outside and from within. And those obstacles will either make us turn to God and allow Him to increase our faith or make us give up and give in to the enemy and abandon God’s purpose and our stand. But God calls us to obedient faith.

Like Nehemiah, we must realize that if God called us to a task, He will help us accomplish it. And knowing that God is behind our task is the best incentive to move ahead even when facing opposition. So God’s approval is all we need.

The officials were enraged that they couldn’t stop Nehemiah and the restoration progressed. Similarly, anger may come against us from our spouses or others in order to stop or deter us from standing for our marriages. But Nehemiah fasted and prayed until he had the mind of the Lord, and then he boldly stood up to the opposition. He wasn’t ashamed to admit his fear, but he refused to allow fear to keep him from doing what God had called him to do. When we allow fear to rule us, we make fear more powerful than God.

Nehemiah reminded his workers of their calling; of their goal and God’s protection. (Nehemiah 4:10-14) When we are mocked for our faith or criticized for doing what we know is right, we have to refuse to be discouraged. We have to remember God’s promise to be with us and let Him be our encouragement and strength to carry on. He will not ask us to do something we cannot do or He will not complete. And we show God that we are serious when we combine prayer with thought, preparation and effort.

Nehemiah trusted God to accomplish the task. He didn’t pray to get out of the situation; he prayed for strength to meet the challenge and had faith that God would see His promise through. In the same way, we are called to remain steadfast in our stand for our marriages; completely dependent on our God and His Word.

Be blessed; praise and worship God. Glorify Him and stay focused on His will for restoration.

Note from Linda: This is such a timely message from Lorraine, and so important for all of us to put into practice as we stand against all earthly odds for the restoration of our marriages and families! And IF we keep our minds stayed on the goodness of God, we WILL BE blessed and encouraged!

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“I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13

It seems like most of our attention is given to our problems and our conversations usually center around the bad things or trying situations that are happening. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging a problem. But this morning I want to talk about the goodness of the Lord. Do we spend as much– or more—time talking about God’s goodness as we do the problems?

God is good. He is good no matter what is happening. He is good when everything else is bad. He is good in the daytime and in the night time. He is good in the times of rain and sunshine. God is good in times of plenty and times of lack. God is good when all is well and when it’s not. God is good in times of peace and in times of war. God is good in times of sickness and in times of health. God is good everyday, not just at certain times. God is good even when I’m not. God is good when the mountain is before me. God is good when the lions roar. God is good when I am rejected by men. God is good even when the furnace is hot. God is good in the valley. God is good on the mountain. God is good in green pastures. God is good in the wilderness. He is good when I have problems and He is good when I don’t.

Need I say more?? God is good and we need to spend more time meditating on and talking about God’s goodness than we do on the things that are happening around us. That’s part of… “His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Which do you spend more time talking about— your problems or His goodness? If we would do the latter, perhaps some of our problems would not seem as big.

Have a great day. Meditate on the goodness of the Lord today.

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell, and available online and sent by email free of charge for the asking from About the Master’s Business Ministry, Inc.
So please feel free to call Lorraine at (601) 833-5278 or E-mail her at mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
And you can visit her on the web at MastersBusiness.org.

One of the FAM Fellowship members sent the following YouTube marriage restoration testimonies, so I want to share them with everyone else as well. Thanks Cindy! They just prove that we never know HOW God will work, BUT HE DOES, AND HE ALWAYS MAKES THINGS BETTER THAN THEY WERE BEFORE, so be blessed and encouraged!

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Marriage testimony

Testimony – The Last Call (Restored Marriage)

Heidi and Michael O’Brien’s Story

Her Affair Destroyed (and Saved) Their Marriage

One of the greatest, yet most rewarding challenges when standing for marriage restoration, especially when children are involved, is achieving and maintaining the peace described in Philippians 4:6-7, which says Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. And Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV) says You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. So if we’re not filled with peace and interacting with our spouses in peace, we simply don’t trust God. And the ONLY possible reason for NOT trusting God is NOT BELIEVING GOD. And that’s a very dangerous thing for anyone in need of a miracle, because a lack of faith steals, kills and destroys our peace and can keep God from giving us the very miracle we want and need, as seen in Matthew 13:57-58, which says And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. And Matthew 9:28-30 makes it clear that we will receive ACCORDING TO OUR FAITH; it says When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”; and their sight was restored. …

Since there’s no more powerful or effective way to make this point than sharing God’s Word about it, I hope the following verses will help us all understand how important it is to focus on our walk and relationship with the Lord as we stand for the restoration of our marriages and families, and that we will experience perfect peace ONLY by keeping our minds stayed on the Lord, as we trust Him and live in obedience to His word.

Romans 8:5-7 – Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

1 Corinthians 15:2 – By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

Romans 1:28 – Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

Matthew 16:23 – Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

Romans 12:2 – Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Matthew 22:37-38 – Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.

Jeremiah 31:33 – “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

Colossians 3:1-2 – 1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

James 1:5-8 – If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

Philippians 4:8 – Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Romans 5:1-2 – Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Job 22:21 – “Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.

2 Peter 1:2-3 – Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Romans 14:17-18 – 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.

Romans 16:20 – The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Acts 10:36 – You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

Philippians 4:9 – Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

1 Peter 1:1-2 – Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Psalm 85:8 – I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints— but let them not return to folly.

Romans 15:13 – May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

So when we fail to walk in the grace, righteousness, peace, and joy of the Lord, we need to examine our hearts, because these verses make it very clear that when we’re in right relationship with the Lord, when we have our minds stayed on Him, and when we put our faith and trust in Him, and obey His word, our faith will not be in vain and we will be blessed and encouraged beyond belief because Jesus ALWAYS keeps us in perfect peace!