Those of you who know me best, know how truly excited I get when the Lord confirms our conversations and topics of discussion on the site, which He is always SO faithful to do. Well, He just did it again this morning with a very powerful and instructive message for all of us from Dr. Charles Stanley, Are You Limiting God’s Blessings?! So I STRONGLY encourage everyone standing for marriage restoration to listen to this important message, because it really does sum up and confirm so much of what FAMM teaches and promotes. I can’t imagine anyone listening to it without getting something very significant from it, and it really does address and confirm many of the questions in conversations and communications I’ve had with men and women this past week. It’s always a blessing when someone I respect and admire as much as Charles Stanley teaches the same principles FAMM relies on so heavily, and I know it will serve as encouraging confirmation for many of you I talked to this past week, especially those of you in the midst of making some very important decisions. But NEVER doubt God’s faithfulness and willingness to bless us when we DO things according to what His Word teaches! And for those hung up on “free will”…just remember that God said we could choose; BUT the choices are ONLY life and prosperity OR death and adversity! And somehow people have taken that to mean what it does not mean, because there are NO OTHER CHOICES, and GOD HAS THE POWER TO MAKE US CHOOSE TO DO THINGS HIS WAY, which most of us have already learned the hard way! Since the misguided concept of “free will” is usually taken out of context from Deuteronomy 30, it’s a good idea to read that in context. And here’s a link to Psalm 81, which Dr. Stanley uses as the text for this wonderful message.

And if you can’t listen to the above message this week, you can access it later in the Archives. But DO listen and take notes, because you WILL BE blessed and encouraged!

Our Dear Heavenly Father,

We come boldly before Your throne with praise and thanksgiving on our lips and in our hearts as we approach this Father’s Day. We know this is often a very special time for many families, Lord, and even more so for those that the devil has tried to put asunder with separation or divorce. But we know that You HATE divorce and that You SAID that what You have put together, LET NO MAN PUT ASUNDER! So we claim Your Word and stand on its power and promise as we ask for a mighty move of Your hand this weekend. Clear away the fog and strongholds of confusion, deception and disobedience in the hearts, minds and spirits of those who are not living in right relationship with their covenant spouses. Bring healing and forgiveness, Lord, and mend broken hearts and spirits; bind up the wounds and heal them as only YOU can. Where there is chaos, let there be peace. Where there is strife, let there be peace. Where there is pain, let there be peace. Where there is no hope, let there be peace.

Many who might not otherwise do so will be in churches throughout the world this weekend, Lord, and we ask that You compel even more to go. And we ask for words of boldness to be in the mouths of pastors and preachers all around the world; speak to them by the power of Your Holy Spirit, Lord, and give them the Words that come directly from Your heart and Word. And send those words forth with the power of Your Holy spirit to put asunder any ungodly relationships for any and all hearers, severing all unholy soul ties and adulterous relationships. Speak to Your people, Lord, and to those who are not yet Yours. Let them see their lives through Your eyes and feel the transforming, renewing and restoring power of Your love and goodness. Give them an overwhelming desire to go back to their husbands and wives, Lord, and to be the spouses and parents You have called them to be. We have long sensed that something HUGE is coming, Lord, and You have said that we have not because we ask not, so we are asking for this move of Your power this weekend for the glory of Jesus Christ, our most precious Lord and Savior, and all for HIS glory! And it is in His name and authority that we ask and give thanks. Amen.

I was already working on this post when someone responded to yesterday’s Seeds Of Faith post (Are we Speaking Life OR Death into our Lives and Marriages?) this morning, which told me why God put this on my heart. After reading some posts and responses the past few days, I felt this message forming in my heart. Restoration is a process and we need to continue working at the changes God has made in us. We need to continue to walk in faith everyday, and allow God to continue to mold and make us new. And even after the restoration of our marriages, we cannot go back to the way we were or fail to continue seeking God for everything.

I know that staying involved in FAMM and encouraging others has really helped me. And it is what the Bible tells us to do, because God expects us to help others have the faith to face what we have already gone through and to be a source of support and encouragement to them. 2 Corinthians 1:3 tells us that God is our comfort in all our tribulations that we may be able to comfort others who are in trouble with the same comfort God gave us. So we have been given power through Christ to be an encouragement, comfort and help to others. And I heard a message from Beth Moore about the very same thing today too. She said that God uses us and what we have faced to minister to others facing the same things. Yet far too often, we see people get their marriage restoration and then disappear; they try it on their own only to find out that it is too hard. We need to stay connected in the good times, so that when the hard times come, and they will come, we are stronger because we have seen how God moves in others.

I have had to do my own heart check when I’ve started to focus on myself and realized that the old me was trying to rise up again. (Thanks, Linda, for showing me that.) That’s why we have to walk this out every day. The devil knows my marriage is restored, but he still tries to get me to slip back to the old ways. No way; I am not letting him in.

There is a reason God’s mercy is new every day; He knows that we need it. We are supposed to rejoice with others, so I believe that being involved in FAMM after restoration is very important. I believe that God sent us all here and it was for more than our own marriage restoration. He knew that we would need each other; and He wants us to minister to others and to rejoice with them and understand and proclaim that He is doing something HUGE for us and in marriages everywhere.

We tend to get lazy and relax when things are going good and not continue to rely on GOD for all things and to seek Him as we did. But the devil doesn’t give up, and he continues to come after us with being too busy or looking back and not forward. So we need to ask God to show us anything that is not of Him that has crept into our heart or mind. I know from experience that I need to continue to have a clean heart and to make sure that my attitude is good. When we start to look at our spouse as an idol, God will step in with something and test us. So we need to keep HIM first, make sure to please Him and not man and keep our focus on God. Our restorations are an ongoing process; one that is filled with much joy and even some pain on occasion. So we need to keep praising God and going to Him first. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We have victory because of Him, but we are not done yet. So I believe that we are to minister and encourage others, to stand and pray for others and to be watchful. I personally continue to put on Gods armor, to pray a hedge of protection for our family and for all families. And I believe that we are each called to stand for all marriages; God has a plan and a purpose for us and it is NOT JUST for OUR RESTORATION. Lorraine Ezell’s Coffee Break devotional yesterday spoke of God doing something HUGE, and I believe it is in marriages and families. We have given Satan free reign far too long, and I pray that we take back the ground we have given to him in our homes and give God glory. We are all at different steps in our journey, but I believe we are so much more powerful joined through FAMM, and that together we can do so much more for the Kingdom of God.

Perhaps one of the most challenging kingdom principles for all of us to understand and put into practice as humans, particularly as men and women standing for marriage restoration, is the power of the words we speak. Yet Proverbs 18:21 (AMP) leaves absolutely no doubt that our tongues have the power to bring about either life or death based on WHAT we say! It clearly and simply states that Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].

Yet, sadly, many men and women standing for marriage restoration and greatly in need of a miracle, speak death instead of life into their situations and circumstances, because the words they speak are so TOTALLY contrary to the written instructions and promises found in God’s Word. And since the devil is stalking around just looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8 ), when we do that, we literally give him permission and authority in our lives to steal, Kill and destroy (John 10:10) by the words we speak; and we usually even tell him exactly what it will take to do so!

On the other hand, when we SPEAK the Word of God, we literally dispatch God’s mighty angels to perform His spoken Word in our lives! As Psalm 103:20 (NASB) says, Bless the LORD, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word! So if we want to release the divinely supernatural power of God to work on our behalf and avoid giving the devil power or authority in our lives, our spoken words should ALWAYS be the “voice of His Word,” especially since Psalm 91:11 (NASB) assures us; For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. Make no mistake: Satan has NO power in our lives and circumstances unless we give it to him.

“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)

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.” (Luke 10:18-20)

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4 NASB)

And the way to insure victory when the devil does come against us, is to put the Word of God into practice in our lives just as Jesus instructed (Luke 6:46-49) and demolish every stronghold and argument and pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God by taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ and His Word (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).

And one of the most encouraging passages of scripture as we stand for the restoration of our seemingly dead and hopeless marriages and families that illustrates the awesome power brought to bear in our lives and situations when we speak the Word of God is found in Ezekiel 37. What an awesome example of speaking something right back to life!

After seeing how some fellowship members struggled with understanding the power and importance of our spoken words during FAM Chat last Friday night, in addition to some other posts on the private website, I felt strongly led to write this post, but Diane posted the following without even knowing that I was going to write something on the same topic! And since it’s such a wonderful message, I requested and received her permission to share it here as well, which I greatly appreciate because I know that everyone who reads it and PRACTICES the wisdom of her counsel will be greatly blessed and encouraged!

Our Words by Diane Miller
I have really felt the Holy Spirit speak to me about our words. Jesus died so that we would have good lives; blessings and not living under afflictions or troubles. We are told many times to “fear not” and to “be anxious for nothing;” yet we still fear, doubt and worry.

When we suffer and have pain and difficulties, do we let them show us that we are weak or are we reminded that our God is bigger than ALL of them? The trick is to let the challenges we face remind us that we cannot do this in our own power and strength, but that through Christ we can do all things. God won’t just go halfway when He goes to work on our behalf; He will finish what He started. He will restore, rebuild and make whole. Even when we don’t see anything or feel anything, God is working and He doesn’t need us to do a thing except trust, rely and believe. Even when we don’t know what will happen or what we will face next, we can rest and accept it because we know that when we let go, we fall into the strong and mighty hands of God. I believe it is a choice we make, and the only choice.

When we say things out of our mouths, they go into our thoughts and become our focus. We can take thoughts captive and rebuke the devil, but if we don’t fill that space in our minds with God’s words, then those negative thoughts that are pretensions against the knowledge we have of God’s Word keep sprouting up. Instead of saying “It is hard.” or “I struggle…”- try filling that space with “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” or “I am blessed because God causes me to be blessed.” If we keep speaking out that we struggle, then that is what we focus on and we miss the message God is giving us or seeing how He wants to bless us.

For so long, we have made decisions based on how we feel, which is how we got where we are. So I hope that we can learn to fill our mouths with God’s promise that He will work everything out for our good because we love Him and have been called according to His purpose and not focus on the bad stuff. When the devil comes knocking, give him the boot with a promise from God and he will flee. The more we speak God’s word back to him, the less he comes knocking! So write out scriptures, read them, and get them in your heart so that the next time the devil comes, he hears that you have victory because God causes you to be victorious! Let’s stop helping the devil out and use the power and authority God has given us to stomp on his head; we are “more than conquerors through Christ!” I pray that we fill our thoughts with all of the blessings God has given us and the amazing things He has done and not what we are still waiting for. Let’s lift our eyes up and see the glory of God, His power and strength, and be amazed. He will do what He promised; He does not lie or change His mind. And we will not ever be put to shame for standing on His word and I believe we will never be the same. God sees our heart and He loves us. Be encouraged, Diane

Unfortunately, it appears that it is no longer possible to provide permanent direct links to Dr. Charles Stanley’s TV broadcast messages, but his message, Sustaining Grace, from this past week was very good and a VERY IMPORTANT message for everyone standing for marriage restoration to hear. Even though a new message will replace it at this link this weekend, you can access this powerful message, along with others he is now doing on grace, here in the Archives later, and I STRONGLY encourage everyone to take the time to listen to it. It really does address many of the issues we face as we stand for our marriages, and it also answers many of the questions I hear so often from men and women standing for marriage restoration, especially those thinking they just can’t do it! And I know that anyone listening to this awesome message will be blessed and encouraged…so listen and take notes!

(Note from Linda: The following Coffee Break devotional from Lorraine is a perfect follow-up to today’s Seeds Of Faith post and to yesterday’s Coffee Break devotional. So be blessed and encouraged and KNOW that you can ALWAYS believe and rely on God’s Word!)

*****
“For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.” Psalm 33:4
“All his works are done in truth”. “Thy word is truth”.

What God does He does within the confines of His word. Even God uses His word as a boundary in which He does anything. He doesn’t deviate from it, He doesn’t change it, He doesn’t ignore it, He doesn’t work around the outside edges of it, He doesn’t alter it, but He holds true to even the smallest jot and tittle. God didn’t just give us a command not to add to or take away from His word, but He Himself will not. He doesn’t change His word in “mid stream”. He doesn’t change it when it “looks like” it isn’t working. He doesn’t change it to fit the situation. His word remains the same. It is eternal and forever established and settled.
“Heaven and earth will pass away but His word will remain forever.”

The word truth in this verse is also translated faithfulness, fidelity, steadfast. God’s word is faithful, it is steadfast, it is the truth. We can place our trust and confidence in what God says. We can place our trust in what He does because everything He does is based on the truth of His word.

This is also how we are able to “try the spirits” to know if “the work” is God or not. If it doesn’t line up with His word, if it’s in opposition to His word, if it has no regard for His word, if it doesn’t rightly divide the word, then it isn’t Him. God is faithful to His own word. He is faithful to stick to it and He even swears by it. He will not do anything that conflicts with His word. Therefore, we can know what is and isn’t a work of God, and we can trust what He does– because what He does is founded upon His eternal word that is steadfast and true.

Have a great day. God is faithful to His own word and whatever He does, He does within the confines of His word.

*****
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.

The only way to stand for marriage restoration with peace and confidence is to TRULY BELIEVE and RELY on the awesome assurance we have in Proverbs 21:30, because it says There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD. And IF we believe that, all we have to do is find out what God has to say about marriage and divorce. And even though there is a lot in the Bible about that; just reading Malachi 2, Hosea 2, Matthew 19:1-9, Numbers 23:19, Isaiah 46:10-11 and Isaiah 55:10-11 should be more than enough to reveal how serious God is about the covenant of marriage and that HE WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO UPHOLD OUR MARRIAGES WHEN WE JUST TRUST AND OBEY HIM!

One of the FAM Fellowship members posted the following message and devotional from Dr. James McDonald Monday night, which reinforces the point that NOTHING IS EVER GOING TO STOP GOD, so I want to share it here as well. If we can’t get anything else about God, if we get this, we will without a doubt be very blessed and encouraged as we stand on the power and promise of HIS WORD for the full and complete restoration of our marriages and families! So get this and be blessed and encouraged! GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED AND NOTHING WILL EVER STOP OR CHANGE THE POWER OF HIS WORD!!!

*****
UNSTOPPABLE. Just what does that mean to us? Once we allow someone to put the brakes on our stand for marriage restoration, we are telling God that we don’t believe Him and showing alack of faith. And it is very important in our walk with God that we understand His almighty power. When we read, understand and exalt the Word of God, we should know without a doubt that He is truly UNSTOPPABLE, and that His will WILL be done on earth as it is in Heaven! He created it all. And God created our marriages, and the covenant we made with our marriage vows includes God. And that covenant can NOT be stopped or dissolved by any human means–legal or otherwise. So don’t put limits on our unstoppable God. He can move and will move mountains to achieve His will and plans. Your mountain of separation and/or divorce is in the hands of God and He will not be stopped by anyone. Satan is the one who has been stopped, so don’t let him take away your hope and turn it in to fear or despair. God is unstoppable, so I want to share the following devotional, which doesn’t necessarily pertain to standing for marriage restoration, but it does tell us that His Word will not be compromised or halted by anyone or anything if we remain obedient and fulfill His assignments.

An Unstoppable Force for God by Dr. James McDonald.

(Note from Linda: To the young lady who called yesterday with questions concerning counsel received from someone greatly admired as a spiritual leader…since I have no way to contact you, I want to share the following Coffee Break devotional with you to show you how faithful God was to confirm our conversation! Honey, He wants you to know EXACTLY what to do, and just as we discussed; no matter what ANYONE tells you—if it doesn’t line up with the Word of God, it does NOT come from God. And your ability to hear from God is just as good and trustworthy as theirs, mine or anyone else’s; so learn to verify and rely on what you receive through your own spirit, which you can ALWAYS confirm by the written Word of God; because that will NEVER conflict with what He speaks to us through the power of the Holy spirit. And since God is not the author of confusion, and we know that the devil ONLY comes to kill, steal and destroy; if we don’t have peace about a matter, we need to consider if it really comes from the Lord. So perhaps this is the sign we talked about as well, and I hope it blesses and encourages you! Don’t forget that God loves you and HIS plans for you are for good!)

*****
“For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.” Psalm 33:4

Do you ever wonder exactly what is the “right thing” to do? One person says this is the right thing, another says that something else is the right thing to do. If you listen to people’s opinions or the voice of society you will hear conflicting definitions of what is and isn’t the right thing to do. The world will tell you that if you benefit from it- it’s the right thing to do. One group will tell you that if it feels good then do it. Another believes that if you aren’t hurting anyone then it doesn’t matter what you do. Then others will tell you that going with the “flow” is always the right thing to do. Then you have those who are of the opinion that if the majority is doing it then it’s the right thing to do. If you really want to know what is the right thing to do– go to God’s word. His word is “right” and will point you in the right direction and tell you what is the right thing to do.

When the three Hebrews were commanded to bow before the king’s idol, they had to know what was the right thing to do– bow or not. The king said the right thing to do was bow if they wanted to save their lives. The people said to bow in order not to be labeled as a “trouble maker”. The situation said to bow because everyone else was. But God’s word said not to worship any image- not to bow. We know from the story that they did the “right thing”. Did they do the right thing because they listened to the king, the people or the situation? No, they did the right thing because they listened to the word of God.

Every day we are faced with decisions- decisions to do either the right thing or wrong thing. Many will try to tell you what the right thing to do is- people will tell you, the situation will tell you, the devil will tell you, your own flesh will tell you, God’s word will tell you. Who you listen to will determine whether it is the right thing or not. If you get your council from God’s word it will always tell you the right thing to do.

Have a great day. How do I know whether it’s the right thing to do or not? If I go to God’s word it will tell me.

*****
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.

(Note from Linda: The following testimony was posted on the private site by one of the FAM Fellowship members Friday and it’s such a powerful and important message that I requested permission to share it here and I greatly appreciate MNO (Member Name Omitted) letting me do so. It reminded me of a very important passage of scripture to ALL of us as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, which is Luke 6:27-49; particularly verses 37-42. There’s an awful lot of wisdom and VITALLY IMPORTANT instruction packed in these few verses, and we all will be EXCEEDINGLY blessed and encouraged IF we learn to put it all into PRACTICE as we stand for the restoration of our marriages and families! And reading MNO’s testimony is just a glimpse of how God changes our hearts and attitudes when we do; and changed hearts and attitudes ARE always necessary for true and lasting marriage restoration…starting with OURS! And I can attest to the fact that this is indeed a changed (new and improved) man and husband!)

*****
I want to praise God for my life and everything He does for me. I have had more conversations with my wife, and we have been doing better at communicating. Even more than that, though, I had a very God glorifying day yesterday for no reason at all, other than knowing that He is with me. I have been overflowing with God’s love lately, and I was just praising Him yesterday and even stated that I didn’t know how He could bless me more than He already has. And then, out of the blue, I opened my mail and inside was a card that read, “Smile, God loves you,” and it had a gift card in it. There was no name, but there was a return address, so I will thank them via that! And being even more blessed; my neighbor was outside and feeling down, and since she is doing poorly financially, I was blessed to be able to give her the gift card, which I felt in my spirit was suppose to go to her. I have been planting seeds into her life for a long time, so please keep praying for her, as she has also been through a divorce. But I seem unable to convince her that God can handle her problems.

God is so good, and every day is better than the last! I can honestly say that “I LOVE MY LIFE!” In all of my forty years of living on earth, I can actually say that this time in my life is the most rewarding time ever, and that I am truly happy! Anyway, on to my post!

I started my stand for marriage restoration thinking that God needed to save my wife from her sins, and that until He did, she wasn’t very God-like. I felt that God had chosen me and that I was walking the path that He wanted me to walk and that I would be blessed, and she wouldn’t. I thought that her life was just lies, and that Satan was fooling her, and that I was better than all that; so why couldn’t she just see that and turn from her sinful ways. But guess who was being deceived the most? Me! It is true that my wife needs to have a personal relationship with God, but not for me or because of the sins I see and think she has, but for the love He can give her, and the salvation that the Lord has to offer. I thought that I was more Godly than she; but I sin every day too, and there is no sin greater than the other.

We should not cast the first stone, unless we are free from sin, and we are not. We tend to speak of the bad things are spouses are doing, which I am guilty of too; but I never hear of the sins we are still committing. So I think the greatest thing I have learned in the last month or so is the fact that we are too self-righteous and judgmental, even when we don’t mean to be. The only one who can judge us is God. And if we are to be reconciled to our spouses, we need to love them whether they are clean or unclean; after all, doesn’t God love us that way? And none of us are clean without the blood Jesus gave for us on the cross. We are cleansed now, but I still need to be forgiven every day, and in order for us to be more like Jesus, we need to accept and forgive everyone in our lives every day. I’m not sure if this makes sense, and it may not be coming out the way I want it to, but I just want to say that we are not better than anyone else; the only difference between us and our spouses, is Jesus…period. He got our attention, and He will get theirs! So be thankful that He loves us all the same!

Today is the day!!!

I want to share this powerful testimony for the praise, honor and glory of our ALMIGHTY God, with the hope that the next time you’re tempted to think that your spouse can run away or turn his or her back on God, you will remember that He will follow them wherever they go and He will make certain they hear him! So watch this video, and be blessed and encouraged!

One of the saddest things time and experience in marriage restoration ministry continue to reveal is that one of the greatest obstacles to marriage restoration is without a doubt the inability or unwillingness to forgive; because the men and women who struggle and suffer the most are those who find it so difficult to let go of the terrible sense of betrayal, and their pain and anger long enough to experience the healing miracle of restoration God ALWAYS wants to work in our hearts and in our marriages and families. I sure wish I understood or knew how to explain what makes it SO difficult for some of us to let go of the negative emotions and energy, and release all of the pain and disappointment to our loving Father in heaven, who has so much more to replace it with if we’d just allow Him to. But that’s just something very unique to each person, and why there is no simple answer.

Yet, no matter how difficult or challenging the act of forgiveness may seem, there’s NO doubt about how important it is when it comes to restoration; both in terms of our relationship with God and with others, especially when it involves someone who has hurt us so deeply. One of the passages of scripture many men and women standing for marriage restoration really struggle with when it comes to forgiveness and judging others is Luke 6:27-42, which says:
“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
He also told them this parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Ouch! That really nails us, because it is so difficult in our flesh to do; yet it is a VITALLY important passage of scripture for ALL Christians to REALLY understand, but most especially those of us standing for the restoration of our marriages. And it’s a passage ALL of us who find it so difficult to stop judging, criticizing and complaining about the behavior of our spouses need to read every day; maybe even several times a day, because when the Bible tells us to acknowledge God in all our ways or to commit ourselves to HIS way, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IT MEANS, whether we like it or not! And if we want the blessings, protection and provision of God as we stand for our marriages and to experience His awesome promise of restoration, we had better get serious about learning what it means to walk in the grace and power of His spirit so we can CONSISTENTLY walk out passages like this in our daily lives, because when we do, WE WILL eventually SEE THE RESTORATION OF OUR MARRIAGES! Otherwise, God would be a liar and make a mockery of His word, and we know that’s not true and that He wouldn’t let that happen!

I often talk to men and women struggling with issues of unforgiveness, who wonder why they see God answering the prayers of others, and why they don’t see Him working in their lives and situations. And I can almost always use something out of the above passage from Luke in response to their questions, because as it almost always does, it comes back to our inability to let go, issues of unforgiveness and our natural tendency to judge our spouses; expecting them to act in accordance with OUR expectations, standards and values, and the resulting and inevitable disappointment and frustration when they don’t.. Many years ago, an older and wiser woman once told me that I shouldn’t expect people to treat me the same way I’d treat them, because as long as I continued to do that, I was just setting myself up for disappointment. Well, she was right, and one of the important things we have to realize as we stand for the restoration of our marriages is that we can’t place any expectations on our husbands or wives, because ALL of our hope and expectation MUST be in the Lord and HIS ability to make the changes we and He desire in our mates! We CAN NOT convince or convict them of the sin in their life or the error of their way. But the Lord can and that’s where our prayers come in! But we also have to understand that harboring unforgiveness in our hearts toward our mates or anyone else, no matter what they are doing or not doing, is sin, and ANY kind of sin separates us from God, and He can not be in fellowship with us when we have unconfessed and unrepented sin in our lives. And repentance means acknowledging and confessing our sin, asking God AND our mates to forgive us, and then forsaking that sin; “…go and sin no more!”

So we can’t afford NOT to forgive our husbands or wives as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, because we MUST rely on our prayers to move the Holy Spirit to convict our spouses of the sin in their lives to bring about the desired changes. But God can not hear or answer our prayers when we harbor unforgiveness of any kind in our hearts. So this is a VERY important message for all Christians to understand, especially when we’re asking God for the miracle of marriage restoration. So take the time to seriously read and study the above passage of scripture from Luke, because when we learn to walk that out in our lives, we will truly begin to experience the peace and joy we long for! But no amount of prayer and fasting will do us any good if we have unforgiveness in our hearts, because it separates us from God, which often explains why so many men and women don’t feel the Lord’s presence in their lives the same way they used to. So the following verses are a few more about forgiveness that we all need to understand and heed as we stand for the restoration of our marriages:

Matthew 6:12 – Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Matthew 6:14-15 – For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 18:21-22 – Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Mark 11:25 – And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Colossians 3:13 – Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Luke 7:47 – Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

Romans 4:7 – “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

2 Corinthians 2:7 – Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

Hebrews 10:18 – And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 2:12 – I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.

And if we still have any doubt how serious the Lord is about forgiveness and how seriously He takes it when we fail to forgive others as He has forgiven us, just read Matthew 18:23:35!

The good news is that we can avoid unforgiveness as an obstacle to marriage restoration by repenting and dealing with the unforgiveness in our own hearts. And then we will experience the peace, joy and righteousness of the Holy spirit and release God’s supernatural power to radically change our hearts and circumstances and to give us so much more than we deserve according to the seeds we’ve sown! So read Isaiah 55 and be blessed and encouraged as you turn from unforgiveness and everything displeasing to God and turn to the LORD for mercy and are freely pardoned…in the same way you show mercy and freely pardon your spouse!

We know there’s no point trying to understand everything God commands and expects us to do, because His thoughts and ways are so much higher and different than ours; just like Isaiah 55:8-9 says: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. So when we struggle to fully understand and make sense of God’s ways, instead of getting frustrated and discouraged because we can’t, we have to remember thatProverbs 3:5-6 tells us Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Yet, one of the most difficult things to fully understand as we stand for the restoration of our marriages is God’s instruction in 1 Corinthians 7:15-16, which says But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? But the thought that letting our spouses go and living in peace could ultimately save them and lead to the restoration of our marriages seems like such a paradox that this may be one of the most widely misinterpreted verses in the Bible today. And since the misinterpretation of the word bound or bondage as its used here has already been covered in great detail elsewhere on the site, there’s no point of addressing the fact that most Christian leaders erroneously use that to teach that it means free to get a divorce and remarry again.

But it is important to understand why God asks us to do something that seems so contradictory and goes so much against our very nature. That’s exactly what a paradox is according to Miriam-Webster Online Dictionary as follows:
2a: a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true
b: a self-contradictory statement that at first seems true
c: an argument that apparently derives self-contradictory conclusions by valid deduction from acceptable premises
3: one (as a person, situation, or action) having seemingly contradictory qualities or phases

Since letting go is often the topic of many conversations and the topic for several posts on the private website recently, and it’s so important to understand as we strive to trust and obey the Lord while we stand for the restoration of our marriages, I hope to better explain what it means to let go and live in peace, and that will be the topic of FAM Chat tomorrow night. First, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that when there is a struggle to hold onto someone, both parties involved experience the stress and pressure of the conflict and both are unable to focus on much else, and neither are at peace. So there’s an unavoidable atmosphere of turmoil and conflict as both battle to assert their will and convince or force the other to accept and submit to it. And most of the time, the pressure and frustration get to be more than one of the parties can bear and they end up leaving to get away from it, because they’re just too tired of the battle. And since we are all wired to avoid the things that make us uncomfortable and ill at ease, refusing to truly release our spouses when they want to leave makes it very unlikely that they’ll stay or return. BUT when we stop trying to hold onto them, the stress, turmoil and conflict ends IMMEDIATELY, and just like what happens when a tug-of-war stops, there’s no longer a reason to strain and pull away anymore, and there’s an instant sense of relief, and the natural reaction is to take a deep breath and REST…the ONLY way to be STILL and hear from God. And then there’s time and energy to think about or focus on other things. But not only does that happen for the spouse who wants to be released; it works the same way for the one who was holding on for dear life and it TOTALLY changes the dynamic of our relationship with our spouses when they want to leave and when they have already left! So refusing to release our spouses when they want to leave and NOT LETTING THEM GO actually has the opposite effect of what we so desperately want and desire, which is why God tells us so specifically that we have to let them go. After all, He’s the one who created and wired us, and He obviously knows what He’s talking about! So God has a very practical reason for telling us to let our spouses go, and when we understand that, it’s not really a mystery how doing that enables us and our spouses to live in peace.

However, there’s an even more important principle at work when God asks us to let our spouses go and live in peace, and that’s the supernatural power released when we put our trust and confidence in Him and His Word; which is the true test of our faith. Hebrews 11:6 makes no bones about how important faith is to God, because it says And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. That says that we MUST believe that He WILL reward us when we earnestly seek Him. In other words, that is NOT a matter of choice. And it’s not unreasonable to expect God to test our faith, because James 2:26 says As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. And nothing makes it any clearer just how important faith is to God than the warning found in Hebrews 10:38, because it says But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” So no matter how much we don’t like hearing it, holding onto our spouses when they want to leave, contrary to the very specific and unquestionable written Word of God, can most definitely hinder and prevent the restoration of our marriages, because it IS shrinking back from living by faith, and does not please God. And even though we think letting go is the test of our faith, I’m not sure that’s the case. I think the real test of our faith is whether or not we can let our spouses go and then LIVE IN PEACE. If we let them go and continue to fret and worry, there’s no faith in that. And in Psalm 37:7, God very specifically tells us not to fret when our spouses succeed in leaving us, because it says Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. And we know God expects us to experience peace when we put our faith and trust in Him, because Isaiah 26:3 says You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. And that just brings us right back to Proverbs 3:5-6 and Psalm 37:5-6, which tell us how important it is to trust God as we stand for the restoration of our marriages.

So then the natural question is HOW to do that, and the answer is in Philippians 4:4-10 and 2 Corinthians 10:4-6, which says The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. And taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ, means making it obedient to the Word of God, and the ONLY way to do that is to start memorizing applicable verses of scripture, and a good place to start is with the Restoration Bible Verses provided on our site. We need to understand that studying, understanding and relying on God’s Word are among the most important things to do as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, because Psalm 119:105 tells us Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. And then Matthew 4:4 says Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” And since there’s NOTHING more encouraging than reading the Bible and having the Holy spirit speak to us straight from God’s Word, once we start making that a habit, we WILL be blessed and encouraged beyond belief, especially when we understand and put our hope and confidence in Isaiah 55:10-11, which says As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. So it’s my most sincere hope and prayer that everyone will get very serious about reading, studying and memorizing Bible verses and be blessed and encouraged beyond belief!

(Note from Linda: I love this reminder from Lorraine that no matter what we’re going through, it isn’t going to last forever! And it also reminded me of a very special lady in my life who used to say “it came to pass” Whenever something difficult or unpleasant came up! Our struggles WILL come to an end, so we just need to endure and rest in the knowledge that for EVERYTHING there is a season; a beginning and an end. And when we’re in the midst of those struggles, we would do well to heed the instructions provided in Philippians 4:4-9. And when we do, we will be blessed and encouraged, and the Lord will be glorified!)

*****
“… weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm 30:5b

My mother in law has a saying, “And this too shall pass”. For years I thought it was a scripture then discovered that it wasn’t. But it is backed by a Biblical principle.

Whatever you are going through today- it will pass. According to our scripture this
“passing” can come with the morning, or it can leave with the night. The “passing” can happen before you know it- one day you are in one state and the next day in another one. You can go to bed at night and in the morning wake up to a different world.

If you are in sadness, sorrow, weeping, despair, pain, morning- it will pass. If your heart is heavy laden and burdened- it will pass. If the trial you are facing is weighing you down- it will pass. If the enemy is roaring so loudly that you can’t even hear yourself think (much less hear God)- it will pass. If the circumstance is so dark that you can’t see any light- it will pass. If every direction you turn seems to hold hopelessness- it will pass. If the sea looks uncrossable, the mountain looks too high, the valley looks to low, the fire is too hot, the wilderness too dry- it will pass. If it seems like the sun will never shine again- it will pass. If the difficulties around you seem more than you can bear- it will pass. Just as days and nights pass, just as seasons pass, just as rainy times and drought times pass, just as one year passes and gives way to the next, so do the things we go through- they pass too. Today will pass and tonight will come. Tonight will pass and tomorrow will come. As you watch the sun rise each day let it be a sign, and reminder, to you that this too that you are going through will pass.

Have a great day. It won’t last forever– this too shall pass.

*****
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.

Have you ever wondered why God has allowed the situation leading you to stand for marriage restoration to take place in your life? Has the thought ever crossed your mind “Why doesn’t God just fix this now?” You know that he can and you think “Why? What is the purpose?” I have thought that many times. But then that’s the way I am; always trying to figure things out; always asking questions of my Lord; relentless in my pursuit of the why’s and the how’s.

Then, I was recently studying John 11 about the death and resurrection of Lazarus. This particular passage of scripture is especially dear to me, because John 11:40 (NKJV) was the verse my husband stood on when he was standing and believing for our marriage when I was the prodigal – long before the Lord faithfully answered his prayers and changed my heart. God has since brought me back to this passage over and over again for many different reasons, because it says Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”

So a few days ago, I read this passage of scripture again; searching for the deeper meaning in these words, hunting for clues and looking for answers to my endless string of “whys.” And I was overwhelmed with the things that our faithful Lord began to show me. There were so many things that he spoke to me; too many for me to share here, but there is one thing in particular that I would like to share with you all.

First, I have to say that I had never before read a verse of scripture that so perplexed and disturbed me, yet at the same time excited me, as much as John 11:5-6 did. And I am certain that I had read it many, many times before, so how could I miss the awesome truth that God has now revealed to me? And I must have read it sixteen times that night, going over and over it in my mind. It says Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that he was sick, He stayed to more days in the place where he was.

Did you catch that? He loved them, SO when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days. “Surely, Lord, I have read this wrong.” I said. I guess I always knew on some level that Jesus delayed purposely, but what I failed to see was the connection to the previous verse, which is the “WHY” of it all–BECAUSE HE LOVED THEM.

Obviously, Mary had her own string of whys. She didn’t get it either, because in verse 32, she said to Jesus “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” So, if I may paraphrase here, Mary was saying “Lord, why didn’t you stop this from happening?” Can we ever relate to that!

So what is the meaning of this and how does it apply to those of us who are standing for marriage restoration and believing God for the resurrection of our dead marriages? If we read through the whole story of Lazarus, we will see that Jesus did not seem to be at all concerned about the outcome of this apparent tragedy. Of course not; He knew the glorious end of the story. But as we read through it, we see that the one thing he WAS VERY concerned with was what they “believed.” In essence, He was concerned about their faith. He confirmed that in verse 15 when he said And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there that YOU MAY BELIEVE. … And finally in verse 40, which is so dear to me, He said Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”

Dear ones, God loves us and He tests our faith, because that is what he cares about. Why? Because our faith is more precious than gold. 1 Peter 1:6-9 (NKJV) says it all very clearly:
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

How many times does Jesus ask “Who do you say that I am?” In other words: “What do you believe about me?” “What do you say about my character?” That is of ultimate importance to God.

Well, that kind of puts a new spin on things, doesn’t it? I bet you never thought “Wow, God loves me so much; that is why he is allowing this to happen to me.” But that is true. And when we come out on the other side of this, your faith and mine will have been tested and proven. Will we pass the test? Will the Lord be glorified?

The following message from Glenn Jackson is very short, but VERY POWERFUL; so I want to share it with everyone. We really don’t even begin to understand the supernatural power of obedience, and this really sums it up to a great extent! So read Glenn’s message from last Friday at this link and be blessed and encouraged!