The closer we get to the Lord, the easier it is to understand why Romans 10:17 says Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. And the ONLY way to truly KNOW and understand the character, nature and ways of God Almighty and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is to seriously study and meditate on the Word. So one of the most exciting things for me personally is to hear that the Bible has begun to come alive for someone as never before; because then I know they will finally understand and KNOW just WHO it is we believe in and thus have the overcoming, victorious, unshakable faith needed to withstand anything and everything that comes their way.

The following passages of scripture are just a few that help us better understand the significance of believing Who Jesus Christ is and some of the benefits and blessings when we REALLY do:

Isaiah 53:1 – Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

Luke 1:45 – Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

Luke 8:12 – Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

Luke 8:13 – Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.

John 8:31-32 – To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 12:46 – I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

John 20:29 – Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Acts 13:48 – When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

Romans 4:17 – As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

Ephesians 1:18-23 – I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 – And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

Hebrews 4:2-3 – For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.'” And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world.

Hebrews 10:38-39 – But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

Hebrews 11:6 – 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.

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.

1 John 5:5 – Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

When we read The Parable of the Sower in Luke 8:1-15, we can see just how important what we DO with the Word of God is to us as Christians; most especially as we stand for marriage restoration or any other kind of miracle. And since one of the most amazing miracles to just about everyone standing for marriage restoration is the resurrection of Lazarus, because we know it will take that same kind of miracle to resurrect our dead marriages, we can learn an awful lot by reading all of John 11 very carefully. There’s so much in this chapter about the ways and nature of God and how He works in very similar circumstances to those we find ourselves in now as we stand on the power and promise of His Word for our marriage restoration miracles. So I urge everyone to ask the Lord for understanding and insight as you read and STUDY this passage of scripture. And reading an earlier SOF post, BELIEVING Jesus is the ONLY Way to Let Go!, might be helpful as well, especially since letting go of our spouses and BELIEVING that the Lord will resurrect our marriages when we do is one of the greatest challenges most of us have to overcome as we learn HOW to stand for our marriages.

Yesterday’s Coffee Break devotion from Lorraine Ezell was so wonderfully encouraging that even though I meant to get this posted yesterday and didn’t, I want to share what she wrote here because BELIEVING that GOD IS OUR PROVIDER is SO VITALLY important as we stand in faith and confidence in that for the restoration of our marriages and families. So read the following devotion from Lorraine and know that when we TRULY understand and BELIEVE that God will see to EVERYTHING that concerns us, we will indeed be blessed and encouraged beyond belief!

Jehovahjireh by Lorraine Ezell
“And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.” Genesis 22:14

One of the names that God reveals Himself to us through is Jehovahjireh- God is our provider. It also means that God is the One who sees ahead and makes provision for. But I also heard it means “God will see to it”. As I pondered this meaning this morning, I thought about how that it is God who “sees to it” that the righteous aren’t forsaken. It’s God who “sees to” meeting and supplying all my need. It’s God who “sees to it” that I have rain in due season. It’s God who “sees to it” that when I cast my bread upon the waters it will return to me. When I give, it’s God who “sees to it” that it’s given back to me good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.
God will “see to it” that you receive the promise when you have met the condition. God will “see to it” that you are taken care of when you commit yourself into His keeping. When you place your faith and trust in Him, He will “see to it” that you won’t be ashamed. God will “see to it” that you reap the blessing after you have been obedient.
You are God’s business. He loves you and cares about you. Therefore, whatever you need, He will “see to it” that you have it. So put your trust in Him as your Jehovahjireh-your provider- because He will “see to it”.

Have a great day. Isn’t it wonderful to know that God is “seeing to it” that all your need- spirit, soul and body- is met!

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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.

Sadly, just reading the title of this post may cause feelings of anger, resentment and rebellion, instead of providing the comfort and encouragement it should and will when we truly know the Lord and put our faith and confidence in the power and promise of His Word. Our attitudes and displays of anger, resentment and rebellion toward God are rooted in pride, which we know goes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18); but reading Deuteronomy 1:19-46 reveals just how seriously God deals with rebellion. Obviously, rebellion against God on any level is very dangerous business and something men and women standing for marriage restoration just can’t afford. But if we’re honest and really examine the above passage of scripture, most of us can recognize ourselves and the similarities to our own situations as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, which means we need some serious attitude adjustments in our hearts, minds and spirit.

When our marriages fall apart and everything comes crashing down around us, we tend to turn to God; but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we fully SURRENDOR to Him. And if we don’t accept, acknowledge or understand His superior knowledge and power, or that His wisdom and understanding is vastly superior to that of any man or woman, we are likely to find ourselves very frustrated and disappointed, which leads to anger, resentment and rebellion. We want and EXPECT God to do what WE want Him to do WHEN we want it done and HOW we want it done; but GOD DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY…NOT BY A LONG SHOT! Just look at what happened to Jonah (Jonah 1-4) and see what happens when we don’t submit and surrender to what we KNOW God has asked and commands us to do! Ultimately, like Jonah, we WILL DO what God intends for us to do, but it will be our choice whether or not we do it the hard way; and the sooner we learn to DO what the Bible teaches us to do, the easier our path to marriage restoration is. And that has NOTHING to do with how it’s done or how long it takes, which are often what tend to cause men and women standing for marriage restoration to grow angry, resentful or rebellious toward God. Yet, nothing we do or don’t do and NOTHING that happens as we stand for the restoration of our marriages and families comes as a surprise to God (Ephesians 1:4-14) and He can and will work it ALL out for good when we love Him and are called according to HIS purpose (Romans 8:28)! And in the end, EVERYTHING will happen according to God’s will and plan no matter how much we do or don’t cooperate. God has already proven to most of us that He knows how to get our attention, and the good news is that when we turn from our disobedience, anger, resentment and rebellion against Him (all sinful and wicked in the eyes of God), GOD WILL FREELY PARDON US AND GIVE US SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE SEEDS WE’VE SOWN! (Isaiah 55)!

After having several conversations yesterday and today about submitting and surrendering to God and doing things HIS way without being resentful, angry or even rebellious, it was really pretty neat to see today’s Coffee Break message from Lorraine Ezell! And there’s NO DOUBT that when we focus on doing things God’s way, we WILL BE blessed and encouraged!

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Do It God’s Way by Lorraine Ezell
“And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.” 2 Kings 5:10

Our text is taken from the story about Naaman the leper who went to the prophet Elisha to be healed. When he got to the home of Elisha, the prophet did not come out and
greet him, he did not pray a prayer over him, he did nothing except send his servant out to tell Naaman to go and wash in the Jordan River seven times. Listen to Naaman’s response in the next two verses.
“But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his
hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.”
Naaman needed a healing touch but he wanted to receive it “his” way. Aren’t we like
that? We’ll need a healing, a provision, an answer from the Lord, but we want Him to give it to us in the way that we determine. We know how we want it to happen and expect God to do it that way. The Bible tells us that, “God’s ways are not our ways.” (Isaiah 55:8,9) They are so much higher and better than anything we can imagine. God doesn’t always do things our way or the way we want, but He does do them perfectly in accordance with His own will.

What answer has He given you that you didn’t want to hear? What has He instructed you to do but you have put it off because you don’t want to do it that way? What is keeping you from obeying what He has said? Is it pride? Fear of man? Intimidation? Fear of failure? Do you think God has made a mistake? If God has told you to do something but you are putting it off, or trying to do it your own way, then your disobedience is what’s standing in the way of your receiving. Obedience is better than sacrifice.

Have a great day. Just think, Naaman would have remained a leper the rest of his life if he had not gone ahead and obeyed God’s instructions through Elisha.

*****
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.

While trust and obey are just three simple words, they are indeed among the most important and challenging words to all of us as Christians, especially to everyone standing for marriage restoration. And in several conversations today, the Lord showed me just how significant they really are, because I realized that the reason so many people struggle with obedience is that they don’t really trust God; if we don’t trust God, we can’t and won’t obey Him.

The pet phrase in many conversations I had today seemed to be “…it’s hard…I know, but it’s hard….” And no matter how much I try to be otherwise, I really have to admit that I don’t have much patience when those words just keep coming out of someone’s mouth. They’re SO totally contrary to the understanding we should have of God’s promise that we can do ALL things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13) and that His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9).

And it’s really hard to miss their significance when we read Hebrews 11:6, which says And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. And that’s confirmed in Psalm 37:4-6, which says Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. And Proverbs 3:5-6 pretty much sums it all up, because it says 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.

The Men and women who keep saying how hard it is to stand for their marriages tend to be the same ones who are also very focused on everything their spouses do wrong; they don’t feel loved; how can they do that; that’s just wrong; I feel used…and on and on they tend to go. But as I heard one of the ladies I was talking to today saying a lot of that, I felt in my spirit that the Lord probably feels the same way about us sometimes! And that’s when I realized that our spouses aren’t any more unfaithful to us than we are, or have been, to God! Ouch! That hurts, but it is true just the same and it should be more than enough to get the attention of anyone who keeps making the devil’s job so much easier by speaking his will and plan into being instead of speaking the Word and will of God into their lives and marriages! As Proverbs 18:21 (AMP) warns; 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]. And Jesus taught us that IF we love Him, we will obey Him ( John 14:15). So we all need to be a LOT more focused on demonstrating to the Lord just how much we REALLY love him, which we do only to the extent that we trust and obey Him. BUT when we do trust and obey God, there’s no end to the ways we will indeed be blessed and encouraged, because we’ll NEVER be disappointed when we put our hope in the Lord and the power and promise of His Word (Romans 5:5)!

As a wonderful and perfectly timed follow-up to all of the recent messages about how faithful God is to keep His promises, two really great posts were shared on the private FAM site by FAM Fellowship members yesterday and today! So I want to share them here along with a few Bible verses that remind us just what God CAN AND WILL DO!!! Be blessed and encouraged; God DOES change hearts and minds! And He often does it in the blink of an eye! SO BE READY!

First, one of the members shared the following post yesterday and it’s such a simple, yet powerful example of just how God CAN and WILL work when we learn to SPEAK HIS PROMISES OUT LOUD!

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In response to the last couple of posts: Jesus gave up everything while He walked on this earth. He always put God’s desires first and was a complete giver; not a taker. And He calls us to do the same. As we give over and over again and fulfill God’s desires, He will grant us far more in return than we ever could have gained by ourselves. Our selfish desires are just that – selfish, and they will make us stray from obedient faith. Thanks for sharing all of your wonderful praises and how God has worked in your lives.

Here is a story I want to share.

One of the stories Bayless Conley shared in his message this week had to do with recognizing and speaking out the promises God gives us in the Word. His thirteen year old son had asked for a dog and continued to badger Bayless by asking for it. Bayless kept saying no way and of course, gave his reasons. But then he was caught off guard by his son’s next move. The son found scripture in the Bible and then began to speak; “I have a dog.” Bayless asked him what he was doing, saying “You don’t have a dog.” His son responded by telling him that he had found scripture that promised him a dog and so he was speaking it out. Bayless said that he panicked and told him to shut up and stop speaking that out! – he said he knew what was going to happen. So one day he was driving along in his car and the Holy Spirit just came over him and totally changed his mind about getting his son a dog. The moral of this story is that God does change people even when they are dead set against something and our kids do pick up on what we say and how we live. It is a cute story and true. God does give us promises and intends to keep them, so speak it out and stand firm in believing and trusting God.

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And then today, I received a call from one of the members who was very excited about what God had done earlier in the day, as he later shared in the two following posts (the second one after being reminded that he had left out a lot of important details!).
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I am once again in awe of our Lord Jesus Christ! A coworker stopped by my job today, and we got to talking and I ended up telling him about my stand, and he looked at me with his mouth dropped to the floor. He was a prodigal and was told by God to go home! It was amazing and there is so much to tell that I don’t even know where to start!

First, My Company hired him because another coworker referred him to our company, and that doesn’t happen very often. Secondly, He thought the job was going to be more than he expected, but took the job anyway. Thirdly, I’ve worked with him in the past and really got along well with him, but we never really discussed our personal lives much. Anyway, work is kind of slow right now, and when I got up this morning, I thought of taking the day off instead of feeling guilty for getting paid with “not much” to do, but I went to work anyway. And when I got there, they sent me to a different job from where I had been working.

After about an hour, my coworker showed up. He was going to take the day off, too, but didn’t. On his way to the shop, he just turned and went to the job I was on. He wasn’t supposed to be there, and didn’t even know why he turned in there. But when he saw me, he decided to say Hi. We got to talking and the next thing you know, we are talking about our marriages, and God.

He told me that he was a prodigal, and that God made him go home all of a sudden; just out of the blue about a month ago.

He also said that he was talking to a preacher last night, and the preacher told him that he would be helping someone very soon. And he did! We talked openly about a lot, and there was so much comfort in hearing his words! God sent me encouragement, and me to encourage him. I cannot explain everything that God has done in this single thing, but a lot of my prayers got answered today! I have been praying for a Christian friend who lives close; someone I can grow with, and that we can encourage each other. I know I am ranting, but I am overwhelmed with Complete and utter Joy!!!!!!!!!!! God is so good! Just be encouraged!

My friend said that God will bring our spouses home, and that there is no doubt in his mind! By the way, his wife was told by God to wait for him! He said he was living his life and enjoying it, and all of a sudden, wham; God said to go home! So be encouraged; what God does for one, He will do for us! I always believed that my marriage was going to be healed, but to hear it directly in the words of an actual prodigal, along with everything he went through just confirms it even more! And I’ve just got to praise God for a great morning!!!!! Be blessed everyone; TODAY IS THE DAY!

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You’re right, Dan! I am now going to try and slow down and remember everything we talked about. So be patient if this gets long and skips around a lot; but this is just so amazing that it has to be told.

To understand that today was orchestrated by God, you have to understand that we were not supposed to be anywhere near each other today. I was supposed to be on a different job, and there was literally no reason for him to come to the job that I was on today! And then there was no reason for us to discuss our marriages or God. He simply asked if I had plans for the weekend, and I said that I was a little discouraged because my kids were going to be with their mom this weekend. I then said I am sure that you have heard how crazy everyone thinks I am, because they all know I have been told by God to wait for my wife. His mouth just hit the floor, and he said “Mo, I didn’t.” I said “Yeah, see I am even still wearing my ring.” He then opened up to me and said that he understood because his wife was told the same thing!

He said that he was living out of state with another woman and her kids, and one day, the NCP’s kids were using his camera and found a picture of his wife and asked “Who is this?” He looked at the picture and at that very second, God said “Go home. What are you doing?” So he called his wife and she flew out to meet him. He said that even at that time, he wasn’t “in love” with his wife, but he had to go home.

Then later, after being home again, he packed up all of his stuff one day while his wife was at work and started driving back to the NCP’s. He said that God told his wife to call him around 11:00 that day, and she said no. All through the day she was told to call him, but she refused to do it. But right before time to go home, she did call him, and knew in her heart that he had left before even asking. She asked “What are you doing?” And he said “Driving.” She asked “Where are you going?” And he said “HOME!” And he turned around! The amazing part of this is that he said he made it all the way to Champaign, IL! And in case no one gets the significance of that; that’s where Dan lives!

And he shared how his wife would open the bible and God would give her scripture for whatever she was going through that day. I don’t totally know all of her story, but he said that she went to file for divorce and God told her “NO! You will wait for him.” And she obeyed.
Then we started to talk about so much! He told me that he was baptized years ago, but wasn’t walking with God. And he shared that his wife invited her pastor and his wife over last night, just so she could show appreciation for all they had done for her while he was gone. It was only suppose to be dinner, but God had a different plan. The preacher told my friend about his testimony, and stated “You realize that God is going to use you some how soon to help someone.” And my friend couldn’t believe that it would be today! So he is seeing how God works! We were both so excited and filled with God that we were over talking each other. Of course, I had a bunch of questions to ask him, and he answered all of them. I asked what made him leave his wife, and he said “I don’t even know; I don’t even think it was me.” He encouraged me the whole time, and I told him how my heart flutters when I feel the Holy Spirit, and he said “Yeah, I have been feeling it for the last ten minutes!” We were both so excited, and amazed at how God had orchestrated it all. Everything I said he confirmed, and everything he said I confirmed. We discussed how he is so thankful that God made his wife wait for him. How he is starting to play the guitar again, and that his friend just happens to need a guitarist for his Christian band. Just so many things were orchestrated and confirmed to each of us that we could not deny that this was a GOD THING! He even invited me over for a cook out tomorrow, so my weekend isn’t going to be as “lonely” as expected.

I have been amazed by a lot of things in my stand, but when you finally “let God”…I mean really Let God, He is beyond belief. I know I thought I was giving it all to God before, but God does know our hearts and when we really Let Him, WooHoo! Just be encouraged! I gave him a card for the website, and if I can get them to, I will see if they can share some things on here. Our Miracles are coming! Today is the day!

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The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. (Proverbs 21:1)

A man’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way? (Proverbs 20:24)

I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 11:19)

I’m still receiving links from FAM Fellowship members to messages about believing, holding onto and standing on the promises of God, and since I know the following one from Jim Grayson could provide a particularly significant word of encouragement for someone, I want to share it here as well. His A Freshening Wind messages are posted on the Spirit Of Prophecy website and A Season of Suddenlies was posted today. So for anyone who is growing tired and weary and struggling to continue your stand for the restoration of your marriage, read the above message and remember that God DOES NOT AND HAS NOT CHANGED HIS MIND! And be blessed and encouraged to know that your promise of marriage restoration may well come to pass so fast that it takes your breath away!

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Numbers 23:19)

I received a link to the following sermon from a couple of people and want to share it here, because it’s so powerful and VERY refreshing to hear a man of God stand in the pulpit and unashamedly and boldly deliver the truth of God’s Word about marriage! The sermon is by Kyle Idleman of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, and it’s one in a series called SUBURBAN LEGENDS and it’s titled Living Together Will Prepare Us for Marriage. I don’t know how long the link will go to this particular message, so I encourage everyone to listen to it this week. And let’s keep this church in our prayers, because they very boldly preach the Word of God; something our society needs a lot more of! And the next sermon in the series next week deals with divorce, so I’m really looking forward to that too! In the eyes of God, marriage is a covenant, no matter what any man, woman or court says to the contrary. And when we are faithful to our covenant and stand on the authority of His Word, HE WILL UPHOLD IT, so be blessed and encouraged!

Over the weekend, one of the FAM Fellowship members shared something the Lord put on his heart about the importance of making sure that we don’t fall into the trap of seeking our own desires over those of God. And that’s a battle that everyone standing for marriage restoration understands, because it’s so easy to be so focused on what we want without realizing that our desires may not be the same as God’s. Therefore, we need to be VERY careful about what we pray for and check our motives and attitude when we pray. While the Bible tells us the final outcome, it does NOT tell us HOW God will accomplish His plan in our individual situations. And since we know that His ways and thoughts are so much higher and different than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), the thing we pray against might well be the very thing God intends to use to bring about our restoration (Genesis 50:20)! So when we pray for something that is not specifically promised in the Word, that’s when we need to remember that it will be done ACCORDING TO GOD’S PLAN AND WILL and NOT just according to our prayers (1 John 5:14-15). Yet, when we pray something specifically promised or according to what is specifically stated in the Word; then we know that prayer will be heard and answered by God (Isaiah 55:10-11). On the other hand, James tells us that we have not because we ask not (James 4:2-3)! God may even give us a word of knowledge or understanding through the power of the Holy Spirit with specific details, but the Rhema Word of God will NEVER contradict or conflict with His written Word. So it’s sometimes difficult to wrap our minds around seemingly conflicting ideas; exactly why God’s thoughts are said to be SO much higher and different than ours!

But most of the time, IF we take the time to really consider it, we can tell whether we are seeking OUR OWN will or what we KNOW to be the desire or will of our Heavenly Father! What if Joseph had prayed to escape his captors when his brothers sold him so he could go back home, which he probably really wanted to do with all of his heart? But no matter how much he wanted or believed it, God couldn’t grant the answer He desired; because He had much greater plans for Joseph and the role he would play in the salvation of a nation and his family. And IF NOT for being sold as he was, the very dream God had given him of his greatness and his brothers bowing down before him, never could have come to pass! Needless to say, the Bible is full of many similar examples. And many times, the very thing we think is so terrible and waste so much time and energy fretting about and dreading will be exactly what God uses to fulfill HIS plan and will for our lives (just as with Job; Job 3:25). So read the following message from MNO (Member Name Omitted) and be blessed and encouraged as you seek to always put God’s desires above your own!

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For our marriages to be successful, we must pray that each of us have the desires of God in our hearts and not merely our own. It is so easy for us to get caught up in praying for our wives/husbands to be what we want and to possess our desires and not necessarily God’s. I know I am guilty of wanting my wife to be the wife of my dreams and the wife I had envisioned and hoped for; certainly the wife who would make me her priority and meet my needs and wants above hers and put me on a pedestal all of the time. I am sure my wife had the same expectations, since that is why we give up our singleness; we want more in marriage than we had being single. I truly believed that I could be all my wife wanted me to be as I entered marriage, and was even excited about being the husband she wanted. But I soon found out that in both cases, I was extremely naive.

As we experience the reality of marriage and any other relationship, we find that another person can in no way fulfill our unrealistic expectations. And then we begin to feel resentment and bitterness because our marriages are not what we thought they would be. So we begin to look for other people or things to fulfill what is missing. In some cases, separation and divorce occur and we think that is the solution. But once again, we find that it does not solve the problem or achieve what we thought it would. Not only has it destroyed the relationship with our spouse, but it has completely devastated our family structure.

The truth is in God. If we would put God first in each of our individual lives and then in our marriage and family relationships, we would then truly receive God’s best for us. In ANY situation, our desires will always reap Godly blessings when they are His desires. And the Bible warns us about our own selfish desires over and over again throughout both the Old and New Testaments. We see repeated blessings for those who sought and obeyed God’s desires as opposed to those who God brought to justice when they chased their own desires and ignored what God had commanded and asked of them.

God does not give us desires that are contrary to the abundant and joyful life He has planned for us. He protects us, guides and directs us for our own good. And His desires are far better than our own. But when we ignore His plans and desires, we find ourselves being disciplined and struggling with the consequences of our sin and disobedience.

Yet, there will always be great glory and blessings for us when we honor and obey God’s desires for our lives. He knows the plans for us and they are for good and not evil. We will live abundant and joyful lives as we align our desires with His. Our marriages will be restored and when they are, we must make sure that God’s desires are our priority in not only our marriages, but in our individual lives. So I pray that we will let go of our desires and pray that we let God instill His desires in each of us and in our spouses as He brings about the restoration of our marriages.

1 John 2:17 – The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

1 Peter 4:2 – As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

James 4:1 – [Submit Yourselves to God] What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?

James 1:19-21 – My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

2 Timothy 2:22 – Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

Ephesians 4:22 – You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;

Galatians 5:24 – Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:17 – For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

Galatians 5:16 – [Life by the Spirit] So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Romans 13:14 – Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Romans 8:5 – 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.

Romans 6:12 – Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

Mark 4:19 – but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

Habakkuk 2:4 – “See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous will live by his faith-

As we might well expect, with all of the exciting things we’ve seen the Lord doing in our midst lately, the devil just has to come along and see how much doubt and discouragement he can sow into our hearts, minds and spirits! But he does not have that power in our lives UNLESS WE GIVE IT TO HIM! That means that we need to DEAL with him and send him packing! And that’s exactly what we’re going to do in FAM Chat tonight, because when we wait upon the Lord, we won’t get tired or stumble and we won’t get discouraged and entertain thoughts of throwing in the towel!

I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. (Proverbs 4:11-13)

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:30-31)

Now, THAT is what God says, so just who are we to say or think otherwise! God also tells us that HIS grace is sufficient and that HIS power is MADE PERFECT in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9 AND that we CAN DO ALL THINGS through Christ Jesus who STRENGTHENS us (Philippians 4:13)! So EVERY time we say or think anything contrary to what we know God said, we are in effect calling Him a liar! Well, I for one am not willing to call God a liar and I sure do hope no one else would either, especially since Numbers 23:19 declares that God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

But the ONLY way to truly wait upon the Lord is to find a place of resting and abiding in Him, and it is ONLY through knowledge and understanding of His Word that we can ever find that place. That’s exactly why Romans 10:17 says Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. So when we display such a lack of faith in God, we also display our lack of knowledge and understanding of WHO He is and it’s not possible to be in the Word as we should be and NOT know God. And once we KNOW Him, there’s just NO way we would ever truly struggle with trusting and obeying Him! But we get into trouble when we try to do anything APART from the wisdom and power of God’s Word; because just as Jesus told us, apart from HIM, we can do nothing (John 15:4-5)! And the best way to find that awesome place of resting and abiding in the Lord is to DO what Jesus instructed us to do in Matthew 11:29-30, where He said Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” What a powerful message; if only we would learn from Jesus and live as He did with gentle and humble hearts! Our souls would surely find rest, and we would know that HIS yoke is easy and HIS burden light, because God would give us grace and lift us up in due time; just as He promised 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.

So we all have to make a choice; will we continue to rely on our own way and wisdom (pride, which God OPPOSES) and struggle only to get the world’s results, or will we learn from Jesus (being gentle and humble) and wait upon the Lord with ABSOLUTE confidence that HE will lift us up IN DUE TIME? And when we CHOOSE to wait upon the Lord, WE WILL BE BLESSED AND ENCOURAGED BEYOND BELIEF!

It’s really been quite exciting and amazing to witness as the Lord has steadfastly and faithfully upheld His Word (Isaiah 55:10-11) when it comes to the outcome of adulterous relationships in the lives of many of the FAM Fellowship members’ spouses. Yet, that should be no surprise when we truly understand and believe that God’s Word will NEVER be mocked and that He WILL DO EXACTLY WHAT HIS WORD SAYS HE WILL DO; just as Isaiah 46:10-11 declares: I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.

As men and women standing for marriage restoration even when our spouses are involved in adulterous relationships, it’s very important to KNOW that GOD will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to bring about EVERYTHING declared in His Word. And when we read Proverbs 5 and Proverbs 7, there is NO DOUBT how clearly and accurately God foretold what happens to men and women caught in the devil’s snare of adultery; particularly as stated in the following passages:

My son, pay attention to my wisdom; Lend your ear to my understanding, That you may preserve discretion, And your lips may keep knowledge. For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil; But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, Her steps lay hold of hell. Lest you ponder her path of life—Her ways are unstable; You do not know them.
Therefore hear me now, my children, And do not depart from the words of my mouth. Remove your way far from her, And do not go near the door of her house, Lest you give your honor to others, And your years to the cruel one; Lest aliens be filled with your wealth, And your labors go to the house of a foreigner; And you mourn at last, When your flesh and your body are consumed, And say: “ How I have hated instruction, And my heart despised correction! (Proverbs 5:1-12 – NKJV)

For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, And be embraced in the arms of a seductress? For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He ponders all his paths. His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, And he is caught in the cords of his sin. He shall die for lack of instruction, And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray. (Proverbs 5:20-23 – NKJV)

For at the window of my house I looked through my lattice, And saw among the simple, I perceived among the youths, A young man devoid of understanding, Passing along the street near her corner; And he took the path to her house In the twilight, in the evening, In the black and dark night.
And there a woman met him, With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart. She was loud and rebellious, Her feet would not stay at home. At times she was outside, at times in the open square, Lurking at every corner.
So she caught him and kissed him; With an impudent face she said to him: “I have peace offerings with me; Today I have paid my vows. So I came out to meet you, Diligently to seek your face, And I have found you. I have spread my bed with tapestry, Colored coverings of Egyptian linen. I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with love. For my husband is not at home; He has gone on a long journey; He has taken a bag of money with him, And will come home on the appointed day.”
With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, With her flattering lips she seduced him. Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, Till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, He did not know it would cost his life.
Now therefore, listen to me, my children; Pay attention to the words of my mouth: Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, Do not stray into her paths; For she has cast down many wounded, And all who were slain by her were strong men. Her house is the way to hell, Descending to the chambers of death. (Proverbs 7:6-28 – NKJV)

Many men and women might well be surprised to realize just how accurately the above portrayal of adultery details their own situations, especially how their spouses were trapped into the sin Satan now hopes will steal, kill and destroy so many marriages and families. But that’s because the devil doesn’t have any new tricks up his sleeve; he doesn’t need them because the old ones still work just as well! And for those who don’t understand what happened and how their spouses fell prey to adultery, reading these passages of scripture should provide a great deal of insight and understanding. And please note that even the strong fall prey to the temptations of adultery.

I was especially offended and upset a few days ago when a FAM Fellowship member called for the first time and said that a pastor counseled her against reconciliation with her husband (who had indicated that was what he now wants), because he said that “people who commit adultery have dark hearts.” Well, perhaps he should tell God that considering HE said that David was a man after HIS OWN HEART!!! Acts 13:22 says After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ For those who don’t know; David committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged for her husband to be killed when he found out that she was pregnant…AND HE WROTE MOST OF THE PSALMS! So as both of the above chapters make abundantly clear, adultery is the consequence of ignoring the wise counsel of God’s Word and ANYONE who fails to take heed to it can fall prey to adultery! And as the spouses of unfaithful husbands and wives, when we get honest, we all have to admit that OUR failure to be the wives and husbands God called us to be, OUR failure to heed the wisdom and instruction of God’s Word, also contributed to the failures of our marriages.

BUT the GOOD NEWS is that when the spouses of men and women caught up in adultery learn to take God’s counsel seriously and to DO what His Word instructs, we see that EVERYTHING the Bible teaches about adultery is ABSOLUTELY true! As many marriages of FAM Fellowship members move ever so much closer to restoration, we’re in absolute awe as we witness how totally and completely adulterous spouses’ opinions and relationships with the NCPs (non-covenant person) continue to changed, because it is happening EXACTLY as declared (PROMISED) in the above passages of scripture! There’s just NO other explanation for the calamity and problems that have consistently and repeatedly beset the spouses of many of the FAM Fellowship members, and just as God declared in Hosea 2, HE will cause them to return when they realize that they were better off before than they are now…just as the Prodigal Son did (that’s why the spouses who leave are often referred to as “prodigals”). And just as foretold in Hosea 2 and as happened with the Prodigal Son, we have seen adulterous spouses lose their homes, their businesses, their automobiles, end up in jail and homeless, and how their plans to find the happiness and all they thought they would find in adulterous relationships totally blew up in their faces. And we’ve even witnessed the manifestation of physical and mental health problems as well. GOD’S WORD WILL NOT BE MOCKED AND IT WILL BE PERFORMED AND PERFECTED IN OUR LIVES WHEN WE JUST TRUST AND OBEY!!!

So the private pages of the FAM website are filled with testimonies of how God has worked (and is working) in the circumstances of members’ spouses to put asunder adulterous relationships, and after a while, certain patterns become undeniably evident. And one of the most awe inspiring things to me personally is to see how the roles of the spouses and the NCPs are SO CONSISTENTLY reversed in the lives of spouses who get caught up in adultery once their standing spouses learn to put what the word teaches into practice! IT NEVER FAILS!

In fact, what inspired this post today, though I’ve been contemplating it for a few days now based on very similar testimonies from other fellowship members, was a call I got this morning from a member who wanted to share how the Lord is working in her situation. And like so many others, she is just blown away by how her husband’s attitude toward her has changed and how he now seems to be so unconcerned with the NCP; now she’s the nuisance and he’d obviously much rather spend time with his wife! And just as I’ve heard so many other women say, she can see that the NCP is now doing the exact same things she used to do when she was so desperately trying to hold onto her husband! And all of their husbands turned to them almost immediately once they made it clear that they were going to let them go and then they started treating the NCP the same way they used to treat their wives! Seeing how God’s Word is being upheld and performed so CONSISTENTLY AND FAITHFULLY in the lives of our members is one of the most exciting things I’ve ever experienced! These are REAL people and REAL situations that appeared totally hopeless in the natural, but once they started seriously heeding God’s instructions as they stand on the power and promise of His Word for marriage restoration, GOD STARTED DOING WHAT ONLY HE CAN DO IN THE SUPERNATURAL! Well, as we were discussing how totally amazing it is to see such a complete turn around, I said that’s because there’s NO such thing as a GOOD substitute for the REAL thing; that no matter how good a faux diamond may look; no matter how much it glitters and shines; it’s still a fake and it will never be worth as much as the real thing! I said that the love her husband has for her is the real thing and that he just lost sight of that because of the yuk it was buried under and once she got rid of the “yuk”, the NCP didn’t stand a chance, because she can’t EVER hold a candle to what he feels for her. And that’s just something God manages supernaturally and it is something no man or woman can change—no matter how hard they try and no matter how much they don’t want it to be that way! There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD. (Proverbs 21:30) So if your spouse seems hopelessly trapped in the snare Satan has so craftily set, read the above passages of scripture and KNOW THAT GOD will DO exactly what his word says he will do! He keeps His promises, and there will NEVER be a GOOD substitute for you in your spouse’s heart and life! So do YOUR part; TRUST AND OBEY GOD, and you WILL be blessed and encouraged!

WOW! When we read the message Glenn Jackson posted on his website today, IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE NOT SETTLE FOR LESS THAN THE FATHER’S BEST!, there can be absolutely NO DOUBT that God is very serious about His intentions to fulfill the promises He has given us! And based on the fact that so many men and women are receiving virtually the same message over an over again, we MUST BE READY, because supernatural manifestation IS coming and it’s coming soon! It’s amazing how much Glenn’s message confirms so much of what the Lord has actually put on my heart and what I’ve felt led to share along with similar messages from other men and women we have all come to admire and appreciate as they share what God has put on their hearts as well. There’s little doubt that men and women standing for marriage restoration, especially those who have been standing for a long time, reading the following excerpt from Glenn’s message will be just as thrilled and excited as I was when I read it!

“Things are about to change very radically in the lives of those who have exercised much faith and patience over many years. Hold fast to every “promise” [revelation] that the Father has spoken [and will speak] to your heart – taking NO preconceived notions concerning how He will bring ALL things to pass in a very short window of time. Things are truly beginning to “heat up” in the spirit, and we would all do well to realize that everything the Father has spoken to our heart over the years shall most certainly come to pass – and not only come to pass, but come to pass in ways that will thrill our deepest heart of hearts continually.”

What awesome confirmation that God is indeed about to do something so far beyond ANYTHING we could ever ask or imagine! So read the above message from Glenn and be blessed and encouraged as you RECEIVE AND BELIEVE it and all of the other messages exhorting us to believe, hold on to and stand on the promises of god Almighty!

This morning I feel led to share publicly what I have previously shared on the private FAM Fellowship website about how intensely I sense that God is doing something so far beyond anything we could ever ask or imagine in our midst, which has been an experience–unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. In fact, whenever I think about it or try to focus on it, it’s so intense that I almost feel suffocated by the physical pressure in my chest. Yet, I find it difficult to put into words. This has been going on for about three weeks now, and a few days after trying to express it on the private website and urging everyone to “GET READY!”, one of the FAM Fellowship members sent me the following message from Mary Clark of Marianna, Florida, whose messages are also published on the spirit of Prophecy website at the above link.

High Thrills and Great Wonders
April 29, 2008
“I beseech you, beloved: Look to Me with an expectant heart, for great wonders are about to proceed from My heart to your heart, greater wonders than you ever dreamed possible. Keep your focus. Follow hard after the One Who is love, for in so doing
you will be blessed, blessed beyond all measure, blessed in ways you never dreamed possible, for I am the God of blessings, and I plan to heap them upon the hearts
of My beloved children with unmeasured force. Get ready. Be expectant. The time of high thrills and great wonders is about to explode in your midst, is about to EXPLODE in your precious hearts!!!”

Needless to say, I was TOTALLY blown away by such awesome, precisely accurate and timely confirmation, which I’ve meant to share on the private site, but haven’t done so before sharing it here now. Additionally, right after posting that message on the private site, I received several messages from other FAM Fellowship members with strong words of confirmation through what the Lord had also put in their spirits. And since that time, we have continued to see a series of messages about getting ready, doors opening and now messages about believing, holding onto and standing on the promises of God! And this morning’s Small Straws message from Marsha Burns is just further confirmation of that as follows:
“Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns — May 15, 2008:
Refuse to allow the enemy to plant a seed of doubt and unbelief in your heart. As you determine to take a stand and believe My Word, says the Lord, you will gain strength and see the fulfillment of My promises. Do not allow your circumstances or feelings to undermine your faith on any matter. And, rejoice with inexpressible joy, for you shall see My manifest presence when you believe.
Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.“

And we have most definitely been seeing the mighty hand of God at work in the lives of many men and women in the fellowship, but for obvious reasons, much of that can’t be shared here. And I have absolutely no doubt that we’re about to see so much more and that God is indeed about to reveal His majesty and power in ways we’ve never witnessed before, so I want to encourage every man and woman standing for marriage restoration to BE READY! NEVER forget how much He loves you and that His plans for you are ALWAYS for good and that He has the power to bring them about…no matter how it might appear otherwise. God wouldn’t ask us to run the marathon of standing for the restoration of our marriages and families and then shoot us right before we cross the finish line! So don’t be discouraged or give up on all that the Lord has promised, because HIS promises are indeed ALWAYS YES and AMEN! And He has an abundance of amazing great and glorious promises stored up for all of us, so let’s just TRUST AND OBEY as we wait under the glory spout where the glory pours out! And in DUE TIME (God’s PERFECT timing), we WILL indeed be blessed and encouraged as GOD lifts us up and fulfills EVERY promise! Remember…HIS WORD NEVER RETURNS EMPTY OR WITHOUT ACCOMPLISHING WHAT HE DESIRES AND THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH HE SENT IT!

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. (Isaiah 55:10-11)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. (Jeremiah 29:11-12)

This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ (Jeremiah 33:2-3)

Even though I already had a Seeds Of Faith post almost completed, it seems that God really wants to impress upon us the importance of believing, holding onto and standing on His promises as we rely on His faithfulness to bring them ALL to pass. Earlier this evening, after several references to not wavering in our faith and relying on God’s promises in various responses to posts today, members shared three daily devotionals on the FAM private website from three different ministries; which all deal with believing, holding on to and standing on the promises of God! So I feel led to share those instead, because it is so important for us to believe in the power of God’s promises as we stand for the restoration of our marriages and families and someone else may really need to hear that at this particular time.

The first devotional was by Dr. James MacDonald, and Hold On To –His promises can be read online; which I strongly encourage everyone standing for marriage restoration to read, because it’s very powerful and encouraging.

And here’s the second one:

Promises, Promises by Bayless Conley
“God has given us His promises because He wants to fulfill them. Be they promises of peace, restoration, healing, or for material supply, we must keep in mind that the Lord would not have made the promise if He did not want to do it.

Here are four thoughts to help you when it comes to experiencing the benefit of God’s promises:
1. Find a promise from the Bible that covers your need. Faith begins here.
2. Consider the promises. Hebrews 10:23 says, Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And Hebrews 11:11 says, By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.
3. Act on the promise, fulfilling all necessary conditions. God is not a respecter of persons, but He is a respecter of conditions.
4. Start thanking God and exercising patience. Hebrews 10:36 says, For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. And Hebrews 6:12 says, That you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

If you will do these four things, you are on your way to experiencing the fulfillment of God’s promises in your life.”

And then Eliminating Doubt, today’s devotional by Charles Stanley was posted as well.

What awesome supernatural power we would see manifested in our lives and marriages if only we could truly understand and grasp God’s ability and faithfulness to fulfill EVERY promise He has ever made! We have God’s assurance of that in 2 Corinthians 1:20, which states For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. So let’s always remember that and be blessed and encouraged as WE SPEAK the AMEN to every promise God has given us, which WILL BE FULFILLED IN THE NAME AND AUTHORITY OF JESUS CHRIST! AMEN!

We have recently witnessed the Lord move in great and mighty ways in response to our requests for signs of encouragement or confirmation; yet many Christians seem to be of the opinion that it is wrong to ask God for signs. But Matthew 7:7-8 very specifically tells us “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. And Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV) says ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ Undoubtedly, anyone who believes or teaches that we’re not supposed to ask God for signs when we need encouragement or to confirm what we’ve think we’ve heard from Him must not know the story of Gideon as told in Judges 6-7.

Since there’s a lot in Gideon’s experience that we can relate to, everyone standing for marriage restoration should read and study his story. We did evil in the eyes of the Lord by failing to put Him first and live according to HIS plan for marriage, and He gave us, our spouses and our marriages into the hands of the devil. So our marriages were invaded by non-covenant persons or other destructive influences and ravaged. Then we cried out to God for help and He sent us someone to tell us about the error of our ways and to tell us that God was with us. But we doubted that; wondering why all of this happened to us if God was with us. And we felt abandoned by God because He had allowed the devastation of our marriages and families. But the Lord promised that He would save our marriages if we’d just rely on the strength He gives us. He even told us that HE would use us to save our marriages and families; but we thought of all sorts of reasons why we couldn’t and doubted that we could do it even though we knew it was what the Lord wanted us to do. But God continued to assure us that He would be with us and that we would overcome the devil and strike down everything that comes against our marriages. So just as Gideon did, it is okay for us to ask God to give us a sign that we have found favor in His eyes and to confirm that we have truly heard from Him. And just as with Gideon, many times even after the Lord has shown Himself to us in such powerful ways, we still feel like we need confirmation, but the Lord will always be faithful to give it the same way He did for Gideon. And God will work in our situations in the same way He did in Gideon’s; He will use means that totally defy human understanding and expectation. And when we need encouragement, God will be faithful to provide that as well, and often before we even ask for it! And the Lord will do exactly what He promises and He will be glorified as the world watches and realizes that God alone could do something so awesome and amazing!

But when we ask God for a sign, it MUST be specific and something we will not be able to doubt came from Him when it is done. Otherwise, the devil will come afterwards and try to steal or destroy that seed of hope and encouragement! For example, I myself have asked the Lord for two very specific communications at very specific times and for very specific purposes when I needed direction or confirmation in the past two months. Both times I knew it would take the hand of God to compel the communication I was asking for, and both times the communication occurred just as requested; and each time, God went even further than I had requested to make sure I knew He was responding to my request for a specific sign. And there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that God had heard me and that He had answered. So we can use the circumstances and manner in which Gideon asked God for signs as a guideline to follow when we need an answer or confirmation, but we shouldn’t take God’s willingness and faithfulness to answer us lightly or take it for granted. And in the same way God is faithful when we ask for specific signs, He will give us signs of encouragement and confirmation when we just say that we need them and don’t ask for something specific. God knows our hearts and when we are sincerely seeking to hear from Him, we know He will give us the answers we seek, because Jeremiah 29:13 says You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Yesterday, one of the FAM Fellowship members shared a testimony of how the Lord answered her when she needed and asked for encouragement and direction and it really blessed some of the other members, so I asked and received her permission to share it here as well. Remember, God wants us to ask for signs, and when we ask with sincere hearts and sincere motives, He WILL answer and show us great and mighty things and we will most definitely be blessed and encouraged! So I want to thank MNO (Member Name Omitted) for allowing me to share the following testimony to encourage others and give the Lord the glory He SO deserves!

*****
Today at church, my pastor told an awesome little story that just spoke to my spirit and I knew instantly that God wanted me to share it with all of you. And I hope it brings the same hope and encouragement to you as it did for me to continue standing with God for the restoration of our spouses’ relationships with the Lord and with us and our families.

Yesterday, circumstances occurred that left me second-guessing whether God truly was calling me to stand for my marriage. For the first time in a long while, I gave serious thought to giving up. After a long and fairly sleepless night, I got up and went to church, praying and asking God to give me some sign of encouragement and direction. Well, as God ALWAYS does, He is faithful in hearing and answering our prayers, and today He answered my prayer through my pastor’s sermon. My pastor started out his sermon with a story about a mountain climber who was scaling a large hillside when one of his contact lenses fell out. Being nearly blind without his contact lenses, the climber sat down on a nearby ledge and contemplated his predicament. Without the lens, he would not be able to continue on and get to the mountain top. As he sat there, he began to talk to God about how he needed that lens to continue climbing up and how disappointed he was that he would have to turn around and go back down without reaching the peak. Well, as he sat there looking down at the ground, he noticed the sun glinting off a nearby object that, upon further inspection, was moving very slowly. As the climber bent down to take a closer look, he discovered that an ant was carrying his contact lens on its back. God had used an ant to help the climber out of his predicament! (Isn’t that just like God — to use the simple to confound the wise!) The lens was intact and unscratched, and the climber reached down, washed it off, put it back in his eye, and continued on up the hillside to the peak, thanking God all the way. And when the climber got home, he drew a picture to always remember that day. But it wasn’t a picture of the incredible scenic views that the Lord had allowed him to see that day; rather, it was a picture of an ant. And underneath that picture, the climber wrote the following (from the ant’s point of view): “I don’t know why I have to carry this burden. I can’t eat it and it’s awfully heavy. Still, if it’s what you want me to do, Lord, then I will carry this burden for you.” The ant didn’t understand why he had to carry an object that was so heavy and, to his limited understanding, of no useful purpose or good.

Isn’t that how we sometimes see our stand for marriage restoration? Sometimes, from our limited perspective, we have no idea why we have to carry this burden, and it “seems” so heavy and for no useful purpose or good. But then, at just the right time, God lifts that burden from us, and the miracle of restoration appears! And as we look back, we can see that God knew exactly what he was doing all along, and that it was Him who gave us the strength to carry that burden and to persevere through faith until we gained the victory!

“And this is what the Lord says: ‘Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded,’ declares the Lord. ‘They will return from the land of the enemy. So there is hope for your future,’ declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 31:16-17)

Be blessed and encouraged, and don’t give up!

For the past few days, “arm of flesh” has repeatedly been brought to my mind, with the thought that we can’t put our confidence in the things of man; that we can’t rely on our own resources or the resources of this world to resolve our problems or meet our needs. I wasn’t really that familiar with the scripture references, but the Lord’s message was very clear when I finally looked them up and truly understood what He was saying. And as always, it’s a perfectly timed message of great encouragement for challenging situations now facing several men and women in the ministry; and probably will be for others as well.

Philippians 3:3 says For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— And 2 Chronicles 32:7-8 says “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. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said. And the contrast between the consequences of our choices to either put our trust in our own strength, ability, understanding, wisdom and the ways of this world, or those of GOD ALMIGHTY is very clearly spelled out in Jeremiah 17, particularly verses 5-13, which says:
5 This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
10 “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”
11 Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is the man who gains riches by unjust means. When his life is half gone, they will desert him, and in the end he will prove to be a fool.
12 A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary.
13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water.

As men and women standing for marriage restoration and seeking the peace, power and promises of our Lord and Savior, we can not afford to rely on our own understanding, ability or resources, because they will ALWAYS fail us and lead us away from all that Jesus Christ came to give us. We can’t rely on the world’s systems of provision and justice either, because they too will fail us and quite often in our times of greatest need. So we simply have to trust God to meet every need AND to justify and vindicate us as His Word promises. It truly breaks my heart when a man or woman is unable to understand that the only way we can ever have all that we want and desire comes through TRUSTING God and DOING what His Word teaches us to DO. As Jesus Himself taught us about The Wise and Foolish Builders (Matthew 7:24-29), putting His words into practice is the ONLY protection we have against the storms and trials of this world. And when we don’t, our homes will come down with a great crash!

Just look at some of the awesome promises we have when we put our confidence in Jesus Christ and DO what He teaches instead of relying on the “arm of flesh!”

You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. (Hebrews 10:34-36)

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6)

This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. (1 John 3:19-22)

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
(1 John 4:16-18)

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:13-15)

So the key to having all that we want is to truly believe in the name of the Son of God, Jesus Christ! And to BELIEVE in the name of Jesus means to FOLLOW Him! John 10:4 says When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. And in John 10:27, Jesus said My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. But when we are afraid and filled with pride; thinking that we have to rely on our own understanding, wisdom, strength and ability, and the ways of this world, we are NOT LISTENING TO JESUS, and we are NOT following Him. And I’ve yet to witness a serious breakthrough, much less a marriage restoration, in the life of any man or woman who is relying on the arm of flesh and the ways of this world instead of the power and promise of God Almighty and His never failing Word. And just as our loving Father is ALWAYS so faithful to do, He provided amazing confirmation of the same message He gave me through today’s message from Glenn Jackson, which I strongly urge everyone now struggling with giving up the need to control and manage things that you can’t possibly control or manage to read online at this link.

Therefore, learning to forsake our natural tendency to rely on our own flesh and anything any other human does or doesn’t do, and learning to put our hope and confidence in Jesus Christ and the sacrifice he made for our deliverance and salvation and the power of His resurrection is one of the most important things for all Christians to learn. And that’s really ALL we have to rely on as we stand on the authority of the name of Jesus for the miracle of the full and complete restoration of our marriages and families. But when we put our confidence in Jesus, we will NEVER be disappointed. Yet, when we put our confidence in the arm of flesh or ANYTHING that can be accomplished by any human being or human system, we will most assuredly be disappointed. So take this powerful message to heart and put it into practice and just wait to see how blessed and encouraged you’ll be!

Last week, one of the FAM fellowship members shared his testimony of how the devil had led him astray and the extraordinary means by which God finally got his attention on the private website. His testimony just serves to prove that God is NOT a liar and that He WILL do exactly what His Word says He will do and it reminds us that we had better learn to take that very seriously! And whenever I think about what God did, I can’t help thinking of Adam and Eve and how they tried to hide from God. And I sure would want to hide from God if He did something so amazing and incredible just to get my attention! So make no mistake, GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED!

But another very important and powerful insight gained from reading MNO’s testimony is just how cunning the devil is; he NEVER comes up to us and taps us on the shoulder and says “Hey, I’m here to tempt you, and this is what I’m doing to steal, kill and destroy all that Jesus Christ died to give you.” No, he always tempts us through the thoughts we fail or refuse to take captive and make OBEDIENT to His Word; every pretension and thought that sets itself up against the knowledge of God based on His written Word; the Bible! So after MNO shared bits and pieces of his testimony through responses to various posts by other FAM Fellowship members, I asked him to put it all together so I could share it here. And I fully intended to post it this past Monday, but due to an encounter with a new and totally different type of pruner than I’m used to (and I guess you could say the pruners won! LOL), I wasn’t able to type for a few days. Naturally, I was disappointed and even wondered why God allowed that to happen. But after several events that occurred today, I have NO doubt that for reasons known only by God on Monday, MNO’s testimony was meant to be posted today instead. And one of those things was Lorraine Ezell’s Coffee Break devotional this morning and how it so perfectly ties in with the message of this powerful testimony. So I’ll post that as a response so everyone can read it as well! I hope and pray that by sharing his testimony, many can learn from MNO’s experience and will beware that the devil will NEVER come up to any of us and tap us on the shoulders to announce what he’s up to. Just as MNO stated, he just whispers his deadly and deceptive lies into our ears and when we listen, we leave ourselves open to his attack and will most likely fall for them. So I greatly appreciate MNO’s willingness to share his testimony and I have no doubt that many who read it will be blessed and encouraged!

*****
I was asked by Linda to share a few things about my stand, or more accurately I should say how God brought me back to standing after my fall. First, I must say that I have been standing for my marriage for over one year now. God has revealed a lot to me during this time, and He has given me many miraculous signs during the past year. But I have to admit that when I first started my stand, it was more about getting my wife back and what God could give me. As I asked God for His help, He gave me His word to read and I grew, and grew in the knowledge of Him. God was true to His word; He was helping me, just not the way I expected and planned for Him to help. He proved His love and faithfulness over and over, but that wasn’t enough. I wanted my marriage, my wife, and my family back, and that had become my idol! I believed, and loved Him, and was obedient, but in the back of my mind as Satan whispered to me, I deserved better and shouldn’t have to wait. My wife didn’t even filed papers for eleven months, and after she did, I didn’t even get an attorney because I knew God could handle the situation. He did, and the first court date went better than expected. I just want to express that I did have faith and love and I knew God’s will for me and my marriage.

Now skipping ahead to one week after my first court hearing; I thought everything went great, and that God was moving, but when it didn’t happen in my time, Satan whispered, “You’re almost divorced; time to move on.” When you’re lonely, those whispers from Satan, friends, family and everyone else start making sense. My faith was even used against me, because Satan whispered “Even if you screw up; if it’s God’s will, He will fix it no matter what you do.”

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; (John 10:10)

Needless to say, I went to the one place where you can meet someone fairly easily; the bar. And it seemed like every detail that led up to me meeting this person was given by God. Everything fit, down to the smallest of details; except one thing, God wasn’t a part of any of it. The more I drank the more things seemed great. We met a few more times, and she was everything I wanted; so I thought. She was attentive, caring, pretty, financially secure, had a nice house, a nice car; she had all I needed. But as I remind you again…except God…and she wasn’t my wife!

During the day, God would speak to me and ask “What are you doing?” And I still read my devotionals and prayed and talked to God; but at night when I was with her, it didn’t matter; she was helping me forget. But even then, every other thought was about my wife, or God, but I would push it away and continue in my disobedience. The guilt of it all was excruciatingly painful…but I deserved to have someone, and not be alone. I started to feel embarrassed about God, and I decided to trim down two bumper stickers on the back window of my car so that they were less noticeable. One said “Got Jesus?” and the other one said “Smile, God Loves You.” I knew it was wrong, but I had to do what I had to do so I could continue to have “fun.” As I started trimming the bumper stickers with a straight razor knife, it shattered into a million pieces. I talked to a few guys and asked what happened, and they said they have never heard of that happening before, but I knew. I knew as soon as it shattered; God wanted my attention! He wanted me back; all of me!

So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? (Luke 15:3-4)

The next day, I asked God to have my wife call me if it was truely His will for me to stand for my wife and marriage. Yep, she called! And it had been over a month since I had heard from her.

Time with the other person seemed more demanding; I no longer had time for God, friends, or for being with just me. I had become a prodigal! Needless to say, after God showed me and spoke to my heart, I knew that all I needed was Him. I had already spent a year with just Him; well my kids and friends too, but really just Him. Unfortunately, I had all I needed all along and had to lose it to realize it. When I say that, you must remember that I left Him, but He never left me.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:8-39)

I do thank God, because He did allow this person to be an instrument of His teaching, and that she is a good person, and that at least the physical sense of adultery was never crossed. If it had been, the guilt would be even more overwhelming. In the short time together, there was not only guilt from God and my disobedience, but the guilt of what I was doing to her. And I didn’t know how to get out of the mess I had gotten into. How do you tell someone that you are with that you are still in love with your wife, and that God wants you to wait for her, and not make it sound like a dump line? And what about all of the other things I said to encourage the relationship that weren’t lies at the time? I can tell you that the truth is the only way. God has a purpose, and the only way to fulfill it is with His guidance. If your spouse is with someone, believe me, even if they might want out, it is very hard to do, and we weren’t even that serious. God will get His way, though.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

I am sharing all of this to stop and/or encourage all who read this; don’t judge your spouse. We can all fall into Satan’s trap, and if you think you need someone other than your spouse and especially God, you are wrong! The only one who can take the loneliness away is God. He is truely all we need. It has taken a while, but I actually believe that now when I say it! If my wife comes back, that’s okay; if not, that’s okay too! But I know she will be back! That’s God’s promise to me, and I guess that is why it no longer matters when. But honestly, God has given me what He promised, the rest are benefits of being His child! It is never too late to turn from our ways and let God reign in our lives. He brings the peace we all search for, and when we are in His will, our hearts and lives are finally free. Let God free you from the guilt, and the pain! God gave me Psalm 32, which says :
Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.
The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”
Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord. So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

God bless, and praise God, because Today is the day!