Since I know everyone visiting this site is most likely in the midst of one kind of trial or another, I want to share the following link to Dr. Charles Stanley’s message entitled Wisdom in the Midst of Trials, which I hope and pray will be a blessing and source of great comfort.. It truly changes our perspective when we realize and accept that God ALWAYS has a purpose in everything that happens in our lives and can get beyond feeling and acting like victims as we recognize that WE’RE ALWAYS VICTORS IN JESUS CHRIST!

There are other links to great messages from Dr. Stanley here as well. And here’s another link where you’ll find a literal treasure trove of powerful messages from Dr. Stanley on many other topics relevant to all of us as Christians!

So I encourage you all to listen to as many of the messages linked to above with an open heart and spirit because I know you’ll truly be blessed beyond belief when you do!

Since my dad has been hospitalized for over two weeks now and also had brain surgery, I’m probably more mindful than usual of just how much we all have to be grateful for and how we tend to take way too much for granted. So I want to wish everyone a very Joyous Christmas and encourage you all to count every blessing and to cherish every moment you’re blessed to share with those you love. Time really does pass quickly and we allow the devil to steal our peace and joy when we focus on what we don’t have instead of all we do have.

We’re truly blessed to serve and worship a great and mighty God and I’m always encouraged to remember that He is our sun and shield, gives grace and glory, and will never withhold any good thing from us when we walk uprightly before Him (Psalm 84:11)! So may you all be blessed today as you keep your eyes on Jesus and count your many blessings–the greatest being the birth of our Lord and Savior and all that means to us as Christians!!!

Since recent conversations with FAM members and others made me realize that a lot of people have no idea what “real” praise and worship music is, I want to share some links to the kind of music that moves our hearts to truly praise and worship our Lord and thus has the power to change our perspective and lives.

Here’s a live worship video from YouTube with Bob Fitts & The Maranatha Singers from 1991. As you will see, the focus of every song is the Lord and His most awesome attributes, power and promises. Music that focuses on us, our problems and even the state of our hearts is just another way the devil distracts and misleads us because praise and worship is only praise and worship when it truly magnifies and glorifies the Lord. If the music we listen to doesn’t fill us with righteousness/faith, joy and peace (read Romans 14:17) and center our thoughts on the Lord, then it’s not what we need to be filling our hearts, minds and spirit with.

So I challenge and encourage all of you to listen to this or something like it whenever you’re feeling down or discouraged and you’ll be amazed by how it changes and redirects your focus and puts a pep in your step and a lift in your heart and spirit! Trust me, this is the kind of praise and worship music that pleases the Lord and we’ll always benefit greatly by filling ourselves with the resulting faith, hope and reverence toward God it inspires!

Here are some more links to check out as well. I haven’t listened to every song as I did on the above link, so I hope they are all truly glorifying to our Lord. And even though the audio isn’t the best on all of them, the words/lyrics are still powerful:
7 Hours of Non Stop Uplifting Christian Music
Maranatha! Singers – Double Praise
Michael W. Smith – Worship (LIVE in Canada)

As you’ll see, there’s an endless array of praise and worship music available on YouTube, so just look for and listen to songs with lyrics that cause your spirit to soar as you praise, magnify and glorify the Lord and you’ll be blessed beyond anything you’d ever think possible because that’s what we were all created to do according to Isaiah 43:7, Isaiah 43:21 and Ephesians 1:3-14!

Since I receive so many calls looking for encouragement and my response often disappoints the caller because I urge them to turn to the Lord and His Word for encouragement, I particularly appreciated the following message from Dr. Stanley this morning, entitled Our Great Encourager. When we understand WHO GOD IS, along with HIS nature and character, AND who we are in Jesus Christ, we really don’t need to look for encouragement in others. So I hope and pray that this wonderful message teaches or reminds everyone how to find encouragement in God and how to remain encouraged in Him regardless of our circumstances.

As I am known to say quite frequently (and this was the first time I recall hearing Dr. Stanly say it), either we believe God or we don’t! I also add to that that either we trust God or we don’t! And when we truly believe and trust God as we stand in faith and obedience on the power and promise of His Word, we won’t need to be encouraged and we’ll NEVER be disappointed!

A passage of Scripture I find quite reassuring and encourage others to remember when in challenging circumstances is 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NASB) because it says:
9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
AMEN!

In response to recent conversations with FAM members, as well as many recent email communications from people who have sent inquiries after finding this site, I want to share a reminder that Love GIVES!

It’s truly amazing to hear from so many people who divorced their spouses because they felt so “wronged” and “neglected” only to soon realize and even regret their decisions! So I hope and pray that reading the above Seeds Of Faith post will remind all of us of what love really is. As I’ve often shared previously, we have to learn to love our spouses the same way we love our children; one is most often about getting OUR needs met and the other is more about meeting THEIR needs. So one is self centered and the other is more about blessing someone else and meeting their needs.

I call the devil a “master distractor” and when we become so self focused and allow everything to be all about us, we’re just letting the devil distract us from the covenant we made with our marriage vows, and saddest of all, the power of God to bless and reward us when we HUMBLE ourselves under HIS mighty hand as we stand in faith and obedience on the power and promise of His Word! And when we’re guided and led astray by the dictates of our flesh, we will NOT experience all that God wants to bless us with. So I pray that we’ll put our focus back on loving the spouses we vowed to love and stand with for better or worse…until death alone parts us, and then be blessed with the marriages God intended us to have when we do things HIS way, which Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us are NOT our ways!

Since I know many others might well have the same question just asked by a FAM member on the private website, I want to share her question and my response here as well.

MNO (member name omitted) has been divorced for the second time and is now standing for the restoration of her covenant marriage even though her covenant husband has also remarried. Here’s her question: “I want to know if Deuteronomy 24:1-4 means that a woman who has married and divorced a second time can not remarry her first husband or have her covenant marriage restored. Please help me understand this Scripture.”

Well, that’s a very good question and something we’ve covered in previous conference calls, so I hope the following Scripture references will help clear up any misunderstanding MNO and others might have about that particular passage of Scripture.

First of all, it’s very important to understand and recognize the difference between the law of God, as described and stated in Exodus 20 and commonly referred to as “The Ten Commandments,” and the laws of Moses, which are stated throughout most of Deuteronomy and clearly acknowledged as “the testimonies and the statutes and the ordinances which Moses spoke to the sons of Israel, when they came out from Egypt” in Deuteronomy 4:45 (NASB). So the verses referred to above are part of Mosaic law (the same as today’s civil laws, statutes and ordances) and obviously not in keeping with the law of God. And that’s an important distinction that Jesus Himself acknowledged and declared in Mark 10:2-9 (NASB):
2 Some Pharisees came up to Jesus, testing Him, and began to question Him whether it was lawful for a man to divorce a wife.
3 And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”
4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
5 But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.
6 But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
7 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother,
8 and the two shall become one flesh; so they are no longer two, but one flesh.
9 What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”
So Jesus very clearly stated and affirmed that there’s a difference between Mosaic law and the law of God and that God’s law is NOT changed or amended in any way by any other law, including the Mosaic law found in most of Deuteronomy or the civil laws of today.

Furthermore, it’s noteworthy that the description of a woman who remarries after her husband divorces her as “defiled” in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 in fact acknowledges what GOD commanded in Exodus 20:14 (NASB)…“You shall not commit adultery.

However, with all that being said, God Himself actually addresses this matter and once again clearly differentiates HIS law and ways from the Mosaic law regarding marriage in Jeremiah 3. Not only that, the entire book of Hosea is all about how God takes us back after we’ve “defiled” ourselves, and He even instructed Hosea to marry a harlot to make that point as stated in Hosea 1:2-3 (NASB):
2 When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the Lord.”
And even though Gomer left Hosea for other lovers and had even remarried, the Lord instructed him to take her back and to remarry her in Hosea 3:1-2, which says:
1 Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.”
2 So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a half of barley.

Finally, to best understand this and anything else regarding God’s will and law concerning His Holy covenant of marriage, we just need to remember that as revealed in Ephesians 5:22-33, marriage is an earthly and symbolic representation of the relationship we have with Christ as His bride. As Ephesians 5:22-33 (NASB) says:
22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.
24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;
29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,
30 because we are members of His body.
31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.
32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.
In other words, we can reasonably rely on what we know about our relationship with Christ to best understand God’s plan and will concerning marriage, which definitely includes the above question. So according to the Bible, nothing but death breaks or dissolves the covenant of marriage created when we exchanged marriage vows with our first spouse, who is thereby our “covenant” spouse.

Note: In order to clear up any misunderstanding or confusion regarding the above post as indicated by a response below, it’s important to stipulate that a “covenant” marriage is the first marriage for BOTH spouses and the only biblical exception is the death of either spouse’s first spouse.

I want to let all visitors to our public website know that both FAMM sites are scheduled to be down this Saturday for a major upgrade. Our plan is to take the sites offline sometime Friday night and then we anticipate having them back online sometime Saturday evening. However, if more time is needed to verify that all is well on the upgraded sites, it could take longer to get them back up again. So thanks for your patience and understanding as we make this much needed upgrade and take the time required to insure that all goes well. And may the Lord bless you all ever so richly!

As I watched Dr. Charles Stanley’s powerful message about obeying God this morning (as I do every Sunday morning), I felt strongly impressed (as I usually am) to post a link to it because it’s SO pertinent for everyone standing for marriage restoration. As I have always taught and well know to be true, it’s not possible to expect to receive anything God has promised without first obeying and trusting Him, so today’s message, as well as the previous four are so vitally important as we stand in faith and obedience on the power and promise of God’s Word for the restoration of our marriages and families. So I STRONGLY encourage everyone to make and take the time to listen to the following messages, which you will find links to (as well as many other powerful messages) in the In Touch Archives:
Obeying God – Sunday, June 16, 2013
“Obedience is an attitude we have to learn to embrace. It’s not a trait we automatically acquire when we become Christians. Thankfully, the Bible gives us clear instructions on how to obey God, and Jesus provided us with a perfect example of submission to the Father. In this message, Dr. Stanley explains how partial obedience is the greatest enemy to obedience.”

To Whom Are You Listening? – Sunday, June 09, 2013
“We are sometimes overwhelmed by the ever-changing generation of instant communication, information, and entertainment. Do we let these drown out the voice of God? Is anyone listening to Him? He has been speaking to us ever since creation, so we know He wants to communicate with us. Are you listening to the Lord and walking obediently before Him every day?”

Victory Over Unforgiveness – Sunday, June 02, 2013
“When we are upset or wronged, one of the most dangerous things we can do is stuff down our resentment, anger, and hostility. This causes unforgiveness to grow and fester in our hearts. In this message, Dr. Stanley shares the consequences of resentment and hostility and explains how to deal with unforgiveness.”

Victory Over Anger – Sunday, May 26, 2013
“Anger is the most dangerous of all emotions. It’s like a boomerang—you throw it out at someone, and it comes right back at you. But not all anger is bad. In this message, Dr. Stanley explains how we can determine if our anger is righteous or sinful and how to deal with it. He also describes inappropriate ways of handling this volatile emotion.”

Discipline Determines Destiny – Sunday, May 19, 2013
“As followers of Christ, we know the blessings and positive consequences of fulfilling the Lord’s will for our lives. However, our obedience isn’t something that just happens naturally–it requires discipline. In this message, Dr. Stanley explains why we need both kinds of discipline. Also, learn about these seven key principles that’ll help you master this skill.”

I just want to remind and encourage anyone who hasn’t yet done so to get out and vote tomorrow–I honestly believe this is the most important election of our country’s history and that its outcome will reveal a lot about God’s future judgment and plans for America.

As I shared on the conference call last Friday night, I recently inadvertently learned how someone I admire greatly and who appears in all ways to have a very close walk and relationship with the Lord was voting in the upcoming election and was VERY surprised. And as I later pondered our conversation and wondered how anyone who I perhaps wrongly also assumed would be against abortion (especially with the recent expansion of extreme abortion rights–even to the point of violating and disregarding the religious freedom and rights of many Christian organizations and individuals) and “gay rights” (now pushing for marriage between gays and lesbians) could vote that way–knowing full well how God unquestionably feels about both issues, , Proverbs 3:5-7 came to mind and I realized how voting that way was a “blessing blocker.” When God tells us to acknowledge Him in ALL of our ways, He means it! So there’s no way anyone will ever convince me that electing and putting into office people we KNOW will aggressively promote, defend and enact even less restrictive laws regarding abortions and lead to even more states and judges legalizing homosexual marriage (and probably even pushing for federal laws enshrining and protecting it) acknowledges God. Yet there are many people calling themselves Christians who will vote that way this year–and as several of our members have even acknowledged to me recently, have done so their entire lives because they never thought about it that way. And if we’re voting for those we believe will give us more benefits and “stuff,” then we’re putting our hope in flesh and not in God–a definite curse according to Jeremiah 17:5-8. So as we vote, let’s make sure that our votes acknowledge God and who we are in Jesus Christ!

I also want to share why I believe this is the most important election of our country’s history. Starting in 1963 when prayer was taken out of our schools and when abortion was legalized just ten years later, America has been on a steady moral decline, and never before in our history has such total disregard and even disdain for God and His Word and ways been so enshrined in the highest levels of our government. But despite deliberate and intentional efforts to rewrite history, this nation was built on and has been blessed because of our Christian values and belief in God. Yet today, we are literally becoming more and more like Sodom and Gomorrah, which means that instead of basking in the glory of God’s favor and prospering under His hand of provision and protection, He will be forced to destroy us just as He did Sodom and Gomorrah because He is the same yesterday, today and forever and no respecter of persons (as declared in Hebrews 13:8 and Romans 2:11)! And while we all know about the homosexual sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, that’s not the only reason God destroyed them–and He would have relented for the sake of ONLY ten righteous people if they had been found there!

Sadly, just as in biblical times when so many first born children were sacrificed (burned) alive on the altar of Baal or Molech with the expectation of resulting prosperity, accompanied by sexual orgies, we sacrifice (abort) live babies today for the sake of convenience and encourage rather than discourage sexual promiscuity and sin; thus profaning the name of God as declared in Leviticus 18:21…“‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

So let the following Scriptures serve as a warning regarding God’s judgment when previously godly nations become so wicked and ungodly:
Genesis 13:13 – Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.
(The sodomites were so bent on their sinful, homosexual ways that they even wanted to molest the very angels sent to destroy them! – Genesis 19:1-13)
Genesis 19:24 – Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens.
Genesis 19:28 – He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.
Deuteronomy 29:23 – The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulfur—nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in fierce anger.
Isaiah 3:9 – The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.
Isaiah 13:17-20 – 17 See, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold.
18 Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants nor will they look with compassion on children.
19 Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians’ pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flocks there.
Jeremiah 23:13-15 – 13 “Among the prophets of Samaria I saw this repulsive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray.
14 And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible: They commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”
15 Therefore, this is what the Lord Almighty says concerning the prophets: “I will make them eat bitter food and drink poisoned water, because from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land.”
Ezekiel 16:49-50 – 49 “‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
50 They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.
Jude 1:7 – In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

Reading the above passages of Scripture is especially significant in light of Revelation 18, which could very easily be describing the destruction of America. So I pray that all who call ourselves Christians will acknowledge God as we vote tomorrow, humble ourselves and pray as we seek His face and turn from our wicked ways, confident that God will forgive us and heal our land as promised in 2 Chronicles 7:14…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

This weekend’s message from Charles Stanley, No Greater Love, is vitally important for every man and woman standing for marriage restoration because if we don’t learn to love as Jesus loves, with unselfish godly love, we have no reason or right to expect the full and complete restoration of our marriages and families. Through the years I’ve been blessed to serve in marriage restoration ministry as well as through my own marriage restoration process and experience, I’ve seen over and over again how hearts, minds and lives are so SUPERNATURALLY and radically changed, renewed and transformed by the irresistible power of unfailing love; which is no surprise since Proverbs 19:22 teaches us that unfailing love is what we all desire. And as 1 Corinthians 13, along with so many other passages of scripture and Dr. Stanley’s message make abundantly clear, NOTHING we do is more important than HOW we love! So I hope and pray that all who hear this message will learn to walk it out and then be blessed by reaping the resulting blessings.

Also, for those who want it, here’s Dr. Stanley’s Sermon Outline for No Greater Love.

I also strongly encourage everyone to watch Dr. Stanley’s previous six part series on faith entitled “In the School of Faith” and the preceding message entitled “Confidence That Conquers” since our faith and confidence in the power and promise of God’s Word are also vitally important as we stand for marriage restoration. And you can watch all of the above messages as well as many others by checking out the In Touch Video Archives, which truly is a treasure trove of powerful teaching and encouragement for everyone seeking to grow in our walk and relationship with the Lord!

As the ministry continues to grow and even more demands are made on my time, abilities and energy, we’ve made some exciting changes in the private fellowship to try to compensate for that. And one of the most exciting changes is in the format we’ll be using for our conference calls, as well as changing to a rotating schedule between Wednesday and Friday nights so even more members can participate in the calls.

The new format for alternate calls will be devoted to focusing on better understanding the basic principles of marriage restoration as taught and promoted in the Bible, and we’re having our first “Restoration Principles” call tonight, so I’m very much looking forward to the call and want to share the following excerpt from the post we’ll be using as a guideline here and hope you’ll all be blessed and encouraged in the Word of God and His faithfulness as well!

On tonight’s call, we’ll be delving into the first and most important, yet most challenging principle of all…LETTING GO! The one and only passage of scripture that very specifically tells us in unambiguous detail WHAT to do when our spouse leaves is 1 Corinthians 7:15-16, which says:
15 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.
16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

First, to fully understand the meaning of this scripture, it’s imperative to read it in the full context of the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 7, and as always, in the full context of the ENTIRE Word of God. By doing that, we can see that Paul is in NO way saying that abandoned spouses are “free” to go on and remarry just because their spouse left them; in fact, verse 16 actually reveals God’s concern in such circumstances–saving the spouse that leaves and ultimately commits adultery (INCLUDING US). And if we’re ever tempted to doubt that or counseled in any way contrary to that, all we have to do is read Proverbs 5, knowing that God’s Word NEVER goes out of His mouth or returns to Him without accomplishing exactly what it says (Isaiah 46:10-11 and Isaiah 55:10-11), to more fully understand the consequences GOD has established for adultery and realize that our stand for marriage restoration, like ALL THINGS with the Lord, is NOT ABOUT US!!! Then to drive that point home even more powerfully and graphically, we just have to read Proverbs 6:20-35 and Proverbs 7! God even shows us HOW to “let go” and the part WE play in HIS plan for marriage restoration, which Peter quite specifically spelled out in 1 Peter 3. It’s also important to know that the Greek word used for bound in verse 15, douloo, refers to being enslaved (also used in Acts 7:6 and 2 Peter 2:19) and is not the same Greek word Paul used later in verse 39 and again in Romans 7:1-3, deo, which refers to a mutual commitment or agreement/covenant as in a contract.

Additionally, God’s meaning and intent in telling us to LET our spouses go when they depart is understood more clearly by reading 1 Corinthians 7:32-35, which says:
32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord.
33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife—
34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband.
35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.

So the meaning of God’s command to let our spouses go when they leave, and His declaration that we’re not bound in such circumstances and called to live in peace, really just means that we have to turn them over to the work GOD is doing in their hearts and lives and that as long as they are not living with us as their spouses, God’s command and expectation regarding our marital/sexual obligation to them ceases during that time, along with our obligation to concern ourselves with pleasing them and the need that naturally creates to be more concerned with the affairs of this world. However, that does NOT mean we can dishonor or be disrespectful or fail to love our spouses UNCONDITIONALLY as instructed in Ephesians 5:21-32, and in 1 Peter 4:8, Proverbs 10:12, Proverbs 17:9 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-8! Instead, this is time GOD purposefully orchestrated in our lives and circumstances to teach us to serve and worship HIM with undivided devotion and to focus on growing in our personal walk and relationship with Him, as HE molds and reshapes us into the vessels we were always intended to be for His good purpose and glory! And it’s not by any means just a coincidence that doing that is also the ONLY thing that will properly and adequately prepare US for the restored marriages God has planned for us.

Finally, to sum up the meaning of the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 7, and to make absolutely certain that nothing previously stated in what he had written could be twisted or misconstrued in any way, Paul concluded his instructions regarding marriage, separation and remarriage in 1 Corinthians 7:39 by saying:
:A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.
SO putting that together with the first thing Paul said about marital separation in this passage of scripture in 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 and how he ended the passage restating the same thing, it’s not REASONABLY possible to conclude that he in any way meant or intended to say that we’re free to just pick up the pieces of our lives and move on just because our spouses abandon and leave us; much less to divorce them. Therefore, letting go does NOT mean “move on”…”you deserve better”…”God doesn’t want you to be unhappy”…”he/she isn’t worth it” or the myriad of other reasons we’re all given/and even consider for giving up on the power and promise of God’s Word and His unfailing faithfulness to bring it to pass in even those that appear to be the most impossible of all circumstances! Either we believe, trust and obey God or we don’t and that’s the ONLY thing that really counts as we profess to love God, our spouses and to stand for the restoration of our marriages. However, it DOES mean that we have to get out of God’s way instead of standing in the way of sinners (as we tend to readily see our spouses while not seeing ourselves in the same light of God’s Word) and trying to block and hinder what we perceive as “their” sinful conduct rather than handing them over to the devil and the work GOD will do IN that process; all of which is addressed and clearly spelled out in Psalm 1:1 and 1 Corinthians 5:5, as well as in Hosea 2 and Luke 15:11-32. This is in fact the time God intends to deal with OUR sins and shortcomings so that WE can be all He created and intends us to be as Christians, parents and spouses. On the other hand, as long as we insist on desperately holding onto broken marriages and trying to “fix” and dictate the things our spouses feel, say and do or don’t (including what WE think GOD should do to and in them), we’re just allowing the devil to distract us from the work God longs to do in US and are in fact just settling for what the devil wants us to have instead of what Jesus sacrificed to make possible for us. And make no mistake…none of us will ever have more than we’re willing to settle for, so I hope and pray that none of us will ever settle for the devil’s lot and plan instead of patiently and expectantly waiting for God’s perfect and most glorious plan to be manifested in our lives and marriages!

Since letting go and all that entails is the single most important principle of restoration, and the one on which all others rely as WE simply stand in faith and obedience on the power and promise of God’s Word for marriage restoration, I really hope to have many of you on the call tonight; including “older” members who can share how God has worked to bring and enable you to understand and walk this out in your stand and even more so after the restoration of your marriages. Remember, if we don’t use what God has given and blessed us with for the comfort of others and to expand and magnify His kingdom and glory, just as HE has declared, He WILL take what He has given us and give it to those who will (Matthew 25:14-25, Luke 12:47-48 and James 4:3).

I meant to share this awesome “Coffee Break” message from Lorraine Ezell here earlier this week, and since it’s SO important, late is most certainly better than never! As I’ve recently shared with many FAM Fellowship members, when we learn to rejoice no matter what–when we learn to give thanks in EVERYTHING because we know it’s GOD’S will concerning us in Christ Jesus as instructed in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NASB)–THEN our lives will be forever changed and we will experience and be blessed with all that Jesus came to make possible for us in Him and for His glory! So here’s another powerful message we all need to take to heart and put into practice as we stand in faith and obedience on the power and promise of God’s Word for the full and complete restoration of our marriages and families!

*****
“Rejoice In The Lord”
“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

Not everything that happens to us each day causes us to “rejoice”. There are situations that arise, events that take place, circumstances that occur that we can’t rejoice over. Today we might get a bad report from the doctor- that is nothing to rejoice over. Our teenage daughter might tell us she is pregnant out of wedlock- we can’t rejoice over that. We might find out our spouse has been cheating on us- no one can rejoice over that. The boss might give us the pink slip and tell us to pack up our things we no longer work for them- that is not something we can rejoice over either.

The scripture doesn’t tell us to rejoice about the bad things that come our way. It doesn’t mean we are to rejoice because some bad or evil thing happened. The rejoicing that it is talking about is in the Lord. In the Book of Philippians we are told to, “Rejoice in the Lord always”, and it is even repeated, “And again I say, rejoice”. The rejoicing is not in the thing that happened but in the Lord. I will rejoice because even though this or that happened it can’t separate me from the love of God-He will continue to love me. I will rejoice because, even though it was bad, the Lord will make all things work together for my good. I will rejoice because even though some terrible thing has formed against me, the Lord will see to it that it does not prosper. I can’t rejoice when evil comes, but I can rejoice in the Lord who will deliver me from evil. I can’t rejoice about the battles that rage against me, but I can rejoice in the Lord because He fights my battles for me. I will rejoice in the fact that the Lord is still in control- not my circumstances. I will rejoice in the Lord because I know He sees what is happening and will not leave me nor forsake me but will make a way for me. While I can’t rejoice about a bad thing that may happen in my life today, I can rejoice in the Lord who does not change and who is with me always. Therefore, I will rejoice in the Lord today even when bad things come my way.
Have a great day. Our rejoicing is in the faithfulness, goodness, tender mercies and grace of God- not in the bad things that happen.
For further reading:
Philippians 4:4
Isaiah 61:10
Psalm 97:12
Psalm 34:1-2
Habakkuk 3:17-19

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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.

Since one of the most challenging, yet most powerful and life changing principles promoted in FAMM is that we are NOT victims of our circumstances–that we are instead VICTORS IN JESUS CHRIST, I strongly encourage every man and woman standing for marriage restoration to watch Charles Stanley’s TV broadcast message from this past weekend, entitled Wisdom For Life’s Trials. It’s such an awesome message and another powerful example of God’s unfailing faithfulness to uphold and confirm so much of what we’ve been discussing recently in the FAM Fellowship; particularly at our FAM Reunion in Fort Lauderdale last month.

while that’s often a very difficult message to receive when we feel so devastated and the pain of marital unfaithfulness is so fresh, it’s a vitally important biblical principle for everyone standing in faith and obedience on the power and promise of God’s Word for marriage restoration to grasp. Otherwise, we are in effect denying Christ because as with most challenging issues for all of us as Christians, especially when we find ourselves in the midst of trying circumstances, it all boils down to whether or not we believe God and that NO wisdom, NO insight and NO plan can succeed against the Lord as declared in Proverbs 21:30. One reason what we believe is so vitally important is found in what Jesus said in Matthew 9:29… “According to your faith will it be done to you”. And then in Mark 11:24-25, Jesus said “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Forgiveness is so important to all of us as hurt and abandoned spouses because our failure and inability to forgive those who have hurt us causes us to wallow in self-pity, pride and self-righteousness and buy into the devil’s lies that we are victims and not the victors Jesus came to make us. And when we consider the wisdom and truth of Luke 6:45 and what God said in Numbers 14:28, there can be no doubt that what we believe and speak will ultimately be brought to fruition in our lives as further confirmed in Proverbs 18:20-21. So our failure to believe and put our faith in God and His unfailing faithfulness to uphold His Word is like denying Jesus because as we’re taught in 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.

Since Dr. Stanley covers this in such great detail and makes it so easy to understand, and it’s a very important message and concept for all of us to get, please take the time to listen to his powerful message…and more than once!!! As a further learning tool, here’s his Sermon Outline.

Truly understanding how God uses even the most difficult times in our lives for good, that He has EVERYTHING in His control, and learning to trust and obey Him no matter what, is life changing, so be blessed and encouraged as you open your heart, mind and spirit to receive this powerful message and walk it out in your life and circumstances.

Good Morning All!

I know both of the following “Coffee Break” devotionals from Lorraine Ezell will hit the mark for many since questioning God’s plan as well as waiting and timing are often huge hurdles for most men and women standing for marriage restoration. But as with all things, it really comes right back down to whether or not we truly trust and BELIEVE the Lord. So take both of these messages to heart and be blessed as you make the deliberate and intentional choice to make the best and most of every day of your life until GOD’S perfect plan and timing brings His promise of restoration to fruition in your life and marriage! And never forget that just as declared in Proverbs 21:30, NO wisdom, NO insight and NO plan can succeed against the Lord! As declared and promised in Romans 8:28, all we have to do is love God and be called according to HIS purpose, which is to bring praise, honor and glory to Jesus Christ (ephesians 1:3-14)!

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“God Has A Plan”
“Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.” Genesis 45:5

Not everything in life goes the way we hope, desire or plan. Situations arise, plans get changed, things happen. We may not, and usually don’t, understand why it is happening. I can only imagine what was going through Joseph’s mind when his brothers took hold of him and threw him in a pit. From that moment on his world would forever change, all his dreams and hopes lay behind him, all his plans ended, his future looked uncertain.

When we read the story of Joseph, we are able to read it all at once. We can start at the beginning and skip to the end and know the outcome immediately. Being able to skip right to the end gives us the ability to see that God had a plan for all that happened to Joseph. Joseph did not have that advantage, he did not know from day to day what would happen to him. He did not know how his life was going to end. He didn’t know while he was in the pit that he would one day be a ruler in Egypt.

Like Joseph, when we are going through situations that we don’t understand, we don’t have the luxury of knowing the outcome. I am sure that during the years in prison Joseph didn’t see that there was a plan behind what was happening to him, but there was. Again, like Joseph, we can’t always see that there is a plan at work behind what is happening to us. But there is. There was for Joseph and there is for us.

When we don’t understand what is going on or why this thing is happening to us, we need to remember– God has a plan. Don’t let it shake you- God has a plan. Don’t let it rattle you– God has a plan. Don’t worry- God has a plan. The situation may look bleak, but God has a plan. The furnace may be hot, but God has a plan. The lions may be roaring all around you, but God has a plan. The Red Sea may be before you, but God has a plan. God is aware of what you are going through. It hasn’t taken Him by surprise. And He will make all things- this included- work together for the good, because He has a plan.
Have a great day. Whatever you are going through this morning, you may not understand it, you may not have the ability to see the outcome, but remember this- God has a plan, and this will work together for your good.
For further reading:
Romans 8:28
Genesis 45:6-8

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“The Right Time”

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.” Psalm 37:23

Often when we think about our steps being ordered, we think in terms of “where” they are ordered. As in the Lord ordering our steps in this direction or that direction, to this place or that place. But His ordering of our steps also means “when” they are ordered. Our steps are ordered to go at a particular time as well as to a particular place.

I know from experience that there have been times I knew the Lord was leading me in a matter, or I needed to be at a certain place, but I could not seem to get there when I started to go. Obstacles and hindrances kept coming in my way. When I finally did “get there”, the timing could not have been any more perfect. I did not arrive at my destination one minute early or one minute late, but just at the right time.

We need to learn how to rest in the fact that our steps as believers are truly ordered by the Lord. He orders them where to go, but He also orders them when to go. Let me make it clear that I am not talking about laziness- just sitting back and never moving forward at all. I am talking about resting in the fact that as you are following the Lord, He will direct your steps to be where they need to be and when they need to be there. A perfect example is the story of Jesus and Lazarus. Jesus received word that Lazarus was ill and his sisters asked for Jesus to come and heal him. Jesus did not go immediately, as He had at other times when requested by someone to come and heal a person. He waited four days then He went. By that time Lazarus had already died. Both of Lazarus’s sisters accused Jesus concerning His timing for coming, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died”. In other words, “If You had come sooner he would still be alive, but You are late. Jesus was never late- or early, for that matter- Jesus was always on time. In our scheme of things Jesus was late, in God’s scheme of things He was right on time. As a result of His waiting, yes, Lazarus died, but a greater miracle took place that day. And it happened because the Father ordered Jesus’ steps, not just to the right place but to the right place at the right time.

The timing may look “off” to you, but just know that our time is not God’s time and if we follow His timing, it will always be the “right time”.

Have a great day. The Lord orders our steps to “where” they need to be, and “when” they need to be there.
For further reading:
Proverbs 16:9
John 11:1-45

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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.

The following was recently shared on the private website by a FAM member who was really touched by it when it was sent home with her daughter’s fifth grade report card from the Christian school she attends. I hope and pray that all who read it will be blessed and encouraged to know how much God really loves you and just how intimately involved He is in every detail of your life and marriage! And make sure you click on the scripture links to read them, so they can speak to and empower you with God’s amazing grace…the supernatural anointing that enables us to walk out HIS will and plan in our lives and marriages.

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My Child….

You may not know me, but I know everything about you…Psalm 139:1. I know when you sit down and when you rise up…Psalm 139:2. I am familiar with all your ways…Psalm 139:3. Even the very hairs on your head are numbered…Matthew 10:29-31. For you were made in my image…Genesis 1:27. In me you live and move and have your being…Acts 17:28. For you are my offspring…Acts 17:28. I knew you even before you were conceived…Jeremiah 1:4-5. I chose you when I planned creation…Ephesians 1:11-12. For all your days are written in my book… Psalm 139:15-16. I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live…Acts 17-26. You are fearfully and wonderfully made…Psalm 139:14. I knit you together in your mother’s womb…Psalm 139:13. And brought you forth on the day you were born… Psalm 71:6 I have been misrepresented by those who don’t know me… John 8:41-44. I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love… 1 John 4:16. And it is my desire to lavish my love on you … 1 John 3:1. Simply because you are my child and I am your Father… 1 John 3:1. I offer you more then your earthly father ever could… Matthew 7:11. For I am the perfect Father… Matthew 5:48. Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand… James 1:17. For I am your provider and I meet all your needs…Matthew 6:31-33. My plan for your future has always been filled with hope…Jeremiah 29:11. Because I love you with an everlasting love…Jeremiah 31:3. My thoughts toward you are countless as the sands on the seashore…Psalm 139:17-16. And I rejoice over you with singing…Zephaniah 3:17. I will never stop doing good for you…Jeremiah 32:40. For you are my treasured possession…Exodus 19:5. I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul…Jeremiah 32:41. I want to show you great and marvelous things…Jeremiah 33:3. If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me…Deuteronomy 4:29. Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart…Psalm 37:4. For it is I who gave you those desires…Philippians 2:13. I am able to do more for you then you could possible imagine…Ephesians 3:20. For I am your greatest encourager…2 Thessalonians 2:16-17. I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles…2 Corinthians 1:3-4. When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you…Psalm 34:18. As a Shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart…Isaiah 40:11. One day I will wipe every tear away from your eyes…Revelation 21:3-4. I am your Father and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus… John 17:23. For in Jesus my love for you is revealed…John 17:26. He is the exact representation of my being…Hebrews 1:3. He came to demonstrate to you that I am for you, not against you…Romans 8:31. And to tell you I am not counting your sins…2 Corinthians 5:18-19. Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled…2 Corinthians 5:18-19. His death is the ultimate expression of my love for you… 1 John 4:10. I gave everything up I loved that I might gain your love…Romans 8:32. If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive Me… 1 John 2:23. And nothing will ever separate you from my love again…Romans 8:38-39. Come home and I’ll throw you the biggest party Heaven has ever seen…Luke 15:7. I have always been Father and will always be Father…Ephesians 3:14-15. My question is, will you be my child?…John 1:12-13. I am waiting for you…Luke 15:11-32.

Love,
Your Dad, Almighty God