One of the most important aspects of standing for marriage restoration is and always will be faith, because if we don’t have faith, we have nothing to stand on and we can NOT please God. Hebrews 11:6 leaves absolutely no doubt about that, because it says And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. And just in case that doesn’t make it clear enough, Hebrews 10:38 says But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” So there’s absolutely NO wiggle room when it comes to the necessity of putting our faith and confidence in the power and promise of God’s Word as we stand for the restoration of our marriages and families. John 20:29 says Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” And Luke 1:45 very specifically says Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” But one of the MOST powerful verses we MUST get deep down into our innermost being when standing for marriage restoration is Matthew 9:29, because it reveals just how significant WHAT we believe is; it says Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”….

So when we fill our thoughts, hearts and spirits with the discouraging, painful and negative details of our circumstances; focusing on every wrong and hurtful thing our spouses have done in the past and continue to do (or not do) and every angry and hurtful word they’ve said, or live in dread, doubt and fear because of their proposed plans, Jesus warns that we shouldn’t be too surprise when the results are not what we want (confirming Job 3:25); even if we’ve spent countless hours praying for marriage restoration. And that’s confirmed in Matthew 21:22, which says If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” But Mark 11:24 takes that even further and says Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

One reason faith and believing creates such a problem for most standers is that we don’t understand the significance of James 2:26, which says As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. That means that when our thoughts, words and actions don’t line up with the Word of God and what we profess to believe, our faith is powerless and worthless, because it is dead. IF we believe the promises of God’s Word and in His power and faithfulness to bring everything He says to pass, then our actions should reflect that faith instead of being so contrary to it as they so often are.

When we really get how important faith is as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, there are a few passages of scripture we really need to take to heart and learn to rely on. One is Romans 10:16-17, which says But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. So when we struggle with faith and DOING what the Word of God tells us to do as we stand for the restoration of our marriages and even the salvation of our spouses, the ONLY way to change that is to get serious about reading, studying and understanding the Word of God; especially since there’s a demonstrable correlation between the desire men and women have for a greater understanding and reliance on God’s Word and marriage restoration.

Another very significant verse to help increase our faith is Romans 8:28, which says And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. What an awesome and powerful promise! That means that NO MATTER WHAT WE SEE OR HEAR, NO MATTER WHAT OUR SPOUSES DO, SAY OR PROPOSE, if we truly love the Lord and are living our lives according to His Word, God will work it ALL out for good! And we have to understand that there are NO exceptions or exclusions provided in that promise; so no matter what it is, no matter what happens, no matter how bad, terrible or wrong it is, GOD WILL TURN IT ALL TO GOOD WHEN WE LOVE HIM AND ARE LIVING ACCORDING TO HIS PLAN AND PURPOSE FOR OUR LIVES!!! And one of the most amazing, powerful and encouraging examples of that is found in Genesis 50:20, where Joseph told his brothers You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. And even though it is not what we want to hear because of our desire for instant gratification and impatience with the things God is using to mold and shape us into vessels for His glory as He did with Joseph; Joseph had to persist and remain faithful and HUMBLE through many years of hardship and disappointment before the Lord raised him up in such a mighty way. But we can be sure that God will lift us up in DUE time when we resist the dictates of our flesh and pride and humble ourselves under His mighty hand ( 1 Peter 5:5-6) Yet, on the other hand, when we give way to the dictates of our flesh and pride, God actually opposes us, and we surely can’t afford that!

Another important passage for us to keep in mind as we consider living by faith is Proverbs 21:29-31, which says A wicked man puts up a bold front, but an upright man gives thought to his ways. There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD. So the bottom line is that NOTHING can succeed against the Lord, so it doesn’t matter how our spouses feel, how they act, what they say or do, and what they plan or believe, because in the end it is God’s will and plan that will prevail! And the following verses are just a few that confirm that:

Proverbs 16:1 – To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.

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

Proverbs 19:21 – Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

Jeremiah 10:23 – I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.

Isaiah 46:10-11- 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.

Job 42:2 – “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.

Isaiah 14:27 – For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?

Numbers 23:19 – 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?

Isaiah 55:1011 – As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

So we come full circle right back to the importance of reading and Studying God’s Word, because if we don’t know what the Word says, we can’t really put our faith, hope and confidence in its power and promise. So I really appreciated Lorraine Ezell’s devotional this morning, because she points out that a little faith is in fact no faith (or perhaps “dead” faith as James told us). And we know that’s true, because Jesus told us that if we have faith even as small as a mustard seed, NOTHING will be impossible for us; Matthew 17:20 says He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” So read Lorraine’s message and consider how to apply it as you stand on the power and promise of God’s Word for the restoration of your marriage and family, and you’re bound to be blessed and encouraged!

Faith by Lorraine Ezell

“And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”
Mark 4:40

The scripture above is Jesus’ rebuke to the disciples after He calmed the wind and waves on the sea. He asked them why they had “no” faith- not a “little” faith, but none. If they had had faith they would not have been so fearful of the storm. They would not have believed they were going to drown. If they had had faith, they would have said to one another, “Jesus told us we are going to the other side. What He says always comes to pass. Going to the other side means that we are going to arrive at our destination, it doesn’t mean that we are going to die— the storm is not going to kill us because Jesus said we are going to the other side.”

When we have faith- real faith- the situation, our feelings, what we see, what we hear from others, what is happening around us doesn’t effect us. Let the storm rage, Jesus said we are going to the other side. Let the boat fill up with water, Jesus said we are going to the other side. Let the situation look fearful, Jesus said we are going to the other side. Let the wind beat upon us, Jesus said we are going to the other side.

Faith is not moved by exterior circumstances. Faith is not moved by natural occurrences. Faith is moved by God’s word. It’s faith in what God said– not in what I see, not in what I feel, not in what I hear from other sources. My faith is founded in God’s word– in the fact that He is not a man that He should lie; in the fact that He is faithful as promised; in the fact that He is God and will watch over His word to perform it.

Whatever you are going through this morning– if the Lord has spoken a word to you–hold on to that word. Put your faith in what God has said, it’s His promise to you and you can put your faith and confidence in His ability to make it happen.

Have a great day. If He said it, it doesn’t matter what happens— you are going to the other side.

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell and it’s 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.

Keeping up with email has become quite a challenge and as I was working to clean out my inbox just now, I read the following message that one of the FAM members sent to me last night. And I just couldn’t believe how it is once again so perfectly timed to confirm many of the conversations I’ve had with men and women who are new to the fellowship in the past couple of days, as well as some who aren’t so new! So PLEASE read this very powerful message from Susan Cummings, Stop Working My Work, which was posted on the Spirit Of Prophecy website yesterday, and take it to heart. There’s so much that God wants to do for and IN all of us as we stand on the power and promise of His Word for the full and complete restoration of our marriages, but we have to stop trying to do in the natural what ONLY He can do supernaturally. When we really understand the truth of this wonderful message, there’s no way we can help being very blessed and encouraged!

“And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly.” 2 Chronicles 29:36

Early this morning I was thinking about Samuel and how the Lord gave him a suddenly”.
Samuel was asleep after a day of doing his usual religious duties, then suddenly without warning the Lord spoke to him. This happened to Isaiah also. He was in the temple then suddenly he saw the Lord high and lifted up. And Joseph; he was in the prison doing his daily routine then suddenly he was promoted to the second highest in command in Egypt. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is another one. Suddenly an angel appeared and gave her the word from the Lord that she would bear the Messiah. The Lord appeared to Moses, suddenly, out of a burning bush. It happened to Noah, to Abraham, to Gideon, to the shepherds, Saul on the road to Damascus, and a host of others in the Bible.
The Bible is full of people who have this same testimony. They were going about their day, their regular routine, their jobs, their duties, tending to their responsibilities, then “suddenly” without prior warning, without any notice, without even a hint that something was up… the Lord appeared to them, gave them their answer, called them to do something for His Kingdom, gave them an assignment, sent an answer, pronounced a blessing, made a promise, or gave them a promotion.

God works in the “suddenly”. We may not see the answer to our prayer then all of a sudden it comes– as if from no where. We may not see anything happening in our lives to give us any indication that God is aware of what we are going through and then suddenly He lets us know that He is. Whatever you are going through, wherever you are, whatever the situation, whatever you need, whatever you are praying about…the answer will come, and it will come suddenly… and in the least expected way.

Have a great day. God does things suddenly– without warning, when you least expect it.

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell and it’s 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.

Those who know me best know that one of the things about God that just totally amazes me and keeps me in continual awe is His faithfulness to ALWAYS confirm the messages He wants to get across to us at any given time. And His timing is always just so totally incredible; yet absolutely undeniable! Well, this past Sunday morning, I was disappointed when I woke up to discover that my power was out, which meant that I couldn’t watch Charles Stanley’s TV program as I usually do. When it’s really good, as it often is, I tend to watch it three times or more, because there’s always so much packed into his messages that you have to listen to it over and over again just to get everything out of it. But my power was out most of the morning and I forgot to try to watch it later that night.

Meanwhile, I’ve had several conversations with FAM Fellowship members and some new people to the ministry over the past few days, in which we discussed why God allows us to go through such difficult times and that His purpose is to mold us into the image of Christ; because He wants us to have the character of Christ and that we wouldn’t ever get there without the trials that come our way and teach us to be totally dependant on God and to humble ourselves and learn to love and forgive others even when they aren’t being very loveable or even seeking our forgiveness. And we discussed how God uses those times to rub off our rough edges as He makes us more like Christ and that this is a continual process. And one of the new members I had this conversation with even mentioned that she saw Dr. Stanley’s message and that the preview for the coming week was about dealing with trials –the same message isn’t necessarily seen at the same time on all of the different stations. And then this morning, I was impressed with how Lorraine Ezell’s Coffee Break message dealt with trusting God no matter what we’re up against and how she made the point that it’s easy to trust God when everything is going great; but the real test is what we do when our back is up against the wall. So here’s Lorraine’s message:

*****
Unconditional Trust
“Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.” Psalm 37:3

Do you remember the old hymnal- “Trust And Obey”? Our obedience to God is the greatest proof of our trust in Him. But trust isn’t a “fair weather” thing only. Too many of God’s children have “conditional” trust. They trust Him as long as the sun is shining, the skies in their world are blue, they have plenty to eat, all the bills are paid, there are no conflicts in their life, and all is at peace.

The real test of trust comes in just the opposite conditions. Do you trust Him when all visible means of support are gone? Do you trust Him to carry you through the storm? Do you trust Him when Pharaoh’s army is pursuing? Do you trust Him when the brook is dried up? Do you trust Him when you are standing before the fiery furnace?

It’s one thing to trust God when all is well. It’s another to trust Him when your world is falling apart. Whatever condition your life is in today, whatever situation you are facing, whatever you are going through- good, bad, or otherwise- are you going to put your trust in the Lord? Is your trust “rooted and grounded” in Him? If it’s rooted, if it’s grounded, then it’s established upon a sure, strong and powerful foundation, and it’s a foundation you can put your trust in because it’s Jesus, the Solid Rock.”

Have a great day. Is your trust in the Lord conditional or unconditional?”

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell and it’s 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.

*****

Needless to say, I was once again impressed with God’s faithfulness to confirm the messages He seemed to be getting across to some of the people I had been talking to, but little did I know just how faithful! So I was really blown away when I started listening to Charles Stanley’s message from Sunday when Dan sent me a link to it today! It was just totally amazing how much it confirmed the recent conversations about how and why God uses the difficult times in our lives to mold and shape us to make us more like Christ; even down to using some of the very same words and phrases! Now ONLY God could do that! How awesome it is to know that God, with all of the life and death issues He has to be concerned with, is so intimately and actively involved in the most minute details of our lives that He would go to such lengths to remind and reassure us of just how involved He is! And when we truly understand that, we can’t help being blessed and encouraged! So listen to the following message from Charles Stanley to better understand God’s purpose for the trials you’re now experiencing and how they can be used for your good and His glory.
Life’s Trials Explained

I was really struck by Lorraine Ezell’s Coffee Break message this morning, because it’s so well timed with the recent discussion in the fellowship about understanding that God tells us to let our spouses go when they want to leave; yet at the same time He wants us to believe that He can and will restore our marriages. But it’s often difficult to get past the seeming contradiction of standing for our marriages and letting our spouses go, which the following sentence from Lorraine really sums up perfectly! She said “Don’t be attached to the things of the flesh– surrender them and receive the better thing God is wanting to give to you.” She also said “If you hold on to them, you are sacrificing the better for the worse.” And that really is the choice men and women standing for marriage restoration have to make. Either we can desperately and ineffectively try to hold onto marriages now filled with nothing but disappointment, pain and heartache, or we can surrender them to God and trust Him to supernaturally replace them with the glorious and blessed marriages He wants us to have. When we’re standing for marriage restoration for the right reasons; in obedience to God and for the glory of Christ, and not for our own pleasure and to meet our own needs, we have to let go of the past and our spouses to get the “better thing” God has planned for us; just as Paul tells us in Philippians 3:12-14, which says Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Yes, God tells us to let our spouses who no longer believe in honoring their marriage vows depart; as we see in 1 Corinthians 7:15-16 (NASB), which says Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? But it’s very important to realize that we can’t take that instruction with disregard for what we know about God’s Word, which is that it NEVER returns void and that it will ALWAYS accomplish what God desires and what He sent it to accomplish (Isaiah 55:10-11). And in Malachi 2 (AMP), God’s Word makes it very clear that HE gets personally involved in upholding the covenant of our marriages by rejecting and refusing to accept or bless the offerings of anyone who violates the covenant He was a witness to.

And it’s not possible to read Malachi 2:11-17 (AMP) and question how strongly God hates divorce or that He very personally and actively honors and upholds the covenant of our marriages when we remain faithful to them; because it says:
Judah has been faithless and dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah [that is, Jewish men] has profaned the holy sanctuary of the Lord which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god [having divorced his Jewish wife]. The Lord will cast out of the tents of Jacob to the last man those who do this [evil thing], the master and the servant [or the pupil] alike, even him who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts. And this you do with double guilt; you cover the altar of the Lord with tears [shed by your unoffending wives, divorced by you that you might take heathen wives], and with [your own] weeping and crying out because the Lord does not regard your offering any more or accept it with favor at your hand. Yet you ask, Why does He reject it? Because the Lord was witness [to the covenant made at your marriage] between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously and to whom you were faithless. Yet she is your companion and the wife of your covenant [made by your marriage vows]. And did not God make [you and your wife] one [flesh]? Did not One make you and preserve your spirit alive? And why [did God make you two] one? Because He sought a godly offspring [from your union]. Therefore take heed to yourselves, and let no one deal treacherously and be faithless to the wife of his youth. For the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I hate divorce and marital separation and him who covers his garment [his wife] with violence. Therefore keep a watch upon your spirit [that it may be controlled by My Spirit], that you deal not treacherously and faithlessly [with your marriage mate]. You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, In what way have we wearied Him? [You do it when by your actions] you say, Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord and He delights in them. Or [by asking], Where is the God of justice?

As I just reread The Lord will cast out of the tents of Jacob to the last man those who do this [evil thing], the master and the servant [or the pupil] alike, even him who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts., which I’ve done many, many times before, the Lord gave me a totally new insight and understanding. As long as our spouses are not living in right relationship with us, particularly those who are involved in adulterous relationships, repentance is NOT possible, because God will not receive their sin offering or sacrifices, and according to 1 Peter 3:7 (NASB), He won’t hear or answer their prayers either, because it says You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. And then Matthew 5:22-24 even says “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Obviously, God is very serious about reconciliation and making past wrongs right, and He did NOT say that we could just pray and ask for forgiveness. In fact Isaiah 55:7 confirms that and makes it clear that God pardons our sin when we FORSAKE it and turn away from it, because it says Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

So when we truly understand just how serious God is about honoring and upholding the covenant of our marriages and that He is going to get very personally and actively involved in creating circumstances that lead our spouses to repentance and reconciliation, it should be a lot easier for us to let them go. After all, Romans 8:30 assures us that we have nothing to worry about, because it says What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? And if God is not receiving or blessing our spouses’ offerings and worship, and if He’s not honoring their prayers, because they are not living in right relationship with us and as joint heirs with us, we can be pretty sure He’s on our side! And when we REALLY believe Proverbs 21:30, which says There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD., we don’t need to worry about the plans our spouses are making to leave, because ONLY God’s Word and purpose will prevail, just as Proverbs 19:21 says; Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. And among many other verses assuring us of that, the following definitely make it VERY clear that “man proposes and God disposes!”

Proverbs 16:1 – To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.

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

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

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

When we let our spouses go and stop holding onto them and give up our dead marriages, putting our full faith and confidence in the power and promise of God’s Word, He ABSOLUTELY WILL BE faithful to perfect His plan for the full and complete restoration of our marriages and families! So read Lorraine’s Coffee Break devotional and be blessed and encouraged!

What Not To Wear by Lorraine Ezell

“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.” Romans 13:14

The other day a couple of people and I were talking about a television show- What Not To Wear. In case you aren’t familiar with the show, a person is nominated who needs help with the way they dress. Once the person has been selected they are approached with the opportunity to get rid of all the clothes in their closet and buy a brand new wardrobe with a $5,000.00 gift card. Jokingly, I asked one of the people I was talking with if they wanted me to submit their name to the show. This led to a discussion.

These people said they wouldn’t want to do it because they didn’t want to have to give up their whole wardrobe— they liked some of their clothes. Personally, I’d jump at the chance. I am thankful for my clothes, but I am not so attached to any of them that I couldn’t give them up to gain something better– a brand new wardrobe…free.

Let me bring this into the spiritual realm. We are a lot like that. God calls us to “give up” something and we don’t want to because we like it too much. He is trying to give us something better- something of greater eternal value- and we are too attached to that fleshly thing that we often won’t give it up. These nominees have to give up their entire wardrobe because what they are wearing isn’t flattering, it hides the “real” them, it distracts from their beauty. God deals with us to give up some things that we are “wearing” because it hides the light of Christ in us and distracts from them seeing Jesus in us.

Whatever God deals with you to give up- fleshly attitudes, wrong thinking, self-centered desires, desires of the flesh- give them up. You can’t afford to be attached to
them. You have to be willing to give them up. If you hold on to them, you are sacrificing the better for the worse. God wants to bless you and bring out His character in you– He wants Jesus to be seen in you. He won’t be if He’s hidden under the wrong “clothes”.

Have a great day. Don’t be attached to the things of the flesh– surrender them and receive the better thing God is wanting to give to you.

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell and it’s 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.

Dan shared the following post on the private website today and it’s such a wonderful testimony of the power of love and one couple’s God glorifying commitment to the covenant of marriage, that I contacted David Langerfeld to request permission to share it here, and here’s his touching reply:
“You are more than welcome to use Lynda’s story. It would honor us to know that her story could be used to draw others to Christ or to draw others to a closer walk with Him. It is only in Him and through Him that our marriage (or any marriage) can truly be sustained. Thank you for asking us and for honoring us this way. David”
Thank you David and Linda for letting the Lord’s love and goodness shine so strongly and brightly through the word of your testimony and for letting us share it with others for His glory and to defeat the wicked works of the devil! I have no doubt that those reading it will truly be blessed and encouraged by the example you’ve set of what it really means to honor God as we too honor His Holy covenant by standing for the restoration of our marriages! May the Lord bless you both beyond anything you could ever ask or imagine!

*****
Although most of you have read this story many times, I share it every year during Valentine’s Week in tribute to the greatest, most wonderful woman I know…

A Special Love Story

Her family had come to America from Sweden. She had a typical Scandinavian look… Long blond hair; blue eyes; long slender legs; soft, blemish-free skin. She was gorgeous – she was beautiful. In fact, a professional international photographer in her hometown thought she was so pretty that he used a photograph of her to advertise his business.

But that was not her real beauty.

She was raised by some wonderful Christian parents and had become a Christian at an early age. Integrity, honesty and sweetness were just a few of her characteristics. In fact, at her engagement party, her sister, who knew her better than anyone, said that she had never heard her tell a lie. All of her friends said the same thing about her: She was the sweetest girl they knew. She would never speak a harsh word about anyone. Everyone loved to be around her.

A young man she met in her freshman year started dating her and fell in love with her – both her exterior photographic beauty and the wonderful godly character of her inward beauty. She fell in love with him and they spent every free moment they could with each other over the next four years. They were committed to each other and they believed in waiting long before the “True Love Waits” Campaign ever existed.

One week after they graduated from college, they were married. They loved each other’s company. They would walk together, exercise together, go on bike rides together, chaperone youth trips together – go to movies, watch TV, eat pizza, travel – all the things any normal couple would love to do together. They were so much in love.

She taught school for a year and then became a bookkeeper for a surgical supply company. One day, while she was working, for no apparent reason, she lost her balance and fell on the floor. She was later able to get up and went to see a doctor that night. He set her up to see a Neurologist.

The following day, it happened again. For no apparent reason, she lost her balance and fell. This time, though, she couldn’t get up. She had lost all feeling in her legs. They wouldn’t move. Her husband, had to come to the office and pick her up in his arms and carry her to the hospital. After six days in the hospital, the doctor gave this beautiful, active young lady the dreadful news. She had Multiple Sclerosis and she would continue to deteriorate.

This young couple, who had now been married only 18 months – who loved to go everywhere together and do everything together – would now face some new challenges. All their future plans would change, everyday life would change. They would change.

For the next 30 years, this young lady did deteriorate. She had to take steroids (not the kind athletes use, but anti-inflammatory steroids). Her bones became brittle, breaking easily. Her face became puffy and bloated and she could not even put on make-up. Her body was a mess. She went from a walker, to an electric scooter, to a wheelchair. She could no longer feed herself, write her name, or control her own bodily functions. She now had to have someone stay with her 24 hours a day.

If that couple had not had the kind of committed love that’s based first on a personal relationship and a commitment to Jesus Christ and second, on a love that’s based on a commitment to each other, the marriage never would have lasted. In fact, a large percentage of the marriages where a spouse has MS, the other spouse leaves them. The other spouse won’t stay committed to the constant care and the continual physical, psychological and mental changes that continue to occur.

Please hear me carefully – those two people are not heroes. They are not super-saints or super-Christians. They will be the first to tell you that they are not super Christians. Those two people are normal, ordinary people, empowered by the Love of God and a love for each other, to do what the world considers beyond normal and extraordinary.

I know this for a fact – because that woman, that beautiful young lady who will never walk again, who can’t even feed herself, is Lynda Langerfeld – my wife. She’s not a hero. I’m not a hero. We’re children of God, doing what the children of God are supposed to do. Doing what His children are called to do. Doing what God expects of every man and every woman who make a vow before God on their wedding day.

Quite often, Hollywood will portray a “hero” sacrificing his life for his “heroine” in a film. In the world’s eyes, he’s a hero. In God’s eyes, he’s an ordinary man making an extraordinary sacrifice that every Christian who’s committed to his spouse ought to make. Sacrificial, Committed Love is the rule, not the exception. We’re not super-saints, we’re not heroes when we’re being faithful and committed to our mates. We’re doing what God has called every husband and wife to do since the beginning of time.

(c) David Langerfeld dlangerfeld@HarrisburgBaptist.org
www.harrisburgonline.org
*

I wish I had had the time to read Glenn Jackson’s message from yesterday before now, because its timeliness just blows my mind! God is always so faithful to give us the perfect message right when we need it and to confirm what He’s trying to teach us at any given moment in our lives. And since several of our new members are truly struggling with giving up their own efforts and attempts to shame, control, manage, and manipulate their spouses into doing what they want and believe they should do instead of honestly trusting God enough to give their spouses and marriages to Him, being fully persuaded that He CAN AND WILL restore them; yesterday’s message from Glenn is indeed timely and powerful. And even more remarkable is that I was seeking the Lord’s guidance yesterday about how to best convey the importance for all of our members to make a real effort to read and seriously study the Seeds Of Faith posts I try to publish every day, because they are the main teaching tool of this ministry, and what I’ve felt led by the Holy Spirit to share each day. And they’re often written with very specific situations involving FAM members in mind. So when I just read Glenn’s message about ”Partakers” of the Anointing from yesterday, I couldn’t believe how applicable it was and that it’s dated the very day I felt such a great need to express the same message based on circumstances in the lives of several FAM Fellowship members! So as I so often have to do, I’m praising the Lord for His awesome and mind blowing faithfulness to answer us when we call on Him and seek Him! And I encourage everyone to read the above message and seriously study it and ask the Lord to reveal what He wants you to take from it and how it applies to your lives and current situations. God’s power is ALWAYS there for us to access, but we won’t likely be able to do that without taking full advantage of everything He provides to help us in our time of need. And I have no doubt that God brought every one of us here for a purpose, and that purpose is for the restoration of our marriages and families and for HIS glory. But as James 4:3 warns, we had better be sure we’re here for the Lord’s glory and not for our own gain and purpose, because it says When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. But Matthew 6:33 also promises; But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So let’s avoid letting the devil convince us that we are victims of his wickedness and not the victors the Word promises we are in Jesus Christ, and we will then surely be exceedingly blessed and encouraged!

With the addition of a lot of new members to the FAM family recently, this is probably a good time to review what the Bible teaches about letting our spouses go when they want to leave; beginning with understanding the wisdom and instruction provided in 1 Corinthians 7:15 (NKJV), which says But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. But it’s very important to read the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 7 (NKJV) to fully understand the context of this verse and what Paul acknowledged as his personal opinion about marriage, which he considered a hindrance to serving the Lord.

Most of us don’t REALLY understand what letting our spouses go means, much less HOW to do it. But letting our spouses go (or depart)means releasing them to do whatever they’re going to do; no matter how sinful, no matter how stupid, no matter how much it hurts, no matter how dangerous, no matter how wrong, and no matter what. Letting them go means we don’t have to know, understand or feel responsible for what they’re doing, what they’re thinking, how they’re feeling, who they’re talking to and even the things they’re NOT doing…the consequences…nothing. We don’t have to know or “fix” anything, because we know God knows it all and He can handle it all. He’s in control and he just wants us to release them to Him and trust and KNOW that He IS doing what He promises us He will do. And we do NOT have to know when, where, how, or even what He’s doing. For most of us, the only way to let our spouses go AND live in peace is to release and totally give up EVERY expectation we have concerning them, even though that’s probably the most difficult challenge of all. However, it IS what the Lord wants us to do, and it is a VERY significant part of acknowledging Him in all our ways. God’s plan just doesn’t work without working the plan as it is written in His word. All He asks us to do is stand in the gap for our spouses with faith and unending prayers, and when the perfect time arrives, HE WILL MOVE. But not until then, and if we’re at all wise, we wouldn’t want it any other way. But there’s no doubt that releasing our spouses and living in peace means DOING exactly what Proverbs 3:5-6 says, which is 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. And as we trust the Lord and concentrate on doing things HIS way, we can rely on His word in Psalm 37:5-6, which promises 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.

Since every man and woman standing for marriage restoration knows all about feeling totally powerless to change our spouses or what they’re doing, we should take great comfort from the above verses and do our very best to walk them out in our lives each day, because God is not a liar! In fact, Hebrews 6:17-20 tells us Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. So the very best place for us to be is where we finally understand and accept that we can NOT do anything to change our marital circumstances and that the ONLY hope we have is in Jesus and the way HE has ALREADY made for the restoration of our marriages. So we’re in the right and very best place when we understand and rely on Psalm 62:1-2, which says My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. When we stand in faith and obedience, God WILL meet every need and He will be faithful to fulfill every promise found in His word, just as Isaiah 55:9-13 says:
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 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,
11 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.
12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD’s renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed.”

Proverbs 8:34 (NKJV) says Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors., which reminds me of the father of the prodigal son. So instead of focusing so much on the prodigal son and what he did and what happened to him, everyone standing for marriage restoration should be a whole lot more focused on the father and what he did, AND WHAT HE DID NOT DO, because this is one of the best examples in the Bible of what it really means to let our spouses go and live in peace. So we need to read and meditate on The Parable Of The Lost Son, more commonly referred to as the prodigal son, and why our spouses are so often referred to as prodigals. There’s no doubt that father was totally devastated and that his heart was broken when his rebellious, disrespectful and ungrateful son in effect said that he wished he was dead so he could get his inheritance. And there’s no doubt that after letting his son go into the unknown dangers of the lifestyle he wanted to partake of and waste his fortune on, he made peace with his pain and disappointment, and overcame his fear by devoting himself to prayer, putting all of his faith in the Lord to protect and return his son. That’s why as men and women standing for marriage restoration, we must faithfully do what Colossians 4:2 instructs us to do, which is Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

When studying what God means by asking us to let our spouses go, it’s important to know that the Greek word interpreted as “bondage” (or “bound” in the NIV) in the original text of 1 Corinthians 7:15 is “DOULOO”, which means slavery, and the same word used in Acts 7:6, which says God spoke to him in this way: ‘Your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. And that’s also the same word used in 2 Peter 2:19, which says They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. Yet, in 1 Corinthians 7:39, where Paul said 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., he used the Greek word “DEO”, which means mutual commitment or agreement, as by contract. And that’s the same word he used again in Romans 7:2-3, which says For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man. So it is not reasonable to interpret 1 Corinthians 7:15 to mean that if an unbelieving spouse (not necessarily unsaved) leaves or departs, the other spouse is free to remarry. And since God ALWAYS calls us to live in peace, we can’t infer a special interpretation in this context, because the same thing is seen in many other verses, such as Romans 12:18, which says If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Furthermore, rejecting such an interpretation is also consistent with the instructions given to wives in 1 Peter 3:1-2, which says Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. And that makes even more sense since 1 Corinthians 7:16 asks how we know whether we will save our husbands or wives, and many men and women with restored marriages say that it was the unexplainable peace they observed in their spouses that first drew them back to their homes. And even if we can’t necessarily explain why this verse says that we’re not bound in such circumstances, it can NOT mean something totally contrary to what so many other verses say, especially since Paul did NOT use the Greek word DEO. Perhaps it is just simply a statement of the obvious, which is that while our spouses are away from home, we’re not bound in terms of performing our daily duties and responsibilities as husbands and wives, which makes us free to focus on other things that glorify the Lord instead. That especially makes a lot of sense when considered in the context of how strongly Paul states his own opinion that married people can’t serve the Lord with the same level of faithfulness and commitment of those without the responsibilities and concerns of marriage. So Paul obviously considered marriage as a type of bondage or slavery.

Even though we might not understand it, there is no doubt that the Lord expects us to release our spouses and let them go when they want to leave because they don’t believe in the sanctity of our marriage vows. And, yes, He does know how difficult that is, but He requires it just the same. And that means not trying to stop them by putting up roadblocks and holding onto them, or by trying to make them feel guilty or pay for their sin, short comings and failures. That’s the role of the Holy Spirit and He doesn’t need our help. Our role is to always show respect, honor and unconditional love for our spouses, even if they’re not doing anything to deserve it. And we can’t claim to love our spouses if we’re not willing to cover a multitude of sin, and cover over their wrongs and their offenses. In other words, if we love our spouses, the Bible tells us to COVER their nakedness, and not to uncover it by exposing their sin and failures to others, which is a big part of letting them go. The conviction and consequences for unfaithful spouses must come from the Lord and NOT us and we do a great deal of damage to the restoration process if we fail to understand that. God calls us to be spouses of noble character and when we are, we will give our spouses reason to one day say that we are worth far more than rubies and that they have full confidence in us and lack nothing of value. And let’s be sure to bring our spouses good, and not harm, all the days of our lives (Proverbs 31:10-12. And when we let our spouses go and trust and obey god, we will most definitely be blessed and encouraged!

Since walking in unconditional love is so vitally important when seeking marriage restoration, perhaps we need to focus more on what love is not and what love does not do; especially when challenged to stand for marriage restoration when our spouses are involved in adulterous relationships and have so completely abdicated their obligations and responsibilities.

Even though none of us standing for the restoration of our marriages would ever say that we don’t love our spouses, the sad truth is that our actions very often indicate otherwise, based on what the Bible teaches about love. It would be difficult for any of us to honestly say we have really demonstrated love to our spouses when reading and thoughtfully considering 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, because it says:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. And if we take time to consider each point as we read this passage, we’d have to admit that we’ve failed in at least one or more areas. In fact, most of us have to admit that we’ve failed miserably when it comes to NOT being self-seeking, NOT being easily angered, and keeping NO record of wrongs. And we probably haven’t done much better when it comes to ALWAYS protecting, ALWAYS trusting, ALWAYS hoping, or ALWAYS persevering. And that’s just the most obvious stuff, because there are more than likely some other things in there we haven’t done so well with either! So when we’re honest, we have to admit that we haven’t loved our spouses very well. If we had, they probably wouldn’t be somewhere else right now, because as Proverbs 19:22 tells us What a man desires is unfailing love… And when it’s not available at home, we can be sure Satan will do his wicked best to fill that void with tempting and irresistible counterfeits elsewhere.

So one of the first things we have to do when standing for marriage restoration is acknowledge that we have NOT loved our spouses as they need to be loved and as the Lord commands us to love them. I honestly believe marriage restoration is NOT possible without first admitting that and learning how to love our spouses UNCONDITIONALLY; and particularly avoiding doing the things love does NOT do.

Learning to love the way God calls us to love begins by understanding that love can not be separated from God and that it’s not possible to love unconditionally without the Love of God in us, as revealed in the following verses:

1 John 4:19 – We love because he first loved us.

1 John 4:7 –
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

1 John 4:16 – 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.

1 John 4:8 – Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

John 15:12 – My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

The ONLY way we can love our spouses as the Lord commands, is to be more like Jesus, as Ephesians 5:1-2 teaches; Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. So by its very nature, unconditional love is “sacrificial love,” as confirmed in John 15:13, which says Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. We usually take this verse to mean that we’re willing to die for our loved ones, but based on everything else the Bible teaches, there’s little doubt that it really means that we’re willing to “lay down” our own will, our own needs and desires, and our flesh to better serve the one we love. Likewise, Jesus didn’t literally mean that we have to “take up” a cross daily to follow Him as He said in Luke 9:23, which says Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. And Jesus very particularly said “his cross” — ANYTHING our flesh uses to make us less like Christ, which is why He said we had to take it up daily. So loving our spouses as the Lord expects and commands throughout the Bible definitely means “denying” ourselves and CONSTANTLY crucifying our flesh; which is particularly difficult when in the midst of the intense pain and emotions experienced when our spouses have betrayed us so personally and become virtual strangers. Thankfully, the Lord promises that His grace is sufficient and that we can do ALL things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us; but without relying on His grace and strength, we just can’t do it!

The following verses give us even greater understanding of the nature and character of love from God’s perspective, along with some excellent advice about how to love our spouses unconditionally and some very important reminders of things we must STOP doing, because they are NOT what love does:

Hosea 3:1 – The LORD said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”

Song of Solomon 8:6-7 – Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned.

Proverbs 10:12 – Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.

Proverbs 17:9 – He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

Luke 6:32 – “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them.

1 Peter 4:8 – Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

1 Corinthians 16:14 – Do everything in love.

Ephesians 4:2 – Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Proverbs 21:21 – He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.

1 Timothy 6:11 – But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

1 Peter 3:8 – Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

There’s a LOT of wisdom and sound advice in all of the above scriptures, so we’d be wise to revisit them often and check to see how well we’re putting them into practice. And remember what James 1:22-25 tells us, which is Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. Yes, when we learn to DO God’s Word, especially when it comes to demonstrating unfailing and unconditional love to our spouses and avoid doing what love does NOT do, we will most definitely be blessed and encouraged!

The single most important thing for anyone standing for marriage restoration to grasp and put into practice in their lives is the awesome power and promise of God’s Word and that without it, we have NOTHING to stand on. Without God’s Word, we are left to rely on the wisdom and ways of the world, which means we would continue reaping the disastrous consequences doing that has already sown into our marriages and families. But we’ve really been blessed with a lot of great messages lately to help us better understand God’s Word and how to apply it as we stand for the restoration of our marriages; such as the following message from Priscilla Van Sutphin of Upstream Ministries California, Crank it up!, posted on the Spirit of Prophecy website as follows:
Crank it up! – February 9th, 2007 (a typo on the date)
“I heard the Lord say “crank it up”. What Lord ? Crank up the prayers, crank up the declarations. Crank up the FAITH in MY ability to over come all the trials and troubles of this world.

SPEAK FORTH LIFE into the darkness. SPEAK LIFE that is in MY WORD. SPEAK LIFE that is inherent in My WORD. MY WORD IS LIFE to your bones & healing to your body and soul. You have the ability to speak life or death. SPEAK LIFE. Speak life to the dead dry bones of My church. Speak life to the lost. Speak LIFE to everyone around you, to the news stories you see on the TV. Speak MY judgment to the darkness. Ask and it shall be given to you! ASK! BELIEVE that what you speak will BE. BELIEVE and do not back off. KEEP declaring.
STAND and keep STANDING.”

Unfortunately, the majority of men and women standing for marriage restoration speak way too many words totally contrary to the Word of God and are then left wondering why they don’t see anything happening in their circumstances. From time to time, they may remember that they’re supposed to be speaking God’s Word, but when they don’t see instant results, they become discouraged and want to give up. So the following article shared by one of the FAM Fellowship members on the private website in response to a prayer request from another member is very powerful and helpful for anyone standing for marriage restoration, because it helps us put the power and promise of God’s Word into more practical terms and perspective. It’s titled God’s Word Is A Seed, and it’s posted on www.Believers.org as follows:
“Most people expect God’s Word to work like a stick of dynamite — but God’s Word is like a seed. We know because of what Jesus said.
LUKE 8:11 NKJ
11 “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
The Holy Spirit, through Peter, also said God’s Word is a seed.
1 PETER 1:23 NKJ
23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
God’s Word is alive. Just like a seed — the Bible is full of unseen life.
JOHN 6:63 NKJ
63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
Jesus said His words are alive. They contain life. The words in your Bible may look lifeless and powerless. Seeds do, too. But they are not without life or power.

In Mark 4:30-31, Jesus explained that the kingdom of God works like a seed. So, if we are to understand God’s kingdom and how He operates, we need to understand seeds.

Seeds
* A seed is alive: it contains life.
Your physical senses are incapable of judging whether a seed is alive or not. You cannot see, feel, hear, smell, or taste the life in a seed. There is only one way to prove a seed is alive — plant it.
* A seed does nothing until planted.
Seeds do not grow sitting in a sack on your shelf. They must be planted in the proper place.
If you desire the Word of God to produce in your life, you
must decide to plant the Word in your heart and mind. The best way to plant the seed of God’s Word in your life is by speaking the Word. Hearing others speak the Word is good — but will not produce as bountiful a harvest as speaking the Word yourself. Speaking God’s Word with your mouth is essential. As we speak God’s Word we are planting the seed in our heart for the harvest of results we desire.
ROMANS 10:10 NKJ
10 For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.
Whatever you need to be saved or delivered from, confession (what you say) is essential.
* A seed is much smaller than the plant it produces.
The problem you face may seem huge. In comparison, a scripture may seem very small. But when planted, that Word will grow in you and overcome the problem.
* A seed always produces after its kind.
GALATIANS 6:7 NKJ
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
Whatever you need, or desire, find scriptures relating to that. Then plant those scriptures inside you in abundance. Those seeds will grow up and produce a harvest of what you need or desire.
* A seed is powerful.
As a seed begins to grow, it will push up dirt, rocks, etc. Whatever the obstacles are, God’s Word planted in your heart will push them out of the way.
* A seed begins its growth in secret (underground).
The only way to tell if a seed is growing is to dig it up, or wait for a plant to appear. If you dig up a seed, you may kill it.
* A seed takes time to produce.
No one expects a seed to produce a harvest the same day that seed is planted. Sometimes the Word of God seems to spring up and bear fruit immediately. Yet, if we knew the details, we would understand that the fruit of the Word grew in that person’s life over time.
* A seed is persistent.
A seed never gives up, but works day and night. Even when you are sleeping, the seed you have planted is working to grow and express itself in a fruitful harvest.
* A seed is not affected by other seeds.
Whatever happens to other seeds does not make any difference to a specific seed. Each seed sticks to its own task. One wheat seed planted in a corn field will still produce wheat. Seed does not become discouraged, or quit, even if other seeds die.
* A seed will stop growing without nourishment.
Planting a seed is not enough to assure a harvest. Seed must be protected and taken care of until harvest time. A seed which is dug up, or not watered, will not produce.
* More seeds planted produce a larger harvest.
2 CORINTHIANS 9:6 NKJ
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Think on these truths about seeds. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you apply them to the role of God’s Word in your life.”

So I hope and pray that these messages will help all of us get a greater understanding of just how VITAL God’s Word is to us as we stand against the wisdom and ways of the world for the restoration of our marriages and families, because the powerful truth of 2 CORINTHIANS 9:6 has most definitely been proven in the restoration testimonies we’ve been blessed to witness in FAMM over the past two years. And there’s absolutely no more vitally important message than this to get if we really want to be blessed and encouraged as we see Jesus Christ glorified in the FULL and COMPLETE restoration of our marriages and families!

While studying and preparing for marriage restoration ministry, one of the most influential passages of scripture the Lord used to guide me concerning what He wanted FAMM to do and how to do it was Revelation 12, especially verses 9-11, which say:
The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
So when we read Revelation 12, there’s little doubt that we will continue to do battle with the devil, but we also see that we WILL be victorious, because he is defeated by the blood of the Lamb AND by the word of our testimony!

As men and women who have seen our marriages and families torn apart by Satan’s wicked influence and intervention, we understand the devil’s destructive power and the importance of learning to use the weapons of our warfare to overcome him. But 1 Peter 5:8 warns that Satan is just waiting in the wings to pounce and makes it very clear that he will not miss ANY opportunity he gets to do so, because it says Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. That’s why it’s so important to use the powerful testimonies of marriage restoration the Lord provides to overcome the work of the devil as he comes to steal, kill and destroy other marriages and families. Therefore, understanding the power of our testimonies as we do, it’s always very exciting when we are blessed to see another marriage and family restored. But even more important and more exciting is knowing that those blessed with marriage restoration truly understand God’s purpose and how He wants them to use their testimony to help save so many other marriages and families and to bring praise, honor and glory to His name!

The FAM Fellowship has been extremely blessed by the continued and active participation of numerous fellowship members with restored marriages, and we thank the Lord for each of them and how He continually uses the word of their testimonies to defeat the devil an encourage other FAM members now standing for their marriages. But for the first time, we are now blessed by the desire and willingness of our latest restored couple to respond to the call God has placed on their hearts and lives to use their powerful testimony of marriage restoration to help bring hope and encouragement to others standing for the restoration of their marriages and to defeat the devil as God uses the word of their testimony to overcome him!

Regular visitors to the site know that I’m pretty strong in the faith department, but I have to admit that when I first read Danny’s testimony, I had at least a moment of doubt, but I did take that thought captive and just told the Lord “This is a tough one, but I know NOTHING is impossible with You.” And Danny and Yolanda’s powerful testimony certainly proves that when we HUMBLE ourselves and surrender our lives and circumstances to Him as we put our hope and confidence in the power and promise of His Word and learn to walk it out in our lives as we trust and obey Him, we will be blessed and see God’s glory manifested in our lives and marriages! Danny and Yolanda will be sharing more of their testimony in the future, but I thank them for their permission to share a bit of it here now.

After losing a job Danny had for a long time, he got caught up in providing for his family and allowed his priorities to get out of order, and as often happens with one spouse or the other, Yolanda felt neglected and unloved. Then one night after confronting her with his suspicions that she was involved with someone else, Yolanda confessed that she had been involved with someone at work for the previous six months and that she was very serious about the other man and planning to leave Danny; at which time she intended to tell him. But as Danny would say, he “lost it” and he tried to kill her by choking her. But when he realized he couldn’t do that, he wanted to kill himself instead. But Yolanda wouldn’t leave him alone and called men from the church to stay with him as she moved out. When Danny came to the ministry, they hadn’t seen each other since that night, even though they were talking on the phone. But when the Lord spoke restoration and healing to Danny’s heart, things began to change very quickly and we were all in total awe and amazement to see how quickly and miraculously the Lord restored their marriage! And now He has put it in both of their hearts to use the word of their testimony to help others with troubled marriages; not only walking out the power and promise found in Revelation 12:11, but also in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, which says Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. So I know everyone will want to join us as we congratulate Danny and Yolanda and support them with our prayers as they seek the Lord’s will for the ministry of marriage restoration He has called them to. And we all look forward to seeing how the Lord will use them and the powerful word of their testimony and bless their obedience! So as you read the following post from Danny from the private site and responses from some of the other FAM members, be blessed and encouraged by the knowledge that what God has done for them and others, He will do for you!

*****
Hi Everyone,
Yolanda and I are continuing to seek Godly counsel and are thankful to God regarding our marriage restoration. We both have a strong desire to bring hope and faith to those who are standing for marriage restoration, or those who are going through difficulties in their marriages. We believe that one of the ways to allow God to continue to work in our marriage is to give to others. So with this in mind, we desire your prayers so that God can guide us into his will for us in regard to sharing our testimony. Yolanda will be home tomorrow and is looking forward to getting to know everyone in this fellowship, especially the ladies; she wants to share our story from her perspective.

On a personal note, I just want to say that from the first time I contacted FAMM, I knew that I had found a place that would help me during my trial. It was something that God orchestrated and I am forever in His debt. Thank you, Linda, and everyone else who shared with me words of faith and hope. I love you all; and know that you are in my prayers.

P.S. Dan, thanks for being there for me and all the other guys. God has something special for you. Stay faithful.

Love, Danny

Response by Joe on January 25th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Wow, Danny and Yolanda, that is great. I have been so blessed by so much, and your testimonies and restored marriage are an encouragement to all of us. Let God lead you guys, and wait for His timing, He will direct you, and my prayers are for you both!

Response by Dan on January 25th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
God is good!! What a blessing to join in the celebration of your restored marriage and your faithfulness and obedience in God. You guys have a powerful testimony which I am sure God will use to touch many. Thank you both for being honest and open about your problems. It is important for us to have situations to relate to so we understand that nothing is hopeless when we have a God like ours! Thanks, Danny, for your support and encouragement and I know you will be so helpful to many as you share your strong faith and wisdom from your knowledge of the Word.

God, we thank You! You truly are an amazing God and show Your power and might in doing what in our eyes seems impossible. We know that You are no respector of persons, so what You have completed in Danny and Yolanda, You are willing and able to do for the rest of us. Lord, guide, direct and bless these two as they dedicate their lives to You and continue in obedience to glorify an honor You. Amen WOOOOHOOOOO, God!!

Response by Linda Wattu on January 25th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Danny, you know I’m just totally thrilled to see how the Lord has worked in the restoration of your relationship with Him and with Yolanda! It’s so wonderful to know that she will be home tomorrow and that you are both so committed to using what the devil meant for evil to glorify God and to help others. You have been blessed with a very powerful testimony and the Lord does expect you to use it to bring hope, comfort and encouragement to others just as you said, and I know from personal experience that when you surrender to His plan, you will know joy and blessings beyond anything you can even begin to understand or imagine right now. And all of us at FAMM are just honored and blessed to be a part of what God has done and will continue to do for you and Yolanda. And it’s ALL going to be so very exciting, because I know you won’t let what God has entrusted to you be wasted; He didn’t do it for the two of you and your little one alone; He did it for the glory of His beloved Son. And through your faithfulness and obedience, I have no doubt that many will be blessed and see the love and goodness of God. So we rejoice with you and look forward to the great things we know the Lord will do! And I’m with Dan; WOOOOHOOOOO, GOD!!!

Response by Diane on January 26th, 2008 at 10:44 am
I say another WOOOOHOOO God, it is just an amazing feeling to be apart of all this; to watch God bring us to a place that just seems impossible and for HIM to turn it all around and create a miracle. I rejoice with you and I wait with anticipation to get to know Yolanda. Welcome to our FAMM family, Yolanda; you are a blessing. Hang on everyone, I have been feeling that feeling of many amazing things about to happen. God is amazing and He just keeps showing us. BELIEVE and hold tight to HIM and He will not disappoint us.

Thanks for this, God, and thanks for this family. Keep them safe and show them how You want them to share this amazing testimony about YOU. We thank you and wait to be amazed once again. Diane

Response by Maria on January 26th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
This is great news, Danny. Thanks for posting. I can’t wait for your testimony to be published as an example of what God can do and is doing. This is such a great praise. May He continue to bless your family as you are embarking on a completely new path with Him in charge.

Response by Paula on January 27th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Amen Danny! That’s what it is all about! Being used for God’s glory. Your testimony and witness will be used to restore many other marriages and to bring the lost to Christ! Welcome Yolanda! We love you and thank you both for your willingness to be used of God! I look forward to learning from you both!

Response by Janet in Virginia on January 27th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
I’m so happy for you and Yolanda and can’t wait to “meet” Yolanda when she joins us. Congratulations! Woo-Hoo! And Praise the Lord!

Response by Sharon on January 29th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Congratulations Danny! This is so awesome. God is making a new creation out of you and Yolanda. The best is yet to come. Thanks for allowing us to be a part of your restoration, for the praise and glory of God.

Response by Lori on January 29th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Praise God! Congratulations and many blessings to you and Yolanda! God is great and he will continue to bless your family.

Sometimes the most powerful messages are also the shortest, and the message below from Glenn Jackson certainly falls into that category; especially for everyone standing against the wisdom and counsel of the world for marriage restoration! Unfortunately, the truth and reality of his message is something experienced over and over again in the lives of countless men and women standing for the restoration of their marriages and families. Hearing all of the ‘ungodly counsel” so many Christian men and women have received from pastors and “Christian counselors” breaks my heart, especially when I see the terrible harm it has done and is doing in their lives and the lives of their beloved spouses and children. I actually know of marriages that were literally put asunder on account of horrible counsel provided totally contrary to what the Bible teaches; yet the people receiving the counsel had honestly attempted to seek what they had every right to expect to be Godly counsel from either their pastors or Christian counselors. Surely we should be able to rely on our pastors and those calling themselves “Christian counselors” for counsel that lines up with the Word of God? Well, I’m here to tell you that the sad truth is that we can not! That’s why it is SO important for us to seek God’s counsel ourselves through reading and studying His Word and letting the Holy Spirit speak to us directly, especially since that’s the only way we’ll have the grace and anointing necessary to walk out the counsel we receive. And the Bible very clearly warns us against the danger of ungodly and unscriptural counsel from those we should be able to expect more of in both 2 Timothy 4:2-4 and 2 Peter 2 So I hope and pray that everyone will read Glenn’s message and make a commitment to listen to and act on ONLY the counsel that lines up with the written Word of God (as it is written in the Bible), because I know we will then indeed be blessed and encouraged just as Psalm 1 promises!

*****
EXHORTATIONS FROM THE FATHER
“Reflections” Of The Father’s Heart – February 6th 2008

All “ungodly counsel” has but one purpose in the mind of Satan, and that is to “stifle” revelation knowledge in the heart of those who are truly seeking first My Kingdom
– those who seek with ALL of their heart to be righteously motivated in ALL things [Psalm 1:1-6].

“stifle” – to keep back; suppress or repress; to suffocate or choke

Glenn H. Jackson
P.O. Box 1032
Kremmling, CO 80459

Visit Glenn’s website, where you can read this and other messages and sign up to receive them by email each day.

This is such an important message for everyone who may really be struggling while standing for marriage restoration and may be feeling forgotten not only by their beloved spouses, but by God as well. So I hope and pray everyone feeling abandoned or forgotten by God will take this beautiful message to heart and be blessed and encouraged!

*****
“The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.” Psalm 33:13

Let me give you a very literal translation of this verse: “The Lord sits high, but He looks low!” He is God, He is highly exalted, He is above all, He is to be worshipped, revered and adored. He is great beyond description. It’s not in our vocabulary to be able to tell of His greatness. We are unable to articulate His majesty, His complexity and power. He is more than we can even imagine or ever know short of eternity. Yet in His greatness, He takes note of us. He looks through the portals of heaven to the deepest recesses of earth and sees you and me. Though He is high and mighty, yet He has loving-kindness, tender mercy and compassion on us. Though He sits high above the earth, He cares so deeply about us that His eyes go to and fro throughout the whole earth looking for those He can show Himself strong on behalf of.

This morning if you think that God has forgotten you, I am here to tell you that He has not. He knows exactly where you are and what you are going through. He sees everything; nothing is hid from Him. He may seem a million miles away, but His eyes are looking at you right now. He may seem untouchable, but He’s near enough to touch. He sees the “low” places in your heart- the places of pain, hurt, abuse, betrayal. He sees the tears that have fallen “low” to the ground. He hears the cry that you have “lowered” so that no one else would know that you are crying.
He may sit high, but He’s not so high that He doesn’t care about you. He’s not so high that He doesn’t know what’s going on. He may be high, but His heart leans low to embrace you. He isn’t as far away as you have felt like He was. Reach out and reach up and you will find that He is nearer than you knew.

Have a great day. He may sit high, but He is looking low… and He sees you.

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell and it’s 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.

Hopefully the things I’ve observed in the past week or so are not unique to me or FAMM; hopefully there is a real trend in the churches and ministries of America to finally start taking a stand for God’s Holy covenant of marriage! Last week, I was contacted by Grove Baptist Church in Portsmouth, VA to ask for permission to reprint one of the prayers from our site in their upcoming newsletter, which goes out to over 4,000 households! Of course, that’s a great honor; so I naturally gave permission and just requested that a link to the site be included. And I expressed my appreciation to know that a church was so interested in promoting marriage restoration instead of condoning or even encouraging divorce! What a difference it would make in so many lives if more churches would be so bold in taking a stand for the covenant of marriage! Then in addition to that, a lot of prophetic messages started coming out about honoring the covenant relationship of marriage and proclaiming the long awaited restoration of families. So it seems that God is telling those who have been waiting for the restoration of their marriages and families for a long time to GET READY! Seeing the very same message come from so many unrelated sources (of course, that’s if we don’t count the Holy Spirit!) can not possibly be insignificant. So I want to share just two of the latest messages I’ve received in the past two days. The first is a link I received today from a FAM member to The Fuzzy-Wuzzy World of Charismatic Morality by J. Lee Grady, editor of Charisma Magazine. The article in the upcoming issue promises to be a very good one, so I look forward to reading it! It’s long past high time we start standing up to the wishy-washy morality that now seems totally acceptable in mega churches and ministries today! And just read 2 Peter 2 if you doubt why we have to do that!

And the second message I want to share is from Glenn Jackson, who has written some very good messages about marriage and restoration in the past week or so. The following one was from yesterday, and anyone reading it and standing for marriage restoration is bound to be blessed and encouraged!

*****
EXHORTATIONS FROM THE FATHER
“Reflections” Of The Father’s Heart – February 3rd, 2008

Marriage was ordained by Me for a man and a woman to fulfil My destiny and calling upon their lives, and to be a continual sign and wonder to all those who cross their path of the superabundant blessings [fruit] of true Covenant-relationship.

One must always “pray” before they “say” [speak into a situation] [1 Thessalonians 5:17].

Many still base their “views” of “marriage” on an idealistic and moralistic idea that “society” has produced over the years. But truly I say to you, as the world [the earth] has gotten farther and farther away from “contact” with My Word the true view of marriage has been “diluted” to the point that it is considered “optional” by the vast majority of young people. And, therefore, they remain in “relationships” apart from covenant with Me and, thus, Satan has “free reign” in their lives, and in the lives of all those with whom they have to do [children]. Truly I say to you, there shall be a great revival in family and relationships in this final hour, and through My holy apostles and prophets I shall produce a “flaming” and “fiery” revelation of the true thoughts and intents of My heart concerning marriage and, because of these things, a great “revival” shall break forth in this area and many families shall be “supernaturally” restored and many relationships healed and, thus, “all” those who will partake of this blessing shall enter into ALL that which I had originally intended and “ordained” through the “marriage covenant” [with Me].

Glenn H. Jackson
P.O. Box 1032
Kremmling, CO 80459

You can visit Glenn’s website, where you can read this message and all the others he’s written concerning marriage recently; and you can listen to his online messages an sign up to receive numerous daily email messages as well.

One of the most consistently difficult challenges when standing for marriage restoration is understanding and putting into practice the instructions in 1 Corinthians 7:15, which says But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.

There’s no point in addressing how the above verse is distorted by most of today’s Christian leaders who use it to condone divorce and remarriage, because that’s not the point of today’s message; and most people reading this have already gotten beyond the deception of such teaching, which is discussed in great detail elsewhere on the site. But we do need to understand what it means, and why the Lord asks us to do it in the first place. So I was really excited when the Lord gave me new insight about that last year.

I’ve recently had a lot of conversation with FAM Fellowship members, especially some of our newest members, about the difficulties of letting go, and how important it is to totally and completely trust God. And since many of the visitors to the public site struggle with the same questions, I hope this will help explain it in more detail.

When one of our FAM members who now has an incredible restoration testimony was going through the process of a divorce last year, she set a great example for all of us. Instead of fighting the divorce and hiring an attorney (as her husband had) to help work out their settlement agreement, she simply asked to meet with her husband privately to discuss the division of their property, because she said she would rather they work that out between themselves instead of going through the lawyers. I was so glad to hear she had done that, because I had a very protracted and messy divorce, which did absolutely NOTHING to glorify Jesus Christ, and only served to make marriage restoration more unlikely in the earthly realm. In addition to 1 Corinthians 7:15 saying we are called to live in peace, there are so many verses in the Bible that tell us to seek peace, pursue peace and be peace makers. So maintaining and seeking peace in our relationships with our spouses, even when they want to leave us and do a lot to hurt and disappoint us, is obviously very important to God. But any time we find ourselves in the midst of the legal system and in court, by their very adversarial nature, they do little to promote peace. In fact, they almost ALWAYS make bad situations a LOT worse. So I always suggest doing everything possible to avoid relying on the courts and very flawed legal system to help in matters of divorce, and even child support. And there are a ton of scriptures indicating that doing so directly opposes the will and ways of God; like casting all of our anxieties on God because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7), leaning not to our own understanding and trusting God with ALL of our hearts and acknowledging Him in ALL of our ways so He will direct our paths(Proverbs 3:5-6), not causing God to oppose us because of our pride and humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God because HE WILL lift us up in DUE time (1 Peter 5:5-6), seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness because we know He will give us everything else we need (Matthew 6:32-33), and letting our gentleness be apparent because the Lord is near, and taking all of our request to GOD in prayer with thanksgiving, without being anxious about ANYTHING (Philippians 4:5-6). And how interesting it is that after that last passage, Philippians 4:7 says And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. So that, along with the other verses, is a pretty good indication of HOW we let our spouses go and manage to live in peace as we’re called to do in 1 Corinthians 7:15! And the praise report from the above mentioned woman the morning after she first met with her husband certainly proved ALL of the above verses! She was surprised by the peace she had during their meeting and since she was not so overwrought, she was able to see how terribly unhappy he was, and have genuine compassion for him. And her faith and confidence in the Lord to meet her needs and restore their marriage was greatly increased! But it’s important to note that everything she did was in complete agreement with the above verses and many others, and our God and Father is ALWAYS faithful to reward and bless our faith and obedience when we do that!

It’s not uncommon to have lengthy conversations with men and women who understand in their heads that they need to let go, but they just don’t seem to be able to DO it. So I am always trying to better understand and explain the difference between those who struggle so much and those who find the grace and strength I’ve witnessed as they face similar circumstances with such a calm and confident attitude.

And the new insight about why letting go is so important came when I was really trying to better understand WHY it’s so important to God. I mean I understood that it’s important, because He made us and He knows how we’re wired. And for some reason, releasing our spouses is important in that respect, because as long as we’re holding onto them they will just try harder to get farther and farther away from us. But it kept going around and around in my head that there had to be more, and I couldn’t believe it when the Lord reminded me of something He had shown me earlier about WHY Jesus wept when Lazarus died. And that gave me the answer; it’s ALL about FAITH, and demonstrating in meaningful and measurable ways that we trust God to fulfill His Word in every respect. We have to show God that we believe, expect and rely on HIM to do exactly what His Word tells us He will do, and that we know that His Word will NEVER return void, that it will ALWAYS accomplish what He desires and sent it to accomplish (Isaiah 55:10-11).

He made that point to me one Sunday morning as I was getting ready for church; I heard a preacher on TV teaching out of John 11 about the death of Lazarus and how Jesus cried when he died. Even though I’ve heard that same message over and over again so many times in my life, I never had the reaction I had that morning! He said Jesus cried because he loved Lazarus so much that He was grieved by his death. And I yelled at the TV “That’s not true! He wouldn’t cry because he was dead, because He knew He was going to raise him up for the glory of God and Himself, so that can’t possibly be why he cried!” I was so surprised, but I knew without a doubt that was true, so I started thinking about why He WAS crying, and the insight that flooded my mind was almost overwhelming, because there was so much that it really did come like a flood. The main thing I remembered at that time was that Jesus even told the disciples that Lazarus was asleep, which they thought He meant literally, but Jesus explained that He was in fact dead and that He was going to raise him up. And when He had been told that Lazarus was sick in the first place, He even said that it was for the glory of God. I didn’t have time to read about it then, but I asked my pastor about it later that day, and he thought I was wrong, that Jesus cried because He loved Lazarus and it showed His human emotion! Well, I love and respect my pastor, but I knew in my spirit that was not true and couldn’t wait to read it again to see for myself. He even said something about Jesus was a man at that time and didn’t have all the knowledge of God, and I knew he was straying way off from my thinking on that one! Now with that in mind, read John 11, VERY carefully and thoughtfully. I have no doubt I could write a book about this passage and everything the Lord revealed to me about it, but I hope and pray that as you read it, you’ll see all of the amazing significance it has for us as we stand for the restoration of our marriages. But the main point I want to make here is that Jesus was not crying because Lazarus was dead. I believe He was crying because Mary, who had earlier demonstrated such great love for Him, had lost faith and confidence in Him. That’s why seeing her tears and despair grieved Him so much and moved Him to cry Himself. Why didn’t Mary come with Martha in the first place when she knew Jesus was there? Why did Jesus specifically send for her? Why did He wait for her before going to the place where Lazarus was buried? And why did John think it was necessary to remind us that Mary had poured out the perfume on Jesus’ feet and dried them with her hair? Those are just some of the reasons I believe Mary’s lack of faith is what caused Jesus’ troubled spirit and tears. And we know Jesus was troubled by people’s lack of faith, based on what He said about not being able to perform miracles in his own home town. And I don’t believe His grief is just because we don’t believe in Him; it’s because He knows what our lack of faith will cost us, because it is the one thing that can and will keep us from receiving all of the best He died to give us. And we can see how important that is, because ALL through this passage, Jesus repeatedly ask everyone if they believed in Him.

Then when we read the rest of the chapter and realize that it was that very act, that very miraculous, public and sacrificial act, that eventually led to His death; it’s reasonable to believe that added yet another dimension to His pain and grief. And yet, we do the same thing to the Lord all the time, because all He wanted then and all He wants now is for us to believe in Him and to believe that NOTHING is impossible with Him, that He has the power to bring that which is dead and buried back to life…and that He WILL do it all for the glory of God and Himself. And the very last verse in the passage about Lazarus proves how and why that happens, because John 11:45 says Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. And when the people around us, all of the nay sayers, see the Lord restore our hopeless, dead marriages, they will put their faith in Jesus too! And the word of our restored testimonies will be used to keep Satan from destroying many more marriages and families and Jesus will certainly be glorified!

And one other interesting observation I made is that it’s not very likely the Jews came just to see Mary, and not Martha. Personally, I think that’s just God’s way of making it easier to better understand the true significance of this passage, because it’s a lot less about God’s power to perform miracles than it is about how absolutely essential it is for us to BELIEVE THAT HE CAN AND WILL PERFORM THEM!!! And when we don’t believe that, we literally grieve our Lord and Savior, because we are in effect saying that we don’t accept and appreciate the precious price He paid to earn our faith and trust. And if we’re unable to let our spouses go when they want to leave in obedience to God’s Word, with confidence in His promises, we are in effect calling Him a liar. So God asks us to let our spouses go, and to continue to live in peace with them and ourselves, simply as an act of sacrificial, faith filled trust. And when we take that step of faith in obedience to His Word, HE WILL BE FAITHFUL TO DO ALL THAT HIS WORD PROMISES SO JESUS WILL BE GLORIFIED AND THE DEVIL WILL BE DEFEATED! And when we don’t have the faith needed to do that, God will be faithful to give it to us when we ask for it, and when we get SERIOUS about reading and studying HIS word (and that’s not reading what someone else writes ABOUT it; it’s reading the Bible for ourselves), which we know because Romans 10:17 (NKJV) says So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. So I pray for all of us to have the faith and confidence we need in Jesus to LET GO, so we will have peace that surpasses understanding and be supernaturally blessed and encouraged!