Today’s Coffee Break devotion from Lorraine Ezell is very simple, but very powerful and an important message for everyone standing for marriage restoration, so I wanted to share it here in hopes that everyone will be blessed and encouraged by it!

“And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.” 2 Thessalonians 2:6

I want to look at God’s timing this morning. He is never late, or early. His timing is perfect and always on time. He moves within the council of His own will and His ways are perfect. The Messiah was not born in the Book of Genesis when the first prophecy came about Him. But He was born in the “fullness of time”- in God’s perfect time. David did not take the throne when Samuel anointed Him as king over Israel-it was years later. Joseph was not exalted to the place of ruler over Egypt when he had the dreams- it too was years later. Abraham did not have Isaac when God first promised him an heir, it was many years later.

Five times the scriptures use the phrase: “And it came to pass in process of time”. That means that there is a process of time that has to take place for some things to occur. We want God to give us everything now– or yesterday. If He doesn’t fulfill and do what He says at the moment He said it, we get discouraged, lose hope, and stop walking in faith. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) Just because I don’t see it at the moment He makes the promise doesn’t mean that He isn’t going to do it. If He said it- if He told me this was going to happen- then it will… it just won’t be in my timing but it will be according to His timing… which is perfect.

If He has spoken to you. If HE has spoken to you– not man, not your own wishes and desires, not some idea that you have- then He will bring it about. Sometimes what we believe for was not actually spoken to us by God- it was the desire of our own heart. But when it is God, you can “bank” on it happening. You just don’t always have the luxury of knowing when it might be.

Have a great day. Don’t get discouraged by time- God isn’t on our calendar or clock. He has His own and He looks at it when He moves on our behalf.

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.

Bayless Conley recently delivered a message about faith, which I want to summarize and consider how it applies as we stand for the restoration of our marriages and families. He presented the three postures of faith; standing, walking, and running. Faith is the major component, not only in standing for our marriages, but also in all aspects of our lives as Christians.

For some of us, our posture in faith at this particular time is to “stand.” Standing may be the posture of faith we take for a single event or a one-time circumstance that confronts us in our life, such as standing for the restoration of our marriages. And it is in standing that we realize that we are not alone and truly understand that God is with us. In fact, He has already taken up our cause and is orchestrating the necessary events to complete His plans, although they may be unseen by the natural eye. So as we stand still, God is positioning and repositioning things for us.

But standing does not necessarily mean that we don’t do anything else, because God often leads us to do something very specific as we stand in faith. For example, 2 Chronicles 20:21-22 obviously encourages us to praise God; to sing His praises and watch for the amazing things He will do when we praise Him. And Habakkuk 2:1 tells us to listen; God has instructions for us so we need to be aware and listen to His directions. In Job 37:14 God tells Job to stand still and consider His wondrous works. And as Job did that, remembering the wondrous works of God became an important matter in his rescue. If Job was able to look past his problems and troubles and give God glory for His wondrous works, surely we can. Regardless of how big our problems are, they are very, very small to our God.

God has led us to the point we are right now, and we are praying, believing and trusting Him in our situations. And since there is often nothing more we can do to cooperate with Him, we have to stand our ground with quiet confidence that He will indeed rescue us and perform and perfect all of His promises in our lives.

Walking in faith is something we must do every day. We must conduct our lives by what we believe, and not by what we see. Most of us struggle because of what we see going on with our spouses instead of walking in the faith we have in what we don’t yet see taking place. In Hebrews 11 we see Abraham walking in faith. He had no map, and no details; he was just called to go so he went. God has led us to where we are right now in our stand for marriage restoration, and we don’t know what is coming next or when the next step will come. So all we can do is continue to walk in faith, knowing that God will direct us according to His plan. And we must obey in faith because there are always blessings on the other side of our obedience. We have to walk in faith daily, because faith demands that we live our life in such a way that it reflects the knowledge we have of God from His Word. And we must maintain that faith in every aspect of our lives.

God often tests our faith by asking us to give up things that are precious to us. However, everything we offer God, He resurrects. So offering Him our marriages in a step of faith allows Him to resurrect our marriages into the God-centered relationship He desires for us and wanted us to have in the first place. Letting our spouses and marriages go to Him is a difficult task, but that’s what we MUST do in faith, confidently knowing and believing that God will do what He promises.

The third posture of faith is running. Running takes into account the big picture. We keep running the race for a lifetime; going the full distance. We have to continue running in faith through times of confusion, frustration, disappointment, and even in times of darkness. We can’t stop the race if things don’t turn out or haven’t gone the way we wanted them to that day, that week or even that year. The race is longer than a day, week, or year. Those are seasons and every season comes to an end. The race does not end unless we quit! And as we go the full distance of the race, we need to see the purpose, have patience and realize there is a prize at the end.

Our purpose is to give God glory by giving Him every area of our lives and surrendering to Him in total obedience to His will. As we grow in the knowledge and understanding of His Word, He will grant us the wisdom and discernment we need to make the choices that are pleasing and glorifying to Him. The people whose lives and achievements stand as solid examples and shine for the Lord’s glory, are those who endured and patiently stood, walked and ran their race out to the end. They are people who did not give up, who stuck with the race until they crossed the finish line. The race will be worth it all! The prize is all of the blessings and great rewards God will pour out over us. And of course, the grand finale is the gift of eternal life with the One who died for our sins in our place.

So as we demonstrate our faith, we need to stand and wait; not stressing, but waiting quietly and confidently for God to complete His plan. And while we wait, we are called to offer praise and worship to Him and consider the wondrous works He has already done in the world and in our individual lives.

So we need to continue our walk in faith every single day, as God opens doors for us, turning around when He closes doors and giving Him sacrifices when He speaks to our hearts to do so. And in obedience, we need to trust that God will resurrect EVERYTHING we sacrifice to Him and bring it all back into our lives far better than we could have imagined.

The race is on. We may have heavy things on our hearts that we are carrying; a bad day, a string of bad days, or maybe an entire season of awful things, but we must keep running and not quit. The finish line is where the prize is! God is waiting for you and for me! So don’t give up!

The following scriptures were used for the above text:

1 Corinthians 16:13 (NASB) – Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

2 Chronicles 20:17 (NASB) – ’You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you.

2 Chronicles 20:21-22 (NASB) – When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the LORD and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, Give thanks to the LORD, for His loving kindness is everlasting.” When they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed.

Habakkuk 2:1 (NASB) – I will stand on my guard post And station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, And how I may reply when I am reproved.

Job 37:14 (NASB) – “Listen to this, O Job, Stand and consider the wonders of God.

Ephesians 6:13-14 (NASB) – Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NASB) – for we walk by faith, not by sight–

Hebrews 11:1-17(NASB)
The Triumphs of Faith
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
2 For by it the men of old gained approval.
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.
5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.
9 By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;
10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE.
13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.
15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.
16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;

2 Corinthians 4:6-7 (NASB) – For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;

Hebrews 12:1 (NASB) – Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Philippians 3:14 (NASB) – I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 4:12 (NASB) – and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.

Sinvce everyone standing for marriage restoration already knows that we just couldn’t do it without walking by faith instead of looking at and falling for every trap and lie the devil sends to deceive and discourage us, I want to share the following message posted on the private website about faith. It’s very simple; yet very powerful! And I thank Dave for allowing me to share it here. So, if you remember 2 Corinthians 5:7, which says For we walk by faith, not by sight., YOU WILL BE BLESSED AND ENCOURAGED!

Hello all…

This is a passage from my reading of a daily devotional taken from a sermon on faith by Smith Wigglesworth, who was an extraordinary faith healer during the early to mid twentieth century. Since the biggest problem in my developing walk with Christ is unbelief, this sermon really hit home with me. And it’s not as if I haven’t heard/read this message on faith before, especially the always excellent and spiritually-gifted SOF posts by Linda and Dan. But for whatever reason, God has decided that for me, this is the message on faith and prayer that I absolutely needed to have. Hopefully, it will speak mightily in the heart of anyone else who is struggling with their faith as well.

There is only one way to all the treasures of God, and that is the way of faith. All things are possible, even the fulfilling of promises is possible, to him who believes (Mark 9:23).
There will be failure in our lives if we do not build on the base, the Rock Christ Jesus. He is the only way; He is the truth; He is the life (John 14:6). And the Word He gives us is life-giving. As we receive the Word of Life, it quickens, it opens, it fills us, it moves us, it changes us, and it brings us into a place where we dare to say amen to all God has said. Beloved, there is a lot in an “amen”. You never get any place until you have the “amen” inside of you. That was the difference between Zacharias and Mary. When the Word came to Zacharias, he was filled with unbelief until the angel said, “You will be mute… because you did not believe my words” (Luke 1:20). Mary said, “Let it be me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). The LORD was pleased that Mary believed what He had spoken. When we believe what God has said, there will be results.
We may do much praying and groaning, but we do not receive from God because of that; we receive because we believe. Yet sometimes it takes God a long time to bring us through the groaning and the crying before we can believe.
I know that no man by his praying can change God, for you cannot change Him. Charles Finney said, “Can a man who is full of sin and all kinds of ruin in his life change God when he starts to pray? No, it is impossible”. But when a man labors in prayer, he groans and travails because his tremendous sin and circumstances are weighing him down, and that’s when he becomes broken in the presence of God. When properly broken, he comes into perfect harmony with the divine plan of God, and that’s when God can work on that clay. He could not before. Prayer changes hearts, but it never changes God. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever: full of love, full of compassion, full of mercy, full of grace, and ready to bestow these gifts and communicate to us as we come to Him in faith.
Believe that when you come into the presence of God you can have all you came for. You can take it away, and you can use it, for all the power of God is at your disposal in response to your faith. The price for all was paid by the blood of Jesus Christ at Calvary. Oh, He is the living God, the One who has the power to change us! “It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves” (Psalm 100:3). And it is He who purposes to transform us so that the greatness of His power May work through us. Oh, beloved, God delights in us, and when a man’s ways pleases the LORD, then He makes ALL things move according to His own blessed purpose.

From: Smith Wigglesworth Daily Devotional (Whitaker House Publishing, 1999).

The following message was Marsha Burns “Small Straws in a Soft Wind” email message for December 31, and since it’s such a powerful message for every Christian; particularly for men and women standing for marriage restoration, I hope everyone will be blessed and encouraged by it as we begin the NEW Year! You can sign up to receive Bill and Marsha burns’ wonderfully anointed messages by email on their Spirit of Prophecy website, where you can also read this message and many others from gifted men and women, along with years of archived messages.

Revelation That Overcomes
You will arise to a new level of overcoming. You have already begun to see patterns in your life that have consistently opened the door to the enemy’s work against you. These patterns will become increasingly apparent as you progress and punish disobedience with your obedience. Rejoice in this process. Your struggle is not over, but if you look back you can see that victory has come more speedily than in times past. This is because you have learned to release your anger and bitterness and have refused the victim position. You will continue to rise up to defeat the enemy more effectively as you choose to exercise your faith in Me to bring you through. Do not be afraid of unknown challenges that lie ahead. You cannot fight the battle until you see the enemy and discover his method of attack. Rest in the assurance that My grace is sufficient, and that I will bring you through to victory as you yield to the leading of My Spirit, says the Lord.
Luke 12:11-12 “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
This indeed is a season when you discover in greater dimension the power to overcome every obstacle. Old mindsets that bring defeat to you will become crystal clear. It will be like suddenly awakening from a dream to see the absolute reality of your existence and spiritual dominance.

High Place of Discernment
I am lifting you up to a high place spiritually where you can see the valley below with great clarity. You will no longer see the world and people around you with natural eyes, but you will see through eyes of discernment that penetrate through the veil that separates flesh and spirit. Be prepared to have the eyes of your understanding enlightened. I will cause you to grasp the wisdom of things you have not been able to comprehend. This will enable you to overcome obstacles and walk in confidence and victory. You have already had significant breakthroughs in understanding how the spirit realm affects your body and soul, but I tell you honestly that your level of comprehension is not even half of what you will come to know and grasp. Every new revelation will become your possession and strengthen you. If you ask anything in My name, according to My will. I will do it. I will teach you and show you by My Spirit the difference between what you want according to your carnal nature and what My will is. It will be a divine separation of soul and spirit. Yield yourself completely to this process.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

I Am Your Pilot:You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby!
You’ve come a long way, baby, but you have not yet gone as far as you can go. The possibilities for your life have not been exhausted. On the contrary, you will be surprised and delighted at what I have in store for you. But, you will have to hold your own dreams and desires loosely to allow My will to manifest so that you can receive the best that I have for you, says the Lord. Trust Me! Prepare to be stretched. But, know that you will not be challenged beyond your ability to accomplish what is set before you. Trust Me for strength to overcome and endure. It is true that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Those things in your life that seem to have been fragmented or left undone will now be brought to a conclusion as the door to the past is shut and a new and exciting door is opening before you. Rejoice in this time of new life and hope.

Breaking The Chains
I am taking you step by step through the things that have consistently made you stumble and lose heart. It will be like breaking the chains one link at a time so that you can see clearly the nature of the bondage, and you will never again be ensnared as in days gone by. Rejoice in a new level of liberty, says the Lord. There have been times in your life when you have swung between two poles, one of ultra hope and blessing and the other abject poverty and hopelessness. If you will yield to the work of My Spirit along these lines, I will bring you from extreme ups and downs to a plateau of spiritual reality and faith. For, certainly I am the Author and Finisher of your faith, and I will establish you on this level ground. Refuse to allow the enemy to use condemnation to remove you from the flow of revelation by the Spirit. His tactics won’t be anything new. Expect the same old lies that bring guilt, shame, and rejection. But, now I will give you greater capacity to see quickly and deal with the attacks, so that your times of oppression will be immediately cut off like awakening from a bad dream. I am releasing healing in you that will wash away the rejection and failures from the past and equip you to go forth with wisdom and endurance. Let go of the labels that have been assigned to you by various people and circumstances, for I call you My beloved.

Open Doors
Prepare to make some of the most important decisions of your life as I present opportunities that you could never have imagined. You are Mine, and My plan is to establish you and bless you in ways that will remove even the vaguest remembrance of past disappointments and struggles. I will open doors before you, and you will behold new vistas and prospects for the future that you really never dreamed of. And, I will bring you by a way that you have not known and make your feet like hinds’ feet that will enable you to negotiate even the most difficult of paths. You will scramble up the craggiest places as though it were level ground because I am with you to make the crooked places straight and the rough places smooth. You will have choices to make in the days ahead that have the potential to change the landscape of your life forever. Seek Me for wisdom, and choose wisely. If you ask for wisdom, I will certainly give it to you. In this season you must recapture the gifting and flow that you once embraced. In the passage of time and circumstances you lost confidence, but now is the time when you can reclaim what was rightfully yours from the beginning. You cannot go back to the old manifestation of your gift because it had to become like a seed that fell to the ground and died in order to take root and grow up in you to produce fruit for this time. Be open and yielded, says the Lord.

I want to share something I found as I was running through some of Rick Warren’s messages today. We cannot lean on our own understanding or base our thoughts on what we see. We have to rely on God’s promises and trust that He is working His plan for His benefit; for our good and His glory. And we can’t judge a situation or a person since we do not know what is in someone’s heart or what the truth is.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

The following is a story from a book by David Roper:

Once a group of young men decided to play a practical joke on a young bachelor executive who worked with them in Dallas. It was the custom each Thanksgiving for the president of the firm to give free turkeys to all employees. The young friend had indicated his displeasure at the idea since, being a young bachelor, he had no idea what he’d do with a whole turkey and furthermore, he had no desire to cook it. His friends, therefore, confiscated his turkey and replaced it with one made out of paper mache, the only remains of the original bird being the neck and the tail, which protruded from the paper wrappings.

You can never judge anybody’s motives, what they’re doing. You don’t know what’s going on.

There’s nothing more awe inspiring and encouraging for those of us standing for marriage restoration than seeing the way God works to restore what the world considers hopeless and dead marriages, and we were blessed to witness that as it happened in the lives of several FAM Fellowship members last week! What a wonderful way to celebrate the birth of Jesus! And I especially want to thank the FAM Fellowship members who gave permission to share some of those testimonies here, because experience has taught me that New Year’s Eve is often more difficult for those standing for marriage restoration than Christmas. So it’s really important to glorify the Lord by acknowledging and praising the awesome work of restoration we see Him doing and to use the word of our testimonies to encourage others who may well be growing discouraged or weary; after all it is by the word of our testimony that the devil is defeated! So we do praise the Lord and give Him all of the honor and glory for the great and mighty things He has done and which we know He will continue to do!

Revelation 12:10-11 – 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.

One of our members who had filed for divorce when she found out last summer that her husband was involved with another woman, finally took the plunge and told him that she has changed her mind and didn’t want to go through with the divorce. Of course, he had told her that he didn’t love her anymore; that she didn’t make him happy and that the NCP (non-covenant person) gave him everything he wanted and needed…blah, blah, blah…the same thing almost all prodigals say. And even though their relationship seemed less hostile, she wasn’t sure what his relationship was with the NCP, so it was a huge leap of faith for her to put her feelings on the line as she did. But she put aside her fear and pride and humbled herself before her husband and under the mighty hand of God and the reward was so worth it, because her husband acknowledged that he didn’t want the divorce either, but felt unworthy to approach her about coming back home. So he was thrilled to hear her news and he’s been home for almost two weeks now! Needless to say, hearing that their parents weren’t getting a divorce was the very best Christmas present for their kids and she said that this was their best Christmas ever!

And we’re all so happy and excited to see what the Lord has done in the restoration of another member’s marriage and family! They’ve been separated for seventeen months, during which time her husband has lived with the NCP. They’ve both suffered greatly through the ups and downs of the past seventeen months, as have their young children, but we’ve seen the Lord steadily at work through it all! And this week, he announced that he was moving to take a job in another state. And as hard as it was to believe, he told his wife he thought the kids would like that and when she repeated what he said with surprise, he stated that they would all be going with him! And when she asked about the NCP, he just said that he had to leave her some time; that he couldn’t just keep wasting his life with her! So they’re now making plans to look for a new home together and planning to start all over again…TOGETHER!

And we’ve seen the Lord at work in other relationships as well, so we just might have more restorations to give the Lord praise and thanks for real soon! God is so faithful to uphold the power and integrity of His Word, so we all have to keep our focus on the power and promise of His Word instead of the things that make our marriages look just as hopeless and dead as these did; along with those of all of the FAM Fellowship members who are now continuously posting wonderful, God glorifying testimonies of the awesome work of restoration the Lord has done and continues to do in their marriages and families since they were restored! God is no respecter of persons and what He has done for them, He will do for all! So put your hope, faith and confidence in the Lord and the fact that His Word NEVER returns void and GET READY! You could be next!

Isaiah 55:10-11 – 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.

This is in response to Linda’s Seeds Of Faith post, Remain in Christ. Remaining in Christ defeats any attempt by Satan to “win” us over. We can drive Satan away at every encounter just by doing what Jesus did and speaking the Word; “It is written…” and then He quoted the scripture!! Just as Ephesians 6:11-12 says, our battle is not with flesh and blood. The Word is given to us as a weapon, but it only works if we choose to use it.

Ephesians 6:11-12 (NIV) – Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

When we drink the milk and eat the meat of the Word, and spend time with the Lord, we begin to cultivate the right relationship with Christ that enables us to remain in Him at all times.

1 Peter 2:2-3 (NIV) – Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Isaiah 55:2-3 (NIV) – Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.

Psalm 34:8 (NLT) – Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

Even Satan knows the power of God’s Word, because he used the scripture when trying to tempt Jesus. When he couldn’t get Him to break His fast and Jesus spoke the Word to him, he responded by quoting scripture back to Jesus. He actually tried to use the Word in Psalm 91:11-12 (NLT) to tempt Jesus, which says For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. So Satan obviously knew the power of using the scriptures in spiritual warfare. He also knew the scriptures well enough to stop at verse 12 instead of continuing with verse 13, because that says You will tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. Satan will always take advantage of our lack of knowledge of the Word, so we must continue to study, meditate and be ready to apply God’s Word in all situations and circumstances.

We must also be careful not to water down the Word by twisting it to justify and rationalize our actions, which is what happens when we take it out of context. And we can be sure that Satan rejoices when we do that. I love the way Bayless Conley put it when he said “we must take the Word like it is, refusing to dilute it, to dissect it, or dismiss it.” Bayless also shared his thoughts on divorce by saying “people twist every kind of scripture you can imagine in order to justify divorce. You know, in reality they are just tired of the old model and wanting a new one. There is no scriptural grounds for their divorce, but they think ‘I am going to come up with something.’” So that is just a temptation the devil uses to try to seduce people who actually know the truth – the Word. Another powerful statement from Bayless Conley is “Listen; the gospel is not politically correct. It is just the truth.” And that sure does step on a lot of toes!! So we have to be careful and remain in the Lord.

Psalm 56:5 (NLT) – They are always twisting what I say; they spend their days plotting to harm me.

2 Corinthians 2:17 (NLT) – You see, we are not like the many hucksters[a] who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.

Revelation 11:15 (NLT) – The Seventh Trumpet Brings the Third Terror 15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven:
“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.”

Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” So let’s stay true to the Word whether it fits what we are doing or not, whether it is politically correct or not. Let’s accept and embrace its demands as well as its promises and not twist it and try to bend it and shape it to fit our wants. Let’s do it God’s way!

Once again, I really appreciated today’s Coffee Break devotion from Lorraine Ezell, because it’s such an important message for everyone standing for marriage restoration since we have to stop striving in our own understanding and strength if we’re ever going to learn to cast our cares and burdens on the Lord as we rely on the power and promise of His Word…AND REMAIN IN HIM!

The importance and significance of Lorraine’s message is made very clear in John 15:5-11, where Jesus said:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

WOW! What a powerful and encouraging passage of scripture for all of us as we stand against the world and the gates of Hell for the restoration of our marriages and families! There’s SO MUCH in these few verses, and we need to REALLY study and meditate on them to fully understand their significance. We often try to make things so complicated! Well maybe it isn’t that we try to make it that way; maybe we just can’t believe how truly simple it really is. But look at what Jesus said in verse 7; If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. That’s SO simple; yet it seems to be so hard for many of us to DO, even though that’s exactly how the Bible tells us to be victorious in matters of spiritual warfare. The simple truth is that the devil is defeated and has to flee when we SPEAK the Word of God back to him and we can’t DO that without having His Word written on the tablets of our hearts, which means memorized. And the importance of that is revealed in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, which says For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And without KNOWING the Word, how will we even recognize the arguments and pretensions that set themselves up against the knowledge of God; much less take them captive and make them obedient to Christ, which means making our thoughts and words line up with the Word?

So there’s no way to underestimate the importance of knowing, speaking and living according to the Word of God! And the best example of that was when Jesus was tempted by the devil and He responded by saying “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ (Matthew 4:4) The devil is NEVER going to stop coming against us to steal, kill and destroy (John10:10), but when we follow the example Jesus provides in Matthew 4:1-11, the devil WILL BE DEFEATED and we will be victorious and our marriages and families WILL BE RESTORED!

Then the devil will be defeated by the word of our restored marriage testimonies, just as we see in Revelation 12:10-11, which says 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.

It’s very important for us to understand that the Lord gives us what we ask for when we rely on the power and promise of God’s Word, using it to overcome and defeat the works and intentions of the devil, so that the fruit it bears in our lives will bring Him glory. That’s what Jesus explained in John 15:8, where He said This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. “ And that brings glory to Jesus as well. So when we have a difficult time believing that God is going to do EXACTLY what His Word says (that HE will make sure that it does NOT return void), perhaps it helps to understand that even if we don’t believe that He will do it for us, we can believe that He WILL do it for the praise, honor and glory of His beloved Son, just as Ephesians 1 tells us.

According to Jesus, the reason to remain in Him; the reason He gave us the commands in John 15, is that our joy might be made complete! And that’s certainly one thing everyone standing for marriage restoration is waiting for, so let’s remember the very important counsel and instructions Jesus gave us about remaining in Him in John 15:9-11, which says “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. And when the devil comes to deceive us into believing that it’s impossible to do ANYTHING the Lord tells us to do, we have to remember what Jesus said in John 15:5…apart from Him, we can do NOTHING! And the GOOD NEWS is that Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And we CAN DO that by claiming and relying on the encouragement found in 2 Corinthians 12:9, which says But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

And finally, the key to “remaining” in Christ is remaining in His Word, because the Word is Christ and Christ is the Word (John 1:1-5 and John 1:14). And since faith comes by hearing the Word (Romans 10:17) and it’s the Word that lights our way (Psalm 119:105); and since it is the word of God that can speak life to the dead bones of our marriages (Ezekiel 37:3-5), it’s no wonder that there’s almost always a very direct correlation between the amount of time people spend studying the Word of God and the fruit it bears in their lives; including the fruit of marriage restoration! So REMAIN in Christ by remaining in the Word of God, and you WILL BE blessed and encouraged!

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Are you weary? Are you in need of a refreshing? Do you feel you can’t go on? Are you burdened down with the cares of life? Does it seem more than you can bear? Are you carrying things that are too heavy for you– guilt, the burdens of others, pain, grief, condemnation? Are you ready to stop being tired and weary, overwhelmed and burdened down? Well, then do something about it… “Come to me”. Go to Jesus.

You can’t just hope it will go away. You can’t just sit back and wait for it to get better. You can’t just wish it would happen. You have to do something— go to Him and cast it upon Him. You have to make a step toward the Lord and surrender the burdens you are trying to bear. You weren’t designed to carry them. And don’t believe the enemy that tells you that this is your “cross to bear”— “His yoke is easy and His burden is light”.

He offers you an invitation this morning… “Come to Me”. Will you accept it or will you continue to carry the load? Go to Him, get into His presence, place your “heaviness” upon Him, and wait there until the burdens have lifted, His rest engulfs you, and a time of refreshing comes.

There are two things that we usually do when we finally accept His invitation to come and cast them upon Him. We either do cast them upon Him but take them back, or we don’t wait long enough for His presence to come so we can give them to Him. This morning there is one more option— be still, wait for Him to take them, wait for His peace to come, then leave the burdens with Him and take the “rest” with you.

Have a great day. Don’t be burdened down another day. Cast it upon the Lord and let Him give you His rest.

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.

(Note from Linda: This is a very important question for everyone standing for marriage restoration to consider and deal with appropriately, because there’s NO doubt that God wants to be first and for us to make the “higher things” of His kingdom our first priority. So I appreciate Lorraine’s permission to share today’s Coffee Break devotion and hope that everyone reading it will be blessed and encouraged and reminded that the restoration of our marriages can not be our top priority if we want to please God.)

“If ye then be risen with Christ…” Colossians 3:1a

To those who are “risen with Christ”- who have received eternal life, have the new birth, who have been raised from death into life, whose sins are buried, and whose life is in Christ- the writer of the verse goes on to tell us two things: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” (verses 1,2)
“Seek those things which are above; set your affection on things above…. not on things on the earth”

I believe that this is a time when God is calling His people to stop seeking earthly, temporal things and begin to seek those things which are eternal- “higher things”. We have put too much emphasis on personal gain, houses, lands, riches, acceptance by the world, fame and popularity. These are not the “higher things”. These are not the things that hold great eternal rewards. They are temporary- we can’t take them with us when we leave here, moths and rust corrupt them, and thieves break through and steal them. Let me stop right here for a moment and say, “I thank God for blessing me with nice things and the things that I have need of. I am so thankful to have a roof over my head, shoes on my feet, food on my table, etc.” But I cannot “set my affection on these things”. I can’t “seek after these things”.

What are you seeking after this morning? More and more and more “things”? “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6) Where have you set your affection? On earthly things? Temporal things? Heavenly things? Eternal things? “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21) It’s time to take inventory of where your priorities lie. If they are not in the right place, then repent and begin to refocus and put “higher things” first.

Have a great day. Are your affections on the “higher things”? Are you seeking after “higher things”?

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.

One of the greatest challenges facing many men and women standing for marriage restoration this Christmas, especially if it’s the first holiday season since marital separation, is finding and really experiencing true joy. So if you’re not experiencing joy this Christmas season, I hope and pray this message brings a certain measure of comfort, encouragement, hope and joy. Even though I know it’s difficult not to focus on all that’s missing this Christmas instead of all you have to be thankful for, and even though it’s easy to give way to the thoughts of abandonment, loneliness and loss the devil brings to steal, kill and destroy, it’s important to know that there is another choice! And with the grace and strength of the Lord, you can make the better and wiser choice, which is to learn where and how to find and experience joy that comes only from being in right relationship with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

First, we have to understand what brings joy to us as Christians, as well as what keeps us from finding and experiencing the joy of our salvation; our strength according to Nehemiah 8:10,which says Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” The problem is that we insist on looking for our joy and happiness in all the wrong places, which won’t EVER work. Jesus gave us a perfect illustration of that in Matthew 13:44, when He said “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. And then Romans 14:17 even says For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, Yet, we keep looking to our spouses and the restoration of our marriages to find everything we’re looking for, which can’t and wont ever bring us the joy and happiness we so desperately seek unless we are willing to give it all up for the Lord. And the sad truth is that most of us tend to look to the Lord for what we think He will give us; namely the restoration of our marriages, and without much thought of giving up ANYTHING for Him; much less giving up EVERYTHING for Him! Yet, in Mark 10:29-30, we have this awesome promise: “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. So Jesus never promised us that standing on the power and promise of His Word for the restoration of our marriages and families would be a walk in the park, but He does promise that if we’ll give it all up to follow Him, which means DOING things HIS way and for HIS glory, we’ll get it all back one hundred fold! And the marriage restorations we’ve been honored and blessed to witness in our midst certainly prove that!

So when we’re missing the joy we should have as Christians, the first step to finding and experiencing it is to put our relationship with Jesus FIRST, which is why Matthew 6:32-33 tells us For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. And then we have God’s Word and promise in Psalm 37:4 telling us Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. And even though jealousy is one aspect of God’s character we don’t hear much about, these verses are in perfect keeping with the warning given in Exodus 34:14, which says Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. And then Deuteronomy 4:24 even says For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. So when we look back at our marriages and even examine our priorities now, we can probably see how we got into trouble–because most of us have been guilty and perhaps still are guilty of putting our spouses and marriages or even the restoration of our marriages before God. God will have no part in that, and He knows our hearts. So we may be able to fool those around us and even ourselves, but we can NOT fool God; for as Psalm 44:20-21 says, If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?

By studying and considering the following verses, we can better understand the joy we should have in Christ:

John 15:10-12 – If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
What a powerful passage! If we are obedient to the Word of God, we remain in the love of Christ and OUR joy is made complete! And what did He tell us to do? Love others as He loves us! And there’s no doubt that the love of Christ is a very sacrificial love, which means God expects us to put the needs and interests of our spouses and others before our own needs and interests.

John 16:24 – Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
How sad it is that we so often resort to so many things before it ever occurs to us to simply ask for what we want or need in the name of Jesus! Yet, that’s when He said our joy will be made complete! And what a lot of trouble and heartache we could avoid if we’d just believe that and learn to put it into practice!

Acts 2:28 – You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’
There’s no greater joy known to us than when we are in the presence of the Lord. Yet, instead of seeking the path His Word clearly gives us for our lives, we seek the counsel of others and so often miss out on the power of just being still in His presence and KNOWING that He is God!

Romans 15:13 – May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
There’s no greater hope than the hope we have in Jesus Christ! And when we rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to work in our lives as we put our trust in the Lord, we WILL be filled with peace and joy that surpasses anything man could ever understand or explain!

2 Corinthians 8:2 – Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
No matter how bad our circumstances are, when we have the peace and joy found only in the Lord, we can look beyond our own circumstances to the needs of others and find even more joy when we help meet them!

Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
It’s very important to know that we WILL experience all of this when we are in right relationship with the Lord and the power of the Holy Spirit is at work within us. So when we are not, we know something is wrong and that we need to ask the Lord to help us get back in right relationship with Him so the fruit of His Spirit can be at work in and through us.

1 Peter 1:6-9 – In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
So instead of feeling abandoned by the Lord when we find ourselves in trying times, we need to understand that God Almighty has a purpose in it all, and that it is ultimately for the praise, honor and glory of Jesus Christ. And when we put our faith and trust in Him and love Him, even when we can’t see what He’s doing, we can experience true joy as we rest in the confidence we have that He will complete the good work He’s begun in us and in the restoration of our marriages and families, which will all be for His glory!

Nehemiah 8:12 – Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.
There is such joy when we truly understand the Word of God, because it comes with power and grace and anointing that we just don’t get any other way!

Psalm 5:11 – But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
When we take refuge in the Lord and rejoice in His name, we will have His protection and be filled with inexplicable joy! So instead of looking to others when we need comfort and protection, we need to learn to turn to the Lord and put our trust in Him.

Psalm 19:8 – The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
This is another reminder of the joy we can find only when we put the Word of God into practice in our lives and rely on it to show us the way God wants us to go.

Psalm 21:6 – Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.
And this is another reminder of the joy we find just by being in the presence of the Lord!

Psalm 28:7 – The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.
There’s nothing better we can do than rely on the Lord for our strength and shield in times of trouble and need and when we put our trust in Him, we will know joy even in the most difficult of all circumstances and situations. God is ALWAYS there to help us when we just call on Him!

Psalm 90:14 – Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
When we truly learn to rest in the unfailing love of God, we will know everlasting joy and gladness beyond our ability to comprehend and express!

Psalm 92:4 – For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands.
When we consider all we have seen the hand or the Lord do, we can’t help feeling abundant joy! And the good news is that what we’ve seen Him do for one, He will do for all! So when we get discouraged, we just need to consider all the wonderful things we know He’s done for us in the past and all the miracles we know He’s done for others as well! That’s why the Word of our testimony is so powerful to overcome the works of the devil!

Psalm 97:11 – Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.
When we remain righteous and upright in all circumstances and no matter what is going on around us or what others do to us, the Lord will continue to bless us with joy!

Psalm 119:111-112 – Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.
This is such an important reminder that we have to have an unwavering commitment to keep God’s Word; to walk in His ways; to trust Him with all of our hearts and acknowledge Him in all of our ways! Knowing His word without DOING His Word makes it powerless to bring about God’s desired purpose in our lives, but when we walk in its power, we will be filled with joy!

Psalm 126:3 – The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.
This is just another reminder to keep our eyes on the power and work of the Lord and the great things He has done! We have nothing to fear and nothing to worry about, because we have seen how the Lord works and that He is ALWAYS faithful to keep His promises and uphold His Word!

Psalm 126:6 – He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of Joy carrying sheaves with him.
I love this verse! Even when we are sad and in the midst of our own trials, we can be used by the Lord to sow seeds of His love and goodness in the lives of others, and when we are faithful to HIS cause and concerned about sowing seeds for HIS glory, we are the ones who return with JOY and a harvest!!!

Proverbs 12:20 – There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace.
This is SO important, because we all have many opportunities to choose between returning evil for evil or to promote peace. And when we choose to promote and seek peace instead of responding in kind when others hurt or disappoint us, we will be blessed with joy and great reward, because that usually requires humility, and when we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, HE WILL LIFT US UP IN DUE TIME!

Proverbs 15:30 – A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.
It’s SO important for everyone standing for marriage restoration and prone to depression and self pity to remember this verse! No one wants to be around miserable people, yet that is all our spouses often see when they are around us! What a difference it would make if we’d put a smile on our faces and start speaking life giving words; words of praise, edification and encouragement instead of the woe is me scenario our spouses have grown so used to, and of which they are no doubt so weary!

Isaiah 49:13 – Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
We all need to take this verse to heart and BELIEVE it and EXPECT it! God is not a liar and His Word NEVER returns void! He will comfort us and He will have compassion on us! So sing and shout for joy; this trying time just came to pass! And when it passes, our marriages and families WILL BE RESTORED for the glory of the Lord!

Jeremiah 15:16 – When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty.
When we love the Lord Jesus, we HAVE to eat His Word. After all, Jesus told us that we do not live by bread alone, but by EVERY Word that proceeds from the mouth of God! When we know and understand the Word of God, our joy will indeed be made complete, because we will be fully able to stand in boldness and with total confidence in its power and on every promise it holds!

Obviously, there’s an awful lot to learn about finding and experiencing joy when we study and meditate on the above passages of scripture, especially that we will find joy simply by being in the presence of the Lord and that there is great joy in knowing and understanding and obeying His Word. And when we study God’s Word, one thing that becomes very clear is that the best way to find JOY in Jesus Christ is to remember to put things in the right order; Jesus first, then others, and yourself last. And that’s all very neatly wrapped up for us in Matthew 22:36-40, which says “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Unfortunately, most of us fall far short of this powerful, yet simple commandment, which is most likely why we have trouble finding and experiencing joy this Christmas season. We tend to be a lot more focused on what we want and need and how we feel and what we’re missing to ever give much serious thought to how our spouses feel and what they want and need. When their need and what they want is something we can’t understand and something that makes no sense to us, we tend to just dismiss it as wrong or unreasonable. Yet, whether it’s right or wrong and whether or not we understand it or like it or not; that is their reality and until we learn to deal with them and interact with them on that basis, we are just making our situations worse. That’s why the one thing the Bible tells us to do when our spouses want to leave is to let them depart and to live in peace. And until we learn to do that, which is the FIRST step to the full and complete restoration of our marriages, we shouldn’t be surprised when we don’t get anywhere or see changes indicating that the Lord is at work on our behalf. He has work to do in us first, and that work begins with our obedience and putting our faith, confidence and trust in Him and His Word, which means DOING what He tells us to do and trusting Him with the results! So we may need to go back to the basics and learn to practice letting our spouses go; which means not calling them and giving them the peace and quiet they need to hear the Lord when He begins talking to them. And we have to stop trying to keep them out of the pig pens of life they may well be headed for because they aren’t likely to get a belly full of the consequences of their bad choices unless they get there. God has to be the one to change their hearts and to deal with their mistakes and sin; our part is to draw into closer relationship with Him so that we are able through His grace and strength to forgive and make possible the atmosphere of grace that will be necessary for redemption and restoration when our spouses are ready. And if we’re really honest, most of us have to admit that we have everything turned totally upside-down, because we tend to put ourselves first, and then our spouses and others, and then the Lord last. So it’s no wonder we can’t find and experience the joy that comes ONLY when we have things in the right order, which means putting the Lord first, then our spouses and others, and ourselves last. So instead of feeling sorry for yourself this Christmas and focusing on everything you are missing, do something for someone else, even if it’s a total stranger. Do something just to put a smile on someone’s face and know that the Lord is watching and He is pleased and that you will have a reward in heaven in addition to the unexpected joy you will experience when you take your focus off of yourself long enough to bless someone else this Christmas!

God loves you so much and His plans for you are for good, and He WILL restore your marriage and family, but only when you get things in the proper order and put Him first. He is a jealous God, but He is also a faithful God, and His blessings and favor are never ending and beyond comprehension when we are in right relationship with Him. Then we can rely on His awesome promise in Psalm 84:11, which says For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. So when you put Jesus first in your life and love your spouse and others as you love yourself, God will not withhold any good thing from you, and that’s all He wants before restoring your marriage and family. So that should be your goal as we head into the season of making new commitments and resolutions; resolve to put God first in your heart, mind and soul, then to care about and put the needs and interests of your spouse and others above your own.

Merry Christmas and may the Lord’s peace and joy abound in your heart and life in the coming days and New Year!

This is often a very difficult time of year for men and women standing for marriage restoration, especially if it’s the first Christmas season after marital separation. And it breaks my heart to see standers under such a burden of self-condemnation just because they’re hurting and struggling during an understandably painful time; that’s exactly what Satan wants to use to steal, kill, and destroy the peace, joy and victory )abundant life) Jesus came to give us. Romans 8:1-2 very specifically says Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Yet, we can’t deny the apparent conflict between the requirement for obedience to receive all of the blessings promised in God’s Word and the idea that we shouldn’t feel like failures when we’re unable to attain the high mark of perfection. That’s why it’s so important to understand that God knows that we’re NOT perfect, and He understands our ongoing struggle to overcome our human weakness as we strive to walk in faith and obedience as we stand for the restoration of our marriages.

Since Paul wrote most of the New Testament and is certainly considered a great man of God, reading 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 is a good place to begin understanding that God can actually be glorified in our weakness, because it says Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. And we can all attest to the fact that it’s in times of our greatest weakness and trials that we tend to realize and acknowledge that we can’t do what we need to do without God, so we call on Him and rely on HIS power to get us through. And then His name is glorified when we make it through in HIS strength and not ours. In the same way we wouldn’t need a Savior if we weren’t sinners and there wasn’t a place called hell; we wouldn’t need God’s grace and power if we were always strong and perfect. So we need to stop letting the devil put us under condemnation because of our human shortcomings and failures. Instead, we should recognize them as opportunities for Jesus to be glorified as we rely on HIS grace, strength, and power to overcome them and everything the devil intends for evil. Hebrews 7:28 even says For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever. Obviously, God does not expect us to be perfect or that we can even attain it in and of ourselves. That’s why we have to turn to our Lord and Savior when we are weak and when we struggle with faith and our walk as Christians. As Hebrews 10:13-14 says Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. And 2 Samuel 22:33 very clearly says It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.

Taking on attitudes of self-condemnation occurs when we take the focus off of Jesus, and put it on ourselves; ignoring Philippians 3:12, 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. Of course, that brings us to the inevitable question of just why Christ Jesus “took hold” of us.” Fortunately, truly understanding that takes us a long way toward overcoming guilt and self-condemnation, because the root of self-condemnation is “self, which is what happens when we take our focus off of the Lord and His glory, power and purpose, and put it squarely on ourselves. Yet, Ephesians 1:6-14 makes it VERY clear that we are CHOSEN by God for the praise and glory of Jesus Christ; that EVERYTHING that happens is predetermined and ordained by God, when the time is right according to His plan, just for His praise and glory.

God wants us to have an intimate love relationship with His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, and He wants us to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit so others are led into the same relationship with Jesus. But when we allow the devil to magnify our human frailties instead of focusing on the awesome glory and power of Jesus, we can’t be the vessels we’re called to be for the purpose of drawing others into His kingdom, which is exactly what the devil wants. So the bottom line is exactly what Rick Warren says; it’s NOT about us! Yet, we tend to make it all about us. And the reason we do that is because we don’t understand obedience; we don’t understand what it really means to trust and obey God. We tend to see obedience as a means to an end. In our case, it’s usually the means by which we think we can achieve the restoration of our marriages. So when we have a hard time taking God at His Word and believing that He IS restoring our marriages, or when we fail to walk out the principles of faith and marriage restoration according to what the Bible teaches, we get discouraged and down on ourselves, because we think that means that our marriages aren’t going to be restored; that we blew it, so now God won’t or can’t restore our marriages! What a snare of the devil that kind of thinking is! It just sets us up to fail, because it inadvertently rests the ability to get what we want in us, and everything we do in that endeavor is totally fruitless and useless, because our motivation to trust and obey is not for the praise and glory of Jesus Christ and the furtherance of His kingdom, but for our own desire for marriage restoration. And James 4:3 makes no bones about that, 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. And 1 Corinthians 4:5 even says Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

So it’s obvious that not only is faith and obedience important as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, but our motives are even MORE important! And the ONLY motive for obedience that pleases God and releases the supernatural power we need in our situations is spelled out very clearly in the following verses:

John 14:23 – Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

John 14:21 – Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”

1 John 2:5-6 – But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

Unfortunately, it’s easy to slip into thinking of obedience as a means to the restoration of our marriages, but that’s not true. Yes, all of the verses we usually refer to about trusting God with all our hearts, acknowledging Him in all our ways and committing to doing things HIS way are important, but we can’t take those out of the context of obedience being motivated by our love for Jesus as our Lord and Savior. That’s why it is so important to keep things in the right order, and Jesus said the FIRST thing is to love God with all our hearts, minds, souls and strength; which means not putting ANY other gods or idols before Him, including our marriages, spouses or even the restoration of our marriages. And when we love Him that way, we will obey Him because we love him and want to please Him, and when our obedience is motivated by genuine trust and love, we will be blessed with every promise and provision found in God’s Word. And when we love Jesus, we will also love the Word, because John 1:1-4 tells us In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. And it’s not insignificant to note that most of the time we allow the devil to put us under condemnation, it’s due to a lack of faith and knowledge of what the Bible teaches. That’s why Romans 10:17 is so important; because it says Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. And another very important reason to study our Bibles seriously as we stand for the restoration of our marriages is because we are in the spiritual battle of our lives, and 2Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. So the only way to overcome attitudes of self-condemnation is to spend quality time studying the Bible, because that’s the only way to truly trust and obey God and have His love made complete in us. We have to know His Word in order to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. And we can all be sure that as a result of doing that, we will have a much more intimate walk and relationship with the Lord; we’ll feel much less condemnation, and the devil won’t be able to steal our peace, joy, or victory! Then we’ll have the abundant life Jesus came to give us, so be blessed and encouraged!

What an awesome message from Bill Burns today! Many of us have shared that it actually gave us goose bumps!!! So be blessed and encouraged!

December 17, 2007: Please listen and understand that I told you that you would begin to hear the sounds of heaven as they came to earth, for with My sound comes My vibration, which brings the opportunity for change within your spirit. What change would that be? It would be a realignment of your spirit with heaven that you may experience the joy of your King and the peace of the kingdom.

Indeed, you will hear the sounds that were prophesied. It is time now for you to know experientially that I have prepared an atmosphere in which the vibration of My sound invades your spirit and atmosphere whereby I can touch you at the very roots of your existence. As I bring My sound to your spirit, allow it to change you and align you with My glory. Let Me touch you and open the doors of the Spirit and bring the times of refreshing that you so earnestly desire. You will look back soon and declare that this past year was both the best and the hardest of your existence. You faced many trials and yet you experienced My glory and blessings as well. These times were for your good and for your strengthening and growth so that the eyes of your understanding would be opened and that you might begin to know that I am in control of your destiny as I will unfold it before you day by day. As you walk the paths of your destiny the doors of My kingdom will continue to open before you. Get ready for the next season, for it will bring forth greater joy and fewer trials.

You, My people, have been overcomers even when you thought you had failed. For, I lead you always in triumph, and you shall see the glory of your King who leads and guides you. Receive the gift of great joy and peace. Make it yours, for it will make you ready for the season that lies before you, which shall be called The Season of the Open Door. In fact, many doors will open that you will walk through, and each door will show you an aspect of the Kingdom. It will show you the specific work being done in you at that time. Each door will provide an opportunity for you to come higher.

Lay hold of this sound of heaven as it comes to you. Allow it to be the strength of My presence in you, says the Lord.

Note: You can find Bill’s messages and many other prophetic messages on the Spirit of Prophecy website.

Here’s Another GREAT Coffee Break devotion by Lorraine Azell from last Friday! It’s a particularly timely and important message for everyone standing for marriage restoration, especially at this time of year. So if you’re feeling discouraged and thinking you can’t keep on standing, just remember that the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy and the only way he can do that as you stand for the restoration of your marriage and family is if you give up. So put on your favorite praise and worship music, pump up the volume, and tell the devil where to go and that you’re not giving up; because God is not a liar and NOTHING can stand against His Word and will and that you ARE victorious in the name and authority of Jesus Christ! Speak your favorite restoration verses and promises out loud to the devil and He WILL FLEE from you! And remember that James 4:6-7 tells us; But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. And PLEASE don’t forget that things so often look their very darkest and hopeless right before the dawn and your breakthrough! We’ve seen so many TOTALLY unexpected things happen lately, so we have to remember that we don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes; but God does and He’s in control of it ALL!! and He won’t let ANYTHING thwart HIS plans…ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! And if anyone knew that, it was Job, and in the darkest time of his life, when he certainly had cause to question God and what He was doing, he said “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. (Job42:2) That’s the kind of faith God wants from all of us and we can’t lose with faith like that, so don’t let the devil steal your peace and joy in the Lord. You aren’t the only one feeling the pain of separation this Christmas season, and that’s the truth no matter what you think and no matter how totally otherwise it may appear!

Many marriages are restored this time of the year and I fully expect that many more will be again this year! We’ve been hearing about one sudden and unexpected marriage restoration after another among friends, relatives and acquaintances of FAM Fellowship members in the past few weeks, and that means we don’t know who could be next. But it could be you! So BELIEVE God; put your faith and confidence in His Word and you WILL BE blessed and encouraged!

“But unto you that fear my name shall the Son of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.” Malachi 4:2

If you are ever going to accomplish anything, you have to “stick with it”. If you are going to reach the “prize of the high calling in Christ” you have to keep pressing.
If you are going to win the race, you have to keep running. Whatever you endeavor to do in life, you have to stick with it until you “get to the end”. You can’t stop in the process, you can’t quit in the middle, you must continue and keep on going.

Many times the reason why Christians find themselves falling backwards is because they stopped in the process of spiritual maturity. They quit doing the things that were necessary to move forward. So they stopped. When they stopped, they became “stagnant”, then they started falling backwards.
If you are going to grow spiritually, you have to continue to do those things that cause growth. If you are going to build your faith, you have to continue to do those things that make it strong. If you are going to be victorious, you have to continue to fight the battle. You can’t stop. You have to “stick with it”. You have to “stay in the game”. You have to “hang in there”.

If you are feeling that you are falling backwards instead of going forward, check to see if you have stopped doing those things that are needful to help you in the process. Are you neglecting or giving attention to those things that make you strong in your faith, cause you to grow, build you up spiritually? If so, “pick them up” and get going again.

Have a great day. If you are going to accomplish anything, you have to “stick with 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.

Continuing in the tradition established by Faith And Marriage Ministries last year; we are again accepting and coordinating donations to help make this Christmas a very special and memorable occasion when it might not otherwise be for nine children of FAM Fellowship members who aren’t able to buy presents for their children this year. Unfortunately, this is just one of the unintended consequences when men leave their families, but we don’t think the children should have to suffer as they often do; so this gives us a unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these children.

Anyone who feels led to bless these families in such a way, can make donations to the FAMM Christmas Blessings Fund by clicking on the PayPal button below:

The funds we receive will be distributed between four families this year, and as we did last year, we will post testimonies after the holidays of how the children were blessed! And remember, what we do for them, we do for Jesus, and what we give will be multiplied back to us many times over! So be blessed and I thank you in advance for your generous gifts to help bring smiles to the faces of these little ones in otherwise difficult times!

One of the FAM Fellowship members shared this with me last Friday, and since it’s such a powerful and important message for everyone standing for marriage restoration, I wanted to share it here as well! So I thank Lorraine for her permission to do so! Get the message and you’ll truly be blessed and encouraged!

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.” Philippians 3:13

It’s interesting that Paul said, “This ONE thing I do”, then he named TWO things: “forgetting those things which are behind, AND reaching forth unto those things which are before.” Forgetting what’s behind and reaching to what’s ahead– that does not sound like only one thing to me. Paul considered it one thing though.

You can’t reach forward and still be looking behind… it’s not possible. To reach to what’s ahead you have to set your focus on it, you have to give attention to it, you have to keep moving toward it to attain it. As you do, the result is that you are leaving what’s behind because it is no longer the object of your focus, your intent, your goal.

On the flip side, if you are still hanging on to what’s in the past, if you are still focused on it, if you are looking behind, then you can’t and won’t go forward. The one act of “staying in the past” automatically effects and determines what’s ahead–so in reality it is only one act that you are doing but it encompasses both your past and your future. It’s a “two for one” package.

“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) You can’t look back and go forward at the same time. When you do one, the other one is effected. Which will it be? Are you going to keep looking backward? Or go forward? You only have to make ONE choice.

Have a great day. If you keep looking behind it will effect what’s ahead. If you reach ahead, what’s behind will be forgotten.

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.