A huge challenge sometimes overlooked when encouraging someone who is standing for marriage restoration is to share words of faith and encouragement without seeming to invalidate or minimize their pain and anger, disappointment and frustration, and even the justification for these emotions. So it’s important to recognize and acknowledge that there is, and needs to be, a natural and unavoidable time of mourning when our husbands leave us, especially when they appear to be getting on with their lives with another woman. The depth of intense pain, disappointment, anger, frustration, confusion and rejection often seems unbearable and it’s something no one can come close to understanding unless they’ve been through it. And there is no set time for this grieving process, because it’s a process that varies for all of us. BUT there does come a time when we have to overcome all of those emotions. Otherwise, they will overcome us, and the devil wins! So, even though nothing I write or say, is ever meant to invalidate or minimize the pain or justification of the emotions experienced during times of marital despair, I wouldn’t be doing what the Lord calls me to do if I didn’t attempt to use the power and wisdom of His word to encourage others to go from their time of mourning to the morning of everlasting joy Jesus died to give us!

While searching for Bible references to morning, dawn and joy, I was surprised to see how many significant references there are, so the following are just a few to remind us and confirm that the Lord WILL be faithful to replace our time of mourning with joy in the morning! And IF we commit our way to Him and trust in Him, He will make our righteousness shine like the dawn and the justice of our cause like the noon day sun, just like Psalm 37:5-6 promises!

Isaiah 61:1-3, 7
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.

Psalm 30:4-5 (NKJV)
Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

Psalm 65:8
Those living far away fear your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy.

Psalm 90:14
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

Proverbs 4:18
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

Isaiah 62:1
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.

Isaiah 58:8-12
Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

Then another VERY significant verse we need to understand and take seriously, is Isaiah 8:20, because it says To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. At some point in the process of getting from mourning to morning, we have to understand how critically important it is for us to guard our mouths and the words we speak, because they literally do have the power of life and death and we will eat the fruit of them for either life or death, just as Proverbs 18:21 tells us! And if we don’t learn to SPEAK according to the promises and testimony of God’s word, God will not be bound by the authority Jesus gave us to speak life into our marriages and the salvation of our husbands! So it’s up to us whether or not we choose to remain in a perpetual state of mourning or if we’re going to rely on the word of God and claim His power and promise to bring us everlasting joy in the morning! And when we get that and put it into practice we will experience the awesome promise found in Isaiah 35:10, which says and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Joyce Meyer began a series of messages on grief and loneliness on her TV broadcast programs this past Wednesday, which I’d encourage anyone struggling with getting past the time of mourning, and the pain and disappointment of what’s happened in their marriage to watch. Even though Joyce doesn’t appear to promote standing for marriage restoration as we would, her messages are still helpful, because none of us are ready to truly STAND for marriage restoration until we’re ready to stand on our own two feet again through the power of our Lord and Savior and His word, and her messages might help someone still struggling to get there. You can watch all three messages at the following links.

Grief and Loneliness – Part I

Grief and Loneliness – Part II

Grief and Loneliness – Part III

Sometimes the Lord’s faithful, never ending power of confirmation just boggles my mind! And this is certainly such a time! For the first time last night, it occurred to me that when we “talk” Christianity and don’t walk it out in the day-to-day reality of our lives, we’re literally taking the Lord’s name in vain. I gave that quite a bit of thought and consideration as I went to sleep last night, particularly how those of us who are standing for marriage restoration often tell others that we’re standing for our marriages because that’s what God told us to do. And we tend to invoke the Lord’s name and quote scripture to justify or explain just about everything we do or don’t do. So what kind of message do we send about our faith and confidence in the Lord when we freak out because something didn’t go the way we wanted or expected, or worse yet, when we give up and decide not to stand anymore? And what kind of message do we send about our faith in God to restore our marriages when we’re always miserable and there’s no evidence of peace or joy in our attitudes or in the way we live our lives? Do we act like victors or do we act a lot more like victims? Have we allowed our marital status to become our whole identity or do we understand and acknowledge that our relationship and the promise we have in Christ is the purpose of our existence? Are we leading people to the Lord or are we leading them away from Him because there’s such a disconnect between the words of faith we speak and the way we live?

I was debating whether or not to write about this today, because of concern that it could be misconstrued as being judgmental or critical of those with less faith and confidence in the Lord than I’m blessed (only by the grace of God) to have. Naturally, I’d never want to do that, but I hadn’t really made up my mind about it when I got up this morning. Then I received the following message in an email from a FAM member who said she felt led to share this with all “standers” and not just the FAM Fellowship members! And I couldn’t possibly express what I was thinking any better than sharing what the Lord put on this woman’s heart, because the ONLY way to walk out the faith we profess to have in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior in a way that glorifies HIM is to stay in the word DAILY and to SERIOUSLY devote ourselves to prayer. Just as she said and has experienced personally, when we don’t, we open the door for Satan, and we can be CERTAIN he will NOT miss any opportunities we give him to kill, steal and destroy us, our husbands and our children! So we all need to take inventory of the words we speak and make sure they are reflected in our actions and attitudes, because ACTIONS DO SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS. And if we don’t BELIEVE the words we hear and read from the Bible, then we shouldn’t take the Lord’s name in vain by repeating them. Instead, we need to devote whatever time it takes in prayer and Bible study to make the words we speak REAL and ALIVE in our hearts. And that’s when we’ll start seeing the awesome supernatural power of the Lord moving in our lives, and the hearts of our husbands changed! Though I’m not revealing the author’s identity here, I can assure you that she REALLY knows what it means to be humble (way beyond what most of us could endure)…AND IT’S WORKING!

Dear Standers,

Fellow Standers, I pray that each of you will stand strong. Please stay in your DAILY Prayer time and continue to read the scriptures every day….EVERY DAY….It WILL make a difference. Just like me, if you backslide due to illness or situations that come up to hinder your intimate time with OUR FATHER, you will begin to notice the difference, so I pray that you will see how important it is to make GOD our NUMBER ONE priority.
Thank you for allowing me to share with you. I really believe GOD has placed each and every one of us in this ministry for a reason; to help support and encourage
each other, which includes reminding one another not to rely on earthly things, but to rely on the promises of GOD.

Along with such a powerful testimony, we can all benefit by meditating on the following verses as we contemplate the importance of making sure our words and actions ALL line up with the word of God and how absolutely imperative it is to make private prayer and Bible study a priority in our lives as we stand for marriage restoration:

Exodus 20:7 (NKJV)
“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

Matthew 12:36 (NKJV)
But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

Psalm 63:11
But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God’s name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

Psalm 69:30
I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

2 Corinthians 1:18-22
But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Psalm 17:1
Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer— it does not rise from deceitful lips.

Colossians 4:2
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Matthew 4:4
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ “

Romans 10:17
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Even though I know we can never fully understand or explain the amazing and mysterious ways of God, I’ll never cease to be in awe of how I see the Lord working in and through this ministry. And one of the most recent observations I’ve made is that the more submissive and humble we make ourselves before the Lord, the more He begins to work IN us and THROUGH us, and we start experiencing supernatural things we’ve never experienced before, which is something words just can’t express. As you will see, today’s post is RADICALLY different from anything I’ve ever done before, but it is done in response to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and an example of how the Lord works in strange and mysterious ways sometimes AND how He can work through us in such ways when we are truly willing and yielded vessels for His purpose and glory.

One of the FAM members called me yesterday to ask if the Lord had ever given me a burden to pray for someone I don’t even know. And while the Lord often gives me a burden for something specific without knowing who it is for in particular, as He did Sunday morning, I’ve never experienced what happened with Jenn Sunday night (can’t help wondering if the two are related). But as she shared this with me, I definitely felt the Lord prompting me to ask her to write about what she had shared so we could post it on the public section of the site in case God was trying to get a message to Tessa and we were the only means He has of reaching her. So the following may be difficult for some to relate to, but Jenn and I present it in obedience to what we feel the Lord has led us to do and we pray that He is glorified as a result. Thank you so much, Jenn, for your obedience and for yielding yourself and allowing the lord to work through you. I know you will be blessed! And, Tessa, I hope and pray that you and your husband will get this message and realize how much God loves you and just how special you are for Him to speak to you through total strangers…and that the Lord will also use it to reach others for His purpose and glory. The following message and prayer is what Jenn sent me this morning:

The Lord spoke to me the other night in a dream, which is the first time this ever happened to me. He showed me a man and woman. I don’t know the man’s name but the Lord told me the woman’s name was Tessa. In this dream, Tessa is walking away from her husband, but at the same time she keeps looking back at him. The Lord spoke to me and told me to pray for Tessa. What I believe the Lord is telling me is that there is someone by the name of Tessa who is a prodigal at this time, but at the same time, she does not want to leave her family and is searching to find the answer of what to do.

If anyone reading this post is named Tessa, Your answer can be found in the Lord. If someone reading this post is Tessa’s spouse, continue to keep standing and praying for your spouse. She is not very far from you and deep in her heart wants to come home.

Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you today with praise and honor. Father, I just thank you for giving me the name Tessa to pray for. Father, I do not know who this person is, but I know this person is hurting and wants to come home, but just does not know how to. I pray for your army of angels to come down and help put this woman back on the road to righteousness; back to you, Father. Father, as I type this prayer, I am sensing an urgency for this woman. Father, I can feel her pain; I ask that by the blood of your son, Jesus, that you remove this pain in her heart and replace it with peace and love; a love for you, and a love for her husband. Remove the blinders from Tessa’s eyes so that she may see you, Father, and know that it is only through you that we have true happiness, true love, true fulfillment in life.
Father, I pray for Tessa’s spouse right now. I pray that you will continue to give this spouse wisdom. I pray for peace in this man’s life. Speak to this man right now, Father, and allow him to hear you telling him that he needs to continue to stand and not give up hope; to continue to speak the word of God into life for his marriage.
Thank you Jesus. Father, I thank you, because I know you will lead Tessa or Tessa’s husband to this ministry to speak to them. You have a plan, a plan to prosper.
And that starts with us right now witnessing and ministering to others. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you again for allowing me to pray for Tessa and her marriage. I give you all the glory and praise, Father. AMEN and AMEN

As women standing for marriage restoration, we know all about having to make decisions we don’t want to make, BUT they still have to be made. And many times they’re decisions that will affect our lives and the lives of those we love in ways far beyond our ability to comprehend or understand at the time we’re required to make them. So it’s very important to learn how to rely on God’s guidance and direction when making such difficult decisions. And we have to be very careful not to allow our pain and disappointment, or anger and pride lead us into making the wrong decisions, because Proverbs 14:12 warns There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. And it IS our responsibility to make sure we understand what God wants us to do, especially in light of the stern warning found in Hosea 4:6, which says my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children. But what an AWESOME promise the Lord gives us in Proverbs 3:5-6, which says Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. And we should NEVER forget His MOST AWESOME promise in Psalm 37:4-6, which is Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. And then when we need to be reminded what it means to have God on our side, we have the assurance found in Romans 8:28-33, 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. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.

Obviously, there’s no doubt that when we do things in accordance with God’s plan and purpose as found in His word, we can rest in the confidence and assurance that HE WILL guide and direct us, bless and protect us, and even glorify and justify us! That should be all the encouragement we need to seek a better understanding of His will, as we make a deliberate and intentional determination to be directed by His word. And let’s not let the devil deceive us into believing that we’ve made so many mistakes already that even God can’t straighten it all out, because that is a lie straight from the pit of hell! What Satan meant for evil, God intends for good and we have to take Jesus at His word in Matthew 19:26, which says Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” And God promised us in Jeremiah 33:3 that if we call unto Him, He WILL answer us and show us great and unsearchable things we do not know! And we CAN rest in the confidence we have in God’s word (the Bible), because He assured us that it will never return void, but that it would always accomplish the purpose for which He sent it!

Yesterday, Charles Stanley’s TV program addressed the question of Seeking God’s Guidance, and it’s a very important message for everyone facing difficult decisions, especially those that have the potential to affect the rest of our lives so significantly, as many of the decisions we make while standing for marriage restoration do. And here’s a link to Dr. Stanley’s sermon outline, which contains the scripture references he uses in the message. May the Lord, and the Lord alone, guide and direct us as we face the decisions we have to make every day as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, and may all of our decisions be God glorifying and family unifying!

God must really be trying to impress upon someone (all of us actually) how critically important forgiveness is, because I received the following email this morning from a lady who probably isn’t aware of the recent SOF posts about it! Well, the Lord sure is persistent!

“FORGIVENESS…
Posted on August 29, 2006 at 01:37:54 AM by A Jackie Redwine Devotional
Forgiveness
Many people tell me they would like to forgive, but they have been so deeply offended that they can’t forgive. In such situations it may become necessary to engage in spiritual warfare against demonic powers that might keep you bound to unforgiveness.
In these instances you must stand against demonic spirits and attitudes of unforgiveness, bitterness, rage, disappointment and other influences that keep you miserable. Evil spirits must be cast out, attitudes renewed by God’s Word and the Holy Spirit of God given freedom to work in order to obtain a genuine spiritual victory.
As you pray, declare your forgiveness every day to the Lord. As you do this over a period of time, God’s grace will break through that tough exterior produced by hurt and grant genuine forgiveness in your heart.
Force yourself to forgive. Don’t wait for it to happen naturally. It won’t happen. You must take control in the name of Jesus. Each time you do this, God will honor your obedience and fill your heart with forgiveness. Greater freedom in your prayer life will result, and the Lord will greatly develop your spiritual potential.
Lord, give me the grace today to release offenses. Don’t let my heart be polluted by the darkness of anger and bitterness.”

Then as even more confirmation, the following from Marsha Burns’ Small Straws post on September 07, 2006, speaks of moving past unforgiveness too.

“September 7, 2006: Beloved, trust Me with the issues that produce oppression and hopelessness. Certainly if there was anything that you could do to fix it, you would have done so. The only thing left for you to do is release it to Me, says the Lord. And, in order to do that you must let go once and for all and move past this point of despair and victimization. That is the only road to recovery and victory. Leave the past behind and move forward into the realm of hope and a new beginning.
Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.”

Perhaps the thought of our tongues taking us anywhere seems a bit ridiculous, but not if we read and believe the word of God, as Deuteronomy 32:45-47 makes clear we should do, because it says When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, he said to them, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.” Then Jesus affirmed that again in Matthew 4:4, which says Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ “ And since it’s not difficult to relate the journey of marriage restoration to crossing the Jordan to possess the promised land, we should understand the importance of taking all of God’s words to heart so they can be our life and we can live long in the promise of our restored marriages!

And James 3:2-12 makes it unmistakably clear that our tongues have the power to determine our direction and set the course of our future, because it says:
We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small
spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. And then Matthew 12:36-37 says But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Hopefully this is strong enough to help us understand that there are NO such things as “harmless” words. Our words have power for life and death, and one of the biggest mistakes many women standing for marriage restoration make is the failure to learn the absolute necessity of learning to bridle our tongues! My mother always said “If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all.” Wow! I wonder how many marriages we’d see restored if we’d all start putting that one simple thing into practice!

This is such a CRITICALLY important message for us to get if we’re serious about the restoration of our marriages. Yet it’s one that so many women are TOTALLY resistant to, and even hostile to. For instance, I recently offended a FAM member because I cautioned her to be careful about the things she was saying about her husband to her mother-in-law, and she hasn’t called or visited the website since. Now that’s pretty sad, and oh how Satan loves it! And women are often offended by the suggestion that they need to spend a lot less time on the telephone talking to anyone and everyone about their husbands and marital woes (including me) and spend more quality time with their children or studying God’s word. We often talk about the principles of marriage restoration, which are based on what we find about restoration and marriage in the Bible, but there’s no other principle of marriage restoration I know of that more is written about than this one…and yet it is the one women have the most difficult time understanding and accepting! God’s plan for us can’t and won’t work unless we work HIS plan, and His plan is found in His words, and since there is SO much written about the power of His word and our spoken words, we’ve got to start DOING and SAYING what God tells us to if we want to live in the victory and everlasting joy He has planned for us.

Dr. Creflo Dollar presented an AWESOME, scripture intensive series of messages on the power of our words this week, which I VERY strongly urge every person standing for marriage restoration or any kind of healing or miracle to listen to over and over again until it’s all deeply planted in our hearts and something we can put into practice. The links are available in Wednesday’s post, Accessing And Operating In The Power Of God’s Word.

I love Isaiah 58:12-14, which seems to sum this up pretty well, and should be very encouraging to anyone standing for marriage restoration, because it says Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” The mouth of the LORD has spoken. Well, as an old saying I didn’t used to appreciate quite as much as I seem to now says “God said it. I believe it. That settles it!”

I pray that through the power of the Holy Spirit we will all remember Luke 6:45 in future conversations, especially when talking about our husbands and marriages, because it says The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. That’s why it is so important to have the word of God planted and stored up in our hearts, and James 1:26 tells us why it is so important to learn to control our tongues, because it says If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. May we all learn to keep a tight rein on our tongues and refrain from speaking idle words, especially words contrary to the word of God and in opposition to our dreams, so we will be sure to enter God’s promised land of marriage restoration!

WOW! The Lord has really been at work in our midst this week, and I NEVER cease to be amazed by His faithfulness! This morning one of the FAM members shared how a program she had watched this week with David and Barbara Cerullo confirmed Tuesday’s post, God Commands Us To Forgive AND Forget, so as I usually do, I listened to the program she mentioned and was totally blown away! First, the specific Inspiration Today program she said was on three times this week was just like she said, a perfect tie in to the post about forgiving requires forgetting, so I added a link to that to the original post. Then, in addition to the series being about forgiveness, it also tied into yesterday’s post, Accessing And Operating In The Power Of God’s Word, and much more! It is so neat how the Lord does that for us over and over again. It’s almost like the Holy Spirit sends out some kind of fax to everyone in ministry so we’ll all be focused on and hear the same message! Of course, we know it’s a lot more than that, especially since so much of what we see on TV is prerecorded and reruns! But God ALWAYS manages to confirm the messages He’s trying to get to us in some way! And He is obviously speaking to us about forgiveness and the words we speak and the power they have for good or evil, for life or death. So let’s not let the devil continue to kill, steal and destroy our dreams by failing to get the message our loving Father is so obviously trying to give us!

The other reason I found this series with Steve Munsey so interesting is because the last two days he discussed something I had seen on another program over the weekend and was very interested in learning more about, as I still am. I’m not at all familiar or knowledgeable about the feast days of the Old Testament, but time and time again lately the Lord keeps bringing them to my attention with messages talking about how important they are and how important it is for us to understand AND observe them! Unfortunately that’s something I’ve never heard of before, but it’s something to research since we’re entering into the season of atonement now, which it appears is very important to anyone standing for marriage restoration or for the realization of other miracles and dreams, based on what I’ve heard in these messages and the other one I saw last weekend. So I am determined to start researching it more in the coming days, as it could be something we all need to learn a lot more about and the timing is obviously very important. Listening to the last two messages in this series with Steve Munsey will give you as much knowledge as I have right now, and if this is something anyone visiting the site knows more about and understands, I’d greatly appreciate it if you’d share it with us on the site or communicate with me about it directly. I’m like Jennifer, if the Lord keeps putting this message before me, it must be pretty important and something He REALLY wants me to get! And I for one have NO intention of letting Satan take anything away from me because I fail to pay attention to what the Lord is trying to show me!

The following links are to the Inspiration Today programs with David and Barbara Cerullo and Steve Munsey, which I VERY strongly encourage everyone to watch, and more than once! They give us a much better understanding of how forgiveness and the words we speak are related, and how important it is to forgive ourselves too. We can’t let Satan lie to us and tell us that our dreams are impossible or that we’re failures, because IF we do, WE are calling God a liar and jeopardizing the fulfillment of our dreams!

Atonement Dreams – 8/28/2006
Steve Munsey, the author of Unleashing Your God Given Dreams explains how important dreams are to all of us and how unforgiveness stops our dreams dead in their tracks, because it blocks faith and faith is the bridge between the natural and the supernatural.

Atonement Dreams – 8/29/2006
An awesome message about how Satan uses the trap of unforgiven offenses to steal our dreams and destroy us, and how our ability to forgive is the test and measure of our faith, because of how our words determine and impact our reality!

Atonement Dreams – 8/30/2006
Steve Munsey explains how unforgiveness prevents the fulfillment of our dreams, because our inability to forget makes it impossible for us to exercise faith and faith is what it takes to make our dreams a reality.

Atonement Dreams – 8/31/2006
A great message about the power of simple faith and our spoken words, and the utter destruction caused by negative words and attitudes. This message also provides very specific biblical instruction for bringing about the reality of our dreams and how this is the time God determines the blessings of the coming year!

Atonement Dreams – 9/1/2006
A very interesting message about this being the season of atonement and how important it is to forgive, pray, make a vow, and decree the things we want now, and how that affects the realization of our dreams over the coming months.

And here’s a link to Leviticus 23, which is where the Lord gave instructions about the appointed feast and said that they were to be observed for all generations, which means this IS something we definitely need to learn a lot more about.

NOTHING has the power to transform us and restore our marriages like understanding and accessing the power of God’s word. Yet very few Christians, including many standing for marriage restoration, realize how vitally important and powerful it is. So, I hope and pray that the following passages of scripture will begin to help all of us better understand the amazing and awesome power of God’s word and the power it has to effect change in our lives when it’s planted in our hearts and spoken out of our mouths.

Hebrews 1:1-4 tells us In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Wow! How much more powerful can anything be than that which “sustains ALL things”, as even more clearly expressed in The Amplified Bible! So that’s probably something we need to be a lot more focused on when we study the Bible! Then John 1:1-5 teaches something very similar, because it says 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. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. And Matthew 4:4 says Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ “ EVERY WORD! How much simpler and plainer can it be than that? We live by the words of God…BY EVERY WORD OF GOD, and not just the ones we’d like to pick and choose. And in Matthew 24:35, Jesus told us Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Since the exact same verse appears in two other gospels, Mark 13:31 and Luke 21:33, which is very unusual, we know this is a very important verse.

Then in addition to recognizing and understanding the importance and power of God’s every word, we have to rely on His awesome promise in Isaiah 55:10-11, which says As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. This passage is what gives us so much hope when we’re standing for marriage restoration and our husbands have made life plans that exclude us, because Proverbs 16:1 assures us To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. Praise the Lord! It doesn’t matter what kind of plans our husbands make, because in the end, what God SAYS is what will happen! That’s why there’s NO doubting the importance and power understanding God’s word has in our lives as Christians, and why James 1:21-22 tells us Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. That means studying and meditating on the word of God, so it will be planted in our hearts and we’ll be able to call it to our minds and act on it in moments of testing and temptation, as Jesus did when Satan tried to tempt Him. As Psalm 119:105 reveals, the word of God keeps us out of the dark and on the right path, because it says Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. and Psalm 119:114 even assures us that it’s safe to put our hope in God’s word, because it says You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

Finally, despite being a very difficult concept to grasp, it is vitally important for us to understand and learn to operate in the awesome power God gives us to LITERALLY speak things into being. And as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, it is imperative for us to recognize and respect the power of our tongues, because as Proverbs 18:21 (AMP) tells us, Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]. And James 1:26 warns If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Then James 3:1-12really provides a very descriptive understanding of the tremendous power held in our tongues.

On his TV program this week, Creflo Dollar is presenting a series on how important it is for the word of God to be conceived in our hearts and consistently spoken with our mouths. Since this is something everyone serious about marriage restoration needs to learn, please take the time to watch or listen to The Spiritual Force of God’s Word (Part 1), from Monday, September 04, 2006. And then watch or listen to The Spiritual Force of God’s Word (Part 2), from Tuesday, September 05, 2006. Then as the additional messages in this series become available, I’ll add them to this page so you can come back and complete this important study with Dr. Dollar

How wonderful and reassuring it is to know that we can follow in the foot steps of Abraham and trust God to call our dead marriages back to life, because Romans 4:17 says As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. So from now on we all need to stop speaking words contrary to our faith that God can and will restore our marriages and we need to start watching and giving thanks for what we’ve devoted ourselves to praying for as we’re told to do in Colossians 4:2!

Here are the links to the rest of this VERY important study with Dr. Dollar. Once we listen to and understand the power of this teaching, our words and lives WILL change! So watch or listen to The Creative Power of Words, from Wednesday, September 06, 2006.

And then watch or listen toWords are a Creative Force (Part 1), from Thursday, September 07, 2006, and watch or listen to Words are a Creative Force (Part 2), from Friday, September 08, 2006.

Most everyone standing for marriage restoration knows and understands that deception is one of Satan’s most effective and destructive weapons, and that most of his plots and schemes to kill, steal and destroy us, our spouses and our families involve deception in one form or another. And even though it’s usually easy to recognize the specific form of deception he’s using in our spouses’ lives, it’s not quite so easy for us to recognize it in ours, because it’s a lot more subtle and we don’t understand its deadly and destructive power.

We’re probably all familiar with that old saying “I can forgive…, but I can’t forget.” or something similar, BUT the truth according to God, is that forgiveness means forgetting, and until or unless we forget, we have NOT forgiven. And even though forgiveness AND forgetting is extremely difficult, it’s VERY important, because our failure or inability to forgive our spouses, and even the NCP, can and will hinder our prayers and relationship with the Lord, and prevent the restoration of our marriages and the healing of our families. In fact, failure to forgive is SO serious that in Mark 11:20-25, the story of The Withered Fig Tree, in verses 24-25, right after saying faith moves mountains, Jesus said Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Unfortunately, it’s not very often that we hear that Jesus said our faith could move mountains along with the “rest of the story”, which is that when we pray, if we hold anything against someone else, God will not forgive our sins.

The best known Bible verse concerning forgiveness is probably Matthew 6:12, where Jesus said Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Yet, many people seem unaware that the measure of our forgiveness is linked to the way we forgive others, as Jesus stated even more definitively in Matthew 6:14-15, where He said For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Then in Matthew 18:21, in response to Peter’s question about how many times to forgive, Jesus told The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, where verses 34-35 say In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” So there is NO doubt that unforgiveness is a very serious matter to God! And Colossians 3:13 tells us to Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

It’s VERY important to understand and pay attention to the last part of that verse about forgiving others as the Lord has forgiven us, because that’s where forgetting comes in, as we see in Hebrews 8:12, which says For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” And how incredible it is that the Lord even tells us that He blots out and forgets our sins for HIS sake, as He does in Isaiah 43:25, which says “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. Even though I’ve always heard and understood that forgiveness does more for the person doing the forgiving than the one being forgiven, I never knew the Bible says the same thing applies when God forgives us! And that’s pretty AWESOME!

Since God commands us to forgive others as He forgives us, it’s important to learn everything we can about the nature and consequences of His forgiveness in order to apply what we learn to our relationships with our spouses and others, especially as a measure of whether or not we’ve really forgiven them. And there’s a lot to learn about that from the following verses.

Psalm 32:1-2 – Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.
So as long as we’re trying to make our spouses “pay” for what they’ve done to hurt us, instead of doing what we can to bless them, we haven’t forgiven them, as confirmed in Hebrews 10:17-18, which says Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

Micah 7:18 – Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.
So if we’re still angry and don’t DELIGHT in showing our spouses mercy, we haven’t forgiven them, as confirmed in Jeremiah 18:23, which says But you know, O LORD, all their plots to kill me. Do not forgive their crimes or blot out their sins from your sight. Let them be overthrown before you; deal with them in the time of your anger.

2 Corinthians 2:7-10 –Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
So when we really forgive our spouses, we comfort them instead of letting them be overwhelmed by shame and guild, and we reaffirm our love to them, which keeps the devil from outwitting us and the Lord is glorified, as confirmed in Jeremiah 33:7-9, which says I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’

Now that we understand the Lord’s command, it is up to us to LEARN how to forgive and forget our spouses transgressions, which means casting them as far as the east is from the west like the Lord does for us in Psalm 103:11-12, which says For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Since Satan wants to keep us from every blessing the Lord promises, he deceives us into thinking it’s not possible to forget and that we can forgive without forgetting, which we now know is a lie straight from the pit of hell. However, God never calls us to do something He doesn’t equip us to do. And the best practical way to learn to forgive and forget is to make a decision to start from this day forward with a clean slate (which we might have to do again every day for awhile) and make a very deliberate and intentional decision to ALWAYS give our spouses the benefit of ANY doubt when the opportunity presents itself. That’s VERY difficult to do in the beginning, but it does get easier each time, and the peace it brings is well worth the discipline it takes to force ourselves to do it. But it definitely means picking up our cross daily, crucifying our flesh and resisting our natural tendencies to rely and fall back on our pride and self defense mechanisms, but the Lord gives us a most awesome promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14, which says if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. And finally, Luke 6:38 is very often misquoted in terms of its context, because in context Luke 6:37-38 says “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” We just have to remember that in the end we are the ones who have the most to gain and benefit by forgiving AND forgetting, and when we trust the Lord and act in obedience to His word, we can rely on God’s promise in Psalm 37:4-6, which says Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. And we shouldn’t forget that it’s actually God’s name and reputation that’s put on the line when we make a decision and commitment to trust and obey; not ours!

One of the saddest things I’ve observed while ministering to women standing for marriage restoration is the tendency we all have to expect God to follow through on every one of His awesome promises even when we ourselves are not doing our part according to what His word teaches. None of us would choose an architect to design and provide the plans and blueprints for our dream home, and realistically expect to end up with the home of our dreams without building it according to the plans and blueprints provided by the architect. Yet, that’s exactly what we tend to do as Christians, especially as women standing for the restoration of our marriages. We dream and pray for a glorious marriage restoration, which we know enough of God’s word to understand He promised to deliver, but we don’t seem to think it’s important for us to study the plans and blueprints He provided to insure that our dreams are built according to THE plan. Even though this is such a simple illustration, I hope and pray it will be powerful enough to make the point that we can NOT expect to see the realization of our restored marriages and the salvation and deliverance of our husbands without knowing, understanding and following the very clear and precise instructions God gives us in His word, which is the blueprint He provided for building our dream homes.

When we try to build our restored marriages and the homes of our dreams on ANYTHING other than the rock of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Bible, we will be terribly disappointed because we will be like the foolish builders Jesus told us about in the parable of The Wise and Foolish Builders, as we see in Matthew 7:24-29, which says:
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,
29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Since it is my most heartfelt desire and prayer that everyone visiting this site and participating in FAM Ministries on any level WILL build their lives and restored marriages on THE ROCK of Jesus Christ, which the above verses make pretty clear means hearing the words of Christ and putting them into practice, it occurs to me that it might be necessary to focus more attention on HOW to study and understand the word of God. Perhaps we know WHAT to do, but don’t know HOW to do it, so I hope the following links to messages from Beth Moore on the Life Today program with James and Betty Robison will be a good start to a better understanding of how to approach God’s word and begin the process of building our homes and marriages according to the awesome plans and blueprints the Lord provided for them!

Approaching God’s Word, Part 1, 02/22/06

Approaching God’s Word, Part 2, 03/01/06

Approaching God’s Word, Part 3, 03/08/06

And here’s a link to the Life Today Archives, where you can access transcripts and download MP3 files for these and many other programs.

I learned an awful lot from Beth by listening to the above messages. In fact, I’ve listened to them several times, so I hope everyone will take the time to listen to them AND be blessed by them as I was. They could change how you approach reading and studying the Bible, and that may be what it takes to begin building your life and marriage on THE ROCK so you can withstand the storms of life and attacks of the devil, especially as you stand for the restoration of your marriages.

One of the most absurd and outrageous false teachings rampant in the Christian church today concerning marriage, divorce and remarriage is that when adulterers get married, they’re no longer committing adultery in the eyes of God! Since that is SO TOTALLY CONTRARY to what Jesus himself taught, there’s NO doubt that’s one of Satan’s MOST destructive and effective weapons against marriage, because Hebrews 13:8 says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today And forever. And even more importantly, Jesus himself told us in Matthew 24:35, Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. And the importance of His words can’t easily be discounted or dismiss, because the EXACT same verse is also found in Mark 13:31 and Luke 21:33, and it’s rather unusual for three of the four gospels to contain totally identical verses.

Speaking out against such a prevalent and destructive false teaching in the church today is a perfect example of what 2 Corinthians 10:5 means when it says 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, even though this may be a very difficult teaching for many of us to understand and apply, we have to trust and rely on God’s word and promise in John 8:31-32, which says To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” So let’s take a look at what Jesus taught about marriage, divorce and remarriage that totally refutes and destroys the validity of such dangerous and antichrist teaching, meaning it opposes Christ, as this obviously does. The following verses are what Jesus himself taught us about marriage, divorce and what HE proclaimed adulterous remarriage.

Matthew 19:3-9 says:
3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”
4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’
5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?
6 So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”
7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.
9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
So, according to Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today and forever, and whose words will never pass away, if a man or woman divorces their wife or husband for ANY reason other than marital unfaithfulness and marries someone else, they are committing adultery and they are an adulterer EVEN THOUGH MARRIED BY LAW! That’s VERY clear and unambiguous, and ANY teaching OTHER than that is CONTRARY to the word of God, even the words spoken and taught by Jesus himself. And God very clearly and unmistakably warned us about the dangers of such false teachings in 2 Peter 2:1-2, which says But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.

In Matthew 5:31-32, Jesus even went so far as to say “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery. So Jesus CLEARLY and very unambiguously commands us NOT to live in accordance with today’s “no fault” divorce laws, which is totally destroying the fabric of society as God created it. How heart breaking it must be for the Lord that even the church, the body of His Son the living Christ, not only fails to condemn and reject practices so contrary to the teachings of Jesus himself, but they endorse, promote and participate in them by performing sacrilegious wedding ceremonies that Jesus spoke and taught against as adultery!

Then in Mark 10, what Jesus taught about marriage, divorce and remarriage is recounted WITHOUT the exception for marital unfaithfulness found in other passages and verses, as we see in the following verses:
2 Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
3 “What did Moses command you?” he replied.
4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
5 “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied.
6 “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’
7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,
8 and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one.
9 Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”
10 When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this.
11 He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.
12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”
Even though this particular passage makes the circumstances for any of us dealing with a second or subsequent marriage more complicated, even when marital unfaithfulness is the cause for divorce, it still makes it very clear that Christian leaders are wrong to encourage, accept and condone adulterous remarriage.

It’s so ironic that the one chapter, 1 Corinthians 7, most often used by Christians to come up with all sorts of “loopholes” for divorce and remarriage is actually the one that MOST strongly supports Mark’s account of what Jesus taught about marriage, divorce and remarriage. Because in verses 10-11, Paul said To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. Clearly there’s NO marital unfaithfulness exception mentioned there, or anywhere else in the chapter, and the ONLY possible “presumption” of allowance for divorce and remarriage for marital unfaithfulness, or adultery, is found at the end of the chapter in verse 39, where Paul concluded by saying A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. And at that time, as when Jesus taught about divorce and remarriage, anyone caught in adultery was stoned to death, which meant the other spouse was free to remarry. Paul obviously felt very strongly about that, because he also used it as an example 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, once again, the practice of stoning an adulterous spouse at that time is the only possible presumed exception for remarriage found in these verses, which WOULD be a lot more in keeping with what the Bible teaches about God’s grace and mercy, and His strong sense of justice, as well as His promise to defend and vindicate us when we’re wronged by others, especially considering the exception Jesus made for marital unfaithfulness in other passages.

Then, as further evidence and confirmation that God does not recognize or bless ALL marriages, Mark 6:17 says For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. And Matthew 14:3-4 says Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” And then, finally, Luke 3:18-20 says And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them. But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison. In all three gospel accounts, Herodias was always referred to as Philip’s wife, even though Herod had married her, so the Bible makes it very clear that God does not recognize or acknowledge adulterous marriages, much less approve, condone or bless them! And let us not forget that John the Baptist lost his head for preaching AGAINST that particular adulterous marriage, because he refused to accept and acknowledge it as lawful!

Another very important point to make here, without going into great detail, is that even though many people believe and teach that God’s grace and forgiveness means that getting married makes it okay to continue living in adulterous relationships, or to remain in adulterous marriages, Jude 1:4 clearly warns against such teaching, because it says For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. Not only that, but the same grace Christian leaders now presumed to cover and allow the continuation of adulterous relationships was already in effect at the time Paul wrote what he did about marriage, divorce and remarriage, in which he NEVER eluded to the “grace” exceptions, even though it was well after the death and resurrection of Jesus. In fact, quite to the contrary, Paul makes it VERY clear that the grace of our Lord and Savior is NOT a license to sin, as he wrote in Romans 6:15, which says, What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! And One REALLY BIG problem with this perverted concept of God’s grace and forgiveness is that it forgets and ignores the fact that without confession and repentance, there is no grace or forgiveness for our sins. And I know of no other sin Christians believe God’s grace allows us to continue in, while expecting and claiming God’s forgiveness and redemption. Proverbs 28:13 makes that point very well, because it says He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.. And 1 John 1:9 says If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Obviously, we can’t confess something as sin and expect to receive God’s mercy, and the grace of His forgiveness and the purification of His righteousness if we have no intention of renouncing and discontinuing the sin! That’s what makes the false teaching that marriage causes God to accept or forgive the sin of adultery so absurd and outrageous!

Finally, it’s not possible to consider writing something like this without being aware of how the devil could (and probably will) try to use it to cause confusion and discouragement for anyone standing for the restoration of a second or subsequent marriage, which made this a more difficult post to write than usual. BUT the Lord put it on my heart Monday night and I’ve been thinking about it ever since, but kept putting off writing it. As a result, I’ve been VERY restless and ill at ease, and haven’t slept a wink for two nights! But I didn’t have a clue why until I actually started working on this today! When the Lord puts something on our hearts to do, we had better do it, or He isn’t going to give us any rest! Having said that, it’s important to mention that it’s my second marriage I stand for, and that there is not a one size fits all answer to any of our marital situations or understanding God’s will for us. That’s why we all have to seek God’s will through serious Bible study, fasting and prayer. So the important point of this post is to understand that even if our spouse gets married again, God does not want us to give up standing for marriage restoration when that’s what HE called us to do. No matter what the WHOLE rest of the world tells us, GOD DOES NOT RECOGNIZE ADULTEROUS MARRIAGES, and neither should we! BUT we DO have to totally release our husbands, and live our lives in peace. Then it’s up to God to deal with the sin in their lives. And it’s up to HIM to pour out His heart to them and to make His thoughts known to them…NOT US! We just need to get (AND STAY) out of His way! Fortunately, there are many women in the ministry who are NOT encumbered with questions concerning which marriage to stand for, and I think the Lord really wanted to encourage you to stand strong on His word and promises and to understand that contrary to what many church leaders tell you, God didn’t and won’t forgive your husband’s adultery just because he married the other woman. I have no doubt this is an important message for someone in particular, so PLEASE be encouraged and know that you are NOT alone!

As marriage restoration ministries often acknowledge, discouragement is a serious pitfall for anyone standing for marriage restoration, and there is NO doubt that it IS Satan’s favorite and most effective weapon against the restoration of our marriages! So I really appreciated something Judy Rousseau included in her message to marriage partners this morning, which was originally sent to her by Neal in Georgia. Unfortunately, I don’t know who the original author was, but feel certain they won’t mind their wisdom and insight being shared here as follows:

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might.
So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sunup to sundown, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.
Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind: “You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn’t moved.” Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. Satan said, “Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough.”
That’s what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. “Lord,” he said, “I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?”
The Lord responded compassionately, “My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown; your hands are calloused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. True, you haven’t moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. That you have done. Now I, my friend, will move the rock.”
At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just a simple obedience and faith in Him. By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who actually moves the mountains.
When everything seems to go wrong…just PUSH.
When the job gets you down…just PUSH.
When people don’t react the way you think they should…just PUSH.
When your money is gone and the bills are due…just PUSH.
When people just don’t understand you…just PUSH.
PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS!!!

WOW, there’s SO much in the above story that we can all relate to as we stand for marriage restoration, but there’s a lot of wisdom, insight and truth to be gained from it too. One of the important, often overlooked points from my perspective is that WHEN the Lord has asked us to SERVE HIM by standing for the restoration of our marriages, and when we accept and agree to serve Him in doing that, He does NOT ask or expect us to try to move or REMOVE (including controlling and/or manipulating) the mountains and obstacles that appear to stand in the way of the restoration of our marriages. That’s HIS job, because that battle belongs to HIM! And we’re assured of that in 2 Chronicles 20:15, which says He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. And what awesome assurance of victory and His deliverance we have in 2 Chronicles 20:17, which says You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’ “
All He wants and expects from us is to LEARN and DO what His word teaches, and to TRUST and leave the consequences and results to Him. But another VERY important point of the above story is that when the man DID get discouraged, AS WE ALL WILL from time to time, he took his doubts and concerns to the Lord in prayer instead of allowing the devil to deceive him. And then HE LISTENED to see what God had to say to him! So many times we are so caught up in everything going on around us, and even so busy begging, pleading and crying out to the Lord, that we forget to be still long enough to find out what the Lord wants to say back to us. I love something I learned from Beth Moore in her messages about approaching the word of God, because she said when the Lord talks, talk back to Him. And she was saying that as we read the Bible, we should talk to God about what we’re reading. Well, in the same way, when we talk to God, we HAVE to listen to see what He’s going to say back to us, because those moments when we KNOW the Lord has spoken to us will be some of the most significant and precious times in our entire lives!

As I love to do when studying a particular topic, I did a BibleGateway.com search for discouragement, and was particularly impressed with some of the following verses, especially Joshua 1:9, which says Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Even though I knew the Lord tells us in many places not to be discouraged or afraid, I didn’t realize that He put it in such strong terms before finding that verse. He actually COMMANDS us to be strong and courageous and not afraid or discouraged, which means we all need to make a much greater effort to avoid allowing the devil to deceive us and cause fear and discouragement!

Most of us are probably familiar with the above verses about the battle belonging to the Lord, and Deuteronomy 31:8, which says The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” But I wonder if we’ve ever stopped to consider the importance of Deuteronomy 1:21, which says See, the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” God has ALREADY given us the restoration of our marriages! Otherwise He WOULD NOT have called us to stand for it! So the ONLY thing that can keep us from experiencing the restoration of our marriages is DISCOURAGEMENT, which causes us to quit and give up. That’s exactly what Numbers 32:9 confirms and warns against, because it says After they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the LORD had given them. So let’s NOT let discouragement keep us from receiving and entering into what God has already given us! May it never be!

One of the most frustrating and heart breaking aspects of ministering to women standing for marriage restoration is the inability to help them make faith and trust in God a reality in their lives, instead of a lot of empty words that never seem to bring them peace or comfort, much less joy and victory. Sadly, not withstanding the major stumbling block of unforgiveness, one of the biggest hurdles for many women standing for marriage restoration is allowing their fears to control them more than their faith and trust in the Lord, because they lack absolute confidence in either God’s power or faithfulness to deliver on the promises in His word. Even though trusting God instead of trying to minimize or prevent the potential negative consequences of our husbands’ behavior ourselves, especially when it concerns our children, may be VERY difficult, that IS what the Lord asks AND expects us to do.

Since that was so heavy on my heart this morning as I started reading the Bible, I couldn’t believe it when I read Proverbs 29:25, because it says Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe. What a victory it would be IF we could only understand that! When we fear the consequences or results of our husbands’ actions, NO matter how wrong, unfair, unrighteous or ungodly they are, and try to control or manipulate our husbands and our circumstances to avoid them ourselves, we are falling into the devil’s trap. That’s what yesterday’s post about 1 Peter 3:1-6 was all about. When our husbands are planning or doing something that concerns or frightens us, even when it could cause us or our children harm, we have to take that concern to the LORD and TRUST AND EXPECT HIM to deal with it, and rely on HIM to protect us and provide for us! That verse is just further confirmation of how the three messages I posted from Beth Moore in my post from Saturday, and the message from Joyce Meyer in yesterday’s post, apply to us as we stand for marriage restoration. So, if anyone has not made the time to listen to those four messages, I certainly hope you will, because they are VERY important.

As I continued my Bible study this morning, it was pretty neat to see how the following passages applied to this topic as well! Here’s Psalm 29, which should help remind us just who our God is and how powerful He is:
Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning. The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!” The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever. The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.
So God obviously has the power to control ALL circumstances and situations concerning us AND our husbands, and HE will give us the strength and peace we need and seek! HE is the one who will direct our husbands’ steps…NOT THEM. Don’t forget that Proverbs 20:24 says A man’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way? And here’s one I JUST found for the first time in Proverbs 16:1, which says To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. And we know what God says goes! So it does NOT matter what kind of plans our husbands make in the end, because what God SAYS IS what WILL happen! And, of course, that’s confirmed in Proverbs 16:9, which says In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. So it comes down to whether or not we’re going to believe our husbands or trust God. Are we going to fear the plans of man or trust God? And if more confirmation that God’s plans will prevail is needed, here’s Proverbs 19:21, which says Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. And God makes that point VERY strongly in Isaiah 46!

Then in Psalm 89”1-37, we learn even more about the Lord’s power and faithfulness to fulfill His promises, and God’s awesome promise of the never ending power and effectiveness of His covenant with us. But in Psalm 89:38-52, we can all relate to David’s feelings of being abandoned by the Lord. In fact in verse 46 He asked How long, O LORD ? Will you hide yourself forever?… And in verses 49-51 he asked O Lord, where is your former great love, which in your faithfulness you swore to David? Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations, the taunts with which your enemies have mocked, O LORD, with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one. And I KNOW we can ALL relate to that! But look at what David says in Psalm 119:41-42, May your unfailing love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise; then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in your word. And here are some more verses from Psalm 119 that assure us that we can put our trust in the Lord’s promises and rely on His word:
58 I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.
76 May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.
89-90 Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.
114 You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.
154 Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to your promise.
170 May my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise.

So we ALL need to do whatever it takes to understand and eliminate anything that keeps us from having absolute trust and faith in God, because Hebrews 11:6 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 then we must live and ACT in accordance with the faith, trust and confidence we have through the word of God. Otherwise we do NOT please God and our faith is dead, which James 2:26 makes clear, because it says As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Finally, the best way for us to be assured of God’s promises becoming a reality in our lives is to practice the simple instructions in Proverbs 3:5-6, which says Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. And how appropriate the Lord’s glorious promise in Psalm 37:4-7 is in this context, because it says Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. So let’s not let our words of faith and trust in God be llittle more than empty words! Trust God! He’s got it covered and He IS way more than able and faithful!

One of the most difficult and important passages of scripture for women standing for marriage restoration to put into practice is 1 Peter 3:1-6 (AMP), so I’m really excited about how the Lord led me to a much greater understanding of its context and how important it is, especially since that’s been a topic of discussion in most of my conversations with women over the past few days or so.

Unfortunately, we all keep looking for exceptions to the submission and “without a word” part, and do our best to convince ourselves that it surely didn’t mean….blah, blah, blah! It’s especially difficult when our husbands ARE TOTALLY IN THE WRONG, and many women feel they MUST draw the line when it comes to shielding or protecting their children. BUT, that is NOT what the word says. In fact, it’s obviously not unintentional that Peter specifically warns us against giving in to our fears. We ALL know too well that the instruction in these verses goes TOTALLY against our nature and what society teaches us, so it’s ONLY through the grace of God that we can do it, but the rewards are so much worthwhile.

If we go through this passage verse by verse and pull out the important points (looking at several different versions), the first point is that when our husbands are NOT being obedient to the word of God and don’t believe it, GOD will use our being submissive, without a word or discussion by us, to “win them over”, when they CONSISTENTLY see our God glorifying behavior. So the purpose for practicing the instructions in these verses is to win our husbands over to the Lord, NOT MARRIAGE RESTORATION! They will be won over by our consistently pure, modest, and reverent behavior, by a quiet and gentle nature that is not controlling, manipulative, anxious, angry or frustrated. That kind of inner beauty is much more important and powerful than any external beauty or adornment, and it’s precious in the sight of God too, which means we’ll have His favor and protection. This must have been an issue of contention even in Peter’s time, because he says that was how the holy women of “old” who put their hope in God made themselves beautiful, and submitted to their husbands. Peter AGAIN emphasizes the importance of not trying to accomplish this with words, because he said we should have a gentle and quiet spirit, which means our husbands se the peace of God in us, and we’re NOT being controlling or contentious. And he very specifically says that we have to put our hope in God. And then the most incredible aspect of this passage to me is how Peter specifically uses Sarah as the example we’re to follow when he tells us to submit to the leadership, will and authority of our husbands, because the reference he makes is to the time Abraham told Sarah to lie and hide the fact that she was his wife so he wouldn’t be killed because of her beauty if another man was interested in her! Then he even let the Pharaoh take her into his home to sleep with her! Hey, ladies, I didn’t write it! And Peter says that we’re Sarah’s true daughters if we follow Sarah’s example, and “do right”, and not give way to fear and terror! BUT the good news is that GOD rescued Sarah, because she had put her hope and faith in him and not in her totally undeserving husband! And that’s exactly what the Lord wants and EXPECTS us to do! And this passage makes it VERY clear that He knows and understands just how difficult it is for us to do what He is asking us to do, especially when we read it in its full context.

The original manuscripts of the Bible did not have the verse and chapter distinctions of our modern day translations, so there are often times when it really helps to understand the context of what we’re reading by going back to the previous chapter, taking out the verse and chapter references. Yet, even though the first words in this passage indicate we need to do that, I never had. And this weekend was the first time I heard a preacher tie it back to chapter 2, and I couldn’t believe the difference it makes! There’s no way to read it in that context and still question the Lord’s meaning and intentions, so here’s 1 Peter 2:13-3:17 from the Amplified Bible, with a link to BibleGateway.com, to make it easier to compare with other versions:
Be submissive to every human institution and authority for the sake of the Lord, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, Or to governors as sent by him to bring vengeance (punishment, justice) to those who do wrong and to encourage those who do good service. For it is God’s will and intention that by doing right [your good and honest lives] should silence (muzzle, gag) the ignorant charges and ill-informed criticisms of foolish persons.
[Live] as free people, [yet] without employing your freedom as a pretext for wickedness; but [live at all times] as servants of God.
Show respect for all men [treat them honorably]. Love the brotherhood (the Christian fraternity of which Christ is the Head). Reverence God. Honor the emperor.
[You who are] household servants, be submissive to your masters with all [proper] respect, not only to those who are kind and considerate and reasonable, but also to those who are surly (overbearing, unjust, and crooked). For one is regarded favorably (is approved, acceptable, and thankworthy) if, as in the sight of God, he endures the pain of unjust suffering. [After all] what kind of glory [is there in it] if, when you do wrong and are punished for it, you take it patiently? But if you bear patiently with suffering [which results] when you do right and that is undeserved, it is acceptable and pleasing to God. For even to this were you called [it is inseparable from your vocation]. For Christ also suffered for you, leaving you [His personal] example, so that you should follow in His footsteps.
He was guilty of no sin, neither was deceit (guile) ever found on His lips. When He was reviled and insulted, He did not revile or offer insult in return; [when] He was abused and suffered, He made no threats [of vengeance]; but he trusted [Himself and everything] to Him Who judges fairly.
He personally bore our sins in His [own] body on the tree [as on an altar and offered Himself on it], that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like [so many] sheep, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian (the Bishop) of your souls.
IN LIKE manner, you married women, be submissive to your own husbands [subordinate yourselves as being secondary to and dependent on them, and adapt yourselves to them], so that even if any do not obey the Word [of God], they may be won over not by discussion but by the [godly] lives of their wives, When they observe the pure and modest way in which you conduct yourselves, together with your reverence [for your husband; you are to feel for him all that reverence includes: to respect, defer to, revere him–to honor, esteem, appreciate, prize, and, in the human sense, to adore him, that is, to admire, praise, be devoted to, deeply love, and enjoy your husband].
Let not yours be the [merely] external adorning with [elaborate] interweaving and knotting of the hair, the wearing of jewelry, or changes of clothes; But let it be the inward adorning and beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, which [is not anxious or wrought up, but] is very precious in the sight of God. For it was thus that the pious women of old who hoped in God were [accustomed] to beautify themselves and were submissive to their husbands [adapting themselves to them as themselves secondary and dependent upon them].
It was thus that Sarah obeyed Abraham [following his guidance and acknowledging his headship over her by] calling him lord (master, leader, authority). And you are now her true daughters if you do right and let nothing terrify you [not giving way to hysterical fears or letting anxieties unnerve you].
In the same way you married men should live considerately with [your wives], with an intelligent recognition [of the marriage relation], honoring the woman as [physically] the weaker, but [realizing that you] are joint heirs of the grace (God’s unmerited favor) of life, in order that your prayers may not be hindered and cut off. [Otherwise you cannot pray effectively.]
Finally, all [of you] should be of one and the same mind (united in spirit), sympathizing [with one another], loving [each other] as brethren [of one household], compassionate and courteous (tenderhearted and humble).
Never return evil for evil or insult for insult (scolding, tongue-lashing, berating), but on the contrary blessing [praying for their welfare, happiness, and protection, and truly pitying and loving them]. For know that to this you have been called, that you may yourselves inherit a blessing [from God–that you may obtain a blessing as heirs, bringing welfare and happiness and protection].
For let him who wants to enjoy life and see good days [good–whether apparent or not] keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from guile (treachery, deceit). Let him turn away from wickedness and shun it, and let him do right. Let him search for peace (harmony; undisturbedness from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts) and seek it eagerly. [Do not merely desire peaceful relations with God, with your fellowmen, and with yourself, but pursue, go after them!] For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God), and His ears are attentive to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who practice evil [to oppose them, to frustrate, and defeat them].
Now who is there to hurt you if you are zealous followers of that which is good? But even in case you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, [you are] blessed (happy, to be envied). Do not dread or be afraid of their threats, nor be disturbed [by their opposition].
But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully. [And see to it that] your conscience is entirely clear (unimpaired), so that, when you are falsely accused as evildoers, those who threaten you abusively and revile your right behavior in Christ may come to be ashamed [of slandering your good lives]. For [it is] better to suffer [unjustly] for doing right, if that should be God’s will, than to suffer [justly] for doing wrong.

This must be a very important message for someone in particular right now, because that’s just the way the Lord works. It’s had quite an impact on me personally, and I hope it finally makes the case for how important this passage is for us as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, and how important it is for us to put it into practice…especially when it is so hard and we’re so afraid. Trusting God and being obedient to HIS word in such circumstances causes Him to move on our behalf as nothing else can! And as if that weren’t enough, I really couldn’t believe how well Joyce Meyer’s message this morning tied into this post, which I knew I was going to write about for a couple of days now! I can’t remember just how she words it, but she said that the best way to represent God is to be good to people who don’t deserve it, and who will never be able to understand it…but that they WILL be drawn to it and want what we have! What Kind of Influence Are You Having? – Part I is another AWESOME message from Joyce, and a very important one for all of us as we stand for marriage restoration, so don’t miss it!

In response to Thursday’s SOF post, one of our ladies shared a link to an awesome message from Beth Moore, which was SO good that I want to share links to all three messages from Beth’s series called The Law of the Harvest. These messages speak to everyone standing for marriage restoration on SO many levels, and address many of the issues that challenge us, because they provide the understanding, inspiration, and encouragement we really need in our deepest and darkest hours of despair, frustration, anger, and discouragement, or when we’re so tired we just want to quit! And they apply to many life situations other than standing for marriage restoration as well.

Beth Moore is the guest speaker every Wednesday on the Life Today program with James and Betty Robison, and these messages are provided through links on their website, which you can find at at this link.

The Law of the Harvest, Part 1, focuses on Psalm 126, and Beth delivers an awesome message about God’s PROMISE that when we sow seeds in a time of tears, we WILL return with sheaths of joy! She uses Genesis 8:22 to remind us of God’s spiritual law of the harvest, and that we’re now sowing what we will reap later. And when she used Galatians 6:7-9 to remind us that God WILL NOT be mocked, I noticed something in the last verse I always overlooked the importance of, because it says we WILL reap a harvest IF we don’t give up! And that’s a VERY important word for anyone standing for marriage restoration, because it explains why the devil focuses SO much energy on trying to get us to give up! He does NOT want us to reap the GUARANTEED harvest that comes when we sow God’s word into our hearts and reality WITHOUT giving up!

And we need to praise the Lord for the wisdom He gave Beth to understand that it’s not likely we can study sowing and reaping without Satan reminding us of all of the rotten fleshly seeds we’ve sown in the past, which she reminds us we CAN overcome through confession, repentance and praying for God’s mercy. As she said, we are very fortunate, because God does not deal with us as our sin deserves, according to Psalm 103, and what an AWESOME promise she found for all of us in Matthew 15:13, which says He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. So we can ask and count on our heavenly Father to pull up by the roots everything in our lives He didn’t plant, and we can start choking out the fleshly crop we’ve sown by sowing a more abundant crop of spiritual seed! What an awesome message! Don’t miss it! And for those who like to see things in writing, here’s a link to the transcript of the above message from Wednesday, May 10, 2006.

In The Law of the Harvest, Part 2, Beth focuses even more on Psalm 126:5, which says Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. So we are GUARANTEED in the word of God that we WILL reap a harvest of joy! And Beth reminds us that Luke 8:11 says “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. In other words, God’s promise and “the law of the harvest” assures us that sowing the seed of God’s word in difficult seasons WILL produce a harvest of joy!

However, Beth makes a very important point with excellent illustrations, which is that we quite often “eat” the word of God instead of “sowing” it into the day to day reality of our lives. In other words, we might hear it and believe it; it might really speak to us about a certain issue or situation (often even making us laugh or cry), it might comfort or encourage us in a time of need, and it often makes us feel much better, but it fails to cause meaningful and lasting change in our lives. Beth uses some very powerful illustrations to make the vitally important point that eating (hearing and receiving) the word will not help us reap the harvest of joy. ONLY SOWING (DOING what it teaches) the word can do that, as James 1:19-25 explains and confirms, because it says My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 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.

This is an awesome and critically important message for everyone standing for marriage restoration, because NO matter how much Bible study we do, if we DON’T practice and DO what the word teaches us, it has NO power to work in our lives and bring about the harvest we want. So I hope everyone will listen to this message, taking it to heart and learning how to be DOERS (sowers) of the word, so we can reap God’s GARANTEED harvest of joy! And here’s the transcript to the above message from Wednesday, May 17, 2006.

In The Law of the Harvest, Part 3, Beth makes the very important point that God’s word is FOR us, and it’s meant to give us freedom and for our good, not to restrict our enjoyment of life as it might appear when we are deceived by looking at the lifestyles of those who are not living in accordance with His word.

Beth really helps us understand that we’ll all face times of testing and temptation, and how they are literal crossroads where we’ll have to decide whether or not we will sow the word, no matter how hard it is, even if it feels like it will kill us. That’s when we have to make a decision to BELIEVE God, and so the seed of His word if we want to reap the harvest of His promise. Beth makes the very important point that death is ALWAYS a part of the sowing process, especially when we have to give up our right to be furious or our claim of victimization, which we never want to do because it feels like we’re letting someone get away with something wrong. But That’s when we have to decide if we really believe God and His promise that if we lose our life, we will find it. And I agree with Beth that the harder the test God gives us, the greater the effects will be when we pass the test. And the harder the test, the greater the glory, especially when it is a test we specifically prayed to be delivered from and the Lord allowed it anyway. And she reminds us that there are likely to be times when we have to sow the seed of God’s word all by ourselves, with no one else but us and God. But that is often what it takes to produce the awesome harvest of joy we want, which is why it is so important for us to KNOW it WILL happen! So this is a wonderful message of encouragement, especially when we think we’re at the end of our rope and we just want to give up. Beth really helps us understand what is at stake and how awesome the reward will be if we just hold onto the Lord and His word, believing and trusting Him to be faithful to deliver on His promises! So I encourage everyone to listen to this message and sow the promise of God’s word into our hearts and the reality of our lives. And here’s the transcript of the above message from Wednesday, May 24, 2006.