We’re all familiar with Psalm 118:24, because it says This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. But we often let the trials, difficulties and pain of standing for marriage restoration keep us from putting that into practice, which is something we have to change, because when we don’t rejoice in the Lord for all of the things He’s already done for us, and fail to be glad and give Him praise for everything we know he’s GOING to do for us in the future, we’re being disobedient and we’re certainly not glorifying Him. Since seeing topical verses together has a much greater impact, perhaps reading so many verses about rejoicing and why and how to rejoice will help us understand it’s importance in our lives as Christians. And these are just a few, because similar verses are sprinkled throughout the entire Bible:

Deuteronomy 12:7
There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.

1 Chronicles 16:10
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

1 Chronicles 16:31
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!”

Psalm 5:11
But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

Psalm 9:2
I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

Psalm 13:5
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.

Psalm 21:1
O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victories you give!

Psalm 31:7
I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.

Psalm 33:21
In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

Psalm 40:16
But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, “The LORD be exalted!”

Psalm 64:10
Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!

Psalm 66:6
He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot— come, let us rejoice in him.

Psalm 68:3
But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.

Psalm 68:4
Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds — his name is the LORD— and rejoice before him.

Psalm 70:4
But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, “Let God be exalted!”

Psalm 89:15-17
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD. They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness. For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn.

Psalm 96:10-13
i>Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.” The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth.

Psalm 97:1
The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.

Psalm 97:12
Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.

Psalm 104:34
May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD.

Psalm 105:3
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

Psalm 119:14
I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.

Psalm 119:74
May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.

Psalm 119:162
I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil.

Isaiah 29:19
Once more the humble will rejoice in the LORD; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 49:13
Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

Isaiah 61:7
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.

Isaiah 61:10
I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Isaiah 66:13-14
As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes.

Jeremiah 31:12
They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD— the grain, the new wine and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more.

Joel 2:21
Be not afraid, O land; be glad and rejoice. Surely the LORD has done great things.

Joel 2:23
Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.

Habakkuk 3:18
yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Zephaniah 3:14
Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem!

Luke 1:47-49
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name.

John 16:22
So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

Acts 2:25-27
David said about him: ” ‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

Romans 5:1-3
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Romans 5:11
Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Philippians 1:19
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.

Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

1 Peter 1:6
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

1 Peter 4:13
But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

Revelation 12:12
Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”

Revelation 19:7
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.

Just reading and believing the above verses should be enough to make us rejoice! And if we still find it difficult, it’s important to recognize the reason, and the ONLY reason we fail to rejoice is a lack of faith and trust in the Lord, and that’s a serious problem for anyone in need of a miracle. And if we doubt that, all we have to do is read Mark 4:4-6, which says Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith. Never let it be said that our AWESOME, ALMIGHTY, OMNIPOTENT Lord and Savior could not perform the miracles we need and want so much in our lives just because of our lack of faith and trust in Him! But the Good News is that we CAN resolve that lack in our hearts, minds and souls by reading and studying His word, the Bible, as Romans 10:17 tells us, because it says So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. So, instead of wasting this glorious day, which the Lord has made, by worrying about tomorrow and things we have no control over and no power to change, let’s be glad and rejoice in it! And TRUST God, He is not a liar! He is FAITHFUL! And His INFINITE love, mercy, power and grace endure forever! And as Jeremiah 33:3 tells us, when we call out to Him, He WILL answer us AND show us great and mighty things we do not know!

Joyce Meyer’s TV broadcast messages this week are about God being in control, and it’s an excellent series, with an awful lot about things that apply to anyone standing for marriage restoration, so please take the time to listen to God Will Make a Way! – Part II.

What a huge difference it would make in our lives as we stand for the restoration of our marriages if we could only understand and believe that God truly IS ALL WE NEED! Because that’s what it takes to really walk in the victory, peace and joy Jesus came to give us, and that’s how His most awesome and omnipotent power is released to work on our behalf. As I heard a preacher put it many years ago, that’s how we stay under the glory spout where the glory comes out! The following verses are just a few that confirm that we MUST seek and put the Lord FIRST:

1 Kings 22:5
But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the LORD.”

Matthew 22:37
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

Exodus 20:2-4
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.

Exodus 34:14
Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Matthew 19:29
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.

Mark 10:28-30
Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.

Even though Isaiah 55:8-9 explicitly tells us that our ways and thoughts are NOT God’s ways and thoughts, because His are so much higher, it’s VERY difficult to avoid applying our limited understanding to the situations we face and to the things of God, but Proverbs 3:5-6 specifically warns us NOT to do that. In fact, it says Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. For instance, in our very limited human capacity, it’s not easy to understand something like Luke 17:33, which says Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. But the answer to that is found in verses like Matthew 6:33, which says But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. And Philippians 4:19, which says And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Joyce Meyer is doing an AWESOME series this week on her TV broadcasts about God being in control, which I have a feeling I’ll refer to all week, because so far they’ve really confirmed a lot of what the Lord has put on my heart lately. The scripture reference she used in the beginning of her message yesterday morning is something we all need to remember, because it’s 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, which says We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. As Christians, especially when we’re literally standing against the gates of hell (which Jesus promised WILL NOT prevail!) for the restoration of our marriages, and in many cases for the salvation of our husbands, life is not going to be easy and we’re going to face what appear to be impossible odds. And if we allow Satan to deceive us by getting us to focus on all of that instead of the awesome, never changing promises, power and faithfulness of our Lord and Savior, he wins, and our marriages will not be restored. Ladies, do we really believe that our Father in heaven, who loved us SO much that He watched His beloved son die in agony on the cross to give us victory over the devil and his plans to kill, steal and destroy us, our husbands, our children and our marriages, would call us to run the marathon of marriage restoration only to shoot us down before we cross the finish line? I don’t think so! The ONLY reason we won’t cross the finish line in our race to marriage restoration is because we stop running the race the Lord set before us OURSELVES. If we FINISH the race, we’ll cross the finish line and receive the awesome reward God ALREADY has set aside for us! My prayer for everyone running this race, and ours for our husbands should be, Ephesians 3:14-21, which says For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Don’t miss, God Will Make a Way! – Part I, which is the first message in what I know is one of Joyce’s most awesome and powerful series, with a lot in it for anyone standing for marriage restoration.

The Lord is working and I have a great praise report! When I ordered the new computer last week, I was told that it wouldn’t arrive until Thursday or Friday of this week, and then everything would have to be transferred from my old PC. Well, that was just too long in my opinion, so I said I’d be praying that it would come a lot sooner than that…AND IT DID! The new computer arrived today and it is being delivered tomorrow morning! Praise the Lord for His infinite faithfulness, mercy and grace…ONCE AGAIN! So things MIGHT just start getting back to normal soon. And I really do appreciate everyone’s patience, support and prayers. Thank you! AND THANK YOU JESUS!!!

Note From Linda: I wrote this yesterday, but the In Touch Ministries website appears to be having some technical difficulties (wow, can I ever relate to that!) and I still can’t pull up the link I wanted to use with this post. But the same message is being presented as a series this week on www.OnePlace.com, so I’ll link to those for now and keep checking to see when a link to the entire program is available, at which time I’ll change the links, or just add the other one.

Anyone standing for marriage restoration knows all about getting tired and discouraged, and wanting to give up, and some of us even have to confess to the times when we DID give up. But, no matter how we feel, no matter what we think, no matter how much it hurts, and no matter how hopeless and discouraging our situations seem, the Lord ALWAYS manages to bring us back to the conclusion that there’s nothing else to do other than stand for the restoration of our marriages. So, after going through that process so many times, which we ALL do, wouldn’t it be so much better if we could figure out how to stop doing that? It took me a long time to get there, but that’s why it means so much now to encourage other women to find the indescribable place of truly resting in the love and power of our Lord and Savior, with CERTAIN knowledge that He has EVERYTHING under control, and that NOTHING is too difficult or impossible for Him.

The Lord has revealed His infinite faithfulness, mercy and grace to me so personally and intimately over the past two months, that it’s almost overwhelming! And it leaves me in total amazement and awe of how He works, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE TIMES WHEN WE CAN’T SEE IT AND EVEN DOUBT IT!

Just like the email mentioned in my previous post, I couldn’t believe how much Charles Stanley’s TV message this morning confirms so much in my conversations with other women over the past few days! It’s also pretty amazing how much my post yesterday, Trusting & Relying On God…No Matter What, with my “apartment testimony”, is a confirmation of what Dr. Stanley said in his message today. As usual, his messages are packed with loads of scripture, and so much in this one really applies to anyone standing for marriage restoration. So it’s a good one to listen to and save so we can watch again from time to time, especially when we wonder what the Lord is doing, or if He’s doing anything at all. The one thing my “apartment testimony” taught me is that when it really looks like the Lord isn’t working on our circumstances and when it looks like everything is going the WRONG way, that’s when we have to trust Him the most and that’s probably when we should start getting pretty excited, because more than likely He’s just doing what is absolutely necessary to perfect His plan for us. Since I’ve come to rely so much on the awesome promise found in Romans 8:28 (NASB), which says And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose., I now regret all of the tears, energy and emotion I wasted crying and worrying about things that I later came to recognize as blessings, and God at work in my life! When we REALLY believe Romans 8:28, and what seems like the worst possible thing happens in our lives, we can assure ourselves that it has to happen EXACTLY as it is in order for God’s perfect plan for us to be perfected. I rely on that a LOT, and now I always try to look at seemingly bad situations through what I call “kingdom eyes”, which means applying what I know about how the Lord works, and biblical principles which are certain and never changing, to see if I can figure out what the Lord might be doing. After all, that’s what Colossians 4:2 tells us to do, because it says Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And it affirms what Dr. Stanley says is his favorite verse, Isaiah 64:4, which says Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

You can watch Dr. Stanley’s message, Facing Difficulties, here. And here’s the outline for Sunday’s message, and links to the Bible verse references he uses.

And here’s Joyce Meyer’s TV broadcast message, How Does Your Mind and Mouth Affect Your Joy?, from July 26, 2006, which goes right along with so much of Dr. Stanley’s message.

The Lord is working in an interesting way today, because no matter what topic I tried to focus on and write about this morning, my spirit seemed unsettled and restless; I couldn’t concentrate on what I was doing, and I kept getting interrupted by phone calls. Then I felt a need to email my “mister” a note to let him know how the Lord had used his contribution to the ministry two months ago, without which I couldn’t have ordered the new computer. I felt the Lord wanted me to let him know how important his support ended up being (once again!) especially since he had indicated earlier in the week that he could be experiencing his own financial challenges soon. And I wanted to assure him that the Lord would provide for me and the ministry if he were unable to do so as we’ve agreed. I tried to encourage him by reminding him that the Lord is ALWAYS working on our behalf, even when we can’t see it or it doesn’t seem like it, which brought one of my favorite personal testimonies to mind, because when “everything” seems to be going wrong, I can’t help remembering my “apartment testimony”. So even though it is quite different from what I usually publish here, that’s what I feel the Lord wants me to share today, which means someone probably really needs to hear it right now. So I hope and pray it blesses and encourages someone even half as much as it does me, especially during the most difficult times in my life and when it might appear that the Lord has abandoned me.

Soon after my husband and I entered into a very generous settlement and separation agreement, I moved into a beautiful two bedroom villa, which I loved and which was very conveniently located. In fact, I loved it so much that when the time came to renew my lease, I talked the owner into letting me lease it with an option to buy it. But despite several appointments to sign the paperwork, he kept putting it off. And then very late at night on the last day of my lease, he called to tell me I’d have to move, because he had broken up with his girlfriend, and he needed to move back into the villa himself. Not too wisely on my part, I told him that if he expected me to be out when he did, he’d better send me a telegram, because the law required him to notify me at least one month in advance of the time I had to vacate the premises. And he did!

So the hunt for a new place to live began in earnest. But it was quite a challenge, because I had a limited budget (my husband was no longer able to make alimony payments), and I needed to be near a bus stop, and I had a cat and a little dog. In addition to looking on my own, I worked with a real estate agent, because he could take me around to look at the apartments, which was a big help since I didn’t drive. And that’s when the fun began, but I’ll just share a few of the most interesting things that happened.

One time we had an appointment to look at a place, and when we went to the real estate office to pick up the key, no one could find it or the agent. Then another time, we had an appointment, but when we got there, it had been leased since confirming the appointment an hour earlier! But one of the MOST amazing things was when we actually went to a place where we had an appointment, only to find a note on the door saying that an emergency had come up and they had to leave! And, of course, sprinkled in between those events, there were several places that advertised something other than the truth, so when we got there, they wouldn’t work for one reason or another. And it was not just a matter of me being too picky. For instance, one place that took pets, only allowed one pet. And another place that took pets, forgot to mention a VERY high pet deposit. The pets and a maximum budget of $500.00 really limited my options, so the real estate agent understandably got very frustrated. Everything that was happening was so bazaar and incredible that most people really couldn’t believe it, but I knew it HAD to be a “God thing”, because nothing else made any sense. So at some point in that process, when something new would happen, I’d just laugh, because it was too unbelievable and I KNEW God HAD to be up to something! Even though the real estate agent was a Christian, my attitude did not impress him and he lost interest in helping me. Then someone I knew told me to contact another agent who was also a Christian and who specialized in rentals. We went out one day, but didn’t find anything that worked for one reason or another. And then on the Friday before I had to move by the following Wednesday, when I was really feeling the pressure, I agreed to take a place even though it was not that close to a bus route and I didn’t like it that much. But I felt like I had no other options and offered to give her a deposit and sign the paperwork. Much to my surprise, she said we’d wait to do that Monday (it was pretty late Friday afternoon). I asked if she was sure, because I didn’t want to take a chance of losing it, but she said it would be fine, that they would consider it rented. Well, I wasn’t really all that happy about it, but at least it was settled and I knew where I was moving, even though it was quite a long way out and I’d have to rely on friends for everything in terms of getting anywhere.

Then that night, a friend who had sort of fallen off the face of the earth for a couple of months called to see if she could come over to visit. Of course, I was glad to hear from her and looking forward to seeing her, even if more than a little surprised by her call. On the way to my house, she saw a car she was interested in buying, and since she participated in a financial counseling program for single mothers at our church, she called the lady in charge of the program to discuss buying the car. While they were on the phone, she mentioned that she was with me, and the counselor told her to tell me to check out a place just down the street from the church. I was familiar with the place she mentioned, but knew they were two bedroom condos, and knew that I couldn’t afford to live there, which I had my friend relay back to her. But the counselor told her that I should check it out anyway, because an unmarried couple had come in to the church earlier that day and they were very upset, because the owners wouldn’t rent to them because they weren’t married, so she thought they were Christians. And she said she thought it was in my price range too. Even though I really doubted that, I couldn’t help thinking of the strange things that had been happening, AND even how strange it was that my friend called after so long, AND she just “happened” to see the car on her way over to see me, AND she just “happened” to mention that she was at my house to the counselor, AND the couple just “happened” to come that day! Well, you guessed it…I called the next morning, and much to my surprise, the rent was only $500.00, so I made an appointment to see the condo that afternoon, and walked out of there with the keys!!! It was a wonderful two bedroom, two bath, corner unit condo on the second floor, and RIGHT on the bus route, about three blocks down from my church, and within walking distance to ALL sorts of shopping, and right on the edge of a little park! And as if that weren’t enough, they gave me immediate occupancy and didn’t charge me rent for the rest of the month, and they didn’t require both a security deposit AND last month’s rent, which everyone else was asking for! Naturally, I felt a little bad about the other apartment and that I had said I’d take it, but since I had offered to sign the contract and put down a security deposit, which the agent had refused, I knew it just wasn’t meant to be. And when I called the agent, she wasn’t at all upset about it and agreed that what I found was MUCH better for me; she was concerned about the other place being so far out too.

Well, so far this is an awesome testimony as it is, but there is more, a whole lot more! Several months after I moved into my new home with wonderful Christian landlords, the REAL reason for God’s provision became apparent. When I first moved, I was working two part time jobs (8:00am to 2:00pm and 4:00pm to 9:00pm), but the first one turned into a full time position, so I resigned from the second job. I was the office manager for a small business, and that required me to become a notary public, because our contracts and other legal documents often needed notarized signatures. I was the only Christian in the place though, and that created conflict between me and my boss from time to time. But what finally cost me my job was refusing to forge and notarize his signature on some very important and time sensitive documents while he was out of state.

After finding it very difficult to find another job, I decided to apply for assistance from the Division of Blind Services to start my own business, which was based on a concept I had developed at my last job (after years of praying for the Lord to give me an idea for my own business). But that was a very long and tedious process and my husband was still unable to make alimony payments, so I ended up being unable to pay my rent, and my wonderful, God provided, landlords carried me rent free for three months! And there’s NO WAY that would have happened anywhere else! And I was able to start a successful permit runner service, which supported me up until my vision deteriorated so much that I could no longer do the paperwork or compensate for the loss of vision.

For those of you who know me best, now you know why Romans 8:28 is my VERY favorite and most relied on scripture! Because the NASB says And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. That experience is what enables me to have absolute confidence in the Lord…NO MATTER WHAT! So when we see things happening around us that appear not to be very good, we need to consider the very likely possibility that it’s just the Lord closing doors so that His better and more perfect plan for our lives can be perfected! And we should always remember Ephesians 3:20-21, which says Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. And that experience, as well as how I saw the Lord pour out His infinite mercy and grace on Granny at the end of her life, certainly confirms Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV), which says ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ And we could all save ourselves so much stress and turmoil if we’d just learn to follow the advice found in Psalm 46:10, which says “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

The following prayer was sent out by email yesterday by Robert and Kimberly Pinkney, who are affiliated with WIN, an online network of intercessors who send daily prayers by email. It’s such an AWESOME and POWERFUL prayer, and more like we probably need to be praying a whole lot more often, especially in light of what we see in 2 Chronicles 20:21-22, which says After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.” As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

Thank you, Robert and Kimberly, for your faithful service and obedience, and for this beautiful prayer and your permission to share it with the visitors to our website! May the Lord richly bless you and your family! Amen!

“The prayer of salvation for those who would like to join the family of our wonderfully loving Father:
Dear God,
I believe that Jesus died for my sins, and I believe that You raised Him from the dead so that I might be justified. And I am finally tired of living life my way. So I completely yield to You and Your love and Your plan for my life. Jesus, I accept You as my Lord and Savior. I receive You into my heart by the Holy Spirit, and I yield to You. Thank You for saving me. AMEN.

Gracious Father,
We give You thanks as we honor and reverence your name. You are great and greatly to be praised. There is none like you. No one loves us like You do. No one understands us like You do. You know us better than we know ourselves. You know our shortcomings, and our idiosyncrasies. You know the things about us that we desire for no one else to know. And still You love us; and still You have chosen us. You are our confidante, our closest and best Friend. We are nothing without You, and we know it. We are so grateful to You, so awesomely touched by Your love, and so we offer to You this prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving!

Thank You, Father, for being our Shepherd, for leading us into fertile pastures and filling our hearts with peace. Thank You for overflowing our cups with Your Blessing, and for fervently pursuing us with Your love. Thank You for being an example to us so that we may go out and shepherd others. Thank You for preparing a place for us—a fear-free place, a worry-free place, a place without stress, a place of peace, a place where we can pull apart from the busy-ness of life and fill up with Your love and give out to the world. Because of You—only because of You!—we are able to make the difference in our world. Thank you.

Wonderful Father, we praise You for being our Provider. We know that You have supplied all our need according to Your riches in glory in Christ Jesus. We are not destitute. We are not desperate. We are not poor, or vagabonds. We are abundantly supplied, filled to overflowing and exceedingly empowered to prosper, excel and increase beyond our wildest imagination according to the power of faith—inspired by Your Word—that is at work in us. Help us to continue to be transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we might prove what is Your good and acceptable will. Your will is good. Your intent is to bless. And we submit to You with our obedience and our gratitude.

And Lord, we want to be like You. Your Word says that You showed Moses Your ways. Help us to know Your ways. Help us to be interested in You, not for the provision, but for You. Thank You for accepting us every day into Your awesome, Holy Presence! Thank You, Father, that we can come boldly to the throne of grace to receive help in the time of need. Thank You for never turning us away, and always helping us. You, our Father, have delivered our lives from destruction, and we are grateful. We want You to know that we are satisfied with You. We don’t want to go anywhere else. We will not go anywhere else, for You alone, have the words of eternal Zoë—the God-kind of life. You are awesome. Thank you so much for allowing us to be Christians—a manifestation of the Anointing in the earth—at this time in history. We submit to You. We love You. We thank You. In the Mighty Name of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, we pray…Amen!!”

As women standing for marriage restoration, which usually includes the restoration of our husbands’ walk with the Lord, or their salvation, it is SO important for us to consider and pay attention to our testimony and what kind of witness we are for the Lord. Unless our husbands and others, especially our children, see something different in us that draws them to the Lord, why should they even consider being a Christian? And if we profess to be Christians, and all they see is pain and misery, and no joy or peace, what does that say about our Lord and Savior?

Joyce Meyer started a great series this week about “enjoying everyday life”, and she referred to a verse I’ve read MANY times before, but somehow totally missed its meaning, because Hebrews 1:9 says You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” It doesn’t get any clearer than that! As Christians, we should love righteousness and hate wickedness, and our joy is supposed to make us stand out above the people we hang out with! The following verses confirm and expound on that, and are especially applicable to anyone standing for marriage restoration:

Proverbs 12:20
There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace.

Romans 14:17-18
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The following links are to Joyce’s TV broadcasts from Monday and Tuesday, which I hope everyone will take the time to watch, because they are very applicable to us as we represent the Lord during this challenging time in our lives.

Does God Approve of People Enjoying Their Lives? – Part I

Does God Approve of People Enjoying Their Lives? – Part II

Remember, our husbands and many others are watching us, and the victorious outcome we desire is not likely if we don’t learn how to bear the fruit of our salvation, including righteousness, peace and joy! And Romans 14:17-18 gives us a much greater understanding of Matthew 6:33, which says But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. And the same can be said for Matthew 16:15-19, which says “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” So once we have acknowledged and put our faith in Jesus as the Christ and the Son of the living God, NOTHING should keep us from living in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, which pleases God AND attracts our husbands!

While the last couple of weeks have been very difficult and held a great deal of personal pain and tragedy, words can’t express the joy and amazement I’ve experienced as I’ve witnessed the Lord’s hand at work during this time! I have seen His enduring faithfulness and infinite mercy and grace expressed as never before, and I’ll never be the same again. It has taken my faith and confidence in the Lord to a new level I never would have imagined possible, and I’d give anything to help everyone else experience the same amazement and joy, which is now my prayer for everyone involved in or affiliated in any way with FAM Ministries.

So many familiar Bible verses seem to have a much greater and deeper meaning now, such as Acts 10:34-35 (AMP, which says And Peter opened his mouth and said: Most certainly and thoroughly I now perceive and understand that God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons, But in every nation he who venerates and has a reverential fear for God, treating Him with worshipful obedience and living uprightly, is acceptable to Him and sure of being received and welcomed [by Him]. And Matthew 6:33, which says But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. And 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 Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV), which says ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ And Isaiah 64:4, which says Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. What an awesome difference these few verses could make IF we’d ONLY BELIEVE them! I encourage everyone standing for marriage restoration to MEDITATE on these verses, repeat them over and over again and memorize them. Because once they are embedded in your inner being, you’ll NEVER be the same again!

I greatly appreciated it when one of the FAM Fellowship members called last night to share some Bible verses that really ministered to her, because they confirmed so much of what the Lord has shown me through the last two weeks. She liked verses 17 and 20 in 2 Chronicles 20, which is an excellent chapter for all of us to STUDY, but I especially like verses 15-22, which say 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. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 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.'” Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with very loud voice. Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.” As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. Hmmm. Perhaps we all could do with a LOT more singing and praising!

Joyce Meyer’s TV broadcasts last week focused on getting through tough times and painful emotions and feelings, which is so much easier to do when we realize that the battle belongs to the Lord, and we don’t have to fight the battles…that He will fight it for us! This is definitely a must see series, which you can watch at the following links:

Pressing In to a New Beginning – Part I

Pressing In to a New Beginning – Part II

Pressing Past Anger and Unforgiveness – Part I

Pressing Past Anger and Unforgiveness – Part II

Pressing Past the Pain of Feelings

If we’d just learn to let the Lord fight our battles, to delight in Him, seek His Kingdom and His righteousness, commit ourselves to His way, and put our trust in Him, there’s NO doubt we’d experience the promise found in Ephesians 3:20-21 (AMP), which says Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]–To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it).

Well Ladies, it’s a good thing we don’t believe in “luck” in our lives as Christians! Otherwise, right about now I’d be quoting that old saying that if it weren’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all! Instead, I’m PRAISING THE LORD!!! As incredible as this is going to sound, not long after I finally got back online today, my main computer died!!! I have a feeling this is a repairable offense (at least I hope and pray it is), but it will require the services of my wonderful computer technician who actually comes to my house. If anyone knows what this means, when I try to boot up, the screen says it can’t load Windows because my “root 32” file is missing or defective!

The good news is that besides being a defeated foe, Satan is stupid, because I have a laptop computer as a backup! If he’s working SO hard to create problems in the ministry, that MUST mean something AWESOME is about to happen! That’s why I’m praising the Lord. Instead of being totally frustrated (totally is the key word here), I actually started laughing! There’s just NO way all of what’s been happening in the past two weeks can be anything but the devil doing his wicked best to stop what the Lord is doing in this ministry…BUT HE LOSES! Instead Of being discouraged, I’m more encouraged than ever, and I’m REALLY expecting some MAJOR breakthroughs! So I’m looking forward to loads of praise reports and restored marriages…SOON!!!

HOWEVER… ALL prayers would be greatly appreciated! I have a lot of material on the other computer that’s not on my laptop, including several posts that were almost done! So please pray a shield of protection around my laptop! It will be some time next week before I can get my main PC fixed I’m sure. AND DON’T FORGET TO PRAISE THE LORD, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I KNOW SOMETHING BIG IS COMING OUR WAY!!!

Also, the Lord just keeps working in amazing ways in the whole situation concerning Granny, but I’ll save those praises for later. Just remember that we serve and worship an AWESOME God!

Hello everyone! PLEASE keep me and the ministry in your prayers! My internet service is down with no repair date currently available from Comcast, but probably not until the middle of next week. And this follows numerous service interruptions over the past two weeks for up to 12 hours at a time! In order to keep up with the site, I’ve already signed up with another provider who includes dial-up service! Now that’s REALLY going backwards, and quite a challenge! I know God has a sense of humor…but if this is a test, I declare in the name of Jesus, that I’m up to it! And if it’s just more of Satan’s mischief…well, he knows just where he can go, because the Lord gives us TOTAL victory and authority over all of his nonsense!

Meanwhile, I am unable to make outgoing LD phone calls, but your calls will be routed to my home phone until this all gets straightened out. And with the change of providers, there’s a chance some email messages will be lost, so if you’ve sent something and don’t get a reply, please try again. Also, several ladies have sent messages over the past week about becoming FAM members, and I’m terribly sorry for not responding before now, but things have been more than a little chaotic for the past week or so. With the Lord’s help and favor, I will be getting back to my normal routine SOON, so I WILL get back to you, and thank you so much for your interest, patience and prayers!

Finally, please keep me in your prayers, as I’m determined to give the eulogy at Granny’s funeral tomorrow! The viewing is tonight, and I’m looking forward to meeting a lot of her family members I’ve heard so much about over the years, but never had a chance to meet before.

God is GOOD, Ladies, and let’s NEVER forget that. The more I think of how He worked in Granny’s life and mine, at the end of hers, still amazes me! DO NOT let Satan discourage you either! Since there’s so much happening to cause distraction or interfere with the ministry, there must be some pretty good reasons, which means Satan is running scared…AND THAT’S JUST THE WAY WE WANT TO KEEP HIM!!! I am convinced GREAT things are coming…AND VERY SOON!!! We can’t let him steal our victory or the Lord’s glory! So let’s keep our eyes on the Lord and remember that NO wisdom, NO insight, and NO plan can succeed against Him!

I Love & Appreciate You ALL, Linda

An Update & Praise Report!

Much to my surprise, a young man from Comcast showed up soon after I posted this (got to admit the Lord works FAST) and I’m back online! Thank You Lord Jesus and thank you all for your prayers! So, if you all will bear with me for another day or so, things should settle back to mnormal soon. I’ll just be busy with Granny’s family and friends at least through tomorrow afternoon. Meanwhile, know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers! And I greatly appreciate all of your prayers and words of encouragement. You’re ALL such a blessing to me and I thank the Lord for you!

In God’s infinite grace and mercy, He welcomed a very special Angel to heaven today. Her name is Mary Blount, or to all who know her through me, “Granny”. Granny was 90 years young, and my number one fan and most precious friend. So heaven’s gain is definitely my loss, but I praise God for His enduring love and faithfulness!

Granny was well ready for the journey home and didn’t want any more medical treatment or to go back to the hospital or a nursing home. In fact, she was supposed to begin in-home hospice care this past Monday, but the necessary paperwork didn’t get done, so it was postponed to next week. But God had that ALL taken care of and HE had a much better plan! That just goes to prove Romans 8:28 once again! We had been praying for more than a week that the Lord would take her in her sleep so she wouldn’t suffer. And even though that’s not what He did, what happened is EVEN better! She was able to maintain her normal routine right up to the end, and instead of being alone when the Lord called her home, friends and family were in the room with her and she was doing one of the things she enjoyed most…eating! She had requested chicken and dumplins for lunch, and had just begun eating, enjoying her lunch and company, when the Lord took her in the twinkling of an eye! Oh yes, Lord, Granny would SO approve! So I thank You for answering her last request and for bestowing one last measure of your infinite mercy and grace on her.

Even though we’ve both been very much aware that we might be saying good-bye for the last time when we’d hang up for days now, our actual last conversation, which was about an hour before she died this afternoon, was just like so many we’ve had several times a day (with VERY few exceptions) for the past five or six years. And that time I don’t think either of us had thoughts of it being our last conversation as I said I’d talk to her a little later and she said okay, and we said we loved each other. And even that was just as Granny would have wanted it!

Granny tried to get me to promise not to cry the other night, so I had to confess that she was asking too much and said that I wouldn’t be crying for her, because I knew she was going to a much better place, but I couldn’t help crying for me. And, yes, I’ve cried, but even more I’m totally amazed and in awe of God’s faithfulness. I have to admit being disappointed, because I felt the Lord wasn’t honoring my prayers by taking her in her sleep and I didn’t want her to suffer. And now that I think about it, I know I probably would have wondered if she woke up and was frightened or felt alone when she died, so this way, GOD’S WAY, was SO much better, as it ALWAYS is! Yes, I’m sad, and there will definitely be a huge hole in my life, an emptiness that won’t be easily filled, but I also trust and know the Lord will bestow the same mercy, grace and faithfulness on me that He showered on Granny! So as I say farewell to my dearest departed friend, a very special angel in my life, I know that as the Lord closed one door, He will be faithful to open another! So, till we meet again, Granny, AND WE WILL!

When facing the challenges of standing for restored marriages, there’s a very important truth that we need to believe and understand, which is found in what Jesus said in John 10:10 (NKJV), where He said The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. That means we don’t have to settle for the death and destruction Satan wants for us, or let him steal the abundant life Jesus came to give us, because Jesus came to give us victory over Satan and so much more! But we have to understand that there is a choice to be made, and that it is ours to make. I often tell women that if I were to give them a hundred dollar bill, and they take it without spending it, they might as well not take it in the first place, because it won’t do them a bit of good. And it’s the same way with Jesus. If we have accepted Him as our Savior and made Him Lord of our lives, something is wrong if we’re NOT experiencing abundant life, or lives filled with the fruit of the spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-23, which says But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Most of us have heard (probably repeating it ourselves) and believe the Bible says “If you know the truth, the truth will set you free.” But like so many other verses in the Bible, that’s not even close to the whole story, because John 8:31-32, actually 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 the REAL truth is that we can’t KNOW the truth and be set free unless we BELIEVE Jesus, HOLD TO HIS teachings, and are REALLY His disciples. So we can’t just leave out the important words “If” and “Then” when proclaiming this awesome promise! But when we believe Jesus, hold to His teachings and really are His disciples, we WILL truly understand and experience the fulfillment of His promise in Luke 4, which says:
17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him,
21 and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

So I struggle sometimes with understanding how women who profess a close walk with the Lord remain under so much bondage to pain, anger, bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, self righteousness, and despair. And that’s when I’d give just about anything to be able to do that mind link thing Mr. Spock used to do! But I know there’s nothing I can do about it, because it always comes down to the same decision we all have to make at some time or another in our lives. And that’s whether or not we REALLY believe and trust, and have a hunger to understand the word of God. Because we either believe that it’s ALL true, or it’s ALL a lie. And when we read the Bible, expecting the Lord to speak to us, to show us His REVEALED word, we’ll always find something we hadn’t seen or understood before, which should make it VERY exciting to read and study. Yet, the truth is that not many of us are very serious or even that interested in reading and STUDYING the Bible. It’s a lot easier to have someone else read it and tell us what it says or what it means, but receiving the word that way doesn’t have the same impact as when we read it for ourselves and the Holy Spirit speaks to us through it.

On the other hand, whenever we have a conversation with our husbands, or receive a letter, email message or text message from them, how much time do we spend trying to understand it, by trying to read between the lines, desperately looking for a glimmer of hope, analyzing, hanging on and remembering EVERY word, or even considering the tone of voice? We don’t miss anything he said, or even what was NOT said. Yet, when was the last time we considered God’s word, HIS love letter to us, that way? Ouch!

Obviously, one of my favorite passages of scripture is Psalm 37:4-7, 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. As we stand for the restoration of our marriages in obedience to the Lord, everyone of us wants the desires of our hearts, our righteousness to shine like the dawn and the justice of our cause to shine like the noon day sun, but what are we doing to delight ourselves in the Lord? What are we doing that proves we’ve committed our way to Him? And is there evidence in our daily lives that we trust Him? The bottom line is that we can NOT claim that awesome promise from the Lord without looking for the “ifs” and thens” in that passage, which applies to ALL scripture. Other than God’s unconditional love, I haven’t found ANY special blessing, promise, protection or provision from the Lord that is Not conditional. And since I say that so often, I’m sure someone would let me know if and when they find something disproving it! So it’s very important for us to understand that many verses are often misquoted or quoted without their complete context, and it’s not possible to fully understand them without reading them in context or in the context of the entire Bible.

For example, Ephesians 6:10-18 gives us a much better understanding of the battle Jesus spoke of in John 10:10, as well as providing the instruction we need to be victorious as we stand in HIS mighty power, because it says Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. And it’s not possible to understand the true and deadly nature of this kind of warfare, or that in most cases, our husbands and children are Satan’s intended targets, much less the power and proper use of our armor without reading, studying and understanding our owner’s manual, the Bible, as it was written by our Manufacturer, our Creator, our loving Father, God!

Then, even though Paul’s instructions concerning spiritual warfare in 2 Corinthians 10:2-5 seem very simple, most of us know how difficult they are to practice, because he said I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. While that sounds simple, we all know that it’s definitely a lot easier said than done, and most of us wouldn’t have a clue how to begin doing it, but we find the answer to that by reading Philippians 4:4-9, which says Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. In my opinion, this passage of scripture holds the key to living the abundant life Jesus came to give us, because If we’d learn to CONSISTENTLY practice the instruction it provides, we’d have the peace of God and we’d be victorious in EVERY battle the devil wages against us! And before saying it’s not possible, we need to read Philippians 4:13 (NKJV), which says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

So, in the end whether or not we live the abundant life Jesus died to give us is a matter of whether or not we believe, study and understand His word, as found in our Bibles. I’m sure anyone involved in marriage restoration ministry would agree that there is a very direct and evident connection between those who experience victory as they stand for their marriages and how much time they spend studying God’s word. The power of God’s word transforms us as nothing else can, because it has the power to renew our minds, which we know pleases the Lord, according to Romans 12:2, which says Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. And it’s through the process of that transformation that we experience the freedom we seek, AND glorify our Lord and Savior, as revealed in 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, which says Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. So let’s not miss out on the abundant life Jesus came to give us by neglecting and ignoring His love letter to us!

Since Charles Stanley’s TV broadcast message this past Sunday was about living an extraordinary life, here’s a link to Washington Rally – The Extraordinary Life – Week of July 16, 2006, which I encourage everyone to take the time to watch.

Just wanted to let you all know that I haven’t forgotten you. I’m just a bit under the weather. But I’ll be back just as soon as I’m feeling better, so please keep me in your prayers. And know that you are in my thoughts and prayers as well. In His Love, Linda

One thing everyone standing for marriage restoration could use a lot more of is righteous anger. Yet as Christians, we seem to believe we’re not supposed to get angry, even though the Bible doesn’t say that. In fact, Ephesians 4:26-27 (KJV) says Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Or as the NLT says, And “don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.

One of the most interesting examples of righteous anger in the Bible is when Jesus drove the money changers out of the temple as found in Mark 11:, which says On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ” ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.'” And John 2:13-17 says When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

So when we’re confronted with something so contrary to the written Word of God, such as adultery, marital separation or divorce, we SHOULD be angry. However, if we direct and focus our anger toward our spouses or the NCP )non-covenant person), we cross the line from righteous anger into sin, because our spouses, in-laws, and the NCPs are not our enemies as we see in Ephesians 6:12, which says For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Not only that, but we’re called to forgive those who hurt or sin against us, and we’re called to bless and pray for those who curse or mistreat us, as we see in Luke 6:28, which says bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. And it’s not easy to stay angry with someone while blessing and praying for them!

The story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, provides another very interesting and encouraging example of righteous anger. While we often hear about David’s courage, and the simplicity of his weapon, no one ever mentions David’s righteous anger, as clearly expressed in 1 Samuel 17:26, which says David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” And that same righteous anger made him respond, in verse 29 (NKJV), to the discouragement and insults of his brothers by saying And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?” And that’s the attitude anyone standing for marriage restoration needs. We need to understand that the cause is so much greater than our own self interest, and that the lord will provide EVERYTHING necessary for us to succeed; just as He did for David. And just like David, we can’t use the world’s weapons of warfare, because as 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us, The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And what an excellent example we see of that when we read the following passage of scripture from 1 Samuel 17:42-47:
He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”
David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

Now that’s REALLY taking every thought captive and making them obedient to Christ, and a very good example for us to follow! The battle DOES belong to the Lord, and when we’re motivated by RIGHTEOUS anger and a Godly cause as we stand for our marriages, we will have the same kind of courage and confidence David had, and Nothing and NO ONE will be able to deter or discourage us and everyone watching will see the power and glory of God manifested in our lives by the restoration of our marriages! As Romans 8:31 says, What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Understanding the power and reality of spiritual warfare is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL and CRITICALLY NECESSARY if we’re going to victoriously stand for the restoration of our marriages, which means having CERTAIN faith and knowledge that we have ALL POWER and ALL AUTHORITY over EVERYTHING Satan brings against us, our husbands and our marriages! This week David Cerullo offered an in depth study of spiritual warfare on the Inspiration Today broadcast, and it’s been an excellent study. So I hope everyone standing for marriage restoration will take the time to watch the broadcasts at the links below, because if we’re REALLY serious about the restoration of our marriages, we HAVE to get serious about spiritual warfare.. And that includes understanding its origin, how it’s conducted, what the Bible teaches about Satan, and how to be victorious over it. These are very detailed studies, so grab a notepad and pay close attention. In fact, I STRONGLY recommend saving this page and watching these programs often. The following passages of scripture are also a great help when seeking a better understanding of spiritual warfare:

Ephesians 2:1-7
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

John12:27-32
“Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”

Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

2 Corinthians 10:2-5
I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Matthew 16:15-19 (NKJV)
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this
to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Battle For Your Life! – 7/10/2006
Join David and Barbara Cerullo today to discuss God’s strategies for victory in our
lives. Don’t miss this powerful message!

Battle For Your Life! – 7/11/2006
Join us today as David and Barbara discuss the weapons God has provided us for spiritual
warfare against the enemy.

Battle For Your Life! – 7/12/2006
Today David and Barbara discuss “battle strategies” for overcoming every attack by
the enemy. You won’t want to miss this life-saving message!

Battle For Your Life! – 7/13/2006
Today David and Barbara discuss “battle strategies” for overcoming every attack by
the enemy. You won’t want to miss this life-saving message!

Battle For Your Life! – 7/14/2006
Join David and Barbara today for our Battle for Your Life! series as we discuss how
to draw near to God and immerse ourselves in His Word as protection against the devil.

Frankly, if we’re not willing to do whatever it takes to prepare and equip ourselves for the battle, then we’re not all that serious about winning the war. And spiritual warfare, just like all warfare, is a matter of life and death, as the following verses demonstrate:

Revelation 12:10-11
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

Luke 9:23
Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

John 12:24
I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

Fortunately, spiritual warfare rarely requires physical death, but most everyone standing for marriage restoration would probably agree that physical death might be easier than bringing our flesh under the control of the Holy Spirit by taking EVERY thought captive and making it obedient to Christ. But it’s just like Satan to try to tell us how difficult or impossible that is, especially when the Bible tells us otherwise and even gives us very specific instructions for doing just that, which we can find in Philippians 4:4-9, which says Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. And do NOT buy into Satan’s BIG LIE, which is that we just can’t do it, because Philippians 4:13 tells us otherwise by saying I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And we must NEVER forget what Jesus said in John 15:5, when He said “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. So, WE can’t do it, but God CAN and WILL!!!