The more time I spend in this ministry, the more frustrated I become by the difficulty of helping those standing for marriage restoration to understand how vitally important it is to walk out the faith we talk. The definition of faith found in Hebrews 11:1 is Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Yet, we tend to confess faith UNTIL something happens that indicates there is no reason to believe what we’re standing for! Obviously, that’s not faith, especially when we look at the same verse in the Amplified Bible, which says NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. Somewhere along the way, we seem to have a problem REALLY accepting and believing the promises the Lord gives us in His word, and the only way we’ll have the faith needed to see us through to marriage restoration is found in Romans 10:16-17, which says But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

That’s why it is SO important to read the Bible for ourselves and search for the verses the Lord reveals to us that speak to our hearts. Then, when we need them, we can rely on the faith we have in God’s promises as we speak and confess them to defeat the weapons Satan hurls at us, as we see in Ephesians 6:16, which says In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And, of course, another encouraging verse is Isaiah 54:17, which says no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD.

Getting to the point where we stand in total confidence on God’s promises NO MATTER what we hear or see, or no matter how distant or unpleasant our husband acts, is a very important step in the restoration process, and I’m convinced it’s a test the Lord will keep giving us over and over again until we pass it. So it’s very important not to let a cross word or disappointment cause us to move from the commitment we’ve made to stand in obedience to the Lord for the restoration of our marriages. We can’t afford to be double minded in any way, because of what these verses in James 1 tell us:
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

Anyone standing for marriage restoration, or any kind of miracle, should be VERY familiar with the book of Hebrews, because of how it encourages us in our faith. When we stand for the restoration of our marriages, it’s SO important to get what I call the “know that you know” feeling from the Lord, because otherwise, I don’t believe it’s possible to withstand all that will come against us as we stand for our marriages. Yesterday I heard a message from the following passage from Hebrews 6, which I think really expresses what I mean, because it says:
13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,
14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”
15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
16 Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.
17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.
18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.
19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
20 where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

We need to read these verses over and over again until they sink into our very souls! God Himself, the Creator of heaven and earth, and the ONLY one that holds it ALL together, backs up His promises to us by an oath sworn by Himself! It is IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie! The nature of His purpose NEVER changes! God’s word puts an end to ALL arguments! Once we take hold of the hope God offers, we have REASON to be GREATLY encouraged! He gives us hope as an anchor for our souls!!! And when we RECEIVE that hope, when we let it be the anchor of our souls, we will have an unshakeable peace and strength, and be firm and secure, because we KNOW our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, goes before us and intercedes on our behalf! So we will be steadfast! I love the following verses about being steadfast which should greatly encourage all of us to do whatever it takes to REALLY let Jesus be our anchor and make us steadfast!

Psalm 51:10
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 112:7
He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

Psalm 57:7
My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.

Psalm 108:1
My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

1 Peter 5:10
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Note: Reading Hebrews 7 explains the reference to Jesus as “a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” And the importance of entering “the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” And reading Hebrews 8-10 explains why and how Jesus became “the guarantee of a better” covenant”, which abolished the requirement for daily sacrifices (because they weren’t sufficient), by Himself being made a “once for all” sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sin.

It’s very important for us to remember as we stand for marriage restoration that people are watching us, especially our children, and what we do will either cause them to be drawn to the Lord or make them decide they want nothing to do with Christianity. I’m especially concerned about the messages we send and demonstrate to our children about being Christians when we’re so wrapped up in our pain and identity as victims that we fail to remember and walk in the strength and victory Jesus died to give us. When we preach all of the “don’ts” to our kids, and totally fail to practice many of the “dos”, which is what happens so often, what possible reasons do we give them to be Christians? Growing up in an environment of hypocrisy does tremendous damage, and it’s VERY difficult to overcome. And that’s something parents WILL stand before the Lord and answer for some day. Over and over again in the past few weeks, I’ve heard one report after another of the teenage children of separated or divorced parents saying that being a Christian is so boring and that they don’t want anything to do with it, or they wish their parent was not a Christian! This is terrible and it is something we all had better sit up and pay attention to! I hope the following verses will help us realize how important our testimony for Jesus is in the lives of those who are watching us, especially our children:

1 John 5
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.
2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.
3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
7 For there are three that testify:
8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.
9 We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.
10 Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.
11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

1 Corinthians 1
5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge—
6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.
7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

Revelation 12:11
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.

2 Thessalonians 1:10
on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

Acts 14:17
Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”

John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

If there’s ANYTHING in our lives that causes us to hide the light of Jesus within us, we need to get on our faces before the Lord and get things right with Him, because we will be called to account for it some day, and I know we’d all much rather find people in heaven who are there because they witnessed our walk with the Lord than find out about the ones who are missing because of it…especially our children.

This must be an important message for someone today, because I had something totally different in mind, but kept getting phone calls every time I tried to write it, and then the power even went off for no apparent reason. As it kept getting later and later, I even considered not answering the phone, but it was the last phone call that finally revealed what the LORD wanted me to write about today.

We often talk about how important faith is in our lives as Christians and we know it is impossible to please the Lord without it, and that it requires us to believe what we have no earthly reason to believe, but I think we forget that without tests, trials and reason to doubt, there is NO faith. Just like there’s no virtue if there’s no temptation, if we don’t have to face and deal with situations and circumstances that test our faith or require us to exercise it, faith is not required or demonstrated. And one thing we must be prepared for as Christians and women standing for the restoration of our marriages, is that the Lord WILL test our faith, and I don’t believe He’ll restore our marriages unless we demonstrate the faith required to stand for them NO MATTER WHAT WE SEE AND HEAR.

The following passages of scripture demonstrate how important faith is to us as Christians, and how miraculously the Lord will work on behalf of those who stand strong and live with unshakeable faith in His word:

2 Corinthians 13
4 For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you.
5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
6 And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.
7 Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed.
8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.

Titus 1
13 This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith
14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth.
15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.
16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

Hebrews 3 (An excellent chapter about faith)
4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.
5 Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future.
6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

Hebrews 11 (Another excellent chapter about faith)
17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son,
18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”
19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.
25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.
26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets,
33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.

Romans 4
3 What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.
20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Hebrews 11
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

As we read the above passages, we need to ask the Lord to help us to fully understand them and ask Him to increase our faith so that we can walk and live in the awesome power of faith they demonstrate. When the trials and tests come our way, when the enemy brings everything he can against us to cause us to doubt the power and promises of our Lord and Savior, we need to remember the following verses in James 1
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
And NEVER forget what Hebrews 10:38 tells us, which is But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.”

The Lord often speaks to me when I’m praying with someone, and He recently gave me an awesome new revelation concerning Matthew 16:16-19 (NKJV), which says 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.” As I was praying that the gates of Hell would not prevail against our spouses, the Lord quickened in my spirit that the gates of Hell COULD NOT prevail against them, because we are the Lord’s church and they are one with us, so the gates of Hell CAN’T prevail against our husbands and wives! When we recognize and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of the LIVING God, He gives us the keys to the kingdom of heaven and we have HIS authority to bind and loose whatever needs to be bound and loosed in heaven and earth to keep the gates of Hell from prevailing against our spouses! That’s why it is SO important for us to stand in the gap for them when the devil is doing his deadly best to steal, kill and destroy them and our marriages (John 10:10)!

Therefore, anyone standing for marriage restoration has to have a warrior’s mindset, because we ARE fighting a spiritual war and we MUST do as we’re told in Ephesians 6:11-13, which tells us 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. And in contrast, it is not unreasonable to believe that IF we do NOT stand in the gap for our husbands and wives, and IF we do NOT exercise the power and authority Jesus gave us to bind and loose whatever is necessary in heaven and earth for their salvation and restoration, we have abandoned our responsibility to keep the gates of Hell from prevailing against them. How can we love our spouses and fail to use everything in our power and authority to save them from the destruction Satan has planned for them? So we have to direct our anger where it will do some good and put on the whole armor of God as described in Ephesians 6:14-18, which tells us 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 we MUST follow the instructions in 2 Corinthians 10:5, which tells us 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.

Then, in addition to Jesus’ promise that the gates of Hell will not prevail against His church, we have the assurance in Proverbs 21:30 that There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD. And we see God’s plan for us in Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT), which says For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. So in those moments when you grow weary or discouraged, perhaps it will help to read the following verses from Psalm 146:
5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,
6 the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—the LORD, who remains faithful forever.
7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free,
8 the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
10 The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD.

Instead of writing my usual post today, I’ve created a new page for the website in which I’ve attempted to address some of the most common questions concerning divorce and remarriage. A lot of the email I receive is from visitors to the site who want to know if it’s okay to stand for their marriage, even though it’s not their first marriage, or it’s not their husband’s first marriage. I’m not comfortable answering questions about specific situations, because those answers MUST come from the Lord through the study of His word and by seeking His will through prayer and fasting, especially since every situation is different. However, I have addressed in more general terms the things commonly taught and promoted in churches today that are not supported by what the Bible says, which I sincerely hope will not create more turmoil for women already struggling with these issues.. The only way to make a sound decision as we decide to stand for our marriages is to make certain that we’re doing it in obedience to God’s word and will, because that’s the only way we’ll ever have the strength and grace needed to do it. So the following link is to the new page, which I hope and pray the Lord will use to help anyone making such serious decisions make the ones that most glorify Him.

Marriage, Divorce & Remarriage

Most of us standing for marriage restoration have heard all too much about the grace of God being sufficient to cover and excuse the sin of adultery, because “God is the God of second chances”! I don’t get angry easily, but that is one thing that REALLY ticks me off, and those who teach and believe that need to be VERY careful and should read Hebrews 10 and Matthew 5:17-19, because believing a lie doesn’t make the lie true! The precious blood of Christ was shed as a one time sacrifice for the atonement of our sin, and only the requirement for blood sacrifices was set aside, and it is absurd to believe that it was ever meant to give us license to sin. Since a lot of Christians today erroneously believe the Old Testament is not important and does not apply to us, because we’re no longer “under the law”, I hope and pray the following verses will TOTALLY dispel that notion:

Matthew 22:29
Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.

Matthew 4:3
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

Luke 16 (NLT)
16 “Until John the Baptist began to preach, the laws of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and eager multitudes are forcing their way in.
17 But that doesn’t mean that the law has lost its force in even the smallest point. It is stronger and more permanent than heaven and earth.

Hebrews 10
26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,
27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?
35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

1 John 3:22
And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

Jesus did not come to destroy or abolish the law as many so erroneously teach and believe. Instead He came to fulfill the law by Himself being made the pure blood sacrifice it requires for the remission and atonement for our sin. We trample on that precious blood sacrifice if we believe the grace it provides means we are no longer required to honor and obey God’s commandments. Because of the sacrificial blood of Christ, we no longer have to obey the law to avoid eternity in hell, which is the penalty for our sin, in order to go to heaven. So we’re obedient to what His word teaches because we know it’s pleasing to the Lord and it’s the ONLY way to have the abundant life Jesus died to give us. ALL questions concerning the importance of the law in our lives as Christians today were settled by Jesus Himself, because in Matthew 5:17-19 He said “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. It couldn’t be any clearer than that!

Jesus came so we wouldn’t be condemned for our sin, and NOT so we could continue living in it, as illustrated by the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11, particularly in verses 10 and 11, which say Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” Then Romans 6:1-2 makes it even clearer, because it says What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Quite the contrary, Luke 12:47-48 tells us “That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. As Christians, the only acceptable relationship we have with sin is repentance, which means not continuing in our sin, because Revelation 2:5 says Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

The grace Jesus’ blood sacrifice provides is best understood in 1 John 1:9, which says If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. And Acts 3:19-20 says Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. And for those who believe this refers only to the repentance of salvation rather than to Christians, here’s what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:21, I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged. We must remember who our enemy is and that he came to kill, steal and destroy, which he ALWAYS does through deception. Therefore, we need to remember these instructions in 2 Timothy 2:24-26, which tells us And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. And that is my prayer for anyone deceived into believing the lie from the pit of hell that we are no longer bound by the law of God’s word. Jesus said we live by EVERY word that comes from the mouth of God, not just what is in the New Testament. And the same things that pleased or displeased the Lord then, please or displease Him now. We know that because Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. So let’s not be Christians that are destroyed from lack of knowledge as shown 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.

One thing everyone standing for marriage restoration knows ALL about is obstacles that appear impossible to overcome, but we know NOTHING is too difficult or too hard for God as we see in the following verses:

Jeremiah 32:27
“I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?

Jeremiah 32:17
“Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

Genesis 18
13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’
14 Is anything too hard for the LORD ? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.”

Deuteronomy 1:17
Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.

Proverbs 21:30
There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.

It’s up to us whether or not we will let the obstacles standing in the way of our marriage restoration deter us or if we will take God at His word and make them opportunities to glorify Him! What an awesome example we see of how that works when the Lord rewarded Joshua’s obedience and brought down the walls of Jericho, andJoshua 1:1-9 tells us EXACTLY how we can experience that same kind of victory in our own lives!

So, when the devil tries to convince you that you can’t do this anymore, be encouraged and remember that NO problem is more than you can endure in the strength of the Lord. And don’t forget the awesome promise in 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.

Charles Stanley delivered an AWESOME message this morning about facing and dealing with obstacles, and even though he wasn’t talking about standing for marriage restoration specifically, he certainly could have been! It’s another message no one standing for the restoration of their marriage should miss, so please take the time to watch Facing Difficulties.

As I was reading proverbs 22 this morning, verses 22 and 23 really caught my attention, probably because they confirm and remind me of a lot of other verses I like, and justify what I posted yesterday about being still and resting in the Lord. They say Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them. My first thought was what an awesome illustration that is of how God vindicates us! So I looked for verses that refer to God as our vindicator and the following were some of my favorites:

Psalm 135:14
For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.

Psalm 43:1
Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.

Isaiah 50:7-9
7 Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.
8 He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me!
9 It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me. Who is he that will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up.

I’ve recently started taking the time to look up actual dictionary definitions, because it does help make a verse more meaningful. For instance, to “vindicate” means to clear (free) of accusation, allegations, blame, suspicion,
or doubt with supporting arguments or proof; to lay claim to, avenge, confirm, substantiate (to provide justification or defense for), justify (to protect from attack or encroachment), defend (to maintain a right to), to set free or deliver. And, PRAISE THE LORD, we KNOW God WILL do ALL of that for us as we stand in obedience to Him for the restoration of our marriages! Just in case someone needs one, a good online dictionary is Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, which is where I found some of the above definitions.

When we’re standing for marriage restoration, there are times when our situations look totally hopeless and impossible, but that’s when we have to keep our eyes on the Lord and confess His AWESOME promise to vindicate us as the above verses say and we MUST believe what Psalm 37 6:6 says, which is He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. And the following passages of scripture are two of my all time favorites that remind us that God is our vindicator and that we have NOTHING to worry about:

Isaiah 41 (NKJV)
10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
11 “ Behold, all those who were incensed against you Shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you shall perish.
12 You shall seek them and not find them—Those who contended with you. Those who war against you Shall be as nothing, As a nonexistent thing.
13 For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’

Romans 8
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

The closest I ever came to hearing the audible voice of God was during a time of great turmoil and anxiety, when I heard the Lord say “Be still and KNOW I am God.” It had the same amazing calming effect on me as when Jesus calmed the storm as seen in Matthew 8:23-27, which is an AWESOME demonstration of how we KNOW He is God! In the end, Jesus WILL ALWAYS be exalted, as we see 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.”

It’s VERY important to understand that being still means not moving, stationary, quiet, hushed, free of disturbance and turbulence, or calm. And “know” means to perceive, understand, or experience directly, and to be sure of, to be acquainted with and have knowledge, perception, or understanding. When we’re “still” and “know” He is God, we’re finally able to find the “rest” Jesus promises in Matthew 11:28-29, where He said “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Interesting definitions for “rest” include: the ease and comfort following exertion or work, relief from mental or emotional turmoil, something used as a support, the ending or absence of motion, a place of shelter or lodging, to relax, especially by sleeping or lying down, to terminate motion or activity, to be without disturbance or anxiety, to be supported, in law; to voluntarily end the presentation of evidence in a case, to remain; as with no further action, and a look or gaze that lingers on something.

Everyone standing for marriage restoration remembers the days, weeks, months, or even years it took for the shock to wear off when our marriages fell apart, and the world seemed to be spinning out of control, and what we wouldn’t have given to be still and rest! Thank Goodness, it IS better late than never!

Last week I received the following prayer from Robert and Kimberly Pinkney, who are affiliated with WIN, a ministry that sends out daily prayers worldwide by email. I greatly appreciated it, and their permission to share it on the site. Since we just celebrated the resurrection of our Lord and Savior this week, it’s important to remember that He died to give us the authority and power to overcome EVERY weapon Satan fashions against us, and that we serve a RISEN Lord who is ALIVE! Thank You, Jesus!

Father God,
You are great and greatly to be praised. You are a mighty God, and Your Word assures us that You will never leave us nor forsake us. And Jesus informed us through His disciples that He is with us to the end of the world. We depend on Your agape and Your great mercies, which are new every morning. Dear Father, we cry out to You in faith. For we know that if we ask in faith—nothing wavering—that You will grant our requests. We also know that this is the confidence that we have in You, that if we ask anything according to Your will, You hear us, and if we know that You hear us, then we know that we have the petitions that we desire of You! Father, although the enemy desires to sift us as wheat, we stand steady on Your Word. We refuse to faint because we realize that we will reap in due season. Even though weeping may endure for a night, we are confident that joy comes in the morning, and that we will reap in joy. We rebuke the devil’s plans in the Name of Jesus! He will not prevail against us in any of his schemes. Instead, You will prevail mightily through us against the enemy. We rebuke the spirit of death. Death, in the Name of Jesus, you can no longer devour our families. We cover all the members of our families—saved and unsaved alike—with the protective, redemptive and restorative Blood of Jesus, the Lamb Who was slain before the foundation of the earth. Jesus has borne sickness and has rendered death ineffective. We are not afraid to die, but we believe You Lord that we will live out the full number of our days on the earth in protection and safety to do the perfect will of our Father. Our family members will live and not die and declare the works of the Lord. Father, in Psalm 103: 4, we are informed that our lives are redeemed from destruction. That includes premature death and tragedy. Psalms 91 tells us that with long life, You will satisfy us and show us Your salvation. We claim long life—a life worth living and filled with Your goodness. Psalm 23 lets us know that even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, You will stay closely by our side to bring us total deliverance. We thank You, Father, for bringing us into a wealthy place, filled with life. Your Word says that the Anointed One has redeemed us from the curse, being made a curse for us. We know that death—especially premature death—is a part of the curse. In the Name of Jesus, devil, we resist your curse. We command death to flee from us as if in terror. We claim life, and life more abundantly, for the readers of this prayer and all their family members. Enough is Enough!!! In the Mighty Name of Jesus, devil, get your hands off our bodies. Get your hands off our finances. Get your hands off our minds. Get your hands off our lives. Get your hands off our family members. You will not continue to block the salvation of our family members. They will not only get saved, but they will serve the Lord in the greatest capacity. God will use them to wreak utter havoc to your kingdom. We thank You, Father, that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is alive in us—in a mighty way! We have resurrection power flowing through our veins. In the Name of Jesus, we resurrect every dead situation, and we rebuke the spirit of death off our families. We expect good, praiseworthy reports from the doctors, lawyers, our financial consultants, our supervisors, etc. And when we don’t receive them, we purpose in our hearts to believe the report of the Lord. Your report says life not death. Your report says victory not defeat. Your report says healing not sickness. Your report says wealth not poverty. And your report says wholeness (nothing missing, nothing broken!), not brokenness. We are whole and intact, spirit, soul and body all the days of our lives—in our homes, within our families, on our jobs. In every situation we encounter, we are on the top and NEVER on the bottom. IN THE NAME OF JESUS!!!, devil, we stop you!! We command you to cease and desist your maneuvers against us. This will be the year of total fulfillment. Whosoever and whatsoever come against us shall fall for our sakes. Great shall be our peace, and no weapon formed against us shall prosper. And every tongue that rises against us in judgment, we shall condemn (we condemn death!) For our heritage is life, and we stand in the gap for every family member so that they might receive the life of God in abundance. We speak to them: LIVE!!! In Jesus’ Name….AMEN!

While the path to marriage restoration is lined with stumbling blocks and deadly land mines, I am convinced that one of the most destructive is our inability to stop focusing on our spouses’ sin and wrong doing long enough to recognize our own, which results in unforgiveness and bitterness, and reveals an unholy attitude of self righteousness and condescension. Most of us are very familiar with Matthew 7:4, which says How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? But we need to read that verse in context to fully understand its importance as a principle of marriage restoration, which we see in the following verses from Matthew 7:
1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

I am absolutely certain that marriage restoration is NOT possible without understanding and practicing this very important principle of restoration. In fact, I believe that So strongly that I recommend avoiding contact with our spouses as much as possible until we master it. And that is done only by a REAL change in the condition of our hearts through the love and grace of Jesus Christ, and not with empty words. Deuteronomy 8:2 tells us Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. So it’s important to humble ourselves before the Lord and examine our own lives and behavior; keeping in mind the instruction Jesus gave in John 8:7, which says But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” And let’s not forget that her sin was the act of adultery, for which the penalty was death!

In addition to telling us not to cast stones at others unless we are without sin, Jesus warned us about the dangers of unforgiveness in The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:21-35), which He summed up in Matthew 18:34-35, by saying 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.” Then these verses from 2 Corinthians 2 tell us:
7 Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.
9 The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.
10 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,
11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. And there’s NO doubt that Satan WILL use our inability or unwillingness to forgive our husbands and wives to kill, steal and destroy our marriages and any hope we have of marriage restoration, and keep us from experiencing the abundant life Jesus came to give us, as we’re told in John 10:10.

Hopefully, what Jesus said in Matthew 6:14-15 is enough to get our attention, and make us take this matter seriously, because 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. And Colossians 3:12-14 tells us Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

If we refuse to forgive as Jesus instructed us to do, it WILL lead to bitterness, which makes us captive to sin according to Acts 8:23, which says For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” An excellent chapter dealing with these issues is Ephesians 4, which includes the following verses:
2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

And another VERY important reason for anyone standing for marriage restoration, or asking for any miracle to overcome unforgiveness is provided in Mark 11:24-25, which says 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.” So we see that our failure to forgive could prevent the Lord from hearing and answering our prayers, which is way too high a price to pay for holding onto something that only hurts us and does NOTHING to help us.

Finally, as long as we’re focused on our spouses’ sin, shortcomings and wrong doing, we’re far from achieving the Lord’s measure of forgiveness as revealed in Hebrews 8:12, which says For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” And holding grudges and keeping records of wrongs obviously falls FAR short of love as described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (NLT), which says Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. Ouch!

Anyone who knows me or talks to me much at all knows that my favorite scripture verse is Romans 8:28 (NKJV), which says And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. I’ve claimed that verse as my favorite for many years now, and even though many other verses have had significant impact on my life recently, the one I ALWAYS fall back on is Romans 8:28, so I was really excited when that’s what the Lord put on my heart to write about this morning. But it’s taken a totally different direction than I expected, because the Lord changed my focus from not worrying about anything no matter what happens to one of obedience. Instead of thinking that no matter what happens, it will work out for my good if I love the Lord and am obedient, I now understand that obedience is a demonstration of my love and faith in the Lord, which means I can trust God to work ALL things together for my good. Maybe that seems like an insignificant distinction, but it’s not.

In John 15:5, Jesus told us “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. And John 14:23 says Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. And in John 10, we see:
25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me,
26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
30 I and the Father are one.” It’s clear from these verses that when we love the Lord, we are obedient to what His word teaches, and He lives with us and protects us…that no one and nothing can snatch us out of His hand. The Bible reveals the heart of a shepherd and how ferociously he protects his flock in 1 Samuel 17:34-35, which says But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.

In the above verses, Jesus uses the words “IF“ we “remain” in Him and “apart” from Him, so it’s very important to understand what He meant by that since He said we couldn’t be “snatched” from His hand.. However, Proverbs 27:8 says Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home. Jesus said if we love Him, we obey His teachings, and He and the Father come and make their home with us. Obviously, when we are disobedient, we stray from our home with Him, and out of the nest and protection provided by the loving shelter of His wing, as so beautifully illustrated in Deuteronomy 32:10-11, which says “He found them in a desert land, in an empty, howling wasteland. He surrounded them and watched over them; he guarded them as his most precious possession. Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spread his wings to take them in and carried them aloft on his pinions. What an awesome picture of salvation! But in stark contrast, Jeremiah 2:5 reveals the dangers of straying from the Lord with This is what the LORD says: “What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves. And Proverbs 21:16 warns A man who strays from the path of understanding comes to rest in the company of the dead. And Hosea 7:13 says Woe to them, because they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, because they have rebelled against me! I long to redeem them but they speak lies against me. Fortunately, Proverbs 19:27 shows us how to avoid straying, because it says Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. So we avoid straying by staying in the word.

Even when we stray, the Lord loves us so much that He will come after us to bring us back into the flock and into the shelter of His wing, as we see in Matthew 18:
12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?
13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.
14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. How wonderful it is that the Lord will turn even our disobedience, which Satan intended for evil, into something good, as we see in this awesome portrait of restoration in Hosea 2 (NLT)!

The GOOD news is that we do have the Lord’s promise that He will work ALL things together for our good when we love Him and are living our lives in accordance with His purpose, in which case we have the assurance that NO MATTER what is going on in our lives, it is happening exactly as it has to happen for God’s perfect plan for us to be perfected. And then even when we stray away and are not acting in obedience, HE will draw us back, and when we return to Him and put Him first in our lives with a genuine attitude of repentance, He WILL work even our disobedience to our good! However, if we’re wise, we won’t make the mistake of straying in the first place! So PRAISE THE LORD that even though His blessings and protection are all conditional, His Love is unconditional!

When we think of “faith without works”, we usually think “faith without works is dead”, which can be confusing, because it seems to contradict being “saved by grace”, as stated in Romans 11:6 (AMP), But if it is by grace (His unmerited favor and graciousness), it is no longer conditioned on works or anything men have done. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace [it would be meaningless]. I’ve heard a lot of interesting messages about grace, works and faith without works, and some were actually pretty tortured. And since this is such an important principle in faith and marriage restoration, I wanted to get a better understanding of it based on what the Bible says.

One of the easiest ways to clear up the contradiction is to read the same verse, James 2:26, in the Amplified Bible, which says For as the human body apart from the spirit is lifeless, so faith apart from [its] works of obedience is also dead. The difference is that being saved by grace and not by works refers to works BEFORE salvation, and faith without works being dead refers to works AFTER salvation. Jesus made it pretty clear that there is a direct connection between our faith and our works, obedience to His word, in John 14:23, which says Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. And then in John 14:24, Jesus even said He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. And, we certainly can’t ignore what Jesus said in Matthew 7:18, which says A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

Then James 2:14 says What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Obviously, that’s an important verse for us as we stand for marriage restoration, so “faith without works” will be the topic for this week’s Restoration Principles. Because if we’re all honest, we have to admit that time after time we fail to walk out the words of faith we speak and profess to believe. 2 Corinthians 1:24, leaves little doubt how important this is to us, because it says Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm. And we all want to stand firm!

We can learn a lot more about what the Bible teaches about faith by reading James 2:14-26 (AMP.

The following prayer is from Darlenn Wilson, who is affiliated with WIN, which is a ministry that sends prayers out worldwide by email, and I greatly appreciate her permission to post it on the site today. May you all have a GLORIOUS RESURRECTION DAY!!!

HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY! GLORY TO GOD. HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! JESUS WE BLESS YOU THIS MORNING AND PRAISE YOU TOO. WE LOVE YOU LORD BECAUSE YOU FIRST LOVED US. WE GIVE YOU ALL THE GLORY AND HONOR AS
WE LIFT YOU THIS MORNING. LORD YOU ARE SO WONDERFUL. WHAT AN AWESOME AND MIGHTY GOD WE SERVE.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chatisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors (Isa 53: 3-5, 10-12)

I bless you Lord for the sacrifice. We are redeemed today because of it and we thank you Lord. Bless every marriage today Father and let the resurrection power of Jesus bring to life every dead situation now. In Jesus name we thank you for miracles today in homes, neighborhoods, communities, cities, states, nations, our world, our government, and in our churches. We thank you now Father God for bringing answers to our prayers that we have been praying and believing you for for so long. Thank you Lord for deliverance this morning. We give you thanks Father God for all the lost souls that shall come into the Kingdom today. We thank you now for saving our family members, friends, co-workers, supervisors, and enemies today because today is our receiving day Lord and we bless you. We honor you this morning for breakthroughs in the lives of your people Jesus. We thank you for the Power of the Living God falling all over this world today because it is Resurrection Sunday. We remember what you did and we thank you. Bless every reader this morning and keep them Jesus. Help us all to fall deeper in love with you Lord and remember that you are our first love. We magnify you Jesus. We lift you up this morning and gratefully say Thank you Lord. Bless the land of Israel Father and bring peace to Jerusalem today.
Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.(Psalms 81:1) Be blessed saints of the Most High God today and always. I love you.
Blessings