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

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

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

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

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

It’s so ironic that the one chapter, 1 Corinthians 7, most often used by Christians to come up with all sorts of “loopholes” for divorce and remarriage is actually the one that MOST strongly supports Mark’s account of what Jesus taught about marriage, divorce and remarriage. Because in verses 10-11, Paul said To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. Clearly there’s NO marital unfaithfulness exception mentioned there, or anywhere else in the chapter, and the ONLY possible “presumption” of allowance for divorce and remarriage for marital unfaithfulness, or adultery, is found at the end of the chapter in verse 39, where Paul concluded by saying A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. And at that time, as when Jesus taught about divorce and remarriage, anyone caught in adultery was stoned to death, which meant the other spouse was free to remarry. Paul obviously felt very strongly about that, because he also used it as an example in Romans 7:2-3, which says For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man. So, once again, the practice of stoning an adulterous spouse at that time is the only possible presumed exception for remarriage found in these verses, which WOULD be a lot more in keeping with what the Bible teaches about God’s grace and mercy, and His strong sense of justice, as well as His promise to defend and vindicate us when we’re wronged by others, especially considering the exception Jesus made for marital unfaithfulness in other passages.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If we literally gave anyone standing for marriage restoration a key and told them it unlocks the door to the restoration of their marriage, I can’t help wondering how many wouldn’t take that key and run to open that door immediately! Yet, even though one marriage restoration ministry after another does just that, it’s amazing to see how few standers take the key and open the door! Because the key to getting God to move supernaturally on our behalf in ANY situation is studying, understanding, and speaking and living in accordance with the word of God. It REALLY is that simple, and it’s obvious when standers do that, because we know them by the fruit they bear! Yet so few standers actually discipline themselves and MAKE the time to get SERIOUS about studying and meditating on God’s word, and understanding how vitally important it is to us as we stand for the restoration of our marriages.

We continually get repeated (from the same people) impassioned pleas for prayers for the Lord to change their husbands, to keep them from doing this or that, to make the pain go away, etc., and that’s undeniably frustrating when such pleas tend to come from the very same people who rarely, if ever, use the tools provided by marriage restoration ministries and others that the Lord has called to help in our time of need. No plan works unless we work the plan, so one of the saddest aspects of this ministry is seeing how many aren’t willing to do the HARD work marriage restoration requires. And no one ever said it would be easy. In fact, Jesus told us that we’d have to pick up our cross daily to follow Him, and it doesn’t get much harder or worse than daily crucifixion of our flesh! So everyone standing for marriage restoration needs to seriously ask whether or not we’re willing to do what it takes to win the spiritual battle to save our marriages. And for those who ARE willing to do what it takes, the GOOD news is that there are ministries anointed by the Lord to help us understand HOW to do that! For instance, the following message from Creflo Dollar from Tuesday is an EXCELLENT place to start. And here are the AWESOME scripture references used in this message:

Joshua 1:1-9
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Psalm 1:2-3 (AMP)
But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night. And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].

Psalm 63:6

On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.

Psalm 77:12
I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.

Psalm 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Proverbs 4:20-22 AMP)
My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings. Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh.

You can listen to the first part of Dr. Dollar’s message, The Combination for Prosperity, here for Audio and here for Video. This is one of those messages we need to save and listen to often, because it’s SO good!

And the following is a message from Bob Steinkamp earlier this week, titled “Monday News”, which I totally agree with, and which contains links to a lot of additional support for anyone standing for marriage restoration.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the
man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Sunday evening, listening to a sermon on the radio, the Lord revealed to me what Charlyne and I are attempting to do in your life. We want to equip you to stand for your marriage. In fact, everything we do through Rejoice Marriage Ministries is designed to equip you to fight the spiritual battle for your marriage. This is a spiritual battle, one that we cannot fight for you, but we can certainly equip you to stand God’s way.
With football season just starting, let’s look at a team’s coach and his relationship to players. Every day, in many different ways, the coaching staff work to equip each team member with the skills and tools he needs to win the game. Once the kickoff takes place, each player must be able to make decisions for himself out on the field.
The coach may send in plays, or he may shout a word of guidance from the sideline, but that player is on his own at each play to not jump offsides, and to carry out the task assigned to him, be it offensive or defensive.
Our role in the restoration of your marriage is much the same. We can “send in plays” each day through Charlyne Cares devotionals, but once the ball of daily life is snapped, you, not us, must decide what action to take, where to go, and where not to go. Neither the coach, nor a marriage ministry, can direct your every step on the playing field of life. Hopefully you have been successfully equipped so that you, listening to the Holy Spirit, will know how to respond in every situation, and that your decisions are always based on what you have been taught from the Word of God, along with what God is revealing to you.
Back on the football field, let’s look at one scenario. The ball has been snapped and is about to be passed to a player far down field. The player guarding the received is right on top of the play, Instead of reacting, he goes running to the sidelines to ask the coach what he should do. Meanwhile, the pass is caught and a touchdown scored, all because a player was not equipped to break up a passing play.
Most of the emergency “HELP! email and phone calls we receive from people wanting direct advice for their situation are from standers who have not equipped themselves for every aspect of standing.
Charlyne and I pray that you are making use of every tool God has provided to equip you to stand strong for His best in your marriage.
We want to highlight a few of the Rejoice tools available for you:
God Heals Hurting Marriages - A daily five minute pep talk for your stand. Monday Charlyne is instructing to “Stop and Seek the Lord” -
GodHeals Hurting Marriages
Fight For Your Family - Just like being at Rejoice Pompano on a Monday night to hear Charlyne teach, this is a weekly 30 minute Bible study on marriage restoration. You can access up to 20 past programs in the archives. Free MP3 downloads are also available -
God Heals Hurting Marriages
Rejoice Ministries web site - Where over 3,000 pages of material are available for you. We suggest the site’s search engine to find help for your specific needs. New this week is a blog entry and also a new CyberPoll question. By the way, our site has a new look -
Rejoice Marriage Ministries
Stop Divorce Christian Bookstore - There you can find over 100 teaching tapes and CD’s and also all 20 Rejoice books to help you stand God’s way. Audio clips are available for many of Charlyne’s teachings -
Stop Divorce
Above all else, your time spent in the Word of God, along with a daily time of prayer, you alone with God, can equip you for whatever the Enemy might throw your way this week. Let’s get you equipped!
“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Acts 20:24
May you find yourself equipped,
Bob (and Charlyne) Steinkamp
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.®
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061 USA
How To Stand
P.S. In a few hours you will be receiving Tuesday’s Charlyne Cares, where I share thoughts about flu season for standers. Watch for it.
- - - - -
Rejoice Ministries Online Bookstore
- - - - -
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quoted by permission and are from
the Holy Bible; New International Version® Copyright© 1973, 1978,
1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan
Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked
(AMP) are taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958,
1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by
permission.
- - - - -
Copyright© 2006 Rejoice Marriage Ministries Inc®.
Pompano Beach, Florida

There’s no way to overstate how important it is for everyone standing for marriage restoration to understand that the devil WILL use our emotions to destroy and defeat us UNLESS we take control of them as instructed in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, which says For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Fortunately Philippians 4 gives us some VERY specific instructions about how to do that and avoid allowing our emotions and thoughts to defeat us, particularly verses 8 and 9, which say 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 fact, it would be a very good idea to read the whole chapter of Philippians 4 often!

These two passages of scripture are SO important for us to understand, because they could literally hold the key to whether or not we’ll walk through the challenges and difficulties of standing for the restoration of our marriages victoriously. Not one of us can deny that in the early days of our marital problems, we were devastated and probably even dysfunctional for a time, so no one understands better than those of us who have gone through it just how painful and devastating it really is. BUT there does come a time when we have to pull ourselves up out of that dark hole of pain and despair into the light, of God’s love, and learn to walk in the power and promise of His word. And the only way to do that is with His grace, through the faith that comes as the result of reading and understanding His word, and by putting the things we learn into practice. Because as James 1:25 so clearly tells us, But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

Creflo Dollar’s message this past Sunday was an awesome message about conquering our emotions, and it’s a very important message for anyone standing for marriage restoration to pay attention to, especially anyone who is allowing emotions to control them instead of the other way around. Pastor Dollar talks about how in one split second, failure to control our emotions can lead to consequences that totally destroy our lives. Unfortunately, I can really relate to that, because that’s exactly what happened in my marriage. I drastically over reacted to something so totally unimportant, and set into motion events that ultimately led to the destruction of my marriage, and then again so many times later to the end of earthly possibilities of restoration. And if we’re honest, most of us can probably think of similar times in the process that led to the demise of our marriages. But we have to remember that what Satan intends for our destruction, God intends for good, as we see in Genesis 50:20, which says You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. That’s why, no matter how bad and hopeless things may appear, we MUST believe and confess 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. So instead of allowing Satan to destroy and defeat us by letting our emotions control us, we need to practice Matthew 11:28-30, which says “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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” So the only healthy and safe place to let our emotions take us is right into the loving and forgiving arms of our Lord and Savior, where we can rely on the promise found in Psalm 55:22, which says Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. And we have the assurance of Proverbs 3:5-6, which says Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. And we can’t ever forget the Lord’s promise in Isaiah 61:7, which says 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. Or the awesome promise in Isaiah 35:9-10, which says No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

So, don’t miss this very important message from Dr. Creflo Dollar, Governing Your Emotions – Audio, or Video, and then make a God glorifying decision about where your emotions will take you!

As a post script, I hadn’t had a chance to read what Marsha Burns had written in her Small Straws daily prophetic words this week, so I just visited her site and couldn’t help feeling that the following two prophetic words from Monday and Tuesday very appropriately tie into this post, so decided to add them below:

“August 22, 2006: I had a vision of God’s people hanging their harps on the willow trees like they did when they went into captivity. (Psalm 137:2)
I heard the Lord say, just as surely as My children went into bondage when they lost hope, you have been in mourning and grief over certain things and have allowed the enemy to shut your mouth. Your joy has ceased. You have hung your spiritual harp on the willows, but I want you to take it up again and begin to rejoice. If you will open your mouth, I will fill it. Take the first step, and I will use you to dispense My truth.
Psalms 81:10 I am the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
August 21, 2006: Refuse to allow the enemy to question your faith or reduce you to doubt and unbelief. Only by faith will you receive your promises. Strengthen your faith by hearing My word again and allowing the truth of what is not seen to overcome the doubts of what you can see at this moment. Do not give up or allow the devil to steal your potential, says the Lord.”
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Everyone standing for marriage restoration is fortunate to have the blessing and benefit of the ministry the Lord has called Bob and Charlyne Steinkamp to, which is Rejoice Marriage Ministries. But, as I’m sure Bod would agree, no matter what kind of encouragement and wise counsel they provide, it won’t do any of us a bit of good unless we take it to heart and put it into practice. So let’s be sure of the Lord’s blessings as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, by being doers of the word, as James 1:25 tells us, But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. The following is another awesome message from Bob in today’s Charlyne Cares.

On Tuesdays Bob shares from the prodigal’s perspective, after being
remarried to Charlyne for 19 years. Today he writes about a strain
of flu that threatens many standers each year in the fall.
- - - - -
ANOTHER EPIDEMIC -
We are nearing that time of year when health officials will start to
warn about the dangers of the upcoming flu seasons. People will
scamper to stand in line for their 2006 flu shot.
There is another worldwide epidemic that we don’t hear much about.
It is striking the people we love and care about, namely men and
women who are standing with God for the restoration of their
marriages.
At a time when prodigals spouses are coming home to God, and home to
praying spouses in record numbers, we are also hearing daily about
standers who have been infected with the “D Strain” and are on the
verge of giving up praying and standing with God for (1) the
salvation of a prodigal mate, and then (2) restoration of their
marriage. Thankfully, few people had been harmed by this dreaded
disease, but the early effects of Satan’s warfare are evident
everywhere.
The Enemy is attacking with the “D Strain” of sin. The symptoms are:
DOUBT- “Did God really tell me to stand, or was it something I
dreamed up?”
DESPAIR - “This is hopeless.”
DIVISION - Standers start majoring in the minor issues, instead of on
the Word and Jesus. Soon their focus is on the issue, and not on
their stand with God.
DEFEAT - If Satan can’t defeat you, he will defeat someone whose
defeat will defeat you. (The might be poor English, but good in
thought.)
DISTRUST - “Can (or will) God really do what He has promised me?”
DISTRACTION - Looking at your own (or someone else’s) circumstances
instead of focusing on God.
DISPUTE - Attempting to fight the battles yourself, instead of
allowing God to work.
DISENCHANTMENT - “My spouse is not changing so why should I try?”
(What’s happening on the other side of your mountain where you
can’t see?)
DECEIT - “No one knows about my secret sin.” (But God knows and it is
killing your stand for a healed marriage.)
DEVOURING - “I will write back and give them a piece of my mind!”
DEMANDS - “If God doesn’t do something soon, I am giving up.”
DATING - “This person is only a friend, and I am so lonesome. I can
handle going out and still stand.”
DIVORCE - “My divorce is final, so there is no hope for my marriage.”
Tony Evans once said, “It does not matter what the records down at
city hall say. The records in Heaven say that you are married!”
- - - - -
The good news is that God has provided a vaccine to protect you
against each and every element of the “D Strain.” We beg you to
please look these up, learn them, memorize them. Post them on your
mirror, so that when the enemy sprays your home, you will be
protected by God’s Word:
- - - - -
DOUBT - “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go,
throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but
believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.”
Mark 11:23
DESPAIR - “And provide for those who grieve in Zion-to bestow on them
a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of
mourning, and a garment of praise instead of despair.” Isaiah 61:3
DIVISION - “So that there should be no division in the body, but that
its parts should its parts should have equal concern for each other.”
I Corinthians 12:25
DEFEAT - “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
Philippians 4:13
DISTRUST - “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.” Proverbs 3:5-6
DISTRACTION - “But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that
had to be made….”Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are
worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.
Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from
her.” Luke 10:40,41-42
DISPUTE - “Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the
matter before a dispute breaks out.” Proverbs 17:14
DISCOURAGEMENT - “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this
vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” 2 Chronicles
20:15
DECEIT - “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect
gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly
lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:16-17
DEVOURING - “If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch
out or you will be destroyed by each other.” Galatians 5:15
DEMANDS - “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper
time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
DATING - “…For this reason a man will leave his father and mother
and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So
they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined
together, let man not separate.” Matthew 19:5-6
DIVORCE - “Has not the Lord, made them one? In Flesh and spirit they
are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So
guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife
of your youth. “I hate divorce.” says the Lord God of Israel….”
Malachi 2:15-16
If you have decided to give up on standing, who will pray for your
prodigal? Do you not care about their eternal destiny? What about the
generational curse of divorce that is in your family, and that YOU
have an opportunity to stop? Have you not grown strong enough in the
Lord to withstand the attacks from satan? They are predictable when
you are doing Kingdom work.
If you will allow God to vaccinate you today with His Word, you will
be protected against the Enemy’s attacks tomorrow.
Let’s fight this flu, in Jesus’ Name,
Bob Steinkamp
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.®
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061 USA
How To Stand
Rejoice Ministries Online Bookstore -
Stop Divorce
- - - - -
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quoted by permission and are from
the Holy Bible; New International Version® Copyright© 1973, 1978,
1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan
Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked
(AMP) are taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958,
1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by
permission.
- - - - -
Copyright© 2006 Rejoice Marriage Ministries Inc®.
Pompano Beach, Florida

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Since I often feel that God’s grace is one of the most abused and misapplied spiritual laws, I was glad to see that Joyce Meyer started a series on God’s grace today, especially since it is such an important principle for everyone standing for marriage restoration to understand.

As I’ve stated in earlier posts and elsewhere on this site, it’s very disheartening to see how today’s Christian leaders misuse and abuse God’s grace to excuse and cover up the sin of adultery as described in the Bible, and perform, condone and even encourage remarriage after divorce, especially when the divorce was not the result of the other spouse’s adultery or marital unfaithfulness. Jude 1:4 clearly warns against such teaching, because it says For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. While that may sound very harsh and even judgmental, I didn’t write it. And I didn’t write what Hebrews 10:29 says either, which is 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? And then Romans 6:1-2 tells us 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? While it’s important for all of us to understand that grace is not a license to sin or to continue in sin, there are even more important aspects of God’s amazing and infinite grace to understand as we stand for the restoration of our marriages.

First, we need to understand that it’s just by the grace of God that we are saved, that He chose and called us to be Christians and representatives and vessels for His glory, and except for HIS grace, we could be just like so many of the people in our lives that upset, offend and hurt us. That should be a very humbling thought and help us keep things in proper perspective when it comes to the grace of our Lord and Savior! Ephesians 2:7-10 makes that point quite well, because it says 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. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. And then Romans 5:1-2 says 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. And Ephesians 1:4-8 says For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

Grace is often defined as unmerited favor, because it’s by the grace of God, through our faith in Jesus, that we receive the forgiveness of our sin, as we see in the above verses. While it’s often difficult for those of us standing for the restoration of our marriages to look at and acknowledge our own sin and responsibility for the breakdown of our marriages in the beginning, it’s not all that unusual for us to have a difficult time accepting God’s grace and forgiveness by forgiving ourselves once we do. And that’s just as wrong as those who want to use God’s grace as an excuse or license to go right on sinning! So we really have to work on receiving the grace the Lord so freely gives, so we can then walk in the peace and power that comes along with it, because God’s grace is about SO much more than the forgiveness of our sins! The following verses are just a few that help us gain a much better understanding of all that our Lord’s amazing grace entails and provides, which is ALL very good news for us as we stand for the restoration of our marriages!

2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Ephesians 3:7
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.

2 Thessalonians 1:12
We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:15-17
So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

2 Timothy 2:1
You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:23
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

James 4:6
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

1 Peter 1:13
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

1 Peter 4:10
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.

And I know we all love the two following verses!

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.

Romans 16:20
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Fortunately, the next two verses tell us exactly HOW to live in the abundance of God’s grace and ALL that comes with it!

2 Peter 1:2
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

2 Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Now that we have a better understanding of what God’s grace is and how to get it and what blessings it provides for us as we stand for our marriages, may we all experience the blessing found in 2 John 1:3, which says Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

And here’s a link to Joyce’s message, Gods Grace, Your Choice - Part I, from this morning. And here’s tomorrow’s continuation of this message, Gods Grace, Your Choice - Part II. And here’s If Not For the Grace of God - Part I and If Not For the Grace of God - Part II. And finally, Grace and Peace Be Multiplied to You.

Earlier in the week I was honored to be asked by the World Intercessor Network to submit a prayer as a guest prayer warrior, so the following prayer will go out by worldwide email distribution tomorrow. and I’d like to ask everyone to join with me in praying for the Lord to be magnified and glorified by the prayer. It is my sincerest hope, prayer and belief that the Lord will specifically use it to lead someone to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Sharon thought I might want to share my heart and concerns for marriage restoration, but everything I tried to write on that topic was TOTALLY blocked! But just as soon as I let that go and asked the Lord to show me what HE wanted me to write, this is what came out! It’s clearly a message of salvation, so let’s pray the Holy Spirit goes ahead of it and makes a way, preparing hearts to receive it and make a decision for Christ. After all, seeing our husbands or wives saved is the most important prayer for anyone standing for marriage restoration who does not have the assurance that their spouse is saved, and we know that when they are in right relationship with the Lord, they will be in right relationship with us and others.

Dear Lord, we confidently approach Your throne of grace today with praise and thanksgiving in our hearts and on our lips, for You are GREAT and worthy to be praised! We thank You for your everlasting love and for Your most amazing grace, through which You chose to sanctify us, setting us apart in accordance with Your will and good pleasure for the praise of your glory!
We thank You for giving us Your word which is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. And for sowing the seed of Your word into our hearts, so we can experience the power, blessings, and provisions of Your kingdom, which You, Lord Jesus, told us would not come with signs or visible display or be seen here or there, because it’s within us. And which we know is not about food and drink, but about righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit! So we thank You for giving us eyes that see, ears that hear, and hearts and minds that understand Your word, Lord. And for the hunger we have for every word that comes from Your mouth, which teaches us how to live as we seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, and for Your absolute assurance that You will then be faithful to give us everything else, including the desires of our hearts when we delight in You!
We thank You that Your plans for us are for good and not for evil, to give us a hope and future. And we thank You that NO plan, No insight and NO wisdom can succeed against You, or us when You are for us! And that the gates of hell can not prevail against us; that NO weapon fashioned against us will prosper!
We thank You, Lord Jesus, that because we acknowledge you as the Christ, the Son of the living God, You have given us the keys of the kingdom of heaven and Your assurance that whatever we bind here on earth will be bound in heaven, and that whatever we loose here on earth will be loosed in heaven.
Therefore, through the authority given to us in Your name, Jesus, we bind up Satan and his wicked and demonic spirits, all forces of hell, and demolish all arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we loose the power of the Holy Spirit to help us take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Since we know this may be a difficult day for some receiving this prayer, and for many others who are experiencing challenging and difficult times in their lives, marriages and families, we pray for them to feel Your love in a very special way. May they be rooted and grounded in your love today, Lord, May the experience and feel the wonder and power of your amazing grace and love. May this not be a day of sadness, but a day of rejoicing, because we KNOW You LOVE us and YOU have ALL things that concern us in the control of Your Almighty hand.
And we pray that on this day which might otherwise tend to be discouraging, that You will bring some special incident of hope and encouragement to each man and woman reading this prayer. We know You care about us in every detail of our lives, and many of us have experienced that down to even the smallest of details, so bless us with Your presence and encouragement today. Fill each of us with an extra measure of faith this day, Lord. Help us to keep our eyes on you and not on our circumstances. Help us enjoy the many things You bless us with every day of our lives instead of dwelling on that one thing we might not have or enjoy today. Show us how to express Your love by loving others, especially those who are not interacting in love with us. Let us be more focused on the love we demonstrate and give to others, rather than concerning ourselves with how others may or may not love us. Let us walk in love today that You might be glorified.
And Lord, please touch the hearts of our spouses and family members who are not walking in right relationship with You. It is the greatest desire of our hearts that they know You as Lord and Savior, and there are many of us who don’t have the comfort of knowing that our spouses and family members are saved, so our prayer for them is that Your Holy spirit will move in their lives today in a most powerful, supernatural way and bring them to the saving knowledge of You, Lord Jesus. We know You came to set the captives free, and many of our spouses, family members and friends live in bondage of some kind today, so we come against all manner of sin, bondage, strongholds, deception, adultery, disobedience and disbelief in the name of Jesus Christ, the name from which we know Satan must flee. We cover our loved ones with the blood of the Lamb today and it is the word of our testimony that they will be saved and that they will walk in right relationship with You. We pray that they will se You in us, and that all of our interaction with them glorifies You, and that we remember that every encounter we have with them either leads them toward You or away from you.
Be Thou glorified in this day that You have made Lord, Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Let Your love shine in and through us today! Amen.

For anyone reading this prayer who does not yet know and acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, please understand that the Bible tells us that ALL men have sinned and come short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death, but that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior! Eternal life, AND the power, blessings and provisions of the kingdom of God while on earth, are available to us because Jesus Christ, who is the Son of the living God, died on the cross and shed His blood (without which there is no remission or forgiveness for sin), to atone and make the blood sacrifice necessary to pay for our sins, past, present and future! And NO sin is too big or terrible for the blood of Christ to cover and wash away. BUT, Romans 1:20-21, warns us that since God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, men are without excuse. So denying God’s existence will not keep us out of Hell. The only thing that can do that is believing and acknowledging through confession that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins and rose again three days later. If you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in your heart right now and want to make Jesus the Lord of your life, please say this short and simple prayer:
Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and that You are the Son of the living God. I know that You love me so much that You died on the cross and shed Your blood for the forgiveness of my sins, and that You rose again three days later. So I ask You, Jesus, please forgive my sins and come into my heart and be the Lord of my life, because from this day on I am Yours. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you just prayed that prayer, welcome to the kingdom of God and the body of Christ! And now you need to confess your salvation and faith in Jesus to someone else, and find a local church where you can worship and serve your AWESOME Lord and Savior. You are beginning a wonderful journey beyond anything you could ever imagine, and you’ll NEVER regret making a decision for Jesus!
If you need to discuss your decision, or even questions you have about making such a decision, please email me at linda@famfellowship.com or call me at 850-391-4073, or talk to any of the fine men and women affiliated with the WIN ministry. May the Lord bless and keep you!

In His Love,
Linda Wattu

Some of the most painful and challenging conversations I have with women standing for marriage restoration occur when their husbands are being incredibly irresponsible, insensitive, cruel and thoughtless, because there are times when we can’t help feeling like a “doormat” when we do what the Bible tells us to do in such circumstances. For instance JUST doing what the following passage from Luke 6 tells us is a huge challenge for all of us, because it says:
27 “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.
30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ’sinners’ love those who love them.
33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ’sinners’ do that.
34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ’sinners’ lend to ’sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full.

Yep, that definitely sounds like being a doormat when we lean on our own understanding, and think like the rest of the world. But since the final outcome we want is so much different than what the rest of the world ends up with, we must be willing to do things differently. And here’s what Luke 6 goes on to tell us happens when we do things God’s way instead:
35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

I probably wouldn’t believe anyone standing for marriage restoration who denies feeling like a doormat from time to time, or the internal struggle that goes on inside of all of us when we fight the sinful nature of our flesh and try to walk in the power of righteousness, humility and love, which IS our spiritual nature in Christ. And we all know how challenging it is to put 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 into practice at such times, because it says:
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Based on my conversations with other women and my own experience, I know ALL of us struggle mightily with not being easily angered, keeping no record of wrongs, and ALWAYS trusting! Some women even feel that doing that would make them look stupid, and they want to know if they’re just supposed to ignore what’s right under their noses. But the Bible doesn’t tell us not to get angry. It just tells us not to sin when we are, and not to let the sun go down on it. And we need to remember who the enemy is and be angry at him instead of our husbands, and even the NCP if there is one. And, of course, the enemy is Satan. Keeping no record of wrongs doesn’t mean we don’t notice them, but it does mean we have to forgive AND FORGET them, because the Bible tells us that when the Lord forgives our sin, He casts it as far as the east is from the west and never looks at it again. And we should never put our trust in our husbands in the first place, because they are human just like us, and we will ALL disappoint each other at some time or another. So our trust must ALWAYS be in the Lord, and that’s why the most important thing to do when we are challenged to walk in the wisdom of any of the above verses is pray.

Obviously, the root problem when being obedient to God’s word makes us feel like a doormat, or ignoring our husbands’ sin makes us feel stupid, especially when they flaunt it right under our noses, is pride. However, that’s another matter for another time, other than a reminder of James 4:6-7, which says But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Jesus obviously knows and understands how difficult it is for us to do many of the things we’re asked to do for the sake of His kingdom and glory, which is why Luke 9:23 says Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. But thank goodness we have the assurance in Philippians 4:13 that we CAN do ALL things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us! And then we have God’s awesome promise that we will NEVER be put to shame for being obedient to what His word teaches, as the following passages of scripture reassure us, and which we need to remember the next time Satan tries to convince us that doing things God’s way makes us a doormat or makes us look stupid!

Romans 10:11
As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

1 Peter 2:6
For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

Isaiah 50:7
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.

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.

Psalm 25:20
Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

Psalm 31:1
] In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.

Psalm 25:3
No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.

Psalm 71:1
In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.

Psalm 119:31
I hold fast to your statutes, O LORD; do not let me be put to shame.

Isaiah 45:17
But Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation; you will never be put to shame or disgraced, to ages everlasting.

Psalm 34:4-5
I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

Psalm 119:80
May my heart be blameless toward your decrees, that I may not be put to shame.

Psalm 25:2
in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.

Psalm 71:24
My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.

And Jesus gave us HIS personal assurance that being humble and obedient to His word in response to our husbands’ ungodly behavior, as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, will NOT cause us shame, because Matthew 5:2-12 says and he began to teach them saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

We can learn a lot from the instructions in Titus 2:7-8 , because they’re so simple and yet so powerful. It tells us In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. That’s certainly a God glorifying and worthy goal for all of us!

And in our darkest and most difficult moments, it should help and comfort us to remember 2 Timothy 1:12, which says That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. AMEN!!!

Regular visitors to the site know I’m like a broken record when it comes to putting so much emphasis on how vitally important it is to study the Bible, so will understand how much I really enjoyed and appreciated a message from Creflo Dollar last week about how the kingdom of God works. I really learned a lot from his message and have been studying the Bible since then to get an even better understanding of what he taught, which I’ve really enjoyed and want to share a little of here. While this is a very important message for ALL Christians, it is especially important when we’re standing against the gates of Hell for the restoration of our marriages, because we MUST understand how to fully access and operate in the power of the kingdom of God to win. After all, the battle belongs to the Lord!

I didn’t do as thorough a study as I’d like, because it would have been very interesting to check out the different words that were used in the original text for all of the biblical references to the kingdom of God, which I haven’t had the time to do. One of the things I found most interesting though, is how little it seems the references to the kingdom of God have to do with heaven, which is what I think most of us tend to think of when we think of the kingdom of God, which is why it would be so interesting to study the meaning of the original text. But the following passages of scripture still give us a much clearer understanding of what the kingdom of God really is, and isn’t, according to the Bible:

Luke 17:20-21
Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”

Romans 14:17-19
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. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

Luke 18:17
I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

1 Corinthians 4:20
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

Mark 4:26-34
He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.” With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

The above passages of scripture clearly do not refer to a place or system of government, or where we will spend eternity, when they talk about the kingdom of God, which I personally found very interesting because that seems to answer a question I’ve always pondered.. Passages like 1 Corinthians 6:6-10, Galatians 5:19-21, and Ephesians 5:5, have always troubled me. Because I found it hard to believe that our sinful nature would really keep us out of heaven. Even though I was never able to explain why it DIDN’T mean that, I just couldn’t accept that conclusion. But, now it makes more sense, because the kingdom of God is not a reference to aplace or system of government. It’s about the unchanging spiritual laws and principles governing the power of God, His blessings, protection, provision, and discipline, and our relationship with Him, and when we’re controlled by our sinful nature, we can not experience the righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, as described in Romans 14:17. And that’s confirmed by Hebrews 1:9, which 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.” And Isaiah 48:22 says “There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.” Perhaps this addresses the questions so many have when seeing our “saved” mates caught up in many of the sins listed in the above verses, about whether or not they’re really saved, and if they’re sin will keep them from going to heaven. Without addressing the need for repentance on our spouses’ part, we know the Bible is full of great men of God who got caught up in sin in one form or another, so it’s difficult to understand where the notion that if we’re saved we can’t be such terrible sinners originated. David, who was called a man after God’s own heart was guilty of adultery and murder, yet we don’t question his relationship with the Lord. And Paul even referred to himself as the cheif among sinners. BUT we now know for certain that as long as our husbands are caught up in the sin controlling them now and threatening to destroy our marriages and families, they are NOT experiencing either peace or joy, no matter how much they try to convince us and themselves otherwise. And they can not count on the blessings, protection or provision of God. In fact, they’re surely going to experience the discipline of God, and the pleasure of their sin will last only for a short time, according to Hebrews 11:25.

Now, getting back to the message from Creflo Dollar, since Jesus often compared the kingdom of God to what nature teaches us about sowing and reaping, Luke 8:11 is very significant, because it says “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. That’s pretty awesome and explains why the Bible is so important to us as Christians! As Dr. Dollar said, the Bible is not a book of rules; it’s a bag of seeds! And John 1:1-4 reveals just how important the word/seed is, because it says In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

The following passage from Luke is a very powerful illustration of how important the Bible is in our lives as Christians, because it contains the vitally essential seeds that must be sown into the soil of our hearts before we can reap the harvest and bear the fruit of the kingdom of God, which Matthew 21:43 helps us understand the importance of, because it says “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

Luke 8:1-21 (AMP)
SOON AFTERWARD, [Jesus] went on through towns and villages, preaching and bringing the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God. And the Twelve [apostles] were with Him, And also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had been expelled; And Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager; and Susanna; and many others, who ministered to and provided for Him and them out of their property and personal belongings.
And when a very great throng was gathering together and people from town after town kept coming to Jesus, He said in a parable: A sower went out to sow seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the traveled path and was trodden underfoot, and the birds of the air ate it up. And some [seed] fell on the rock, and as soon as it sprouted, it withered away because it had no moisture. And other [seed] fell in the midst of the thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it [off]. And some seed fell into good soil, and grew up and yielded a crop a hundred times [as great]. As He said these things, He called out, He who has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him consider and understand by hearing! And when His disciples asked Him the meaning of this parable, He said to them, To you it has been given to [come progressively to] know (to recognize and understand more strongly and clearly) the mysteries and secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that, [though] looking, they may not see; and hearing, they may not comprehend. Now the meaning of the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God. Those along the traveled road are the people who have heard; then the devil comes and carries away the message out of their hearts, that they may not believe (acknowledge Me as their Savior and devote themselves to Me) and be saved [here and hereafter]. And those upon the rock [are the people] who, when they hear [the Word], receive and welcome it with joy; but these have no root. They believe for a while, and in time of trial and temptation fall away (withdraw and stand aloof). And as for what fell among the thorns, these are [the people] who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked and suffocated with the anxieties and cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not ripen (come to maturity and perfection). But as for that [seed] in the good soil, these are [the people] who, hearing the Word, hold it fast in a just (noble, virtuous) and worthy heart, and steadily bring forth fruit with patience. No one after he has lighted a lamp covers it with a vessel or puts it under a [dining table] couch; but he puts it on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that shall not be disclosed, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come out into the open. Be careful therefore how you listen. For to him who has [spiritual knowledge] will more be given; and from him who does not have [spiritual knowledge], even what he thinks and guesses and supposes that he has will be taken away.
Then Jesus’ mother and His brothers came along toward Him, but they could not get to Him because of the crowd. And it was told Him, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to have an interview with You. But He answered them, My mother and My brothers are those who listen to the Word of God and do it!

May every seed of God’s word be sown deeply into our hearts and produce a bountiful harvest of fruit for the glory of our Lord and Savior! And when the devil tries to steal, kill or destroy that precious seed through the trials we face while faithfully and obediently standing for the restoration of our marriages, and we need to be reminded that the blessings and promises of the kingdom of God are available in our lives now and not something so seemingly distant and intangible as heaven, we find assurance of that in Luke 18:28-30, because it says Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or paren