One of Satan’s most effective and destructive weapons against men and women standing for marriage restoration is doubt, so it’s very important for all of us to know HOW to deal with and overcome doubt. An article Dan shared on the private FAM Fellowship website yesterday addressed the fact that many Christians erroneously have the idea that as Christians we’re not supposed to doubt in the first place, which is a very important point to make, but I was really even more impressed and struck by something Dan said, which was “We are not going to be without any doubt, so it is how we handle the doubt that matters.” And it’s SO IMPORTANT for us to understand how true that is as we stand for the restoration of our marriages!

First, we know we are going to experience doubt, because that’s one of Satan’s most effective and destructive weapons; one of the weapons of HIS warfare. And 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 verifies that, because it tells us The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And EVERY “argument and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God” IS doubt. And, just as Dan said, experiencing moments of doubt is NOT the problem; which Ephesians 4:26-27 illustrates as well, because it says “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. So in the same way what we do when we get angry determines whether or not we sin; what we do or DON’T do when we struggle with thoughts filled with doubt is the issue we have to deal with as we stand for our marriages. And based on the above instructions, the way to deal with doubt, anything contrary to accepting and believing the power and promise of God’s Word, is to TAKE those thoughts captive and MAKE them obedient to Christ and the power and promise of His Word. And since there are so many archived SOF posts on that topic, I’m not going to address that again here, other than the reminder we have in Philippians 4:8-9, which says 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.

Another important point to make about doubt is that it is ALWAYS the result of being deceived, which we also know because to believe ANYTHING that sets itself against the knowledge of God is deception. And Satan’s attacks ALWAYS begin with deception, because he’s “the father of lies” as John 8:44 makes very clear:
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

And the reason it’s important to be aware of that is because John 14:6 says Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. So believing the lies of the devil and doubting the power and promise of God’s Word is not Jesus’ way, which means it can (and probably will) keep us from experiencing the victory over the devil and the abundant life Jesus came to give us; as He promised in John 10:10 (AMP), which says The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

And we find some of the most important instructions for all of us as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, especially about how to guard our minds against doubt and discouragement, in Philippians 4:4-7, which says Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. IF we would make PRACTICING the instructions in these four verses a HABIT, we would not continue to struggle with doubt, because there just isn’t any room for it in our lives when we are REJOICING, GENTLE, NOT ANXIOUS, and present our requests to God in PRAYER with THANKSGIVING concerning EVERYTHING! And for those who say they can’t do that; you’re already in trouble, because Philippians 4:13 (NJKV) also says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And 2 Corinthians 12:9 tells us 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.

So let’s rely on the power and promise of the two following passages of scripture as we stand for the full and complete restoration of our marriages, just as we see taking place in the lives of other FAM Fellowship members, because doing so requires us to overcome doubt when Satan sends it to assail us:

Proverbs 3:5-6
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.

Psalm 37:4-6
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.

The next time doubt threatens to steal our peace and joy, and the faith and confidence we so rightly placed in our Lord and Savior, we just need to remember the above passages of scripture and that as Dan said “We are not going to be without any doubt, so it is how we handle the doubt that matters.”

In closing, I want to share something posted on the private website by one of the FAM Fellowship members this morning, along with some of the responses, with the hope that everyone will be as blessed and encouraged as I was!

“I want to praise God this morning for all the things He is doing in our lives and marriages! I am truly amazed at His ways. And I always try to think about how God uses different things in each of our marriages. I even try to “play” God, by thinking this could lead to that, and so on. As I sit here this morning, and think about it, He is so much better than I can even imagine! It is funny; as much as I dislike being away from my wife, I don’t know that I would trade this for anything. God has opened my eyes to Him, and His miraculous way of doing things. Would I have ever seen the true beauty of God if all this hadn’t happened? Maybe, but I know that I see it now, and for Him to choose me to experience His love is amazing. Sure, every day is sometimes a challenge, because of what I don’t have. What I do have, though, is so much better! I’m not sure even why I am writing this post. It just felt like something I was suppose to do! That is what is so great about God! We don’t have to understand! We just have to love, trust, obey and praise Him! How simple is that, and He’ll love us no matter what. TODAY IS THE DAY, AND HE IS THE WAY!”

Response by Dan on August 31st, 2007 at 7:58 am
“Amen Joe. I bet everyone in this group can claim the same spiritual growth, because we have turned to God for strength and understanding. We know He is the only way we can have victory over our struggles. He gave us the Word for a reason and like you said, trusting and obeying brings victory in our lives, now and forever.

Lord, I pray that You would allow everyone who is struggling with this “restoration” stuff to have peace and joy as they try so hard to wait, believe and trust in You to heal their marriage. You know it is tough and sometimes the emotions and feelings prevent us from giving You everything we need to. We seek that peace and joy that You promise, so I pray with all my heart in the name of Jesus, that You would cleanse us and let that peace flow through every inch of our minds, hearts and souls as we attempt to trust and obey the Word You have sent to us. Father, I thank You for listening and praise You for all the things that You are doing in our lives, marriages, and families. I ask that You would work in a most powerful and supernatural way this weekend to bring prodigals home and to renew faith and belief in those standers who are having a difficult time understanding why their marriage has not been restored or even looks hopeless. I pray for encouragement for them; make it very clear, Lord, what You want them to do. Make their hearts full of Jesus so that they can go on. Like a water fall, Lord, I pray that the Holy Spirit would wash over them and take away all doubt and fear. I pray for their breakthrough, Lord. I lift up my fellow standers, who I love so much, and ask for Your grace and mercy to be poured over them. In Your Precious Son’s Name, Amen.”

Response by Joe on August 31st, 2007 at 8:13 am
“Amen, Dan! May God’s Love shine in and through us, today and in the days to come. May His peace and joy surround us, and attract others to us. May His will be done in our lives and the lives of other people struggling in their marriages. May there be an overwhelming conviction on the hearts of prodigals, and may they come “home” to Jesus and their waiting spouses! We praise you for your unconditional love, Lord; may everyone experience it today!”

Response by Linda Wattu on August 31st, 2007 at 11:52 am
“AWESOME prayers, guys! I could literally feel their anointed power too! I bet Diane’s legs will tingle when she reads them, and I bet we see some manifestation this weekend too!

And right on, Joe! AMEN AND AMEN! I love what you said about trying to figure out how God is working in every situation and even trying to “play God”! I know you didn’t mean that disrespectfully, because that’s exactly what I do all the time! That’s what I mean when I say we are to LOOK for God in everything. We should look at everything from His perspective to see HOW He is working or the evidence that He is, because He’s ALWAYS WORKING! And based on His promise in Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28, we know that’s ALWAYS good news for us! So thanks so much for sharing what the Lord had put on your heart — it is at the heart of our stand for the restoration of our marriages and one of the most important messages for all of us to get deep into the marrow of our beings. And this and the prayers posted since you posted it, will go along perfectly with my SOF post and FAM Chat today, which is “Dealing with Doubt!” TODAY IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE, SO LET’S BE GLAD AND REJOICE IN IT! And when we devote ourselves to prayer, as Colossians 4:2 says, and as this demonstrates, let’s be watchful and give thanks…for all we know TODAY IS THE DAY!!!

Dear Lord, let us see your love and power manifested in our midst this weekend as countless marriages and families are restored for the glory of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray! Amen!”

As I was thinking about someone very dear to me this morning, who is going through a very difficult time, the Lord brought the following poem to my mind, so I want to share it here as well. Be blessed and encouraged!

When we’re lost and don’t know which way to go,
That’s when we have to seek our God who loves us so.
When we’re confused and don’t know what to do,
That’s when we have to be still and wait on Him too.
When we’ve been disappointed and don’t want to try again,
That’s when we have to remember that with Him we win.
When we’re frustrated and tired,
That’s when reliance on God’s strength is most required.
When the answers we seek are so hard to find,
That’s when we need to let His Word transform us by renewing our mind.
When our trials and tribulations just seem too great,
That’s when we have to trust God’s promise that a way of escape He will create.
When Satan’s weapons threaten to assail,
That’s when we claim God’s promise and know we will prevail.
When we don’t know what else to do but trust and obey,
That’s when we have to put our faith in God to answer when we pray.

As we consider the story of Jonah and examine his activities, we can discover some important messages for both prodigals and standers. Obviously, our prodigal spouses are fleeing from the Lord. They may be doing so in ignorance of His Word or in defiant disobedience, but they are still running from God’s Word, and there’s NO place to hide from God. As standers, we learn that obeying God and honoring the covenant of our marriage demonstrates obedient faith in Him, and that it’s important for our families and everyone else who might be profoundly influenced by witnessing our faith in God as we stand against the odds for the restoration of our marriages and families.

The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish. Jonah 1:1-3 (NLT)

God gives us all opportunities to choose obedience or to run, and Jonah’s freedom to choose led him to run. He knew God would have mercy on the people of Nineveh for their sin and wrong doing if they repented, but he was so fed up and appalled by their actions that he wanted to see them destroyed. So, not unlike many standers, he was stingy with his grace but generous with his judgment.

Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold. So the captain went down after him. “How can you sleep at a time like this?” he shouted. “Get up and pray to your god! Maybe he will pay attention to us and spare our lives.” Jonah 1:5-6 (NLT)

As the ship hit stormy seas, Jonah’s shipmates woke him from his sleep, because they were aware of his relationship with God, and they wanted him to call on God to deliver them. Many of our spouses have a relationship with Christ, even if it seems that they have wandered from Him or chosen to run from Him. And some even admit to knowing that what they’re doing is not what God wants and expects of them, but they are determined to do what they want anyway. Yet, they often turn to us for help when they’re in trouble, because they’re drawn to our peace and the faith we have in God.

Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.” Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him. Jonah 1:14-16 (NLT)

The crew pleaded to God not to be held accountable for throwing Jonah over into the sea, because they greatly feared the Lord, even as unbelievers. Likewise, we should fear the Lord and pray for forgiveness for the mistakes we made in our marriages and make a commitment to obedience. And we have to give our spouses over to God; the only one who has the power to reveal Himself to them and change their hearts and bring them home. And when we make ourselves accountable to God, we can trust Him to pour out His power in our spouses’ lives and hearts.

Jonah’s Prayer
Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. He said, “I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and Lord, you heard me! You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. The mighty waters engulfed me; I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves. Then I said, ‘O Lord, you have driven me from your presence. Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple.’ “I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O Lord my God, snatched me from the jaws of death! As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies. But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.” Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach. Jonah 2 (NLT)

Just as Jonah did when he was inside the belly of the fish, many of our spouses have experienced turbulence in their lives; job problems, illness, lack of prosperity, joylessness, lack of peace; which they will continue to do. But eventually, also like Jonah, they will have to stop running and turn to the Lord in their distress and surrender every area of their lives to Him, when He will be faithfully waiting to receive them. And as with Jonah, when they surrender, God will bring their lives out of the pit when they’re ready to come home to Him. Anyone who clings to idols, such as careers, selfishness, and sinful lifestyles, forfeit the grace that could be theirs, but we can be assured that just as He did with Jonah, God will bring them out of the darkness. Jonah finally declared that what he had vowed, he would make good. So let’s always remember and honor the vow and covenant we made with our spouse before God, because we know He will not break His promises or dishonor His Holy covenant.

Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.” This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. Jonah 3:1-3(NLT)

As with Jonah, God will not let our spouses go. He will soften their hearts, give them knowledge and understanding of His Word and ultimately convict them concerning the vow and covenant they made with us and Him. Jonah eventually obeyed the Lord and our spouses will as well.

When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city: “No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.” When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened Jonah 3:6-10(NLT)

We can be like Jonah in another very important way too. By obeying God, Jonah brought a desire for deliverance to the Ninevites. They grew to believe God and fasted, and turned from disobedience. And when they turned to God, He had compassion and did not bring the destruction on them He had planned. Instead God poured out the same grace and mercy on the Ninevites He had poured out on Jonah and delivered them.

But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” Jonah 4:10 (NLT)

So let’s enjoy and nurture the vine God has given to shade us in our time of discomfort. And let’s avoid the scorching winds and blazing sun, by not refusing to give God control in our lives and the restoration of our marriages. And let’s be ready and waiting with God when He brings the ones we love running to Him!

What perfect timing for a great message from one of the FAM Fellowship member’s pastor, Dave Stone, at the Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky this past weekend! This message, My Home, is especially well timed in light of the casual attitudes now prevalent in the body of Christ regarding marriage and divorce, rejecting marriage as a covenant of life long commitment, and even more so with the high profile news about so many Christian leaders now divorcing! How refreshing it is to hear a man stand up in the pulpit and teach about the power of God to RESTORE marriages no matter how bad things are, instead of condoning and supporting divorce as most pastors and preachers do today!

So we want to stand up and applaud Pastor Dave Stone for preaching from the Word of God without flinching or trying to water down God’s truth to make it more palatable for many itching ears! And the timing of this particular message is not at all a coincidence! It’s the fourth in a series of related messages, and since the current events in the news and the timing of this message were ALL known and orchestrated by God, it’s like He just wanted to confirm His Word in Psalm 37:12-19, which says:
12 The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
16 Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18 The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever.
And if the timing of this message, along with the news coverage of so many divorces among Christian leaders, doesn’t serve to uphold the righteousness of someone with the courage and conviction to stand up and proclaim the truth of God’s Word as this message does, I don’t know what else does!

Something Pastor Dave Stone shared in this message that really made an impact on our member, and the rest of us when she shared it with us, is the story he told about Charlton Heston as he was preparing for his role in Ben-Hur. Apparently he had a difficult time learning to drive a chariot and spent a lot of time trying to learn how to do so. He finally came to William Wilder, the director of the film and told him that he thought he could drive the chariot and stay in the race, but he didn’t think he could win the race. And Mr. Wilder told him to just stay in the race and HE would make sure he won! And that’s what God says to all of us as we stand for the restoration of our marriages and families, and the only way we will fail to win is if we don’t stay in the race. So instead of focusing on winning the race, we just need to focus on running the course set before us and staying in the race…God will make sure we win!

Yet, we do need to beware of false teachers and anyone else with negative and discouraging words, because Galatians 5:7-9 warns You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” That last line is SO important as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, because the Jews ate unleavened bread, which meant that yeast in the dough was a bad thing; just as are ANY negative words and attitudes, which is why the posting guidelines of the FAM Fellowship private sites are so strongly adhered to. All it takes is one person spewing negative, self-pitying and self-centered attitudes to discourage others and cause them to give up on running the race set before them! And the ONLY one who wins in that case is the devil himself, which NONE of us want or can afford! So we need to adopt Paul’s attitude as expressed in Philippians 3:12-15, where he wrote:
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
And when our marriages and families are restored, we will all be able to say just what Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7, where he wrote I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

As I finish this, I can’t help thinking of something one of our members shared as a Praise Testimony on the private sites last night as follows:

“I had no intention of writing a post tonight, but one of my brothers turns fifty next month and I was asked by one of his coworkers to bring in some old pictures. So I just sat down and sorted through old pictures for about two hours. Of course, that brought on a lot of tears as I reminisced about the past twenty-five plus years of marriage and raising our family. One might think that it was a stupid thing to do, and I even considered that when I started. But, I knew I could handle it! And I knew what “handling” it meant. I knew there were tons of tears coming and I actually did quite well for much of that time.

But then it just hit me, and I cried like a baby and was more convinced than ever that I can NOT give up on this family! That was brought home to me in a totally new way as I went through picture after picture of grandparents holding my kids, and family get togethers, where both my parents and my wife’s parents were in the pictures. Her parents were married for over fifty years and my parents will celebrate sixty years of marriage in December, so I cannot let Satan
destroy our lives — for our kids, our grandkids, and us. My kids deserve more from
me and I will not let them see me give up on God.

So what Satan thought was going to be a sad and depressing event for me, God turned around completely and used it to increase my faith and determination to follow His Word and be obedient in my stand for my wife and me to be restored. What an enormous praise to God that He is my strength and He is ALWAYS there!”

What a touching testimony! Most of our members (close to all, in fact) are standing in faith and obedience for the restoration of their marriages, with the goal of breaking generational curses of adultery and divorce, which is certainly a worthy calling. But to think of this family’s wonderful legacy being thrown over by the works of the devil as he tramples on the covenant of this marriage just makes me mad, as it should all of us. So whether we’re standing as this member is to prevent Satan from stealing, killing and destroying such a beautiful family legacy or if we’re standing to break the generational curses of adultery, divorce and remarriage, we just have to stay in the race and trust God to faithfully uphold the power and promise of His Word as HE makes sure we win the race and that all of our marriages and families are restored for HIS glory! And the timing of this message with current events just confirms God’s awesome promises in Isaiah 46:11 and in Isaiah 55:10-11! So be blessed and encouraged and JUST STAY IN THE RACE!

This is written with a very heavy heart, because there’s no denying that the devil is very much alive and well in our churches today, which is the result of our failure to heed the stern warning found in Hosea 4:6, which says my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children. Just by reading that in the context of Hosea 4:1-2, it’s easy to see how relevant and applicable it is to exactly what’s going on in the lives and ministries of many high profile Christian leaders’ today and how it’s contributing to the total destruction of the very fabric of society, which is the family and the institution of marriage.

This morning, as I checked out some of the blog sites to see how other Christians were reacting to the news of Paula and Randy Whites pending divorce; I discovered even more disturbing news, which truly grieves my heart and spirit. As detailed here, Paula White apparently began a very close association with Rick and Dustin Hawkins of the Family Praise Center in San Antonio, Texas in November 2005, and then on February 17, 2007 (the same month he and his son were divorced from their wives), Rick Hawkins (using the same Florida address) was included as one of the Directors for a non-profit entity registered by Paula White in the state of Florida, PWM Life Center, Inc.. But even more disturbing is the frequent response to the situation with the Whites and other high profile church leaders; such as Thomas Weeks III, who returned to the pulpit just days after being arrested for assaulting his wife, Juanita Bynum, where he was greeted with a roar of applause and approval. And it’s totally astounding to see how many well meaning, yet totally ignorant Christians, keep repeating the falsehood that the Bible says we’re not supposed to judge others when anyone tries to point out some of the issues that should concern ALL of us as Christians! It’s statements and attitudes like that which prove and bear witness to the fact that God’s people are being destroyed from lack of knowledge, because 1 Corinthians 5 makes it ABUNDANTLY CLEAR that we ARE NOT supposed to turn a blind eye to immoral or inappropriate behavior within the church and that we are to deal with it as follows:
Expel the Immoral Brother!
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife.
2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?
3 Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present.
4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present,
5 hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.
6Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?
7 Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—
10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.
11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?
13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

Obviously that’s the exact opposite of saying that we’re not to judge and hold accountable Christian leaders who have fallen far from the mark of their high calling as pastors and preachers, as set forth in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, which says:
1 Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.
2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect.
5 (if anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)
6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.
7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

With few exceptions, the Bible cautions us when it comes to judging others; warning that we will be judged by the same measure we use to judge others; but that’s not at all the same thing as saying we’re not to judge the deeds and actions of others according to the Word of God. We see that in Matthew 7:1-6, which says:
1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
So instead of telling us NOT to ever judge others, this passage actually tells us to FIRST take care of our own sin issues so we CAN help our Christian brothers and sisters deal with the sin in their lives.

And in Matthew 7:15-23, we are VERY SPECIFICALLY warned to beware of FALSE PROPHETS who will appear like lambs, but who are in fact wolves, and again VERY SPECIFICALLY told TO JUDGE THEM as follows:
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

And it is not at all insignificant that the following verses in Matthew 7:24-27 come right after the above warning about false prophets, and make it clear that the ONLY way to build a solid foundation that will withstand the storms is to put into PRACTICE what our Bibles teach us:
The Wise and Foolish Builders
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Sadly, our churches, society and families are all falling with a great crash, because Christians no longer feel bound to put the Word of God into practice, and we are indeed being destroyed by a lack of knowledge. However, if more Christians read and studied their Bibles, without relying on the false teachings and doctrines now coming from the pulpits all across the land, we would surely see great revival and change among God’s people. Because anyone diligently reading and studying the Bible knows that the grace and mercy now presumed to justify and excuse the rampant sin in our churches and church leaders today is not biblically sound. The same author who taught most of what we know about God’s grace and mercy is the very same author that gave us the above instructions in 1 Corinthians 5, and NOTHING has happened since Paul penned those instructions to change them in any way. Jesus had already shed His blood for the remission of our sin and everything we needed to know about the grace and mercy afforded to REPENTENT sinners by His shed blood was already known. Yet, being very well versed and very personally familiar with the amazing grace of God, Paul still instructed us to deal with and not ignore or gloss over sin in our churches. And Jesus gave us a very graphic picture of the destruction that occurs when we hear His Words and DON’T put them into practice…we’re going to come down with a GREAT CRASH and BE DESTROYED!

So I can’t help wondering when God’s people are going to take a stand for righteousness by putting God’s Word into practice instead of totally ignoring it! When will the people who are now so grieved by the news of Paula and Randy White’s divorce be equally grieved by the two divorces that took place to make their marriage possible; if not even more so since they left four children to grow up without their father and mother in the home? When are the people who are so concerned about the message this divorce sends about marriage and divorce going to really take a stand for the sanctity of marriage and start putting God’s Word into practice by refusing to accept in their pulpits men who support and promote divorce and remarriage; especially those who have actually committed adultery, divorced their wives, abandoned their children, and married their adulterous partners? When are those who believe that God’s grace enables such men (or women) to be effective church leaders going to start believing the Word of God and that He WILL NOT receive or bless their offerings or worship (Malachi 2) and He will not hear or answer their prayers (1 Peter 3:7); thus making them rather ineffective leaders? When are those who are so deceived by having their itching ears tickled by hearing what they want to hear going to realize that they are building their foundation on sinking sand? Perhaps that time is very near at hand as God starts bringing those things done in darkness to light and causing churches and ministries built on sinking sand to come down with a great crash. Yet, those of us who don’t reject knowledge and ignore God’s Word need not be afraid; for we are, and will remain blessed and encouraged, because no matter what comes against us, our marriages and our families, our foundation is built upon the solid Rock of Jesus Christ and His Word, and He will never leave us or forsake us!

As of yesterday afternoon, I knew what the topic of FAM Chat would be tonight, because I planned to tie it into yesterday’s SOF post and discuss in depth that Apart from Christ, we can do NOTHING! But by late afternoon, I felt the Lord telling me that would not be the topic, even though He didn’t tell me what it would be. So by the end of the day, I deleted the reference I had already included about tonight’s FAM Chat, which I had already shared with some of the FAM Fellowship members as well! And then this morning, I still didn’t know what chat would be about tonight, or what my post today would be about, so I kept waiting for the Lord to speak to me. It was getting pretty late and I still didn’t have any idea, so I asked the Lord “When are you going to tell me what I’m supposed to write about today and what chat’s going to be about…if not what I had planned?” And right after that simple prayer, I checked my email, and there was the answer! Unfortunately, it’s not at all a pleasant topic in many ways, but on the other hand it’s pretty amazing, because it is absolute proof and evidence that God’s Word will NEVER be mocked or return void!

But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. (2 Chronicles 36:16)

Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word: “Your brothers who hate you, and exclude you because of my name, have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy!’ Yet they will be put to shame.

The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have? (Jeremiah 8:9)

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)

I had received a message from one of the FAM Fellowship members who attached a request for prayer, because of the number of divorces taking place among high profile Christian pastors, evangelists and performers. The message included a link to the following article, >Megachurch founding pastors to seek divorce, detailing the announcement that Pastors Randy and Paula White just made to their congregation concerning their pending divorce. This particular member was concerned about that and distressed about the message it might send to her husband (a fallen pastor) and others, and I think she was probably surprised by my reaction and response. But with the announcement of the White’s divorce, it’s important to evaluate their situation from the perspective of God’s Word, because that’s the cornerstone of the stand we take for the restoration of our own marriages. Since we rely on the power and promise of God’s Word, we have to understand that God will ALWAYS honor and uphold His Word, despite what our spouses, today’s secular church, and the rest of the world may believe! And if we look closely enough at our own circumstances through the perspective of God’s Word, we will be able to see that at work in our own situations as well!

Many of the positions taken by this ministry are controversial to say the least, and very unpopular in many circles; even in Christian circles. And I have often had Paula White’s apparent success as a pastor and church leader brought to my attention as proof that what I believe and promote as biblical teachings concerning marriage, divorce and remarriage is not necessarily true; primarily that God does not always recognize and bless second marriages.

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. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” (Mark 6:17-18)

“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. “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ (Matthew 5:31-33)

Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.” The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.” (Matthew 19:8-10)

It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Luke 16:17-18)

Yet, in keeping with God’s warning to all of us NOT to lean to or rely on our own understanding, we should not be so distressed about the news of the White’s pending divorce. Now I know that’s a VERY controversial statement, but being true to the Word of God often requires us to take a stand quite contrary to what the world believes, an even what is taught and acceptable and common practice in secular Christian churches today..

Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. (2 Corinthians 4:2)

We don’t know the circumstances leading to Randy or Paula White’s divorces from their first spouses, so it’s possible that their marriage could be an adulterous relationship and therefore, not recognized and blessed by the Lord, despite all previous appearances to the contrary! And IF that’s the case, this announcement is nothing but God doing exactly what His Word says He will do, so instead of being an occasion for distress or alarm, that would instead be an occasion to recognize and be in awe of God’s never ending faithfulness to uphold His Word, just as He will do for us as we stand against the way of the world and the gates of Hell for the restoration of our own marriages! What if one of their former spouses has been standing for their marriage all this time, being faithful to the covenant made of their marriage vows? What if they stood all this time, even in the face of a very high profile remarriage and apparently successful ministry? What if they stood on the power and promise of God’s Word for the restoration of their marriage and family despite all the odds? What if they relied on God’s promise that He would not receive anything from their spouse’s hand, offering or worship, or listen to or answer their prayers, because they had been unfaithful to the spouse of their youth, though he or she had been faithful (Malachi 2), and because they had failed to live in right relationship with that spouse (1 Peter 3:7)? Those are all things that we don’t know. But we do know that God’s Word will NOT be mocked or return void, and that anyone who stands on it and puts their hope in it will NOT be ashamed or disappointed!

Unfortunately, as I searched the internet for information about their first marriages and divorces, much to my dismay, I did however discover considerable cause for great disappointment and concern for all of us as Christians; which could just as easily explain the circumstances Randy and Paula find themselves in at this time and why it is likely to only get worse from here. We can’t live contrary to the Word of God without it catching up with us eventually, just as God’s Word promises and warns, and this article, Paula and Randy White: Of Faith, Fame & Fortune, from the Tampa Tribune/May 20, 2007, reveals a lifestyle so contrary to the way we’re called to live as Christians, that God has no choice but to deal with it. Otherwise He would make a total mockery of His Word.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. (Galatians 6:7)

But it’s heartbreaking to se yet another high profile ministry and another man and woman of God fall in such a dreadful way, because that only brings great disrepute to the name of Christ in the eyes of an already skeptical and unsaved world. So even though there is reason for those of us standing for the restoration of our marriages to be encouraged as we witness God’s Word coming to pass just as He promises it ALWAYS will; it is a very sad day to see how the devil has been glorified as his wicked works are magnified in this very high profile situation. So we need to keep Randy and Paula White and their families and church members in our prayers, because the cost of their mistakes will be experienced and paid for by so many innocent people besides themselves, and that really breaks my heart. Yet, we can also rely on God’s promise in Romans 8:28 that He can and will turn even this to the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose. So once again, what the devil meant for evil, God intends for good. And if there isn’t any more good to come from this other than the fact that it proves God’s power and faithfulness to honor and uphold His Word and will, that’s more than good enough! And witnessing something like this is a very strong reminder of the lesson we all have to take from the parable of The Wise and Foolish Builders, which is a clear warning that hearing and knowing God’s Word is of no value if we don’t put it into practice.

So no matter how things “appear” in the natural, we have to keep our focus squarely on the promise of God’s Word and His omnipotent power and never ending faithfulness to bring every word to pass…no matter WHAT we might hear or see to the contrary! Just remember…GOD’S WORD WILL NEVER BE MOCKED OR RETURN VOID! And be blessed and encouraged!

From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. (Isaiah 46:11)

One of the most important things for anyone standing for marriage restoration to understand and ALWAYS keep in mind, is that WITHOUT Jesus Christ, we CAN’T do it! But Mark 10:27 says Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” So the ONLY way to ever have what it takes to stand for marriage restoration is revealed in John 15:5-11, which says “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. In fact, on those inevitable days when we struggle with the call on our lives to stand for the restoration of our marriages, we should read all of Jon 15.

So it is very disheartening to hear standers say “I just can’t do this anymore!” Sadly, statements like that reveal exactly WHY they struggle so much and why they want to give up; they are trying to stand in and of their own strength, and as Jesus told us in the above passage of scripture, apart from Him, we can do absolutely NOTHING! Even though one of the FAM members didn’t know this was the topic for today’s SOF post, he shared something with me this morning that really illustrates the point of this passage and explains why so many people standing for marriage restoration find it such a constant battle to continue. He said that instead of giving him strength, God needs to BE his strength. Wow! What a totally different and powerful perspective! Of course, we know that God gives us strength, but we have to remember that it is HIS strength and not ours! And that’s confirmed in 1 Chronicles 29:12, which says Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. And then Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

However, God WILL allow us to struggle along UNTIL we totally surrender to Him and LET Him have the control He requires, but we can all make the process so much easier if we’d just give EVERYTHING to Him and trust Him. We need to live and breathe 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 have to ALWAYS remember the very wise counsel found in 1 Peter 4:11, which says If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. When we DO that, we just can’t lose!

So I hope and pray that we ALL get the significance of this message and understand that standing for the restoration of our marriages is NOT about US, and apart from Jesus Christ, we can not and will not do it! But with Him ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE, so let’s REMAIN IN HIM and be blessed and encouraged!

There was an interesting theme or thread running through many of the posts shared on the private FAM Fellowship websites today( yesterday now), which reminded me of a verse of scripture that never really seems to get the attention it should. And that’s Colossians 4:2, which in the New King James Version says, Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; More than likely, we all know what it means to pray earnestly, but seriously, continuously, purposefully and sincerely are probably good definitions.

But what does “being vigilant in it with thanksgiving” mean? First, according to what many other verses tell us, and what Jesus Himself told us SO many times; we are to believe and EXPECT to receive what we pray for! And that’s exactly what we see in Matthew 21:22, where Jesus said If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” But then Mark 11:24 takes it even a step further, because it says Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. So Jesus tells us that we have to believe we HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED IT, which pretty much explains why we should be praying “with thanksgiving!” That’s also why it is SO IMPORTANT to share the word of our testimony in accordance with Revelation 12:10-11; because we NEVER know how God intends to use the word of our testimony, including what we believe He is going to do for us, to impact the lives of others and defeat the devil! And some of the things shared today (yesterday and now again today) REALLY make that point as nothing else could. Many of the situations shared, also make the point that when we pray earnestly, and BELIEVE that God will answer our prayers; that He has IN FACT ALREADY ANSWERED THEM, we will be vigilantly looking for the evidence and manifestation of what we’re praying for and expecting it to come to pass, just as Jesus promised! So in the same way we thank the Lord for the things we see manifested in our lives each day; we are to thank Him for the things we haven’t seen YET, JUST BECAUSE we’ve prayed for it and we KNOW God is going to answer our prayers in full accordance with His Word.

By sharing our praise testimonies as we do, we affirm the truth and power of God’s Word and encourage others that what He is doing in our lives and circumstances, He will do for them as well. When we see how the Lord has orchestrated events in our lives and in the lives of those we know, just to accomplish His plan and purpose, we are reassured and encouraged to believe that He’s working in the exact same way in our own lives and situations, which gives us the confidence to KNOW that He has ALREADY heard and answered our prayers! So now it is just a matter of being vigilant as we wait and watch to see it manifested in the natural realm. Therefore, when we pray, we must believe that God has already answered our prayers, be on the look out for the evidence proving that, and faithfully give praise and thanks to the Lord even before we see it, which ultimately brings Him glory! For instance. If we pray for something and don’t say a word to anyone about what we prayed for until After God answers the prayer, it MIGHT have some kind of positive impact. But think of the impact the same answered prayer would have if we told someone what we prayed for BEFORE seeing the answer, and expressed our faith and confidence that God was going to answer according to His Word!

As noted above, I started writing this yesterday and had every intention of finishing it, but with increased membership in the fellowship and with increased responsibilities, it is more difficult to get a post completed each day. And yesterday was no exception, because there were so many awesome praise reports and responses that needed editing! But before I continue sharing what the Lord put on my heart yesterday, I want to share a Heart To Heart post one of the FAM Fellowship members (who did not know I was working on this!) posted earlier this morning!

“I know I refer to my Streams in the Desert devotionals a lot, but it’s great stuff and God has taught and led me to many different studies through these devotionals. And many times as I read them at night, one speaks to me, and I can’t wait to share it the next morning. On the 17th, I read one that I just absolutely loved. And again, I couldn’t wait to share it with all of you. But the funny thing is, that I had an overwhelming feeling I should wait. So I did and now I feel led to share this particular devotion today. Perhaps God wanted me to wait so that someone specific would hear this today rather than last week. So here it is. And I hope it speaks to you as it spoke to me; to pray as if He already has answered!

“I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. (Acts 27:25)

A number of years ago I went to America with a steamship captain who was a very devoted Christian. When we were off the coast of Newfoundland, he said to me, “The last time I sailed here, which was five weeks ago, something happened that revolutionized my entire Christian life. I had been on the bridge for twenty-four straight hours when George Mueller of Bristol, England, who was a passenger on board, came to me and said, ‘Captain, I need to tell you that I must be in Quebec on Saturday afternoon.’ ‘That is impossible,’ I replied. ‘Very well,’ Mueller responded, ‘if your ship cannot take me, God will find some other way, for I have never missed an engagement in fifty-seven years. Let’s go down to the chartroom to pray.’

“I looked at this man of God and thought to myself, ‘What lunatic asylum did he escape from?’ I had never encountered someone like this. ‘Mr. Mueller,’ I said, ‘do you realize how dense the fog is?’ ‘No,’ he replied. ‘My eye is not on the dense fog but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life.’

“He then knelt down and prayed one of the most simple prayers I’ve ever heard. When he had finished, I started to pray, but he put his hand on my shoulder and told me not to pray. He said, ‘First, you do not believe God will answer, and second, I BELIEVE HE HAS. Consequently, there is no need whatsoever for you to pray about it.’

“As I looked at him, he said, ‘Captain, I have known my Lord for fifty-seven years, and there has never been even a single day that I have failed to get an audience with the King. Get up, Captain, and open the door, and you will see that the fog is gone’ I got up, and indeed the fog was gone. And on Saturday afternoon George Mueller was in Quebec for his meeting.”

If our love were just more simple,
We would take Him at His word;
And our lives would be all sunshine,
In the sweetness of our Lord.“”

Well, that’s a pretty powerful message, and most certainly perfectly timed to illustrate the point I had hoped to make with this SOF post! But the rest of the point I wanted to make, and what the posts on the private sites have illustrated so perfectly as well, is that God is ALWAYS working out even the most minute details, and that when we are still and listen to Him and are obedient when it comes to praising Him and giving Him the thanks and glory He deserves, we never know how God can and will use us to accomplish His plan and purpose in our own lives and the lives of others, including our spouses!

So to further illustrate the point that God WILL answer our prayers and that He IS working in our lives and situations in ways we don’t even know, I want to share just a few of the testimonies shared on the private sites yesterday and today.

One of our men, who has only talked to his wife once in the past three months, felt led to call her, because he found out about some news he knew would be devastating to her and he wanted to express his concern, and to notify her that he had been temporarily laid off, which will adversely impact his ability to pay the child support he normally pays. They had a very pleasant conversation, and there’s little doubt that conversation opened the door to much better communication in the future. And just who arranged for him to be laid off at the exact time his wife received such devastating news, thereby giving him the opportunity to let her know that he still cares?! No one but God! And this man’s favorite saying is “Today is the day!”…which he always reminds us it could be!

And then one of our ladies shared how God turned around what at first seemed to be a bad experience by using it to open her husband’s eyes to the fact that his children are paying a very high price because of his decision to leave his family. He had visited them and they really didn’t pay him much attention, because they’re so used to him not being around now. But when he left, the youngest ones got very upset, and the oldest just acted like it was no big deal. He called his wife in the wee hours of the morning to say that he couldn’t sleep, because he was thinking of all of that and he said how much he just wants his life back; that he misses his family, kids and wife! But he feels “trapped” and doesn’t know how to get out of the situation he’s in. He acknowledged that his priorities have been totally mixed up, and that his kids were paying for that, and he even told his wife that he loves her! He also acknowledged that he knows the Lord has been speaking to him and even said that it would probably surprise her to know that he was praying the same things she was! And he has often told her that he knows she is praying for the restoration of their marriage, so that has to be what he meant. And all of this comes at the same time an opportunity for his wife and children to move into a place of their own approaches; and they will need his financial support to do that, which he hasn’t been giving! So God is DEFINITELY at work in that situation too! And this is one woman who most certainly believes and expects that God is and has already answered her prayers!

Then one of our other ladies shared a very powerful testimony of how God orchestrates the events in our lives…even those that “appear” to be very negative! She just got laid off last week, but she was supposed to be going out of town with one of her friends this past weekend. Sparing a lot of the details, she and her husband had a very unpleasant conversation about that, which led to a lot of unwise and regrettable words from both of them, and in the end, she didn’t go out of town as planned. Since things were so tense around the house on Saturday, she went to visit an aunt and happened to share something about Friday’s SOF post about praise, and her aunt just happened to be reading a book she really liked about praise, so she lent it to her. And it really confirmed a lot of things for her and gave her insight into some of the issues she was battling. Then as she prepared for church Sunday morning, her husband said they needed to talk when she got home, so she stayed and talked to him and went to a later service. Even though a lot of what he said could be construed as negative, she was able to pick out quite a bit of positive too. And then at church, she was very personally ministered to by the words of the music, and then a skit about a married couple and how their attitudes of selfishness led to conflict in their marriage, and then how things improved when they changed their attitudes. And then the guest speaker was a woman who had gone blind at age 54 and she shared her testimony about the challenges and doubt that caused in her faith in God, which really spoke very directly to this member’s issues too. She was still troubled by the conversation with her husband, so she went to the alter for prayer and said that she felt peace come over her immediately and was able to let all of the negatives go, and that God revealed to her that He was trying to work through her to minister to her husband! Now that’s a very important message for all of us to get, because it’s so true! There were so many things that could have happened differently, which would have kept her from getting the message and confirmation God wanted her to get, but GOD had it ALL under control and He used what seemed terrible in the natural to accomplish His good and perfect plan, which will ultimately be for His glory and the full and complete restoration of this marriage and family!

Then one of our “restored” ladies shared how she and two of her neighbors had gotten together the night before to just hang out and chit chat. One of the ladies was a new neighbor, and at one point, she said she needed to go home to get a coat, and would be just a minute. But she ended up being gone longer than expected, and when she returned, much to our member’s surprise, she blurted out her testimony about standing for her marriage and what God had been doing in the restoration of her marriage! That surprised her, because she doesn’t usually share that with people who know both her and her husband, especially someone new, because they are still working on many things. But then the new neighbor shared that the reason it had taken her so long to get her coat was because she and her husband had continued an ongoing argument and she had told him to just leave and never come back! She had been too embarrassed to tell them that until she heard our member’s marriage restoration testimony, after which she was very interested in learning more, which led to sharing a lot more about standing for marriage restoration and the Lord with her! Obviously, God was working in that too and what a perfect illustration of how He uses the word of our testimony! And now she will probably be used as an instrument for the restoration of another marriage; all for our Lord’s glory!

Then one of our members shared the numerous details about how the Lord has created circumstances delaying a move she was supposed to have made from her home by the end of May, and now it appears that her husband is not quite so eager for her to leave! We’ve all watched with total amazement as the Lord seems to create one reason for delay after another, and now it’s her husband who seems to be putting off the time of her departure…and he’s the one who insisted that she be out by the end of May! It’s been quite amazing to see all of the creative things the Lord has orchestrated, including serious health concerns requiring biopsies, which were all for naught, but to accomplish the Lord’s will and purpose…delay, delay, delay! And that’s just how the Lord works to accomplish His perfect will in His perfect time!

And then the member whose husband just told her that he wanted his life (including wife) back, posted another praise report today concerning the apartment she has a chance to get, and the opportunity the Lord provided to share her testimony with the woman at the apartments! They ended up talking for an hour, which they couldn’t have done if she had been home to receive the call yesterday, because there would have been too many people around. And the woman at the apartments ended up saying that she wants to attend our member’s Home Group meetings, which she’ll be hosting when she gets moved! And in addition to that, she had also shared how a friend of hers went to the doctor, and while she was there, the nurse just started telling her all about going through a divorce. She said all she could think of as she was listening to the woman’s story was about our member and her stand and how much that woman reminded her of her! She goes back next week and she said she is going to tell the nurse about FAM!

And then we’ve had a couple of our new members share how they had felt so alone in their stand for their marriages, which they had actually been praying about when the Lord brought them to this site. One of the ladies literally went online immediately after praying and FAM was at the top of the list of results for her Google search! So we all know that God hears and answers our prayers. They are answered immediately, but it often takes time to see the physical manifestation we so desire, but we have to believe it is indeed on its way! Just as one of the new members also shared, God answers quickly many times too! She shared how she had been praying for the Lord to send Christians into her husband’s life to speak the truth of God’s Word to him to counter all of the worldly stuff he was hearing from all of their friends. And without knowing it, he hired a man to work for him who actually attends the same church she does…right after she started praying for that! And that’s the first church going man he’s ever hired! And do any of us believe for one minute that it’s just a coincidence that he was recently separated from his wife and that they are now restored and he says that he is a much better man and husband than ever before?!

So when we pray for anything we know is in keeping with the Word of God, we can rest assured that God has ALREADY given us the answer we want, even though it may take some time to see it manifested in the physical realm we live in! All of the above testimonies just prove God’s ability and faithfulness to do exactly what His Word says in Isaiah 46:11, which says From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. We never know when, where or how God is working, but we do have to believe that He is and that He WILL answer our prayers! So I hope and pray that the word of these testimonies will bless and encourage all of us to never lose sight of the fact that God is in control of EVERYTHING and that He orchestrates our lives and situations down to the minutest detail! His will and purpose WILL BE accomplished in our lives and NOTHING can keep that from happening! As Proverbs 21:30 promises, There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD. But it is up to us to believe that and to believe it so certainly that we can pray earnestly and then keep a faithful and confident vigil as we await the answer God promises to give us, and give thanks to Him just because we do believe Him and put our faith and trust in the power and promise of His Word! So be blessed and encouraged as you watch for the hand of God to bring about the full and complete restoration of your marriage, because that’s what His Word says He WILL do and because you asked for it and BELIEVE it has already been done!

As Thursa pointed out when I responded to her post (above) on the private site, the following Small Straws message from Marsha Burns for today is certainly not just a coincidence:

“August 22, 2007: You’ve heard the old adage, looking for love in all the wrong places. I say that many of you, My people, are not only looking for love in the wrong places, but you are looking for answers in the wrong places. Try receiving love from Me, for it is an eternal love that will never disappoint. Try asking Me for wisdom, for I will answer every time. Try reading My Word to establish a foundation of truth in your heart, says the Lord. These are the right places that will produce everlasting life, love, joy and peace.
James 1:5-8 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double–minded man, unstable in all his ways.
James 3:15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self–seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

You can access and sign up to receive the Spirit of Prophecy Bulletin at this link.

My pastor’s message yesterday was titled “When the Lions Are After You.” And the Bible text he used was the familiar story of Daniel in the lions’ din. (And he even made a reference to me during the sermon! )

Daniel was extremely well respected by King Darius; he was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. So jealousy took root in the other high officials and administrators, and they searched for some fault in Daniel to cause him to lose favor with the king, and they concluded that the only way to do that was to attack his religious habits.

Yet, Daniel refused to give up praying to His God for the 30 days, despite the king’s order. How much easier it would have been for him to just put his prayer life on hold to avoid any condemnation, and go on about his life with the king’s favor. However, not only did he continue his routine of praying three times a day; he did not hide the fact that he was doing so. He could have waited until after dark or hidden in his room and prayed silently, but he refused to change his habitual worship of God, because he was very committed to the consistent and vital spiritual habits he relied on to keep him in touch with God. So when Daniel was thrown into the pit with the lions, the others obviously expected his life to be over and that one of them would be chosen to take the high position he held.

Even though I have previously read and heard this story many times, I never noticed the response of the king. But since we’ve discussed free will and God’s ability and desire to change our spouses’ hearts so many times; this time I was a lot more aware of King Darius’ feelings and actions and what God did in his heart and life. Although the king was not a believer, this story details the king’s faith in God; but even more significant to all of us than that as we stand for our marriages; it shows how his faith and life was impacted as the result of the way Daniel lived and not because of something he read or knew.

In Daniel 6:16, we are told that the king said to Daniel, ”May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.” Not only did the king want Daniel to be saved; he acknowledged that it would take God to rescue him. Then we see in verses 18 and 19 that King Darius spent the night fasting and refused his usual entertainment, and that he could not sleep. Then the next morning, he hurried to the lions’ den and yelled out to ask Daniel if the God he served so faithfully had saved him from the lions…and we all know the answer! And then the king praised and glorified God as he declared and proclaimed His never ending reign, His everlasting faithfulness, and His miraculous power throughout the world!

I never noticed before that King Darius actually expected Daniel to be alive and well! Daniel’s great faith is usually the lesson of this story, and that’s certainly very important. But what I would like to remind all of us of as we stand for our marriages, is that God WILL work in our spouses’ hearts and lives the same way He did in King Darius’.

So it is my prayer that like Daniel, we will develop and maintain consistent and vital spiritual habits to keep us in touch with God and His Word, and that our knowledge and understanding of His Word will give us great faith like Daniel’s, which does not waver, and that through our obedience and discipline God will release His supernatural power to change our spouses’ hearts and lives as they recognize our complete trust and dependence on God. He did it for King Darius and He will do it for our spouses and us!

Daniel 6:1-27
1 [a] Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. 2 The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests. 3 Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. And because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.
4 Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. 5 So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.”
6 So the administrators and high officers went to the king and said, “Long live King Darius! 7 We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions. 8 And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” 9 So King Darius signed the law.
10 But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. 11 Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help. 12 So they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law. “Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions?”
“Yes,” the king replied, “that decision stands; it is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.”
13 Then they told the king, “That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.”
14 Hearing this, the king was deeply troubled, and he tried to think of a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament.
15 In the evening the men went together to the king and said, “Your Majesty, you know that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed.”
16 So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”
17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn’t sleep at all that night.
19 Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. 20 When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?”
21 Daniel answered, “Long live the king! 22 My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.”
23 The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.
24 Then the king gave orders to arrest the men who had maliciously accused Daniel. He had them thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. The lions leaped on them and tore them apart before they even hit the floor of the den.
25 Then King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world:
“Peace and prosperity to you!
26 “I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel.
For he is the living God,
and he will endure forever.
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
and his rule will never end.
27 He rescues and saves his people;
he performs miraculous signs and wonders
in the heavens and on earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”

The Lord has really been speaking to me about the importance of understanding the significance and power of praise recently, so I’ve spent the past few days studying every reference in the Bible to praise (351 in the New International Version), which is something I’d strongly encourage everyone to do! It’s been such an extensive and eye opening study that it’s difficult to know where to begin, and certainly a challenge to cover adequately in this forum, but I’ll do my best as I strive to greatly reduce sixteen pages of notes!

The only way to gain a full and complete understanding of what the Bible teaches on any particular topic is to do a topical Bible study, as I did by searching BibleGateway.com for the word “praise”. I already understood that we were created for the praise and glory of the Lord, but I didn’t realize the extent to which we are COMMANDED to do so or just how serious God is about praise! Hopefully, studying what the Bible teaches about praise will help us realize that God is VERY SERIOUS when He commands us to praise Him. And when we don’t, we WILL miss out on God’s awesome power and blessings, and we are likely to suffer very unpleasant and unwanted consequences, such as the problems we’re now experiencing in our marriages.

Isaiah 43:18-21 is probably a familiar passage of scripture to most everyone standing for marriage restoration. Yet, we may tend to overlook the significance of the last twelve words in that passage, which says “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

So, if we ever had any doubt about why God created us, and why He CHOSE us, it couldn’t be any clearer than that! We were created and chosen simply to PROCLAIM the praise of our Almighty God! And that’s confirmed in 1 Peter 2:9, which says But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. And that’s stated again in even more detail in Ephesians 1:11-14, which says:
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
So that means that God predestined and planned EVERYTHING in our lives to cause us to put our hope in Jesus, because when we do and are victorious, others are made to recognize and acknowledge His praise and glory! So when we face a difficult or challenging situation, we should keep our focus on how it WILL BE resolved for the praise and glory of Jesus Christ, because that’s the ONLY reason God included it in the PREDETERMINED plan for our lives, EVERY detail of which HE worked out LONG before we were even born. That’s further confirmed in Isaiah 61:11, which says For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. Then Acts 12:22-24 leaves NO doubt how serious God is about giving Him the praise He deserves and demands, because it says They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God continued to increase and spread. And there’s no doubt that the Lord EXPECTS our praise, because in Luke 17:18, Jesus said Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”

Undoubtedly, many of us know the truth of the warning provided in Romans 1:24-25 all to well, because it says Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. The reason that’s so significant is because we’re not usually taught that praise literally defends and protects us and that when we fail to give praise and honor to God, we leave ourselves and our families open to all sorts of attacks from the devil. The Bible even equates praise to being our gates, as seen in Isaiah 60:17-18, which says Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and righteousness your ruler. No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. Then in Psalm 100:4 we’re told Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. So having “a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair means that continually praising the Lord keeps us from being overwhelmed by a spirit of despair. And that’s another way praise defends and protects us, which we know is especially important as we stand for the restoration of our marriages. Obviously, “a garment of praise” means that our praise should “cover” us and be something others can see, which is why and how living our lives for the praise and glory of God makes us “oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.” And that’s no surprise, because we know that it’s our peace and ability to praise the Lord in the midst of so much turmoil that often first attracts the attention of our prodigal spouses and begins to draw them back home AND to the Lord!

Isaiah 42:5-16 is another favorite passage of scripture when standing for the restoration of our marriages, but it contains a very significant verse often overlooked as well. Isaiah 42:8 says “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. Ouch! That’s another warning we had better take VERY seriously, because if we’re honest, most of us have to admit that we’ve made idols of our spouses and marriages, and even marriage restoration itself, and God is simply NOT going to tolerate or allow that! So it’s important for us to understand that God intends and uses the trials in our lives for His praise and glory. He causes or allows circumstances in our lives, such as the devastation we’re now experiencing in our marriages and families, to MAKE us recognize how much we need Him, so He can restore us when we turn to Him and call on Him. And then when HE restores us, we will proclaim His praises and others will have to acknowledge His glory when they witness His power and His love and goodness in our lives; not to mention the blessings He bestows on us! The following passages of scripture are just a few illustrations of how God does that:

Joel 2:24-27
The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.

Jeremiah 33:6-9
“‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’

1 Peter 1:3-7
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

Luke 18:43
Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Psalm 40:3
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.

If we could ever truly grasp the power of praise and how the Lord uses it to accomplish His plan and purpose in our lives, we would NEVER stop proclaiming and declaring the Lord’s praise and glory! The following passages of scripture are just a few that reveal the awesome power of praise and how it is used for the Lord’s glory and our benefit, deliverance and protection:

Deuteronomy 26:18-19
And the LORD has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.

2 Chronicles 20:20-22
Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.”
After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.” As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

Psalm 18:3
I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

Psalm 34:1-5
I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. 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 63:11
but the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God’s name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

Psalm 142:7
Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.

Psalm 149>:6-9
May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints. Praise the LORD.

In addition to the many references to praise being continually on our lips as we “proclaim” and “declare” God’s praise and glory, the Bible also tells us other ways we can bring praise and glory to the Lord, as indicated in the following verses:

Romans 15:6-7
so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

2 Corinthians 9:13
Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.

Philippians 1:9-11
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Hebrews 13:15-16
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Job 1:20-22
At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

James 3:9-10
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.

1 Peter 4:16
However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

Somewhere along the way to modern Christianity, we lost sight of the vital necessity and importance of praise in our lives as Christians, which is very evident when we examine the following verses to see how significant praise was in the past and will be again when we get to heaven:

1 Chronicles 16:8-10
Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

1 Chronicles 16:34-36 (NKJV)
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation; Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles, To give thanks to Your holy name, To triumph in Your praise.” Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! And all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the LORD.

1 Chronicles 23:5
Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the LORD with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose.”

1 Chronicles 23:30-31
They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD. They were to do the same in the evening and whenever burnt offerings were presented to the LORD on Sabbaths and at New Moon festivals and at appointed feasts. They were to serve before the LORD regularly in the proper number and in the way prescribed for them.

2 Chronicles 5:12-14
All the Levites who were musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.” Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.

2 Chronicles 8:14
In keeping with the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their duties, and the Levites to lead the praise and to assist the priests according to each day’s requirement. He also appointed the gatekeepers by divisions for the various gates, because this was what David the man of God had ordered.

Revelation 5:11-13
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

Revelation 19:4-6
The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: “Amen, Hallelujah!” Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great!” Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.

Perhaps one of the most important things to recognize through this study is our failure to receive and realize the power and promise of God’s Word in our lives — just because we don’t praise Him as we were created and chosen to do. Many like to debate whether or not miracles still happen today as they did in Bible times, and many people believe they don’t; that God put an end to them. But I don’t believe that and I haven’t found anything in the Bible to convince me that God said they would ever cease. However, I now understand why we don’t see them anywhere near biblical proportions today — because we have lost sight of the importance and vital necessity of praising God in our lives as Christians. We take the love, grace, mercy, blessings, and protection of God in our lives for granted, instead of continually proclaiming and declaring His praise and glory. By reading and studying Psalm 148-150, we should see how significant giving praise, honor and glory to the Lord really is in our lives, and I hope this study of God’s Word concerning praise will help make all of us reconsider the place and priority we give the reason and purpose of our very existence.

The Lord recently taught me that I take my good health for granted and that I should awake singing His praises every morning just because I feel good, and there are many other things we ALL take for granted as well. So instead of focusing on what we may be lacking in our lives right now, let’s learn to truly be the chosen of God by proclaiming and declaring His praise and glory all day long! And oh how we WILL BE blessed and encouraged!

Psalm 34:1-3
I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.

Psalm 51:15
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

Psalm 52:9
I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.

Psalm 57:9
I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.

Psalm 63:4-5
I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

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

Psalm 71:8
My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.

Psalm 71:14-15
But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.

Psalm 71:22-24
I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you—I, whom you have redeemed. 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.

Psalm 92:1-2
It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,

Psalm 96:1-3
Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Psalm 113:2-4
Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised. The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.

Psalm 150:6
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.

Hebrews 13:15
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.

One of the FAM Fellowship members shared the following message from Kenneth Copeland on the private website today, which very simply, yet powerfully reminds us of the fact that faith REQUIRES us to believe and have confidence in the things we can NOT see AND the danger of relying on the things we CAN see. So I want to share it here as well, because it is such an important thing for everyone standing for marriage restoration to understand and keep in mind! Thanks for sharing this with all of us Fran! I’m sure it will bless an encourage everyone else as well! So here’s Fran’s Heart To Heart post from this morning:

The following message from Kenneth Copeland really spoke to me this morning, and I hope it will to others as well…

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
(Hebrews 11:1)
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“Don’t ever short-circuit a miracle by trying to see it in progress! So many believers do that. They’ll lay hands on someone and pray for healing or deliverance and then, when they don’t see any immediate, outward change take place, they’ll withdraw their faith and assume nothing happened.

The Lord taught me an unforgettable lesson about that once when I was in Jamaica. I was preaching to a group of about 150 people in a church that was lighted only by a single kerosene lantern. It was so dark I couldn’t see anyone’s face. All I could see was my Bible and the feet of the man right in front of me.

Suddenly I realized that I’d always depended on the facial expressions of the people to whom I was preaching to determine how my sermon was being received. Knowing what I did about faith, I knew that was dangerous. So I made a quality decision at that moment never to preach another sermon except by faith. I would not be swayed by the expressions of people.

Before that series of meetings was over, I saw just how important that decision could be. The Jamaicans, who tend to show very little expression anyway, sat through every sermon without any outward reaction at all.

One lady was completely healed of blindness during one of those meetings. She never let on that anything had taken place. She was almost rigid when she found me outside and said simply, “Brother Copeland, I was blind, but now I can see. Thank you.” That was all! A miracle had taken place, and by watching, you wouldn’t have been able to tell anything had happened at all.

Next time you’re tempted to evaluate what God is doing by the looks of things, don’t do it. Remember instead that it is faith, not appearances, that make miracles happen. It’s the only real evidence that you need!

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 11:1-13”

And here’s what Hebrews 11:1-3 says:
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

And you can read this devotional online at this link, where you can also sign up to rceive devotional messages from Kenneth Copeland Ministries by email each day.

Most likely, we’re all familiar with the story of David slaying Goliath. Goliath was a giant and seemed unbeatable by most standards, and David certainly was not a very likely choice to slay the giant! He was the youngest of his brothers and was not even a fulltime soldier, because he spent most of his time tending the sheep and helping his father as his other brothers fought the battles.

But King Saul listened to David as he stated his case for going up against Goliath, and as my minister pointed out, King Saul was probably a lot more impressed with David’s faith and confidence in the “living God” than his confessions of killing lions and other beasts. The king might not have even believed those stories, but regardless of that, he was aware of David’s trust in the Lord and he trusted David.

And since David was too small or skinny to wear the armor commonly worn for battle, he shed the protection and went to face Goliath with just his sling and five stones. Not only did he meet the challenge; we are actually told that he “quickly ran out to meet Goliath.” So there was no hesitation on his part, because he had no fear or doubt that he would do exactly what he said he could do; because David knew the battle was the Lord’s and that God would receive all the glory and honor because of his obedience, so he declared victory in the name of the Lord. David never once claimed victory in his own strength, because he knew and understood that it was about what God was doing through him and enabled him to do with his every day strength.

As we relate this to our stand for marriage restoration, remember that God has granted us the strength to endure, persevere, and to slay and conquer our giants. And He gives us the grace to trust and believe in Him with all of our hearts, and that the battle is His and that HE WILL BE VICTORIOUS in the spiritual war Satan has waged to steal, kill, and destroy our marriages and families.

So it is my most sincere hope and prayer that we all continue to grow in our faith, having the knowledge and understanding of God’s Word so that our faith and confidence in Him is so steadfast and unyielding that we will run out to meet our giants, because we know they WILL BE slain and defeated!! And what a glorious and wonderful tribute to our Lord and Savior it WILL BE when our marriages are healed and restored!

Father, we praise You and thank You for Your promise that our giants will be slain in Your mighty name. Lord, help us to continue in faith, with steadfast trust and belief and unyielding confidence that nothing can defeat Your purposes for our lives and the restoration of our marriages. We ask You to be with our beloved spouses and soften their hearts, giving them that same confidence in You; trusting You to re-establish love and respect in our relationships, and making us the husbands and wives that You intended for us to be in the beginning. In Your Son’s Holy Name, Amen

1 Samuel 17:4-10 (NLT)
Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall