We are so glad you have joined us for an insightful, Holy Spirit inspired latest teaching from Pastor Fred Aguilar on marriage.
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Standing On Gods Word.....1/05/2011
Are You Still Waiting?
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper
time
we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians
6:9
"I cannot wait any longer for my marriage to be restored. I
hurt too much. My spouse has chosen their plight and they
want nothing to do with me or our family. Why should I keep
waiting for my marriage to be restored when my spouse says
that they are never coming back home or that they will never
love me again? Everyone keeps telling me to 'get on with my
life!'"
Our generation is a microwave and Internet society, so we
have lost the gift of patience and of thinking that waiting
for something is worth it, because we have lost relationship
with one another! We can buy anything on credit and not even
start paying for it until a couple years later! There are
not many things that we have to wait or dream for in our
lives, so why invest in relationship?
Young people now often plan the due date of their newborn
baby to be born, to the convenience of the family or the
doctor, so you may not even wait nine months as did their
grandmother or great- grandmother! We just do not want to
wait for the Lord's perfect timing in so many important
events in our lives. We just want it our way and on our
time...
I pray that this New Year the Holy Spirit has spoken or will
speak to your heart, showing you His will for your marriage.
Are you learning and understanding about the covenant of
marriage and about you and your spouse being one-flesh? That
is why your pain is so intense. Your spouse is trying to rip
apart something that was put together by God. Norma and I
can share from ministry experience that "getting on with
your life," with a second or third marriage is not all that
you think it will be. Please look at the statistics and know
that God hates divorce for a reason. And besides divorce was
never in His plans, for this was not so from the beginning,
man's ways are not God's ways.
"'But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and
female.' 'For this reason a man will leave his father and
mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become
one
flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what
God
has joined together, let man not separate." Mark 10:6-9
Are you willing to stand in the gap interceding for your
spouse who has been deceived, blinded, fallen into sin and
taken captive by the enemy, Satan? Remember, delay in the
timing of your marriage being restored is not a denial in
answers to your prayers from the Lord. The Lord wants to
work on both of your hearts and it may have to be separately
for a period of time. He wants you to become a strong
Christian and a prayer warrior in His mighty army.
"To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord):
A
wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does,
she
must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her
husband. And
a husband must not divorce his wife." I Corinthians
7:10-11
Norma and I have seen so many miracles in marriages not to
mention our very own marriage, that we know because we have
seen the mightily hand of God so many times when at least
one spouse stands and waits to see God's work. Many have
chosen to obey God's way and say, "I am married for life,
regardless of my marriage status, which could include
divorce. Make sure you have not only given up on your spouse
but on God also...let the Lord reveal to you where your
heart is at...
Yes, there are many who are not seeking or listening to
God's will or way in their life or in their marriage.
Instead many seek people who will agree with them and tell
them that they do not need to live this kind of life. Yes,
there are many who will say the same thing to you, "Your
marriage is hopeless. It is dead. _____ doesn't love you.
They are happy in their sin. They were probably never a
Christian. Get on with your life, as God has someone
better!"
Will you listen to this type of lies or will you chose to
wait and trust in the Lord???
Know that just maybe just like Daniel please study Daniel
Chapters 9 to 10. Let the Lord reveal to you that your
prayers have been heard, but are being delayed by the
enemy. You chose to be a person of hope and encouragement
and allow God to do the work. Remember there is a spiritual
battle going on in the heavenlies over your marriage and
over your spouse. What scriptures, promises or truths has
the Lord revealed to you during your standing and praying?
God does not speak faith, hope and encouragement to change
His mind later, He will do it.
My question to you is are you the one standing in the
gap...or are you the one in the sin...
Never forget your God's awesome mighty power or His faithful
love for His children and His mercy to those who love and
obey Him.
Daniel was interceding and asking for restoration of
Jerusalem, not because of the righteousness of them, but for
the Lord's sake and for His glory. Daniel chose to earnestly
pray, plead, fast and travail before the Lord for the
fulfillment of God's Word for the people of Israel. That is
what you are doing in waiting, praying, fasting and
interceding for your spouse and for the future generations
of your family to be used by God and for His glory.
"I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in
linen,
with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. His body
was
like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like
flaming
torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished
bronze,
and his voice like the sound of a multitude...A hand
touched me
and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said,
"Daniel,
you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words
I am
about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been
sent
to you." And when he said this to me, I stood up
trembling.
Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the
first
day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to
humble
yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I
have
come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian
kingdom
resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the
chief
princes, came to help me, because I was detained there
with the
king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what
will
happen to your people in the future, for the vision
concerns a
time yet to come." Daniel 10:5-6,10-14
Have you been chosen by the Lord to intercede for your
spouse and your marriage. You may not know or understand
God's calling on your life and your marriage and how many
will be touched because of your obedience. That is how God
works and His future plans are far greater than you or I
could ever begin to imagine.
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all
we ask
or imagine, according to his power that is at work within
us."
Ephesians 3:20
What will you leave your family regarding a legacy? I pray
that you will never look back and be tempted by the enemy to
give up on God, give up on your spouse and your marriage
because of words, actions, lifestyle or God's time table.
Our generation may not talk about heritage as much as we
should, but you are making a heritage and legacy of becoming
a mighty man or woman of God and a prayer warrior for future
generations. You are praying and standing in the gap for the
Lord to bless your children, future grandchildren and
great-grandchildren to become bold men and women of God to
be used mightily by the Lord. All because you choose to wait
on the Lord for restoration of your marriage, it will all be
worth it!
If you will humble yourself, cry out and seek the Lord with
ALL your heart, the Lord is right there beside you,
listening to your heart cries. You will learn and personally
experience that God does speak to His children. Now open
your ears to hear what He is saying. A delay in waiting for
marriage restoration is NOT God's denial. If you want to be
blessed today, read the parable Jesus told his disciples in
Luke 18:1-8 about the persistent widow.
"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that
they
should always pray and not give up." Luke 18:1
My Brother My Sister, have faith in the Lord. Keep your eyes
looking up and not on your circumstances that can change
daily. God wants the best for you and your marriage! The
Lord is right there beside you. Will you trust Him with your
life, with your marriage and with your spouse? Start today
interceding for your marriage! Become a prayer warrior
fighting for the sanctity of marriage. The enemy is
deceiving the world and our churches that marriages are
disposable. Will you stand up for the righteousness and
holiness of God? Will you hate sin, but love the sinner,
your spouse and pray for them to repent and turn from their
sinful nature? The Lord can restore and rebuild your
marriage in His perfect timing!
"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for
the
Lord." Psalm 27:14
I must remind you...HOW BIG IS YOUR GOD...
Now just keep praying and keep working on your marriage
never stop investing time, effort and pray into your
marriage!
Come, my lover, let us go to the countryside, and let us
spend the night in the villages... There I will give you my
love" (Song of Songs 7:11-12).
That's a pretty romantic statement, but maybe it's more than
just romantic... maybe it's also a practical method of
KEEPING their love alive. In our married lives, there are so
many things to draw us apart from one another that sometimes
we have to MAKE a concerted effort to remember to play
together. As we PLAY together and PRAY together, we'll find
these actions will help us to STAY together.
Standing On Gods Word.....1/12/2011
Transformation
Needs To
Start
With You
-
Like
most of
you
probably,
many
find
themselves
crying
out to
God that
He heal
their
broken
hurting
marriage.
Or at
least
move it
in the
right
direction,
or just
move up
to the
next
level.
What are
they
what are
you
really
praying
for, are
you
asking
the Lord
to move
you to a
place in
your
life
where
your
marriage
will be
healed,
restored
or be
used to
touch
others
for Him?
However
God just
does not
want to
move you
He wants
to see
Transformation
take
place in
your
heart,
because
that
will
change
the
course
of your
life and
your
marriage
and will
have an
effect
in
others
lives.
After
all, if
nothing
was
transformed
everything
would
just
fall to
pieces
again!
You see
we all
change
for a
season
and
there
may even
be a
reason
for that
season.
(Remember
the
Christmas
season
and how
many
acted
differently,
maybe
even
you.)
However
once
Transformed
there is
NO going
back to
the old
way!
This
transformation
will
never be
of our
own
doing
either,
rather
it comes
from the
power of
the
cross
and His
Holy
Spirit.
"Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a
piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became
sweet." Exodus 16:25
The
Israelites
grumbled
because
the
waters
at Marah
were
bitter.
Let us
pray
that God
would
apply
the
cross of
Christ
(the
wood) to
the
bitter
waters
of our
marriages
or life
in
general,
that
they
would
become
sweet
again.
There is
power in
the
cross,
and it
was here
that God
first
revealed
Himself
as the
LORD who
heals -
Jehovah-rapha.
"If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and
do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his
commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any
of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD,
who heals you. Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve
springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the
water." Exodus 16: 26-27
This is
a
powerful
promise
from our
LORD.
Notice
that it
was not
until
after
the
bitter
waters
were
made
sweet
that
they
enjoyed
rest at
the
oasis of
Elim.
God's
desire
is to
transform
us and
our
spouses
so that
our
marriage
will
find its
Elim
oasis. I
think we
can be
guaranteed
that
when our
LORD
says "I
hate
divorce"(Malachi
2:16)
and
"...what
God has
joined
together,
let man
not
separate"
(Matthew
19:6)
that
God's
desire
is to
restore
broken
and dead
marriages.
It is
not a
matter
of "if"
but
"when."
God will
restore
your
marriage
if you
trust
and
believe
in Him.
Do not
trust in
yourself
to bring
needed
change
to or
your
spouse.
Be ready
to be
used
when you
feel you
are
being
used...
Another
transformation
worth
studying
is that
of
Nebuchadnezzar,
who was
transformed
from
prideful
to
humble
by being
stripped
of his
kingdom
for a
time.
Daniel
4:28-37
"At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes
toward heaven, and my sanity was restored." Daniel 4:34
I love
that
image.
When was
it that
Nebuchadnezzar
regained
his
senses?
When his
eyes
looked
up to
Heaven!
Please
pray if
your
spouse
has been
confused
and
captivated
by the
enemy,
or maybe
it is
you who
the
enemy
has
confused?
Well its
time
that
both of
you
suddenly
looks up
to
Heaven
in your
hearts
and cry
out to
God. I
believe
we have
special
authority
to pray
for our
spouses
given
that we
are no
longer
two but
one
flesh.
Pray on
behalf
of your
spouses
and cry
out that
God may
answer
your
prayers
by
speaking
great
and
mighty
things
to their
hearts.
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and
unsearchable things you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3
"'Oh house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter
does.' Declares the LORD. 'Like clay in the hand of the potter,
so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.'" Jeremiah 18:6
All
marriages
can be
restored,
healed
and
moved to
the next
level,
if your
trust,
hope,
and
belief
are in
our
mighty
God, but
we all
must be
restored
His way.
He
simply
does not
move us
instantly
to that
place of
restoration,
but
there is
transformation
that
must
take
place.
It's
about
"transformation",
not
simply
"moving."
I pray
that you
would
allow
the
Potter
to shape
you and
your
spouse
as
needed
to
remove
the
rough
edges in
your
lives.
He is
mighty
to
transform
and
save,
and we
can take
comfort
in
knowing
that it
is not
by our
efforts
that our
spouses
will be
touched.
Yes, God
calls us
to obey
His will
in
standing
for our
marriages,
but it
is God
who
moves
hearts.
Our
obedience
is part
of our
own
transformation
process.
"Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but
be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be
able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing
and perfect will." Romans 12:2
So now,
have you
been
transformed?
Then how
do you
expect
for your
spouse
to see
anything
different
in you
and want
to start
on their
own
transformation?
As I
like
saying,
ask
yourself,
are you
being
part of
the
solution
or part
of the
problem,
DO NOT
sit
there
and say,
"He/She
never
wants to
pray
with me"
or "We
never
pray",
well
today is
the day
to
start. I
have
given
you some
examples
that you
can use.
PLEASE
do not
put it
off!!!
NO be
part of
the
solution
not part
of the
problem,
ask Him
to help
you He
will,
Jesus is
there…
for He
is the
Solution!
It
might
surprise
you to
know
that
many of
the
problems
married
couples
face
would
end if
they
would
reinstate
a
'dating
attitude'
into
their
relationships.
It takes
work and
planning,
but the
rewards
are well
worth
it.
Don't
mess
with
success.
If your
spouse
thought
you
would
stop
doing
the
things
that won
them
over in
the
beginning,
do you
think he
or she
would
have
agreed
to marry
you? As
you
invest
time
with the
Lord
invest
time
with
your
spouse,
don't
look for
ways to
get away
(men's
meetings,
women's
meetings)
look for
ways to
get away
together!
Standing On Gods Word.....1/19/2011
How Great Is Your God?-
"For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God."
Psalm 86:10
Today as you start your day I pray that you will worship the
Lord I pray that you will worship and praise the Lord for
who He is to you today. Who is He to you today?
Yes your heart may be wounded and may even be hurting today,
but choose to raise up and worship the Lord who will never
leave you nor forsake you. When you start singing
praises, your problems will all seem to shrink in size.
Think of the greatness of God and all that He can accomplish
when you say, "Lord, I want to do Your will, Your Word and
Your way for my life and marriage. Teach me Your way
and give me an undivided heart that I will obey Your Word
and precepts, Your will is what I want in my life. I
will never give up on You nor my beloved husband or wife."
Can you just repeat those words, yes NOW…
"Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give
me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise
you, O LORD my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name
forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered
me from the depths of the grave." Psalm 86:11-13
Please remember what can wash away your sins or your
husband's or wife's sins? Nothing but the Blood of our Lord
Jesus Christ. He came to earth to die on the cross at
Calvary for all who will accept Him as Savior and Lord of
their lives. Can you walk in that victory today?
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we
were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
I pray that those that are nearby would consider going to a
Bible study on Thursdays, I believe this will help you grow
in the Lord and in the Word. This Bible study again
has its focus on the Lord and on building your marriage so
God can find a place in your home. It will also help prepare
you to help the restoration of other marriages.
You can make a difference right now every day, by praying
for a revival for our Nation and for a revival within the
Church to realize the consequences of divorce that affects
the church, the family and the children for their entire
lives. Let us pray that our Lord will stomp out
divorce first, in our churches. Then the world can come to
the church to be the Lighthouse for them to see the
difference between darkness and light:
"'To open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to
light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may
receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who
are sanctified by faith in Me.'" Acts 26:18 (NKJV)
May you and I never forget David who committed adultery and
murder. The Lord then in His timing had Nathan
confront and rebuke David of all that he had done. The
praise is that David cried out in repentance and his prayer
is Psalm 51. I pray that you have learned to
personalize Psalm 51 with your spouse's name in it and also
mention all other spouses and marriages that need help.
We must pray God's Word in agreement for spiritual
breakthroughs. Don't be passive; be aggressive in your
prayer closet. May hundreds of sinning spouses cry out
to the Lord today confessing, repenting and asking for God's
mercy and grace as David did.
"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in
your sight...Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash
me, and I will be whiter than snow...Hide your face from
my
sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O
God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
Psalm 51:1-4,7,9-10
What a day of celebration it will be when you see your
husband or wife worshiping the Lord, in spirit and in truth,
knowing how great God truly is in their own life. They
will know the transformation that the Lord has done in their
heart as they have received God's grace and mercy for the
forgiveness of their own sins. Never stop praying for
that to happen, even if your beloved is home, and you feel
that all is well, keep praying. And please never forget to
pray for yourself!
"Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will
turn back to you...O LORD, open my lips, and my mouth will
declare your praise...The sacrifices of God are a broken
spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not
despise." Psalm 51:13,15,17
How Great Thou Art -
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder, Consider all the
worlds Thy Hands have made; I see the stars, I hear the
rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe
displayed.
Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee, How great Thou
art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee, How great Thou
art, How great Thou art!
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing; Sent Him to
die, I scarce can take it in; That on the Cross, my burden
gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin.
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation, and take
me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"
Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee, How great Thou
art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee, How great Thou
art, how great Thou art!
So how great is your God…I know how GREAT my GOD is and I
know that nothing is too big for HIM, nothing is impossible
for HIM!
We believe one of the tragedies in marriages today is that
many couples talk "at" each other without listening to what
the other person is truly saying. Invest time together, talk
about your relationship with the Lord pray for one another,
encourage one another and yes love one another. That means
allow the Peace of God to dwell in your home, you be the one
who quickly as for forgiveness even if you feel you have
done nothing wrong. Remember how Great is your God, know
that He is watching and His grace is more than sufficient.
Start to live this out in your home TODAY!
Standing On Gods Word.....1/26/2011
What Are You Fully Persuaded Of -
"Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the
father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So
shall your offspring be. Without weakening in his faith, he
faced the fact that his body was as good as dead-since he was
about a hundred years old-and that Sarah's womb was also dead.
Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of
God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had
promised." Romans 4:18-21
"Against all hope!" I am sure many of you have heard or been
part of a great work of God, a miracle as it is called. What
is it that you have seen or heard that only God could have
done? Are you fully persuaded that against all hope God can
still move and do what is needed?
"For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37
Do you feel today that your marriage being restored healed
or moved up to the next level is "against all hope?" What
impossible circumstances are you looking at today that
requires you to look to God, allow Him to do what is needed
in your life your marriage your health, your finances? Stop
Looking At Your Circumstances - There's Victory In Jesus!
Do you understand the secret to marriage restoration? It is
God's divine plan and purpose for you and your husband/wife
life and marriage. It is believing in the power of God,
Jesus is interceding for us and the Holy Spirit is your
Counselor with you 24/7. Don't ever give up on God. I pray
that I teach this principle enough that you will never
forget it. Be obedient to the Lord and His Word and
then just believe!
"...With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things
are possible with God." Mark 10:27
"...Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to
life --is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for
us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or
danger or sword?" Romans 8:34-35
"It is against all hope!" That is what most of your family
and friends would say about you, the wife or husband who is
waiting for their sinning spouse to change or even return
home. It looks hopeless in everyone else's eyes regarding
your spouse ever changing ever coming home, or changing
their addictions or wrong behavior patterns. But God has
spoken to you! God hates divorce. The Lord God can heal and
restore your hopeless marriage. Believe in what God is
speaking to your heart and through His Holy Word.
There is a difference between family and friends compared to
you, the one praying for a miracle from the Lord God. As it
says in the Bible, "Abraham in hope believed." That is where
I have been many, many times in my life and I am still doing
that for Norma, our children, their spouses and
grandchildren, great grandchildren, plus all those that we
work with and their families. That is where you need to be
now, every day, waiting and expecting your sinning spouse to
turn their heart toward the Lord and you. You must believe
in hope of what the Lord has told you to do regarding your
spouse and marriage!
"'To open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and
from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive
forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified
by faith in me.'" Acts 26:18
Think of how the Holy Spirit has spoken to your heart many
times about not giving up on your one-flesh spouse
regardless of the present circumstances. How many scriptures
have leaped off the page to you as you were studying in the
Bible? How many sermons have you heard, how many of my
weekly messages that were just for you to increase your
faith to believe in God's power? How many songs or signs has
the Lord given you throughout your waiting? Why would you
ever consider giving up on God and disobeying God? What
would the consequences be in your spiritual life?
Norma and I can sit and tell you of many marriages that
would not be together if it wasn't for the Holy Spirit's
great work in their life and the life of their spouse.
Listen to the Holy Spirit telling you "Your marriage will be
restored. Don't give up." My question to you is are you
being obedient to the Lord's instructions?
Never forget the lessons that you and I are to learn from
Abraham and Sarah which are in the Old Testament and in the
New Testament.
"Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and
say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' Is
anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the
appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."
Genesis 18:13-14
Yet Abraham, without weakening in his faith and not wavering
through unbelief, believed in the power and promises of God.
Do you believe? Do you really believe in the power of your
awesome mighty God? Dear brother, dear sister, never, never
give up on the Lord God!
May I suggest you go to a mountain, a lake, a river, or an
ocean. (Not talking about a manmade lake) Think of how these
were all created. Nothing is impossible with God. Cry out to
the Lord to speak to your heart and show you His Word, His
will and His way for your marriage again. He is your Father;
He understands your doubt and unbelief right now.
Study in Psalm 139 of how God created you and knows
everything about you. He is sovereign and nothing is too
hard for the Lord to intervene in, repair and rebuild in His
timetable. By the way, He will always start working on you
first. Are you willing to change to be more like your Savior
and Lord? Then surrender your own will and way of your life
to the Lord today.
"Abraham was fully persuaded, convinced, and knew that God
had power to do what He had promised." Isn't that awesome!
Then why are you going through all these circumstances? The
answers are in the Bible. Were you as close to the Lord
prior to your marriage problems as you are now? If not,
praise the Lord that He has touched and has changed your
heart. Did the enemy come in and tempt you or your spouse as
the serpent did Eve and then Adam?
Your spouse can and will come to the place that God wants in
God's timing. His timing will be perfect for you and your
family. Against all hope, you must not waver, but stand firm
in total trust and being fully persuaded that God can and
will heal, restore and move it up to the next level, yes
your marriage. Remember, you are to seek the Lord for His
instructions and directions for your own marriage. God does
speak to His children.
We can get rid of divorce in our churches if we will believe
in God's Word. God hates divorce. We have divorce due to our
hardness of our hearts. Apply God's principles to your life,
loving your spouse unconditionally, forgiving others and
love your enemies as Jesus taught us. God can move your
mountain of circumstances.
Praise the Lord for all that He is doing in your life every
day instead of complaining. Trust Him. Believe in Him and do
not fall into the devil's lies that your marriage is
hopeless.
"...being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had
promised. This is why "it was credited to him as
righteousness." Romans 4:21-22
What a powerful scripture. Will you meditate on it? Ask the
Lord to speak to your heart regarding this scripture. Ask
Him to remove all doubt and unbelief. Study Romans Chapters
4 and 5. Ask the Lord to increase your faith and hope to
believe in the power of what God has promised to do in your
marriage, in your life.
You may be thinking, "I do not have a promise." Then today
ask the Lord what He wants you to do regarding your
marriage. How did you find me and Norma? Has the Lord been
giving you signs to believe for marriage restoration? Then
stop doubting and walk in faith. Do not waver; just wait for
his perfect timing for your spouse to come to that place
that the Lord has desired for both of you, and that is
together and in love forever!
TOP TEN REASONS TO DATE YOUR SPOUSE FREQUENTLY
1. Marriage relationships are dynamic. They're alive and
always changing. They need to be fed and stimulated to stay
alive.
2. There's always something new about your spouse. Dating is
a good way to create a safe environment. Your spouse is more
likely to let you know "what's new!"
3. Invest in the future. Just like a savings account -- it's
easier to add a little to an existing account and watch it
grow than to start a new one from scratch. That's because
the interest grows exponentially over time.
4. You got married because you dated! It only stands to
reason that a good way to stay married is to keep dating.
5. Marriage can be compared to a set of tires. During the
course of driving, there's normal wear and tear. In
marriage, dating serves to maintain alignment, balance and
pressure. When done well, your marriage will last a
lifetime.
6. Dating is an opportunity to focus. Day in and day out,
various distractions, pull your attention away from your
spouse. Dating each other helps you to refocus on the person
at the top of your priority list.
7. Remember the good times! A good date will often bring up
pre-marriage memories. Recalling memories can generate
anticipation for your next meeting.
8. Create your future. Dating lays the framework for future
family gatherings. Great dates attract your spouse and
family to want to invest time with you.
9. Laughter's the best medicine. Laughing together makes it
possible to hurt together when you must.
10. Remind your spouse, "I love you!" There are many ways to
say, "I love you!" A date is one of the special ways to do
that and to honor your spouse.
Please remember to ask yourself, are you being part of the
solution or part of the problem, DO NOT sit there and say,
"He/She needs to make the first move then I'll" or "Why do I
always have to be the one", well today is the day for you to
take action, call your spouse right now and tell them that
you love them and want to start anew. Yes it may all need to
start with you. PLEASE do not put it off!!! NO be part of
the solution not part of the problem, ask Him to help you He
will, Jesus is there... for He is the Solution!
Standing On Gods Word.....2/02/2011
Do You Believe God Knows Everything? -
"The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), "Are
you
able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?"
Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or
diviner
can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about,
but
there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.."
Daniel 2:26-28a
Do you know the story of Daniel and King Nebuchadnezzar's?
The King ordered his court officials to get some of the
best, good- looking, educated men from the Israelites who
were going to be very special and serve in the king's
palace. Daniel and his three friends were chosen among the
group. The chief official even gave them new names. But
Daniel did not want to sin against God or compromise his
beliefs. Instead he challenged the chief official:
"Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing
but
vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our
appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal
food,
and treat your servants in accordance with what you see."
So he
agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of
the
ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than
any of
the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took
away
their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave
them
vegetables instead. To these four young men God gave
knowledge
and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning.
And
Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.
At the
end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the
chief
official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked
with
them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael
and
Azariah; so they entered the king's service. In every
matter of
wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned
them,
he found them ten times better than all the magicians and
enchanters in his whole kingdom." Daniel 1:12-20
Imagine King Nebuchadnezzar found these four Israelites ten
times better than all his wise men in his whole kingdom!
God was faithful to Daniel's obedience in not sinning
against God. Do you need wisdom, knowledge and
understanding of all the many decisions that you need to
make for your life and as you stand and pray for your
marriage? I know I did, and still do every day. I know
that we could have never accomplished all that we did for
the Lord in our early days in ministry both of us working
full-time, raising seven children and paying all our bills
without God's divine wisdom, knowledge and understanding.
May I challenge you when you face large circumstances,
trials of any kind or financial pressure, go to the Lord,
seek His answers and ask Him to reveal His divine wisdom and
knowledge regarding your problems. God does speak to His
children. He will give you thoughts or show you in a
different way what will be the answer for your specific
problem. What do you do next? Praise Him for His love,
mercy and grace in helping you in your time of need.
"And my God shall supply all your need according to His
riches in
glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19
You part is to just remain faithful, keep your eyes on Him!
Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and he summoned the magicians,
enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell them what he
had dreamed, and he wanted to know what it meant. They told
the king that there was not a man on earth who could do what
the king asked. The king became so angry that he ordered
the execution of all the wise man of Babylon which included
Daniel and his friends. Daniel heard about the problem and
went to the king and asked for time, so that he could
interpret the dream for him.
Then he went to his three friends and explained the matter
to them:
"He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven
concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might
not
be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
During
the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision.
Then
Daniel praised the God of heaven and said: "Praise be to
the
name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.
He
changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes
them.
He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the
discerning. He
reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in
darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise
you, O
God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you
have
made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known
to
us the dream of the king." Daniel 2:18-23
Daniel was in a life or death situation, but He knew His God
could do anything. Do you? How big is your God? You see
when I was in the world I did not know God so therefore I
did not know how BIG He was! I did not know my Lord to
believe in His mighty power. That is often why standers
give up, because they believe the enemy and their spouse's
circumstances are greater than the God who created the
Universe!
Let me share one of the names of God: Jehovah-El Elyon: The
God Most High. El Elyon is the name that designates God as
the sovereign ruler of the entire universe. He is the One
who rules today over the affairs of all men. Throughout the
Bible we have stories about our Lord God speaking to His
children showing them things that only the Lord could know.
That is why Daniel cried out seeking Jehovah-El Elyon to
interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream. God was faithful to His
Name and revealed the mysteries of King Nebuchadnezzar dream
and visions to Daniel.
How did the Lord speak to you regarding marriage
restoration?
Did you have a crisis in your marriage as you were crying
out to God? Did the Lord speak to your heart? Did the Lord
send someone to talk to you about marriage restoration? We
have heard from standers for years of the many different
powerful ways that the Lord directed their footsteps for
them to know and to believe that their Lord God wanted them
to pray and believe God was going to bring their husband or
wife back to a place where they would once again or for the
first time truly serve the Lord and learn how to love
according to God's Word, Will and Way, yes He is able. He
can raise and resurrect a dead marriage; He can heal a
hurting marriage and even move it to a place that God can
use it for His glory!
When the Lord starts showing you His way, when He starts
touching your heart, and giving you signs that you never
thought would happen...God is speaking to you. Do not take
this lightly. God is speaking and showing you His will for
your life. He wants to give you wisdom, knowledge and
understanding regarding your marriage and any problems that
might exist. He will give you discernment and wisdom
regarding rebuilding your marriage, employment, court
proceedings or financial problems. The Lord God knows all
and created all.
Never limit the sovereignty of God, Jesus Christ and the
power of the Holy Spirit. As part of your time with the
Lord today, study Daniel Chapters 1 and 2 showing the
powerful impact Daniel had as God used Daniel to reveal the
dream and its interpretation to King Nebuchadnezzar. The
Bible shows us again that the Lord God is all-powerful and
can do anything. God does speaks to all His children He
created. And yes God does speak to sinning spouses and
rebellious children. God gives them warnings to turn from
their prideful, sinful lifestyles and is telling them that
there are consequences to their sins and disobedience.
Has the Lord God spoken to you? How many times has the Lord
told you to do different things to become the Christ-like
Christian, the husband or wife or parent that you need to
be? I know that when the Lord was dealing with me and my
sins, errors and disobedience in not obeying my Lord, He
knew how to get my attention! You must keep praising and
thanking the Lord that He is speaking to your spouse and
your children and to you. God can touch and change their
hardened hearts. Nothing is too hard for God.
You and I must learn to trust God for everything in our
lives.
We need to face all circumstances, storms, tests and trials
calmly with faith, knowing that "My Jehovah-Elyon has
everything under control!" He will give you power to resist
every temptation the devil throws at you. There are no
accidents in our lives. Our every step is ordered by the
Lord. Never forget a promise that the Lord has given you
and me:
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of
those
who love him, who have been called according to his
purpose."
Romans 8:28
Will you seek the Lord for His divine wisdom, knowledge and
understanding regarding any complicated marriage problems?
Never doubt that Jehovah-Elyon is in control of your life,
regardless of your present marriage problems. This week
seek, ask, and wait for Jehovah-Elyon to speak to your heart
to show you His plan, His purpose and His will for your life
and marriage.
Jesus has done it all for us now it is time for us to do for
our spouse.
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in
humility
consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should
look not
only to your own interests, but also to the interests of
others. Your attitude
should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in
very nature
God, did not consider equality with God something to be
grasped, but
made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in
human likeness." Philippians 2:4-7
Many of you will say, "But what about my wife or husband?
What good does it do if I make an attitude adjustment and
she or he doesn't?" My answer: "What do you think Jesus
would say to your question?" He would tell you that you're
accountable for YOUR part of the equation. You are to do
your part faithfully even if no one else but God notices or
responds as they should.
Please remember to ask yourself, are you being part of the
solution or part of the problem, who are you being used by,
the Lord or the enemy? DO NOT sit there and say, "I have
given Him/Her many chances and will try no more" or "I feel
totally free from all pain and pressure now that I have made
mine mind up to get a divorce", first you know this is a lie
and you know where this lie comes from. So today is the day
to except what God has said and not what you want, or may
think is the right thing to do. It may all need to start
with you. Give your life your mind and your will to Jesus
TODAY! PLEASE do not put it off!!! NO be part of the
solution not part of the problem, ask Him to help you He
will, Jesus is there… for He is the Solution!
Standing On Gods Word.....2/09/2011
Do You Have A Spouse That Needs To Fear The Lord, How
About You? -
"Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you
what he
has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth; his
praise
was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the
Lord
would not have listened; but God has surely listened and
heard
my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected
my
prayer or withheld his love from me!" Psalm 66:16-20
Do you know that the Lord loves you so much today, yes this
very morning? He is right there with you in the midst of
any or all your marriage problems today. I pray that you
daily will seek the Lord to know Him in a newer and more
personal way, give Him your first minutes of your day!
Know that Norma and I understand all the many things that
couples go through and most often without needs met with so
much pain brought to each other. Maybe today you are feeling
rejection, or in a state of abandonment or abuse because of
all the hurtful things your spouse has said and is still
saying and doing to you. The Lord God is right there beside
you, holding you up, saying, "Do not be afraid. I will
never leave you or forsake you. Trust in me and I will
straighten these marriage problems out for you. Wait on My
timing!"
"The Lord is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer
of the
righteous." Proverbs 15:29
I know that you may have caused some of your marriage
problems and you may have the enemy giving you a lot of
guilt, shame and condemnation. I believe that both a
husband and wife may fail each other and until the marriage
is falling apart, as they do not often realize the
consequences of their behaviors and actions to a marriage.
If you have confessed your sins, may you remember that your
sins are forgiven and have been washed by the Blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And now it is time for you to show that
you have changed.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness."
I John 1:9
"You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our
sins
underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of
the
sea." Micah 7:19
May you remember, in spite of all your circumstances that
you are going through today, to always pray continually and
praise the Lord for His love and protection. Do not allow
the enemy to tempt you to fall into sin, and make things
worse because of your spouse's actions or behavior, you just
keeps standing and the Lord will stand with you.
The enemy will try this, so beware of his tricks and
schemes. May you always have godly fear of the Lord. I am
talking about having a reverential awe of our God who is
omnipotence and omniscience. Yes He sees and hears
everything, so trust Him!
What is godly reverential fear? It hates what is evil which
is the beginning of wisdom. My prayer is that you will
hunger and thirst to study the Bible daily. I hope you have
already started personalizing different scriptures with your
husband's or wife's name in them. If your spouse knew the
Lord pray that they will start remembering specific
scriptures that they knew as a child, or from school, or if
they were leaders in some form in the body of Christ, that
the Lord will start speaking and bringing scriptures to
their remembrance. If your husband or wife has never given
their life to the Lord, pray that the Lord will send someone
to pray and minister the love of Jesus to them wherever they
may work or be at today.
Remember to show what a life that has surrendered to Jesus
looks like, talks like and walks like. Start with showing
them the Love of Christ.
Now read the scripture below several times for you and your
husband or wife. Today, know that God's laws and His Word
will revive your soul, give joy to your heart and give light
to your eyes. You are going to be transformed into the
image of your Lord as you draw closer and closer to Him!
"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The
statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the
simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the
heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the
eyes.
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The
ordinances
of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are
more
precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter
than
honey, than honey from the comb." Psalm 19:7-10
If you have not been studying the Word every day, make a new
commitment to the Lord dying to your own possibly selfish
desires or habits and choosing to read and study the Word of
the Lord. You can do it just like your children do their
homework.
You will be amazed in how the Lord will speak to your heart
and the Word will help you learn to live a Christ-like life
daily. The Lord will begin the process of changing you, your
countenance, your character, and your heart to become the
spouse, the parent and the son/daughter that you need to be
to your family. Now personalize these scriptures for both
you and your husband or wife. You will reap eternal rewards
for your tenacity and your faithfulness.
"By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is
great
reward. Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden
faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not
rule
over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great
transgression. May the words of my mouth and the
meditation of
my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my
Redeemer." Psalm 19:11-14
What more could you pray for your spouse than to have their
soul revived, have joy in their heart and giving light to
their blinded eyes! That is why I urge you to study your
Bible daily with a notebook to write notes and prayers to
your Lord.
May you always remember that your spouse is not sinning
against you only, but sinning against the Lord God who
created them. The Lord wants a personal relationship with
your spouse and with you. He wants to be at the very center
of your marriage, invite Him to that position and keep Him
there. He is grieving more over your spouse's sinfulness
than you are. God sent His only Son to die on the Cross for
all sinners to turn them from their sinful ways.
Regardless of what your spouse says or does, allow the Lord
to become your Defender, your Protector, your Advocate and
your Restorer. Impossible situations is where the Lord God
gets all the glory and honor to His Holy Name! Are you
trying to control and manipulate your circumstances to get
what you want and not allow the Holy Spirit to rebuild and
restore your marriage the Lord's way?
"Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the
fear of
the LORD. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see
many
good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from
speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and
pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and
his
ears are attentive to their cry; the face of the LORD is
against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them
from
the earth." Psalm 34:11-16
I believe that if every sinning spouse or teenager would
fear God who created the Heavens and the Earth and
everything in the world, they would not keep sinning. How
many sinning spouses or rebellious teenagers or young adults
live as if there are no consequences to their sins? They
live as is there is no God.
Throughout the Bible, the Lord says and teaches us that
there are consequences to our sins. As you stand in the gap
for your marriage or maybe your sinning spouse and your
loved ones, may you never allow pride or self-righteousness
to come into your own heart. It is only by God's grace and
mercy that you and I are where we are. Let us start praying
daily for a mighty harvest of sinning spouses to repent,
removing their hearts of stone, obeying the Lord as they
turn their hearts and lives back to home to live a life that
brings all the Glory to the Lord, do it today Lord. What a
day that will be!
Most people start at the wrong place - trying to force their
spouse to change. We have said that the place to begin is by
changing your own behavior. Confess your past failures, ask
forgiveness, and then change the way you think and act
toward your spouse. Your behavior will positively affect
your spouse.
Don't expect an immediate turn-around. Especially if you
have neglected your marriage for a long time. Hurt and pain
take time to heal. But the place to start is by saying,
"I was wrong and I am sorry. I want to give you the
love you deserve in the future."
Then think about those things your spouse has complained
about in the past. Write them down and begin to work them
into your schedule. Invest more time playing with the
children, paint the bedroom, and iron the shirt - whatever
they have complained about. It is this kind of positive
change that will influence your spouse.
Talk is cheap, but actions speak loudly. Don't demand that
they reciprocate, but love them unconditionally. Take
positive action today.
Make a decision to be patient, persevering, and gentle in
the face of wrong. The fact of the matter is that change is
most often a process and seldom an event. Change happens
chaotically. It comes unannounced, in fits and starts. We
don't wake up and say, "Hey, I think I'll create all
kinds of change today."
Change is pushed upon us by a persevering Redeemer, who will
not walk away from the work he has begun in both husband and
wife. He will put the need of change before us in the most
inopportune moments. He will not submit to our schedule or
agenda for our day. He has not promised that change will be
enjoyable each time or a comfortable process over the long
haul. He has promised to stay near us, giving us everything
we need, and he has guaranteed that we will be more than we
ever thought we could be. (He will not cease working until
we are like Jesus. Now, how's that for a goal!) So, he
calls us to be patient. He calls us to be willing to wait.
He calls us to continue when continuing is hard, and as we
are continuing, to look for any way we can to incarnate his
transforming love.
Please remember to ask yourself, are you being part of the
solution or part of the problem, are you showing the Love of
the Lord or your anger and fear? DO NOT sit there and say,
"If only he/she would then I could___________" or "Why does
God allow her/him to get away with this", first you know
where this line of questioning comes from and it is not from
above. So today is the day to except God's word and live by
it. Remember it may all need to start with you. Give your
life your mind and your will to Jesus TODAY! PLEASE do not
put it off!!! NO be part of the solution not part of the
problem, ask Him to help you He will, Jesus is there... for
He is the Solution!
Standing On Gods Word.....3/9/2011
What Do You Have In Your Eye? -
"Do you have something in your eye? Your eye is red, I can
see
it from here! I will get it out for you!"
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same
way
you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure
you
use, it will be measured to you. "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? 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? 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." Matthew 7:1-5
Are you burdened about your spouse's lifestyle, or how they
treat you, maybe the things you believe they should be doing
and are not, or are you mad and angry for what they have
done to you and to your family? In the flesh, you can get
very upset about all that your husband or wife have done or
is still doing to you, to your marriage, to your finances
and to your children. You can tell anyone about your
circumstances and they would give you some very quick
advice, "Get rid of that bum or she did what? Get on with
your life without them!""If I were you I would put up with
NO more, the time is right this is your time!"
My question is what does the Bible say? Does it say we are
to love our enemies? I know what you are thinking, "I
can't. You are right, but the Holy Spirit in you can
empower you to be able to as He pours unconditional love
into your heart for your spouse. And remember your spouse is
not your enemy! Let me share a very powerful scripture that
you need to read, study and think about for a while.
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to
those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for
those
who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek,
turn to
him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not
stop
him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you,
and
if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it
back. Do
to others as you would have them do to you. "If you love
those
who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners'
love
those who love them. And if you do good to those who are
good
to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do
that. And
if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what
credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,'
expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do
good
to them, and lend to them without expecting to get
anything
back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons
of
the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and
wicked.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." Luke
6:27-36
What has the Lord been speaking to your heart or showing you
in many other different ways? Norma and I understand and in
many ways know the pain that you are going through each day,
but today be careful that you do not have a plank in your
own eye! Your own eye may have a beam in it.
Once you can see properly, you will see the small speck in
your spouse's eye. I understand that I am probably speaking
to the innocent victim, but may we all share the
responsibility of our marriages falling apart. What part are
you playing in the whole situation; remember no one is
totally innocent...
The Lord sometimes has to reveal to us all that we do wrong
in our marriage. Sometimes we are so blinded by the huge
beam in our own eye during problems that we go through, it
is easy to see all that our spouse is doing wrong and put
the whole blame on them for everything. Our Lord God is
faithful, and a just judge and He will expose the truth for
both sides as we continue to seek His face.
"You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you
look
down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's
judgment seat." Romans 14:10
The Lord does not want you to condemn or criticize your
husband or wife while ignoring your own faults. Be careful
that you do not judge your spouse's behavior before you
examine and judge your own personal behavior, actions and
words in your marriage. Ask the Lord to reveal to you the
areas that you failing in your marriage. I said that YOU are
failing in!
"Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast
spirit
within me." Psalm 51:9-10
We receive emails and calls from women who say that the Lord
has revealed their own bad behavior and actions as a wife.
They had been controlling, manipulating and always causing
strife in their marriage. Many have called, or written, or
sent a card or email their husband repenting, asking for
forgiveness for all that they had done or doing wrong in
their marriage. Now their hearts' desire is for their
husband to be able to see what the Lord has done to their
own heart first.
When we hear from male standers, they often will be the
first one to admit that they failed their wife 110% by not
encouraging her, listening to her, helping her with the
children, being controlling or not being the spiritual
leader in their home. Yes, many times just not leading by
example. They were selfish and self- centered. But now,
they are waiting for God to touch and soften their wife's
hardened heart, so that they can show their wife how the
Lord has transformed their own heart.
Have you asked the Lord to show you and expose all the
faults and mistakes that you committed or are committing in
your marriage? Do so today and then start praying that you
can share at the right time with your spouse, all that the
Lord has revealed and done for you.
The scripture in Matthew should be important to all of us,
as we judge our spouses, blaming them completely for all our
marriage problems and for them, failing to be what they have
been called to be or falling into temptation. We need to
examine our own heart and actions. We find ourselves
pointing our fingers accusing them, but we often need the
Lord to point His fingers back to us revealing our own sins
and failures as a spouse.
You must stop blaming your spouse for all the problems that
you are having or have had in your marriage, as you may have
put your career or your children before your beloved spouse,
maybe your children, maybe someone else. Each of us needs
to take responsibility for our own mistakes and then have a
desire and the initiative to change areas in our lives by
the power of the Holy Spirit.
How is your eye doing? Does it feel better now that the
large beam is out of it?
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my
anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me,
and
lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24
Someone out there may be saying, "but you don't understand
my situation, it is hopeless, my spouse never sees anything
wrong with what they do."
The Truth: With God no situation is hopeless. He is the God
of miracles. Focus your eyes on Him rather than your
situation. Go to the Lord for an eye check up and allow Him
to remove what is in the way for good eye sight!
Please remember to ask yourself, are you being part of the
solution or part of the problem, Will you seek the Lord and
ask Him to show you what you have in your eyes and ask Him
to remove it? He wants to help you remove what is in your
eye, so you can be a help to your spouse! Remember forgive
and you will be forgiven, do not hold on to anything, give
it to the Lord! Ask and the Lord will show you! So now will
you agree with the Word and walk in forgiveness and in
victory? Remember OBEDIENCE! Just do it... So today is the
day to except what God has said and not what you want, or
may think is the right thing to do, or what you see in your
spouse's eye. It may all need to start with you. Give your
life your mind and your will to Jesus TODAY! PLEASE do not
put it off!!! NO be part of the solution not part of the
problem, ask Him to help you He will, Jesus is there... for
He is the Solution!
Standing On Gods Word.....3/14/2011
Good Morning and Blessings Upon You This Morning
What Do You Have In Your Eye?
"Do you have something in your eye? Your eye is red,
I can see
it from here! I will get it out for you!"
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way
you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you
use, it will be measured to you. "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? 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? 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." Matthew 7:1-5
Are you burdened about your spouse's lifestyle, or how they
treat you, maybe the things you believe they should be doing
and are not, or are you mad and angry for what they have
done to you and to your family? In the flesh, you can
get very upset about all that your husband or wife have done
or is still doing to you, to your marriage, to your finances
and to your children. You can tell anyone about your
circumstances and they would give you some very quick
advice, "Get rid of that bum or she did what? Get on with
your life without them!" , "If I were you I would put up
with NO more, the time is right this is your time!"
My question is what does the Bible say? Does it say we
are to love our enemies? I know what you are thinking,
"I can't. You are right, but the Holy Spirit in you
can empower you to be able to as He pours unconditional love
into your heart for your spouse. And remember your spouse is
not your enemy! Let me share a very powerful scripture
that you need to read, study and think about for a while.
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to
those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those
who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to
him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop
him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and
if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do
to others as you would have them do to you. "If you love those
who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love
those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good
to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And
if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what
credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,'
expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good
to them, and lend to them without expecting to get
anything
back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of
the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." Luke 6:27-36
What has the Lord been speaking to your heart or showing you
in many other different ways? Norma and I understand
and in many ways know the pain that you are going through
each day, but today be careful that you do not have a plank
in your own eye! Your own eye may have a beam in it.
Once you can see properly, you will see the small speck in
your spouse's eye. I understand that I am probably
speaking to the innocent victim, but may we all share the
responsibility of our marriages falling apart. What part are
you playing in the whole situation; remember no one is
totally innocent...
The Lord sometimes has to reveal to us all that we do wrong
in our marriage. Sometimes we are so blinded by the
huge beam in our own eye during problems that we go through,
it is easy to see all that our spouse is doing wrong and put
the whole blame on them for everything. Our Lord God
is faithful, and a just judge and He will expose the truth
for both sides as we continue to seek His face.
"You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look
down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's
judgment seat." Romans 14:10
The Lord does not want you to condemn or criticize your
husband or wife while ignoring your own faults. Be
careful that you do not judge your spouse's behavior before
you examine and judge your own personal behavior, actions
and words in your marriage. Ask the Lord to reveal to you
the areas that you failing in your marriage. I said that YOU
are failing in!
"Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit
within me." Psalm 51:9-10
We receive emails and calls from women who say that the Lord
has revealed their own bad behavior and actions as a wife.
They had been controlling, manipulating and always causing
strife in their marriage. Many have called, or
written, or sent a card or email their husband repenting,
asking for forgiveness for all that they had done or doing
wrong in their marriage. Now their hearts' desire is
for their husband to be able to see what the Lord has done
to their own heart first.
When we hear from male standers, they often will be the
first one to admit that they failed their wife 110% by not
encouraging her, listening to her, helping her with the
children, being controlling or not being the spiritual
leader in their home. Yes, many times just not leading
by example. They were selfish and self- centered. But
now, they are waiting for God to touch and soften their
wife's hardened heart, so that they can show their wife how
the Lord has transformed their own heart.
Have you asked the Lord to show you and expose all the
faults and mistakes that you committed or are committing in
your marriage? Do so today and then start praying that
you can share at the right time with your spouse, all that
the Lord has revealed and done for you.
The scripture in Matthew should be important to all of us,
as we judge our spouses, blaming them completely for all our
marriage problems and for them, failing to be what they have
been called to be or falling into temptation. We need
to examine our own heart and actions. We find
ourselves pointing our fingers accusing them, but we often
need the Lord to point His fingers back to us revealing our
own sins and failures as a spouse.
You must stop blaming your spouse for all the problems that
you are having or have had in your marriage, as you may have
put your career or your children before your beloved spouse,
maybe your children, maybe someone else. Each of us
needs to take responsibility for our own mistakes and then
have a desire and the initiative to change areas in our
lives by the power of the Holy Spirit.
How is your eye doing? Does it feel better now that
the large beam is out of it?
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my
anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and
lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24
Someone out there may be saying, "but you don't understand
my situation, it is hopeless, my spouse never sees anything
wrong with what they do."
The Truth: With God no situation is hopeless. He is
the God of miracles. Focus your eyes on Him rather than your
situation. Go to the Lord for an eye check up and allow Him
to remove what is in the way for good eye sight!
Please remember to ask yourself, are you being part of the
solution or part of the problem, Will you seek the Lord and
ask Him to show you what you have in your eyes and ask Him
to remove it? He wants to help you remove what is in your
eye, so you can be a help to your spouse! Remember forgive
and you will be forgiven, do not hold on to anything, give
it to the Lord! Ask and the Lord will show you! So now
will you agree with the Word and walk in forgiveness and in
victory? Remember OBEDIENCE! Just do it... So today is the day
to except what God has said and not what you want, or may
think is the right thing to do, or what you see in your
spouse's eye. It may all need to start with you. Give your
life your mind and your will to Jesus TODAY! PLEASE do not
put it off!!! NO be part of the solution not part of the
problem, ask Him to help you He will, Jesus is there… for He
is the Solution!
Standing On Gods Word.....3/21/2011
Good Morning and Blessings Upon You This Morning
Are You Listening To Instructions:
"One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,
with
the people crowding around him and listening to the word
of
God, he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by
the
fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of
the
boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put
out a
little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people
from
the boat." Luke 5:1-3
Do you believe that God can go and catch your spouse,
touching, cleaning and changing their life completely; do
you believe He can do for you? I do. I believe that nothing
is too hard for the Lord God to accomplish in healing
marriages or in changing your family member's lives. You and
I must stand in the gap and seek the Lord praying for hearts
to be transformed!
"For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:7
Do you know that God sent His only Son down to earth to save
the world? Every day we hear from people, family members or
friends telling us about the horrible circumstances that are
going on with their marriage. We have the solution! Jesus
Christ died on the Cross for you and your spouse's sins. If
your family and friends are concerned about you, ask them to
fast and pray one meal a week for your spouse's salvation,
for changes needed in your marriage, for sin not to be the
controlling factor in your home. You also decide that you
will stand and also fast for your marriage and your home!
Imagine what could be accomplished in the Heavenlies!
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
eternal
life. For God did not send his Son into the world to
condemn
the world, but to save the world through him." John
3:16-17
Please do not forget to invest time with the Lord and
bringing all your marriage problems to Him. Invest time in
worship and at times just sitting there quietly to hear from
the Lord, He wants to speak to you. Have a time when you and
the whole family honor the Lord with worship and prayer
together. Read and study the Word of God together. Watch and
see what this invest will do for you, your marriage and your
family!
There is power in praising the Lord and there is power,
healing and deliverance in hearing God's Word. Are you
listening to the Lord's instructions for you? What is He
saying to you? Does it sound crazy to do? Simon Peter had a
similar situation.
"When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out
into
deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." Simon
answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't
caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down
the
nets." When they had done so, they caught such a large
number
of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled
their
partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they
came
and filled both boats so full that they began to
sink."
Luke 5:4-7
Do you see Simon Peter's obedience to when the Lord spoke
instructions to him? Are you willing to obey the Lord as
Simon Peter did? Peter knew he had been fishing all night
and there had been no fish. He also knew that you catch fish
at night, but He listened and obeyed the Master. Though I
did not know the Lord I am so blessed that I decided to obey
the call of God to go and also invite Norma to go with me to
Church On The Way, back in May of 1984. The two people who
went into that church that day where not the same two people
that walked out. We both surrendered our lives to Jesus and
stood for our marriage and believed for God's healing and
restoration of our marriage, and as they say the rest is
history! Praise the Lord for His goodness what a mighty
awesome God we serve!
There is a time in your life when you must surrender your
will and way to God's will and way forever. Stop debating
with the Lord all you're reasoning and excuses, but choose
to sit at the Lord's feet listening to His teachings and to
His instructions for your life and marriage.
"When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and
said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" For he
and
all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish
they
had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of
Zebedee,
Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be
afraid;
from now on you will catch men." So they pulled their
boats up
on shore, left everything and followed him." Luke 5:8-11
What did Simon Peter see when he obeyed Jesus' instructions?
He saw the power of Jesus Christ and his own sinfulness. May
you and I repent daily of our own sins. This is something I
have been doing now for over 23 years, everyday my first
words to the Lord is "I surrender my life to You today, Help
me to be all You have called me to be." Then Peter, Andrew,
James and John pulled their boats up on shore leaving the
fish for Zebedee and his servants to clean. These men chose
at that very moment to surrender their lives to following
Jesus Christ and become "Fishers of Men." There are
marriages out there that need your help, be ready to help
those to Christ so their marriage can be that reflection of
the Church and Christ!
Now may you know that the Lord Jesus Christ wants your
spouse your marriage to come to Jesus Christ as Savior and
Lord of all your life. The Lord wants to save multitudes
every day, but especially to help marriages be what He has
called them to be and this can ONLY be with the Lord in our
marriages. Has your spouse known Jesus Christ, but has
fallen into a trap of sin? Jesus Christ cares about them.
You continue to stand in the gap for them and believe the
Lord will do what needs to be done.
God has written their name in the palm of His hand.
So do not give up, but keep praying for your spouse to
repent just as David did after he committed adultery and
murder. The Lord will not stop looking for His lost sheep.
For now if you have to be the one who is bringing the light
and love of Christ into your home do not stop. Just remember
to be Christ like in your conversations with your spouse and
allow them to see, hear and feel Jesus in your life!
"Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a
doctor,
but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance." Luke 5:31-32
Confession requires honesty. It requires a willingness to
approach the other when he or she has acted or spoken in a
way that God says is wrong. We must be committed to deal
with such issues in a way that is driven by Christlike
love. This means that before we can speak to the other's
heart issues, we first need to deal with any hurt, anger,
and bitterness of our own heart. Remember, truth not spoken
in love ceases to be helpful because the message gets
twisted and distorted by other human emotions and agendas.
When we approach our spouse, we are seeking to help him or
her see what God wants them to see not always what you want
them to see. Remember, we cannot confess to that which we
do not see, be there to help your spouse not to make things
worse.
Please remember to ask yourself, are you being part of the
solution or part of the problem, Make sure to be the one who
is reflecting the light and love of Christ in your home.
Could you imagine if both spouses were trying to be that
person in their marriage what we would have in each home...!
Remember forgive and you will be forgiven, do not hold on to
anything, give it to the Lord! Do not wait another minute
it's time to give it to the LORD; the blood has taken care
of it! So now will you agree with the Word and walk in
forgiveness and in victory? Remember OBEDIENCE! Just do
it... So today is the day to except what God has said and
not what you want, or may think is the right thing to do. It
may all need to start with you. Give your life your mind and
your will to Jesus TODAY! PLEASE do not put it off!!! NO be
part of the solution not part of the problem, ask Him to
help you He will, Jesus is there... for He is the Solution!
Standing On Gods Word.....4/11/2011
How Do Couples Get To This Point?
"We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has
turned to
his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of
us
all." Isaiah 53:6
We have many couples that ask, "How did we get to this
point?" No man or woman suddenly wakes up and states,
"Good
morning. This might be a great day to dump my family, along
with my faith." No, Satan is far more subtle than that.
The evil one planted a seed of temptation, watered it with
opportunity, and fertilized it with selfishness. That thing
continued to grow until it took over a family, and has
someone asking, "How did we get to this point?"
What has happened to society, much less to the church, that
we joke about what is sacred, and gloss over family
tragedy? How did we get to this point?
You don't know how many times I am awoken at night asking
that question How Do Couples Get To This Point? The point
that I am talking about is, the lack of communication, the
lack of intimacy, the lack of love…How Do Couples Get To
This Point?
How did society get to the point that we can't even decide
what is right and what is wrong? How did we get to the
point that "men of God" are suggesting divorce to hurting
couples? How did we get to the point that serial marriages
are acceptable, being married to several people, but only
one at a time? How did we get to the point that the child
abuse called divorce is being inflicted on children by the
courts?
Giving thought to the question, I discovered the answer to
how we got to this point. It was because we the Church have
not done our job, our mission, our calling, our testimony…
We all need to take responsibility for things being in the
shape they are in today.
Every time a husband a wife decides to stop talking, stop
caring, stop listening, when a husband a wife walk out on
their family, they damage far more than just their family.
First of all they hurt themselves. One link in a local
church a community was taken out by a divorce. That
weakened church also weakens society. Sadly, things are
like they are today because of many selfish decisions.
Television networks can make a mockery of virginity,
marriage, Christmas, Christians and so much more because of
what many so called "Christians" as an individual, as a
group have allowed, by example, to be set into place.
When a sinning uncaring spouse asks their spouse, "How did
we get to this point?" they already know the answer. They
are really asking, "How do we get back to where we should
be?" And even if you have never had a marriage according to
the Lord's way, today is the day to start.
Once individuals become what we should be, with Jesus Christ
central, our families can become what they should be. When
our families are all they should be, can't you see how our
churches will be strengthened? Strong churches have always
been the basis of a strong society. However you will not
have strong churches if you do not have strong marriages,
strong families!
"But now that you have been set free from sin and have
become
slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and
the
result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but
the
gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord."
Romans 6:22-23
"How do we get back to where we should be?" It matters not
if it is an individual, a family, a church or a society
posing the question, the answer remains the same; by turning
back to the Lord God, our Creator. If we continue on the
slide of self- destruction, family destruction and church
destruction, we will witness society's destruction. Someone
needs to put on the brakes, and that someone is you and me
and it needs to start TODAY!
What is the starting point of restoration of families, of
churches, and of society? By each of us turning to our Lord
God, and allowing Him to make us personally to be all He
wants us to be. Once we learn how to listen and to follow
Him, in every way, the dominos we have knocked down will
start to stand up, in succession, once again.
May I ask you a hard question? Where are you today? Are
you sold out to Jesus Christ, ready to serve Him and to
follow Him, at any cost, or are you just along for the
ride? Too often our "This is too hard so I quit" calls and
statements comes from people who are misusing the term
"stander," and possibly even the name "Christian." A real
stander is never a quitter, because they realize the eternal
destiny (Heaven or Hell) of a sinning spouse could be at
stake. It could be you who are facing hell unless you change
your course.
May you make this a time to get serious about standing so
much that your sinning spouse will discover the answer to
their "How do we get back to where we should be?" question
by looking at you.
Norma and I have never been the same after we both
surrendered our lives to Jesus Christ and made Him Lord of
our lives, never been the same! I know that when I ask
"How
did we get to this point?" My answer over 27 years ago was
about the same as my answer today. We got there because I
had a wife who loved me enough to surrender her life and I
also had gotten to the point where I knew I needed a Savior
and a Lord and needed the gift He had given me for life!
That is how we got to where we are today; we were both
serious about standing and willing to follow Jesus at any
cost, until He healed our marriage.
There is a lot at stake. May you and I follow Jesus as He
rebuilds people, families, churches and society according to
His master plan, it has not changed.
"Follow my example, as I follow the example of
Christ."
I Corinthians 11:1
Paul reveals to us in Ephesians 5 the divine intention for
marriage. It's to be an echo or reflection of the
relationship that exists between Christ and the Church -
always a very imperfect reflection, but a reflection
nonetheless. Please don't think of this as merely a helpful
illustration or an interesting perspective. It's much more
than that. This is the essence of marriage. This is the
divine purpose for your marriage.
This means that your marriage is meant to be, by the grace
of God, the best echo, the most faithful reflection, of that
relationship that you can possibly be. It's not about
impressing people or drawing attention to ourselves. It's
about being genuinely united in a strong, godly, intimate
relationship that echoes the one between Christ and the
Church.
Has your marriage primarily been centered on you? On your
wife? On your kids? On your responsibilities? On your
goals? On your comforts?
On your stuff? If so, you've been trying to live in a way
you were never intended to. The biblical purpose for
marriage, you see, is not man-centered or needs-centered.
It's God-centered. It's profoundly mysterious and
profoundly significant. Your marriage is meant to point to
the truth of the crucified and risen Savior who will return
for His Bride. Unless we grasp this - unless there's a
conviction that marriage is ultimately meant to bring glory
to God by echoing the relationship between Christ and the
Church we will miss it and just be another institution of
man, Lord forgive us!
Please remember to ask yourself, are you being part of the
solution or part of the problem, Will you turn to your wife
your husband today and tell them that you have surrendered
your life to Jesus, and that you believe He will see you
both to a healed victorious marriage! Start by asking each
other for forgiveness and tell each other you love each
other. Let the things of the past go and work on today and
believe the LORD when He says He LOVES you and your
marriage! Do not wait another minute it's time to give it to
the LORD; the blood has taken care of it! So now will you
agree with His Word, His Will and His Way, walk in
forgiveness and in victory? Remember OBEDIENCE! Just do it!
So today is the day to except what God has said and not what
you want, or may think is the right thing to do. It may all
need to start with you. Give your life your mind and your
will to Jesus TODAY! PLEASE do not put it off!!! NO be part
of the solution not part of the problem, ask Him to help you
He will, Jesus is there! For He is the Solution!
Jesus loves you so much!
Standing On Gods Word.....4/18/2011
Did You Put On Jesus Christ This Morning?
"Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and
do
not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful
nature." Romans 13:14
Are you getting dressed spiritually every day? In Romans
13:14, Paul urges his new Christians to "put on" Christian
virtues as they would "put on" their clothes. Are you
getting dressed every morning with the Lord Jesus Christ?
Some of you remember my teaching on the Armor of God. Have
you started being faithful and putting on the Armor of God
on you and your family?
Now let's study about what Colossians teaches us about
clothing ourselves daily:
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly
loved,
clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive
whatever grievances you may have against one another.
Forgive
as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on
love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
Colossians 3:12-14
This scripture is a powerful scripture for men and women who
are praying for restoration, healing or strengthening of
their marriage. Here is how you and I should live with
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Do
you see the sentence "bear with each other and forgive
whatever grievances you may have against one another?"
It is teaching us and all Christians to bear (one Dictionary
meaning is: to support or hold up), to forgive and to put on
love, clothe yourself with Jesus Christ who is love and
loves unity.
How would you grade yourself with these virtues? If you did
not do well, get on your knees and ask the Lord to remove
all that is ungodly and to clothe yourself with Jesus
Christ, regardless of how your spouse, loved ones or
co-workers are acting or treating you.
Putting on Jesus Christ means to allow Him to cover us, so
that when others see us they see only His righteousness.
Jesus Christ not only lives in us, through us, but on us as
well. When we choose to live like this, we will not feed
our fleshly sinful nature, but will feed a soul who is
striving to be more like Jesus Christ every day. What does
your spouse see, hear and feel from you? If I was to ask
them what would they tell me?
I would ask today as you consider this message that you
would invest some time in the book of Romans. As you study
the book of Romans allow the Holy Spirit to change your life
forever. I pray that you will take this challenge to study
the book of Romans again and maybe again understand the keys
to a life of righteousness. As you study Romans you will
recognize many well-known scriptures in this powerful book
in the Bible.
"The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let
us
put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of
light.
Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies
and
drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not
in
dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with
the
Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify
the
desires of the sinful nature." Romans 12:12-14
As I studied this scripture above, I thought of the many
sinning spouses who are living in darkness, blinded,
deceived, living as if there is no consequences to all that
they are doing in their sinful lifestyle. If that is your
spouse today you need to continue to pray for your husband
or wife that they will crucify their sinful nature. Each of
us will be tempted throughout our life to yield and
surrender our lives to the Holy Spirit or surrender to the
sinful nature temptations or habits and again submitting to
sin's control, the choice is always ours, the Holy Spirit
will never force anyone to do what not in their heart to do,
yes we all must surrender daily to the Holy Spirit.
"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the
sinful
nature with its passions and desires." Galatians 5:24
As you study your Bible daily, may I challenge you to pray
several scriptures with you and your spouse's name in them.
Ask the Lord to reveal verses that you can pray for yourself
or for your husband, wife or children. Jesus defeated Satan
by speaking the Word of God out loud.
"Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and
showed
him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
"All
this
I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and
worship
me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is
written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him
only.' "
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended
him."
Matthew 4:8-11
Will you stand firm in your faith? I believe that the Lord
God is moving mightily in marriages. We hear from many
spouses how the Lord is changing them and speaking
instructions to their heart.
We are even hearing from some spouses who were deep in sin
and rebellion who are repenting some even going back home
after some time away, others making changes on how they
treat their spouse. Yes, we also hear of those who have
chosen to follow the flesh.
For those who may be going through a season where your
spouse has spoken words of hate and are saying they no
longer want to be married to you please today make sure and
study Ezekiel 37 about the valley of dry bones. Is anything
too hard for the Lord?
"This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I
will
make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will
attach
tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you
with
skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life.
Then
you will know that I am the LORD.'"..'This is what the
Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your
graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back
to the
land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am
the
LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.
I
will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will
settle
you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD
have
spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.'"
Ezekiel 37:5-6,12-14
Please be reassured if Norma and I are aware or involved
with you during this season of your life you have our
prayers going up to the Lord for healing in your marriage
and strengthen for you! Please you also MUST do your part,
stand and pray daily for whatever your circumstances may be
in this season, do not stop praying and believing! Pray two
or three specific scriptures daily for those sinning spouses
who need to hear from the Lord! Will you pray for all those
lost to be obedient to the Holy Spirit's conviction,
repenting and turning from their lives of sin as they
surrender their lives to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord?
Then they will return to being all that the Lord has called
them to be, many of these in sin believe that God
understands why they are mad at their spouse and believe
that their relationship with the Lord has not been hindered
by their words and treatment to their spouse. Again this is
what happens when the liar is speaking to them and they are
listening to the wrong voices!
Pray that these spouses will hear the Holy Ghost "Repent"
and turn from their sinning!
Now please do not forget to be praying together. Couples who
do not pray together are as badly off as those who stop
sleeping together. Like lovemaking, prayer requires, in a
sense, taking off the clothes, removing the shoes to touch
holy ground. Such acts of deep communion, beyond mere
communication, carry tremendous power for healing and
renewal and restoration.
To pray together is to draw water from the same well. The
experience of unity arises from many, many prayers spoken
and felt together over years. There's only one Holy Spirit,
and to pray well is to hear Him, sense Him, give voice to
His thoughts and moods. When couples do this honestly, how
can they help but enter into the place of unity? As you do
not give up praying for your spouse DO NOT give up praying
together. Both of you put on Christ together and you will
start to see the change in your life and marriage!
Standing On Gods Word.....4/25/2011
Just a little early this morning, did not run this
morning am on my way to CFNI, I have been asked to speak at
one of their classes this morning, please keep me in your
prayers that the Word is heard and received!
Ask the Lord to Help Bring Those Loving Feelings Back...Love
is a decision...
"The LORD God said, 'It is not good for the man to be
alone. I
will make a helper suitable for him.' ...But for Adam no
suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man
to
fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took
one
of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then
the
LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the
man,
and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now
bone
of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called
'woman,'
for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will
leave
his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they
will
become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked,
and
they felt no shame." Genesis 2:18,20-25
On your wedding day, did you ever think you or your spouse
would divorce in the future if things did not work out in
your marriage? Did you and your spouse ever discuss how you
would work out different problems, issues, children, in-laws
or finances in the future? Did you agree that you would not
allow anyone or anything to destroy your marriage? What
others things did you take into consideration before you got
marriage? Did you take what God's plan for your marriage was
to mean to you, your family, your church, your community?
Has there been anything that has come in that you agreed
would not come into your marriage? What happened? The enemy
came in to steal, kill and destroy your marriage. You may
not have been a Christian when you were married, but you
loved each other. Will you go down memory lane and remember
all the wonderful memories that you have had with your
beloved husband or wife? Will you be the first in your
marriage to choose to love your husband or wife
unconditionally, until the Lord speaks the truth to their
heart about just how important your marriage is to Him?
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers
over a
multitude of sins." I Peter 4:8
Norma and I pray, and yes for you and your marriage that you
will learn the sanctity and the covenant of marriage. Will
you choose to forget your wedding vows that you made to your
husband or wife which says, "for better or worse, in
sickness and in health, till death us to do part?" Do you
know the importance of raising your children with a mother
and father there all the time? Your children need you both
and statistics are confirming that more now than ever
before.
Marriage was God's plan. Will you seek to follow the Lord's
plans, His purpose and His special blueprints for your
marriage to be resurrected and restored by your awesome
mighty God? Many of you that get this email are couples
that I married and if you remember when I had you repeat
your vows to one another I had you say, "in the name of
Jesus Christ I........" Remember?
The Holy Spirit can solve each and every problem that you
may be facing. Will you give up listening to everyone else,
wanting your own way and freedom, and choose to seek God's
perfect will and way for your life and marriage? God needs
only one person to stand in the gap to start working on your
marriage. Will you be that one in your marriage that will
stand and take God's side in the marriage...?
"I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall
and
stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I
would not
have to destroy it, but I found none." Ezekiel 22:30
Will you ask the Holy Spirit to reignite and rekindle your
love in both you and your spouse's hearts by the power of
the Holy Spirit? Will you choose to start walking in love,
in spite of all that your husband or wife has done, are
doing or are saying? They may be speaking, "I never loved
you. I should have never married you. I will never be
happy in this marriage. I have never been happy in this
marriage. You should have married someone else, like
________. Maybe I am never coming home. Get on with your
life." Don't panic, all spouses who have left or filed for
divorce have said similar words. You may be the spouse that
does not hear from your husband or wife from one month to
one year, you have dead silence. Yet you must stand if you
believe...
How are you dealing with your emotions and feelings? You
may be getting weary and tired because you have such a heavy
responsibility at this moment. Ask the Lord, your husband
for this season to help meet all your needs. Never stop
praying and talking to the Lord daily. Are you studying
your Bible, are you investing time with the Lord? God wants
a personal relationship with you first. Ask Him questions.
Write them down and then wait for His wisdom and knowledge.
Never forget that nothing is too hard for God to do,
including resurrecting a dead marriage, or moving your
marriage up to the next level!
Your God is an architect and a builder so He can "repair"
and "reconcile" your marriage to be rebuilt on a strong
foundation by the Lord Jesus Christ. Will you start the
process of restoring and rebuilding your marriage by
listening and obeying the Holy Spirit's instructions to
start working on you first and then your spouse?
Will you examine your heart today by grading your love for
your husband or wife as described in I Corinthians 13 which
describes love as an activity and a behavior, not just an
inner feeling? Are you prepared to be the one who brings
the love back to your marriage according to the Words of
God...?
"If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all
mysteries
and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move
mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all
I
possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,
but
have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is
kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It
is not
rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it
keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil
but
rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always
trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
I Corinthians 13:2-8
How much do you really love your spouse? I know that one
moment you could be hating them and the next moment grieving
and crying out to the Lord to have them call you. Norma and
I know the hurt and pain you are going through. However the
Lord knows your hurt and pain and He will move on your
behalf just stand and believe on Him!
Norma and I pray that you will fight for your marriage as if
they were taken hostage as a prisoner of war. That is where
they are now spiritually. The enemy, Satan, has them
blinded, deceived and deaf to God's truths about love,
marriage and their responsibilities as a husband or wife and
as a father or mother. Or just on how they should be caring
and loving you.
Don't give up on your beloved spouse! And most of all DO NOT
give up on the Lord!
Are you now tired of waiting and you do not know if you
should stand or doubt that you even heard from the Lord God
that He would restore your marriage? One reason may be that
you have allowed the voices that don't know the will of God
for marriage because they too have been either deceived or
given bad counsel. Are you battling thoughts about giving up
all the time? In fact, have you lost all your feelings of
love for them? Beware! The enemy is coming after your
emotions and feelings and is tormenting your mind, by doubt,
unbelief and fear of the unknown future.
May the Lord have mercy and grace on you, your spouse and
your children. Let us pray daily that all sinning spouses
will hear and see the truth about the severe consequences
due to the sins in their life and the consequences of
divorce. Norma and I can tell you with over 25 years of
experience and we can tell you that the 2nd or 3rd marriages
are not any better or any last longer. That same sin nature
that caused the first or second or third marriage will still
be there and it could be in you! We need to stop thinking
that the grass is greener on the other side, because it is
not! And the main reason is because divorce is not God's
will, God's way or supported by God's Word anywhere, not in
your marriage NOT in any marriage!
Today ask the Lord to rekindle and to reignite the love in
both you and in your spouse's hearts so that you both will
feel that spark and the tingles that you had for each other,
again. I know it can happen, we have seen spouses who hated
their spouse, but the Lord touched and changed their heart
first and then God started working on their spouse's heart.
May I urge you to keep asking, keep seeking and keep
knocking on the Lord's heart door until you see your
spouse's heart change toward you and your marriage?
Remember, this is going to be God's true love-not a lust of
the eyes or the flesh which is a counterfeit that they are
in now! Don't give up!
"In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as
their
own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After
all, no
one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for
it,
just as Christ does the church--for we are members of his
body. 'For this reason a man will leave his father and
mother
and be united to his wife, and the two will become one
flesh.'
This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ
and
the church. However, each one of you also must love his
wife as
he loves himself, and the wife must respect her
husband."
Ephesians 5:28-33
Married life obviously brings stresses that dating life does
not. You might even say that dating life is more like a
dream and married life is the real deal and it is the real
deal. It's true we can't keep everything that we liked about
dating in a marriage. There are children and other
responsibilities. But we can keep many of the things that
led us to marriage in the first place. ...Like love and
caring for one other! Therefore, as much as is realistic,
you should do the things you did in the early days of your
relationship. After all, that's what won the heart of your
spouse. And that's what will probably continue to win their
heart today. Remember LOVE is sacrificial so do your part
and let the Lord do His!
Please remember to ask yourself, are you being part of the
solution or part of the problem; will you take the needed
steps to love your spouse so they in turn can love you back?
Will you love even if you feel you are not being loved back?
Will you show your love even if it hurts and you see no
results? So now will you agree with the Word and walk in
forgiveness and in victory? Remember OBEDIENCE! Just do
it... So today is the day to except what God has said and
not what you want, or may think is the right thing to do. It
may all need to start with you. Give your life your mind and
your will to Jesus TODAY! PLEASE do not put it off!!! NO be
part of the solution not part of the problem, ask Him to
help you He will, Jesus is there... for He is the Solution!
Standing On Gods Word.....5/02/2011
Are You Fighting For Your Marriage?
"Haven't you read, He replied, "that at the beginning the
Creator made them male and female, and said, For this
reason
a man will leave his father and mother and be united to
his
wife and the two will become one flesh? So they are no
longer
two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let
man
not separate." Matthew 19:4-6
Are you willing to "fight for your marriage and beloved
husband or wife" forever? Are you getting tired and weary
of waiting for your husband or wife to "come to their
senses" as the prodigal son did? How often do you think
about giving up or stop fighting and praying for your
marriage? Stop! Did you not marry for life? So why are
you giving up because your spouse became deceived, blinded,
and attacked by the enemy, Satan, and is being used to speak
lies into your marriage. That is what Satan wants you to
do. He wants to destroy every marriage the very first
institution God created and is the most important
institution in this world! The Lord wants every marriage to
turn from darkness to light and accept Him as Savior and
Lord of their lives and their marriage. He wants to use
your marriage to show the world what love looks like and His
relationship to the Church. He wants us to live in the
fullness of His plan.
"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.
He
will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes
only
to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may
have
life, and have it to the full." John 10:9-10
Are you willing to sacrifice your life to follow the Lord
Jesus Christ? You married for life, so why should you
consider looking for someone else or even waste moments
thinking of such a thing? Our military fights the enemy
every day in so many countries. They have a commission,
orders and a war to win. When a soldier becomes a prisoner
of war, they do not give up as a POW, so why should we? I
pray that you will be willing to fight and pray forever for
your spouse no matter what you may be feeling about them.
These feelings will change as you go to the Lord in prayer.
Do you see how important your prayers are?
"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his
life
for his friends." John 15:13
God has chosen you to be the intercessor, the prayer warrior
for your marriage during this season, and if you are both
praying together as you should be, then expect the Lord to
do Great things in your marriage and around you. God wants
you to pray for your marriage and other marriages that you
may know that need prayer. God hates divorce! I hate
divorce! You should hate divorce too!
You may be telling the Lord, "It's too hard," or "I can't do
it anymore," "I hurt too much," "My spouse says they will
never change," "' My spouse says they will never come home,"
"My spouse says the will never change, they love the life
they are living", My spouse says they are living the
dream"." They are doing things that are hurting and
devastating our family." Let me share one more trick from
the enemy, "Now I am now being tempted to fall into sin."
That is the enemy who is now attacking you. Will you stand
up, be strong in the Lord, and persevere to win the war
against the enemy who is attacking your marriage? Everyone
is tempted by the enemy, however if we are in Christ then we
can do all things!
Do not be like your spouse may be who is presently being
selfish, self- centered, living a sinful lifestyle,
rejecting, abandoning, rebelling and running from their
family and God. You need to become a doer of the Word and
put action into what the Word says by doing and being more
like your Lord every day.
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive
yourselves.
Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does
not do
what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a
mirror
and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately
forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently
into
the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do
this,
not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be
blessed in what he does." James 1:22-25
I am asking you to seek the Lord and allow Him to show you
the big picture and the final outcome, if you will never
stop praying for your husband or wife and believe in the
Lord. There is a Heaven and a Hell and I personally want
all of my loved ones with me in Heaven! There are
consequences to sin! May you and I always remember who we
were before we were saved, sinners, and we are now saved by
God's amazing grace.
"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the
kingdom
of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral
nor
idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor
homosexual
offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor
slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
And
that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you
were
sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus
Christ and by the Spirit of our God." I Corinthians
6:9-11
"My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth
and
someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever
turns a
sinner from the error of his way will save him from death
and
cover over a multitude of sins." James 5:19-20
I looked up the word "fight" in the American College
Dictionary. It reads: "a battle or combat; any contest or
struggle; ability or inclination to fight; to engage in
battle or in single combat; attempt to defeat, subdue or
destroy an adversary; to contend in any manner; strive
vigorously for or against something. A physical
struggle for victory; a battle; an effort to overcome
something; to contend with or against in any manner."
Wow! Praise the Lord! I like that! That is what I am
trying to say! I want you to fight and become a fighter for
your husband, your wife, fighting against divorce that is
attacking over 50% of all our marriages. Remember the battle
begins in your home win there and then be prepared to take
the fight out to the world!
Will you join Norma and me to fight against divorce and all
the tricks of Satan and his schemes to destroy families? We
have joined God's army and we may lose some battles, but we
know our Lord paid the price on the cross and He has won the
war against Satan!
I want to share some scriptures to show you that God is
going to be with you all the time while you are fighting the
fight in the prayer closet. He just needs a willing
vessel. Are you willing to surrender your own will and way
to His will and way for your marriage?
Around the world today, there are many soldiers fighting for
our freedom, for other nation's freedom, for all our rights,
and for all of us to have safety and liberty. Should we do
any different for our own flesh and blood? Yes, the battles
may seem to get worse at times, but you are praying for the
Lord to win the war.
Do not allow the enemy to attack your mind, but keep your
eyes on the Lord. Do not allow the enemy to play mind games
with you. What has the Lord been saying? Then stand on the
promises of God.
I pray that you will join Norma and I in God's army.
Remember, let's fight to win!
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Put on
the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand
against
the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh
and
blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against
the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual
forces
of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:10-12
"For though we live in the world, we do no wage war as the
world
does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the
world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish
strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension
that
sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take
captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
"Then I said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be
afraid of
them. The Lord your God, who is going before you, will
fight
for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very
eyes."
Deuteronomy 1:29-30
"This is what the Lord says to you: 'Do not be afraid or
discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is
not
yours; but God's...You will not have to fight this
battle.
Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance
the
Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be
afraid; do
not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the
Lord
will be with you." 2 Chronicles 20:15,17
"Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us
there. Our
God will fight for us!" So we continued the work with half
the
men holding spears." Nehemiah 4:20-21
"Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight
against
those who fight against me. Take up shield and buckler;
arise
and come to my aid. Brandish spear and javelin against
those
who pursue me. Say to my soul, "I am your salvation." May
those
who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those
who
plot my ruin be turned back in dismay." Psalm 35:1-4
I pray these scriptures have encouraged you, given you hope,
increased your faith and trust in the King of Kings and
Lords of
Lords. For He is still seated on the Throne!
"For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37
If yours spouse has been taken captive by the enemy, Satan.
They were tempted, became brainwashed, deceived, blinded and
deaf. They cannot see or hear the truth at this time. Seek
the Lord today, for a new "rhema" word. May you never stop
praying (fighting) in your prayer closet for your husband or
wife. Every sinning spouse who are walking in angry,
talking about leaving home or have left your home are on the
road headed to destruction. Let me add one very important
comment, please pray for the wives and husbands who will not
forgive the spouse who was tempted, fell into sin and has
repented. We have so many standers who were once the
sinner, the sinner who the Lord has touched and changed
their hearts. Lord, teach spouses to forgive each other
forever!
Now let us never stop fighting (praying) for our families!
Let God use you to fight against divorce and for God to
start a revival of marriage restoration in your home,
church, your city, state and around the world.
"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and
effective."
James 5:16
Remember take your burdens to the Lord and unload them at
the foot of the cross, don't try to carry them give them to
Him for He is able to do more then we can imagine or ask.
"Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he
will
never let the righteous fail." Psalm 55:22.
Stop yourself when you find you are falling into the trap of
doing too much horizontal talking or yelling, that is your
flesh nature. Instead discipline yourself to do more
vertical talking to God in prayer, asking for His wisdom.
And then follow His leading, that is the spiritual way to do
it. Stop trying to change your spouse especially with your
words!
"A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of
silver." Proverbs 25:11
Make sure your words are seasoned with love!
Jesus loves you so much!
Standing On Gods Word.....5/10/2011
Does The Enemy Have You Fleeing? -
"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he
will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near
to
you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts,
you
double-minded. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he
will
lift you up." James 4:7-8,10
Will you pray today that your husband or wife will flee from
the enemy that may have them so entangled in their sins and
for them to submit to God? How about you how is your walk
with the Lord. I mean really pray, which includes tears and
pain that comes from the depth of your heart and spirit? If
you are the stander, you must first submit to God to have
your marriage restored, healed and used of God, have you
done this already, have you surrendered your life to the
Lord? I mean really surrendered everything?
You need to purify your own heart and call on the Lord as
you ask for forgiveness for your part of your marriage
problems of maybe even falling apart. Yes, your part, you
know you play a part in your marriage problems and now you
must play a very important part in restoring, healing and
allowing God to use your marriage.
After 26 years of working with couples it has NEVER been
just one of the spouse"s fault! So you need to ask the Lord
to show you your own failures as a spouse. When you pray
asking for God to show you what you need to know He will,
what you need to do He will and what you need to say He
will. Then with God's divine help and forgiveness, you will
sense God's presence, His grace, His peace, His love and His
blessings. You then will be really to stop fleeing from the
Enemy and be able to take your stand with the Lord and for
your marriage, are you really to do that?
In the Bible, it says to resist the devil and He will flee
from you. The scriptures continue to say to you and to your
husband or wife that you both need to run from the
temptations of sin in both of your lives. Humble yourselves
and the Lord will lift you up from your own circumstances!
"But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and
gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold
of the eternal life to which you were called when you
made your good confession in the presence of many
witnesses."
I Timothy 6:11-12
Are you studying and listening to the Word of God and
choosing to be obedient, I cannot begin to tell you just how
important obedient is to your walk with the Lord and your
marriage! We need to teach our children, as well and our
churches need to teach their sheep to stand against the
devil. We need to flee from all temptation however we need
to stand against the devil.
Husbands and wives need to run away from any temptation to
sin. You and your spouse need to avoid being at the wrong
place at the wrong time and allowing the enemy to tempt
you. You are thinking, "My spouse needs to read this." I
pray that many sinning spouses will! I pray you will share
this message with someone who has not been fleeing from the
Enemy and standing on God"s Word about their marriage. Will
you pray that your spouse will also read or hear God's Word
teaching them to run to God and start standing also for
their marriage according to the Word of God. That they sever
all ungodly soul ties, turn from their selfishness, their
pride and any sexual immorality?
Never forget who your enemy is, Satan. Your struggle is not
against flesh or blood. Your enemy is not your spouse. If
you can remember this one truth, you will be able to defeat
the enemy quicker, as you are learning some of Satan"s
tricks and schemes. God created marriage. God created a
husband and wife to desire each other, but the enemy wants
to turn sex into sexual immorality.
May I suggest you study this next scripture with both you
and your husband's or wife's name in it?
"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits
are
outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against
his own
body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the
Holy
Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?
You are
not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor
God
with your body." I Corinthians 6:18-20
Your husband or wife may not have known these scriptures
before they fell into the devil's trap and if they did they
allowed Satan to deceive them. Many men of God have been
deceived and fallen into sexual temptation and they do not
know what to do or believe that they cannot go back to the
way things were before they fell into sin. They don"t
believe they can ever love their spouse or be loved by their
spouse again. They are wearing a mask, not allowing anyone
to see their heart or their true feelings. God does. There
is a way out for every sinner. You need to recognize the
attacks of the enemy as his goal is to tempt everyone to
fall into sin, yes big sin little sin it is all sin.
Remember the story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife. Joseph,
both out of faithfulness to his God and loyalty to Potiphar,
his master, resisted temptation to sexual sin. He was
victorious over the temptation because he had previously
made up his mind to remain obedient to his Lord and not to
sin. You and your spouse need to do that every day. Never
compromise! As long as you have air in your lungs and the
dream (vision) in your heart remain faithful to the Lord and
to your dream for your spouse.
"Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness,
faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the
Lord
out of a pure heart...Those who oppose him he must gently
instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance
leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they
will
come to their senses and escape from the trap of the
devil, who
has taken them captive to do his will." 2 Timothy
2:22,25-26
Today as you have air in your lungs may you pursue
righteousness, faith, love and peace. Will you strive to
seek the Lord daily with a pure heart? Yes, confess your
sins every day and ask the Lord to change your heart to
become more like Him. He will answer your prayers. Start
your day with getting born again and surrendering your life
afresh and new to Jesus first thing as you open your eyes!
Talking about eyes, make sure you protect your eyes from not
seeing or allowing your eyes to focus on things that the
Lord has already spoken to you to stop looking at, don"t
think about it just do it! STOP!
Today, pray that thousands of sinning spouses will open
their spiritual eyes, ears and heart to be obedient to the
Lord's voice regardless of where they are. Will you pray
that they may they have their own Damascus Road experience
with the Lord repenting, turning completely from their
sinful lifestyle as Paul did? When this happens, God
orchestrates them wanting to, go home and be the different
type of spouse the type that shows what God has done in
their life.
Will you start fasting and praying for the many different
strongholds to be broken and severed forever in your
spouse's life and maybe even in your life?
Today is one day closer to your husband or wife surrendering
to the Lord in obedience to His correction as they flee from
the enemy and stand on God"s Word for your marriage! Will
you start with you surrendering anything that is still
holding you back from all the Lord has for you?
Train yourself to be godly, yes train, we seem to spend a
lot of time training for many things in this world how about
be godly!
"Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives tales;
rather, train yourself to be godly."
1 Timothy 4:7.
Don't look to the "modern" philosophy of love and marriage.
It can be a quick road to disunity, separation and even the
divorce courts as is evidenced by the soaring divorce rates
in the church. The principles for a good marriage are all
contained within the Bible. Study it! Meditate on it! Be
obedience! And just keep standing on God Word!
Standing On Gods Word.....5/16/2011
The Lord Can Heal A Lost and Sinful Spouse -
"I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my
anger has turned away from them." Hosea 14:4
I love studying God's Holy Word. Here the above
scripture should give you hope if your spouse is lost or is
sinning against you and God. I pray that you will
reread and invest some time on above scripture, which I feel
is a very powerful promise for your own spouse. Go
back and study it again and again and pray it with your
husband's or wife's name in it. Does not matter how small or
big the sin is pray it over them!
Let me share what "wayward" means from the American College
Dictionary: turned or turning away from what is right or
proper; perverse; a wayward son; swayed or prompted by
caprice, or capricious. Now what does "caprice" mean?
It means: a sudden change of mind without apparent or
adequate motive; whim.
"Woe to the obstinate children," declares the Lord, "to those
who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but
not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin." Isaiah 30:1
Do you know a wayward spouse or loved ones who are living
blatantly in sin and laugh about it? I do I know many
who chose everyday to test God. So then all I can do
is continue to encourage spouses to stand, pray and fast for
their spouse, we will stand with them. Why would you
not pray for your spouse, children or your Mom, Dad, sisters
or brothers for them to get gloriously saved, filled with
the Holy Spirit and then to serve the Lord?
"Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding;
those
who complain will accept instruction." Isaiah 29:24
"And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the
throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which
is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what
they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the
dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that
were in them, and each person was judged according to what he
had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of
fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name
was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into
the lake of fire." Revelation 20:12-15
Do you know how many people go to church, wear a mask to
church, but never make the decision to accept Jesus Christ
as Savior until they realize the truth?
I mean are really saved, have surrendered all! There is a
Heaven and a Hell. Do you know how many couples show
up at church on Sunday or Wednesday and have just had a BIG
fight with their spouse or a long awful night at home with
their spouse.
Yes they show up all made up, yet the Lord knows the truth,
are they testing God. Who are they testing or trying to
fool? The Lord knows and sees the heart!
Or are they just trying to fool the people around them.
Again the Lord knows the truth, yet many may go to the altar
and then return back home as if nothing happen, yet before
the end of the week is over, they are back to the save o
save o.
Never give up on your sinful, deceived spouse. One
very important prayer that we must pray regularly is that
your spouse and all sinners will not harden their hearts.
There are consequences to their disobedience and the sins of
unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, alcohol, drugs,
pornography, or adultery. How about running from what God's
has called you too!
"See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful,
unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But
encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so
that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We
have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the
confidence we had at first. As has just been said: "Today, if
you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the
rebellion." Hebrews 3:12-15
Be alert that you as a stander do not allow your own heart
to become hardened by thinking that your spouse will never
change and that your circumstances are impossible. You
have just believed a lie from the enemy. Nothing is
impossible with God. How big is your God?
Never doubt the power in the Name of Jesus or the Blood that
our Lord Jesus Christ shed on Calvary or God's promises in
His Word. Jesus Christ paid the price for us to be
able to walk in victory.
Are you still a baby in standing, or are you growing in the
Lord? You may already be more mature than many of your
Christians friends, because you have become a man or woman
of faith, being sure of what you hope for and certain of
what you do not see. (Hebrews 11:1) Do not allow doubt
and unbelief steal your faith, hope and trust in your Lord
Jesus Christ's power in restoring, healing and using your
marriage because of the your many different circumstances.
Yes I know you may have been a strong believer. The Bible
gives us warning throughout its pages of abandoning our
faith. We must follow the Lord commands and live in
obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ. Apostasy is a
Christian severing their relationship with Jesus Christ or
withdrawing their true faith in Him. Moral apostasy is
when a Christian becomes enslaved again to sin and
immorality just as before when they were an unbeliever.
That is why you MUST continue in prayer for your spouse so
their heart will not become hard as they chose to be
tempted, blinded and deceived. What did the Lord call you
too?
The Lord loves your spouse and all sinning spouses so very
much, He does not love their sin. Our Heavenly Father
is going to keep speaking to your beloved spouse over and
over again, softly at first and then more loudly to get your
spouse's attention. And He just may have to allow
something to come into their life to get their attention,
God does speak. He speaks to His children twenty-four
hours a day. Don't give up!
Listen for your instructions and know God's timing is always
perfect.
"But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most
holy
faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's
love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to
bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt;
snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show
mercy, mixed with fear— hating even the clothing stained by
corrupted flesh. To him who is able to keep you from falling
and to present you before his glorious presence without fault
and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory,
majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord,
before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." Jude 20-25
Do you have a personal relationship with the Lord; are you
about the Father's business, look at your time, your money
and your love, where are you investing these things in? This
may show us that you can believe in the power of God, that
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that the Bible is God's
Word, that Jesus is coming again, and can even be baptized,
yet not really know God in a personal way.
So what does it mean to believe? The word believe is made up
of two words: be and live. Faith helps us to "be"
spiritually. But then it is expressed in Christian works and
deeds. "Be" and "live." I put my faith in Christ, but then I
live it out. People including your spouse just need to look
at where your time, money and love is being invested and you
will know and they too what you believe.
Some might argue there is a conflict between faith and
works, even pitting the teachings of Paul against the
teachings of James. But that is not the case. James was
addressing those who claimed to be believers, but didn't
show any real evidence of it in their lives. He was saying
that if it is real faith, then there will be evidence of the
faith by what they do, are doing and going to do. Don't stop
now!
Standing On Gods Word.....5/23/2011
A Fresh Touch From The Lord!
"They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind
man
and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by
the
hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on
the
man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you
see
anything?" He looked up and said, "I see people; they look
like
trees walking around." Once more Jesus put his hands on
the
man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was
restored,
and he saw everything clearly." Mark 8:22-25
What is the significance of this blind man needing to be
touched "once more" by the Lord Jesus? Do you believe that
every Word in the Scriptures is God-breathed, inspired by
the Holy Spirit? Not only has God made no mistakes in His
Word, but every word is also purposeful. When was the last
time the Lord touched you afresh? For me it was just a short
time ago in my time with the Lord this morning!
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so
that the
man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good
work."
II Timothy 3:16-17
Is it possible that some of us need the Lord's touch more
than once? Is your spouse a Christian, yet has maybe turned
away from you and his or her vows? Have they stopped loving
you the way you need or want?
Cry out to the Lord to touch your spouse again as Jesus
touched the blind man two times. After the Lord's first
touch, the blind man could see a little. "I see people;
they look like trees walking around," he said. But when
Jesus touched him again, what happened? His eyes were
opened, his sight was restored, and He saw everything
clearly! Isn't that the cry for many beloved spouses - that
their eyes would be opened and they would see everything
clearly? Let us pray in agreement that our Lord would touch
those spouses again that need a fresh touch today, opening
their eyes and our eyes and hearts to see him and never be
the same! Then we can all see everything clearly.
What about us? As we stand, does our strength fail? Let us
cry out to our Lord for strength. He knows our weaknesses,
and desires to strengthen us when our strength is failing.
Even the Lord's greatest servants faced times when their
strength failed, as we see in the following remarkable
passage from Daniel 10.
"While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face
toward
the ground and was speechless. Then one who looked like a
man
touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak.
I
said to the one standing before me, "I am overcome with
anguish
because of the vision, my lord, and I am helpless. How can
I,
your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone
and I
can hardly breathe." Again the one who looked like a man
touched me and gave me strength. "Do not be afraid, O man
highly esteemed," he said. "Peace! Be strong now; be
strong."
When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, "Speak,
my
lord, since you have given me strength." Daniel 10:15-19
Here the Lord sent one who looked like a man to provide
understanding to Daniel. And when Daniel confessed his need
to be strengthened, the one sent from the Lord touched him
again (that is, a second time), and Daniel was strengthened.
You can't stop at one or even two; ask that the Lord touch
you afresh today and never stop asking for His touch. He is
Holy and wants to touch us with the fullness of all His
power! Ask and you will receive.
Let's not be ashamed to ask the Lord to touch us again. He
wants us to be strong, to be unafraid. He is aware of our
needs and He longs to be gracious to us. Let us never
hesitate to call out to Him for His help. Never matter your
need today He is there, have you called out to Him, I mean
really called out to Him?
"As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD
has
compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are
formed, he remembers that we are dust." Psalm 103:13-14
"Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to
show you
compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are
all
who wait for him!" Isaiah 30:18
"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone
through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold
firmly
to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest
who
is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have
one
who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet
was
without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with
confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to
help
us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:14-16
Be always willing to enter into His chamber and receive a
fresh touch from Him, He is willing and able and longs to
touch you. You must be the one who is willing to enter His
chamber and know that He is available for you, yes for you!
Yes today! Lay your needs before Him and ask Him for a touch
no matter what it is take it to His chamber, He will meet
you there!
All day today turn your thoughts Heavenward remember this
life is short however eternity is forever. Allow your
actions toward your spouse today to be a blessing!
"Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on
things above, where Christ
is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things
above, not on earthly things"
Colossians 3:1-2.
When you spend time looking at what you don't have, you lose
sight of what you do have and minimize God's blessings. Even
small blessings can be viewed as seeds to water. God will do
the growing as you strive to live His way. Ask for that
fresh touch today so you can be a blessing to your spouse
and to those around you. Remember let them see, feel and
hear Jesus through you!
Please remember to ask yourself, have you stop asking for a
fresh touch in your life and your marriage? Will you make
time today just to enter His chamber and ask for a fresh
touch today? Yes He is waiting for you...Then you will be
able to stand in faith knowing and believing that nothing is
impossible for the LORD? With this fresh touch your spouse
will see the change in you and will also want to change. So
now will you agree with the Word and say, "I can do all
things through Christ who strengthens me." Remember
OBEDIENCE! Just do it...So today is the day to except what
God has said and not what you want, or may think is the
right thing to do. Let Him touch you, you need to ask for
His touch and don't stop asking and getting a fresh touch
from Him. It may all need to start with you, just think how
God can use you to touch others who don't have the faith you
have. Give your life your mind and your will to Jesus TODAY!
PLEASE do not put it off!!! NO today choose to be part of
the solution and not part of the problem, be ready to help
others, ask Him to help you He will, Jesus is there...for He
is the Solution!
Standing On Gods Word.....6/27/2011
What
Are You
Teaching?
"Impress
them on
your
children.
Talk
about
them
when you
sit at
home and
when you
walk
along
the
road,
when you
lie down
and when
you get
up."
Deuteronomy
6:7
This
past
Saturday
on our
way back
from
Colorado
I got an
email
message
from a
Sister
that
Norma
and I
had
worked
together
with her
and her
husband
on their
marriage
many
years
ago. She
was
writing
to thank
me for
all the
prayer,
work and
time I
had
invested
in her
husband
and her.
She
wanted
to say
thanks
for
helping
her
husband
be the
man of
God that
she
needed
in her
life. I
called
and left
a
message
because
I want
her
permission
to copy
her
email
and
share it
with
everyone,
however
as of
yet I
have not
gotten a
return
call, so
I will
just use
excerpts
from her
message
to me.
"Pastor
I wanted
to thank
you for
teaching
me that
the
primary
influencer
of how
our
children
would
see dad
would be
through
me! You
and
Norma
taught
me that
the way
I viewed
my
husband,
and the
manner
in which
I
treated
him,
would be
mirrored
by my
children.
Oh I
don't
remember
how many
times
you and
Norma
told me
that a
woman is
counted
wise if
she
carefully
builds
her
house
--and
this
includes
her
husband's
reputation.
However,
she is
counted
a fool
if she
tears it
down
with her
own
hands."
"A wise
woman
builds
her
house.
But with
her own
hands
the
foolish
one
tears it
down."
Proverbs
14:1
"Pastor
I want
to thank
you for
also
teaching
my
husband
to be
strong
in
prayer
and in
action.
You
taught
my
husband
not to
give me
everything
I
wanted,
however
to give
me all
the love
and
attention
I
needed.
You
taught
him to
be the
head and
the
leader
of our
home.
Our
children
have
seen
this and
they
have
great
respect
and
honor
for
their
Dad. Yes
you
taught
him how
to be
gentle
yet
strong
and not
to be
moved by
my every
wish,
THANK
YOU!"
"You
kept
reminding
me that
if I
wanted
my
children
to
respect
and
honor my
husband
as a
Dad, I
would
have to
show
them the
example
by
respecting
him and
honoring
him
again
THANK
YOU!
"You not
only
taught
but you
showed
us by
example
what a
Godly
marriage
looks
like,
acts
like and
lives
like
THANK
YOU!"
"Yes I
remember
how my
husband
used to
say yes
to all
my
requests,
and then
as he
started
to grow
in the
Lord he
learned
that he
did not
have to
say yes
to all
my
requests.
I never
knew
just how
important
that was
to me
till he
started
to take
the
lead.
Yes how
secure
that
made me
feel
that my
husband
was now
leading
and
taking
charge
as God
had
originally
planned
it to
be!".
"Although
the way
things
were
before
worked
for a
time, it
wasn't
in line
with
God's
plan for
marriage.
It also
had
serious
implications
for our
children.
I didn't
realize
it, but
they saw
my take
charge
attitude
and the
one who
would
make all
the
decisions
for the
family
and then
the one
who
would
always
get her
way,
this
shows
them how
to
disrespect
him
instead
of
respect
him and
honor
him the
way God
wanted
it to
be. If I
wasn't
treating
their
dad in a
respectful
way, why
should
they?"
"Something
had to
be done,
but I
wasn't
sure
what. I
turned
to God.
My
prayer
was
something
like,
'God
please
help.'
No, not
profound
--but
you
don't
have to
be
profound
to talk
to God!
And then
He sent
Norma
and you
into our
lives,
what a
God sent
and I
thank
you both
for
being
obedient
to God's
calling
Thank
You!"
"The
process
began
with me
learning
not to
say
everything
that
came
into my
head and
the
desire
to get
my way
no
matter
what.
God gave
me that
tiny
fraction
of time
after a
thought
came
into my
head to
decide
if I
wanted
to say
it. I'd
like to
say that
I always
made the
right
choice,
but old
habits
die
hard.
Then
both you
and
Norma
were
always
there to
help me
and my
husband
learn
how to
walk
this out
correctly,
Thank
You!"
"Yes,
you both
taught
me how
to ask,
what do
you want
to do
honey,
that was
not
easy. I
was so
used to
just
saying
what we
were
going to
do and
how we
were
going to
do it,
Thank
You! I
remember
at times
how hard
it was
for my
husband
not to
say,
well
what do
you want
to do,
no
instead
he just
made the
decision
that was
best for
the
family,
which I
praise
the Lord
that
even
today,
he is so
willing
and able
to take
the lead
as it
should
be!"
"As a
result,
the
tension
level in
our
household
decreased.
How this
has
impacted
our
children's
lives
and how
they see
their
dad?
They are
grateful
for a
more
peaceful
home and
have
come to
appreciate
their
dad's
strengths.
Respect
is no
longer a
stranger;
whenever
I treat
my
husband
with
regard,
my
children
do
well."
Thank
you
Pastor
for
allowing
the Lord
to use
you in
my
husband's
life and
mine
life,
what a
difference!"
"I
remember
at first
how I
grieved
the lost
years!
But I'm
thankful
for the
fresh
start
the Lord
provided
--and
continues
to
provide
--day
after
day.
When you
choose
to
respect
your
husband,
you'll
discover
he is
blessed,
you are
blessed,
and your
children
are
blessed
as
well."
"I
remember
so
clearly
you
saying,
your
decisions
will
influence
future
generations
because
your
kids
will
take
with
them
what
they saw
lived
out at
home.
This
trickle-down
effect
--whether
good or
bad
--will
filter
through
countless
generations.
Why not
do all
you can
to make
sure
what
trickles
down
isn't
just
good,
but
great."
"So on
this day
before
Father's
Day I
just
want to
say
Thank
You and
I pray
that you
have a
Great
day
tomorrow,
I pray
that you
and
Norma
are
surrounded
by
people
who love
you both
and are
caring
for you
both, I
love you
and
THANKS!"
Happy
Father's
Day!"
Most of
us today
would
agree
that
yes, men
and
women
are
different,
and move
on. But
without
a clear
biblical
definition
of
manhood
and
womanhood,
without
a clear
vision
of how
they are
different
and why,
both men
and
women
have
trouble
separating
life-giving
pursuits
from
mistakes
and
mirages.
"Then
God
said,
"Let us
make man
in our
image,
in our
likeness,
and let
them
rule
over the
fish
of the
sea and
the
birds of
the air,
over the
livestock,
over all
the
earth,
and over
all the
creatures
that
move
along
the
ground."
27 So
God
created
man in
his own
image,
in the
image of
God he
created
him;
male and
female
he
created
them."
Genesis
1:26-27
We learn
in
Genesis
that of
all the
things
God
created,
none is
more
meaningful
than
humanity.
Men and
women
stand as
equals
at the
apex of
God's
created
order,
and yes
though
equals
there is
an order.
Here we
learn
that
women
and men
were
designed
to
reflect
God's
image
over the
rest of
creation.
But just
as
important
is what
lies at
the
heart of
this
design.
Of all
things
it is
gender:
male and
female,
this has
not
changed
and will
never
change.
And yes
each
have a
calling
in their
relationship
with God
and with
each
other.
Obedience
is the
response
of faith
to any
instruction
from
God.
Jesus
taught
that
true
faith
will
always
be
manifested
in
obedience
to God's
revealed
Will,
Way and
Word.
Successful
Christian
living
results
from
seeking
and
knowing
God's
Will,
Way and
Word and
then
doing it
in
faith!
A real
man
rejects
passivity,
accepts
responsibility,
leads
courageously,
and
expects
God's
greater
reward.
No
matter
what!
Women
were
created
by God,
made in
His
image
yet
distinctively
female.
Woman
was
created
from man
for man
and
given a
role
highly
valued
by God.
She is
to be
man's
completer,
not his
competitor.br />
Not only
is the
woman
physically
different
from a
man,
she's
not
wired
the same
emotionally.
For this
reason
and many
others,
God has
given
wives a
role
that is
different
from
their
husbands'
yet
equally
important.
If we
want to
build
marriages
that
really
work, we
need to
embrace
the
truth of
our
gender
differences
and all
they
imply.
What a
difference
it would
make in
so many
marriages
if we
submitted
to God's
design
and
order.
If you
want to
have the
best
marriage
possible,
then you
must
honor
His
plan.
If you
fight
it, you
will be
fighting
God.
The
consequences
of such
rebellion
are
continuing
dissatisfaction,
dissension,
and
eventually
disaster.
What a
privilege
women
have to
reflect
to the
world
the
character
and work
of Jesus
Christ
in their
roles as
wives.
Wives,
what can
you do
this
week to
offer
your
husband
respect
and to
more
effectively
fulfill
your
role as
his
completer?
It is
always
so good
to get
good
reports
from
people
we have
worked
with in
the
past,
this
couple
are now
in full
time
ministry
with a
very
large
ministry
and some
of you
know who
they
are. You
saw the
hand of
God
working
in this
couple;
yes this
was back
when we
were in
California.
Thank
You
Jesus
for the
work You
did in
this
family
and
thank
You Lord
that You
love us
so much
that You
allow
people
to come
into our
lives to
be a
Blessing!
Standing On Gods Word.....7/20/2011
Good
Morning
and
Blessings
Upon You
You
Don't
Need
Anything
Else
Besides
God!
-
"They came out with all their troops and a large number of
horses and chariots-a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the
seashore. All these kings joined forces and made camp
together at the Waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. The
LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, because by this
time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain.
You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots." So
Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly at the
Waters of Merom and attacked them, and the LORD gave them into
the hand of Israel. They defeated them and pursued them all the
way to Greater Sidon, to Misrephoth Maim, and to the Valley of
Mizpah on the east, until no survivors were left. Joshua did to
them as the LORD had directed: He hamstrung their horses and
burned their chariots." Joshua 11:4-9
God is
all you
need for
your
life and
for your
marriage
to be
restored,
to be
healed
and
moved to
the next
level!
Do you
believe
that
statement?
When you
study
the Old
Testament
you will
read
about
the men
of God,
but you
will
also
read
about
the many
different
battles
they
were in.
I love
to study
the Old
Testament,
because
God
always
protected
His
children
IF they
listened
and
followed
His
commands.
God's
people,
the
Israelites
were
God's
chosen
people.
In
Joshua
Chapter
11,
Joshua
was in
another
battle,
and in
the
natural
eye the
enemy
outnumbered
the
Israelites
with a
huge
army,
horses
and
chariots,
"as
numerous
as the
sand on
the
seashore."
That is
a lot of
people!
But
please
study
what the
Lord
said to
Joshua.
"Do not
be
afraid
of them,
because
by this
time
tomorrow
I will
hand all
of them
over to
Israel,
slain."
May you
take
that
word
today
for you,
regardless
of what
the
enemy is
attacking
you
with. Do
not be
afraid
of the
circumstances,
because
God is
all you
need!
God is
able to
do
anything!
You may
be a new
Christian
and do
not know
the
Bible
well,
but if
you will
discipline
yourself
by
praying
and
studying
the Word
daily,
God will
teach
you how
powerful
He is
all the
time.
You must
believe
and be
faithful
to your
Lord and
Savior.
In
Genesis,
Chapter
22,
study
how
Abraham
was
being
tested
in being
obedient
to what
the Lord
was
telling
him to
do by
sacrificing
his only
son,
Isaac.
Abraham
had to
reason
that God
could do
anything
and he
obeyed
his God.
I pray
that you
will
begin
the
process,
to begin
to know
God's
mighty
power as
your
Lord God
created
the
Heavens
and the
earth,
the
stars
and all
the sand
at the
seashore.
"Ah, Sovereign LORD , you have made the heavens and the earth
by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard
for you." Jeremiah 32:17
When you
start
thinking
about
the
magnitude
of what
these
scriptures
are
meaning,
you need
to start
praising
the Lord
that He
is on
your
side
because
God is
God!
Abraham
was
willing
to
sacrifice
his only
son,
Isaac,
to God.
He
obeyed
God and
had
faith in
God's
awesome
mighty
power
that his
God
could
bring
Isaac
back to
life!
Today I
pray
that you
will
totally
surrender
your
life to
the God
of
Abraham,
Isaac
and
Jacob,
Jesus
Christ
and the
Holy
Spirit,
believing
in the
Word of
God, and
knowing
that our
God can
restore
and
bring
back to
life
your
dead or
hurting
marriage.
Whatever
it is
your
life
that
needs
restoring
know
that God
can
restore
and make
it even
better!
Obedience
is so
important
in
standing
for your
marriage,
as you
must
obey the
Lord
moment
by
moment,
day by
day. The
same is
true for
your
life
whatever
it is
that you
are
believing
the Lord
for and
it is
according
to His
Will it
will be
done,
however
in His
time.
"The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second
time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD , that
because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your
only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as
numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the
seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities
of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on
earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."
Genesis 22:15-18
What a
promise
for us
today as
we are
his
descendants!
God
loves
and
cares
about
you.
He
created
and knew
you
before
you were
born.
He will
never
leave
you or
forsake
you.
His Love
you can
count
on!
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my
mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and
wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full
well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the
secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the
earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained
for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the
sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the
grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you."
Psalm 139:13-18
Today,
know for
certain
that God
created
you,
loves
you and
has a
plan and
purpose
for your
life.
He is
right
there
with you
now, so
do not
be
afraid
of what
is
happening.
Call on
your
Heavenly
Father
to
defend
and
protect
you from
the
enemy
who is
trying
to
destroy
you or
your
marriage.
Learn to
walk in
faith
and in
victory.
Be
comforted
that the
Lord
knows
all of
your
needs,
your
pain,
your
problems
and
fears.
Believe
in His
mighty
power
that
created
the
heavens
and the
earth
including
all the
sand on
the
seashore.
The Lord
God is
all you
need!
"By faith Abraham, even though he was past age-and Sarah
herself was barren-was enabled to become a father because he
considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from
this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as
numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand
on the seashore." Hebrews 11:11-12
Yes,
Sarah
gave
birth to
Isaac
when she
was 90
years of
age
because
she did
not look
at her
physical
inability
but
choose
to look
at Gods
greatness
and
faithfulness
to keep
His
Word. So
you too
today no
matter
the
mountain
before
you keep
your
eyes on
the
Lord, be
obedient
to His
Word,
pray to
Him,
keep the
Faith,
walk in
His
ways, do
His will
and know
that He
is all
you
need!
Standing On Gods Word.....7/27/2011
Don't Lose Your Hope!
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you
trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power
of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13
Are you being tempted to lose your hope? Are you ready
to give up, choosing to believe all Satan's lies and his
circumstances and not believe in God's truths and in the
promises of God? Have you lost your hope in the Lord
God today? Have you lost your hope in your life or
marriage today? Have you started losing your hope
believing that your spouse will listen and obey God's voice
to change and maybe even return home? I know you may
be battling the feelings and emotions of hopelessness, but
don't give up! Instead, ask the Holy Spirit to touch
your heart, your mind and your emotions right now to receive
God's truth and promises just for you or your marriage!
Our Lord God is a God of "hope"! And He is Great!
Are you tired or weary? Are you tired of all the
battles that you are having with your spouse, how about life
and there just "never" seems to be any peace in your life or
at home, or at least when your spouse is at home?
Do you need more strength to get through your daily
responsibilities with your children and all that they are
involved in plus your job and commitments? Ask the
Lord for His strength which only He can give you. Will
you chose to put all your hope in the Lord? He will
renew your strength! Let me share a powerful scripture
for you today:
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the
everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will
not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can
fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power
of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young
men
stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew
their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will
run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Isaiah 40:28-31
If you put all your hope in the Lord, you are going to trust
Him completely with your marriage, life and children.
Yes the Lord is the source of your help. He is your
refuge, your fortress. You will be able to raise above
all your problems like an eagle that soars into the sky.
This is our prayer everyday for those who are in a battle no
matter the size of that battle, "May the God of hope fill
each of you with His hope, joy and peace as nothing is too
hard for God. Amen." God is a God of hope!
"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He
alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will
not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is
my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge."
Psalm 62:5-8
What is "Hope?" In the Bible dictionary it says: the
confident expectancy. In the Bible, the word "hope"
stands for both the act of hoping and the things hoped for
in the future. Webster's Dictionary meaning says: a
feeling that what is wanted will happen; desire accompanied
by expectation. The things that one has a hope for.
A reason for hope. A person or thing on which
one may base some hope. Trust, Reliance.
In the Nelson's Three- In-One Bible Reference Companion the
meaning of hope is: reliance on God's blessing and
provision; the expectation of future good.
Wow, give me hope! My prayer is that you will have
"confident expectancy" which is putting all your confidence
in the Lord who will give you hope! Genuine hope is
not wishful thinking, but a firm assurance about things that
are unseen and still in the future to come! It does not
matter what you are facing today, place your hope on the
Lord, He will not only see you through He will be and bring
the Victory!
"We continually remember before our God and Father our work
produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your
endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."
I Thessalonians 1:3
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of
what we do not see." Hebrew 11:1
Praise the Lord for God's Word. There is power in
God's Word. Are you studying God's Word daily? Make
time to meditate on God's Word, by studying God's Word and
then start picking some powerful scriptures to memorize.
You will then be learning more each day and also growing in
the Lord.
What are you hoping for? Is your hope for your spouse
or your rebellious teenager to know the Lord? Is it
just life and all the things that it brings? Are you hoping,
trusting and believing that the Lord will bring your spouse
to a place where they will understand and know your love and
the love of the Lord. Are you hoping, trusting and believing
that the Lord will rebuild your marriage or your life on the
solid rock of Jesus Christ and move it up to the next level?
Do not give up on God. Do not look at your present
circumstances. Put your hope in the Lord and in the
Word of God.
"I have put my hope in your word." Psalm 119:74
Ask Him to fill you with all joy and peace so that you may
overflow with "hope" by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Now, believe, and He will resurrect and rebuild your life,
your marriage in His perfect timing! Remember, stand
firm with confident expectancy of your life your marriage
being restored suddenly!
"We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our
shield.
In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May
your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our
hope in you." Psalm 33:20-22
His name is Jesus and there is hope and power in His name!
Jesus loves you so much!
More to come...../a>
E-mail: info@inloveforever.org