I meant to share this awesome “Coffee Break” message from Lorraine Ezell here earlier this week, and since it’s SO important, late is most certainly better than never! As I’ve recently shared with many FAM Fellowship members, when we learn to rejoice no matter what–when we learn to give thanks in EVERYTHING because we know it’s GOD’S will concerning us in Christ Jesus as instructed in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NASB)–THEN our lives will be forever changed and we will experience and be blessed with all that Jesus came to make possible for us in Him and for His glory! So here’s another powerful message we all need to take to heart and put into practice as we stand in faith and obedience on the power and promise of God’s Word for the full and complete restoration of our marriages and families!

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“Rejoice In The Lord”
“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

Not everything that happens to us each day causes us to “rejoice”. There are situations that arise, events that take place, circumstances that occur that we can’t rejoice over. Today we might get a bad report from the doctor- that is nothing to rejoice over. Our teenage daughter might tell us she is pregnant out of wedlock- we can’t rejoice over that. We might find out our spouse has been cheating on us- no one can rejoice over that. The boss might give us the pink slip and tell us to pack up our things we no longer work for them- that is not something we can rejoice over either.

The scripture doesn’t tell us to rejoice about the bad things that come our way. It doesn’t mean we are to rejoice because some bad or evil thing happened. The rejoicing that it is talking about is in the Lord. In the Book of Philippians we are told to, “Rejoice in the Lord always”, and it is even repeated, “And again I say, rejoice”. The rejoicing is not in the thing that happened but in the Lord. I will rejoice because even though this or that happened it can’t separate me from the love of God-He will continue to love me. I will rejoice because, even though it was bad, the Lord will make all things work together for my good. I will rejoice because even though some terrible thing has formed against me, the Lord will see to it that it does not prosper. I can’t rejoice when evil comes, but I can rejoice in the Lord who will deliver me from evil. I can’t rejoice about the battles that rage against me, but I can rejoice in the Lord because He fights my battles for me. I will rejoice in the fact that the Lord is still in control- not my circumstances. I will rejoice in the Lord because I know He sees what is happening and will not leave me nor forsake me but will make a way for me. While I can’t rejoice about a bad thing that may happen in my life today, I can rejoice in the Lord who does not change and who is with me always. Therefore, I will rejoice in the Lord today even when bad things come my way.
Have a great day. Our rejoicing is in the faithfulness, goodness, tender mercies and grace of God- not in the bad things that happen.
For further reading:
Philippians 4:4
Isaiah 61:10
Psalm 97:12
Psalm 34:1-2
Habakkuk 3:17-19

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell, and available online and sent by email free of charge for the asking from About the Master’s Business Ministry, Inc.
So please feel free to call Lorraine at (601) 833-5278 or E-mail her at mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net
And you can visit her on the web at MastersBusiness.org.

Since one of the most challenging, yet most powerful and life changing principles promoted in FAMM is that we are NOT victims of our circumstances–that we are instead VICTORS IN JESUS CHRIST, I strongly encourage every man and woman standing for marriage restoration to watch Charles Stanley’s TV broadcast message from this past weekend, entitled Wisdom For Life’s Trials. It’s such an awesome message and another powerful example of God’s unfailing faithfulness to uphold and confirm so much of what we’ve been discussing recently in the FAM Fellowship; particularly at our FAM Reunion in Fort Lauderdale last month.

while that’s often a very difficult message to receive when we feel so devastated and the pain of marital unfaithfulness is so fresh, it’s a vitally important biblical principle for everyone standing in faith and obedience on the power and promise of God’s Word for marriage restoration to grasp. Otherwise, we are in effect denying Christ because as with most challenging issues for all of us as Christians, especially when we find ourselves in the midst of trying circumstances, it all boils down to whether or not we believe God and that NO wisdom, NO insight and NO plan can succeed against the Lord as declared in Proverbs 21:30. One reason what we believe is so vitally important is found in what Jesus said in Matthew 9:29… “According to your faith will it be done to you”. And then in Mark 11:24-25, Jesus said “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Forgiveness is so important to all of us as hurt and abandoned spouses because our failure and inability to forgive those who have hurt us causes us to wallow in self-pity, pride and self-righteousness and buy into the devil’s lies that we are victims and not the victors Jesus came to make us. And when we consider the wisdom and truth of Luke 6:45 and what God said in Numbers 14:28, there can be no doubt that what we believe and speak will ultimately be brought to fruition in our lives as further confirmed in Proverbs 18:20-21. So our failure to believe and put our faith in God and His unfailing faithfulness to uphold His Word is like denying Jesus because as we’re taught in Hebrews 11:6, And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Since Dr. Stanley covers this in such great detail and makes it so easy to understand, and it’s a very important message and concept for all of us to get, please take the time to listen to his powerful message…and more than once!!! As a further learning tool, here’s his Sermon Outline.

Truly understanding how God uses even the most difficult times in our lives for good, that He has EVERYTHING in His control, and learning to trust and obey Him no matter what, is life changing, so be blessed and encouraged as you open your heart, mind and spirit to receive this powerful message and walk it out in your life and circumstances.