Over the last twenty-two years Pam and I have had a front row seat watching God intercede and heal couples who had given up on their marriages. They were mentally, emotionally exhausted, exasperated by one another that only God’s intervention could put them back together. A number of these couples had filed for divorce. They were done! Eventually, they allowed God to step in at 11:59 and heal their relationship. Step by step, with His guidance their marriage not only was mended but developed a freshness and newness that neither of them ever expected. 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone (including their marriage) is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
Pam and I often told these couples that we were like lifeguards. When they became emotionally and mentally depleted, we could jump in with God’s guidance to help them save their marriage at 11:59. Ephesians 2:8-10 is applicable to these situations, 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. The grace and mercy of Jesus applied by faith (not by their selfish works) saved these marriages. These folks realized their marriages were God’s handiwork, created to do good works.
Needless to say, 11:59 applies to individuals. When an individual finally gives up recognizing that the best of their efforts has been useless and turns to Jesus, God is allowed to take over their lives making them into a “new creature” and “God’s handiwork”.
11:59 occurred throughout scripture. Some examples are God waited until Abraham and Sarah were past childbearing age before He blessed them with Isaac. Jacob recognized that his family was at a point of starvation because of a two year worldwide drought without hope that the climate would change. “Shockingly”, he discovered that his son, Joseph, whom he thought was dead, had become the Prime Minister of Egypt. God’s people were saved by a man whom He had been raised up twenty-two years before 11:59.
Was there any hope for the Christian church? Would it be decimated by the Hebrew leadership? Christians dispersed throughout the world so that they would not be murdered. Yet, God saved the main villain, Saul who became Paul. At 11:59, he raised up this Type-A scholar with an unbelievable drive to succeed. Paul ended up saving the church and authored thirteen letters which became the core teaching of the New Testament.
Are you personally or is your marriage at 11:59? If so, give up the control of your life and turn it over to Jesus. The results? You will discover 11:59 will become the best moment of your life. Two wonderful 11:59 bible verses are Proverbs 3:5&6, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Barnabas Man 