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Permanency of Marriage

The teaching of Jesus Christ on marriage and divorce.

A Publication of the Embassy of Heaven Church

Published in the Kingdom of Heaven

Year of Our Lord, 1993

CONTENTS

Introduction
Building on marriage or adultery?
One flesh for life
Leaving loved ones for the Kingdom
What is marriage?
Case Histories
Questions and Answers on marriage
Change of heart
Conclusion
Scriptures on divorce and remarriage

Introduction

Dear Friend,

     May the Grace and Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. We live in a time when the family kingdoms under God are being destroyed. Men and women have been deceived into believing the lie that they may freely divorce and remarry. God's word stresses that once we marry, we are married until death do us part.

     This booklet is a compilation of newsletter articles on what the Savior has revealed on the permanency of marriage. The understanding of this message may involve making major changes in your life. We pray that His Way is revealed to you.

     We know it is the adversary's job to cause feelings of discouragement, hopelessness, desperation and anger. He likes to cause people to make rash, forced decisions for which they may later pay dearly. He tells them that they must ACT NOW!

     The work of the Holy Spirit is not like this. His purpose is to reveal sin that needs to be dealt with, that a person might have abundant life. He will convict only for the purpose of showing God's divine standard and encouraging us to desire that standard in our lives. The fact that He shows us our sin is evidence of God's great love for us.

     Therefore, if you feel condemned, hopeless or helpless upon reading this message, or compelled to act rashly, know that this is not God.

     I cannot tell you how the Holy Spirit will direct you. I only know it will always be consistent with the Word of God, but uniquely patterned for you. However He directs you (and it may be hard) it will be with a deep, inward peace and conviction that this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

     Our prayers are with you.

     In the name of Jesus Christ,
     EMBASSY OF HEAVEN
     Paul Revere, Pastor

Building on marriage or adultery?

     Once upon a time there were two houses, both of them were called marriage. In the first marriage, there was a happy couple who had birthed many children and acquired much property. In the second marriage was another happy couple with children and much property. The storms came and beat upon each of these marriages. The first marriage stood. The second fell with destruction. One was founded on marriage. The other was founded upon adultery.

     We look upon the second marriage, the one founded on adultery. The woman was divorced and then married the man she now calls her husband. But God could not make her ONE FLESH with this new man. She was still ONE FLESH with the husband of her youth until death do they part. In God's eyes she is in an adulterous relationship. Even though this woman received a state-sanctioned divorce and then married again by the authority of a state marriage license, God does not recognize this second marriage. He calls it adultery:

     We are in awe that God would not recognize this home since the couple has done so many wonderful things. They have four sweet children. They have done many works in Christ's name. But their foundation is built on sand. And so it falls. And great is its destruction. No matter how wonderful and beautiful the relationship, it is not founded on the covenant of marriage. The man married a woman who was not free to marry because she was divorced from her husband. When he married her, he entered into adultery.

     During the last months, the Church has been flooded with materials on marriage and adultery. We are in much prayer and study as we look within and without the Church. We see families everywhere who have built empires upon false foundations. They have built many things together and our hearts weep for them because they are not in their first marriage. But how do we argue with the Word of God? Apostle Paul said they are adulterers and adulteresses unless their first partners have died.

     It is true that the state allows their people to have multiple husbands and wives. They have legalized polygamy, as long as it is done in stages. But that doesn't change the Word of God. Marriage is for life. Apostle Paul warns us not to be deceived about this,

     The Lord desired from the beginning that marriage be founded upon His institution of wedlock and no other. Nowhere in the New Testament do we find that remarriage is recognized unless one of the partners dies. Unless the parties are lawfully married according to the eyes of God, it is no marriage at all. No matter what they build, it is still not built upon marriage. It is built on something other than marriage. It is built on what Jesus calls adultery.

     Knowingly or unknowingly these people who are on their second marriages have built beautiful homes, but they didn't build them on rock. They will be destroyed. They cannot be saved unless they repent and sin no more. And everybody will stand back and weep at the destruction.

Not judged by how we feel

     Those who are on their second or third marriages say they feel no guilt. "I don't care what you say," they tell me. "I'm divorced and remarried and feel no condemnation."

     I can only say that we will not be judged by how we feel. We will be judged by the Word of God. If the Words of Jesus and Apostle Paul on adultery are true, then those who do not repent of their adulterous relationships, will be lost for eternity.

     If we are to be repentant, we must leave all adulterous relationships and either be reunited with our first spouse or remain single. If we remain in adultery, how can we claim to be new creatures in Christ? If anyone is truly in Christ, he will not continue in sin. "Let everyone that names the name of Christ DEPART FROM INIQUITY" (2 Timothy 2:19). New creatures in Christ would not remain in adulterous relationships. They would go and sin no more.

Building on a false foundation

     The preaching of God's word on divorce and remarriage is bringing many to their knees in sorrow. They are opening their Bibles and finding that God has never approved a second marriage while their original spouse still lives.

     "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?' So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate" (Matthew 19:4-6).

     The sin arises when you have become one flesh, separate, and then join with another. For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. If while her husband lives, she marries another man, she is called an adulteress (Romans 7:2,3). To live as man and wife when one or both partners have previous spouses that are still alive, is to live in adultery. You are building a new relationship on a false foundation that Jesus calls adultery (Luke 16:18).

     You desire God to forgive your first marriage so that your second relationship will stand. But it will not stand because it is built on adultery. You cannot expect God to forgive your original marriage, because it was lawful in the eyes of God. To return to God's favor, you must repent of your second relationship and either remain single or be rejoined to your true spouse.

     We are saddened by "families" being broken up over this issue. But if a "marriage" is being built on the foundation of adultery, instead of God's foundation of being married "until death do us part," then the foundation is sand and will not stand on judgement day. Your original marriage is the marriage recognized by God. God made you one flesh for life because He seeks Godly offspring:

     We urge you in Christ's name to examine your own marriage and see if it is based on the Biblical foundation of one man and one woman married for life.

     If you find your marriage is not based on a Godly foundation because you formed a union while an original spouse was still alive, then you must repent of this "marriage." In God's eyes it is not a marriage. It is adultery. If children were born of this adulterous relationship, they are born out of wedlock and are bastards. However, you are still responsible for them. There are many other concerns that must also be worked out. But the first step is to acknowledge the sin and then ask God's forgiveness and guidance as you seek to return to His favor.

One flesh for life

     The following is a practical illustration of what the New Testament teaches on fornication, marriage and adultery:

     Through the marriage vows, God has made Janey one flesh with Joe and what God has joined together let no man tear apart (Matthew 19:6). Janey was not free to marry Rocky. She is still married to Joe until Joe dies. If Janey and Rocky repent of their adulterous relationship and sin no more, God will forgive them.

     If Janey wants to return to God's favor, she has two choices: remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband (1 Corinthians 7:11).

     If Rocky wants to return to God's favor, he must separate from Janey. Assuming Rocky has never been married, he is free to marry another because his marriage to Janey was not marriage in God's eyes.

Background

     When Joe and Janey were married, they were young and foolish. Neither believed in Jesus Christ. Yet they did make a solemn commitment to be faithful to each other "until death do us part." There is a price to be paid on judgement day if that commitment is violated by marrying another.

     Joe and Janey also bought a house and made a commitment to pay a 30-year mortgage. If the terms of that mortgage are not met, there is a price to be paid. They cannot just make the excuse that they were young and foolish and be relieved of their commitment. No, they will have to uphold their commitment or lose the house.

     When we get married, it is not just a 30-year commitment. It is a commitment for life. As the years go by, we may find our spouse less than ideal. Many problems arise and we see other potential partners who are far better suited to our tastes. But unlike the 30-year mortgage, we cannot close out the first obligation (marriage) and step into a new one.

     If you are married to an unbeliever, but they are willing to live with you, you are not to obtain a divorce (1 Corinthians 7:12-13). If the unbeliever departs, let them go. You are not forced to live with them (1 Corinthians 7:15). However, nowhere in scripture does it say that once they have departed, you are free to marry another.

Leaving loved ones for the Kingdom

     One of the most difficult parts of our ministry is acknowledging what the Word of God says about marriage and divorce. We live in a generation where divorce and remarriage are accepted by society and the church. But it was not always so. Historically, the church upheld what Jesus and Paul preached - if anyone remarried while their spouse was still alive, they committed adultery. It has only been during the last 50 years that the church has relaxed her standards and allowed remarried couples to join the church.

     The following story is one couple's response after studying God's word on marriage and divorce. Eric and Kathy have decided they can no longer continue to live as man and wife:

     Some changes have developed here regarding my relationship with Kathy. You were very gentle about remarriage in your newsletters, but you were right. After reading the Word of God about divorce and remarriage and praying about it, Kathy and I have decided to separate. I am presently working on another place for her to live, realizing that our former spouses still live. That is a major change which I feel the Lord will honor.

     It is the dead of winter now and there is no particular place for her to go, but Lord willing there is a house that is coming up for rent in April. I am going to be sleeping in my study and we are working things out from there. It is right brother, and it is what needs to be done. It is very clear from the Word of God.

     Another change is that Kathy has decided to put her children back in public school. I am sorry that she has elected to put them back into a state school, but looking at it from a practical standpoint, she has no choice. She has no man. She has no husband.

     She needs to be reconciled to her husband - but he is terrible. He is a drinker and has a married woman for his girlfriend. It is just one awful thing after another. Unless he is saved and repents, there is no possibility of reconciliation.

     The fact of the matter is that Kathy and I must separate because that is now the revealed will of God. And because we are separating, she cannot educate her children at home because she will probably have to do some work to pay bills in addition to his support payments. Practically speaking, that is what is going to have to happen. That is why claiming residency in Heaven can only work with a husband and a wife properly married and subject to the Lord.

     I have done some reading on what the church's position on remarriage has been in the past. Absolutely, almost 99 percent of the time, no church member was ever allowed to remarry while their spouse was still alive, with the one possible exception of "abandonment" under the Westminister Confession of Faith. It has only been within the last fifty years that churches have accepted into membership those who have remarried.

     The truth of the matter is that what you have been saying in your newsletters is exactly what the Lord says. If a person is married to another person while their spouse lives, even if they were legally divorced, they are committing adultery. It is as clear as a bell in the Word of God: "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery" Luke 16:18.

     When God looks on the situation, He sees a nation of adulterers. And they have justified their adultery under the name of marriage, under the guise of marriage. They are deceiving themselves into thinking that they are not sinning.

     I look around and I see what has happened in this country. I see no power of God in any churches. I see no evidence of His movings - even in the most fundamental circles. Could the reason be that most of God's people are living in a condition of adultery?

     I attend a church periodically and I would say that over 50 percent of the couples there are remarried. Is it any wonder why going to church becomes just a humdrum religious event? These people are walking in disobedience and the pastors are afraid to preach against this sin because they are going to lose their members. And if they lose their members, they are going to lose their offerings. And if they lose their offerings, then they are out on the street. They will have to go to work. After all, preaching is a job, like any other job. I just see it as one great big vicious cycle - and I am contributing to it in this fashion.

     I don't think marriage can work unless it is a first marriage - one husband, one wife and children. When you have another spouse trying to tell these children from another marriage what they need to do, you have a problem. It is just not natural. That is why remarriage is an unnatural state of affairs. In spite of the fact that she is a lovely wife, it cannot work. I see why the apostle Paul said, "better to remain as you are" (1 Corinthians 7:26,27). If you have been divorced, seek not a wife. If you do, you are asking for a whole host of complications that will impair you from being able to do the will of God in other areas.

     I think as far as being divorced and not being able to remarry, you have to get your eyes off of self. This is another classic example of the state granting you a privilege that God has forbidden. This shows again that the state is in conflict with the Word of God. By people's lives, they evidence what privileges they want and remarriage is one of those privileges.

     I was just reading a book on humanism and one of the things they promote is divorce and remarriage. Humanism is Romanism under the guise of another title. Everything centers in man, begins in man and ends in man.

     In your Thanksgiving newsletter, No. 925, I was reading about the lesbian woman. Of course she is in obvious error - but the day is coming when that evil will be looked upon as acceptable behavior. Just as divorce at one time was looked upon as horrid, now it is okay. It is just one thing after another.

     In your response to her, you said her brother was on his third marriage. Well, if remarriage is wrong on the third marriage, why would it not be wrong on the second? When does it become wrong? Does it become wrong on the second or the third or the fourth? Remarriage is wrong the second time, while the spouse is yet alive.

     The truth is the truth and if we really love the Lord we will do His commandments. If we really love the person we have been living with, we will do what is best for them. That is, we will keep the Lord's commandments, and not be selfish.

     Kathy and I were talking, "Well, maybe we should look for the blessing of the Lord." I said, "We don't have to look for anything from God, He has revealed it in His Word. What more do we need?" If it was something like, "Go to Africa and be a missionary," then we would look for certain leadings and evidences of His leading that way. But when it is so obvious and plain that He puts it in His Word, there is no need for any further confirmation.

Christ's servant,
Eric

Reader Disagrees

     The following letter was received in response to the above article:

Paul and Rachel,

     Greetings. Just received your newsletter. My heart is troubled to read of the split-up of Kathy and Eric. Your false teaching in this matter of marriage and adultery is bearing its fruit.

     In the pure sense, the man with whom a woman first had physical relations is her first "marriage." Your wife, Rachel, if applicable, would need to go back to this man if we followed your argument.

     God forgives as we repent. Your false teaching is destroying Godly unions (children and spouses). It promotes public school as women are left alone to fumble in confusion, and the parents' actions turn children away from God as they live with and witness these confused parents.

     Unless you publicly repent of this false teaching, please remove us from your mail list.

Carol

Dear Carol,

     You stated that the man with whom a woman first had physical relations is her first "marriage." We disagree. Having sexual intercourse does not make two people married. Marriage involves making a lifetime commitment to each other. When two unmarried people have sexual intercourse, each of them commits the sin of fornication. Fornication is a sin that God will forgive if we repent.

     In the Old Testament, if a man lays with a damsel who is a virgin, and not betrothed, and they are found out, the law compelled the man to make her his wife.

     The Mosaic law that compelled the couple to marry was an attempt to right a wrong. However, the act of having sexual intercourse did not make them married. They still needed to participate in some form of marriage ceremony.

     Jesus taught that a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife until death do they part. If the couple did not make such a lifetime commitment to be joined as one flesh, they were not married.

     As far as Kathy enrolling her children in public school, we do not approve. Separating from an ungodly relationship is not an excuse to send the children back to the foreign schools of the state.

     Carol, I will not recant the word of God. Therefore, we have removed you from our mailing list as you requested. If you desire to receive further newsletters, please contact us. PR

What is marriage?

     When I counsel young couples, I ask them, "What is marriage?" They may give me many romantic ideas about marriage, but they often miss the foundation.

     Marriage is a commitment. It is an allegiance bonding two into one flesh. Marriage does not depend on whether you have good times or bad times together. You are still married. Through sickness or health, the commitment remains. No matter what happens through the years, you are married until death do you part.

     It is the same with us as we become the Bride of Christ. It is immaterial what our walk is with Christ. We are walking with Christ through good times and bad. Apostle Paul asks, "What will separate us from the love of Christ?" (Romans 8:35) He concludes that nothing will separate us. Our walk with Christ is for all eternity.

State promotes adultery

     In the early 70's, lawyers were drinking and partying because of a new law that was going to greatly increase their business. My wife, Rachel, came home from the law offices where she worked and said the new law would make it possible for residents of Oregon to receive a divorce much easier. Under the new provisions, a divorce could be granted simply because the couple was having "irreconcilable differences."

     Prior to the passage of this law, it was time-consuming and expensive to obtain a divorce. The state recognized a Godly form of marriage. Once united, the couple was bound "until death do us part." A divorce was granted only for a few specific reasons, usually because of marital unfaithfulness. And this charge had to be proved.

     Why were the lawyers jumping up and down about the new divorce law? They knew that having easy divorce meant more people divorcing and more revenue for lawyers. Now, 20 years later we are seeing the fruit of this law upon this adulterous generation.

Staged Polygamy

     The problem we are dealing with, is that the state does not acknowledge true marriage. The state has made an abomination of marriage. The state is promoting polygamy. Not bigamy, but polygamy. Polygamy means having two or more wives or husbands at the same time.

     The state has made a revenue base out of man's desire to have multiple marriages. They say, "You can have polygamy, but you must stage out your wives. For a small fee we will give you a marriage license and for a greater fee we will grant you a divorce," which is no divorce at all.

     Once you obtain the paper saying you are divorced, you can legally sleep with another woman and have children by that woman. However, you are still obligated to continue financing the previous wife and children. When you finish with that wife, you pay the state more fees and obtain a second divorce. Then you remarry with another small fee and when you tire of her, you pay the state the larger fee to set you free to marry a third time. This continues on, and all the while the state makes volumes of revenue off of your polygamy.

     As a Christian, I do not recognize this form of multiple marriages. I cannot find anything in the Holy Scriptures that describes what the state promotes. Unfortunately, what the state is doing is allowing people to believe that they are able to "undo" a marriage and then unite with another partner. But the state has problems because they are still subject to God. The state recognizes that you cannot just walk away from a marriage. You still have responsibilities to your wife and children. If you are a divorced male, you become entangled in child support payments, visitation rights and a host of other problems. You try to start a new life with a new spouse, but the old marriage does not die. Life becomes nothing but a nightmare for all those involved. And the children suffer greatly.

     Not only does the state promote these ungodly relationships, but the corporate churches condone them. The state has a harlot known as the churches and they are riding upon the state. The preachers of these churches are aligned with the state in promoting polygamy. They are binding people together in the name of the state, instead of the Lord Jesus Christ. They marry people under the authority of a state marriage license. The harlot Church cannot preach the word of God on marriage because they are beholden to the state. They don't want to lose their tax exempt status and other benefits. Therefore, they go along with the state's ideas on marriage and divorce.

     What I have described is happening all over America. It is Sodom and Gomorrah, a "wicked and adulterous generation." The men are like well-fed lusty stallions; every one neighing after his neighbor's wife (Jeremiah 5:8).

     An adulterous generation is attacking the very heart of the forest. The trees in this forest are now diseased. The trees no longer have loyalty to another human being. If you have no loyalty to your original marriage or to your spouse or your offspring, then neither will you have loyalty to Jesus Christ or God the Father. Because of "irreconcilable differences," you part company and do whatever you want.

     I have an old saying, "Whatever you see in a microscope, is also true in a telescope." If you can look into a microscope and see an atom with all its electrons moving around, it looks just like the solar system with the planets traveling around the sun. It is just on a different scale.

     We are talking about the same thing in our family relations and in our relationship with God. On the small scale of a microscope, we see a family being destroyed because the husband and wife have no more loyalty to each other. We see a couple who are one flesh being ripped and torn apart.

     On the large scale of the telescope, we see men and women being ripped and torn apart from God Almighty. Once they were bonded to God, but then "irreconcilable differences," arose and they divorced God and married other gods. Now they are committing idolatry. Idolatry in the large realm of God is the same as adultery in the small realm of family. In the microscope we see the destruction of the family, in the telescope we see the destruction of society.

Are there exceptions to marriage law?

     Doesn't Matthew 19:9 allow a man to divorce his wife if she commits adultery?

     No. The New Testament gives no grounds for divorce. When Jesus made an exception to the marriage law at Matthew 5:32 and 19:9, it was for a betrothed wife, not a real wife.

Betrothed wife

     To understand why the word WIFE is used at Matthew 5:32 and 19:9, we need to know a little about Jewish customs because Matthew was writing to a Jewish audience. Jews had a social practice called "BETROTHAL," which is similar to engagement today. Betrothal starts when a couple agrees to give themselves to each other in marriage and ends in the actual marriage. Jewish betrothal is different from modern-day engagement in one significant way. Once a couple was betrothed, they were regarded by the rest of society as "one flesh" and were called husband and wife. Usually within a year to eighteen months after becoming betrothed, the couple consummated the marriage.

     In modern society during the period of engagement, if the couple change their minds, they break up and start over again. In Jewish society, however, once a couple is betrothed, they could not just call it quits. A betrothed couple in Jewish society had to obtain a LEGAL DIVORCE. Even though they were only engaged and had never lived together as man and wife, they were considered married and must get a divorce if they wanted to separate. This custom can be proved from the scriptures.

Mary is called "wife"

     Look at Matthew 1:18-20 and 24-25. Here is a passage most of us have read many times and possibly missed a powerful truth that reveals this Jewish custom. Notice that Joseph and Mary are called HUSBAND and WIFE, even though they were only betrothed or engaged:

     Notice that even though they had not yet consummated the marriage, Joseph was considering divorcing Mary.

     Jesus, being raised in Jewish society, was aware of this Jewish custom of being considered husband and wife during the betrothal period. Matthew records this special provision, not as a universal exception, but only as a clarification to the Jews concerning the betrothal relationship. The exception is for a betrothed couple when FORNICATION is committed BEFORE their marriage vows make them one flesh for life. The principle of the permanency of marriage that Jesus teaches applies only to those who have consummated their marriage, not to those who are merely betrothed.

No exception in parallel passages

     With this understanding of Jewish custom, Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 concur with the other parallel passages of Luke 16:18 and Mark 10:11. If we take out the "EXCEPT IT BE FOR FORNICATION" clause, then Matthew 19:9 is almost identical to Luke 16:18:

     Matthew 19:9 appears to make an exception to the marriage covenant that is not made in the parallel passages at Mark 10:11 and Luke 16:18. But when the passage is viewed without the exception clause, it harmonizes with the rest of the New Testament teachings on marriage.

Fornication vs adultery

     Another reason we know the exception clause is referring to a BETROTHED WIFE and not a real wife, is that Jesus makes the exception for FORNICATION, not for adultery. FORNICATION is illicit sex between an UNMARRIED couple. If Jesus was referring to a real wife, why didn't He say "except it be for adultery"?

     The word translated "fornication" is "porneia" in Greek. "Porneia" generally means illicit sexual relations between an UNMARRIED couple. If a real wife were unfaithful, she would commit adultery, not fornication.

     The modern translations sometimes confuse the issue because they translate the Greek word PORNEIA not as fornication, but as the general term "sexual immorality." However, none of the modern translations we have seen translate PORNEIA as adultery.

     If Jesus meant to say adultery is grounds for divorce, why wasn't a derivative of the Greek word "Moichao" used? That is the word translated as adultery in the same verse. "Moichao" (adultery) occurs when a married person violates wedlock.

     Let us assume that fornication means adultery in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9. Then we could assume that if a spouse commits adultery, it is grounds for divorce and subsequently, remarriage. But how can this be? It flies in the face of what Jesus and Apostle Paul speak about so clearly elsewhere in the New Testament. Earlier in Matthew, Chapter 19, verse 6, Jesus says that a man and woman are joined as one flesh and no man can divide them. To seek a divorce, is to allow a man to separate what God has put together. Both Jesus and Apostle Paul teach that those who divorce and marry another commit adultery. Once the marriage has been consummated, there are no escape clauses. Marriage is until death do you part.

Only death ends marriage

     Paul confirms Jesus' teaching of being one flesh for life by saying in effect:

     If you separate, stay single or reunite with your only spouse, for if you do remarry before your partner dies, you are an adulterer or an adulteress; and adulterers SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD. (See 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and 7:11)

     When one becomes a eunuch, he cannot go back to his former state. When one marries, they cannot go back to the unmarried state. Marriage is permanent. No wonder Christ's disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry" (Matthew 19:10).

     Does Jesus allow a man to divorce his wife because of adultery? No, the scripture remains true, the only way out of marriage is death.

The blood covenant

     Marriage is founded upon the commitment of a man and a woman giving their lives and their fortunes to each other, binding them into one whole. The woman comes under the covering of the man. The man has an obligation to that woman, "till death do they part," to be her covering. He is to take care of her and to have children by her, through good times and bad times, through health and in sickness. He is not going to be able to have just the good times. He is also going to have to go through the bad times. Marriage does not hinge upon whether it is an exciting time or an unexciting time. Marriage remains a lifetime commitment that is not dependent upon circumstances.

     Marriage is a covenant between two people. Some say it is a "blood covenant." The woman, a virgin, spills her blood on their wedding night. Blood binds the covenant. This is not always true because there are situations where a spouse dies, and the other is free to remarry. In that instance, if the widow remarries, there is no blood spilt, but there is still a covenant, "until death do us part."

No sin in first marriage

     What about all of the families who followed the state and thought they could divorce and remarry? People come up to me and say, "I wasn't a Christian back in the days of my first marriage. Now I'm on my second marriage. Is my first marriage forgiven so that I can remain with my second wife?"

     I ask one question. What is there to forgive on your first marriage? Is it not your lawful marriage? There is nothing to forgive. What are you asking for? You are asking to remain in adultery. I find everybody looking for justification to remain in adultery. If you have a problem, why not seek out the way you can undo your adultery? The first step is to leave the adulterous relationship. If there are children involved, you are still responsible for them, but cut out the adultery. Walk away from it. You cannot remain there.

     That is step number one. That is repentance. To repent of an adulterous relationship, is to quit committing adultery. It is like everything else. If you are angry, how do you repent of anger? You quit being angry. To have a repentant attitude, is to quit doing it. If you find you are an alcoholic, what is repentance? Quit drinking. Stop going to the persons, places and things that cause you to drink. The same thing is true with an adulterous relationship. If you are in adultery, how do you repent? You must leave the relationship. That is step number one.

     What if you want to be married? Then go back to your original wife or husband.

     "But they have already remarried," you say.

     Who married them? God does not recognize their marriage. They are in an adulterous relationship. It is an adulterous generation. Everybody is in adultery and it seems nobody is sleeping with their God-ordained partner.

     The problem is that the state, who has been promoting polygamy in a structured manner, is also going to prevent you from going back to your spouse. What you are fighting is not God. You are fighting the state. And the state is fighting God.

Case Histories

     The palaces of kings are built upon the ruins of paradise. Thomas Paine

     I know a family who has been made merchandise by the state. The man and woman came together and made their vows, "till death do us part." They supposedly had a Christian relationship. They have two children, one boy and one girl. Somewhere along the way things become really awful. The woman decides that she cannot stand the man anymore. She wants out of their relationship. She tries to figure out how to get rid of her husband.

     She is persuaded to claim her husband is a child abuser. He denies the charge. "What? Me a child abuser? No way, I love my children," he says.

     The wife kicks out her husband and runs to the state for welfare assistance. She finds a lawyer who puts out a restraining order that prevents the husband from seeing his children. In the meantime, she is filing divorce papers saying, "I don't want to see that guy anymore." The grounds? "Irreconcilable differences and he is a pervert. He plays with little children."

     There has been no evidence, no proof of any kind. It really doesn't matter anyway, because they are still married, for better or worse. However, the state is involved and they are going to be her covering instead of her husband. The state proceeds ahead and grants her a divorce, whatever that means.

     The husband is now under a restraining order so that he cannot see his children and the state is demanding child support and threatening him with jail if he does not comply.

     The husband is outraged. He skips the country to get his head back in order. He ponders, "How do I get my children back? Do I have to steal my own children?" Finally, he realizes that would not be smart. He might spend many years in prison if he is caught.

     The state was instrumental in breaking up his marriage. And now the state is keeping his family apart. He feels powerless. A little later his wife meets another man. She thinks she is free to marry this new man. Her true husband is looking at himself and saying, "Here I am, a victim of this whole thing. I want my wife and children back, but they are inaccessible."

     He goes back to mommy and daddy's house, a beaten man. He lives with them. He is afraid to even step outside and look at a woman because he wants his wife. The question becomes, does he believe what the state did? His wife is no longer available. Everybody in the world says that they are divorced and that he has been set free of his marriage vows. But according to the Christian religion, there was no divorce. It was all lies and all the lies were promoted by the state.

     Here is a destroyed man, all at the expense of the state. The state, who claims to be our protector, is no protector at all. Only time will tell how the Lord is going to use this man. Maybe the Lord wants him to be single or separated from his wife. Perhaps the Lord has some work for him to do in the ministry, all is not lost. We have to remember that for the sake of the Gospel this man might be in a position where he is required to live a life apart from his wife and children. If this man remarries, then he will have believed the state, rather than the teachings of Jesus Christ.

     There might come a time in the future, that his wife repents of her foolishness and comes back to him. But maybe she will never come back, it is in the Lord's hands. If the husband moves in with another woman and pretends to be married to her, it will make it much more difficult to make the long trek back to his true and lawful Christian wife.

Woman not eligible to marry again

     There are other situations which come to mind. There is another family where the woman was married and had one child. The man was not being responsible and, for whatever cause, he took off and left her without a covering. She was then forced to go to work and leave the child with her parents.

     In the meantime, a fine young Christian man of upright character found her and took pity upon her situation. He told her, "I will marry you. I will put you under my covering." He is raising the child as his own and together they are raising three more children. They have lived together for approximately seven years.

     Was this man's marriage approved by God? No. Jesus says that anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery (Luke 16:18). This man with good intent, is living an adulterous life. When he finds out his sin, he has some major decisions to make. He must either continue living in adultery, or move out.

     The woman has been living in adultery. She is not with her husband. The man has never been married in the eyes of God, even though the state considers him married. He has been in fornication the whole time. No, not adultery, but fornication because he has never been lawfully married. He is a fornicator. He is living with a married woman. There are four children involved. He has to decide if he is going to continue to live in sin, or if he is going to remove himself from the sinful relationship and repent.

     Someone says, "Oh, how can you possibly say these kinds of things. Look at the trouble these people are in. How can this be a loving God?" I say these people should have thought about it before they did what they did. We do have a loving God, but we have disobeyed Him. He disapproves of this adulterous generation. He disapproves of it so much He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. He will also destroy the United States if it continues in its course.

     Where should this man go in his situation? Number one, if he is going to be repentant, he must quit his relationship with this woman. He still has a responsibility to the children. They need to be raised. He has a financial responsibility to them. This man is free to marry. He can marry any believer who has not been previously married.

     The woman is still a married woman. She only has one husband and she needs to relocate him. Otherwise, she lives a separate life and her husband also leads a separate life. Even though it is a hard life, living as a single person is an option. God sanctions living separately. God also says that if you are going to come together as one flesh, it is for life. Divorce and remarriage are not an option.

God is our true husband

     I know what is going on in your mind. You are thinking, "How can God be so cruel?" Are you telling me that God is cruel because he sanctions one marriage for life? Do you think God would sanction polygamy? If God sanctioned polygamy, He would also sanction that you could worship other gods. And you could stage them the way you wanted. No, God is a jealous God. He wants your entire allegiance.

     You have to remember, God divorced Israel. He was unhappy. He was distraught with Israel because Israel was in rebellion to God. By His grace, He said, "I will take you back if you are repentant." God isn't going to marry anyone else. He is going to take His wife back, but it is based upon your repentance. He is saying, "I don't want you out there committing adultery." In spiritual realms, it is known as idolatry. If we continue to worship the state as a god, then God Almighty is distraught with us. He will have nothing to do with us. He effectively divorces us because He does not have our full loyalty.

     We have to remember, God is our true Husband. If God is going to take us back, then we have to repent. God has the absolute right to put us away. He does not have to receive us back for our adultery or for our idolatry. He can put us away forever, eternally. But the Gospel grace is that He sent His Son to make a blood covenant with us. God said, "I will remarry you. This is My grace. This is My love. This is My mercy. You have no excuse for your idolatry. But by My grace, I want you to repent and put aside your sins and I will receive you."

     Meanwhile the state, as your adversary, is busy painting castles in the air, trying to convince you that God doesn't really want you back. The state says, "God is harsh. God is unmerciful. But we are merciful. We will let you have polygamy."

Destroying what you admire

     It reminds me of a story. A woman admired a young man. This young man had four children and a wife - a very happy, stable family. And this woman was very jealous of this family. She wanted this man for herself. She sought to persuade this man to marry her. She worked diligently to tempt this man to leave his wife and children. She presented herself as a luscious, beautiful woman. She fed his ego and did everything she could to tear him away from his wife and children. One day, she finally succeeds. The man leaves his wife and children and marries her.

     Do you know what happened? She lost the very thing that she tried to gain. The man is no longer loyal. The man is now a sluggard. The man has no further respect for marriage. The man is an adulterer. He has literally been destroyed. This woman, in the process of gaining this man's affection, destroyed all the qualities she admired in him.

     Who are the players? The state is the seducing woman. The state is jealous of the love we have for God and His Kingdom. For the state to gain our loyalty, it must persuade us to hate our Father in Heaven and leave Him and commit idolatry with the state. That is what the state has done. When the state gains our allegiance, what are we? We are unloyal, unfaithful idolaters who obey man rather than God.

     The state promotes our sins. As long as we remain in sin, we can never approach our true Husband, which is Christ. That is the entire obligation of the state. As long as the state can keep us in sin, then the state will own us.

God wills that we repent

     There is a realm of sin. Sin includes all sins. If you have even the tiniest sin, you are in sin. I've heard many people say, "I had a wife and it didn't work out." And the woman says, "I had a husband and it didn't work out." But now they say the Lord has put them together and they claim to be happily married. They are active in a church. They are educating their children at home. They do many wonderful things in the Lord's name, but I cannot applaud them. The reason is because they are both committing adultery, and adultery is a sin. I don't care how many good works they do for the Lord, they are still in sin. They cannot pay their way into Heaven. All their workings in the world will never get them into Heaven. As long as they remain in the sin of adultery, they cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. What these people need to do is repent of their sin and then continue to do their good works and leave them not undone.

     Here is the problem. People do not perceive that adultery is sin. The reason is that the state told them that when they obtain a divorce, they are free to marry someone else. The state lied. What God has bound together, no man and no state can tear apart.

     Why would anybody ever need permission from the state to marry? Isn't marriage the institution of God? It is not an institution of man. What the state has done is granted you permission to get married, so they can also dissolve your marriage. There is a maxim of law that says, "Whatever one creates, one can destroy." What the state is claiming is that they created your marriage. Therefore, they can dissolve it. That is where the lie is. The state does not have authority nor power to bind or dissolve any marriage. Marriage is strictly an institution of God. It is His institution. It is not a state institution.

     I've had other people come up to me in their adulterous relationship and say, "I've been living with my adulterous girl- friend for the last ten years. I've never felt anything inside of me that says I'm doing anything wrong. It feels pretty good. We are really happy. I don't see where you are coming from."

     Here is the mistake. The Word of God is not emotional. The Word of God is His Word. It has nothing to do with your emotions. I don't care whether you feel good or bad about a situation. I know a lot of sin that I've done, and it has always felt good. Sin always feels good for awhile, but eventually all sin leads unto death (Romans 6:23). All sin is subject to judgment and judgment is condemnation. The adversary is an expert at making you feel good about sin. But remember this, the Word of God says adultery is sin. All sin will be judged and the judgment will lead to condemnation.

     Thanks be to God, he has given us a way out. It is known as repentance. We are not dealing with feelings. We are talking about doing God's will. He wills that we repent. To be obedient to His will, and not to our feelings, is to repent so that we may see the Kingdom of Heaven.

Questions and Answers on marriage

     I know the scripture says, "What God has joined together, let man not separate," but I believe I was not married to my first husband. God did not join us, I was deceived into marrying him. I did it before I was a Christian. We are now divorced. Wouldn't I be free to remarry?

     No. Marriage is marriage whether you are a Christian or not. The problem is that some people do not recognize their first marriage as a real marriage because they married before they knew Christ. If the only marriages God recognized were between Christians, then the whole world would be full of bastards. Children born out of the marriage of Hindus, Moslems and Humanists would all be bastards. This is preposterous. Look in the Bible. Many heathen marriages are mentioned. Jesus gave us no indication that these marriages were not recognized by God. When we get married, God considers us one flesh, regardless of our religious persuasions.

     If my spouse quits walking with God, why am I obligated to stay married?

     Marriage is for better or worse. Maybe the "worse" part is when your spouse falls away from God, but you are still married. Marriage does not end because times are rough.

     God instituted marriage as a lifetime commitment. And it has been that way from the beginning. We become one flesh when we enter into the sacred institution of marriage. We are joined into wedlock until one partner dies. Only God can end marriages through death (Romans 7:2). Man cannot separate what God has joined (Matthew 19:6).

     This is a hard word. When the apostles heard Christ's word on marriage, they said, "then it is better not to marry" (Matthew 19:10). I don't think the apostles would have said that, if Jesus' teaching had all the modern-day escape clauses. In reality, there is no escape from marriage, just as there is no escape from Christ.

     If we will seek the Kingdom first, we will be more willing to accept this hard word on marriage. When we are seeking our own will, we try to interpret God's word to justify what we desire. If the marriage goes through bad times and the couple separates, they are not free to remarry. Very few want to believe that they are joined to one spouse for life.

     Jesus admits that "all cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given" (Matthew 19:11). Nevertheless, this is the doctrine that our Lord preached.

     I admit that I committed adultery by marrying a divorced woman, but we have repented of that sin. Aren't all things new in Christ and the old things have passed away? (2 Corinthians 5:17)

     Yes, all things are new in Christ. But unless you depart from iniquity, you will die in your sins. To repent means to quit doing the sin. Scripture says that if you marry a divorced woman, you are living in a state of adultery. The only way out of that state is to separate from the adulterous relationship. 2 Corinthians 5:17 talks about the fruit of someone who is truly in Christ:

     Since God is merciful, can't He just forgive my first marriage and allow me to remarry?

     God can't forgive your first marriage because your first marriage wasn't a sin. God can't forgive something that isn't a sin. It doesn't matter what the courts say about having a "legal divorce." According to God's Word, remarriage constitutes adultery:

     When two previously unmarried persons make their vows, they are supernaturally bonded as one flesh until parted by death. God's Word is clear - marriage is a "ONE FLESH" relationship for life. If the wife departs, she has two choices: "let her REMAIN UNMARRIED or be RECONCILED to her husband." As for the man, "a husband is not to divorce his wife" (1 Corinthians 7:11).

     Isn't fornication an exception?

     No. Some try to justify divorce and remarriage using the so-called exception clause in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9, "whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of FORNICATION." To understand these passages, remember that Matthew was writing to a Jewish audience. The Jews had a custom of betrothal or engagement prior to being married. A betrothed couple in Jewish society could obtain a legal divorce if one of the parties proved to be unfaithful during the engagement period.

     An example in scripture is Matthew 1:18-20 where Mary is espoused to Joseph. Joseph is called HER HUSBAND (verse 19), even though they had not yet come together as man and wife. Jesus, being raised in Jewish society, made provision for this Jewish custom of allowing divorce during the engagement period. Notice the exception is for FORNICATION, not adultery. Fornication, in this instance, means illicit sexual intercourse between UNMARRIED people. Jesus did not sanction divorce once the marriage had been consummated. (Check out the parallel passages - Mark 10:11-12 and Luke 16:18 where the fornication clause is not mentioned.)

     My husband broke the marriage vows by committing adultery and we were subsequently divorced. Haven't I been set free to marry again?

     No, you are not free to marry. Jesus sanctified marriage by affirming that it cannot be dissolved by the acts of men. The innocent party commits adultery if he or she remarries after the guilty party has broken the marriage by committing adultery (Mark 10:11-12).

     Doesn't 1 Corinthians 7:20 say that if I am divorced and remarried, and then become a Christian, that I am to "abide in the same calling wherein I was called," and remain married.

     No, I believe you are misinterpreting the scripture. Why would Apostle Paul encourage us to remain in sin after we are called to follow Christ? Using that logic, if I am an alcoholic when I am called, I should remain an alcoholic. Or if I am a homosexual, I am to remain a homosexual. If that is what Paul preached, he would not be preaching the Word of God. You might say those situations are different. But they are not. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 names drunkards and homosexuals, along with adulterers, as those who will not inherit the Kingdom of God - unless they repent.

     I was married for 25 years. Then my wife took off with another man. We were divorced and she married her lover. My family advised me to wait for her to come back, but I chose to marry another woman. Now, five years later, my first wife has divorced her new husband and wants me to come back to her. I still love my first wife, but if I go back to her, it will devastate my present wife. I have asked the advice of numerous pastors, and they have advised me to stay with my present wife because Deuteronomy 24:4 says that it is an abomination before the LORD to go back to my first wife. Do you agree?

     No. Moses gave the advice in Deuteronomy 24 because of Israel's hardheartedness. It is not consistent with the teachings of Jesus and the new and better covenant which stresses that we are to forgive and be reconciled. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus acknowledged what had been taught in the past, but introduced a new principle with the words: "BUT I SAY TO YOU." Moses allowed a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce. But Jesus set a new standard (See Luke 16:18).

     Jesus doesn't recognize your second marriage as lawful, even though the state claims you were legally divorced from the wife of your youth. Jesus calls your present living arrangement adultery because you have divorced and married another. If you return to the wife of your youth, you will no longer be in an adulterous relationship.

     The pastors you talked with can't tell you about Christ's teaching on marriage and divorce because they are beholden to the state. They marry by the authority of a state marriage license. These pastors are working in partnership with the state. For them to deny that you were legally divorced, would go against the state decrees. And if these pastors go against state decrees, they may lose their license to marry. Therefore, they rely on a superseded passage in Deuteronomy, instead of on the clear words of Jesus.

     If we make Jesus Christ Lord of our lives, then his Word must rule over every area. Our faithfulness to one spouse in our human relations is a prototype of our faithfulness to one God in our spiritual relations.

     My marriage partner committed adultery and I am having a hard time forgiving. I have been faithful, but my partner has not. How can I continue to have a loving relationship?

     Jesus says to love others, even those who have wronged you. If you truly love Jesus Christ, you will love others. Christ says that if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive your trespasses (Matthew 6:14-15).

     If your husband or wife is unfaithful to you and you do not forgive, but instead nurse feelings of bitterness, hatred and retaliation, you also sin. If you harbor feelings of unforgiveness, you will begin to deteriorate from within and lose the peace of mind that comes from knowing your sins are forgiven.

     When you forgive completely, the past offense is forgotten. You show love and affection to your partner the way you did before the offense. When you repent, Christ forgives completely and restores completely. We are to do likewise.

Change of heart

     The Lord sent a messenger to Rachel telling her to return to her family:

     When my oldest daughter was 3 years old, I fell victim to the disease of wanting to leave my husband. When I expressed discontent and aggravation over his faults, my so called "friends" recommended divorce. They fed my ego saying, "You don't need to put up with this man. You deserve a better life."

     I became confused and nursed a desire to leave my husband and child and start a new life. One day I packed a suitcase and left home. As I was leaving, my husband said, "If you decide to come back, come quickly before it is too late. If you come back, it is forever. I know we are going to have difficulties. It is going to take us awhile to get our house in order. But I know if we work at it, we will succeed."

     As I traveled toward the beach, I quickly forgot my husband's words. An exhilarating feeling swept over me. I was leaving all my annoying problems. I had been set free. By the time I arrived at a motel, my mind was made up to start a new life as a single woman. I scarcely considered my responsibilities to my little girl and husband. I was caught up in dreams of making a new career for myself.

     The next afternoon, I went into the motel sauna to relax and unwind. A mother with seven children in tow, joined me. I told her I was starting a new life and had left my daughter and husband behind. The woman on the bench beside me did not share my enthusiasm. A sad look came over her countenance.

     "You remind me of myself about five years ago. I, too, left my husband. Now I have married another man and between us we are raising these seven children. Many are the days I long to be with my original husband. I believe we could have worked out our problems, but we gave up. Now I have a new set of problems, and, of course, some of the old problems have resurfaced. I realize I only exchanged one set of problems for another. I did not solve anything. Now my life is even more complex because of the juggling involved in meeting the needs of two families."

     She advised me to go back to my husband and child and work things out. "Start over again with a new attitude. Believe that your loved ones are doing the best they know how and if they knew how to do better, they would. Don't be suspicious of their motives, but trust them. God has given you a family to love and care for, and that is where your responsibility lies."

     I took this woman's advice and drove home. I have thanked God many times for sending this angel.

     When I returned, my husband and I sat down and recommitted ourselves to each other. This time, we truly made a lifetime commitment - for better or worse. We will not even consider divorce. We are sticking it out until death do us part.

     Attitude makes such a difference. Much of my problem was perceiving evil intent on the part of my husband. I misinterpreted his motives and made false assumptions, instead of asking him directly what he was doing. I failed to trust him.

     We resolved to dedicate at least one hour each day talking over our concerns. When weather permits, we hike outdoors as we talk. Each of us are allowed to speak what is on our mind, without interruption. Our purpose is to help each other, not to make accusations. Gradually, our communication has improved. With this approach, little annoyances are nipped in the bud before they grow into crises. I praise God for having built the loving relationship we now have and encourage others not to give up.

Conclusion

     If we continue in our present course, disaster and judgment are certain. We have rationalized adultery too long and have disregarded the clear teachings of Jesus and Apostle Paul on marriage and divorce. We cannot expect God to overlook our sinful behavior or make exceptions for us.

     How can we expect to walk victoriously with Christ when divorce and adultery plague the Church.

     If the Holy Spirit reveals to you that this message is truly the Word of God, then humble yourself before the Lord and repent if you are in sin. Resolve before the Lord that you will do whatever is necessary to be in a right relationship with Him - but wait on the Holy Spirit to reveal your course of action. The way the Holy Spirit directs you may be costly - perhaps it will be the hardest decision of your life. But if you remain in an adulterous relationship, the cost is even higher - for you will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven (Galatians 5:19-21).

No escape from marriage

     The family kingdom is part of God's Kingdom. When you destroy the family kingdom, you are destroying God's Kingdom. The state cannot tolerate a Godly family. The state promotes divorce and instability in the family for the sole purpose of maintaining power over the people.

     We have been flooded with books and pamphlets attempting to justify divorce and remarriage. They try to say the word "divorce" does not really mean "divorce." They attempt to undo the simple words of Christ with sophisticated arguments. These arguments sell books and tell people what their itching ears want to hear. But the Spirit of God's Word is not honored by these books.

     The authors of these books are looking for loopholes in the Word of God, rather than seeking the Father's will. Jesus' words are plain, but even the apostles had difficulty accepting them. They said, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry" (Matthew 19:10).

     If we marry, divorce, and remarry, we are no better than the world - even the state sanctions such behavior. And look at the mess they have created with staged polygamy. Children do not even have the security of one father and one mother.

     Jesus expresses the Father's will at Matthew 19:3-12. The permanency of marriage is confirmed at Matthew 19:12 when Christ speaks of eunuchs. A eunuch is a castrated male. Once castrated, a eunuch cannot go back. Once two become one flesh in marriage, they cannot be unmarried except through death. Marriage is not a civil contract. It is a permanent covenant.

     Jesus knows this is a hard saying and adds, "all will not be able to receive it." There are many on the wide way to destruction, but narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and few there are who find it (Matthew 7:13-14). Let us seek the narrow gate.

Conform to the Will of God

     There are many scenarios that can be played. Everybody has their sobbing story. They all want an exception to justify their living in an adulterous relationship. The Embassy of Heaven Church is only going to promote what Jesus Christ has to say about marriage. Unfortunately, we wake up today in the midst of an adulterous generation. Not only do we see people who are on their third, fourth and fifth marriages - but the land is also filled with sodomites. The family is crumbling.

     The Embassy of Heaven Church preaches what the Scripture says. We will not be a harlot and join with the state in promoting polygamy. We are not going to try to justify the condition of the world today. We will stand firm. We will draw the line. Your first marriage is your only marriage. You have only one chance. That is it. You better make your marriage work because the Embassy of Heaven Church will not support divorce. It will not recognize divorce.

     People say that adultery is just a little thing. Adultery is not a little thing. God doesn't like it. God says, "No," and Jesus confirms it. There is nowhere in the Scripture where Jesus sanctions adultery. Saddest of all, is that adulterers will not see the Kingdom of Heaven. The days ahead are similar to the days of Noah. There will be people partying. There will be people sleeping with one another. Everybody will be doing their perverse acts and all of a sudden the Lord will appear, as in Noah's day, and they will all be washed away.

     We are talking about salvation. If I am concerned about my salvation, I am not going to be looking for my own personal justification to remain in sin. If God said, "No," then God said, "No." Therefore, I am going to be actively looking for God's will. I'm going to look in the Scripture. I'm going to see what Jesus has to say. Jesus made it very clear. It comes down to simply this - your marriage is your first marriage and your only marriage. That is it. Only death can break that covenant.

     Jesus also says, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." He asks, "What will you be doing when the Lord comes?" Will you be in drunkenness and carousing and adultery? Or will you be tending to what God has put in your hands? Will you be taking care of those whom he has entrusted to you?

     You believe you have a Christian family. Take a close look at it. Is it based upon a Christian foundation? If not, I would be quickly putting my house in order. I don't know if the Lord is going to show up tomorrow. If He does, what is my condition? Will He be pleased with what I have done, or will He find me in an adulterous relationship?

     I cannot make you do anything. I cannot make you repent of your adulterous relationship if you are in adultery. All I can do is preach it. If you do not receive my message, which I believe is the Lord Jesus Christ's message, then I take my peace back. I am not going to let it bother me. I have made my decision. I have laid my foundation. If necessary, I will even brush the dust off my feet. It is your decision. Choose whom you will serve today. This is your decision. Are you going to be of the Lord Jesus Christ, or are you going to be in sin and await God's judgment upon the world?

     No matter how comfortable an adulterous relationship may seem, it is still sin. It is similar to a man who has many debts. He has a mortgage and he says, "Look at this house, it is so comfortable! It is warm and cozy. We have lovely curtains and many beautiful things. Look at all this antique furniture."

     This man is not on a proper foundation. He does not own the house. He has a 30-year mortgage, which is a sin. He is owing somebody something. The only debt we are to owe is the continuing debt to love one another (Romans 13:8). In an hour when he knows not, all of a sudden this nice warm house will be taken from him because he cannot pay the mortgage. He is in sin.

     The same thing is true in adultery. The adultery may be comfortable, but it is still sin and God is going to recall, and He recalls through judgment. If you get in and take care of it early and repent of your sin, then He will forgive. That is His promise.

     My prayer for you is that you listen to the Word of the Lord. Take heed, prove all things. Act cautiously and quickly because you know not when your Lord will come. If you can set yourself free, do so. The Lord is looking for His bride and we are His bride. But if you don't have oil in you lamp, then you will not be able to enter. I pray that you go put oil in your lamp. Get yourself right with God so that He can receive you once again.

     Our hearts go out to all of you who are no longer in a Godly marriage. We are praying that no matter how difficult it looks, that your marriage status be restored to that which God intended from the beginning. Nothing is impossible with God.

Scriptures on divorce and remarriage

(King James Version):

     And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand. Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed.

     Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously. -- Malachi 2:13-16

     It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. -- Matthew 5:31-32

     The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

     They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

     His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. -- Matthew 19:3-12

     And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.

     And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. -- Mark 10:2-12

     And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

     Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery. -- Luke 16:15-18

     For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. -- Romans 7:2-3

     Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. -- 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

     This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

     Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. -- Galatians 5:16-21

     Also see 1 Corinthians, Chapter 7.