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1. INTRODUCTION

Do you desire to see the Power of God manifest in this world? Is your desire for Godly marriages in the Body of Christ rather than escalating marital strife, division and putting away ("divorce")? Would you like to see a church in which men are equipped and empowered to be the men God created them to be and women are empowered and equipped to be the women God created them to be and both are fullfilled in their respective roles? Would you like to see husband and wife united as Jesus and His Father are united? Would you like to see the Body of Christ united as never before?

As I was completing the first draft of this book I was given an article entitled "Wow! So that's how Jesus loves me!" published in the October 1999 issue of Joy Magazine. This article states that "Marriage was meant by God to be a prophetic sign and wonder to the world,". The article confirms many of the points in this book regarding marriage as a type of our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and some of what is written about marriage traditions. It is reproduced in appendix Q, page 280. Readers are encouraged to read this article as a powerful demonstration of the incredibly beautiful plan that God has for scriptural marriage.

In this book I will present a wealth of scripture which will show you how the Body of Christ can overcome marital strife and separation (putting away - commonly referred to as "divorce") AND learn to live together in unity in a manner which will give power to the Gospel such as we cannot currently imagine. In order to do this it is necessary that we understand what scripture REALLY says about marriage, divorce, putting away, adultery and other matters which impact this objective. This book seeks to present scripture on these topics in a framework intended to assist you to evaluate and decide for yourself the extent to which that contained in this book indeed lays the foundation for this objective.

Do you desire at the time of your judgment not to find yourself to have been a Pharisee and to have been opposing God (Acts 5:34-40)? In the process of reading this book you will discover false teachings which are literally responsible for the eternal damnation of millions if not billions of souls. You will have the opportunity for the Holy Spirit to unlock truths which are of immense importance to the end time church and to the age which is to come. You will also have many opportunities to be offended but I urge you not to stumble on the rock of offense which is Christ for the truths herein are ignored at our peril (1 Peter 2:8).

In early 1995 I became greatly concerned about the high level of what is generally referred to as "divorce" in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. I was particularly troubled by the number of hurting and abandoned women and I started to seek God to know the reason. Since then He has been exercising my faith and my understanding with regard to what is contained in His Word on the subject of marriage and related subjects. He has also shown me that most of what we today refer to as divorce is, in fact, according to scripture "putting away" - separating from a spouse for unscriptural reasons. He has also shown me that the principal factor behind the high level of putting away in the church and the world is a series of wrong beliefs which affect many areas of church teaching.

a. WE ARE ONE BODY IN CHRIST

As a starting point, consider that 2 Corinthians 11:2 states:

2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (NKJ)

Who is the "you" referred to here? Surely it is all those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord?

Romans 12:4-5 states:

4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,

5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. (NKJ)

b. MARRIAGE IS A TYPE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS

Consider also Ephesians 5:25-33:

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.

31 "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."

32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (NKJ)

These verses together clearly establish a very close and intimate relationship between marriage between man and woman and the marriage between Jesus Christ and His Church. Surely, while His bride is so riven with putting away (divorce) and we do not even know how to live together in harmony as man and wife, we can never approach being a bride without "spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but ....... holy and without blemish."

c. WHEN THE WORLD SEES TRUE CHRISTIAN UNITY THEY WILL BELIEVE THAT THE FATHER SENT JESUS

John 17:20-22 states:

20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;

21 "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

22 "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: (NKJ)

Does this not clearly state that the world will believe that Jesus Christ was sent by God the Father when we all are one? Does this not indicate that unity in the church is a prerequisite to preaching the Gospel with real power and effect?

d. WE ARE WARNED OF DOCTRINES OF DEMONS FORBIDDING TO MARRY

1 Timothy 4:1-3 further states:

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,

2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,

3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. (NKJ)

Given that there appear to be reasonable grounds to believe that we are indeed in the latter times, we must also ask ourselves what the relevance is of "doctrines of demons" to "forbidding to marry" and whether it has any relevance to the level of putting away (divorce) in the church. I have no doubt that it does and in this book I will present scriptures in support of my argument.

These conclusions are presented only after many hours of prayer and Holy Spirit guided research and much persecution and personal loss which has brought me to a point of sincere and utter conviction that what is written below is an accurate reflection of the Word AND Will of God on this matter as best I understand it today.

I fully appreciate that most readers will find this book extremely challenging and many may well be offended and reject it. For this reason I will endeavour to make maximum use of scripture and minimum use of my own interpretation.

e. WE MUST EACH PREPARE TO BE JUDGED

Each of us will be judged according to the revelation knowledge of the Word of God that was available to us and what we did with it.

James 3:1 states:

My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. (NKJ)

Accordingly, I urge you not to summarily discard what is written here but to prayerfully take note and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Should you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

2. WHY SHOULD YOU CONSIDER THIS INTERPRETATION?

You may ask why you should read this discourse and why you should analyze the interpretation presented herein.

If this interpretation is correct then those who are teaching another doctrine are causing many to sin and many others to be turned away from Jesus Christ. If this is so then surely they can expect to find much blood on their hands when they stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ.

Romans 14:10 states:

10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. (NKJ)

It is my earnest desire not to find myself in such a position and I am certain most readers will have the same desire.

a. MANY BELIEVERS ARE CURRENTLY TAKEN PRISONER BY THE ENEMY

The book, the Final Quest, by Rick Joyner, which reports a series of visions in which the author was taken up into the third heaven, clearly shows that many in the Body of Christ are currently prisoners of the enemy. Part of this vision is quoted in appendix R, page 288. This . This is graphically confirmed in a further vision reported by Joyner in his sequel, The Call. This vision is quoted in appendix ***

b. IF WE LOVE GOD WE WILL KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS

Furthermore, I John 2:1-5 states:

1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. (NKJ)

I John 5:3 states further:

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. (NKJ)

Can there be any doubt that if we love God we will seek to keep His commandments and that if we do not keep His commandments we are not in Him?

c. GOD'S STATUTES ARE RIGHTEOUS AND WE MAY NOT ADD TO OR TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM THEM

Deuteronomy 4:2 states:

2 "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take anything from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. (NKJ)

Deuteronomy 4:7-8 states:

7 "For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?

8 "And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day? (NKJ)

Surely, if God's statutes and judgments are righteous we would not want to add to or take away from them? Surely He knows far better than we do how things were created to be? If you can truly agree with this I urge you to read on, no matter how difficult you may find some of the sections that follow!

d. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE TEACHER

Let us also consider 2 Peter 1:20-21:

20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,

21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (NKJ)

Clearly no scripture is open to private interpretation by man, no matter how many men may agree. It is only the interpretation of Scripture which is God's interpretation which carries any weight!

Furthermore, in Matthew 23:8-13, Jesus Himself states:

8 "But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.

9 "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

10 "And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.

11 "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

12 "And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. (NKJ)

It is quite clear that no man on earth is to be given a title which suggests that he is a teacher, the teacher is the Spirit of Truth.

In John 14:15-31 Jesus states:

15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.

16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--

17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

18 "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

19 "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.

20 "At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?"

23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.

25 "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.

26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

28 "You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to you.' If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I.

29 "And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.

30 "I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.

31 "But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here. (NKJ)

Jesus refers here to "the Spirit of truth" and also to "the Holy Spirit" as being a helper whom He will send to those who love Him and states that this Helper will "teach you all things"

Clearly we are not to rely on men to interpret scripture. They may share with us what they believe God has shown them BUT we are each accountable for determining whether that interpretation is of God or not.

Remember that the Mosaic Covenant (the "Old Covenant") provided for Priests, Levites and Judges to interpret the Law and they were anointed with the spirit of God. This is demonstrated in Numbers 11:24-29:

24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD, and he gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tabernacle.

25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again.

26 But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but who had not gone out to the tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp.

27 And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp."

28 So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, one of his choice men, answered and said, "Moses my lord, forbid them!"

29 Then Moses said to him, "Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the LORD'S people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!" (NKJ)

With the coming of the New Covenant, which was to be taken to the Gentiles, it would no longer be practical to retain the Temple Service and the Priestly order. Accordingly, God unfolded the next step in His plan of redemption and gave His Holy Spirit to dwell in every born again believer in order to teach them. Since we have been priviledged to receive greater and more precious gifts than those under the Old Covenant, we must be that much more diligent to ensure that we rely on the Holy Spirit to interpret the Word of God for us.

e. WE ARE TOLD TO BEWARE OF DOCTRINES OF DEMONS IN THE LATTER TIMES

1 Timothy 4:1-3 warns us:

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,

2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,

3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. (NKJ)

We are certainly in the latter times and this scripture clearly applies to people who are in "the faith" who depart therefrom by "giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons". Surely it is clear that this refers to believers who listen to deceiving spirits and / or accept doctrines of demons? Clearly we must be on our guard!

f. THE FATE OF FALSE WITNESSES AND LIARS

Proverbs 30:5-6 states:

5 Every word of God is pure; he is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.

6 Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. (NKJ)

Proverbs 21:28 in the NIV states:

A false witness will perish, and whoever listens to him will be destroyed for ever. (NIV)

Revelation 21:8 states:

8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (NKJ)

There are various other scriptures which indicate that the preaching or teaching of false doctrine or lies will lead to a harsh judgment against those who utter such teachings AS WELL AS those who listen to (accept?) such teachings.

Accordingly there would seem to be good grounds to test all teachings carefully before we accept them.

g. ADULTERY SENDS PEOPLE TO HELL

Consider also that Proverbs 7:27, referring to an adulteress, states:

27 Her house is the way to hell, descending to the chambers of death. (NKJ)

Surely, if adultery can send a person to hell we should be clear what the scriptural definition of adultery actually is. We should also be diligent not to define something as adultery when it is not or to define something as not being adultery when it is. As you read this book you will find a number of instances where current church doctrine is doing both of these things.

I urge all readers to take careful account of what is written here in the light of these scriptures!

3. THE SHAME OF THE CHURCH AND EMPTY THRONES : PREPARE YOURSELF FOR JUDGMENT

In the book, "The Final Quest", Joyner reports a number of incidents during his experience in the Judgment Hall of heaven which should profoundly influence the thinking of every Christian who reads this book. The three passages that follow seem to me to be of cardinal importance:

a. THE CHURCH IS WITHOUT JUDGES AND THEREFORE COVERED WITH SHAME

On page 128 to 129 of "The Final Quest", the Lord Jesus is reported as saying:

"There is a freedom that comes when you perceive truth, but whoever I set free is free indeed. The freedom of My presence is greater than just knowing truth. You have experienced liberation in My presence, but there is yet much more for you to understand about My judgments. When I judge I am not seeking to condemn, or to justify, but to bring forth righteousness. Righteousness is only found in union with Me. That is the righteous judgment, bringing men into unity with Me.

"My church is now clothed with shame because she does not have judges. She does not have judges because she does not know Me as the judge. I will now raise up judges for My people who know My judgment. They will not just decide between people or issues, but to make things right, which is to bring them into agreement with Me.

"When I appeared to Joshua as the Captain of the Host, I declared that I was for neither him nor his enemies. I never come to take sides. When I come it is to take over, not to take sides. I appeared as the Captain of the Host before Israel could enter her Promised Land. The church is now about to enter her Promised Land, and I am again about to appear as the Captain of the Host. When I do I will remove all who have been forcing My people to take sides against their brothers. My justice does not take sides in human conflicts, even those of My own people. What I was doing through Israel I was doing for their enemies, too, not against them. It is only because you see from the earthly, temporal perspective that you do not see My justice. You must see My justice to walk in My authority because righteousness and justice are the foundation of My throne.

"I have imputed righteousness to the people I have chosen, but like Israel in the wilderness, even the greatest saints of the church age have only aligned themselves with My ways a small part of the time, or with a small part of their minds and hearts. I am not for them or against their enemies, but I am coming to use My people to save their enemies. I love all men, and desire for all to be saved."

I could not help thinking of the great battle that we had fought on the mountain. We did wound many of our own brethren as we fought against the evil controlling them. There were still many of them in the camp of the enemy, either being used by him, or kept as his prisoners. I started to wonder if the next battle would be against our own brothers again. The Lord was watching me ponder all of this, and then He continued.

"Until last battle is over, there will always be some of our brothers who are being used by the enemy. But that is not why I am telling you this now. I am telling you this to help you see how the enemy gets into your own heart and mind, and how he uses you! Even now you still do not see everything the way that I do.

"This is common with My people. At this time, even My greatest leaders are seldom in harmony with Me. Many are doing good works, but very few are doing what I have called them to do. This is the result of divisions among you. I am not coming to take sides with any one group, but I am calling for those who will come over to My side....."

This extract clearly indicates that there are currently few, if any, Christians who are really in the will of God much. It also clearly indicates that the church is not walking in justice and integrity. Until we become acutely aware of the coming judgment and measure ourselves against what the Word of God tells us awaits us on the day of judgment, few will be concerned about the possibility that their doctrine is false. As you read this book I urge you to become judgment minded. It is likely that you will find much in this book to offend you, however, I truly believe that most of what is presented herein is a reasonably accurate reflection of the Word of God AND the Will of God and, accordingly, I urge you to examine yourself closely in the mirror of the Word any time you are offended by what is contained herein.

b. THE MINISTRY AND THE MESSAGE OF THE MODERN CHURCH IS HARDLY RECOGNIZED BY THE EARLY APOSTLES

On page 135 to 136 of "The Final Quest", Joyner reports an interview with the Apostle Paul.

Then he continued, "There are two more things that we attained in our time that were lost very quickly by the church, and they have not yet been recovered. You must recover them."

"What are they?" I inquired, feeling that what he was about to say was more than just an addendum to what he had already said.

"You must recover the ministry, and the message," he said emphatically.

I looked at the Lord, and He nodded His affirmation, adding, "It is right that Paul should say this to you. Until this time he has been the most faithful with both of these."

"Please explain," I implored Paul.

"Alright," he replied. "Except for a few small places in the world where there is great persecution or difficulties now, we can hardly recognize either the ministry or the message that is being preached today. Therefore, the church is now but a phantom of what it was even in our time, and we were far from all that we were called to be. When we served, being in ministry was the greatest sacrifice one could make and this reflected the message of the greatest sacrifice that was made - the cross. The cross is the power of God, and it is the center of all that we are called to live by. You have so little power to transform the minds and hearts of the disciples now because you do not live, and do not preach, the cross. Therefore, we have difficulty seeing much difference between the disciples and the heathen. That is not the gospel or the salvation with which we were entrusted. You must return to the cross."

With those words he squeezed my shoulders like a father, and then returned to his seat. I felt like I had received both an incredible blessing and a profound rebuke.

Here we clearly see that the ministry and the message of the church are far removed from those of the early church. While I do not mean to suggest that the message of this book is central to bringing the church back to where she belongs, I believe that it is a critical component of what must be addressed before the church can serve God as He has called her to serve. From personal experience I must also warn you that spreading the truths contained in this book is likely to bring intense persecution. In the light of the above passage I would encourage you to recognize that the very occurence of persecution with regard to these truths serves to indicate how important they are and therefore how much energy Satan has expended and continues to expend to prevent the publication and teaching of these truths.

c. MANY THRONES IN HEAVEN ARE CURRENTLY EMPTY YET THEY COULD HAVE BEEN FILLED BY ANY GENERATION

Having progressed through the judgment experience, and met many people whom he had understood to be prominent men of God yet who are in the lowest rank in heaven, Joyner finds himself standing before the Lord Jesus Christ:

The Lord then looked at the galleries and said, "Those empty seats could have been filled in any generation. I gave the invitation to sit here to everyone who has called upon My name. They are still available. Now the last battle has come, and many who are last shall be first. These seats will be filled before the battle is over. Those who will sit here will be known by two things: they will wear the mantle of humility, and they will have My likeness. You now have the mantle. If you can keep it and do not lose it in the battle, when you return you will also have My likeness. Then you will be worthy to sit with these, because I will have made you worthy. All authority and power has been given to Me, and I alone can wield it. You will prevail, and you will be trusted with My authority only when you have come to fully abide in Me. Now turn and look at My household."

I turned and looked back in the direction I had come from. From before His throne I could see the entire room. The spectacle was beyond any comparison in its glory. Millions filled the ranks. Each individual in the lowest rank was more awesome than an army, and had more power. It was far beyond my capacity to absorb such a panorama of glory. Even so, I could see that only a very small portion of the great room was occupied.

I then looked back at the Lord and was astonished to see tears in His eyes. He had wiped the tears away from every eye here, except His own. As a tear ran down His cheek he caught it in His hand. He then offered it to me.

"This is My cup. Will you drink it with Me?"

There was no way that I could refuse Him. As the Lord continued to look at Me I began to feel His great love. Even as foul as I was He still loved me. As undeserving as I was He wanted me to be close to Him. Then He said:

"I love all of these with a love that you cannot now understand. I also love all who are supposed to be here but did not come. I have left the ninety-nine to go after the one who was lost. My shepherds would not leave the one to go after the ninety-nine who are still lost. I came to save the lost. Will you share My heart to go to save the lost? Will you help to fill this room? Will you help to fill these thrones, and every other seat in this hall? Will you take up this quest to bring joy to heaven, to Me and to My Father? This judgment is for My own household, and My own house is not full. The last battle will not be over until My house is full. Only then will it be time for us to redeem the earth, and remove the evil from My creation. If you drink My cup you will love the lost the way that I love them."

From this passage it is clear that the thrones in heaven are largely yet unoccupied and even the throne room in heaven is largely empty. In other words, billions of souls who might have spent eternity in heaven with Christ are burning in Hell for eternity. I truly believe that the heresies and false teachings exposed in this book account for a large percentage of the souls who are not in heaven today. Accordingly, I urge you, if you desire to have the Lord's heart for the lost, earnestly examine what is written here and challenge yourself to take the truth and broadcast it to the world, I have no doubt that God requires this of every one who reads this book.

At the same time, many are heaping up wrath for themselves on the day of judgment by teaching these heresies despite having more access to the written Word of God than any generation that has ever lived. I implore you, as you read further, consider well what is written in this book and prayerfully consider what you should do before you respond to whatever offence Satan may bring your way.

d. THERE ARE MANY MORE WOMEN IN HIGH OFFICE IN HEAVEN THAN MEN

In the last paragraph on page 117 of The Final Quest, referring to the High Thrones in Heaven, Joyner states:

"However, it seemed that faithful, praying women and mothers occupied more thrones than any other single group."

In the first paragraph on page 23, referring to those in the forefront of the battle against the enemy, Joyner states:

"To my further suprise, the great majority of these soldiers were women and children."

This confirms a point that is developed in section 9.j, 9.j, page 33 and section 55, page 157 regarding Isaiah 4:1. There are many more women than men in the Body of Christ today and this is God's intention. It is time that the church comes to understand how this apparent imbalance is to be accommodated in a manner that is in accordance with the Word of God AND the Will of God. This book seeks to develop the understanding of what this entails.

4. A WORD OF CLARIFICATION - NOTHING IN THIS BOOK IS INTENDED TO UNDER- STATE THE DELIVERANCE PURCHASED FOR MANKIND THROUGH JESUS' SACRIFICE AT CALVARY

Sadly, the knowledge of the Word of God in the modern church, as we have seen in the extracts from the Final Quest in section 3.a, 3.b, page 10 is not nearly what it should be. Accordingly, in my experience of seeking to share the truths in this book with other believers, many think that in some way this teaching is seeking to dilute what Jesus did at Calvary.

I would like to make it quite clear that this is not the case. The knowledge of the church has diverged so far from the truth of scripture that our paradigm results in things which are entirely scriptural appearing unscriptural and things which are entirely unscriptural are regarded as scriptural. As you read this book you will find numerous instances of this phenomenon. As you encounter such instances I urge you not to be offended but rather to examine how your personal knowledge and experience, when closely examined in the light of what is written here, in fact corroborates what is written and, likewise, the extent to which you have, over the years, compromised your understanding in deference to the doctrines of men whom you thought were more knowledgeable than you.

Let me sum up:

a. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, incarnate through the virgin, Mary.

b. He was crucified at Calvary, He died and was buried.

c. On the third day, He rose again and sit's on the right hand of the Father in heaven.

d. He will judge the living and the dead.

e. He will return to gather his church to Him and to rule the world.

f. Through His sacrifice on the Cross He purchased for us:

i. Salvantion and eternal life for those who believe in their hearts and confess with their mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord.

ii. Healing for our bodies.

iii. Deliverance from the works of Satan and his demons on earth.

g. Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the Word of God.

h. There is NO OTHER NAME GIVEN BY WHICH MEN CAN BE SAVED!

Jesus Christ made a great and terrible sacrifice on the Cross for our redemption. He went to the cross, not to purchase licentiousness and laxity but to purchase the spiritual wherewithall for us to become priests to God and to serve Him faithfully and to become Son's and Servant's of God. He expects us to lay down our lives and take up our cross and follow Him daily. This book is about some of the requirements for doing this in order to prepare His church for His return.

If you Love Him and Reverently Fear Him, you will not turn to the left or the right from discerning the truths contained in this book and putting them into practice in your life and preaching them from the mountain tops.

5. A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THOSE WHO MAY BE CONVICTED OF SIN BY THE TEACHINGS IN THIS BOOK

There are many teachings in this book which will convict many readers of sin in their lives.

If you are convicted of sin, remember above all things 1 John 1:1-10:

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--

2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us--

3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. (NKJ)

Above all things, as you become aware of your sin, give no heed to any lies that Satan may tell you. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, LOOK FULL IN HIS WONDERFUL FACE, confess your sins, repent of your sins, ask for AND RECEIVE His forgiveness, purchased for you at Calvary, and receive your deliverance!

If you do not have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ or are not "born again", "The Message of Salvation" is presented for you on page 218.

If you are uncertain how to pray to receive salvation, to recommit your life to the Lord, to receive forgiveness for sin, to receive deliverance from certain consequences of sexual sin, "Prayers for salvation, repentance, deliverance and Spirit Led guidance" are presented on page 219.

Our contact details are presented at the beginning and end of this book and the internet addresses of various Christian ministries which may be able to help you are listed on page 223.

Above all, do not let the knowledge of any sin, no matter how desperate the revelation which may follow from reading this book, get you down. The more sin you repent of in this life, the more pleasing your life will be to your precious Saviour and His Father and the less judgment you will face in the life to come. See all revelation of sin in your life as a wonderful opportunity to please Him. After all, He died on the Cross to take your sin, do not slight Him by refusing to give it to Him. He is waiting with open arms to receive YOUR BURDENS. Right now, His word to you is in Matthew 11:28-30:

28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (NKJ)

Remember also that Jesus said in John 10:10:

10 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (NKJ)

Above all things, the message in this book is about abundant living for those who have been oppressed by heretical doctrines and deliverance from bondage to the sin resulting from these heresies!

I encourage you to read on expectantly and see what the Lord will do!

6. A SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE KEY POINTS IN THIS BOOK

This book addresses two main issues, the first is the truth about marriage doctrine in terms of God's plan for marriage, the second relates to the practical scriptural guidance relevant to learning to live this life style.

In summary:

a. SCRIPTURE PERMITS A MAN TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE WIFE

Deuteronomy 21:15 states:"If a man has two wives, one loved and the other unloved, ...." (NKJ)

This is quite clear, a man may have two wives.

Exodus 21:10 states : "If he takes another wife, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marriage rights." (NKJ)

Clearly a man is permitted to take another wife subject to certain conditions.

b. ENFORCED MONOGAMY IS A STUMBLING BLOCK TO THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

What are the implications of the current doctrine of enforced monogamy which denies that a man may have more than one wife?

i. Millions, if not billions of Jews and Moslems recognize the books of Moses as given by God, they know that these passages of scripture are given by God who never changes. Therefore they cannot accept that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Messiah.

ii. Millions of people around the world live in societies which recognize that a man may have more than one wife. Monogamy has destroyed the very fabric of family life in Africa and elsewhere. The spread of AIDS in Africa can largely be attributed to this breakdown.

iii. Millions of government and world leaders including one of the most powerful men in the world, business executives and ordinary men in the street in the Western world have sexual relationships with more than one woman.

These people cannot accept the yoke of monogamy and therefore they cannot accept the "Gospel" of Christ as preached today!

Enforced monogamy is a stumbling block to the Gospel of Jesus Christ that is sending billions of souls to hell!

c. THE CHURCH HAS LOST ALL RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF VIRGINITY

Deuteronomy 22:20-21 states:

20 "But if the thing is true, and evidences of virginity are not found for the young woman,

21 "then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done a disgraceful thing in Israel, to play the harlot in her father's house; so you shall put away the evil from among you." (NKJ)

This passage of scripture clearly identifies that a woman must be a virgin when she gets married. If she is not she is a harlot. There is no scriptural basis to determine that the man who takes a woman's virginity should not have another wife!

Thus enforced monogamy makes a mockery of the Word of God!

d. THE CHURCH INCORRECTLY DEFINES ADULTERY AND CAUSES MILLIONS TO FALL

1 Corinthians 6:9 states: "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, (NKJ)

An adulterer is anyone who has had sex with a woman whose virginity has been taken by another man and who is not a widow or scripturally divorced.

The doctrine of enforced monogamy is keeping millions of people out of the kingdom of God!

e. THERE ARE FAR MORE WOMEN THAN MEN IN THE CHURCH, GOD INTENDED THEM TO HAVE BELIEVING HUSBANDS

Isaiah 4:1 referring to the church in these days states: And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, "We will eat our own food and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by your name, to take away our reproach."

In other words, there will be seven times more women than men in the church. This is being fulfilled before our eyes in many congregations. Hundreds of thousands of devout Christian women are desperately seeking mature Christian husbands who are unmarried and not finding them.

The lives of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of devout Christian women is made a misery because they cannot find a Godly husband! Many fall into sin or backslide!

f. CONCLUSION : ENFORCED MONOGAMY IS HERESY OF THE WORST KIND!

1 Timothy 4:1-3 states: 1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, ..... (NKJ)

Clearly enforced monogamy is one of the doctrines of demons referred to here.

ENFORCED MONOGAMY IS HERESY OF THE WORST KIND!

g. BUT : GOD HAS A MUCH BETTER PLAN

God's vision for marriage in these last days is a pattern and a type of the wonderful lives those who overcome to the end will live with Christ for eternity. A life filled with love, peace and joy. A life in which men and women are truly fulfilled as the men and women that God has called them to be. A life in which the world will see Christ in whole families and come flocking to the light. A life in which every Christian family will be a spiritual power house able to do greater works that Jesus did, as stated in John 14:12:

12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. (NKJ)

Read on and see what treasure is contained for you today in the Word of God. I do not have all the answers but The Holy Spirit does and, if we trust Him and walk by faith He WILL lead those who desire it into all truth on these issues.

7. POLYGAMY IS AN ABOMINATION IN THE SIGHT OF GOD

Many people today, particularly in the Christian church, use the word "polygamy" to refer to a man having more than one wife. However, the word polygamy, translated literally, means "many either sex" - poly meaning many and gamy referring to the reproductive cell or gamete of either sex. Polygamy is therefore used to describe any plant or animal in which sexual reproduction takes place within the context of multiple male sexual organs exchanging seed with multiple female sexual organs. In other words, in worldly terms, an orgy, in scriptural terms fornication.

The definition of adultery in section 11, page 37 clearly shows that in scripture a situation in which a female mates with multiple males is adultery and fornication and is an abomination in the sight of God. Polygamy is therefore a sin and an abomination in the sight of God and it is quite possible for any spiritually sensitive person to discern that this is so. This does not, however, in any way indicate that "polygyny", the marriage of one male to more than one female, as described throughout scripture, is in any way a sin.

This book IS about what the Bible, taken as the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God, says about marriage. No more and no less. It is my profound belief that if you hold the Holy Scriptures sacred you will have no option but to agree with what is written here and to discard what I truly believe is a "doctrine of demons" which has been espoused in the name of Christ for about 1,700 years.

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