FW: Bob and Charlyne’s remarriage testimony

Felt that this was worth passing on to show & encourage everyone that

Yes Standing for Our Marriage is Not Crazy  or being Unrealistic

As many of our well meaning friends & family members say while they would try to convince us that we are for praying that our wayward spouses will eventually come home is in vain–

They only wish us well & no longer to hurt or do not understand what Gods Word says about the permanence of Marriage Until Death Do They Part

So they try to convince us to Move On, Get Over it there is someone else better out there for you

 

It does Not matter what our wayward husbands may say to us, or to friends or to family or what they may do,

God can move to change our husbands just like God changed Bob & so many other husbands who are listed as successful Re-Unions & Re-Marriages in the testimonies section of Rejoice Ministries website

 

So in the mean time we need to keep our focus upon Jesus & Gods Word the bible &

Make those changes in ourselves to be ready for that time of Our Own Miracle,

Who knows when it will come, next year, next month, next week...

Are You Ready if it were to happen tomorrow while you are at work?

 

-----Original Message-----
 Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2006 4:53 PM

Subject: Bob and Charleyne's remarriage testimony

 

I am cleaning up my inbox and I just read their testimony of the remarriage.  It brought tears to my eyes. 

 

If you haven't read it I encourage you to do so. 

 

May it encourage you to never give up, and believe that God will restore your marriage. 

 

 

ON THIS DATE -

  "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to   her will be accomplished."  Luke 1:45

Today is such a special day in our marriage.  Bob and I are celebrating the 19th anniversary of our remarriage on July 7, 1987.  This was and still is such a miracle from our Lord God.  And yes, Bob and I celebrate both our anniversaries.  In fact, we probably celebrate this one even more because we both know what the Lord did in accomplishing this miracle of marriage restoration.

  "No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land   Desolate.  But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah;   for the Lord will cake delight in you, and your land will be marred."  Isaiah 62:4

The scripture above Isaiah was given to me on May 2, 1987 at 3 PM.  Yes, I have these details written in my Bible.  I had asked the Lord, just like you do, for another confirmation that the Lord was going to bring Bob home and restore our marriage, since Bob and the other person were speaking of a wedding.  When God gave me that scripture, I was just praising my Lord.  I had totally decided that I was going to wait forever for my husband to come home and be set
free from the bondages of sin.  Seek your Lord for His divine answers and then stand firm in your faith, believing what He has promised will come to pass.

  "...The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.  The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down."  Psalm 145:13-14

Bob and I want to praise our Lord for His faithfulness and love for His children. 

 

Nineteen years ago this week, as my children and I celebrated July 4th (alone), I did not have any idea what my Lord
was planning for me and our family only three short days later.

 

  "For nothing is impossible with God."  Luke 1:37

On July 7, 1987 Bob drove two hours from where he lived and came to my office and knocked on my window.  I was shocked to see him.  I went to the back door and he asked if I could go out to lunch with him.  I could see he was distressed.  I went back inside and quickly arranged for others to handle things. I left not knowing what was
going on. 

 

Bob was under Holy Spirit conviction and he had a battle raging within between the Holy Spirit and Satan.  There was a battle of doing what was fun, wild living in a world of sin or going back home to a wife and children who had been praying for him.  

 

While we were still in the parking lot, sitting in his car, Bob starting talking to me and asked me to stop praying for him.  He said I had to leave him alone, and that he could not handle the stress. I assured Bob that I loved him, but I would never stop praying for him.  I continued to listen.  All of a sudden he said, "To keep you happy and for you to leave me alone, I will go to the court house with you right now and get a marriage license that you can keep it in your Bible to know that sometime in the future, I may come home." 

 

 Bob was speaking double mindedness.  He was just wanting and seeking peace from all the turmoil that he was feeling
within.

We went to the courthouse as I prayed continuously, asking the Lord to help me to speak and say just the right words.  I had no idea what was happening.  We got the marriage license and Bob said, "Now you should be satisfied, so stop praying and leave me alone.  Someday we may get remarried, but not now." 

 

Then Bob took me to his new found favorite restaurant, which I soon heard was the other woman's favorite place. 

As I left the table for a couple of minutes, the Holy Spirit spoke to my husband like never before and said, "You have made the biggest mistake in your life by leaving your wife.  You need to marry her now and go home." 

When I returned to the table, Bob said he was sorry for all that he had done and that God had just spoken to him.  He needed to come home.  Would I marry him?  Would I?  I could not believe my ears! 

Bob told me to call our Pastor (who has encouraged me to divorce Bob due to his unfaithfulness) and to ask the Pastor if we could be remarried in the Pastor's office that afternoon.  I remember mentioning every so briefly if he would like to have a wedding in the church, as I had lost weight and had my dry cleaned wedding dress waiting for a large celebration one day. Bob said, "No, I can't do that."  I dropped the church wedding subject instantly.

The church secretary said our Pastor was at lunch.  I told the secretary to tell him that "My miracle is happening."  I then called my office to let them know that I was not returning to work that afternoon. 

Everyone, both at church and at work, knew what was happening as I had been speaking for over two years that Bob was coming home, some day, some how as God had told me He would restore our marriage.  What are you speaking to others? We were able to contact two of our three children to meet us at the church, without telling them what was
happening suddenly on that special afternoon.

Later that afternoon, we went to Bob's parent's house and walked in asking them to guess why we were there together.  His mother's response, "You got married!"  She was believing what I had been saying, but never told me.  We went back to my office and the Doctors and staff got a cake and punch and we had our reception in the kitchen. 

A few hours later, our entire family celebrated at a restaurant.  What a homecoming celebration!  My prodigal spouse has come home from the far country!
 
God does speak to His children and that is my prayer for you today. 
Seek the Lord in your desperation and ask your Lord to speak to you loudly and clearly, so that you have no doubt what His message is for your marriage restoration and what your are to do.

Over twenty years ago, God spoke to me when I was desperate asking my Lord if He was going to restore my marriage.  I had my Bible and cried out, pleading for my Lord to speak to me supernaturally.  I asked my Lord, "Where was Bob spiritually?"  I opened my Bible and it opened to Luke 1:15

  "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord."  Luke 1:15

I was speechless and asked the Lord how that could be, knowing what Bob was doing!  The Lord spoke thoughts in my mind that Bob was blinded and deceived by the enemy.  Then, as I was sitting and thinking, I turned my eyes to the opposite page of the Bible and a scripture seem to be highlighted on the page, which was the first scripture I shared in today's devotional, Luke 1:45.

I had to choose to believe in what my Lord was speaking to me about Bob and about our marriage.  I was amazed what was happening.  I could hardly believe what the Lord was revealing to me as I had just a few months before divorced Bob for his unfaithfulness.  Then as the Lord can only do, He lifted up another scripture on the same two
pages of my Bible which said, "For nothing is impossible with God."  Luke 1:37

That is my message for you today.  I know your circumstances may be impossible, horrible in the world's eyes, and your church family thinks that your prodigal spouse will never return home and God has someone better for you.  Don't believe it!  That is what I did! 

Save yourself a lot of pain and brokenness.  Don't divorce your spouse.  God hates divorce.  (Malachi 2:13-16) If you are divorced, repent for your part, and start standing and believing for the Restoration of your marriage. 

 

Bob and I are living proof of the power and faithfulness of our Heavenly Father, if you will follow His will and way in spite of your circumstances. 

Today, I challenge you to become a women or man of God who walks and talks faith about your marriage being restored, regardless of your present circumstances.  I just want to praise my Lord that I chose to follow Him and His wooing, instead of listening to man about showing Bob tough love when he was living in sin.  In the years Bob was gone, he moved four different times.  As a new stander at that time, my heart was broken and I could not imagine how my
Lord was going to be able to bring my husband back home, but God. I chose to trust my Lord and wait on His perfect timing.

I know that your circumstances may seem hopeless today, but never forget the awesome mighty God you serve.  Never forget your Lord who wants to guide and direct your every step and who speaks to you throughout the day and night if only you will talk and listen to Him.  Your Lord did not touch you and change your heart, giving you promises of restoration, to never have your marriage restored!
 
Yes, you are in a spiritual battle.  Yes, you must fight as if it means life or death for your spouse because it does.  What you decide to do, praying for your prodigal, may mean them being in Heaven or in Hell. 

Never forget the example that you are teaching your children and other friends and loved ones about the importance of your marriage covenant and your wedding vows.  

My Lord was touching my husband's heart one day at a time.  God is also speaking to your spouse even if they are being rebellious and disobedient.  But as you read throughout the Bible, God moves suddenly and then does a miracle.  Marriage restoration is worth praying, travailing and fighting for the restoration of your marriage and your family.  The Lord is no respecter of persons. 
What He has done for Bob and I, He will do for you in His perfect timing.  Stand firm waiting for your miracle!

God bless,
Charlyne Steinkamp
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.®
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061 USA
http://rejoiceministries.org 
http://howtostand.org   
 
- - - - -
A BOBSERVATION -

My wife did a great job in describing July 7, 1987 for you.  The part she does not know about is my two hour drive that Wednesday morning down Florida's Turnpike.  Like a person in great physical pain, I had left Fort Pierce seeking relief from my spiritual pain.  I had no idea what was about to happen.  In fact, I had no idea exactly where I was headed, except to Broward County, where both Charlyne and the other person lived.  Along the way, I considered my options. The more I attempted to reason out an answer, the more Charlyne seemed to hold the solution.

That day, I did not want to see Charlyne, much less have lunch with her--or marry her! Believe me, if  there had been one reason not to exit at her office, I would have continued on into the arms of someone else, gaining temporary relief from a pain that was not about to go away.

If once, Charlyne had given me reason to believe that her stand was not for real, or if once she had been discovered out with a male friend for coffee, I would have passed up her exit.  If only one time, she would have contacted me during her stand that she was "getting on with life," I would have had my out.

Today, 19 years later, I thank God for His Holy Spirit having led me that day.  I also praise Him for giving me a wife for life, a stander for life, who was always as sold out to our marriage in her actions and she was in her words.

"It's nice your marriage worked out for you guys, but who promises that mine will end the same way?" someone is asking.  Your Lord God gives you that promise.  He never changes, so it is all up to you.
Are you going to get serious about standing, doing things God's way, or are you going to dabble with standing, as well as with living the world's way, going back and forth, depending on which crowd you are with?

If you were to ask either of us what we want for our anniversary, the only gift we desire is for you to become a strong, serious, sold-out stander, who looks to their Lord Jesus for everything. The bottom line is that we want you to know the joy of a marriage restored and healed by our Mighty God.

The morning of July 7, 1987 for me should settle your fretting over what your prodigal is doing, saying, thinking, or being.  There are no obstacles to restoration we prodigals set in place that have a Mighty God wringing His hands.  Once God moves, in response to your serious stand and prayers, and at His time, things start to happen.

Yes, prodigals do come home (and we stay home.)  The Holy Spirit leads us home to serious standers who are doing things God's way!

- - - - -
Rejoice Stop Divorce Christian Bookstore - http://stopdivorce.org/
- - - - -
Scripture quoted by permission and are from the Holy Bible; New
International Version® Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society.  Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.  All rights reserved. - - - - - Copyright© 2006 Rejoice Marriage Ministries Inc®.