‘THE IMPORTANCE OF PRE-MARITAL COUNSELING’ part 4

Today we took a [different] turn, we were supposed to have a service where we are praying for people who need jobs and for breakthroughs but by the aid and instruction of the Holy Spirit, we are now talking about the importance of premarital counseling.

This started when a brother wanted to marry one of the sisters at church and the sister came forth and disclosed her HIV status to the brother, it was shocking and yet overwhelming that she was honest before even getting married and what we thought was, ‘what was going to happen had the sister not been honest?’ It could have negatively affected the brother and he was going to be trapped in that marriage.

That is when methods of advising and instructing couples to get tested before they get married came into play. Engaged couples now have to come with their results to our counseling sessions. This might seem like we are violating your privacy or confidentiality, but this is done to protect both parties. There are wolves in sheepskin, and again God won’t come and tell you that someone is HIV positive while there are means in place to get tested and see that the person is HIV positive. As ministers, we must have means in place to see it through that all people at church are protected.

CRIMINAL RECORD

Q: If it happened that unaware, you marry someone who previously committed a crime, for instance, they once killed someone or they used to shoplift then what happens?

As the spouse, how would you feel if you only discovered such after getting married to them? Especially ladies with regards to shoplifting.

A: I believe God forgives and people change, therefore I will try to always see the new person, as when we eat or partake from the holy communion the old is gone and the new has come.

I believe that even if the devil tempts or the thought of committing that similar crime comes, now that I am aware of what they have previously done I can now step in and assist them. What you once said Daddy, that when people confess their sin they will be scared to go back and commit the same deed as people will be watching. Therefore I will be there to guide my partner.

Abraham Unknown: The mandate of premarital counseling is not that we are trying to judge your past but your partner must know and be aware of everything before they marry you. It is not that you will always be seen or perceived as the old you but as one of the speakers answered that we see the new.

But if it has happened that you were once a shoplifter and ever disclosed such to your partner, years later one of them is applying for a job and they cannot get employed due to a criminal record which the other was not aware of. This will raise a lot of questions in their marriage about dishonesty.

You can never be perceived as a new person while you are still afraid of speaking of the old you and your old ways, why cover and protect the old you? It is the old person who committed all those mistakes, you are now a new creature in Christ.

Adam and Eve, when they sinned the first thing they did was to hide, they sew skins from fig tree leaves. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you must cover and hide things about the old you be assured that there is still trace in you and someday it will come back. You defeat sin by exposing it, there is a teaching where we taught about this.

Sin abounds in darkness – darkness and secrets are not the same. A secret is in the light, as we speak openly, it can still be a secret though some people cannot comprehend what is being said. What is darkness the devil makes sure you hide those things you keep them as secrets. If you are a changed person you will disclose your past, if people hide their past saying they were scared you were going to leave them it is an old lie and they learned it somewhere.

As believers, we know that in the truth we are not ashamed of what God saved us from. Imagine being scared to testify while the Bible says they have conquered through their testimonies.

Q: How would you feel if you are asked to present the following documents in one of the premarital counseling sessions.

1. HIV and AIDS result
2. Criminal clearance
3. Medical reports
4. ITC reports
5. And test to fully disclose if you are truly a male/female
6. Letter from Home affairs to show if you were previously married or have kids.

A: Yes, if one has a problem disclosing such it means they are hiding something.

Abraham Unknown: When it comes to employment you run and get those documents ready, although you know you do not have a criminal record. But why would you have a problem disclosing such at church, and this instruction is directed to both parties it is not one-sided. Both partners should present those documents.

Note: Click on the link below to watch the Sunday Service with Abigail and Abraham Unknown

https://www.facebook.com/YeshuaMinistries1/videos/311722269939556/

Your Father Through The Gospel
Abraham Unknown

YESHUA; A CITY ON A HILL, THE LIGHT THAT CANNOT BE HIDDEN!