Page 78 - Evidence of Things Unseen

Pain City

t was the middle of September, 2000 when God moved us to Payne City. It had been six
Imonths since I had been cast out of my place of ministry at Living Faith, and although I
had quit attending at that time, Tony continued to go week after week, taking our children
with her. Tony had received much encouragement from the ministers and their wives in her
rebellion, and she craved this support as she continued to state her opposition to the path
God was leading me down.
I tried on numerous occasions to explain to Tony what God was doing in our lives, and
I reminded her of Charles and Nancy Newbold’s visit to our home when I had asked them
to pray that I would have a quick death. I reminded her that Charles had asked if she would
walk with her husband through the things God would take him through. She had answered
affirmatively, and Charles had exited our house by saying that one way God could take us
through a death experience was by means of a financial death. Tony responded by saying
that if she had understood what we would be walking through that she would never have
agreed to it.
God gave me tremendous grace in these days, for Tony was going through emotional
upheavals daily, and would rage at me at times, while falling into tears of self-pity only
moments later. She said, and did, many hurtful things during this period of time, but God
gave me grace to never answer her back with anger for anger, or reviling for reviling. I was
able to calmly respond to her, and to keep affirming that I loved her every time she would
say that I hated her.
The Holy Spirit had made known to me that this was to be the manner of my response.
Some months earlier God had spoken plainly to me, affirming His words through an event
He had orchestrated, letting me know that He would change the heart of my wife. I knew
that changing her heart was something beyond my abilities, and I believed that God would
do what He had said. I also remembered the prophetess Judith taking Tony by the hands
and praying against a spirit of divorce. These things gave me comfort, and the confidence
I needed, to simply leave Tony in the Father’s hands while I looked to Him to effect a heart
change in her.
Responding with such patience has not always been the norm for me, but I felt so
vulnerable at this time, and I daily needed God’s grace to such an extent, that I dared not
act in a prideful, or unforgiving, manner toward others. I wanted God’s mercy in my life,
so I was compelled to be merciful to others understanding that “by the judgment we judge
others we will be judged,” and remembering our Lord’s words, “blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.” A man who is hanging on a cross is very unwise to hurl insults
at the person next to him who is also on a cross.
I also knew that I was partially to blame for my wife’s struggles. Because I had
disobeyed in the area of covetousness, I had opened up a door in my home for my wife and
children to become attached to various worldly idols. It was to be expected that they would
have some difficulty giving up these idols. I was once more reminded of the story of Jacob
leaving his father-in-law Laban. One of the Scriptures that had been used of God to initiate
this entire journey in my life was Genesis 31:41, “I have worked for you for fourteen years.”
These words were spoken by Jacob to Laban, as Jacob was fleeing from his household.
Reading further in this story we find that Jacob’s wife Rachel stole her father’s idols
and hid them among her baggage when they departed. Jacob too had allowed idolatry in his