This is the message I wanted to make for a long time. Praise God! God gave me time to do it.
I know it is in Amharic. I wish I had time to translate it into English. My English speaking friends, please forgive me. Pray for me so God gives me people who can help me in this.
This is the passage I used to deliver this hard to address message, i.e. Marriage with unbelieving spouse:
“To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?” (1 Corinthians 7:10-16)
In short, the message is this: You’re married with unbelieving person for whatever the reason. You decided to do that after you came to Christ or after marriage, you came to faith in Christ but not your spouse. Please don’t settle for a divorce and don’t try to change your spouse so that he/she can believe in Christ. Holy Spirit is the only One who can do that, not you. So, don’t annoy your spouse by trying to do the work of the Holy Spirit in your spouse. Strive to be Christ to your spouse by cultivating intimate relationship with with the word of God and the Holy Spirit.
May God help you! ///