Benny Hinn, Ex-Wife 'Closer, Stronger Than Ever'
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2012/June/Benny-Hinn-Ex-Wife-Closer-Stronger-Than-Ever/
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Since reconciling with his ex-wife Suzanne, televangelist
Benny Hinn says God has healed his family "in a most remarkable and
miraculous way."
In a note on his website, Hinn said he and Suzanne have
"submitted to godly counsel and oversight" to continue to improve
their relationship and are now "closer than ever."
He called the last three years before and after his divorce
"painful" and admitted that being too involved with work partially
led to their separation.
"What I did not realize was that in the process of
ministering around the world, it was taking a far greater toll on my marriage
than I realized," Hinn said. "I once believed that my ministry came
before my family, and I now realize that I was wrong. God comes first, then my
family, and then my ministry."
Hinn also revealed his former wife's addiction to
prescription medications, which he said also played a factor in their marital
problems.
"She became dependent on those for nearly 15 years, and
those medications made her behave erratically at times," he explained.
"As her husband, I did not know the extent of her reliance on these
medications, nor did I fully understand just how much harm they were causing to
her, physically and emotionally."
Suzanne eventually checked herself into the Betty Ford Center in 2010 and today is
"totally set free" from her addiction, Hinn said.
"She is completely whole, and for that I give the Lord
Jesus the praise," he added.
Hinn said Suzanne filed for divorce in 2010 "because she
was in a deep emotional and physical crisis."
"The end of our marriage most certainly woke me up, and
the Lord used it to show me -- as a man of God and as a man -- that I cannot
function properly without my wife and family," Hinn shared.
Hinn also thanked supporters for their prayers and assured
his ministry will continue with Suzanne by his side for the rest of his life.
The pair were married for more than 30 years. Suzanne Hinn
filed for divorce in 2010, but it was revealed last month that they'd started
reconciling after a 2011 Christmas gathering.
ALSO SEE,
Reconciliation Is Rapidly Taking Place
http://www.bennyhinn.org/emailletters/8856/reconciliation-is-rapidly-taking-place/
Pastor John Mulinde forgives wife
http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2011/01/katonda-takkiriza-kukyawa-mulinde.html
'I
want my wife back' Sam Niiwo
Renowned gospel artiste Judith
Babirye left her husband in November last year, saying she had suffered enough.
But her husband, Samuel Niiwo, says they are still married and is hoping she
will return to him. Samuel Lutwama talked to him about it
You did not respond to your wife’s accusations! Were you guilty?
You did not respond to your wife’s accusations! Were you guilty?
No! I do not respond to lies. I am Born-again. Secondly, I do not believe that Babirye actually uttered that rubbish. She knows the Bible and its view of a wife of noble character very well. She must have been misquoted. The Babirye I know cannot trade on false accusations in her normal spiritual senses.
So, she lied?
I never saw her saying those things. I don’t believe in hearsay. I believe she cannot make the mistake of slandering her husband and the father of her child to make him to look inhuman in the eyes of the public. The real Babirye I know could not utter such nonsense unless she was under a spell or demonic influence. My family is in turmoil; the children are most affected. I lost friends and I was made vulnerable to enemies. I have visited hell on earth but as the psalmist said: God is our refuge and strength.
But she is not denying that she said those things about you
Even if she said them, I have no right to judge or condemn her; she desires mercy, not judgement. Remember, by divine arrangement, she is my wife, my own body. I blame the people influencing her. They are on a clandestine mission for her spiritual down fall.
A person who advises a servant of God to get a divorce is Satan himself. How do you advise someone to lose the crown of marriage and wear the crown of Anti-Christ?
These devils want my wife to fall into the trap of what is written in Ezekiel 16:38: And I will Judge you as women who break wedlock or shed blood are judged; I will bring blood upon you in fury and jealousyâ.
Who are the people confusing your wife?
I know some pastors. Whether they perform miracles or have faith which moves mountains, without love they can never see God or enter heaven.
These third parties are beneficiaries of our separation. When you see a pastor claiming to deliver someone but that someone comes out of the deliverance more hateful or malicious than she went in, just know the pastor is Lucifer.
The Bible says you shall know them by their fruits! You cannot want divorce and claim to love God.
Name them
Lucifer himself is at play. He is using money and individuals around her, especially because she is a celebrated musician. People are struggling to keep her out of marriage for financial benefits. How can you advice a Born-again married woman to divorce? How can you keep Babirye in unforgiveness, anger, bitterness and resentment where she cannot penetrate heaven through prayer? They are keeping her in false and vain prayers. Money and cars do not signify God’s presence. If you want to know the presence of God, measure the power of your love.
Did you expect her to stay in a marriage that was physically dangerous to her?
I have never beaten Babirye not even once, because I treasured her more than anything.
But she says you did, and that on the day she left, you almost beat her to death.
Then from which grave or hospital was she speaking? I am surprised! The Babirye I know, the one I married, the girl who sang Wambatira and Beera Nange, cannot tell such lies! Not even for popularity! She must have been under a spell.
Can you give us your version of what happened and why she left?
Honestly, I do not discuss family matters in public. The public did not give me Babirye, so I have no obligation to report my marital problems to them. The public has its own problems to solve.
Don’t you want people to learn from your experience?
Marriage has no specific formula. You cannot copy from Niiwo’s marriage. Just pray to God to give you a person whose heart is after God’s own heart.
Is Babirye a bad person?
Babirye is a nice person! In fact, I call her ˜ka-sweet. But like any other person, she can be tempted. Even David in his righteousness as a man of God, Moses who spoke with God face to face and Abraham our forefather, got tempted. The devil is always looking for an opportunity to shipwreck us.
She talked about your bad side. Tell us about hers.
Before I married Babirye, I fasted for seven days asking God to give me wisdom on how to live with her. God, in fact, talked to me about this current situation. That is why He has guided me through it. I have been very careful not to lay a finger on Babirye, even when I was provoked. Everything she said in the press is false. This world is deceitful and challenging for the Born-again. You can’t please man at the expense of God. That is how King Saul lost it. Pastors should learn from Pastor Bugembe on how to deal with fame and from Apostle John Mulinde and Pastor Imelda on how to handle storms and ministry. Above all, they should to look to Jesus
Why didn’t you stop her from leaving?
I tried but the enemy targeted a time when we were both spiritually weak. We had just returned from the campaign trail. We had financial obligations and she was the bread winner at home, because my business had collapsed two years before. She was stressed and bitter. Like any other woman, she blamed me. I think this is what we both failed to manage. I confess I failed greatly here. I apologised and asked her to be patient with me.
How will you repair your marriage?
The spiritual situation around her is so complex, but through Christ who started this marriage, I will win. If Jesus could cancel the divorce between Him and man, our reconciliation is possible. At the right time, I will pick my wife and bring her back home. For now, I am undergoing counselling to heal from the shock. I am also correcting my past mistakes; I need to work on some projects, have a sustainable income base and to clear my debts.
But she vowed never to return
Babirye is not foolish! She won’t want to be associated with divorced women and their bad omen. I think she was devastated by the situation we went through and she needs time to heal. Secondly, I am not stupid enough to put her through another bad experience. When the light of the Lord shines upon her, she will return. The devil and his agents have to lose on this one. I will do whatever it takes to get back my wife. Honestly, I miss that girl. I dismiss every deceitful spirit of single motherhood and feminism in the name of Jesus.
What if she has found another man...
If that man is there, then his name is Lucifer, his portion is in hell, and therefore, he does not scare me at all. The only sad thing would be the spiritual situation of my wife. But according to the God I serve, that person reducing my wife’s spirituality should curse the day he was born. I will organise a dancing competition with him and we see who dances better to Hosanna Yesu yafa nazukira.
Are you aware she said she is happier now?
Even those who go to Club Silk say life is sweet for them. It depends on the context. Under whose Lordship are you enjoying life?
How did you feel when the story ran in the news papers?
I felt betrayed beyond measure; I had never seen such slander and organised malice. I have passed through hell. It opened a door for enemy forces to attack. I was made vulnerable and undressed in public. I locked myself in the bedroom, gave thanks to God, and prayed for guidance. I informed God that it was too much to handle and the provocation was extreme. I prayed for wisdom, the ability to stop the hatred that was brewing in me and guidance not to slander back. I asked Him to give my children unfailing love for their mother.
How have you managed
Christ Jesus answered my prayers. Earthly friends believed the story and ran away from me. People I had supported abandoned me. All except Pastor Imelda Namutebi and Pastor Bugembe who have supported me. God also used a very young girl called Viola at Bugembe’s Church to lift me up spiritually. When I contemplated taking my life, she reminded me that God does not see me the way the world sees me now. She begged me not to speak any negative word against my wife. Together with her two friends, Aisha and Sharon and my young brother Ronnie, they camped at my house and prayed with me.
Any advice to people in a similar situation?
The worst enemy of married people is guilt over past mistakes. Until they agree on who the enemy is and deny this enemy room in their lives, they can never reconcile. Jesus is the only solution. If you shame the devil and let Christ win, you know you are filled with the Holy Spirit. They should not try to prove who is right or wrong but to pursue peace and love, things that brought them together.
Have you forgiven her?
I forgave her from the bottom of my heart. You see real forgiveness is when you can still feel compassion for someone who hurt you.
Babirye: He put me through hell
In an interview with Saturday Vision’s Intimate earlier this year, gospel artiste Judith Babirye had this to say about her husband and her marriage:
Your husband wants you back. Will you go back to him?
I cannot return to Samuel. He took me through hell. Just like Paul said in the Bible, I am forgetting what is behind me and looking to the prize ahead. I’m focusing on the future. The past is no more.
As a saved person and Gospel artiste, don’t you think you ought to forgive him?
I forgave him. I am saved. I believe in the Bible, and the institution of marriage. But that chapter is over. We no longer even talk. Even when he recently threatened suicide, he sent the message on phone.
(shows the messages which read: Please inform all my children that I loved them. Find da body in Kanyanya. Da rd joining Gaya rd to Kira town council, I have been betrayed too much. Tel, Jude am innocent, I’ve gone when I)
Has the separation affected you?
I feel more alive and more like me than I have ever been. More doors have opened up in my music career and also for pastoral ministries. Life is getting much better. My self esteem has been restored. I love my life now.
I’m now free and my relationship with God has also been strengthened knowing that even after you have moved through fire and water, He is faithful, as He said.
Are you going to remarry or planning to stay single?
I leave everything to God. I know where I come from and He knows my future.
Did you ever question God about why your marriage never worked out?
To God belongs all wisdom, knowledge and power and I’m grateful I went through it for it has sharpened me spiritually and taught me that all things work together for good to those who love the Lord.
What advice can you give to young women who are dating?
Image is not everything. Be careful to differentiate between your voice and that of God. God is the only one who can examine your heart and at the end of the day, the inner motives of your partner will affect you. It is better to listen to God’s voice than to yourself.
You were accustomed to being someone’s wife, but now you are single, how you do run your daily duties?
I recruited a manager, Gordon Sebbaale and together we have built a team that helps me run my daily routine as desired.
How are the children copying?
I have one child. She is four years old. She is fine and doing very well.
What advice can you give someone in an abusive marriage or relationship?
Pray and pray. But you need to know that what you underestimate might ruin your entire life. Silence is a killer that eats at your inner being. It is best you talk to someone you trust other than remaining in your shell, as one day it might burst.
What is Niiwo’s problem?
ACCORDING TO BABIRYE:
He is a philanderer
At our wedding in 2005, he brought his two children to live with us. But in one year alone, he got two more kids of the same age as mine. Their mothers dumped them at my place.
He was a womaniser
Some of his women confronted me in our marital home, yet he often accused me of infidelity. On several occasions, he denied being our child’s father.
Controlling
During a tour of the USA, Niiwo locked her up in the house, and barred her from using her phone. He took my phone and he would screen my calls. Immediately after our wedding, he stopped me from growing long hair, lest I attract other men. He also wanted me to wear only long bitenge outfits that flow down to my feet.
He stopped me from making friends and I never used to get visitors. He was particularly bothered by the male Gospel artistes
Neglects his parental obligations
I was the one looking after our home single-handedly, paying rent and taking care of our child and his other children.
He did not want me to sing and make money, yet he was always getting loans in my name.
Violence
One time, I confronted him about bad-mouthing me to his relatives and he chased me around the house, grabbed me and beat me ferociously in full view of the neighbours. He also beat me when I complained about his women who confronted me at home.
Bad manners
He disrespected my relatives and friends. We sought counselling from pastors Joseph Sserwadda and Joseph Kabuye.
He would be repentant to a little while then revert to his old ways. So, in November 2009, I decided to leave him.
How they met
I MET Niiwo in 2000 during the launch of my first album Wambaatira at Pastor Joseph Sserwadda’s Victory Church. I had just finished singing when Sam came backstage and told me he was my number one fan.
He said I knew how to sing and if I gave him my phone number, he would love to promote my career. I immediately gave him the number because I also wished to grow in my music and a promoter was a welcome development. We started communicating on phone and Sam became very helpful. By 2001, he had become my friend.
I would tell him my plans for my music and he would assist me here and there. He even started praying at my church. I was impressed by how much he knew about me and at that time, he gave me everything I asked him. Two years later, he asked me to get into a relationship with him. It was 2003. He called me and asked to take me out to some Thai place in Kololo.
There he asked me for my hand in marriage. I had known him for over two years but still, I asked him to give me time to think about it.
From then, I spent another year putting him off but he waited, only reminding me once in a while that he was still waiting for my answer to his marriage proposal. I was impressed by his patience.
In 2004, I accepted and we were wed in 2005. We have one child.
