Paula Sandford - Healing Victims Of Sexual Abuse: How to Counsel and Minister to Hearts Wounded by Abuse

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I AM INDEBTED AND GRATEFUL to the authors whose research has been quoted here.

My thanks to the many who heard of the writing and contributed:

Some by prayer when they knew the warfare was intense or the needs for energy and illumination were great

Some by advice and counsel

Some by recommending books

Some by granting permission to include their letters or by allowing their testimonies and experiences to be reported

(All names, except our son Marks, have been changed.)

Special thanks to Mark, who courageously allowed his testimony to be made public, as he said, for the sake of the Lord and the healing of many. And for his contributions of research and wisdom, especially in chapter 5.

To my husband, John, for his hours of patient editing, suggesting thoughts here and there, and putting up with me while I have been lost for hours at the computer.

To Lloyd Hildebrand of Victory House, Inc. for his consistent prayerful encouragement and competent final editing, and to Strang Communications for their skillful and patient reediting and republishing of this title.

Most of all, my thanks to Linda and her two sons for being willing to share their grief and triumph.

And, of course, inexpressible thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ, whose wisdom granted whatever common sense can be found here, whose forgiveness covers my mistakes, and whose grace turns all our efforts into the best wine for the feast.

THE LOVING NATURE
OF FATHER GOD

Although my father and my mother have forsaken me, yet the Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child].

PSALM 27:10, AMP

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

PSALM 46:1

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting.

PSALM 118:1

The LORD is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me?

PSALM 118:6

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

JOHN 3:16

Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Fathers house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.

JOHN 14:12

We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

ROMANS 8:28

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:34

God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus.

EPHESIANS 2:56

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

2 PETER 3:9

And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

1 JOHN 4:16

We love, because He first loved us.

1 JOHN 4:19

But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared.

PSALM 130:4

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

MATTHEW 6:12

For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

MATTHEW 6:1415

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.

MARK 11:2526

Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, I repent, forgive him.

LUKE 17:34

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus . He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins.

ACTS 5:3031

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us.

EPHESIANS 1:78

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

EPHESIANS 4:3132

And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

COLOSSIANS 3:1213

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

1 JOHN 1:910

who pardons all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit; who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion.

PSALM 103:34

I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.

ISAIAH 43:25

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

ISAIAH 55:7

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

PSALM 103:12

For this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.

MATTHEW 26:28

And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

LUKE 3:3

And He said to them, Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead on the third day; and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

LUKE 24:4647

Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you.

ACTS 3:19

Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

PSALM 103:13

But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to childrens children.

PSALM 103:17

Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them about your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

PROVERBS 3:3

The Lords lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.

LAMENTATIONS 3:22

Yet even now, declares the LORD, return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping, and mourning; and rend your heart and not your garments. Now return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness, and relenting of evil.

JOEL 2:1213

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

MICAH 6:8

lessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

MATTHEW 5:7

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.