Jesus Did It!   

 (By: Norm Rasmussen)

The following is a testimony that a precious sister in the Lord by the name of Linda Laine recently sent us. The timing of it being sent to us was such that we believe God wanted us to send it out to those on our Ministry Encourager email list.  

Since moving to Georgia, I have had this over-compelling need to constantly give God praise. I didn't know why but it was all I could do (and even still). I felt/feel isolated and protected. Kind of like being in a refuge. Of course, I've always felt protected by Him since becoming born again; however, this past year it's been different, even though I couldn't put my finger on it. I mean, I really feel as though I'm being hidden. Even though I did not understand, I just told the Lord I trust Him and I know that eventually, in His time, He will let me know. Meanwhile, I'll just keep praising Him and doing what He puts before me. I even told Olli (my husband) many times this past year that we need to be on guard and mindful of even the slightest things, because the enemy is trying to get to us and we need to protect our home/family.

And now, today, I understand! And I give thanks! The Lord had revealed to me, answers to things I did not understand. There has been a fierce spiritual battle and He has been protecting me! Thank you, Lord Jesus! He has been fighting this battle for me and I've been feeding Him with praise! I think I told you that this praising business went far beyond regular praising. It's like how intense intercessory prayer can be... well, I've been like intercessory praising!

I was in a car accident some months before moving to Georgia. It was the weirdest thing. I was sitting at a red light at a T-intersection, waiting for my green light/arrow to turn left. From where I was sitting, you could only turn left or right. I sat there, staring at the red light. It turned green and, as always -- I double check all cars are stopped and never assume I have the right-of-way -- so I always take a quick glance around before entering an intersection.  

I proceeded to turn left. I glanced up to make sure my light was still green (saw the green arrow) and as I was getting ready to turn, I saw out the corner of my eye, a truck, going about 45 mph, and not stopping for his red light. It was headed straight for me on my side of the car. It all happened SO fast. I stepped on my brakes (actually stood on them with both feet) hoping he'd be able to swerve around the front of my car.

I remember very calmly thinking: So this is where it ends. One moment here; the next moment with the Lord. Then, I gently put my hands up to my face. Immediately, I was in this all-encompassing warm bubble. It was just like I was floating inside of this protective bubble, and I had an immense feeling of peace and calm. Or - like hands that totally enclosed me.  

Then I heard a crash (he did not stop before hitting me. He hit me full speed). I peeked between my fingers. I saw my airbags open and remember being amazed and kind of tickled that 'they really do work'!  I could hear screeching of tires, and see that my car was spinning.  

Suddenly, everything stopped and my car filled with smoke.

Several people came up to my car to help me out, and immediately told me they've called the police/ambulance. They ALL also told me not to worry; they saw the whole thing. I had the green light (one witness was behind me and pulling into the intersection as well) and said that the guy who hit me ran a red light.

The police and ambulance arrived. Two police officers told me not to worry; they talked to the witnesses -- it wasn't my fault. I remember thinking it was strange that everyone kept telling me this, because at this point I didn't care who's fault it was -- I was just glad everyone was alright. Anyway, the paramedics kept insisting I go with them and I kept insisting I was fine. Eventually, after checking me out, they told me to call them if I needed to go to the hospital later, and told me how they just couldn't believe I didn't need/want to go to the hospital after seeing my car (which was bent and totaled).

Well, toward the end of everything an officer showed up. He said he was the "reporting officer" and now in charge. Suddenly, everything changed. All of my witnesses had left by this point. This officer then cited me for running a red light. My friend and my husband (who were there by this time) and I tried to tell him that's not true, that there are several witnesses that saw what happened. Then he said I had a green light but not a green arrow. I said this wasn't true, you can't have a green light without getting a green arrow. 'They turn on at the same time.'

He said, 'That's not true because I just tested the lights.' (which he did NOT). Then I brought up the witness thing again. This officer turned and put his finger in my face and said in the most hateful way, "Lady! You have no witnesses!"  

I said that wasn't true. He said, on the verge of shouting at me, "NO!  I'm telling you, YOU HAVE NO WITNESSES!!!"

This just sent something through my entire spiritual being. It was the work of the enemy! I felt as though Satan was saying that to my face! Like it was a personal message from him to me. It was the weirdest thing. I had to tell my friend and Olli to let it go. And, I remember standing there thinking, 'That's okay, for God is my witness!  And, on the day of the Lord, Jesus will stand and He will testify on my behalf.

I tell you all of this because I think it's tied into what is going on in the spiritual realm even at this very moment. It's as though Satan warned me of what he was going to do and is doing. To discredit me and try to take away my testimony.

If you would like to learn more about Linda, you can click on the following links:  

REAL LIFE GOD STORIES - "HELL - I REALLY BELIEVED I WAS THERE!" The LINDA LAINE Christian Testimony  (Powerful - condensed version of her video testimony)

JESUS - GET ME OUT OF THIS HELL!   (Written testimony plus her full-length video)

EDITOR'S NOTE:  I am fully persuaded this is exactly what Satan was attempting to do, Linda. Satan is looking for ways where he can trap us into taking away ALL our testimonies, those who truly belong to Jesus anyway. 

But the timing of you sending this to us I find extremely 'interesting' as well, and certainly not coincidental!  Just one day prior to you sending this to us, God has been speaking to my heart about 'the weapon of praise' that God has given us. I'm going to share some thoughts about praise that perhaps God may use to help others reading this.  

In the church fellowship my wife and I are connected with, just a few days ago, I felt moved by the Holy Spirit to get up and speak to everyone there that morning. We currently have a lot of teenagers and college students in our Sunday morning church service, and I told them that I felt the Holy Spirit wanted me to share a few words with them about 'the weapon of praise' God has given His people.  

Essentially the meat of the exhortation was 'That praise is equivalent to a nuclear warhead - it is so powerful, yet a spiritual nuclear warhead, and we need to seek God diligently in these days of increasing trial about WHEN and HOW to use this powerful weapon.

'And if we FAIL to seek God of just how NECESSARY praise is and will be NEEDED,' Satan's attacks will wear many, many of God's people down to where they will be walking in an almost perpetual state of discouragement and depression.'

If one reads through the book of Psalm, one cannot MISS how much God's people are exhorted to PRAISE the Lord. God reveals to us in Psalm 147 of just how POWERFUL praise is to motivate God to break attacks of Satan against us. Here is just the beginning of Psalm 147:

Praise the Lord!  For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.  

The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.  

The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground.  

'Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praises on the harp to our God' 

If I may share this with you, our praise with THANKSGIVING to God in the midst of our painful trials is the wisest spiritual discipline we can DO -- weapon we can EMPLOY! 

In truth, when we least most feel like praising and thanking God, is when we are wisest in engaging in it!

Praising God, especially in the midst of our pain, demonstrates to God our willingness to enter into a dimension of humility that our rational mind absolutely HATES doing!  

God tells us this in Isaiah 61:3: The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. We are to wear praise like a protective garment. We will be wise to put this garment on DAILY and keep it on.

Have you ever given much thought lately, dear depressed and discouraged reader, about Ephesians 5:18-21?  It reads:

And do not be drunk with wine (to medicate your depression; discouragement; hopelessness, anger; frustration, which is WHY most people get drunk or high on drugs in the first place, emphasis mine), in which is dissipation (in other words, being controlled by something that breaks down one's resistance to demonic temptations and even outright control); but be filled with the Spirit.   

(How does one get FILLED and STAY FILLED with the Holy Spirit to deal with our pain? Feeding your mind with the Word of God and obeying it, which includes doing the following ...)

By speaking to one another in psalms and hymn and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, (hint: PRAISE!), giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of the God.

Let's give this a little further thought.  If we are taking alcohol and/or drugs to deal with our depression, discouragement, and perhaps even hopelessness, we need to realize one very important thing. God does NOT obligate Himself in scripture to battle demons assigned against us. Medications may be helpful if prescribed by our doctor, but rely exclusively on them at the expense of not giving praise even a second thought? Very counter-productive to your spiritual health and welfare. 

Yet when we will start adding praise to the equation, God DOES obligate Himself to do things in the spirit realm on our behalf! 

Prayer usually evolves around what we would like God to do for US, doesn't it? Praise usually evolves around how special God IS, doesn't it?   

Just how good IS God? He happens to have full say about what demons are allowed to continue doing to us, or be stopped -- or at least greatly hindered from doing to us. 

Praise to our God is one of the most difficult weapons in our arsenal of spiritual weapons to employ, especially when we are greatly depressed and discouraged, yet probably the most POTENT and the most NECESSARY. How so?

I can almost assure everyone reading this that as Satan's judgment (wrath) is launched against believers in these final moments before Christ's return for His Bride, your prayer life (and faith in your prayers being heard and answered) will dwindle away to just about nothing, if you don't keep regularly adding the 'fuel of praise with thanksgiving' to sustain it. 

Depending on who you listen to these days, we keep hearing that God's judgment (wrath) is upon America, and actually, many of the nations of the world. We are just sort of trained to believe God is the only source of judgment.  WRONG! Re-read Revelation Chapters 12 if you haven't lately. Satan's wrath against the Bride of Christ is Satan's judgment against God's Elect. If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, you, dear one, are the one Satan wants to unleash his venom on more than any other person on this planet. Don't forget that. 

The more discouraged and depressed and hopeless Satan trap you in, the less effective you are in being used of God to hinder Satan's objectives prior to the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  

This is elementary, but worth reminding ourselves frequently of: Satan's demons can't steal our eternal salvation, but they sure have the ability to steal our effectiveness in doing our part in the Army of our Jesus Christ, and to steal our joy and confidence in our prayer lives, and our ability to deal, cope - with the increasing pressures descending upon this planet. 

--Norm Rasmussen, Director, Precious Testimonies 

PLEASE HELP US HELP YOU SHARE THE BEST NEWS GOD HAS FOR EVERY PERSON BECAUSE...

JESUS DID IT! and...

YOU ARE SO GREATLY NEEDED!

Remember:  All that we do in this life comes back to our God-given purpose which is to serve and glorify God. The money and assets we accumulate, the fame and power we've attained or seek to attain - all of the things of this nature will one day pass away, but those lives of others we impact for Jesus Christ will last for eternity, and we will be rewarded for the part we helped play by impacting those lives ... for eternity. (Matthew 6:19-20 is our assurance)