'He restoreth my soul,'

(and all that concerneth me)!

 ""My husband, who once was so bound up and dying of liver disease, is now a prosperous, prosperous businessman, an elder in the church, and a radical worshipper of God!!!"

James & Roseann Kendig

"The vision I had, and the scriptures were my source of strength to go on.  I began to confess the Word of God over the situation, pray in tongues, and proclaim declarations

with my mouth, such as, 'I see James walking hand-in-hand with Jesus.' "
  

   James and I were married February 6, 1965, and although I knew that James drank, I really did not realize that he was an alcoholic.  The first 10 years of our marriage was turbulent!  We were right in the middle of the hippie generation, and James was not only addicted to alcohol, but also to drugs, gambling, and women.

   I had been raised Catholic and came from a family that believed marriage was forever.  James and I would frequently separate, sometimes for two weeks or even longer.  We had two little boys, Kam and Kristopher (whom James loved!), but because of his addiction he could not be the father he desired to be.  We had many good times together, but clearly, James’ addiction came first, and though he continually promised to quit, he was never able to do so.  It was difficult as well for James to hold a steady job, and though I thank God we always had food and a place to stay, it was financially hard. 

    I longed for a normal, stable marriage!  However, in 1972, our marriage seemed to be disintegrating irrevocably.  We separated, and I began a ‘new life’ of partying, smoking pot, and seeing other men.  My ‘new life’ seemed pretty good, but I began to develop a hunger for the things of God, desiring to know what life was really all about.  I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Saviour on April 4, 1975.  In the meantime, James, who was living in a drug house, recommitted his life to Christ while watching the 700 Club (he believes he had been born again as a young boy).

   After having been separated for 2 years (and unbeknownst to one another, had both become committed to Jesus), James suddenly appeared at my doorstep in April 1975 announcing he was back!  Initially, I didn’t know if I wanted him back, but God had other plans.  We did get back together, and celebrated that Easter together kneeling in front of the television during the Oral Roberts Easter Show, and accepted Jesus as our Saviour together.

   From that moment on, we were on fire for Jesus, and we both got baptized in the Holy Ghost.  Life was wonderful.  After about a year, I realized that James was not free from his addictions to alcohol.  I could hardly believe it.  I cried much, prayed much, and had the whole church praying right along with me.  Then one day, my Heavenly Father talked to me in a loud, clear voice.  He said, “Daughter, I will restore your marriage and set James free.”

   I was a babe in Christ, and I knew very little about walking by faith, but the Lord was my Teacher, and He upheld me with His victorious right hand!  Years began to pass, but the Lord gave me many prophetic encouragements.  Scriptures such as Philippians 1:6, Psalm 1, and Jeremiah 32:37-40 were a great comfort to me.  The Lord also gave me a vision in which I saw a large hand.  In that hand I saw a little man, who I immediately knew was James.  Instantly, the vision changed, and I saw the backs of James and Jesus walking down a road hand-in-hand.  I interpreted this to mean that James was trying to get out of the hand of God, but years later when I shared this vision with James, he began to weep, and said, “That’s me, that’s me” and he saw the hand as the grip of addictions that he was desperately trying to get free from.  Both interpretations had great meaning to us.  The Lord would continually bring this vision back to me when things were so difficult that I wanted to quit. 

   The vision I had, and the scriptures were my source of strength to go on.  I began to confess the Word of God over the situation, pray in tongues, and proclaim declarations with my mouth, such as, “I see James walking hand-in-hand with Jesus.”  This spiritual discipline became an important aspect of my life.  James loved the Lord, but he was so bound up that he could not serve Him or know Him, or worship Him the way he wanted to.  He would cry out to God to set him free.  At times I felt like hell was in my home, and James would often become suicidal, wanting to kill himself.  But God was faithful!

   We both continued to believe the Lord’s Word to us, even though it did not look like anything was changing.  By His grace, we kept trusting and leaning upon the Lord, and upon His Word.  During this time, the Lord led us to a new church, the New Wine Christian Center under the leadership of Pastors Barry & Donna Ryan, whom we love dearly.  God knew they had what we needed in order to grow, mature, and to overcome in the Lord!

   On February 6, 1993, the day of our wedding anniversary, SUDDENLY IT HAPPENED!  James was at work when his boss asked him this question, “What is this world coming to?”  James replied, “I don’t know, but I’m going back to Jesus.”  He came home and told me of this exchange with his boss, and as he walked passed me, the Lord said to me, “Here comes My prodigal son!”  From that day on, James was set free from all addictions, and was free to serve God and to walk with Jesus hand-in-hand!

   Yet there was more work in James’ mind and body that the Lord desired to do to bring him into more complete liberty.  As we had opportunity, James and I would attend the conferences of Sister Bobbie Jean Merck.  James really didn’t care for women ministers, and though he would come to the services, he often would end up getting mad, and running out of the services before they were over! 

   In April of 1993, Sister Bobbie Jean was at our church to minister.  James had recently been diagnosed with terminal liver disease, as his liver was destroyed from his drinking, and he was given a ‘certain’ death sentence, and told that he had less than 5 years to live.  James had told nobody of this, including me! 

   One night, during these services, James complained as usual about Sister Merck, saying she pushed people down.  She would often blow on people, rather than lay hands upon them, and James roughly exclaimed, “She had better not blow on me!”  The Lord gave her a word of knowledge, and she told the people that night that the Lord was healing people with terminal liver disease.  James stepped forward, responding to the Word. 

   Meanwhile, the Lord had impressed Sister Merck to stay behind the pulpit, thereby not coming into contact at all with those that had come forward, for He would demonstrate to all that it was He, Himself, that did the work!  She told the people to simply, “Raise your hands and receive your healing!”  James obeyed, and as he did, he fell down under the power of the Holy Spirit and was healed of terminal liver disease, receiving a brand new liver that night!

   Jesus also set James free to worship Him with the liberty he had so desired to be able to do, but had been too bound.  Now,  neither he nor I can praise the Lord enough.  Jesus is so WONDERFUL!  Our lives have turned around one-hundred-eighty degrees.  Today, James and I love each other with all of our hearts.  We are so thankful that we stayed together, for the Lord has so much love to give us.  My husband, who once was so bound up and dying of liver disease, is now a prosperous, prosperous businessman, an elder in the church, and a radical worshipper of God!!!  Praise Jesus!