Covenant in Process.....

Joan Reilly wrote this week

My son, Patrick is home from the hospital and out of danger of losing his life. I'm thanking God that I/we still have him to be the blessing in my/our life/lives that he is. Thank all of you who prayed for him from the bottom of my heart.

Covenant in Process....All In Christ the Head

I don't think he will mind me sharing this, but back in February and March Patrick was inspired to lose weight and began a diet of just juicing with vegetables and some fruits. He had done quite a lot of research on the subject of juicing and felt this was a healthy way to lose weight and get into better shape. He was very faithful in his endeavor and he stuck with just juice for over forty days. At this same time, he quit smoking and was on his way to the healthiest he's been in his nearly 38 years. He lost 40 pounds and looked and felt great. He told us he had never felt so energetic, alert and fit. He slowly began adding (mostly) healthy food back into his diet and kept pretty much on the straight and narrow.

About three weeks ago, he began feeling terrible. Gradually, daily he began to decline. I being the over- mother that I am, began urging him to see his doctor. You know how mothers are. He would say "I'll be alright" as we all so often think we are. My dear friends and ministry partners, Rich and Linda and I pray together most every night. This has been our practice for over two years. Of course we've been praying for Patrick recently because he wasn't feeling well. As the days progressed it became apparent to me that he was in trouble. When I mentioned this to Rich and Linda they kept urging me to see to it that he gets checked out. I said, Patrick something drastic is happening to you. I treaded lightly because I didn't want to overstep but I was worried...very worried but didn't know what more to say. Finally, Linda said just tell him to please "do it for me" which was exactly the key words that moved my sweet son to get checked out. You see, my son would do anything for me. The next day we went to the emergency room where tests were run as we waited nine hours for him to be admitted. It was discovered that his kidneys had failed completely. He began being treated immediately. He was hospitalized for nine days where many more tests were performed and where he had five dialysis treatments. He had excellent medical care. After all was said and done, the doctors told my son that had he waited a day or two more, he would not have made it. The toxins, fluids and poisons in his blood would have overtaken his body beyond the point of no return.

Here's my point in writing other than to thank you for your wonderful prayers and to publicly thank God for my son.
I thank God for using Linda to speak those words of urgency which I repeated verbatim. I attribute God using Linda to sustain and even save the life of my son.

I thank God for His idea of putting Rich, Linda and me together in a covenant by his very own hand. This is the not forsaking the assembling together, having no need and all things in common. This is what we call Church. I believe I have my son because of His Church! God bless you all.

As I write this, my precious friend, Linda is undergoing her first dialysis. I and her other covenant partner, her wonderful husband continue to lift her up to the Lord to sustain and even save her life. Praise His wonderful Name.

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Rich Novek, Linda Novek, Gail Cochrane and 10 others like this.


Jinny Hofer So happy for you and Patrick. Answered prayers for sure. He's healed because of Jesus and the Father love him. And you too Linda, just because He loves you you are healed!!!! Is a finished work
31 May at 06:51 · Like · 4



Joan Reilly Amen Jinny.
31 May at 06:53 · Like · 2



Heidi Marshall Oh Joan, this is such a heartfelt testimony to our Lord Jesus.
I am so blessed to have been able to share a part and have been touched by your tiny church so deeply in my own life too.
God gave us mothers that instinct that so drives our kids nuts! Yet, we cannot help it, it's a real as our hearts that beat. I thank God that you still have your son. I thank God that Rich "IN" Christ! Church saved my life.
I thank God that Linda is finally on dialysis too and the water weight is leaving her body along with all the toxins and poisons.
I thank God for the 'no condemnation' message that I received from The Lord using Rich, Linda & yourself. It is that message that finally has me walking in step with The Real Gospel and feeling and receiving the true Grace of God.
I pray and dream of the day we can all meet and worship together ... it is a very deep longing I have in my soul.
Sometimes the paths you walk seem barren, as though nobody is listening to Rich, yourself and Linda, yet someone is. A small nobody here in England, for some crazy reason, only He knows, I didn't commit suicide because of your tiny church across the Atlantic.
Size, distance & time are nothing to God.
You, my dear sister, are one of my most beautiful blessings, yet I have never heard your voice.
I love you
31 May at 09:54 · Like · 2



Joan Reilly Oh Heidi, you have no idea how this blesses my heart. Since we've known you we have been so encouraged by your own testimony. How I can identify with you how God used Rich Novek to save my life too. That's why I wanted to to be part of his ministry. It has become my life's calling to see others "hear" the true Gospel as God reveals it through Rich. I'm so glad you have shared your heart as you confirm that God put me here for a reason and if I never received another testimony such as yours, this is more than enough to fulfill His faithfulness in my heart. I know for a fact that Rich and Linda feel exactly the same way. God bless you my friend. Yes, we will meet at some point and won't it be glorious! Love you dear friend!
31 May at 10:39 · Edited · Like · 3



Rich Novek Wow, Joanie you once asked me, "Rich, if I am the only one who ever receives what it is you are saying, will that be enough?"

And all I could think about at that time was all the broken dreams and lost opportunities, all the years of being thrown up on God's shelf and passed over, the years of not seeing my 5 kids, the struggle with all the addictions that are common to men, the 11 years of striving for the 4 college degrees that I would never use, and the 20 miserable years I spent behind the wheel of a truck longing for the REAL God of ALL Grace one minute and hating Him the next! And on top of all of it, watching all that I thought He promised me come to nothing over a period of 30 plus years. And that doesn't include my illnesses and injuries that devastated me physically and financially over the past 10 plus years, or all that Linda has gone through as we watched God pull us butt first through the eye of the needle!

If I remember right my answer at that time was "I don't know." But after reading this dialogue between you and Heidi and knowing who both of you beautiful ladies are as I do, I would NOW have to say a resounding "YES" to that same question if you were to ask me today! And the reason why? Without you here there would be no book that Heidi could have reached for on that day! And without you, who God has used to save me and Linda IN more ways than we can imagine, this message of FREEDOM would not have had the chance to end up IN England for precious Heidi and her daughter!

God said IN Zechariah He searched for just One to stand IN the gap, and there is not one person on this planet that could ever convince me that One was not Christ IN the Joan Reilly form, and that because of the revelation of Christ as her IN her weakness, is the most selfless, loving, and giving person I have EVER known!

And YES Heidi, mark my words, we will see you face to face at some point and what a day of rejoicing that will be!
31 May at 13:58 · Like · 4



Joan Reilly WOW! I'm speechless!
31 May at 14:59 · Like · 3



Linda Novek Congratulation, Patrick! I'm home too....feeling good also! This is just the beginning of feeling better for us both. God is IN this my brother from another mother! I will continue to pray for you! Love you.....
8 hrs · Like · 2



Betty Lorine Schwabedissen Reading through this whole communication from all of my Sisters and Brothers In Christ has made my day like none other for a long time! I was crying and Praising Father God all through all the stories and responses and feel like I KNOW you all as we are ONE IN CHRIST! This small group of Temples that Father has put in my path here on Gracebook has been my church for the last several months NOW and I feel so apart of each one of You as we are Part of ONE ANOTHER IN CHRIST JESUS our Lord who lives and abides in each one of us! lOVE YOU ALL AND PRAY FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES EVERY NIGHT WITH MY PRAYER PARTNER...MY TWIN SISTER JEAN MEPPEN...WE ARE ONE IN FLESH AND SPIRIT AND FATHER GOD HEARS OUR PRAYER REQUESTS FOR ALL OF YOU THROUGH THE SPIRIT THAT LIVES IN US...CHRIST JESUS HIMSELF...AMEN & AMEN
6 hrs · Like · 1



Rich Novek Awww, we love you too Betty and Jean. God be praised for bringing us all together as His body, so He can live, move, and have His being IN us by His amazing Grace!