Indiana Regional Unity Gatherings - Real Life Stories Books

In December, 2012 as Jim Barbarossa prepared to speak a message at a Saturday night meeting, he kept hearing the word “Unity” over and over again in his spirit. Then God directed Jim to go look in an old file cabinet in his garage. To Jim’s amazement in the back of this old file cabinet were 30 messages Jim wrote as a baby Christian, 18 years earlier. One of those messages was on the topic of “Unity” in the Body of Christ.

Jim preached that “Unity” Message on December 22, 2012.

You can watch the “Unity” message video at our website: www.reallifestoriesbooks.com.

Shortly after preaching the “Unity” message, the Father told Jim to call a meeting of leaders, elders and 5-fold ministers for the purpose of joining hands and working together to equip the saints to go beyond the walls of our buildings to reach and disciple the lost.

On January 20, 2013 the Father brought together forty 5-fold ministers representing a diversity of 12 churches scattered throughout three Northwest Indiana counties, including the cities of Valparaiso, Porter, Chesterton, Portage, Gary, Michigan City, St. John, plus Hazelcrest, IL and Chicago, IL.

Four things all of the ministers present have in common is their love for Jesus, their desire for more of Jesus, a passion to reach lost souls and a hunger to see revival in our land!

One additional thing most of us, if not all, held in common, in the natural, we were all too busy to even consider attending this gathering in light of everything else we had to do.

But, we did attend and after introducing ourselves, we discussed the purpose of the gathering and then we began to pray as the Holy Spirit led.

Inter-mixed between the prayers, God spoke prophetically using various gifts to confirm His call and purpose for the “Unity” Gatherings and what to expect in the future.

As we prayed we could sense a shift taking place in the atmosphere.

At one point a symbolic prophetic act took place as every person stood on their feet, symbolizing the army of God rising up. This was followed by the sounding of the Shofar accompanied by a declaration of war, as the army of God called upon our Leader with a “Unified” shout, “Jesus”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There was such freedom in the atmosphere. It was such a joy to see the 5-fold ministry gifts working in unity complimenting each other in the body of Christ!

I wish I could find words to express the fullness of this experience, but this is one of those times where words fail to fully describe what happened.

The meeting I just described has “birthed” in the following locations what we now call “Indiana Regional Unity Gatherings!”

For dates, times and exact locations, visit us on our website: www.reallifestoriesbooks.com

Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland Regional Unity Gathering, Chesterton, Indiana

Central Indiana Regional Unity Gathering, Indianapolis, Indiana

LaPorte/St Joseph County Regional Unity Gathering, LaPorte, Indiana

Northeast Indiana Regional Unity Gathering, Angola, Indiana

South Central Indiana Regional Unity Gathering, Corydon, Indiana

Southwest Indiana Regional Unity Gathering, Paragon, Indiana

We believe these 6 Regional Unity Gatherings are the “firstfruits” of 20 or more that will be started in the State of Indiana.

Regional Unity Gatherings are not the planting of a new church.

Regional Unity Gatherings are not the starting of a new denomination.

Regional Unity Gatherings are calling God’s Leaders, across all denominational lines to join hands in unity and take the Gospel message beyond the walls of our buildings, out into our cities to reach and disciple the lost. If you are God’s leader, no matter what your title is (bishop, elder, pastor, priest, apostle, teacher, missionary, sent one, evangelist, prophet, youth pastor, or some other), no matter what part of the body you represent, no matter what denomination, no matter what stream, no matter what flow, God is calling us to join hands and carry His gospel into our cities and regions to reach and disciple the lost.

It is Time the lost people in our cities come to know God, through the love that we demonstrate for one another!! If we will come together and work in unity, God will Command His Blessing towards us! It is Time for the City Wide Church and Regional Church to Arise!

Regional Unity Gatherings Function As A 5-Fold Ministry Where Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors And Teachers Work Together To Equip The Saints To Do The Work Of The Ministry. Regional Unity Gatherings Are Part Of “The Church” With A Call To Come Along Side Other Parts Of “The Church” And Work In Unity With The Whole Body Of Christ To Move The Saints Beyond The Walls Of Our Buildings, Out Into The Community With The Training And Tools They Need To Reach And Disciple The Lost.

To help us fulfill our mission to reach the lost, disciple them and equip the saints we have 2 Free Resource tables in every Regional Unity Gathering.

Evangelism Resource Table: This table is filled with tracts, outreach gospel CDs, and Real Life Stories Christian Testimony Books. The people attending these Regional Unity Gatherings are encouraged to take these Free evangelism tools and use them over the next 30 days to reach the lost and come back with a report or testimony of what God is doing!

Discipleship or Equipping Table: This table is filled with books as well as messages on cds, and dvds. These messages are the best of the best and designed to equip or disciple the saints. Saints need a steady diet of faith-building messages to be equipped and we encourage the saints to take these Free Resources for their personal growth and to then pass them on to help disciple or equip others. Regional Unity Gatherings provide the saints with the tools they need to reach and disciple the lost!

United Community Outreach: In addition to equipping the saints to be effective witnesses and disciples in everyday life, we also want to bring the saints together from all the different parts of the Body of Christ in a City or Region to join hands and do, simple, yet effective outreach projects in the Community to touch lives and reach lost people!

You can see a sampling of these types of outreach projects on our DVD titled “Going beyond the Walls - City Wide Church - How to go beyond the Walls of Our Buildings as One Voice to Reach and Disciple the Lost in Our Cities”.

Would you like to start a Regional Unity Gathering in Your region?

Do you want to know more about Regional Unity Gatherings?

You can watch the Regional Unity Gathering Vision casting message on our website at www.reallifestoriesbooks.com.

Any Questions about starting a Regional Unity Gathering in Your City or Region give us a call 219-762-7589 or email jim@step-by-step.org.

I Was Happy-Go-Lucky on the Outside

 

When I was three, my parents split up, very hateful toward each other. My mom, older sister, and I lived in an apartment on welfare, and my mom babysat "under the table" to survive. My dad and older brother lived on a dairy farm five miles out of town, but we hardly ever saw them. Growing up, the kids who didn't know me teased and bullied me 'cuz I didn't have no father. My mom worked long hours "for peanuts," so my sister and I raised ourselves the best we could. When we moved to a house, we had no hot running water, no bathroom toilet or tub, no refrigerator for a long time, no phone or TV, and no car. I always wanted to feel loved and be a part of a family.

So I started carelessly dating. I got a girl pregnant at 16 and we married and had our first child two months after I turned 17. I went to work immediately at my father's farm who smoked and was very sick with cancer. It was a very promising time of my life to be in love with my new wife and to be close with my dad! Too soon, I found myself even praying that he would die and be out of his misery. My older brother took over the farm, so we were out of a job and had to move back in with my mom in town.

The Vietnam War was firing up, and finally seeing my need to get an education, I tried to join the Army when I turned 18. I was a big strong guy, but I was disqualified because I had a wife and

child. Another rejection! It was probably really a blessing because many of my friends who were drafted went and were killed or disable and messed up real bad on drugs and alcohol from the horrible things they experienced, and they were rejected, mocked, and called "baby-killers" after they got back! Sad! A very sick time! We struggled for the next several years, farming and truck driving, moving and three more babies, bills and hard work and no hope in sight. The only thing that had kept me going was feeling the responsibility and commitment to provide for my family, but at 24 years old, struggling to make ends meet, I was at the end of my rope!

I had left New York State defeated, heading to Florida, packing up my family to follow a "successful friend" to find a "successful job" driving tractor-trailer double. It was a continuous breaking down where it seemed nothing was working. The job fell through--NO WORK! The car was in bad shape, little food, a run-down shack for a home. I took what work I could find as a farm-hand. My depression and discouragement increased. I was failing! Even on top of all that, I was happy-go-lucky...on the outside.

One day, a co-worker was moving, so I volunteered to help. Having cold lemonade together afterward, one of the others made a statement about a Protestant friend who died and went to hell! I jumped quickly to defend this person because I was brought up Protestant and thought everybody went to heaven, but I had no Bible knowledge. Soon while in sharp debate, a religiously-dressed lady was walking by and they called out for her to come in. She opened the Bible and as she started to read, something warm like liquid LOVE flowed into my being and knocked me right down to the floor where a vision of the many good things from my whole life flashed before me! When I came to my senses about 45 minutes later, I had been face-down in a puddle of tears and spit and slop from squalling, but now I felt free with the burden lifted off me, like a new person!

The first thing they said was that the Holy Spirit was ON me, but the debate starts, again! I am truly experiencing something internal in my very being. They said, "No it's just ON you" but I know what I'm feeling inside! My joints felt like they were on fire throughout my whole body--like being electrified! What came directly to my mind

 was a little red Bible my kids had from Sunday School. So I rudely left the debate and ran full-steam a mile or so back to my house! As I came flying through the door, my startled wife asked what had happened to me, saying there was a glow around me. I had no idea what had happened, but I knew I had to find that little red Bible, and began desperately ransacking the place. I found it and began to study it. I had never really read one before. I realized I had experienced God and was baptized in His Spirit, and was never the same, again! I could hear His voice and sense his direction! I was set free from my old way of thinking! Hallelu Yah!

 I was so changed, that the people on the job wanted to know what had happened to me! My cussing had stopped and I would share what God had done for me. After a while, even the boss got upset, warning me that if I kept talking about the Lord, he'd have to let me go. I was just answering their questions but it got me fired as the Lord began to do amazing things to move us, teach us, and use us...even years later, seeing miracles and healings during mission trips in Africa and India! My life of 77 years has been filled with many Christian Testimonies of His great love and works, though in recent years I kind of lost some of that fire. Hearing about these other testimonies helped me write one myself for the first time! It's getting me all fired up again, and I'm "coming out of the closet!"

 The importance of our Testimony Books is written in Rev. 12:11 where God says "They overcame (the Accuser/Devil) by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death." In Mark 5:19, the man who Jesus had cast a legion of demons out was told to go to his friends and tell them the great compassion God had and the great things He had done for him", and "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in Him" (1 John 4:15). So keep telling the wonderful things He has done which preserves His presence and power to overcome in you! Hallelu Yah!

Real Life Stories Of Hope - I became a full-fledged hippie

My story begins in a small upstate community in New York called "Pulaski." I was born in May of 1954, and things were much different then. My early childhood was difficult and challenging. My father was in the U. S. Army, stationed at what they called Pine Camp. Today, it is known as Fort Drum Military Installation. My mother was from Pulaski, New York.

My parents were divorced after about three years of marriage, so my sister and I lived with my mother and grandparents. At the time, I didn't understand why my mother was so mean and physically abusive to me and my sister. Growing up without a father figure was a major life issue with negative effects for both me and my sister going into adulthood.

I had aspirations as a young teenager to become either an oceanographer or a National Forest Ranger. Neither came about. I was gifted as an athlete, but when I was introduced to drugs and alcohol, my life took a drastic turn. My life became a train wreck. I was married at the age of 19 to a wonderful girl from Watertown, New York. We had three beautiful boys during our 18 years of marriage that ended in divorce. The marriage could have been everything a man would have wanted. That didn't happen because of my downhill spiral into drug addiction, drug dealing, and criminality that brought several incarcerations throughout the years.

I became a full-fledged hippie, buying into the hippie mantra of life consisting of sex, drugs, and Rock n’ Roll. My life became so dark and evil that it affected everything I touched and impacted all the people around me. I became very well-known in upstate New York as one of the major drug dealers, destroying multitudes of lives. Of course, with my disillusioned thinking, I didn’t realize how destructive my lifestyle was to myself and others.

In the midst of all this, I committed adultery with another woman and left my wife and kids so I could shack up with this new sexual interest. Again, I didn’t realize the real damage I was doing to other people and myself. What a mess and train wreck I had become.

By this time I was burned out from drugs and alcohol, mentally and physically. I didn't know that my next pursuit for something different and better in life was going to lead me to a life-changing encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ of Christian Tracts! It is the best thing that has happened in all of my 64 years of life! My relationship with Jesus has been a long and interesting journey for sure. By my experiences in life, I have found out that Jesus is true to His word in everything. He has never left me once in all my struggles since knowing Him, even though there have been times when I have left Him.

After nearly 40 years of drug addiction, He has delivered me completely. After two failed marriages, I am now married to a wonderful Christian woman that loves God and loves me. Thank You, Jesus, for another chance! I have five wonderful sons, 16 grandchildren, and one great-grandson. I am very proud of all of them, and Jesus is helping me to restore my relationship back with all of them.

In the past decade or so, I have become an ordained minister, pastored a church, run studies of Bibles Tracts, traveled to churches preaching, and been involved in jail and prison ministries. I have traveled to Israel and much, much more!

I had to learn as a disobedient and rebellious man that Jesus truly loves me, and I had to accept that truth for my life! Because I have the truth, Jesus has truly set me free. The life I live now is full and rich! It is my pleasure to tell people about Jesus and how, if given the chance,

He will transform and change a person's life. I thank Jesus for saving a wretch like me and loving me through all of my life. He told me, "It is not good enough to know about Me, but I want you to know Me!" This is the life I live now, to know Him and to walk in His love for me! Thank you, my Jesus!!

Read More :  https://reallifestoriesbooks.blogspot.com/2021/02/i-was-workaholic-and-raceaholic-stories.html

Pastor Reggie Holmes Salvation Testimony

Reggie's testimony was filmed live as part of the 5-Fold Ministers Discipleship/Evangelism Gathering Session #4 As You Go...Tell People about Jesus with Real Life Stories Christian Testimony Books!

Salvation Testimony Carol Ann Spicer

I encourage you to read how I found happiness – Real Life Stories Books

Are you lonely and unhappy? Are you looking for something to fill your innermost being that gives you happiness? I encourage you to read how I found happiness, a happiness that was obtained by finding out something about God, I never knew before.

I am the youngest of seven children. My parents were faithful in taking our family to a Christian church on a regular basis. But my father passed away when I was six, leaving my mother to care for all of us. My mother worked hard to fill the void he left. She did well, but I missed my Daddy dearly.

Spiritually, I am very thankful for the Christian exposure I received in my childhood. Even though I eventually strayed from God after making a profession of faith to Jesus Christ at age 13, I still had some knowledge of right and wrong. I believe this kept me from straying even farther than what I did.

In my teens and early twenties, loneliness held a grip on me. In my ignorance of the ways Satan leads one away from Jesus Christ, I began to look for peace and happiness with the party crowd. After all, they looked "happy." I began going to bars and places where I could drink and dance looking in all the wrong places to meet the man of my dreams; a man who would take away my loneliness and give me a purpose in life. Along with meeting men came alcohol, drugs and sex. It all came with the package.

I soon discovered "happiness" became an elusive term. The few times I was happy didn’t make up for all the times I was miserable. I seemed to attract men who simply wanted to use me for their own selfish purposes. These relationships only brought hurt, pain, and rejection. Little did I realize that having sexual intimacy with a man and hinging an entire relationship on that is one of Satan's greatest tools for leading people in relationships for all the wrong reasons.

I was tired of being rejected. At age 26, I was miserable beyond description. I was tired of being left and rejected. I was tired of not having a man to give love to and receive love from that had any lasting duration. I came to the realization that my life was going nowhere. Have you ever felt that way? It's an ever-present feeling that makes you wonder why you're here on earth. I always wondered why I was even born and what purpose my life had.

It was around that time my thoughts began to drift to an old girlfriend I had partied with in the past. Her name was Hattie, and I wondered if she was still happy. We had always been close, until she became one of those “fanatic” Christians. Her life had changed dramatically, and even though she was happy, I felt she was too religious to hang around anymore. I willfully lost contact with her for six years. One evening I began watching a Billy Graham crusade on TV. I reasoned in my mind, “Even though she is religious, she can still be my friend.”

I was lonely for companionship. The next evening, I was at a bar, which was typical of me on a Friday night. I went to a pay phone to give Hattie a call. She was glad to hear from me. We talked, reminiscing over old memories, and catching up on friends from our past. Our conversation ended by her saying she would call me back soon. Two weeks went by; she didn't call. Finally, I decided I'd call her one last time. If she couldn't make plans for us to get together, I'd just forget her. So, I called. Fortunately for me, she was there. Toward the end of our conversation, she invited me to a young people's potluck that was being sponsored by her church. After we hung up, I began thinking. “I need a change. Why not? What would it hurt?”

During that potluck, I sat there staring at these beautiful people. There was a glow about them I had never seen on anyone. Their faces radiated with peace and joy. Their words were so gentle and kind. They also had a worship time of singing to the Lord. There was a young woman who shared a song called “I Am A Servant” that touched my heart. It brought me to tears.Even now every time I hear it, it still has the same effect on me. I had no idea at the time how the message of that song would apply to me in my own life down the road. I would like to share with you the words of this song:

I am a servant, I am listening for my name I sit here waiting, I've been looking at the game That I've been playing, And I’ve been staying much the same. When you are lonely, you're the only one to blame

I am a servant - I am waiting for Your call I've been unfaithful, so I sit here in the hall How can You use me when I have never given all How can You choose me when You know I quickly fall

So He feeds my soul and He makes me grow And He lets me know He loves me I am worthless now but I've made a vow I will humbly bow before Him Oh please use me - I am lonely

I am a servant getting ready for my part There's been a change, a rearrangement in my heart At last I'm learning there's no returning once I start To live's a privilege, to love is such an art But I need your help to start - O please purify my heart I am your servant

Later on in the evening, many of them were asked to testify of how they had entered a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They shared how it had changed their life for the better. Each of them gave glory to God for doing it all, because it was not anything they could do to change themselves. They said it was God doing it through them by His Holy Spirit.

When I left that night, I felt so much love and peace, but I left with many unanswered questions. This truly was another stepping stone the Lord was putting before me on my search to really know Him. After the potluck, Hattie & Rob (her boyfriend then and husband now) walked me and my friend who came with me out to my car. As Rob was talking to me and Hattie was talking to my friend, I remember him saying to me that if I felt something different that night, I owed it to myself to really check it out. Deep down I really wanted what they had, not knowing at the time it was Jesus I was searching for. They led me by car that night, showing me where their church was.

Two weeks later I decided to surprise Hattie by showing up unexpectedly at her church. There were so many faces I recognized from my old party days, and I loved being there. From then on, I started attending that church. I eventually gave my whole heart and life to Jesus Christ. I asked Him to not only be my Savior, but also be the Lord of my life. This is what I unknowingly neglected to do at age 13. Lordship, I was soon to learn, was not obtainable without having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

The loneliness and lack of peace I had experienced before began to leave. It was replaced with peace and joy I know now only Jesus can give. I found myself surrounded with a whole new set of friends, and the loneliness was replaced with the hunger and thirst I now had to grow in Christ. I came to realize that no man could give me what I really stood in need of, which was the peace and security of knowing who I am in Christ Jesus. Whether I live or die, I know I have eternal life in and through Him. Jesus Christ is my closest friend. Problems and suffering drive me to Him, not away from Him. He always rescues and comforts me.

It’s been 39 years now in my living for Jesus Christ. He has been so faithful to me. He has added many things I had deeply desired within my heart. One of those desires was to marry a man, someone who loved Jesus Christ more than he loved anyone, anything else, or even me. I wanted someone I could share Christ with, not about. Thankfully, 36 of those years have been with the man who God so faithfully has given me as my husband. I never knew how a relationship with a man could be with Christ in the center.

It is through this marriage that I am learning to depend and trust more in Christ to meet my every need. My husband can never meet them all, nor can I meet all his. Even though I knew this before I got married, I am learning that even with a husband, Jesus Christ wants me to be totally dependent on and trusting in Him. When I do this, there is no leanness in my relationship with God or in my marriage. It takes the pressure off my husband in asking him to do things he is not capable of doing. I take great comfort in knowing that God is faithful to complete that which He has begun in me through my personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

For those of you who have a lack of peace, who fear dying, have something missing, who have no real meaning or purpose in life, or experience loneliness and sense a lack of motivation: I delight in saying that Jesus Christ desires to come and fill those voids in your life. It requires that you let Him have total control of your life. That may seem scary or threatening to some people, but it shouldn't. If this has touched you in any way, please don't go on in life without searching for answers to your questions. My questions brought me to see and realize that only Jesus Christ is the answer to all my needs. I never knew I could be so free within myself. It's all because I decided to follow Jesus, letting Him make me into the person He wants me to be, in His image and for His glory.

Thank you and God bless you for letting me share my heart with you!

Real Life Stories Christian Testimony Books
Address: 815 S. Babcock Rd, Porter, Indiana 46304 United States
Phone: 219-762-7589
Email: jim@step-by-step.org
Hours of Operation: 8 am to 8 pm
Website: https://www.reallifestoriesbooks.com/

Jail Ministry Resources - REAL LIFE STORIES

 

When someone tells the real story of his life that what difficulties were in his life and how Jesus solve his difficulties and he convert to Christianity then it means that he is describing his testimony. Testimonies are very useful for increasing the faith of new disciples and also attracting non-believers. There are many testimony books are available that are useful for increasing faith. You can search for these testimony books on our website. We offer some of the best Christians testimony books that contain the real-life stories of many Christian across the globe.

Testimony involves the life of a person before converting to a Christian and after becoming a Christian. It compares the difficulties and comfort in life before and after believing god. Jail ministry resources are also the best way to increase faith. In jail ministry resources person that spend some time in jails describe their testimony that how they were feeling in prison and what changes happened in their life after prison. Christian testimony books also contain testimonies of many prisons that how they get closer to Jesus. So if you want to improve your faith or want to preach the faith then describe your testimony and recommend non-believers or new believers to read Christian testimony books.

 

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Christian testimony is the description of the journey of someone's life

 

Christian testimony is the description of the journey of someone's life that how he converted to Christianity and how Jesus influence his life. Testimony includes the lesson of life that helps a person to believe in God. It may be a miracle that happens in the life of a person and all of his problems are solved. Testimonies are very influential for new believers and non-believers due to the changing of life after believing Jesus. Christian testimony includes the problems in life and their solution after believing and praying to Jesus.

You should tell your testimony by telling the problems you were facing before meeting Jesus. What was that problems and how many time you fail to solve these problems? Then you will tell that how you get closer to Jesus. What is the reason that you decided to consider Jesus for your help? At last, you should share the part of life after meeting Jesus that how Jesus change your life. You should share that how is your living going now. Evangelism Resources is the process of campaigning faith in Christianity. In evangelism, people share the gospel for preaching the impact of Jesus on life. There are a lot of evangelism strategies that include evangelism by spreading the bibles and gospel by media or road evangelism. If you want to preach Christianity then choose the best evangelism methods. Evangelism is the best way to describe your love and affection with god and if you want to be an evangelist then follow these evangelism ideas:

• If you want to be a good evangelist then pray for others during evangelism because prayer enhances the spiritual attraction. So prayer is the good evangelism tool.
• If you want to preach your faith then try to share your own experience if the life that how your life changed after meeting Jesus.
• If you want that other people should start believing Jesus then show them the influence of Jesus in your life and how Jesus solves your problems.
• If you have good communication skills then it will be very helpful for you to preach your faith. Testimony is a good evangelism tool for preaching the faith.
• You should share the current situation of your life and how is your life going after knowing Jesus.

In the 20th century, the child evangelism movement was started. The purpose of this movement is the preaching of testimony and gospel to children of 4 to 14 years. The power team was established in 1970 which consist of some Christian athlete that spread the message of God for salvation. The advanced evangelism method is preaching faiths by traveling in far areas and by a conversation on the internet.

The Bible says He is no respecter of persons

 I was born the youngest of five children. My sisters and brothers were much older than me. My father died when I was two years old. My mother worked very hard as a waitress, often times, at two different restaurants to support us. My brothers left for the Air Force right out of high school. My sisters helped a lot around the house and were very good to me. However, I was influenced as a small child by their peers to use alcohol and pot.

From a young age, I was very spoiled. I was used to getting anything that I wanted. My mother would give me material things to make up for being gone. There were no rules set and no one to discipline me. My behavior was out of control, and I was expelled from two private elementary schools.

When I was 11 years old, my mom was remarried and we moved to a new home. Shortly after, my step father took his own life. This tragic event left me alone again while my mother was working. I was hanging with the wrong crowd, mostly older kids, at the local pool hall. I began gambling, drinking, light drug use, smoking, and having sex. I even began selling drugs to other kids. I lost all interest in school and only desired to become a pro pool player and party with my friends.

I dropped out of high school after 9th grade. My interest was in staying out all night with friends. Often, I did not come home. I began to get in trouble with the law and ended up in jail on more than one occasion. I was placed on juvenile probation, and I spent time in drug rehab. I would have violent fits of anger at home and would either get kicked out or run away. I slept at friends’ houses, at hotels, and in cars. I even spent many nights sleeping outside when I had nowhere else to go. I worked off and on doing construction and other jobs to make money, but I never stayed on the same job for long.

When I was 19, I pulled into a car lot with a girl I was dating and acted like I was going to buy a car. The sales manager was a man by the name of Roland. I did not know at the time, but he was also a minister. I didn’t have two nickels to rub together, and I did not buy a car. I did, however, convince him to give me a job as a car salesman. I was eager to learn this new profession, and it seemed to be a perfect fit. Just like playing pool for money, I got a rush out of selling cars and a feeling of self-worth and accomplishment in doing it.

There was a lot of downtime at that little car lot, so besides teaching me about the car business, Pastor Roland begin to share his faith in God with me. It was the first time I was exposed to the Word of God, and Roland was the first example of a real Christian man that I had ever encountered.

Soon after I started working, I was invited to a “Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames” play at a local church. I answered the altar call for salvation. At 19 years old, standing there in that church, I felt the presence of God like never before. The Holy Spirit convicted me that I was a horrible sinner and in need of a savior. I repented and asked Jesus to come into my heart. I got saved! I was very excited and couldn’t wait to tell people what had happened! I went to church on and off for a period of time, and I began to read the Bible. I claimed to be a Christian, but like the fig tree there was no fruit. Because of my own selfish, fleshly desires I slid away from God and went back to a destructive lifestyle. 1 Corinthians 10:12 “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall”. real life stories.

I was confident in my sales ability, and I applied at a large volume car dealership in Chicago. The excessive amount of money I made there contributed to cycles of partying. Girls, bars, and drugs were the nightly norm. I became heavily addicted to cocaine and other hard drugs. I would make up elaborate stories to get women to sleep with me. I told so many lies; I didn’t even know who I really was. Soon my cocaine addiction turned into a crack addiction. I hopped from car dealership to car dealership. I lost jobs, ruined relationships, and almost overdosed on drugs several times. The long hours and partying were beginning to take their toll. A door was opened in my career to be a traveling car salesman for big event sales. I had all the right connections to become very successful by the world’s standards. I had multi-millionaire investors that helped me start profitable businesses, but I always messed up, blew the money, and lost my focus.

My career led me to Arkansas where I met the love of my life. Right off the bat, she said, “You don’t have to lie to me.” She knew who I was. I did not have her fooled because she was living the same life that I was. She truly loved and accepted me for who I really was! I shared my faith in God with her, and on occasion we would attend church. We had a son together, but I soon turned to crystal meth. At some point, my girlfriend had enough. She began to seek the Lord through His Word and cry out to Him for help. She felt like the Lord told her to pack up and move us back to my hometown in Indiana.

We did move to Indiana but continued to take prescription drugs. My girlfriend had an Adderall overdose, and she called the police. The next thing I knew, the state was present and they took our kids away from us. My girlfriend’s daughter was sent to her dad in Arkansas, and my son was sent to my mother’s house for almost a year. We got married, and my wife submitted herself to God. She was set free of drugs indefinitely. I continued drug use when I was away on business. Two days before the state returned our son, I had a drug relapse. By the grace of God, my son was returned to my wife.

A few months later I flew to Seattle, Washington on a business trip. While I was there, I had an overwhelming urge to get high. I found a place where I could buy crystal meth. I borrowed a business

associate’s rental car then went to purchase the drug. I had a horrible feeling inside that this was all wrong and I should definitely not do it. The urge was too strong, and what happened next completely changed my life. I proceeded to get high and almost instantly felt the presence of evil all around me. I was scared and paranoid. I drove through the Canadian border thinking that it was a toll plaza. I ended up in a high speed pursuit with police chasing me from every side. I ran from them for miles. The police stopped my car with road spikes. They broke all the windows out of the car, violently pulled me out, and held me at gunpoint. It was only by the grace of God that I was not killed that night!

The Canadian police took me to the hospital. The doctors had to medicate me to slow down my heartrate. They told me I was lucky that I did not overdose. I spent the night in the hospital, and then the police escorted me to the local jail. There I was alone, in complete despair, facing several felony charges and the loss of my family. I remember feeling guilty for all the bad things I had done in my life and all I had put my wife and family through. Here I was locked up in a jail cell, in a foreign country, while my wife was at home pregnant with our daughter! I fell to my knees and cried to the Lord wholeheartedly. I repented and asked God for forgiveness. I promised Him that if He would once again get me out of this mess, I would serve Him every day for the rest of my life. This time, I meant it! A couple of days later, I went to court and found favor with the judge. They released me, and I flew home.

I became a completely new creation! 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.”

This time, I meant business! When I got home I finally held to my word with God. After years of rebellion and chasing after my own selfish desires, I gave up. I surrendered my will over to God and began to wholeheartedly seek His will for my life. I changed my job, the places I hung out, and the people that I spent time with. I separated myself from anyone who was living a sinful lifestyle. I surrounded myself with people who loved God and kept themselves from sin. I prayed, read the Bible, and went to church regularly. I grew to love

God gospel tracts and to know Him as the loving father that I had always been searching for My own heart’s desires began to change from the selfish pursuit of obtaining material wealth to the desire to serve God and to serve others at all costs. My entire outlook on life has changed. I have come to realize that everything I went through in life was to bring God glory and to testify of His greatness, His mercy, and His grace. I am grateful that the Lord never left me. He stood by my side through every storm in life, and I know for certain now that He always will be by my side. The Bible says that God will never leave you nor forsake you.

Years have gone by, and I am completely set free from all addictions. I no longer live in the bondage of sin. God has not only restored all that I lost in life, He has added every single blessing that you can imagine. I share my life with a beautiful, loyal, loving woman who also shares the same desire to serve God. My wife is my best friend and soulmate. We have been blessed with two happy, healthy children. Our house is full of love and definitely full of God. Everyone that has known me can see a tremendous positive transformation in my life, and I praise God for that!

My career is going better than ever, and we have been blessed financially. God always prospers everything that my hand is put to do. Since making Jesus Christ the Lord of my life, things have never been better, and I truly lack nothing! Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

If you’re reading this, it is definitely not by chance. God does everything for a reason! God loves you no matter where you have been or what you have done. He desires to have a relationship with you! God wants to set you free right now so that you can walk with him in the fullness of life for eternity. John 8:36 “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” Everything God did for me, He will definitely do for you! The Bible says He is no respecter of persons! Your story in life may not be exactly like mine, but I know one thing for sure, God will meet you right where you are. Your life will never again be the same! God loves you!

Call out to Him now. Romans 10:13 “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:9-10 “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Call out to Jesus now. He is waiting for you. Pray this simple prayer, and mean it from your heart. God will forgive all of your sins, and you will not die but will live forever!

“Dear Jesus, right now I ask You to be my Lord and Savior. I believe You are the Son of God! I believe that You died on the cross, and that on the third