Christian Testimony Book Put on God’s Spiritual Armor Every Day

 

How can it be that so many people do not know about the benefits of Salvation and how to gain it? How can so many people have heard of Salvation Testimony yet rejected this most valuable gift? Paul reminds us in the Bible verses from Ephesians 6:11-12 that receiving Salvation is opposed by the enemy who is in the world. As a result, you can expect opposition to helping others learn about, appreciate, and accept Salvation. Despite such opposition, you know that God can do anything. When you put on His holy armor to do His will as Ephesians 6 encourages Christians to do, you can resist all opposition! Surveys show that a tiny percentage of Christians have ever helped lead anyone other than a family member into receiving Salvation. That observation suggests that the ways in which most Christians share or  practice their faith outside their families isn’t what God intended if everyone is to be saved. Obviously, then, you need to change what you are doing in sharing your faith and to teach others to do the same. If Witnessing Made Easy: Yes, You Can Make a Difference you don’t, unsaved people will suffer without hope on Earth and their souls will be lost for all eternity. It’s as simple as that. Naturally, you have a direct responsibility to help nurture the lives and souls of your grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, children, cousins, grandchildren, and other family relations. Keep praying for and encouraging these people to come to the Lord.

However, don’t limit your efforts to just those people, even if there is more work to be done with them. Billions of people are mired in unbelief or belief in false gods; they need your help, as well. Some are friends, neighbors, and acquaintances. Some work next to you as colleagues. Some serve you at the grocery store; others take away your trash. Some will be new acquaintances and play tennis with you today.One reason that God placed you where you are is to help those people around you to come to Him.Many lost people live thousands of miles away and are strangers to you. In the past, just a small percentage of Christians were called to be missionaries in faraway places. With today’s inexpensive mass communications, you can easily reach beyond your family,community, work, shopping, and interests to touch lives on all continents by sending your written Christian Testimony Book through the mail and over the Internet. Your written testimony can help save more souls in other nations than a mid-twentieth-century foreign missionary could ever hope to reach. What a great opportunity God has given you!

God has truly blessed us with this amazing opportunity to share His goodness by helping lost souls wherever they can be found. As a result, your responsibility to share your faith is much greater than in previous generations. Mass communications also make it easy to teach other Christians to do the same. What’s missing for this great opportunity to be fulfilled? All Christians need to gather more courage and overcome any fears and indecision that stand in the way of helping souls to join with the Lord.

In this chapter, we address common fears about witnessing and how to overcome those fears so that you and others you share this book with can know how to become complete, continual witnesses. How many Christians are hobbled by such fears and indecision? Few Christians write their testimonies. Some of that can be due to Put on God’s Spiritual Armor Every Day ignorance, but you can get a sense of the role that fear may play by observing that many people who agree to write their testimonies never do. Opposition from the enemy who is in the world has either paralyzed or neutralized the wills of these believers. After writing a testimony, an even smaller percentage of Christians then continually hand out what they have written. A tinier percentage of Christians who pass out their testimonies also have conversations with lost people about what’s in those testimonies. For each type of witnessing activity,the enemy constructs new doubts and fears to snag, delay, and distract potential witnesses from doing what unsaved people need. Fear is a powerful weapon for the enemy who is in the world to use against Christians to discourage witnessing. Fear can turn an intelligent, caring person into a paralyzed statue so overcome with confusion as to become inactive.

 Authorities on fear report that most people while afraid:

• cannot think clearly.

• don’t appreciate when substantial risks are present.

• put off making decisions.

• look for someone else to save them.

• find it difficult to take action after choosing what to do.

• take actions slowly.

• are extra courteous and shy while acting, sometimes to the point of ineffectiveness.

Those who are slightly afraid become less decisive. When fear leads to indecision, concerns about possible negative consequences make it hard for fearful people to pick a direction and act on it.Let’s look more closely at common fears about witnessing and how to overcome them so that you and others you share these lessons with can become complete, continual witnesses.    

Hearing the Call to Discipleship

New Christians often need a lot of support after accepting the Lord Jesus as their Savior and repenting their sins. Many converts don’t yet know what it fully means to be a Christian, and most will want to learn more. For that reason, those who come to an altar call in church are usually given briefing materials and encouraged to take classes to pursue their new faith.

Many people asked me what would come next after the contest was over and the books were published. Some suggested that perhaps the contest could be repeated from time to time (much like Carol Coles, Robert Metz, and I encourage people to repeat the 2,000 percent solution process on the same issue).

I don’t know if that’s the right approach or not, but it may well be. Recently my mind has been very focused on concern about what could happen to lots of new believers if they aren’t Discipleship Resources well by more experienced Christians to learn more about their faith. I suspect that the numbers of people who have paid a lot of attention to what to do after Salvation are much larger than the people who have looked for more effective ways to share their faith about Jesus and Salvation. Is

discipleship an area where there should be another contest? Or should some other activity be initiated? I’m sure that what to do next will be much clearer after the books are written about the winners of the contest to identify and publicize ways to help lead more souls to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Naturally, if God wants me to do something else, He’ll let me know. Please realize that the full story of this contest about helping lost people find and accept Salvation Testimony won’t be written and understood for several years. Time is needed for the ripples of this contest to move forward in my life and across the lives of others to do God’s will. God knows where it’s all going, but I don’t.

Real Life Stories Books Are Like Big Tracts On Holy Ghost Steroids

BEST WITNESSING TOOL EVER! www.reallifestoriesbooks.com/ “Real Life Stories Books Are Like Big Tracts On Holy Ghost Steroids” .

Real Life Stories Christian Testimony Books are:

• Easy to Use! Jam-packed with Hope and Encouragement!

• Proven Effective over 880,000 Testimony Books in Use!

 

Jim Barbarossa

219-762-7589

 jim@step-by-step.org

www.reallifestoriesbooks.com

 

www.step-by-step.org

https://youtu.be/0v5k_-f-gKw

Light a Spiritual Fire with a Full-Time Evangelist in Every Church

When the Apostle Paul wrote these words to Timothy, Paul believed that his days on Earth were coming to an end. Paul wanted to help prepare Timothy to carry on the important work of taking the Good News about Jesus Christ to those who had not yet heard. As long as one person has not heard and understood about Salvation, our work as witnessing Christians isn’t done, despite the challenges we may face to do so. That’s what Paul wanted us to remember. In practice, Paul was simply reaffirming to another generation what all followers of Jesus had been commanded to do by Him: After  being saved through His grace, we must help others receive the same gift. Why was that message important in the early church? Few had heard of Jesus, and many who had heard disputed His Divine nature.Jesus knew how important this task was because it was his last direction to his eleven disciples in the book of Matthew. (See Matthew 28:19-20.) Last messages are remembered best, and our Lord was again perfect in His wisdom in choosing this message.

 

When Paul was still called Saul, he had a hard heart toward Jesus and the early Christians, being a leader in rebuking, punishing, and stoning them. Paul only accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior after He appeared in His blinding glory on the road to Damascus and asked Paul why he was persecuting Him. God’s plan wasn’t to repeat that method of conversion, as was evidenced by Christ sending Paul a vision of Ananias restoring Paul’s sight and then directing Ananias to perform the miracle and to baptize Paul in the Holy Spirit.Despite this clear direction and the hard work of many great pastors, missionaries, evangelists, and witnessing Christians for nearly two thousand years, a global survey today would probably show that the majority of people on Earth either don’t know about God’s promises to us or don’t believe those promises. That’s a sad commentary on how well we are following the Lord’s direction to bring His Good News to everyone. How many lost people are there compared to those who are saved? Only God knows, but the ratio is surely no more than ten to one and may well be as low as six to one. Some would argue that the 30 percent of the world’s population that identify themselves as

Christians are a larger number, but many of those self-proclaimed Christian Testimonies  have not repented of their sins and accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. If we equally divided names of the lost into individual lists for each Christian, there would only be six to ten names on each list. If each Christian immediately began making contacts, each lost person would hear the Good News very quickly. Some Christians would be done making first contact in a single day to their share of the lost. If these Christians repeated the contacts daily, most would have succeeded in getting the message across in a convincing way to their share of the lost within a month. As the number of Christians grew and more people joined in witnessing, the number of people for each Christian to contact would become smaller and each lost person would receive more testimonies. The combined effect of such a concentrated effort would be marvelous. Some people undoubtedly have such hard hearts that they wouldn’t receive the blessings of this heavenly information no matter how many Christian Testimony Books they heard. But the task of fulfilling God’s call to help all be saved would be as complete as Christian efforts and prayers can Witnessing Made Easy: Yes, You Can Make a Difference accomplish. Christians could then keep knocking on the hard hearts and eventually many more souls would be saved.What’s our point? If everyone does some witnessing, it’s not a big job. Why then is there so much work to be done? It’s because most Christians don’t share their faith with lost people. Many people estimate that over 90 percent of Christians have never witnessed to anyone, and most of the rest have done little witnessing. Our survey at Jubilee Worship Center (JWC) showed that the majority of church members were either doing nothing or very little before being exposed to the church’s emphasis on witnessing.Here is what one Christian woman told us about her attitudes  toward witnessing before meeting in-congregation evangelists at JWC:

 

I have attended church for most of my adult life and have been involved in many of the ministries of the church. I have taught Sunday School to preschoolers through adults, served as an elder, served as church secretary, served as janitor, etc., just as many other church members have done. To me, this was what church was all about, and I found great satisfaction in what I was doing. The internal workings of the church were my delight. That was all I knew.     The churches I had attended placed little or no emphasis on evangelism …. We were under the impression that anything to do with Evangelism Training was under the job description of the pastors and the missionaries. This was their duty and that’s why we hired them. We all knew that passing out tracts or tapes or whatever was for the overboard fanatics … all this was out of our scope.

 

Change satisfied witnessing inaction into inspired witnessing, and Christians will quickly and easily transform humanity in the ways that God intended. How do you get everyone busy witnessing? You need an in-congregation evangelist to light the fire of desire for witnessing and to fan its flames with teaching how to witness. Why do we say that? Because our survey answers showed that JWC members who responded (almost the whole congregation) became active witnesses after in-congregation evangelists were appointed.

 

Born Again Truckers use these books as a way to share Jesus with other Truckers

 

Real Life Stories Truckers Edition1 are being given away Freely through many Truck Stops across North America. If there is a Truck Stop near you, You can go in and get permission to place a Book Display like the one below, so Truckers and other people can freely take the books!

The Real Life Stories Truckers Edition 1 books can easily be used in a Truck Stop near you!
 
It’s easy! You go to a Truck Stop. You Grab a hand full of Truckers books. You stand near the door the Truckers use to enter the Truck Stop and say “New Book For Truck Drivers, its Hot of the Press. Just printed. Here is Your Copy. I hope you enjoy it!
It will be received with a big Truck Driver Smile, followed by a Big Thank You!!              

Prayerfully consider getting some of these books into the Truck Stops near Your city. 

By doing this you can make an Eternal Kingdom Difference in Your City! 
​

Truck drivers ministries help to provide the gospel and testimonies to truck drivers. Usually, truck drivers have no time to attend any church testimony for enhancing their faith so truck ministries provide opportunities to these drivers for gospels and enhance their belief. Truck Drivers Ministry provides all the requirements to the drivers and their families for increasing their trust in Jesus. Every ministry influences a specific community by preaching the faith in Jesus. Truckers ministry guides the truck drivers that don’t have time to attend testimonies for enhancing their faith. Truck ministries provide food and other requirements to the truck drivers and their families. There are more than eight million truck drivers in the US that have less chance of listening to the testimonies and gospels. Truck driver ministry tries to increase their opportunity to listen to the gospel. Truckers’ ministry helps to bring the gospel and reality about Jesus to truck drivers and their relatives on truck stops. Truck ministry needs special assistance.

What are Christians using Real Life Stories Books Saying?

 Real Life Stories Christian Testimony Books are helping  Christians  Overcome the Fear of Sharing Their Faith!   

 

 
Hi Jim and Carla,

I started passing out Real Life Stories Christian Testimony books in April 2019. I have given away hundreds of books ,  and have only had three people refuse a book. 
 

One person was honest she had a different belief about who Jesus is. The other two just said no thanks.  Some Christians,  remind me there are different ways to witness.  

 

A few Christians have said they were interested in passing out books.  I tell them your contact information is in the book.

 

The Mission Continues!!!  
 
I no longer have fear of rejection or concerns about what others think about how I live my faith.
 
I, Thank the Lord for this Break Through !!

 

Thank you Jim and Carla!

Peace and Blessings

 
Jan
Carrier of Hope
Bloomington, Indiana

Coach
Jim and Carla
jimbarbarossa7@gmail.com
Www.reallifestoriesbooks.com
219-762-7589
 
 

It’s Time to Pray - Real Life Stories Christian Testimony Books

 If you have already confessed your sins and cried out to God, you are saved. If you have not, it’s time that you do. Pray this right now:

Dear God,

I acknowledge You as the Creator of all things. I admit that I am a sinner, and I deserve the Fires of Hell. I kneel at your feet and ask for your mercy and forgiveness of my sins. I believe that Jesus Christ is your son. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, and I believe that you raised Him from the dead. Jesus, please come into my heart and fill that place in my heart that belongs only to You. Jesus, I declare You Lord of my whole life today. I ask you to show me my life purpose, plan, and destiny for which I was born. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and with all the gifts you have for me. I will confirm my salvation by telling others what you have done for me. Thank You for saving me and giving me abundant life!

Now that you are a child of God, pray this prayer to your Father Daily!

My Father in Heaven,

Hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done.

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give me this day my daily bread.

And forgive me my trespasses,

As I forgive those who trespass against me.

And lead me not into temptation,

But deliver me from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

For more “Real Life Stories ”  Visit : http://www.reallifestoriesbooks.com

You Are a New Person - Real Life Stories

 

The Bible says: “When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same any more. A new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Say this:

I am a new person. I have a new life, a God centered life.

The Bible says:

“Real Life Stories - All these new things are from God, who brought us back to Himself through what Christ Jesus did. And God has given us the privilege of urging everyone to come into His favor and be reconciled to Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:18 “

God bridged the gap of sin between you and Him by Jesus dying on the cross. He now has given you the honor and privilege of telling people how to find that same favor with God through what Jesus has done for them.

The Bible says:

“He died for all so that all who live --- having received eternal life from Him --- might live no longer for themselves, to please themselves, but to spend their lives pleasing Evangelism Training who died and rose again for them.” 2 Corinthians 5:15 .

Jesus died so you could have eternal life with Him in Heaven. Jesus is calling you to now live

“I Will Go!”- Real Life Stories

 I grew up the third of seven children, all struggling for recognition, moving often and traveling from school to school with no place to really call home. I decided early in life to build walls for protection. My parents married at the young age of 17 and started quickly popping out children causing a lot of stress just living day to day! There was certainly no way or time to learn good communication skills! Now looking back where I came from, born in upstate NY in the early 60's, I wanted to make my mark, so I had decided to excel in academics as well as sports and music.

Soon living in Florida when my dad was 24, he had a life-changing experience with the Lord, so we started going to many Pentecostal churches and Spirit-filled revivals. At the age of 13, back in NY, I was invited to a small church hosting missionaries who were showing some slides of suffering humanity in other countries. One asked the small group if anyone would ever want to help, and immediately I raised my hand and stood up and said, "I will! I will go!" Something happened to me that day, and since then, when I remember that experience, I start to cry.

Still, my teenage years were filled with many family issues and self-performance striving for attention and approval...from school, boys, drugs and alcohol. At age 16, I felt trapped! In 1977, my parents took me to a clinic and made me have an abortion. I had gotten pregnant, and back then that was the thing to do. Afterward, the guilt and shame made me bitter and I lost the desire to excel in school, dropping out the following year. I see now that I was trying to run away from my problems, not facing my real issues, and was looking for love and approval in all the wrong places. I met a guy in the small town we lived in and ended up leaving home and moving in with him. We didn't really have much, so I soon broke up with him and moved to Texas with some friends of the family. I decided after being away from home for a few months, I would write him a long letter and say if he wanted to come to Texas, maybe we could get married and start a family right away, which he did.

In June of 1980, our first son Michael was born. By this time we had moved back to NY near our family. The real troubles had just begun and I know that through it all, my Lord kept me safe. After 23 years of marriage, my parents got a divorce, and the very next year my older sister was killed in an alcohol-related car accident. My own marriage had crumbled and now I had a small baby to take care of along with all the stress of these family crises! So by age 21, I was admitted to a facility for a nervous breakdown, chemical imbalance, and bi-polar disorder, while my dad and step-mother took care of my son. Over five years of medication, doctors, and life without making sense, proved to me that God will never leave us nor forsake us! I'm a living miracle! The doctors told me I would never be able to drive, hold a job, or have any more children.

In 1987, with no more medication and no more doctors, I was still very promiscuous and became pregnant again. During this pregnancy, I was completely healed of the chemical imbalances I had suffered. My second son Shawn was such a blessing to me and I got to have my first son Michael come and live with us. What a blessing to have both of them and to actually have my own apartment and a somewhat "normal" life! After going back to get some higher education, I met and married a fellow student at college and had a daughter Tiffany and a son Brian, which ended in divorce within five years. Throughout this time we were in and out of church and never expected that this would happen to our marriage and family.

I remember desperately praying, "Please, Heavenly Father, send me a husband that will serve you faithfully and be a father to my children and love me sincerely." Well, God answered my prayer Michael and I have been married for 14 years, growing and seeking God! I believe his daughter Gabby, is also a gift God gave me in the place of the little baby that had been aborted. We are now the proud grandparents of 6!

In 2016, as we were studying the Bible and growing in the Hebrew Roots of our Christian faith or Christian Testimonies, we became interested in, and started, blowing those shofar horns. I was led on-line to "The Shofar Man," Jim Barbarossa, and our lives have been so blessed ever since!

In recent months, a friend came to visit and was shown by the Holy Spirit that I still had a source of bitter rejection, and through prayer and agreement with that, the Lord was able to release and deliver me at the subconscious childhood source! In moments of time, the picture I saw of Jesus was a very loving, merciful Father who accepted me without needing to perform, washing away my ugly behaviors and affirming to me my worth to Him!  

I am casting all my cares on Him and setting the desires of this world aside to keep him Lord of my life. I am following in His footsteps wherever He leads me. I now trust that He has a perfect plan for my life to be a witness of how He can work our messes into something good, and that His ways are far better. What He has done for me, He can do for you, too! Forever grateful, giving God all the glory, honor, power, and praise! He is the only Way, the Truth, and the Real Life Stories!

Real Life Stories of My childhood was dysfunctional

 

When I was a year old, my parents broke up. We moved around a lot. My mom remarried to a man I adored and then divorced. I never saw him again. Mom married again, and her third husband used to beat me. He beat my dog and sent him to the pound. When my friends came over, he would do something to make it unenjoyable, and they would never come back.

 

Every week, we went to church. We went to bible study on Wednesdays and Sunday school. My mom’s third husband was the pastor. My sister was born, and I took care of her as a baby. She loved me, and it felt like she was the only thing I had. My Mom was using marijuana. I started stealing it from her when I was 11. I was outside one day, and some high school guys were trying to roll a joint, so I stepped in and rolled it. They were impressed. I took more weed, and they taught me how to sell it. I always had money in my pocket. I would go to school loaded, looking for attention from friends.

When I was in 7th grade, my step-brother came and spent the night. 

 

I got up early to make breakfast and was watching TV. My step dad asked if I had made anything for his son. I said no because he was still asleep, and I got one of the worst beatings ever. My step-brother told my grandparents, and they took me in. They were well off financially and showered me with gifts. I had everything a child would want. I played sports and got good grades all thru high school. I was friendly and had a lot of friends.

 

When I turned 18, I left and never went back. I had another side to me and wanted to prove I wasn’t a rich kid. I started selling drugs. I went through college drinking and partying. Then, a terrible thing happened. M granddad found he had prostate cancer. I left school to come home and be by his side. I started driving delivery trucks. I worked good jobs and sold drugs on the side. Eventually, I stopped selling drugs. Some guys came, kicked in my door, duct taped and pistol whipped me, and took $30,000. 

 

I decided to become a DJ. I had the lights and big speakers, and I was busy every weekend. I started taking trips out of town. I got another job, I got close to a girl that ran a bar, and I DJ’d every weekend. I was introduced to cocaine. I tried it and loved it. One night, I was with a girl and had my phone turned off. When I woke up, I had a bunch of messages. My granddaddy had died.

 

I started smoking crack, and I could not stop. When I was 37, I met a woman and ended up getting her pregnant. I quit smoking until a year later when we broke up. I ended up in and out of rehab multiple times. I could never get it together. I’d stay sober for a year then be right back at it. At the age of 43, I went to jail for the first time on a Paraphernalia charge. I went to court and received a fine, but I didn’t pay it. I took grandma’s car, and I was gone for a week. She called the police. I drove the car to the jail, said I had an outstanding fine and warrant, and asked them to please take me and put me in rehab. They wanted to let me out the next day, but I begged them to let me stay. I was put in the program for 30 days, and I told my lawyer to make it so that I stayed for 60 days. I started writing and had to write a poem for graduation. I was asked to recite my poem. I did well for about a year. I was performing poetry, and people were asking me to come speak. The jail even had me come back and speak.

 

One day, I hurt my back. My mom gave me a pain pill, dilaudid. I started itching, feeling down, and nodding out. I took the car, got high on crack, and was gone for a week. I went to jail again. Two weeks later, my mom had a heart attack and died. I went on a binge. I ended up going into an outpatient program for a year and moved to South Carolina. Pretty soon, I was back to shooting up, had no family, and faced homelessness. I was sleeping under bridges, stealing, and scamming for money for dope. I ended up moving to a boarding house, but I couldn’t pay my rent. I put as much as I could into two trash bags and left in the pouring rain.

 

I eventually entered a faith- based rehab. It was a six month program, and you weren’t allowed to work during that time. I walked in the door and didn’t know what to expect. The first 30 days, I’d meet with the counselor every week. I trusted him and said I would do whatever I needed to. I went Level 1 after 30 days. The instructor challenged me to think. It had been a long time since I had to sit and read and think. I was against everything at first. I watched a film that answered a lot of questions.

I became more open and got deep into the word. I read the New and Old Testament. I was amazed by the real life stories and characters in the Bible. When I got into the New Testament, I felt the loving hand of Jesus Christ. We were not allowed to lead devotion until Level 3. When I was in Level 2, an RA asked me to do the devotion. When I got up to the pulpit, it all came out. I gave my testimony, and everyone was crying. While talking about my mom, I realized my mistakes were not her fault. I made my own decisions to do things, and I manipulated people and situations. Up until that point, I never knew how to forgive myself. I carried my burden, but it suddenly came off of me. Eventually, the Level 3 counselor promoted me to Level 3 and asked me to be an RA. He said I was a leader. I found a church I fell in love with.

 

I started serving at the church. I got an internship doing rescue with the homeless in Greensville. I had a gift of understanding scripture and making it understandable to someone else. I applied to trucking school and got in. I connected with other truckers who are Christians and have become spiritual advisors to me. They saw something in me and understood that I have an assignment from God. I now know why God put a desire for trucking in my heart. I can speak to anyone from a country club to a corner store.

 

God allowed me to go through all of this. He had His hand on me. He had work for me to do, and I now understand it was necessary in order to get me to where I am today. Relationships are being restored, and God is continually putting people in my path.

 

jim@step-by-step.org

Phone   219-762-7589

Website : reallifestoriesbooks.com

The Truth of Real Life Stories is Christian Testimony book

 The people you have just read about had to come to a place of knowing, understanding, and accepting the truth before their lives could be changed.

As you read through these “Truths” in the pages ahead, take time to think about your life. These truths, when received, invite you into a loving relationship with God that will bring you peace, joy, and personal transformation to discover and fulfill your life’s purpose and destiny.

Throughout the rest of this book, in between the many more “Real Life Stories,” we will share some of these truths with you.

Just had to share what God did today! It was Chicken Tuesday today at the Metro grocery store. So, after work I went inside to buy me a chicken. While standing at the hot deli counter, waiting for my chicken and sweet potato fries, I noticed a couple behind me. I started chitchatting with them about how cute their two-year old son was, and then I felt an opening to give them a Real Life Stories Christian Testimony book. I showed them my picture on the back cover and told them that my story and others were stories of hope. They were appreciative of receiving the book.

My Life Was Never Easy - REAL LIFE STORIES

 Finally had enough. She left, taking myself and my three brothers with her. Unfortunately, life wasn't much better after she left him. She was bitter and depressed about having to raise us children by herself. There was never any love or affection shown to us. She blamed us for her miserable life and her drinking. We often had to hear how she had never wanted children in the first place, and this caused us to feel unwanted. My father wasn't much better. He ignored me and only paid attention to my brothers. He would claim I wasn't his child because he “only made boys.” I grew up depressed, feeling unwanted and unloved. All I ever wanted in life was to have true happiness. The reason my mother never showed love was because she didn't know how to show love. Her mother was raised in a residential school from age 5 to 15 years old. These schools were places of physical and sexual abuse, so my grandmother grew up never knowing a parents love. She was raised in a strict, cold environment that no child should ever have to live in. When she finally left the school to start her own life, the damage had already been done. When she had children, she raised them in a strict, unloving home. She was only doing what she had learned from the residential school. A cycle of showing no love and affection had started in my family. I was determined if I had any children, I would show and tell them that they were loved and wanted every day.

Another cycle that continued in the family was sexual abuse. I found out when I was older that my parents and my grandmother had suffered from sexual abuse. I was sexually abused as well. The first time happened when I was just three years old. My mother was in the hospital having my youngest brother. My father's uncle was babysitting me. I remember bits and pieces of the abuse but mostly remember the physical pain. This wasn't the only time I had to endure sexual abuse. On different occasions throughout the years, other family members sexually abused me. I often wondered why this was happening to me. I felt alone with no one to turn to. These episodes of sexual abuse just added to my depression, which seemed to grow and grow as I got older. I grew up not being able to trust anyone. I was angry at the world. I often wished I wasn't born. I thought of suicide on occasion but never went through with it. I didn’t tell my mother until I was 12 years old. Even then, I never received any comfort or support from her. She was too busy wallowing in her own self-pity and alcohol, which added to my unhappiness.

When I turned 16 years old, I moved out to get away from her drinking. I had grown to resent it over the years. I was depressed but hopeful that the future might bring some happiness. I ended up drinking to numb my emotional and mental pain. I was doing the very thing I had despised, and this added to my depression. I ended up quitting high school and going to work to support myself. I started a great paying job at 21 years old. Finally, life seemed to be going good for me. Around the same time, I started the first of three serious relationships I had in my life. I didn't have much luck in my relationships. It seemed like I was always picking partners who had addiction issues, and they didn't want to work. I went through physical and verbal abuse from two out of the three relationships, which brought depression back into my life. I always ended up supporting my family. The only good thing to come from these bad relationships was my three children who I love dearly. Once I had my children, I got my drinking under control. I didn't want them to see their mother as an alcoholic. I tried to make our lives as normal as possible.

After working at the same place for over eighteen years, the company finally closed down. I was without a job. My last relationship was on the verge of ending because my partner didn't want to work. I had enough and kicked him out. His drinking and physical abuse had become worse and worse. I was now alone and raising my children by myself, but I was better off being alone. I sunk into depression again, and my back began to ache like never before. My doctor put me on pain pills, which became the beginning of my new addiction. When the doctor cut me off my prescription, I began buying pills off the street. I also began selling pills to make money. I hid my addiction from my children and tried to keep life as normal as I could. They never had to go without food and were never neglected. I made sure I never sunk that far down. After buying pills for two years, I had enough of living this way and being broke. I decided to go on methadone to get off the pain medication. Little did I know, I was starting a new addiction which would be the hardest to quit. Christian Testimony Books

It was at this time I decided to go back to school and apply to college. I had always dreamed of going back to school someday. I worked hard and got the credits I needed then took the chance and applied to college. To my surprise, I was accepted to the college I had chosen. It seemed as though I was finally having some good luck for a change, but three months before school started I was hit with a mystery illness. I call it a mystery because the doctors couldn't find a cause for my symptoms. I started having migraines, lost hearing in my right ear, and had short term memory loss. I started school and realized I couldn't remember what I was learning. The doctor suggested I leave school until they found out what was wrong. I quit school but was so unhappy. I couldn't work or go to school. What good was I to anyone? I sunk into a deeper depression than ever before. Thoughts of suicide began to surface again, even worse than before. It seemed like whenever my life was going good, things would always take a turn for the worst. I felt like giving up, but I never did because I had my children to take care of. If it weren't for them, I shudder to think what I may have done to myself.

One Sunday morning, I was watching YouTube with my son. He was 7 years old at time. We came across a video that would change our lives. The video was about a young woman who had gone to heaven and hell with Jesus. We watched the whole video, which was over an hour long. At the end, I was so convicted by what I had seen. I looked at my son and said, "I don't want to end up in hell." He agreed with me.

Right at this exact time, a preacher came on the TV, which no one was watching. He was shouting out, "If you want to accept Jesus as your savior, say this prayer." My son and I knelt down on the floor and repeated the prayer. Immediately, I felt a change. I could tell my son did as well. He seemed happier and content. I felt a heaviness come off my heart and felt hopeful. I decided I needed to find a church, and God led me to a spirit filled church which I still attend to this day, five years later.

Since accepting Jesus into my life, God restored the hearing in my right ear, the migraines are gone, and my memory is back on track. For the first time in my life, I feel loved. I feel true happiness. I built a relationship with the Lord, and it gets stronger as time goes on. He has set me free from 31 years of smoking, set me free from alcohol, and set me free from depression. My back has been healed. He has brought love, peace, and joy into my home. I wouldn't trade this for the world. I'm still on the methadone, but He has promised to free me from this as well. Everything is in God's perfect timing. He has healed my broken heart and mended my broken spirit. I grew up hearing from my mother that Jesus isn't for native people. This lie has been told to native people for generations. I now know the truth. He's for every tribe, tongue, and nation. Jesus is for us and not against us. He loves everyone with an everlasting love. He will never leave you or forsake you. When you enter into a relationship with God, your life will never be the same. He accepts you the way you are and doesn't turn anyone away. It doesn't matter what you've done or how bad you think you are. He is merciful and forgiving. Just invite Jesus into your heart, and you will find more happiness and love than you've ever known. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free!

I hope my story will encourage you to desire a relationship with the Lord, and realize how amazing and wonderful He truly is. He is a loving, forgiving Father, waiting for you with open arms. Come to Him, and find the peace and love that is waiting for you. I'm living proof that His love is real and available to everyone who asks for it. Come as you are, and let the Lord transform your life for the better. He's a God of second chances and new beginnings. I've never been happier than I am now, thanks to the Lord. May this story bless you and encourage you to take the next step to happiness.

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Real Life Stories Christian Testimony Books

Address : 815 S. Babcock Rd, Porter , Indiana , 46304, US

President  - Jim Barbarossa            

Contact Mobile Phone     219-762-7589

Url : http://www.reallifestoriesbooks.com

My Brother Sent Someone to the Rescue - Real Life Stories

On the outside I knew that there was a God. I knew someone had to create all of us. What I didn’t know was that Jesus Christ our Savior gave his life for all of our sins. I owned my own company. My wife, myself, and one driver operated our three semi dump trucks. We hauled slag out of the steel mills in Indiana. I drove five days a week, and I worked on the trucks and trailers seven days a week. Any spare time I had was spent with my wife and two children. My son races  motocross, so I also had to keep his bike up and running. My daughter was into singing, and pool parties, and wanting to do stuff like going to the movies, shopping, bowling, and mini golf.

 

Everything I did was for my family. I neglected spending time with my brother, dad, and sisters. I didn’t have time (I thought) to get to know God. I do not want to get into detail as to the exact circumstances of my crime, but I will say that two people lost their lives. I honestly feel that if God was not by my side that day, I would have lost my life. God gave me an inner strength to fight for my life, and I give him all the credit for me being alive. That was my life on the outside.

 

When I was in the county jail, a pastor from a church my brother attended took time out of his life to come and visit me to tell me about God and our Savior Jesus Christ. He came to visit me almost every week during my 18 month stay in the county jail. The pastor changed my life and helped me find my Salvation Testimony  in Jesus Christ. I lost my entire life. My wife was my one and only love, and I lost her forever. My two children do not visit or write to me. I believe that they hate me for what happened that day. I lost my home, business, freedom, and my honest character that I was so proud of on the street. My children lost their mother, father, home, and family security that I worked so hard to provide for them. The other victim’s children lost their father. I  know if God would not have given me the strength to defend myself that day, I would be the one dead now.

 

The children lost the most, but if it was not for all of this happening, I do not know if I ever would have found God and my Savior Jesus Christ. I have a lot of difficulty at times forgiving myself. At times I get angry about why this all happened and feel like taking my own life. If I didn’t have God in my life, I would not have anyone to turn to when time gets rough for me. My life is forever changed thanks to God, Amen.

Using Real Life Stories Christian Testimony books and testimonies has  taken our witnessing to the next level. Instead of giving people just a track we are now able to give them a whole Real Life Stories Christian Testimony book to read. reallifestoriesbooks.com

Real Life Stories Christian Testimony Books are:

• Easy to Use! Jam-packed with Hope and Encouragement!

• Proven Effective over 880,000 Testimony Books in Use!

Real Life Stories Christian Testimony Books are like Big Tracts on Holy Ghost Steriods

 People like Lighthouses and they can relate to the cover.  The Lighthouse is an international symbol of hope!

Floating in the water on the bottom part of the cover we have placed, what we call trigger words.  These words represent things that all people will go through at sometime in their life.  Very often when we hand a person a book their eyes will be drawn to a certain word, and the tears will come opening the door to pray for them.

When offering Real Life Stories Christian Testimonies Books the refusal rate is only about 1 out of 150.

To see why these leaders prefer using Real Life Stories Christian Testimony Books over Tracts, download your free copy of Real Life Stories Christian Testimony Book Edition 7 right now!  
http://www.reallifestoriesbooks.com/digital-rls-books.html#/

Christmas Time - Real Life Stories Books

It seems like it was always Christmas time when things would fall apart for me. But one Christmas . . .

It was Christmas time, the season in which you celebrate family and friends and shower each other with gifts and love. I was only three years old that year. The memories are vague, but the hospital room that my daddy died in still lingers in my mind. Why did he have to go? Why did he have to have a brain tumor? Why didn’t I ever really get to know him? I’ve often wondered what he was like. I was too little to remember, but oh how I wished I could remember him. I’m sure he was a loving daddy.

My mother was left to raise four children under the age of five, and she did the best she knew how to. It must have been overwhelming for her. I was too young to really understand how much this would affect her life and the lives of my siblings and me.

A few short years later when I was only six, she remarried and I had no idea what would follow. I didn’t know what to think about having a step dad until one day he started doing things to me that a daddy shouldn’t do. This went on for about three years. I was old enough to know that these things could not be right. This surely wasn’t what a daddy was supposed to be like, was it? And if it was, I surely didn’t need a daddy or ever want a daddy.

I hate those memories --- many of which are blocked out of my mind but have haunted me for years. I didn’t have many friends. I kept to myself probably because of the shame in my heart from him violating me. My mom found out what he was doing and quickly packed us up with only what we could carry on us and one favorite toy each. She rushed us onto a plane that safely returned us to our home. I thank the Lord my mom didn’t hesitate to protect us once his violations were exposed.

We lived with my grandfather for a short time until he died. Again, another man vanished from my life. Were there any daddies out there that were good and wouldn’t die?

My second step dad came into the picture several years later. He wasn’t like my first step dad. He treated us well and took care of us . . .

Until one Christmas morning, when he was nowhere to be found. Where was he?

He had checked himself into a hospital, and I never saw him again after that. I can only guess that the responsibility of raising four children that were not his own was too much for him. Is THIS what a daddy was supposed to do? Just leave when things get rough? How would I EVER know what a REAL dad was supposed to be like?

It seemed that it was always Christmas when things fell apart for me . . .

But one Christmas, the best Christmases of all, the Daddy of all Daddies came into my life! His name was Jesus, and He came to heal my broken heart and mend my many wounds. He would never leave me. He would never forsake me. He would most certainly never hurt me. He PROMISED.

My mom went back to school and became a nurse. She remarried again and has been married to my step dad for over 25 years now. Since that time, God has blessed me with a godly husband who is a loving and caring father to our children and a loving and caring husband to me. I can trust him, and he is faithful. His father was a true testament to me of what a real father should be like. It grieved my heart when he went home to be with my Heavenly Father, but he touched my heart in a special way.

If you’ve had a daddy or a step dad or someone else close to you that has hurt you in painful ways, please tell someone. Don’t hide it away. God never intended for his children to be abused, misused, or humiliated. In my pain, I made some wrong choices that have affected my life. The devil would have liked to destroy me. But I found victory through my living Father who is still doing a great work in me today. Won’t you run into the arms of the best Father of all? His name is Jesus.

---

Jim and Carla Barbarossa

Phone: 219-762-7589

Email: jimbarbarossa7@gmail.com or jim@step-by-step.org

Website: www.reallifestoriesbooks.com

I Grew Up in the Carnival Business - Christian Testimonies

Have you ever created memories you wish you could forget? I have. My family was in the carnival business for 17 years. I literally grew up in it. My family traveled all the northern states. I worked seven days a week, 16 hours a day, during the summer months for many of my teenage years. Carnival life is very hard on a family. During the school year, my father would be gone five months out of the year while my mother stayed home with my younger brother and me. There were many challenges with my family relationships. I grew up extremely rebellious and making wrong choices in my life. By age 16, I had become a reckless fool.

One night, my brother and I used our parents’ Mustang car and went drinking and driving with our two friends. I was at the wheel when I took a 90-degree turn on a road while speeding at 90 miles an hour. The car flipped and rolled several times, eventually coming to an eerie stop. One of my friends was pinned under the car and critically injured. I do not recall being thrown out of the car, but I landed about 75 feet away from the accident. I woke up, sitting down, leaning against a fence post. That accident should have killed me, but I walked away from it with very minor scratches. My friend ended up at a hospital fighting for his life. My brother and our other friend survived the crash buckled in the car and were fine. The car was totaled.

The accident did not change me. We, as human beings in our own power, cannot change because it is our inborn nature to do what is evil. Fear gripped my heart at the possibility of having been killed in that accident, but I brushed that thought away. Later, I would understand that if I would have been killed then, I would have gone straight to hell, as God was not part of my life. God, the Father, in His infinite foreknowledge knew that I would come to Him, later on in my life at the age of 19. Although some people’s nature is better or more acceptable than others, we are all sinful in the sight of God and come short of His glory. Our only hope is for Him to redeem us though His plan of salvation for mankind. Christian Testimonies.

During my high school senior year, three female friends relentlessly “hammered away” the gospel of Jesus Christ at me with great love. One night, in the solitude of my bedroom, I was lying down in bed. I was tired and worn out from a guilty conscience of all my wrong doings. I was full of shame, sin, and guilt. I slipped off the bed and got on my knees, knowing I needed Jesus Christ in my life. That night, I asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins. What a special favor poured out into my heart! After a prayer of salvation, I felt clean, whole, light, joyful, and full of hope of a future. For 10 years, I lived and breathed the Word of God. I could not get enough of His Word, the Bible. I would read two to three hours a night. My nature had changed to be Christ-like. My old ways became foreign to me, and I no longer desired sin. The Lord started using me to talk to others about Him and confront them of their lifestyles. I was encouraging them to come to Christ and then leading them to Christ for salvation. What an honor!

At age 21, I decided to quit dating. For a year and half, I prayed for my future wife and asked the Lord to guide me in my prayer. During my prayer times, I knew she would be of Hispanic descent. One month before I met my life mate, I felt the Lord telling me that I would meet my future wife shortly, and I did! A month later, I met her, and I knew she was to be my wife. Without a doubt, I knew the Lord had given her to me because she was everything that I had prayed for. My wife and I have been serving Jesus together since we met. Our home is a Christian home. Our children and grandchildren enjoy the blessings of a wholesome, loving family, and Christ continues to be the vibrant center of our lives.

For over 40 years now, I have lived a wonderful life in the Lord. He has been my guiding light at all times without fail. It is wonderful to have the freedom to read the Word, pray, and tell others about the eternal life and peace that Jesus Christ can offer. Through the years, it has been an honor and a privilege to have been part of other people’s conversion as they come to Christ, with the assurance of a more wholesome and abundant life here on earth and an exhilarating eternal life later. What a great fulfilling and satisfying life!

I would like to share with you how to have peace, a peace that surpasses anything you may be experiencing. If your life seems to have no meaning and no purpose, try Jesus. He will meet you where you are. Jesus knows who you are and the things you have done. I was in a place at one time in my life that was no good. I allowed Jesus to come into my life and take away the guilt, the shame, and the sin. These are three things that will wear you out quickly. What I am saying is the truth. This is my personal experience with my friend, Jesus Christ, who has made Himself more real to me than life itself. He has been so good for me, despite of all life’s hardships, mistakes, and problems that come at us as part of life itself. He is waiting for you to turn to Him for help. Like He says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Please turn to Jesus. He will never let you down!

REAL LIFE STORIES - THE DREADED PHONE CALL NO PARENT WANTS TO GET

 I grew up a middle child in a family of six children and attended the same denomination for close to 50 years (church, 1st grade thru high school). My parents took us to church every Sunday. A devotion was read after evening meals. Bedtime prayers were recited. We watched Lawrence Welk on Saturday nights. We helped our dad with our 3 acres of garden. My dad built us a nice playground on our property, even a baseball diamond. It was like we lived in a nice bubble in our family. I knew they loved me, but I never really recall having in depth conversations about a relationship with God.

I was very shy. As a kindergartener, I remember being afraid when I first attended school. When I was young, one memory at home I had was playing a pillow game. One would be on the bottom, and the rest sat on top of the person under the pillows. Well, it was fun when you were on the top. But I was on the bottom. I couldn’t move, was very frightened, and nearly suffocated. I remember being able to turn my head, and there was a pocket of air.

As a child I recall being a bully to and being jealous of my younger siblings. One time I kicked my brother so hard I couldn’t walk on that foot for a week. I pulled my sister’s hair. I didn’t play much with any girls in my neighborhood.

As a preteen and teen, I was pretty quiet, but had loud outbursts at other times. I had a disrespectful attitude at times, especially from 4th-6th grade. One time I got in trouble, and the teacher said he was calling my parents. I got scared and waited by the phone around bedtime. When the phone rang, I quickly picked up the phone and hung it up. He did have another avenue to contact my parents.

By 8th grade I broke up with my best friend because I was jealous of her. I was lonely, but in school I separated myself from others. I certainly wanted friends but kept making choices that kept me disconnected from others. In high school I continued to be a loner.

Fear was growing. Often, I would eat my lunch in the girls’ bathroom alone. I was fearful and didn’t talk to teachers either. One girl I liked invited me to her house, but I said no because I didn’t think I felt well (fear). One time I was at my locker and had the upper part open. The girl who had the locker next to me bumped her head on my locker. The next day she moved to another locker. I felt sad and rejected because I believed it was my fault. I lived a religious lifestyle. I continued going to the same denomination, attended or helped with women’s groups at church or school. Around 1992 things changed. The Holy Spirit was drawing me closer to Him through Christian radio, music, and Bible tracts. God also used a wonderful shut-in, Mrs. Hermanek.

One day I was reading a Bible tract. I read the prayer about receiving Jesus as my LORD and Savior. I thought to myself, “I’m already saved, so it won’t hurt to say this prayer.” And another thought was that...yes, I really believe it. I said the prayer, and something changed (me). I repented of my sins (we are all sinners) and believed Jesus is the personal Lover & Savior of my soul.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” The world seemed brighter, sharper, the grass was greener. I passed from death to life. Praise the LORD! I was surprised and very interested, not totally understanding what really happened.

The wonderful shut-in I visited commented to my husband that it was nice to see a new Christian whose eyes have been opened. My thoughts were very questioning: I thought I was already a Christian! I had been on the way to hell!? What about my family, all the people in this & other denominations who were taught as I was? I was offended & hurt. However, I’m thankful for all the seeds of God’s Word planted in me over the years & that my parents did the best they knew how.

I am very thankful. When my husband and I married, I always thought I was saved. I realized that he had been saved and I wasn’t! I was deceived. Instead of being offended or judgmental of my life or situations, I repented of my sins and asked God to reveal Truth to me. God started opening my eyes in this new, improved relationship with Him.

Our marriage went through a rough period. We were separated for almost a year. I was trying to control things. I got depressed. Then I finally surrendered my marriage to God. I gave it to Him and He continued to work on me and my attitude. My husband is the spiritual head of the house. I am learning to respect and honor him. By the grace of God, He is healing our marriage with His love.

After my awakening or conversion, I continued to go to the same denomination for another 10 years or so. I never thought I would leave the church I was raised in. I was staying because that was all I knew and was comfortable. I was fearful to step into all God had for me. I never asked God where He wanted me to go to church. Nevertheless, things started to change. I started to raise my hands to praise God...something that “wasn’t done” in that church.

My husband started attending another church from time to time. The Holy Spirit was preparing me for some tough times ahead. I attended with him a few times. I remember thinking...I will never leave the church I was raised in, but if I ever did, this one is OK! A banner in that church said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer”. I liked that. We joined that church and continued to grow and be connected with others. I was water baptized by immersion. We attended a home Bible study.

Then in July 2009 we got the dreaded phone call no parent wants to get. Our son was killed by a drunk/impaired driver at the age of 29. We were crushed. I am so grateful for loving, caring people who showed the love of Jesus during that time. God moved us to that church to get us through a turbulent period. His Word was and is a great comfort to me.

We were led by my husband to join another church. I am learning more about God, prayer, His Word, Holy Spirit, healing, and spiritual warfare in Christian Testimony. I attend women’s Bible classes and am accountable to other mature women.

God has given me victory over fear. I suffered from worry, fretting, fear, anxiety, panic attacks. One day I was fighting an anxiety attack. I was walking up the stairs to get to my Bible. Each step was heavy to take, but I was not giving up. When I got to the top, somehow my Bible was opened to Psalm 34:4, “I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” Victory in Jesus!

Each day I am realizing more and more that God’s Word is real and can be trusted. Psalm 18:30 says, “As for God, His way is perfect: the word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all those that trust in Him.” God is removing the bubble I was in and replacing it with a firm foundation. I have been learning to check Holy Scripture, seek Him, and pray in the Holy Spirit. God wants us to hunger and thirst after righteousness. (Matthew 5:6) I love all my brothers and sisters in Christ. I am praying for unity in the body of Christ. He does NOT separate us by “denomination.”

I am grateful that my conversion happened not because of church affiliation, a religious ritual, philosophy or event scheduled by others. God called me! How He loves me! God says in Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked.” He wants me to have a heart knowledge of Him, not merely intellectual knowledge of Him. I am eternally grateful that I am awake in Christ by His grace.

Contact Name      Jim Barbarossa

Contact Mobile Phone  219-762-7589

Website : reallifestoriesbooks.com

Email :jim@step-by-step.org