My Jesus Stories

By Allie Garrett

We are no doubt living in the most evil time we have ever seen. Good is called evil, and evil is called good. The Word of God is clear in Revelation 12:11 that we overcome the evil one by three things: the blood of the Lamb, the power of our testimony, and by loving not our own life even unto death. This is so simple. We simply plead the blood of Jesus, share what God has done for us, and put Him and others first. It's easy for most people to do one and three, but sharing our testimony can be incredibly difficult sometimes because it's so personal. Sometimes we're embarrassed of situations we got ourselves into in the first place. Or perhaps it's a very personal family or health situation. More often than not, we just want to keep up appearances and not air out our dirty laundry. If all of us together would do these three things, I think we would overcome so much of the evil running rampant in our world today!

This book is a collection of my personal testimonies, a raw look into God's perfect grace and mercy in my life. At the end of each chapter, you will find a "Two-Minute Takeaway," which is something from my testimony or God's Word that you can easily and immediately apply to your own life. There's also a journal prompt for you to write your own testimony. You may choose to keep this book private, but I am going to make this very easy for you to share your testimony. There's actually a spot for three readers' entries. The idea is for you to record your real, raw testimony and then pass this book on. This is an opportunity for you to take part in sharing with others how the kingdom of God has impacted your life personally. Be real and be honest. Welcome to my Jesus stories!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781098050863

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My Jesus Stories

Allie Garrett

ISBN 978-1-0980-5085-6 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-0980-5086-3 (digital)

Copyright © 2020 by Allie Garrett

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Tuesday Morning

Identity Theft

The Blessed Mess

Don’t Yield to Fear

Infertility

The Old Man with White Dreads

Mosaic

You Are What You Speak

River of Life

Grace, Addiction, and the Power of Forgiveness

Final Letter to the Reader

Preface

If you have said yes to Jesus, you are called! You have an assignment called the Great Commission! We are all called to do something. Some of us are called to the grandest stages of the world to speak to millions about Jesus. Others are called to the company lunchroom to share with our coworkers just how the love of Jesus has personally impacted us. Which do you think is more important? They are both equally important! As a matter of fact, personal evangelism, or telling your coworker about your personal encounter with the Lord, has been statistically proven to be more effective in helping others establish a personal relationship with Jesus Christ than any other form of ministry. How powerful is that! Your personal testimony is more than just a sweet story; it is an authoritative vision of the grace of God in your life today, proving He absolutely is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Stop hiding your light under a basket.

A very smart man once asked me a question, and now I’m going to ask you the same. What is the one thing you can’t do in heaven (other than sin, of course)? The answer is simple. You can’t tell people about Jesus because everyone there already knows Him. It’s estimated that every second, nineteen people enter eternity without knowing Jesus. Nineteen souls forever burning in hell because they weren’t compelled to follow Christ. That may not be a popular statement, but hell is real, and people are perishing because we have been conditioned to keep our mouths shut about our God. We live in a world where people want to live their life their way without God. They don’t want to hear the Gospel because it makes them feel uncomfortable. Light has no fellowship with darkness, so the first thing we need to do is to get over the fear of making people feel uncomfortable. We have to tell them! We have to warn them! I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to get to the other side of eternity and wonder if I could’ve done anything differently that would’ve brought more souls to Jesus. We get one shot at this life, and it goes by very quickly. So why are we keeping our Jesus all to ourselves? Why aren’t we sharing the grace of God in our lives? Why aren’t we helping others to see there’s a better way?

Holy Spirit has been dealing so strongly with me that it’s time to tell our Jesus stories. It’s time to tell others what God has done for us! It’s time we speak up for the truth! If we don’t, millions of souls will perish. If you love like Jesus commands us to love, this should pull at your heartstrings. If it doesn’t, you should immediately pray and ask for the Lord to help you to love like He loves and like He has commanded us to love.

I have been blessed by a rich family heritage of Jesus-loving people. It started many years ago when my great-grandmother Allie Mae Rector put down her tea leaves and picked up a Bible. She became a minister and also the mother of four wonderful, God-fearing, and God-loving children. Her only son and my great-uncle Reverend James B. Rector taught me personally how to love people in a way that most of my generation has never had the opportunity. He began his religious career igniting revival fires at tent crusades in Nortonville, Kentucky. Soon after, God called him to Cincinnati, Ohio. He felt like his assignment was to help people, especially inner-city residents. (He) wanted to let them know somebody cared. That’s what we all need more than anything. We need to know that somebody cares! We need to let others know that we care!

My great-uncle Buddy, as we called him, founded the United Christian Fellowship Church in 1970 in downtown Cincinnati. He didn’t go after the nicely dressed folks or people driving the nice cars; rather, he welcomed all who needed food and shelter. He and a small team provided as many as three thousand meals per month. I was blessed to be a part of this at times during summer break from school. I remember putting bologna sandwiches, chips, and an apple in a white paper bag and then handing them off as hundreds of hungry folks passed through the line. I remember how different they all looked. Some were dressed in their Sunday’s best, and some hadn’t showered in perhaps months. I can’t tell you a single person’s name today, but I will forever remember the smiles on their faces. I will forever remember that beautiful church and Sunday services. The people came dressed in their absolute best, ladies decked out in bright colors with beautiful hats and gentlemen in their suits and ties. They taught me that it’s okay to dance in church. They taught me that it’s okay to play the tambourine and even bring your own if you have one! They taught me it’s okay to wave beautiful banners or even tie ribbon at the end of your tambourine. They taught me it’s okay to get your praise on as there is so much to praise our Lord for! But most importantly, I will forever remember how the love of Jesus brightened everyone’s face the same, no matter their skin tone. I am forever thankful for the example my Uncle Buddy set in my life and for the experiences my parents