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    The Rocky Road: Extraordinary Testimonies from an Ordinary Person
    The Rocky Road: Extraordinary Testimonies from an Ordinary Person
    The Rocky Road: Extraordinary Testimonies from an Ordinary Person
    Ebook130 pages2 hours

    The Rocky Road: Extraordinary Testimonies from an Ordinary Person

    By LJ Hanna

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    About this ebook

    Even before she knew him, God was working in L. J. Hannas life. Though she grew up in the Catholic Church and practiced Catholicism, Hanna did not invite Jesus Christ to be her Lord and Savior as a girl. But later, on that glorious day when she accepted him into her heart, her life changed forever.

    The Rocky Road shares Hannas emotional story of how she went from a child who simply realized he existed to a woman who made him the center of her life. She had no idea, though, how God would reveal himself to her in the coming years. Hanna recounts the ways God began working his will through her. Whether it was through dreams, encounters with angels, or the interpretation of tongues, Hanna allowed herself to remain open to Gods message.

    But it wasnt all positive. Hanna not only struggled with those who mocked her and accused her of false doctrine, but also experienced terrifying demonic encounters. Yet even through this, the Lord made Hanna stronger and increased her faith, enabling her to overcome challenges both big and small.

    Deeply sincere and honest, The The Rocky Road is an inspiring testimony of faith, love, and courage, and definitively shows the power of Christ in our lives.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisheriUniverse
    Release dateOct 25, 2011
    ISBN9781462057092
    The Rocky Road: Extraordinary Testimonies from an Ordinary Person
    Author

    LJ Hanna

    L. J. Hanna is a mother and grandmother who lives in southern Indiana. She has studied the Bible since 1985 and enjoys ministering through music.

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      Book preview

      The Rocky Road - LJ Hanna

      Contents

      Acknowledgments

      Introduction

      1

      Dreams

      2

      Encounters

      3

      Gifts of Healing

      4

      Interpretations

      5

      Living in the

      Supernatural Favor of God

      6

      Persecution

      7

      Speaking to You

      Conclusion

      All scripture references are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

      Thoughts Higher than Mine – Prophecy

      By: Moses Hightower is used by permission.

      LIVING WORD WORSHIP CENTER PROPHETIC DEVOTIONAL

      Lancaster Marketplace; 44830 Valley Central Way - Suite 103

      Lancaster, California 93536

      Moses Hightower, Senior Pastor

      Acknowledgments

      I would like to express my deepest gratitude to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for allowing me to experience these testimonies. For without Him, there would not be a book.

      Thank you, Jesus, for your awesome love!

      A special thanks to my friend, Wanda, who introduced me to the idea of a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. She was my constant encouragement to pursue more of Jesus and still is to this day. I am so grateful for her determination and love for me. Thank you Wanda and God Bless You!

      I would especially like to thank my sister Lynnette, who was my never-ending support as I completed this book. She was very instrumental in helping me to gather my thoughts and stay focused. She gave me the title for this book and has blessed me in more ways than she knows. I am so thankful for all of her support, her encouragement, and her input. May the Lord bless her beyond measure for all she has done.

      Thank you, Lynnette. I could not have done this without you.

      Introduction

      I have written this book of testimony in hopes of encouraging you to step out and begin to truly experience Jesus living His life through you. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He has not changed. He still desires to do the work He started when He walked this earth. He needs you to accomplish that mission. He wants His mission to become yours.

      God knows the beginning from the end. He has been preparing you for this mission your whole life—even before you were saved. He orchestrates the events in your life to bring you to the place He has chosen for you to minister in. Whatever you have come through, no matter how hard, it is for your good and for the good of others. God’s love for all of us is incomprehensible. As you will see in the following chapters, God was working in my life before I ever knew Him.

      Many of the testimonies you will read are insights into how God goes about transforming you into the character of His Son, Jesus Christ. We often forget that it really is not about us; it is about Jesus and the work He started. We must repent (change the way we think) to truly live in the kingdom of God. We have to be willing to change our thoughts, our direction, our wants and desires, and the way we speak. In other words, He desires for all of us to speak His truths and walk in His ways. If we are to be conformed to the image of Christ, we must be willing to become like-minded with Him. The disciples understood this principle. They were willing to accept this concept, and look at how they turned the world upside down! He sent out the twelve, then He sent out the seventy, and then He sent all of us. Why are we holding back? He said to heal the sick, make the blind to see and the lame to walk, cast out devils, and raise the dead. They did it. Why aren’t we?

      God chose the ordinary people of Jesus’ time to accomplish extraordinary things. He is still doing the same. Jesus is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He lives in you, and He cares about every tiny detail of your life. He said that if we would seek Him and His righteousness, He would take care of all our needs. I can testify that this is a truth worth seeking. He loves you, and He has called you to walk with Him, talk with Him, and make Him the center of your life.

      I am constantly reminded that Jesus is Lord, and we can do nothing apart from Him. No matter how many wonders God has allowed me to experience, I am always humbled. When you stand in the presence of the Almighty God and witness His awesome power and all-knowing presence, it will humble you. You will know that it is not you who does anything; it is God! It is a privilege and an honor to witness His love in action toward all of us.

      My prayer for all of you who read this book is that you will seek His face and desire to be worthy of the high calling that He has placed on each and every one of you. May you be inspired to ignite the passion that lives within you, and may the Lord bless you and empower you with the knowledge and understanding of His perfect will for your life.

      For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord,

      Thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

      Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

      And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

      Jeremiah 29:11–13

      I would like to take a moment to introduce myself to you, the reader. This will help give you a better understanding of the testimonies you are about to read.

      I was raised with the knowledge of the Lord; in other words, I knew of God, but I did not know God. I was introduced to the Lord at a very young age through Sunday school. That lasted only for a short time. My mother was remarried when I was seven years old to a wonderful Catholic man, who was in the military. Most of my formative years were spent in Mass and catechism learning rituals and prayers. When I was ten years old and living in Germany, I was invited by one of my friends to attend vacation Bible school, and it was one of the most memorable times I’ve ever had. I still remember the song I learned, Onward Christian Soldiers. Little did I know that, one day, I would actually live to be a soldier for Christ.

      As a teenager, I was far from being an obedient child. This led me to juvenile hall and two foster homes. I wasn’t there for criminal activity, but I was considered a problem because of my independent attitude and rebellious nature. I hated that my rebellion hurt so many people emotionally. I honestly believed that if I died, everyone around me would be better off. So, I tried to commit suicide on three different occasions. I did not know God then, and I honestly felt completely hopeless. I believed the lies the devil was telling me: that I was a bad person and that I had no chance of amounting to anything but being a cause of pain in the lives of others.

      After I grew up and left home, church and the Lord were totally out of my life.

      In my early twenties, after suffering through two abortions, I tried to take my life again. Needless to say, God had other plans for me and saved my life. I don’t take any of this lightly; when a person comes to think that taking his or her life is better for others, it is definitely a very sad state of mind. Thank God for His mercy, His grace, and His love.

      When I was in my thirties, my children went to church through a bus ministry; however, I did not attend with them. During these years, I had a friend who had given her life to the Lord. She was constantly encouraging me to go to church. I went and visited a church, and after the service, the people gathered around me and asked me if I had ever been to church before. I told them that I came from a Catholic background, and they politely told me that all Catholics were going to hell. That was not a positive experience for me. I told them that I wasn’t aware that they were God. Needless to say, I did not return. I felt like the church was nothing but a place of judgment, and I wanted nothing to do with it. My friend kept encouraging me, so I decided to pick up the Bible and read it. After spending quite some time in the Word, I realized that I needed to be baptized. So, I decided to go to the Catholic church and speak to the priest about it. I was told that I could not be baptized until I completed their class on baptism. I did not understand this and asked the priest what would happen if I left that day and got hit by a truck and died. He told me that God would consider it baptism by desire. I then said, If God considers it baptism by desire, then what is your problem? I left that day and was really upset about it.

      I was so angry about all the judgment and the rules and regulations of the church. I went home, grabbed my Bible, and got down on the floor of my living room. I laid open the Bible before the Lord. I said, "God, you show me who you are. You teach me what your Word says, and you tell me what you have to say about your Word. I don’t want to know man’s version; I want yours."

      This was the turning point of my life. God just seemed to open my spiritual eyes and ears as He poured His understanding and wisdom into me. The more I accepted, the more He gave me. That was twenty-six years ago, and He is still revealing more and more to me each time I open the Word.

      In 1995 I moved to a small town in northern California, where I met a man who would later become my fifth husband. He was very involved in the church through praise and worship, occasionally teaching Bible studies and participating in various building projects. After we were married, he became abusive and controlling. I don’t want to spend much time on the details of it all; I will simply state that it was the darkest season of my life.

      My husband, at times, would attack me from all sides—physically, emotionally, and worst of all, spiritually. I would become so distraught and hopeless that I would have to leave him to find rest in the Lord so that I could renew my strength. Then, God would send me right back.

      I cried. I questioned God. I begged for answers, yet I knew I had to obey. As I walked through this darkness, I found the light. I guess you might say, I went

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