into your closet and get down on your knees and pray to the Father in secret, and he shall reward thee openly.”
George also remembered a verse in the Bible that the preacher had read. “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23).
When going back to school the next day, George’s classmates were teasing him. George told them out loud, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
George declared, “In the name of Jesus, I’m going to make an A on my test and promote to the next grade.”
That same day, George was the only student who made 100 on his exam.
chapter 2
JOHNNY
This is a story about a man named Johnny. On three different occasions, Johnny had been arrested for selling drugs. Faced with the “three strikes and you out” conviction, Johnny was given life in prison.
Johnny did not grow up going to church, but he knew about God. Johnny learned about the Lord during his previous two times while being in prison. During his first month in prison, Johnny prayed to God to give him another chance to be free from prison and change his life.
While serving two months in prison, Johnny became very depressed. He contemplated on committing suicide. Johnny had stripped out of his clothes and made a noose to hang himself. As Johnny stood upon the bathroom commode and placed his neck into the noose, a voice spoke to him.
“Thou shall not kill.”
“Say, Charles, man, what did you say?” asked Johnny as he took his neck out of the noose, yelling out loud to Charles in the next cell.
Johnny placed his neck back into the noose. A voice said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Johnny took his neck from the noose again and ran up to his cell. “Charles, I heard you, man.”
“Johnny, man, it’s late. Go to bed and get some rest.”
“I’m going to get me some everlasting rest.”
“Good night, Johnny.”
Johnny placed his neck back into the noose. A voice said, “I am Jesus, who healed the woman who had the issue of blood twelve years. I am Jesus, who gave sight to the blind. I am Jesus, who raised the dead. I am Jesus, who made the lame to walk. I am Jesus, who made the deaf to hear. I am Jesus, who walked on the sea. I am Jesus, who delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. I am Jesus, who set the captive free and loose the prisoner.”
Suddenly Johnny came out of the noose and started crying out to God shouting, “Thank you, Jesus!”
The next day, Johnny was witnessing all over the prison, and a week later, Johnny was released from prison.
chapter 3
JOHN BLUFF AND TED
John Bluff was meaner and bigger than all the other kids at his school. He would bully kids around by taking their food, money, books, and anything else he wanted. He told them that if they would tell anyone on him that he would beat them up.
Every day he would take ten dollars from Ted. Ted’s parents could not understand why he was spending so much money every day for a kid who was in the sixth grade.
It was on a Friday when big bad John Bluff grabbed Ted by his shirt collar and lifted him off the ground and told Ted he wanted him to bring a hundred-dollar bill to him for that Monday. Ted became so afraid that he wet in his pants. Ted was so nervous that he was shaking. Ted knew that his parents couldn’t afford to give him that kind of money. When he got home from school that same day, Ted went to his room and locked the door behind him. Ted stayed in his room crying and being afraid for the rest of that Friday and all day Saturday. Ted’s parents came to the door knocking and asking him to come out of his room. Finally, he opened the door and told them that he needed one hundred dollars to take to school for money for certain kinds of books. His parents told him that they didn’t have that kind of money. Ted went back into his room, locking the door behind him, as he was filled with more fear. Ted’s parents became disheartened as they didn’t have an answer.
When Ted and his parents were asked by a church member to come the following Sunday, they all agreed to attend because they had never been. During Sunday’s service, the preacher had been preaching about when David slew the giant Goliath. The Spirit of the Lord had come upon Ted as he grew courage from the message. Ted and his parents came to the altar as they all gave their life to Jesus.
That following Monday, when Ted came back to school, the very first person that he saw was John Bluff. John walked up to Ted and asked him in a rough tone, “Do you have my money?”
Ted, giving up seventy pounds of body weight and four inches in height difference, boldly said, “No.”
John quickly grabbed Ted, lifting him off the ground. “What is your problem that you don’t have my money?” He asked in anger.
Ted boldly said, “I don’t plan on giving it to you. So put me down at this very moment.”
“Little boy, who are you to stand up against the meanest and toughest boy in all the school? I can crush every bone in your body.”
“John, I let it be known to you that the God that I serve will deliver me. Just as he delivered David to slay Goliath, he will deliver me. He is the God that delivered David out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear. So put me down because you are hurting me.”
“No, I will not!” he said in anger.
Ted quickly reached out, slamming both hands against each side of John’s ears. John went down to the ground in pain. Never again did John mess with Ted or any of the other kids.
chapter 4
MARY, LEXUS, AND TOBY
Once upon a time, there was a woman named Mary, her daughter, Lexus, and son, Toby.
The doctor had given Mary six months to live. She was a woman who never attended church. The only time she had attended church was when she was a little girl.
Her twelve-year-old daughter was the woman of the house who had to wait on her mother. She had to do the cooking, cleaning, and find time to do her homeschooling and help her brother as well. She also held down an eight-hours-a-day job working as a house maid during the summertime while her ten-year-old brother stayed home with his mother during the daytime.
Every night before going to bed, the little girl and boy would gather around their mother’s bedside as Lexus would read different Bible verses out loud to them.
Their mother given any time to die called them both to her bed side said, “Children, I love the both of you. I know the both of you are going to make Mama proud. I’m about to die now.”
The ten-year-old boy broke down and started crying out loud. Tears ran down from the little girl’s eyes. She whispered, “Mama, you are going to live.”
The
