Who Is Annie Ruth?

Annie Ruth -- A Living Testimony
This is Annie Ruth's story - we would love to hear yours.

Annie Ruth is an internationally acclaimed visual artist, poet, author and performing artist whose work impacts women and children across the country...

I accepted the Lord Jesus as my personal savior when I was about nine years old. I didn't receive the fullness of what God had for me, with the baptism of the Holy Ghost, until I was 19 years old. From the time I was three years old probably before then, my mama kept me calling on the name of Jesus. I knew that my very life depended upon it. I had to call on Jesus to protect myself, particularly at night, when I had terrors and demons trying to destroy me. It was hard to try to explain this to the grown-ups in my life because it was much of their actions that exposed me to the evilness that I constantly fought.

It was the angel of the Lord that protected me while I was still a child but it is the power of the Holy Ghost that I stand in today! "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. (Psalm 34:7)" During my years as a saved young woman, I continued to seek God and study his word but I went through those times of zeal coupled with those times of "following the crowd" just to fit in. I thought that Salvation was all the power I needed. The Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues seemed to be a "feel good" thing when I was younger because I didn't fully understand that the baptism of the Holy Ghost was more than emotion. It is the power that I needed to truly fight the enemy and stand "strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. (Ephesians 6:10)"

When I was 18 years old God began to reveal to me that I needed the Holy Ghost to empower me. It was the Holy Ghost that would pray when I didn't know what to pray. "For we know not what to pray for as we ought but the spirit maketh intercession for us…(Romans 8:26)" So at the age of 19 I was filled with the Holy Ghost and began walking in the fullness of power and authority that God has given me as His child. I was always a peculiar little girl and often received the horrible labels that society place on you. All hell was breaking loose in my home and it's only by the grace of God that I'm living today. I have been miraculously delivered through numerous car accidents. My grand mother and aunt were murdered while I was a teenager, my first born child had a stroke at birth and he's without any physical or mental impairments-God is worthy
of the praise in my life!

I know, without a doubt, that I am here by divine destiny and that there is a special call upon my life. If it were up to the devil I would have died a long time ago. I am a living testimony! My life speaks for itself. My testimony is that God will keep your mind, at any age, in the midst of any storm because I've lived through the storms when all I knew to do was call on Jesus. His word says, "Thou wilt keephim in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusted in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)"

Despite my father's physical abuse and the abandonment of our family, my mother suffering numerous nervous break-downs-Despite living in poverty, being rejected by my peers and labeled as homosexual. Despite suffering sexual abuse at the hands of an older child, and the horrendous exposure to demonic forces and witchcraft-God has yet kept my mind. He has allowed me to be here to proclaim to the world and to the church that He is Real.

Ironically, that was the song that my mother always sang to me when I was a child. "There are some things, I may not know. There are some places that I can't go but I am sure of this one thing that God is real for I can feel him deep within-Yes God is Real…"

Now that I have embraced the freedom to really tell my testimony, I have poured the majority of my own life into Tammy Coleman lack, the main character in Reflection, A Collection of Straight Talk & Inspirational Narratives. It is more than just good reading; the book is a life changing experience for the reader. Reflection is not merely the account of one woman's life; it is an exhortation to every believer who has experienced the power of God to testify.

When I was younger we sang the song, "I believe, I believe I'll testify while I have a chance or I may not have a chance anymore." My time to testify is now. It is time to let the church know that we overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimonies.

I am here to fulfill my divine destiny. Before the foundation of the world God called me. While I was in my mother's womb he set me apart. He instilled the artistic ability within me to minister to a dying world. Creativity is in my genes. And although, at this time, He has not called me to a title, as a child of God it is my obligation to proclaim that "Jesus saves!"

God has called me in a nontraditional role. You don't hear about too many Holy Ghost filled believers telling the good news through the painting on a canvas or in a collection of narratives and poetry. God has called me for this purpose. In this calling, He has told me two things -"Be real" and "It's not about you Annie Ruth." I aim to be real and be that vessel who He is calling me to be.

www.annieruth.com


Posted with Permission