How I love to tell of what Jesus Christ has done in and with my life, it is truly a miracle!
I was born in 1940 in Southern California in the Los Angeles area to a mother who was a librarian at Occidental College and a father who was a restoration artist at the Museum of Natural History, both upstanding conservative Americans. My mom was supernaturally saved before I was born.
I never lacked anything, being one of two children and the only girl. I was abundantly blessed. I was taught to fear God, to keep His commandments, to respect His creation and to love our country and what it stood for then. My mother always prayed for me, Thank God, for I'm sure her prayers kept me alive and from harm.
I'm not sure at exactly what point in my life I started going wrong, but I went all the way, as in everything I did. I knew no moderation, didn't know the meaning of it. When I graduated from high school in 1958 at 18 years of age I could have gone to college or pursued my vocal career or gone into acting and film making. My brother was a famous film writer, producer and director. He could have insured my career. Everyone was disappointed in me. All I wanted to do was to get married and raise a family. I lived in a dream world. In my mind, marriage was going to be perfect bliss. Being extremely naïve, I married the third person who asked me because he had good manners, and guess what, he was the wrong one. But for 13 years, I made the best of it, mostly for our 3 daughters’ sake.
I was a young mother and housewife, and I was totally miserable. I was laden with sin, and when, on Christmas Eve 1970, I came face to face with death, I knew I was on my way to Hell and a burning lake of fire.
Coming home from a Christmas celebration at my brother’s home, at around 2:00 AM, my husband and I and our three children were traveling on Sepulveda Blvd., when out of seemingly nowhere, a car doing about 85 mph hit us broadside and sent our car spinning. I was terrified!! The only thing that came out of my screaming mouth was, “OH GOD!!!” The man who hit us went through his windshield. I don't know if he survived. I was the only one hurt in our vehicle. My back suffered the impact, and I was in a lot of pain. The girls were asleep, and thank our dear God, they were not hurt. They were shook up, but not hurt. I am now aware why this all happened. God sometimes allows drastic things to happen to us to try and wake us up. I so easily could have been killed and in Hell right now.
I didn't sleep all night. I was reliving the accident, and it was compounded by the pain. My husband took the kids to their grandparents for Christmas first thing in the morning. We were living in Simi Valley, and it was 73 degrees, a beautiful sunny day. I was lying in bed watching the beam of sunlight shining through the lace curtains and making patterns on the carpet. Suddenly all of the light began leaving the room. I can only describe it as a vacuum sucking up every bit of light. I was quickly in a vacuum of total darkness. I tried to get out of my bed to see what on earth was going on. A blast of heat, as if an oven door was opened, hit me in the face, then I could no longer move. I was now pinned to the bed. I pinched myself (maybe it was a nightmare) but it didn't go away. The room began really heating up, and the most horrific smells started permeating the stifling air. I thought, “Oh my God, this house is on fire!!!” I was gasping to breathe, and the heat got more intense. Then came the sound effects. I say this because it was seeming like a horror movie. There were groans and moans and cries for mercy, and then it hit me, the stark realization—I am in Hell!!! “Oh no, oh my God, my God, my God, no!!!” My whole corrupt life passed before me. I was worthy of Hell. My heart was pounding so hard it hurt my chest. The horrible smell was raw burning flesh, and my breath was nearly gone. The heat was now so intense the skin on my arm was bubbling. I thought the back pain was bad; the pain now engulfed my whole body.
Just as suddenly, when I thought all hope was gone, the light began returning, and soon my room was brighter than ever. The awful sounds ceased. I could hear birds chirping out in the yard. The heat was gone, and I felt a wonderful, blessed breeze all over me. The ceiling fan was blowing the air and it felt like heaven.
I literally almost flew to my knees at the side of the bed, tears pouring down my face. I was shaking uncontrollably, "Lord Jesus, have mercy and please forgive me of all my filthy sins and save me by the precious blood you shed for me on Calvary. Come into my heart forever and show me how to serve you." As soon as I said that prayer, I could actually feel the Holy Spirit all over me—a warm and beautiful all-encompassing knowledge of God’s presence. At almost 30 years of age, I was finally saved. Then a pressing knowledge like a great pressure came upon me. I must serve God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength for the rest of my life and never forget what God has done for me, and tell others, so that they might be saved.
Where do I go? What do I do? My mind opened up, and the Lord brought to my remembrance what my dear friend Granny Cook had told me about Tony and Susan Alamo, two Jews who met Jesus Christ supernaturally and had been given the greatest soul-winning ministry this world has ever seen. God sent them to the streets of Los Angeles and Hollywood to the hippies, drug addicts, drunkards, prostitutes, down-and-out sinners. Souls began getting saved by the thousands and hundreds of thousands. Tony and Susie, through the mighty power of God, cleaned up Hollywood and Los Angeles. Little old ladies could once again go shopping safely, and people were not in fear for their lives when they walked out of their doors.
I had the answer from God and I knew it. I climbed into my old Oldsmobile and got on the Hollywood freeway and pulled up in front of 1412 Crescent Heights Blvd. in Hollywood. The beautiful mansion type home with "Tony and Susan Alamo Christian Foundation" above the door was beaming with much more light than what was coming from inside, it was a beacon in the darkness, it was shining.
As I went inside, I was welcomed by a beautiful young lady whom I shared my testimony with, and we read Bible together until services started. There was wonderful gospel music, and everyone who was saved gave a short testimony. The place was packed with people standing three and four deep in the back and crowded on to the stairs, up and down. The rafters rang with song and praises to God Almighty. Pastor Tony Alamo brought a soul-piercing message. He talked about the end times, how we are living in them according to God’s Word. He told of all the signs and Bible prophecies being fulfilled. He spoke of Hell in detail, and as he did the hair on the back of my neck stood up in remembrance. And then he talked about the mercy of God and how, in His love for mankind, He was calling everyone to salvation. Fifty or more people went forward to accept Christ on their knees. It was awesome. Vickie, the young woman I was with, said that every night many souls were being saved here.
From that night on, my goal was to serve God with this ministry. I had to wait three long months before they were able to purchase the property with enough buildings to house all of the families like me and my kids. The night before they received the keys to the property we called #2, the whole congregation had an all-night prayer meeting in which our request to move in was included. On April 3, 1971, I was in—bag and baggage. I have been with the Tony and Susan Alamo Christian Ministries ever since. It has been 41 years, and I wouldn't trade one second for anything this lost world has to offer.
Through all of the trials and the miraculous victories God has always been there, never failing, never wavering, always faithful. You know what? The only unanswered prayer is one that has not been prayed. I pray that millions and multi-millions of souls will be saved before Jesus Christ returns. I pray that all of Satan’s demonic works be destroyed: abortion, same sex marriages, homosexuality, lesbianism, murder, euthanasia, kidnapping healthy and happy children from their true Christian parents, and imprisoning innocent Bible-teaching Pastors who live their Christianity and expose Satan’s evil works.
I strive daily, working for the Kingdom of Heaven, and remembering the pit that Jesus pulled me out of. I am so thankful for the dedication and love for souls that Tony and Susan Alamo have, and the price that has been paid, and is still being paid, so that souls like me can hear the truth and be saved.
God has given me a wonderful God-fearing husband, whom I treasure and have loved with all my heart for 37 years. God has blessed me unbelievably.
The joy of my mother’s heart was fulfilled when I became saved and moved into Alamo Ministries with her precious and beloved granddaughters, to live a life for Christ. Susie prayed with my mother and comforted her on my mom’s death bed in 1973. Praise God, my mom is in Heaven cheering all of us at the church on to the Kingdom of Heaven with Susie. Praise the Living God.
All of the above is the absolute truth.
Merry Anne Barnett