Christian singer and songwriter Dennis Jernigan, who is behind the popular songs 'You are My All in All' and 'Thank You Lord!,' just released a new book that speaks about how God has met him in times of deliverance, persecution, and redemption in his life.
In an interview with The Christian Post, Jernigan recounted the story of how God delivered him years of struggle with same-sex attraction, which was followed by a lot of persecution.
"We may suffer persecution, but Jesus will be with us. The Church has no idea I have had so much persecution in my life," he said.
When Jernigan was five years old, he had a casual encounter with an adult male that opened the door to same-sex attraction, which he struggled with for years. But when he was 22, encountered the love of God at Southern Baptist Church in Oklahoma.
Then, while attending the Second Chapter of Acts concert in 1981, he heard lead singer Annie Herring say someone in the audience was dealing with serious sin but, God loves him anyway.
The words struck Jergin's heart, and he surrendered his sexual struggle to the Lord. He received the power to overcome it.
This week marks the 40th year of his freedom from homosexuality. However, that freedom was followed by persecution from LGBT activists who couldn't stand his testimony.
Jernigan recalled a time when he had just completed an outdoor concert with an audience of several hundred people. Throughout the event, 30 to 40 protesters heckled and jeered.
When the concert was over and the area cleared, two young protesters closely and aggressively came to his face as he limped on his crutches. At that time, he suddenly felt alone, about to be eaten by sharks, but he trusted God.
Suddenly, the protesters became quiet and began to withdraw. Jernigan turned around and found the school's 6-foot quarterback standing there. It is a rescue he described as "a New Testament, Holy Spirit moment." Jernigan included a snapshot of Oklahoma State University, the venue for that concert, in his new book.
Jernigan said the goal of persecution is to silence people, something he refused to do. He told CP that he "will not be silenced, and that aggravates people because they do not want to be told they are in sin."
He has touched many people's lives throughout his career, helping them find the same freedom and love he discovered in Christ. In his new book, 'Middle of Nowhere,' the 61-year-old musician shows how God saw him through in circumstances that literally made him feel like he was in the middle of nowhere.
God has met him in such moments and has "not wasted them," he said in the interview.
Jernigan and his wife, Melinda, have nine children. They live in Muskogee,Oklahoma. The singer continues to take "great joy in sharing the grace and love of God with any who desire freedom in their own lives."
His website says only one word summarizes Jernigan's life: freedom.
