Dying to Meet Jesus, Author Interview with Randy Kay

March 27, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Book cover for Dying to Meet JesusWITH THE DEATH of my husband just three months ago, Heaven has been very much on my mind. It’s a surreal feeling to know my husband is still alive but in a heavenly realm where I can’t communicate with him. I long to know what he is doing and what his new life is like. So the interview I did here with author Randy Kay is especially meaningful for me. Randy almost died a few years back and had a near death experience in which he actually experienced heaven for about 30 minutes. His book, Dying to Meet Jesus, tells about his near-death-experience after dying and meeting Jesus in heaven. In my interview with him here he’s going to share some things from that experience. As CEO of PACEsetters and chairman of TenorCorp, Randy Kay has an impressive business background and has written for Forbes and the Wall Street Journal.

As we celebrate Easter and the new life Jesus brings to us through His death and resurrection, Randy’s story gives us a riveting glimpse into the heaven our God has prepared for us.

Linda: Randy, before sharing your story with us, please tell us a little bit about your background. I understand you have more than 30 years of experience working in business and are the founder of PACEsetters. Tell us more about that and how you became a Christian.

 Randy: ​I was a devout agnostic in my youth and challenged all religions through a comprehensive study at Northwestern University that I detail in my book.

Our researchers debunked all religions except Christianity. Most religions were created by a single individual or a fusion of beliefs. However, we discovered that the biblical account of God being true was validated with a probability ratio of 1.26 million to one! After that I cried out to an unknown God: “If you’re real, I need to know you as genuinely as I know my loved ones on earth.”

After surviving a near-fatal car crash, I began my sincere search to learn about the God of the Bible. I attended a church near Chicago and responded to an invitation for attendees who wished to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I prayed, and later that night I indeed met Jesus Christ in my spirit. Still, I remained a bit of a skeptic. I certainly did not believe in near-death-experiences (NDEs). That is, until I had my own.

Linda: I watched a TV interview with you and saw that you experienced a miraculous face-to-face encounter with Jesus in your near death experience, meeting Him at the point of death. What were your first thoughts when seeing Jesus in heaven during that near death experience? ​

Randy: Yes, I clinically died from multiple blood clots and a drug-resistant infection throughout my body. My heart stopped beating.

I remember that first time meeting Jesus as vividly as if I were there right now. My “cheek to cheek” meeting with Jesus brings me to tears whenever I think back on it. My first thought in heaven was: “So this is Love.” Jesus hugged me, tightly. He did not have to say that He loved me, because His presence permeated every fiber of my being. I remember a sense of “knowing” – knowing that Jesus was my all, and that nothing could happen to me without Jesus being with me. Perfect peace and comfort possessed me. “I am with you always,” He said. I just caved into His chest. I felt at home like never in this world.

Linda: Can you describe what else you experienced during your time with Jesus?

Randy: ​In heaven, Jesus fulfilled all of my needs, so I did not long for anything and I certainly had no worldly cares. Being with Jesus was sufficient for me. This is a difficult thing to describe, because that sense is like nothing on this earth. It was total completeness, absolute contentment. Another sense I experienced was that I had all of Jesus’ attention. I knew that He held the cares of the world, but I felt as though I was an audience of one.

As to heaven itself, the colors were more vibrant, the fragrances more aromatic, the landscape more beautiful than anything in this world. Everything was alive. The glory of God rested through the environs, and everyone and everything worshipped the Lord.

I remember the angelic chorus, rows of linens, the joy on the faces of everyone in paradise…there really are no adequate words to describe heaven. It was like walking into another dimension, as though I was viewing a beautifully painted landscape and then suddenly I had stepped into a living version of that landscape.

Linda: You present a very comforting picture–particularly for me in this time of my own grieving. Since your near death experience, have you struggled at all to share this story? How have people reacted to the story of your near death experience?

Randy: ​It took me 14 years before I could share my near death experience publicly. Before then, only a handful of people knew about it. There was no need to share it with others who might trivialize the most important meeting in my life. That is, until I was interviewed on GodTV about a business book I had written, and the interviewer (who was my former pastor), asked me about my near death experience. I cried while sharing my story for the first time publicly.

On the flight back, the Holy Spirit prompted me to write another book. However, this time the Holy Spirit prompted me to write about “our special time together.” At first, sharing this experience was hard. I felt like I was defiling something sacred, but then God’s peace and inspiration filled me, and the writing just flowed out. That is how I wrote Dying to Meet Jesus.

I now pray that readers will know God more intimately after reading this book. Also, I wanted to address the question as to why a loving God allows suffering. I hope that readers will better understand why God allows brokenness and suffering to happen, since I share several stories of brokenness involving others as well as my own sufferings. I share the suffering of my daughter’s struggles with drugs, illness, rape and attempted suicide for the first time. I also share my own struggles with depression. Several others in my life allowed me to share their stories of brokenness also.Head shot of Randy Kay, author of Dying to Meet Jesus

Linda: What trials did you face after your near death experience? Did you expect to face more trials, or did you believe that the worst was behind you?

Randy: I never doubted God’s Love after my near death experience, but I did struggle. In fact, some of my greatest sufferings occurred after meeting Jesus. I lost my job, my financial security, and almost lost my family. At times I wondered why God did not just take me when He “had the chance.” However, in heaven, Jesus told me that He was returning me to this world because my purpose had yet to be fulfilled. Since then, I began teaching people how to thrive in life and how to overcome struggles.

Previously, I was a corporate executive. I lost almost all of my savings trying to fulfill the purpose with which God commissioned me, but I never doubted God’s hand in my life. When challenges arise, my Lord tells me to “trust” Him, and that He will always make my path straight. I am continually reminded that God is still with me.

Linda: Did your near death experience change your outlook on life?

​Randy: I know Love as a person and as a guiding presence, and that has made all the difference in my life. I can handle challenges better because of this deeply embedded awareness of Jesus as my friend. He is more real to me than most people I know! I can speak to others about God with more confidence and understanding. And, this has given me an insight into Jesus’ absolute devotion to His children that has transcended into every area of life, both the good and the bad.

Linda: In your book, Dying to Meet Jesus, you say, “Friends, be careful what you pray for.” Could you tell us why you say this? ​

Randy: God answers prayer, but He will do it in a way that is best, even if the way to attain what we need is fraught with challenges. God desires our best, whereas we oftentimes desire what is convenient, or what appears good. This world sullies us with its temptations and false teachings. God refines us through a process of redemption. As a father, I know that the most painful process of parenting is allowing my children to go through challenges for their own good. God may allow suffering for a reason, but He will never leave us there. God collects our tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8), and from those tears He produces a river of abundant life. That is what I saw in heaven.

Linda: For those of us who have lost a loved one, what can you tell us about what they might be experiencing now?

Randy: For the believer in Jesus Christ, there is no real death. I never experienced a sense of having died. I only experienced a transition to another place.

Leaving this world is like leaving your workplace, and then suddenly finding yourself on a glorious vacation with the One who loves you most. For anyone who has lost a loved one in Christ, know that he/she feels more alive today, as difficult as that may seem. There remains an empty place for those of us who are left behind, but I can assure you that we can look forward to an eternity in heaven with no remembrance of our losses or sufferings.

Grieving for a lost loved one is normal, but only because we will never again see our loved one in this world again. For believers in Jesus Christ, think of dying as similar to saying goodbye at the airport knowing you will not see your loved one for a while, but also knowing that someday, you will meet again. Celebrate that your born-again loved one is experiencing the best time of his or her life. And soon, like a blink of the eye from an eternal perspective, you will meet again in paradise. That will be a “wowsa moment!”

Linda: You have an amazing story, and I know people will be interested in reading more. Where can readers go to connect with you and buy a copy of Dying to Meet Jesus?

Randy: You can find the book at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Christianbook.com, or your local book store.

Watch Randy Kay’s Interview on the Cornerstone Television Network

 

Share
Filed Under: BOOKS, comfort, Death, Easter, faith, Fear, Grief, health issues, Hope, Interviews, Jesus, Knowing God, Love, Pain, Trusting God, Uncategorized, Where is God?

To My Husband Who Is Now in Heaven

March 6, 2024 by Leave a Comment
Beautiful sky with white fluffy clouds - looking into heaven

Photo by Jacob Mejicanos

I SEARCH THE HEAVENS, looking for what is unseen by human eyes, wondering where you are, what you’re doing, longing to touch you again, longing to hear your voice. The partition between heaven and earth is vast and is not to be traversed by the living. You are on one side of this vast chasm, I am on the other. I cannot reach you.

But God’s peace whispers in my heart, telling me what I already know, the truth of what we’ve lived for throughout these many years.

Your race is over. Your job is done.  You rest now in the unseen realms of eternity.  Somewhere up there beyond the clouds where the beginnings of this world took place, where creation began and blessed souls go to rest, you are in the arms of Jesus. You have finished the race. You have heard the words, “Well done good and faithful servant” Your job here on earth is done.

You have left this messed up, crazy world for the peace, the beauty and the glory of a heavenly world the rest of us dream of entering one day. For you there is no more waiting, no more wondering about what’s to come. No more are you seeing in a glass darkly for now you are face to face with the Savior. You are experiencing true reality while I still live in this mirage of what’s to come.

How I wish I could touch you, to hear your voice. You are far from my reach. But one day I will finish this race as well. I too will hear the call. One day I will no longer look longingly up in the skies, searching for what is unseen to mortal eyes for I will be in Heaven too.

But for now my job is not finished. The pages of a new year unfold before me – blank and unfamiliar. What will be written on them I don’t know. But as long as I have breath I know God has more for me to do. I walk into the days ahead alone, listening for God’s voice to lead me on.

Lord, let me hear your voice clearly. You are always before me. You are always with me. You are my refuge, my help in trouble. And I hold fast now to the encouraging promise you’ve given me in your Word. I turn to Jeremiah 29:11 where you said, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I cling to that promise now, Lord, for this one thing I know. Your love holds both of us close. Although I remain here on earth and he is now in heaven, we are both safe with you. And I will see him again.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants (Psalm 116:15).

 

Marv and Linda with the heavens opening up in the sky behind

Marv and Linda

TO MY SUBSCRIBERS: Yes, you may have seen this post before. Because of issues on my website, we had to backdate it to clean it up so a couple of old posts will reappear. But stick with me. New posts are coming soon.

Share
Filed Under: comfort, Death, Easter, faith, Grief, Hope, Jesus, Knowing God, loss, Trusting God, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Standing on the Ramparts

June 11, 2023 by Leave a Comment

Trying To Figure It All Out

ramparts - brick castle walls

Photo by Tom Podmore

SOMETIMES LIFE JUST SEEMS CONFUSING. No matter how we try to figure it all out, things are not fitting together like they should. It might be relationships. It might be a struggle for success that goes nowhere. It might be one problem piling up after another until we can’t regain our balance. It might be anxiety over the world around us. And although we pray, things just don’t seem to get any better.

In a recent Bible study, I encountered the prophet Habakkuk who was heartbroken over the injustice he saw swirling around him. He cried out to God in distress, and God surprised him with an answer. But when God responded to his prayer and told him His plans, Habakkuk continued to be confused. God’s response didn’t align with his expectations. He struggled to understand what God was doing. Instead of relieving his pain, it seemed God’s plans would accelerate the pain.

Habakkuk didn’t get angry or depressed however. Instead he had an attitude of awe. The everlasting God had a plan, and although he didn’t understand it, he knew in God’s goodness and sovereignty, the plan would work everything for good in God’s timing and in His way.

“I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected.” Hab 2:1

That was Habakkuk’s response, and it inspires me to grasp hold of the attitude of faith he had that led to that response.

Standing on the Ramparts

Standing on the wall around Jerusalem that protected the nation from coming invaders, Habakkuk could not only look off in the distance in every direction to watch for the enemy’s approach, but also wait to see how God’s plan would unfold. He waited with expectation to see what God would say to him next, and I imagine standing on the walls surrounding Jerusalem was a good place to get alone with God to listen for His voice and get His perspective.

Although Habakkuk was utterly confused by what God was doing, He knew the character of God. He knew that God was sovereign, holy and good, and that He was the rock to hold onto.

Habakkuk’s example of standing on the ramparts speaks volumes to me about a positive way to react when life is confusing or taking an unwanted turn and I just can’t figure it all out.

In times of waiting, when we can’t figure it all out, taking a step away from our circumstances can offer a new perspective. But even better, if, like Habakkuk, we position ourselves on the ramparts, we can see beyond the problems engulfing us. And if we ask God to come along beside us, his very presence lifts us above our circumstances. As we trust in Him further, He gives us eyes to see and ears to hear.

When I think about standing on the ramparts myself, I might actually be sitting on my screen porch, but I picture myself surrounded by miles and miles of a blue, cloudless sky looking out over a large distance—not necessarily of space, but of time. I begin by peering into the future of God’s promises and then into the past where He has already fulfilled many promises and answered many prayers:

As I gaze into my own past, I remember surprising twists and turns God allowed in my life that brought unexpected blessings

As I ponder scriptural stories, I uncover promises fulfilled in past generations which makes me want to dig down further into God’s character so I can understand more about this amazing God who is not only the creator of the universe but the God “who sees me.” (Gen: 16:13)

As I “stand on the ramparts,” allowing those reflections to take root in m heart, I can wait on Him to speak new truths into my heart and give me fresh understandings of His Word. And when that happens, I begin to see with God’s perspective.

There’s something secure and steady about the idea of standing on the ramparts. It’s not a temporary, stand or just a little break while I try to figure it all out. Habakkuk was standing on the ramparts as a long term strategy. He would stay there until God spoke to him.

An Attitude of Awe and Humility

But Habakkuk not only stood on the ramparts with an attitude of awe. He also stood before God with humility, knowing that his own understanding and interpretations were often flawed. “I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected.” Hab 2:1

The beauty of his words is in his unassuming posture and realization that it’s the humility of a surrendered heart before God that truly brings us answers. Habakkuk had already encountered God’s correction in the dialogue he’d just had with God. And he was ready for more. When we’re too full of our own preconceptions, we leave little room for God to speak to us. When our hearts are hollowed out, God’s powerful words can fill the void.

God is in this with us. We are not alone, and as we stand apart from our circumstances, humbly looking for God’s perspective we can stand strong and hopeful, secure in His sovereign power and love.

If we are standing on the ramparts humbly waiting on God, we don’t know what we will hear or what He will bring our way, but if we’re looking in all directions with open eyes and ears, if we are alert to His voice, we can anticipate wonders that only He can orchestrate. And we’ll be ready to receive them.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

(As a side note: You might want to read the book of Habakkuk for yourself. It’s very short (3 chapters), but a powerful example for us today. Habakkuk was a prophet in the last days before Judah’s fall. He was distressed over the corruption and sin he saw everywhere. And although he was glad that God answered him, he trembled at the prophecy of an invading and ruthless army that would come and conquer Judah as an answer to his prayer for justice. “My heart pounded . . . my lips quivered.”  Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity. . .Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vine . . .yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior, the Sovereign Lord is my strength. . . .” Hab. 3:16-17)

If you are standing with a troubled marriage on hold, trying to figure it all out and you want to see how God will lead you, I encourage you to check out my two books, Broken Heart on Hold and Fighting for Your Marriage while Separated.

 

 

Share
Filed Under: faith, God's goodness, Knowing God, Marriage problems, New Directions, Problems, stress, Time with God, Trusting God, Trying to understand, Uncategorized, Worry Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Does God Always Answer Prayer?

May 31, 2023 by Leave a Comment
A Woman praying and looking at the sunset with her back to us

Photo by Allef Vinicius

I HAD A TERRIBLE COLD, a croupy cough, no voice, and my publicist had four interviews scheduled for me in the next week as part of the launch for my book, Fighting for Your Marriage while Separated, which had just released a couple of months earlier. I was in a quandary.  How could I handle these interviews with no voice?

My husband and I began earnestly praying for my voice to return and my cough to subside. Surely God would answer our prayers. He always does so, right? Particularly when I was sharing a message of hope that so many people needed to hear.

We prayed. But nothing changed.

I called my publicist and asked her to cancel one of the interviews, but I had three more the following week. Marv and I continued praying.

A few days earlier I had had a Facebook discussion on the subject of unanswered prayer, and a woman posted a comment saying, “God always answers our prayers. Sometimes it’s yes, no, or wait. But there’s always an answer. We just need a discerning ear to hear him and be submissive to the answer He gives us.”

Was that true? Did God always answer prayer? Sometimes it seemed that He didn’t. Like now. I was praying, but not getting an answer. Was she right? Did I just not have a discerning ear?

If that’s true, I thought, how do I get a discerning ear?

A Discerning Ear

Well, that “thought” wasn’t exactly in the form of a prayer, but the Holy Spirit, who prays for us when we don’t know how to pray, (Rom. 8:26) intervened for me, and God gave me the answer to my question immediately.

We get a discerning ear by spending more time with God—by asking Him what He wants to say to us—by seeking—by listening.

So I asked God what He wanted to say to me. And again I got an answer. He wanted to take me deeper. He wanted me to spend more time with him. I was putting out to others, but I was not spending time at the source – with Him.

In response, I spent Sunday immersed in the Bible. I started a new Bible study, and read a couple of Christian books—allowing God to speak to me. I drank some pureed pineapple like some friends suggested, took the cough medication prescribed by my doctor, and continued to pray and spend time in His Word.

And I started getting answers.

One of the things God said to me that Sunday when I prayed about my cough and my voice, was “trust me.”

Trust Me

A big concern I had was whether to email my publicist and ask her to tell the host of the broadcast on Monday about my voice and my cough and let him decide if he wanted to take a chance on me. After all, it was a LIVE 60 minute show. If I couldn’t talk, he wouldn’t have a show.

As I prayed about it that Sunday, however, the one thing I kept hearing in my spirit was “trust me.” God brought Proverbs 3:5-6 to mind – repeatedly. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths.”

God was telling me to stop trying to figure out what I should do based “on my own understanding.” God was telling me to trust Him.

On Monday morning I woke up and took a deep breath. A DEEP breath! I didn’t cough. Clear, fresh air filled my lungs. It felt wonderful. When I spoke to my husband, my voice wasn’t raspy. He could hear me.

That afternoon I did a great one hour LIVE interview, and my voice was almost normal. I didn’t cough.

God had gotten my attention, and I hadn’t cancelled the interview. I had trusted God instead. It wasn’t that God wasn’t answering my prayer, it was that I needed to spend time with Him so I could HEAR His answer. I had been asking Him to heal me and when I didn’t hear his answer, I thought He wasn’t answering me. But there needed to be a part 2 of my prayer – “God what are you trying to show me?” God wanted me to ask part 2 before I could get a “yes” to part one.

That day I responded back to the woman on Facebook. “You make a great point. God always hears our prayers, and He always has an answer for us. When we don’t hear what the answer is, He may be calling us to go deeper with Him so we can hear His voice more clearly and develop that “spiritually discerning ear” You mentioned.  God is always about relationship—our relationship with Him. His greatest desire is for us to come closer to Him where we can hear His voice. So when we don’t seem to get an answer to our prayer, we need to spend more time with Him in His word and in more concentrated time in prayer so we can go deeper, asking Him to show us what He wants us to see. Thank you for making that important point.”

Amen and Amen.

If you have a troubled marriage and want to know if God can answer your prayer for restoration, check out my book, Fighting for Your Marriage while Separated. It will not only provide guidance for this journey but also show you how to pray for your marriage.

Share
Filed Under: faith, God's Word, Knowing God, Prayer, Time with God, Trusting God, unanswered prayers, Uncategorized, Where is God? Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Word We Don’t Want to Think About

April 5, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Man sitting alone on steps of altar

Photo by Ben White

SITTING ON MY SCREEN PORCH, I shut my Bible and gazed out at the spring grass trying to get a fresh start. I sighed and thought back to my harsh response to my husband earlier that day. I shouldn’t have said it the way I did. That wasn’t good. He didn’t mean to forget. I need to be more patient.

I was wrong. But . . . .No one is perfect – Right?

No, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have said that.

A squirrel climbed out on a limb of our camellia bush and jumped onto the bird feeder, causing seeds to drop all over the ground.

I shook my head at him. “You squirrels are causing a mess!”

But no one is perfect, right? Not even squirrels. I laughed. I guess we’re all just part of a fallen world.

Our Fallen World

Yes, since we live in a fallen world, we know we make mistakes. We know we do things wrong. But we also know no one is perfect. If we can just keep it to ourselves and try to do better, it will be okay—Right?

Well, maybe not.

Recently, I was confronted with an unwelcome reality. Through two different Bible studies– one about the Old Testament prophets and one in 1st John in the New Testament, the same message has been ringing loud and clear in my head. When I’m impatient, when I have a bad attitude, when I’m critical, if I have impure thoughts, it’s not just that I’m doing something wrong. It’s SIN. No, I might not be committing murder or robbery; I’m not cussing or lying, but as much as I’d rather shove it under the rug and shrug it off, I have to face it. It’s still SIN.

The prophets certainly didn’t shy away from that word. Over and over, they call Israel to repentance, enumerating their sins and reminding them of God’s mercy if they repent. It’s not enough to have religious rituals and say the right words, they say. God wants repentant hearts. God is merciful, but He’s also a righteous judge. The apostle John says in his epistle, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1: 6).

A Serious Subject

I cringe from the word sin though because when I use THAT word, I have to face the seriousness of my wrong behavior, attitude, or thoughts. I know God hates sin. And if I call it sin, I have to realize God sees it! He knows what I’m doing and thinking!

Even worse, Jesus sees it, and I must face the fact that this is what Jesus DIED for – my sin!

So that’s when I realize I must stop making excuses and take my sin more seriously. I must “take every thought captive” (2 Cor. 10:5).  I must look for the “way of escape” God has provided for me when I’m tempted (1 Cor. 10:13). For He has told me to “be holy because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16).

And when I do “sin,” as I know I will –when I get impatient, indulge in self pity or worry, lose my temper, tell a half-truth, then I need to “confess my sins to God. I can’t just ignore it and forget about it. What I do in secret is offensive to Him. The God I love is a Holy God and He cannot look upon my sin. My sin separates me from Him. I must bring it out of the darkness into the light. I need to repent, let God forgive me and turn away from it. For “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

The Better Way

For those of us who don’t want to think about the word “sin” and don’t want to grieve God’s holiness, it begins by actually taking sin more seriously.

To begin with, we need to be more mindful of our actions and our words – checking them out through the mirror of God’s Word so we can walk on a straight path toward righteousness. And on a regular basis we must pray that God will “Blot out my transgressions, wash away all my iniquity, cleanse me with hyssop, and make me as white as snow” (Psalm 51:1-2, 7).

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139: 23-24).

 

When our marriage is in crisis and our hearts are breaking, we need to bathe our minds in truth and grace. My book, Broken Heart on Hold, Surviving Separation, will walk with you through this lonely time to give you honest encouragement

Share
Filed Under: communication, God's Word, Jesus, mistakes, sin, Surrendering to God, Trusting God, Uncategorized, Worry Tagged With: , ,

Obstacles into Blessings

December 6, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Panorama of people having picnics in a park

Photo by Robert Bye

“Linda Rooks!”

Hearing my name, I turned towards the voice behind me to see a smiling face among the throngs of people who had come to hear the Christmas concert in the park. It was the face of a friend I hadn’t seen in years, but who had racked up a lot of close memories from times in the past. After a big hug, words of mutual joy at our reunion, and a couple of introductions, she went on to join the party she’d come with and I went on to meet up with mine.

When I woke up the next morning, a smile spread across my face as I recalled seeing her happy demeanor.  She looked so good! My mind traveled back to earlier times when I wouldn’t have been able to say that. She’d gone through some rough times, but she’d persevered, always leaning on God and looking to Him for answers, however challenging those answers might be to the general comfort and direction of her life.

But God had been good to her and turned “those lemons into lemonade”, as my evangelist friend Jimmy Sowder would have said. She had used the obstacles and turned them into blessings.

The memories brought joy to my morning as I began to thank God for the blessings He had brought to my life as well as the lives of others, resulting in a morning of thanksgiving as I recounted the various lives I’d seen that were touched by God in turning obstacles into blessings.

It’s a theme so dominant in life—and even in nature—that we often miss it as we trudge through the difficulties of life.

At Christmas, the celebration of the birth of the Christ child brings joy because of the salvation He brings to all people, but it originated amidst troubling times in a smelly stable for a woman whose pregnancy brought hard questions and grave concern.  God didn’t make His greatest blessing something that arrived easily and majestically.  He shone His glory through humble circumstances, simple people, and difficult obstacles.

It’s a theme to grab hold of and hold close to our hearts when we journey through the ups and downs of life. I hate it when the toilet is leaking, the refrigerator goes on the blink, and the roof needs repairs. Even worse is the discouragement and desperation we may feel when debts begin to mount, money in our bank account seems to dwindle, miscommunications careen into our marriage, or a relationship is on the brink of collapse. But along the way, God uses those challenges to bring new people into our lives, speak to us about changes we need to make, and open our eyes to new directions to take, while calling us to turn to him for answers and comfort.

“Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live,” God says to us through the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 55:3).

All through the book of Isaiah, God calls us to come to him, listen to him and trust him. And throughout the ages and all of scripture, his clarion call is the same. When troubles spike, we need to first of all go to God, listen to him and trust him to take us through the difficulties. Instead of choosing the world’s answers, we need to trust God’s answers.

When I was only a teenager, struggling through my first serious heartache, I happened upon Matthew 6:33. The words spoke truth and hope to me then and has been a guiding light to me ever since. Matthew 6:33, says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

God has the answers for us when we are willing to go to him first, answers that “through his mighty power at work within us, is able to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”Ephesians 2:20

We may not see the answers immediately. We may have to wait for the fullness of God’s timing to bring them about. But when the answers come, they will bring joy to us and smiles to the faces of those who’ve watched us persevere to win the battle and turn obstacles into blessings.

“Why do you complain, O Jacob? Why do you say, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”?  Do you not know? Have you not heard? the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom” (Isaiah 40:27-28).

“I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs” (Isaiah 41:18).

If you are praying that God will turn the obstacles in your marriage into blessings, you might want to let my book, Broken Heart on Hold, accompany you on your journey.

 

Share
Filed Under: Christmas, comfort, Marriage problems, Problems, Trusting God, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

What Can I Believe?

November 6, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Man looking surprised

Photo by Ludovic Migneault

AS I SAT at the kitchen table before breakfast, reading an article in the Wall Street Journal, I was thoroughly baffled. The article debunked everything our culture had been telling us about what is nutritious and what is not nutritious for the past 30 or 40 years. Hadn’t this all been scientific certainty?  Everyone agreed on it.  There had been scientific studies. It came from the experts. How could I now be reading an article that said exactly the opposite from what we’ve all assumed to be right for all this time?

At breakfast, I reasserted my confusion. “I don’t know what to use in my cooking now,” I said to my husband. “I don’t know what is healthy and what is not.  What can I believe? They’ve always said . . . .”

“Who is they?” he said.  “They say this. They say that.  But then it all changes.”  “They change.” Even who we consider to be experts – that changes too. “

I said, “Yes, you’re right. I guess there’s only one thing that we can always count on as being true: God’s Word in the Bible. It doesn’t change.”

As I thought about his comment and my response, I realized how that applied to all of life. It’s so easy for us to rely on common beliefs, the current thinking about something, scientific findings, and “what they say . . . .”

When we scratch our heads in confusion over all the different opinions and ask “what can I believe,” there’s one place to go for truth. One thing we can always count on to be true is God and His Word. Some common practices in daily life like what to use in our cooking may not be found in the Bible, but when we dig down to see all that God’s Word has to say to us, we may be surprised at how many daily concerns are addressed, as well as the deeper issues of life. When we see one kind of truth coming from our culture and another truth coming from God’s Word, which one should we believe?

Through the ages people have disputed the Bible on all different levels, arguing different points of view on what is contained therein. But in the end, the Bible’s truth has been upheld and proven true. I found it interesting recently to come upon these words in Isaiah 40:21-22: “Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is He [God] who sits above the circle of the earth.” At one time “experts” thought the world was flat. But the Bible already had the correct answer.

Even evidence in archaeological findings triumphs over doubters and attests to the truth of God’s Word. In the early 20th century, critics mistrusted the Bible’s historical reliability, regarding much of the Bible as myth. But little by little, archaeologists began to discover cities and artifacts that proved the existence of previously disputed biblical accounts and locations. The Hittite Empire, referenced 40 times in the Bible, was generally considered a myth by critics until 1906 when Hugo Winckler uncovered 10,000 clay tablets that documented the lost Hittite Empire. With each new revelation, critics have been forced to seriously reevaluate their criticism of the Bible’s historical reliability and admit its truth.

In a culture that is besieged with all kinds of different beliefs, theories, and practices, we need to continually test them against God’s Word–which we know is true–before embracing them as our own or advocating them for others. Whether it’s about morality, how to live life, who God is, history, politics, or even science, the Bible trumps the world’s wisdom.  The world with its changing theories, beliefs, histories, morals, and philosophies cannot be depended on. If we build our life on those alone, we may come to a point when we look back and see that we have built our life on sand and much of our life has been fruitless, and we might regret our choices.  But if we build our life on the rock of God’s truth, everything we build upon that rock will stand.

As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete” (Luke 6:47-49).

May we all find certainty, security and peace in knowing and relying on the rock of God’s truth.

Going back to my beginning about what is nutritious and what is not though, I want to leave you with something to smile about. If you’re too young to have experienced the roller coaster of changes in the advice of experts in the past and still feel inclined to rely on what you hear from they . . .. let me leave you with an amusing recap of what many of us have experienced in years gone by.  Anytime we are tempted to start relying on the world’s experts to guide us through life, we can add a little levity to our perspective by watching the video below to remind ourselves of the unreliability of “they.”  What can I believe? Well, not always what “they” say . . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ua-WVg1SsA

 

Share
Filed Under: God's Word, morality, national concerns, Problems, Trusting God, Truth, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

My Story, Your Story, A New Story

September 6, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Blank pages of a book - ready to write a story

Photo by Engin Akyurt

EACH OF US is living a story. When we’re in the middle of it, we don’t know exactly how it will turn out. Sometimes the story takes us into a dark time. Other times we walk in the light. It’s like walking across a puzzle that’s only partially complete. As we tiptoe through the pieces, stepping from one piece to another in our life, things look fragmented.

But our heavenly Father sees it all. The entire puzzle lies before Him clearly. And He knows how to fit the dark pieces together with the light ones to make a beautiful picture.

Whether our story is in a dark time or a light time, when we trust Him with all the pieces, He can use them to create something beautiful and exquisite.

The endings of our story (when we do it our way) and God’s story (when we do it His way) might be quite different from one another. Sometimes our zealousness can lead us in ways our Lord would not want us to go. But when we surrender the dark pieces of our life into the hands of our Savior, He will lead us into the story ending He desires for us. The story we think we’re living becomes a new story when we put it into the hands of Jesus. The picture becomes more beautiful and stunning.

My new book, Pieces of Dark, Pieces of Light capitalizes on this theme. It’s a suspense thriller. It’s indeed exciting and takes you on a compelling journey in time. But it also takes you on a deeper experience into the enigma of how all the dark pieces in our lives can work together with all the other circumstances to produce an even greater, more brilliant picture of light. When God is at work in our lives, the darkness will one day fade away and a path of light will be clear to us and show us the way.

Isaiah 50:10 says, “Who walks in darkness and has no light. Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God.”

When we walk in darkness, which way should we turn? Whose story should we trust? Who can see the end from the beginning?

I hope you’ll dive with me into the world of fiction where you can experience God’s perfect, paradoxical plan of darkness and light in a thrilling setting of international suspense, family secrets, hidden dangers, and personal discovery.

Pieces of Dark, Pieces of Light

Forgotten Dangers. Family Secrets. An Unknown Fate.    Book cover forthe story, Pieces of Dark, Pieces of Light

Share
Filed Under: BOOKS, Trusting God Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Peace Like a Frog

August 11, 2022 by 7 Comments

frog - yellow

I NEVER IMAGINED using a frog as an illustration for peace . . .

. . . until one day when I was squeezing between two large plants in my backyard to pull out some potato vines and spied a small frog clinging to one of the elephant ears I had just brushed past. Although, I towered above this little 2-inch critter and made quite a commotion with all my activity, he didn’t budge. He showed no fear. He was the picture of peace.

For the next hour, I continued pushing past him, pulling on vines, dragging them back through the bushes to deposit them in the trash can, then back again through the opening to haul out more. I made quite a disturbance. But still the frog seemed unfazed. He didn’t move.

I was frankly surprised that he didn’t jump down and hop off to a calmer location where the plants were not being jostled and shaken. But in spite of any potential danger he might have perceived, he sat peaceful and seemingly unflustered on the side of the elephant ear plant.

As I wondered about why the frog showed no sign of fear, it made me start thinking about us and how we can have peace in the middle of chaos. When we are surrounded by turbulence, it’s hard not to become fearful—fearing we might get entangled in what is going on—fearing the danger it might bring into our lives.

Fear

So what do we do with fear? How can we have peace like a . . . frog?

Jesus’ disciple John says something that is quite curious about fear. He says in 1 John 4:18, “Perfect love casts out fear.” I used to wonder what this means. Certainly, he’s not talking about human love. Many of us learn the hard way that human love is not perfect, and if we depend on it too much, instead of casting out fear, it can actually cause fear.

As we look more closely, however, it becomes clear that John is talking about the “perfect” love of God. For only when we lean in on God’s “perfect love,” can we put away our fear.

So how now does this relate to the frog? Why didn’t the frog act fearful? Does a mere frog experience the love of God? In Matthew 6:26, Jesus tells us how God takes care of the birds and the flowers and the rest of his creation, imploring us to see that since we have more value than they, we should not worry or be fearful. So perhaps, through God’s provision of a suit of camouflage that allows the frog to be hidden in the undercover of his surroundings, this little creature may, in a way, experience the love of God. Maybe a built-in instinct and confidence in God’s unique provision for him “casts out his fear.” The frog is quiet and peaceful in the midst of all the mayhem going on around him for he knows that when he is still, he’s invisible to predators. He’s camouflaged. He’s hidden.

And therein is the connection. When we go to God in the midst of our fear, we also have a hiding place.

Our Hiding Place

Psalm 91:4 tells us, “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.“

In Psalms 57:1, David cries out to God, “Have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.”

And in Psalm 32:7, David says, “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”

So, yes, we have a camouflage too. God shields us from danger “in the shelter of [his] wings.” (Psalm 61:4) He is our hiding place.

We too can have peace like a frog.

When you feel fear stalking you, when it creeps up on you and is about to pull you under or send you off in a rage of anger, remember you have a hiding place in God. God’s protective camouflage will hide you from the enemy’s snares. And under the shadow of his wings you can find protection.

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.”
Psalm 91:1-6

You are my hiding place – Listen to this song and let God fill your heart with songs of deliverance.

If fearful emotions are keeping you off balance because of a crisis in your marriage, my book, Broken Heart on Hold, is available to walk with you through the chaos. Many people have found the hope of God in its pages.

 

Share
Filed Under: Peace, Trusting God, Uncategorized, Worry Tagged With: , , , , ,

Day-votions with Your Faithful Father – Interview with Author Rebecca Barlow Jordan

June 23, 2022 by Leave a Comment

Dayvotons bookWHEN LIFE GETS HARD and we don’t know where to turn, author Rebecca Barlow Jordan wants to remind us that we have a faithful heavenly Father who wants to meet our needs. In her new book, Day-votions® with Your Faithful Father: 90 Days with the One Who Wants to Meet All Your Needs, Rebecca shows us how to talk with God intimately and honestly about our deepest needs. As a bestselling, award winning author of 13 books, and with the pen of a poet and the heart of a disciple, Rebecca’s passion is helping readers find intimacy with God. In this new book, she wants to show you what it means to be His child.

Linda: What led you to write your book, Day-votions® with Your Faithful Father at this particular time? 

Rebecca: As a young mother, I had a deep hunger to know God more intimately, and a longing to understand His character and His names. So I began noting His names and attributes in the margins of my Bible during my quiet times. As I read through different Bible translations and versions through the years, I discovered hundreds of names and traits.

I’ve been wanting to write a book about God’s faithfulness ever since. I authored 12 other books, including a series for women that I trademarked the name, Day-votions®. But I kept journaling in my Bible and began to notice more of God’s activity. Over and over in Scripture, I would see, “The One Who….” and discovered how truly faithful my heavenly Father was. And how many verses dealt with Him as being not only the “Supplier” of our needs but as being the “Supply” Himself.

I’ve written an encouraging blog for years, trying to help people grow closer to the Lord. Emails started coming in from people, asking me to pray for them. They expressed needs, experienced heartaches, and desperately wanted answers.

When the pandemic began to spread throughout our world, I knew it was time to write this book. Never had I seen so many universal needs. People were discouraged and had endured so many losses. I wanted to encourage others by helping them see God’s unchanging love and faithfulness in every situation, but especially in our most pressing ones. I ultimately decided to write this new book about God’s faithfulness under my “Day-votions® umbrella name.

Linda: How have you experienced God’s faithfulness in your own life? 

Rebecca: That’s a great question, Linda, and that was the basis and underlying reason for writing this book. When has God not been faithful?

Author Rebecca Barlow Jordan

img_1052

Looking back over my life, I can truly see God’s footprints of faithfulness everywhere I turned.

When I was younger, I’d see depression, fear, disappointment, or discouragement as roadblocks. I’d experience heartache, financial need, marriage issues, and parenting woes. Much too often, foolishness or confusion tried to upend desired wisdom. I cried out to God for help, but sometimes the process of healing was painful and messy. I despised having “needs.”

But life is messy and painful at times, and we will always have needs. I wanted to know my heavenly Father better, but not that way! Strangely enough, the majority of times I experienced His faithfulness was in the way He met those needs—and not always the way I expected.

He has brought me through times of depression and refilled my life with joy. When my marriage hit the wall, my husband and I wrestled through the pain of restoration and fell in love all over again—because God heard our cries, and we learned how to do the hard work involved. God provided jobs when we had none. He sent us on vacations, prompting others to gift us with special trips. When one of our daughters went missing, God brought her safely home. God’s grace, love, and faithfulness brought us through those and so many other challenging trials.

Linda: So how would you describe your new book, Day-votions® with Your Faithful Father.

Rebecca: Day-votions® with Your Faithful Father: 90 Days with the One Who Wants to Meet All Your Needs (2022) is a devotional based on God’s attributes and activity, with truths drawn from his powerful Word, to help readers renew their hope, joy, peace, and trust in the One who is faithful and unchangeable.

Linda: At the beginning of your book, you ask readers, “What if your needs were God’s personal invitation to experience His faithfulness in a greater way?” That’s a pretty thought-provoking question. Can you tell us why you asked that question and how that relates to your book? 

Rebecca: I wanted to help others see their needs in a different light, but also to understand how deeply God longs to meet those needs for us.

None of us want to call ourselves needy. Most of us consider needs as unwanted enemies.

But not God.

Our Faithful Father knows that we can do nothing apart from His intervention. Yet we often try to meet the deepest needs of our lives on our own.

Whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually, we encounter problems and challenges from the moment we are born. Haven’t we all experienced fear? Distress? Disappointment? Pain? Don’t we all need encouragement? Peace? Comfort? Intimacy? Hope?

Our needs line up like fence posts, trying to imprison us. But our Father’s faithfulness knows no boundaries. He sees our needs differently because He created us. He knows how helpless we are without Him and that our needs can actually draw us to Him.

Hebrews 4:16 (NIV) tells us the reason why we can turn to our faithful Father: Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Linda: Tell us about the format you used to write your devotions.

Rebecca: Twenty years ago, when I wrote my Daily in Your Presence series, no one had used the particular devotional format of sharing heart-to-heart, two-way prayer conversations with God. I wanted continuity from those books because they also featured God’s names and attributes, and readers responded well to them. So I kept that same format in Day-votions® with Your Faithful Father, only lengthened the prayers and added new features, like more Scriptures (over 450 Bible verses written out), a daily challenge to apply the truths, and a page for journaling thoughts and prayers. My new devotional has 90 three-page devotions, but still has a daily truth to memorize or solidify the chapter.

Linda: What is your desire for your readers? And what do you hope they will learn or take away from your new book? 

Rebecca: My desire for readers of all my books is the same: that they will be encouraged and come to know God more intimately. I pray they will discover God’s heart and embrace their faithful Father as the Heart Mender, the Thirst Quencher, the Joy Filler, and the Grace Giver.

As far as what I hope readers will take away with them? That’s fairly subjective. As a pastor’s daughter, I know God often works in unexpected ways. I remember so many times when a church member would shake my dad’s hand after the service and say: “I really appreciate your words.” And they would complete what they heard in the sermon. But my dad hadn’t said that at all.

In the same way, I believe God speaks to us, including our readers, in unique ways—but never contrary to what is in His Word. These snippets of Amazon book reviews from some readers (both men and women) of Day-votions® with Your Faithful Father were both humbling and unexpected. I think they show the kind of takeaways readers can expect to find. In many ways, they exceeded my hopes for reader “takeaways”:

“The devotionals in the book seem to be customized for me and meet a need in my life every day.”

“I couldn’t have known God would put this book in my life at exactly the right time. Two dear people in my life have been diagnosed with cancer in the same week and I desperately need time with my Father….What I love most? While the reader can read through the book chronologically, one can also focus on the most needed topic on any given day. If I’m in the middle of chaos and don’t know what to do I might want to read Day 39: When You Desperately Need God’s Help, The One Who Is Ready to Help You. When I’m overwhelmed by anxiety, I can turn to Day 69: When You’re Feeling Anxious and Distressed, The One Who is Your Only Rock.”

“No matter how high my stress level goes, each time I press pause and pick up this book, my heart is led to ‘green pastures and quiet streams for rest and refreshment.’”

“From day one I was reassured of God’s faithfulness in all areas of my life.”

“A stunning work that provides a biblical response to the struggles we all have as Christians.”

“In a very relevant and deeply personal exchange between your Faithful Father and yourself, you will experience God in real and loving ways.”

 Linda: Where can readers find out more about you and your books? 

Rebecca: You can find Day-votions® with Your Faithful Father: 90 Days with the One Who Wants to Meet All Your Needs on Amazon, and you can find out more about me and my books when you visit my website. You can also connect with me on Pinterest or Goodreads.

 

 

 

Share
Filed Under: BOOKS, faith, God's goodness, God's Word, Interviews, Knowing God, Time with God, Trusting God, Uncategorized, Where is God? Tagged With: , , , ,
Next Page »
Return to top of page · Copyright © 2024 Linda Rooks All Rights Reserved · Return to Linda Rooks