Persevering in Faith Through the Fire: Pastor Rick Williams' Powerful Testimony

Choosing Conviction Over Compromise

As Christians, we are called to take up our cross and follow Jesus, even when it means making difficult sacrifices. This truth is powerfully illustrated in the testimony of Pastor Rick Williams from Life Spring United Methodist Church. 

In 1979, while attending Southwestern Baptist Seminary, Pastor Rick found himself in the middle of a controversy over the operation of spiritual gifts in the church. He strongly believed the gifts were essential, while the seminary dean took a cessationist position that the gifts had ceased. 

Pastor Rick was given an ultimatum - compromise his beliefs to stay at the seminary with financial support, or leave the school to follow his convictions. After much prayer, he made the difficult choice to withdraw from the seminary, not knowing what the future held for him, his wife, and his calling to ministry.

Looking back, Pastor Rick sees how this trial was preparing him for God's purposes. He wasn't ready at age 24 to enter ministry leadership. God used the following years to provide mentorship and equip him, so that when he did enter full-time ministry in 1993, he was fully prepared. 

As Pastor Rick stepped out in faith, not knowing where God was leading, he began to understand the journey of Abraham, who obeyed without seeing the destination. He learned that God engineers our circumstances, even trials, to shape us into who He wants us to be. Though the cross means death to ourselves, on the other side is resurrection life in Christ.

Pastor Rick's testimony is an inspiration to persevere in faith when we face opposition for the sake of the Gospel. God is always at work in our trials to lead us into His will. May we have the courage to follow Him, even into the unknown, trusting He will provide in His perfect timing as we are faithful. The life of the Spirit and power of God await those who lay down their own way to walk in obedience.

Finding Triumph After Tragedy - Janie Urbano's Story of Losing Her Son to Suicide

A Mother's Journey Through Grief

In this moving interview, I spoke with Janie Urbano, author of the book "Rise Again." Janie vulnerably shares about the devastating loss of her son Jeff to suicide 23 years ago. 

Getting the phone call that her son had died by suicide was a moment that turned Janie's life "inside out and upside down." In a state of shock and disbelief, Janie had to face the heartbreaking reality that Jeff was gone. 

While the pain was indescribable, Janie shares how God's grace carried her through planning the funeral and the early days of grief. "God's grace was so present...it was just amazing," she recalls. Friends and church members rallied around her.

However, after the funeral, the support dwindled and Janie felt desperately alone in her grief at times. She vulnerably shares how she wished more people had consistently reached out to listen, sit with her, and share memories of Jeff. Advice like "call me if you need anything" felt hollow. 

One night when Janie was feeling extremely depressed, she called the Oral Roberts Prayer Tower, asking to speak to Evelyn Roberts. Miraculously, Evelyn herself answered and ministered to Janie, as she had also lost a son to suicide. It was a divine appointment that lifted a huge burden.

While the holidays and anniversaries were extremely difficult, Janie made the choice to grow closer to God and keep living for Him, as Jeff would have wanted. She clung to God's Word and returned to church, even when she didn't feel like it. 

Now, Janie uses her painful experience to minister to other hurting people. Her book "Rise Again" concludes with 31 days of encouraging thoughts to help people find hope and healing.

If you are struggling, especially with thoughts of suicide, please know that God loves you and has a good plan for your life. Reach out for help. You are not alone and there is hope.

Author Glynda Linkous Shares Testimony of Miraculous Healing in New Book "The Healing Companion"

Glynda Linkous: Miraculous Healing Testimony

In a recent interview, author Glynda Linkous discussed the incredible story behind her latest book "The Healing Companion." After previously writing about her spiritual wilderness journey in "The Wilderness Companion," Linkous felt God prompting her that the next book in the series would be about healing. 

In 2012, shortly after this revelation, Linkous suffered a severe hemorrhagic stroke that left her unable to walk and with slurred speech. Doctors gave her a dire prognosis, saying it would take 8 months to regain 80% of her abilities. But Linkous held fast to her faith, declaring that she serves a God who can do much better than that.

Miraculously, Linkous recovered quickly, which motivated her to write "The Healing Companion" to share what God taught her about receiving healing. The book explores the biblical steps to healing, the role of faith, and how to overcome mental strongholds that can block healing. 

Having no formal theological training, Linkous feels she can hear from God clearly to help others without denominational filters. Her books aim to provide user-friendly scriptural "manuals" for those going through wilderness seasons, illness, and grief.

Linkous emphasized that although Jesus paid the price for our healing, we must appropriate that truth by faith, allowing God's Word to override the "facts" of a doctor's diagnosis. "The sword of truth is stronger than the facts of man," she powerfully declared.

"The Healing Companion" is now available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback formats. Linkous hopes it will equip thousands to receive their healing breakthrough.