Empowering Others Through God's Word

Does God really care when we receive a frightening diagnosis, when a family member has a mental breakdown or the physical pain is unbearable from a recent injury? If the answer is yes, how does God fit into the pieces of our broken lives? Can we find joy in God’s higher purpose when we go through suffering? Tune in as Cyndi and Ruth unwrap the answers to these questions.

What kinds of trials might we walk through before we arrive at the promised joy? Join Cyndi Wilkens and I as we dive deeply into God’s word and our own experiences to unwrap the beauty of persevering in the middle of life’s struggles.

One day everything seems normal and then, in a moment, life turns upside down. A job loss, a health crisis, an accident, an addiction, loss of a relationship through divorce, death or communication breakdown.

Listen in as Cyndi and Ruth discuss the source of our suffering and the hope we can have in God’s bigger plan.

Do you ever blame yourself or someone else for the hardships that come? Today Cyndi and Ruth will discuss what went wrong, and why at times we endure unbearable suffering.

Everything goes back to the first book in God’s Word. Let’s listen in to gain a healthy perspective on the trials that we all face at times in our lives.

SHINE ON WITH WORDS TO INSPIRE

We all have experiences of heartache, loss and various kinds of suffering.
To begin this series on Suffering, join Cyndi and Ruth as they share some of the upcoming topics: 

What went wrong? Why me?
Why does God allow suffering and how does He fit into our suffering?

We long for you to find answers with us for we are told that there is an end to our suffering with a  final destination of Joy.

Let’s listen in as Cyndi and Ruth share from their personal journey.

Today’s podcast is dedicated to our dear friend and co-worker, Ellen Krahn. Ellen and I had planned to include a wrap up to the four Esther sessions, but, sadly for us, but, glorious for her, she met the Lord she served on April 18, 2023. We honour Ellen and her tireless service to others. Many were so blessed by her teaching and counselling. Her legacy lives on through these podcasts. Listen in as Margaret and I share a few further thoughts on our hero, Biblical Esther.

Does God leave us to our own resources, or does He provide the necessary tools to go
on when our security is shaken? And what does He offer? As Ellen lays a foundation of
truth for living, she explains what we have as believers, and describes our spiritual
authority as “rooted in identity, expanded in intimacy and activated by faith”. You will be
encouraged to stand fast and hold steady as you wait for your deliverance.

Are you able to stand firm, hold steady to God’s promise when you can’t see what’s
coming and you don’t understand? Imagine Esther’s dilemma when she learns that
Haman is plotting to kill not just her cousin Modecai, but all of her Jewish nation. What
are the steps we can take when we are faced with an impossible enemy trying to
destroy us? Could it be that Esther’s story holds answers for each of us?

Session #2 The Essentials in Divine Appointments Part 1
Have you ever experienced the loss of your security? The normal ripped away? As
Esther’s story moves along, we get a glimpse of the traumatic change for this young
Jewish virgin, who once more in her life, loses the foundation of tradition. One thing she
doesn’t lose, though, is her character.
And what about the twelve long months of beauty treatments in the middle of
uncertainty, no knowledge of what would come next? To get to the end of the story of
deliverance we must stop and have a look at what transpired in the meantime. Did
Esther wonder what this long year had to do with her God calling? And what about you?
Are you in such a place of waiting and wondering?

A Time Such a This
As we look back on history, we observe events that marked a generation, an unprecedented moment, or a significant season. Our four podcasts, called A Time Such as This, will focus on a period of time in Persia, present day Iran, at the time of Queen Esther, 479 BC. My guest, Ellen Krahn, was a great Bible teacher, counsellor and
personal friend. Since the recording of these sessions last September 2022, sadly, Ellen lost her battle with cancer on April 18 and now lives forever with the One she so faithfully served. I am grateful that Ellen’s husband, David, has given permission for the airing of the four podcasts on Biblical Esther so that Ellen’s legacy of pouring out God’s
Word to all she encountered lives on.

Session #1- The Mystery of God’s Choosing
Have you ever been in a place so profoundly unsettling that all you have is questions?
Why has this happened? How can I be delivered? 
By the time the story of Esther begins, she has already experienced great loss and also the providence and deliverance of Almighty God. His name is never mentioned in the text, but God’s love and care for His people, the details He orchestrates are clearly reflected in this
narrative. The convergence of God’s Sovereignty and human will plays harmoniously, yet with much tension, suspense and intrigue. Is there a “time such as this” for all of us?