Be Specific with Your Requests to God: John Newlin
John Newlin speaks on today’s program, and we will have him for a series of interviews, which you can find them HERE on the VFN Torch. He speaks about his newly released book, Ordinary: An Ordinary Man’s Experience with God, which is a captivating book as he shares from life experiences how he encounters God time and time again!
Who is John Newlin? He is a Christian and disciple of Jesus Christ who has been happily married to Debbie for 48 years. He has two sons, Johnathan who is a doctor and Isaac who is a lawyer. He was born in Wheeling, West Virginia and raised in Fort Myers, Florida. He graduated from the University of West Florida with a Bachelor of Science in 1972 and was ordained and graduated from Liberty Bible College in 1981. He owns and administrates Newlin Chiropractic which is also where his son Johnathan works. His business has won Best of the Bay awards seven years in a row and has grown each year for 20 years! When he isn’t reading his Bible or praying, he is working in his garden, hunting, fishing, or trying hard to listen to his wife so that he might understand her with his heart. He is passionate about serving the Lord, meeting his wife’s needs and helping others to be reconciled to Christ and reach their potential in Him.
John was writing his book for several years, but he was not sure if he should have it published or not. He asked God if it was His will for the book to be released, and the way God answered him is amazing! As he was sitting in a quiet parking lot in his truck, he asked Father God if He wanted him to write this book. After saying that prayer the radio came on and a mans voice started speaking and said, “Why, I been reading so many books, if I could just sell the books I been reading I’d be a millionaire, but I am looking for a book, and I can’t find it. I’ve looked in used bookstores, I’ve looked in new stores, but I can’t find it. It’s a book about an ordinary man’s experiences with God.” Then the voice stopped speaking, and the radio had never been turned on! This is where the name of his book came from.
Men are looking for a practical application of things to their lives, and this book, Ordinary, is just that! It is great for men and women, but it is a book that can open the door for a man to relate to John and the experiences he has faced in life and be drawn closer to the Lord.
John shares about finding his dog, Johnny Cash, the breed is a Catahoula which is the Louisiana state dog. He was hunting and realized that he needed a dog to help when he goes hunting. So, he prayed with his hunting partner for God to give him a Catahoula and then they decided to go to the first house they see to ask if the person can keep their dog (the one they just prayed for) for them when they weren’t hunting. In four miles they come to the house and knock on the door. He first asked about keeping the dog for him once he found the Catahoula but come to find out she breeds dogs and she specifically breeds Catahoula’s! She had one six-month-old Catahoula, and his name is Johnny Cash. He was able to get the dog he asked God for! Being specific in our prayers is important!
Greg shares how he decided to get a dog which happened when he was away for a time to be refreshed at a retreat at
Berry College, and he climbed a mountain as he was spending time with God. He was crying out for God to rescue him, as he was going through a hard time, as he climbed with every step he took. He sat on a bench and continue to talk to God. As he sat there a dog came up and threw a pine cone at Greg like he wanted to play catch. So, they threw the pinecone back and forth. That night he had a dream that God showed him that he needed a dog. He specifically wanted a German Shepherd and found a rescue that dealt with German Shepherds, and he found Max, who became his faithful “man’s best friend” to Greg.
Do you have a story about you and your dog like John and Greg? We want to hear it! Write to us at [email protected] or in the VFNKB Community HERE. Be sure to check out the other segments with more on John Newlin’s interview. You can get your copy of the book Ordinary: An Ordinary Man’s Experience with God, HERE.
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How to Overcome Fear: John Newlin
John Newlin speaks on today’s program, and we will have him for a series of interviews, which you can find them HERE on the VFN Torch. He speaks about his newly released book, Ordinary: An Ordinary Man’s Experience with God, which is a captivating book as he shares from life experiences how he encounters God time and time again!
We continue the conversation as John shares a story of a time when his family was on vacation. They lived in Fort Meyers, Florida, and they visited Tennessee. They were avid bird hunters and were always in need of a good bird dog. They saw a sign that said bird dogs for sale, and John and his dad were able to convince the whole family to get the dog which was a big deal as they had to keep it in the car all the way back to Florida. The dog’s name was Mike.
One day they were bird hunting with the dogs including Mike and ran into wild hogs. Then Mike runs up to John with a baby pig in his mouth! Since he was a bird dog, he was not hurting the pig as bird dogs have a soft mouth. John picked the pig up as the herd of pigs had left already, and they took it home. They had to feed it bottles until it was big enough to be on its own. When it was weaned, they then put the pig in the kennel with the dogs. John and his family owned a rock quarry, and the dog kennel was near the quarry. Every day at 4 pm they would shoot off dynamite in the rock which would make a loud sound and would cause the dogs to bark. The young pig learned to bark just like the dogs!
John continues to share how he overcame fear. “My Dad was a man’s man. He was who John Wayne tried to act like.” They had a hunting camp, and we’re staying there one of their many trips, and as they were sitting in the screened-in kitchen a six-foot rattlesnake was about to go into the cabin. John was only eight years old, but his dad told him to go and get the shovel and kill the snake. His dad was someone that you did not argue with, so he got the shovel and killed him then cut his head off. He says he named this part of his book, First Snake Overcoming Fear. He just did what he was told, and the snake didn’t even try to strike at him.
“Here’s what I have learned in the Word, 365 times God says NO FEAR, DON’T HAVE FEAR. Fear is not our portion. If you are out there and you are afraid, look to God, and have Him encourage you to be strong.” You may not have a snake to kill to help get over fears, but sometimes you must face the things that scare you to realize that there was no reason to fear those things!
Many men in their 50s have a high suicide rate according to T.D. Jakes in He-motions, but men need to see that their lives are not over at that age or any age! Your life can just begin in your 50s because the world needs you and your wisdom. Don’t fear what you will face beyond your 50s. Choose life because God has so much more in store for you!
What are some fears that you have overcome? We want to hear from you! Write to us at [email protected] or in the VFNKB Community HERE. Be sure to check out the other segments with more on John Newlin’s interview. You can get your copy of the book Ordinary: An Ordinary Man’s Experience with God, HERE.
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Image courtesy of John Newlin Facebook.com