Faith in the Shadow of Death

By Bishop Robert L. Young Sr.

Faith in the Shadow of Death is a book about my divine experience as I lived through the painful diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis, a terminal lung disease. The book consists of ten chapters describing some of the hardships that I encountered, along with the unscheduled changes in my life, many that turned me and my wifes lives upside down.

The book discusses some of the losses I experienced and how those losses affected my life, along with the divine lessons I learned as I lived with this crippling lung disease. The book gives the reader a fresh look and understanding at the meaning of faith and how God develops faith in the believer during times of extraordinary adversity. It discusses the relationship between faith and affliction, Satans tactics to destroy faith during times of affliction, and how God sets the atmosphere for faith to be developed in the believer.

The book closes with how I decided to no longer take prescribed medication for my lung disease for several months, instead completely trusting God for my healing and allowing God to comfort me as I endure the affliction of only 43 percent of my lungs functioning on a daily basis.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9781512715507

Bishop Robert L. Young Sr.

Bishop Robert L. Young Sr. was called to the ministry in 1989 while serving under the leadership of Bishop E. L. McBride of whom he sees as a spiritual father. Bishop Young served faithfully as youth pastor at Gospel Temple Christ Holy Sanctified Church until God called him out to establish Trinity Temple Community Church in April 1993. Bishop Young have been married to Patricia A. Young for 45 years and have four children: LaRhonda, LaSheena, Robert Jr., and Joe. Bishop Young holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Radio/TV Film, a Master of Divinity from Texas Christian University, Brite Divinity School, and a Master of Education degree in Counseling from South Dakota State University. Furthermore, he has completed all of his credits towards his PhD in Educational Psychology with the exception of his comprehensive exam and his dissertation. After being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in May 2011 Bishop Young decided to withdraw from the PhD program and focus more on his ministry. Bishop Young has over 18 years experience serving at the collegiate level in the capacity of counselor, assistant professor of psychology, and administrator. He also served as AVID Director and Coordinator of Postsecondary Education for Crowley ISD. Bishop Young was consecrated to the office of Bishop November 2000 by Bishop E. L. McBride of Gospel Temple Ministries. He has established three churches during his tenure as Bishop and has appointed pastors to oversee and pastor those churches. In addition, he has ordained several ministers as bishops and has assisted a number of ministers establish churches and other ministries over the past several years. Finally, Bishop Young recently established New Jerusalem Theological Institute. An institute designed to train ministers, deacons, and laity for the work of the ministry. Bishop Young relentlessly developed the curriculum for every certificate and degree program of New Jerusalem Theological Institute during the period of his illness with pulmonary fibrosis. He not only developed the curriculum but he also teaches online and classroom courses while receiving oxygen therapy. His determination and level of endurance is amazing for a man that has been given a death sentence by doctors. His faith in God is evidence that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. To contact Bishop Robert L. Young Sr. you may do so via email at [e-mail] or visit the church website at www.njtwchurch.org

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Copyright © 2015 Robert L. Young Sr.

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Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-1551-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-1552-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-1550-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015916686

WestBow Press rev. date: 11/12/2015

CONTENTS

Acknowledgement To MY Wife

Introduction

Chapter 1   What Faith Is Not

Chapter 2   Understanding The Meaning Of Faith

Chapter 3   Faith In The Shadow Of Death

Chapter 4   Is Faith Really Unseen?

Chapter 5   Guarding the Mind of Faith

Chapter 6   The Relationship Between Faith and Affliction

Chapter 7   Satan’s Tactics to Destroy Faith

Chapter 8   The Atmosphere of Faith

Chapter 9   Faith and The Path of Righteousness

Chapter 10   God’s Rod and Staff Comforts Me

About the Author

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

TO MY WIFE

I want to thank my wife Patricia Young for being my caretaker, encourager, and intercessor during this most difficult period of my life. Patricia has never left my side and I could not have a better person with me as I walk through the shadow of death. I want to thank her for being patient with me as I became impatient during periods of feeling as though I was suffocating due to shortness of breath. She is such an amazing women of God with a calmness about her that is transparent among those in her presence. She has truly shown an example of what a wife should be like during periods of sickness and health. The love she has shown towards me gave me a second wind to push forward and continue my fight to defeat pulmonary fibrosis. I love her dearly with all of my heart and soul.

INTRODUCTION

I was inspired by God to write Faith in the Shadow of Death in March 2014 approximately two years after being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis; a terminal lung disease. This crippling lung disease caused me to retire much earlier from my professional career than I anticipated, and turned me and my wife’s life upside down while at the same time causing us grievous financial hardships. In addition, the hardships that I encountered were by far the worse that I have ever experience in all of my life. My wife and I found ourselves trapped between the walls of death and hopelessness, but our faith in God kept us from giving up and yielding to the pressure of our circumstances. My journey through what I call the shadow of death was very difficult and challenging and gave me a whole new outlook on life, and a much better understanding of the term faith. It has taught me to trust God with far more confidence especially when faced with great adversity.

I hope reading this book will strengthen the faith in those that may be encountering similar circumstances or difficult times that may be causing one to doubt the power of God. I have found many Christians in the body of Christ believing God for cars, houses, and other material things but yet cannot trust God for eternal things or for the impossible. My experience walking through the shadow of death has taught me that true faith is trusting God not only for the possible, but for the impossible that are far beyond the reach of humankind. My experience of being told by a pulmonologist that I had pulmonary fibrosis at the age of 61, and that it was a terminal disease was an experience that left me speechless and wondering was I experiencing a bad dream. I cannot tell you about all the things that rushed through my mind on the day of receiving such negative news. I was concerned about my wife because I did not want her to worry and go into a panic state and neither did I. I thought about all the plans that my wife and I had for our retirement years of which seem to have been canceled; due to this horrible medical diagnosis I had just received. What was I to do? I thought were my past sins catching up with me? Was this a payment for my past sins? All sorts of things went through my mind after receiving the diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis.

I had to immediately settle my mind and go to God in prayer about my condition. I found myself having to really put my faith to work if I was going to beat the diagnosis given to me. I basically had two choices: one I could accept the diagnosis or I could reject the diagnosis and trust God to heal me and add additional years to my life. I chose the latter and put my faith to work. Each day is a challenge but to have faith will always be challenging to the believer. I recommend that when you are faced with an impossible situation that you know only God can fix, have absolute faith in God, and never doubt him regardless of how your situation may deteriorate. I believe you will find each chapter of this book intriguing and keeps your attention throughout the period of reading each chapter.

The information that you will find in the chapters of this book are my personal experiences of which many would not be willing to share in a book for others to read; as I have done so in this book. This book is my testimony that I hope will bless and help somebody else to overcome adversity through faith. I am not a shame of my testimony. My testimony is an experience that God allowed me and my wife to encounter during our journey of