The Encounter: Sometimes God Has to Intervene

by Stephen F. Arterburn, John R. Perry

“Great storytelling from Steve Arterburn! Read The Encounter and learn things about yourself that you never knew were there.”―Andy Andrews, New York Times best-selling author, The Traveler’s Gift and The Noticer The past can be a dark and haunting place - full of secrets and mysteries too deep, too painful to confess.

For Jonathan Rush, a wealthy and famous entrepreneur, this is an agonizing and startling reality ― one he never knew existed in his life until now. On a mission to Fairbanks, Alaska, to uncover the truth behind his mother’s abandonment when he was only four years old, Jonathan comes face-to-face with his unresolved bitterness as well as a mysterious woman named Mercy who holds the key to unlocking the secrets of his past. Somehow he must convince Mercy to confide in him, learn how to forgive his mother, and ― even more painful ― learn how to forgive himself.

The Encounter , from best-selling author, counselor, and speaker Stephen Arterburn, artfully reveals the power of your story, the fierce need for acceptance, and the true hope of healing. Discover in its pages the radical joys of forgiveness both toward others as well as from the ultimate healer and Jesus Christ.

Through the truth and hope revealed in this gripping parable, learn to step out from the darkness of a painful past and into the healing light of a forgiven future.

Genres: Fiction, Christian Fiction

167 pages, Paperback

First published November 8, 2011

About the author

Stephen Arterburn is the founder and chairman of New Life Ministries—the nation's largest faith-based broadcast, counseling, and treatment ministry—and is the host of the nationally syndicated New Life Live! daily radio program aired on over 180 radio stations nationwide, Sirius XM radio, and on television. Steve is also the founder of the Women of Faith conferences, attended by over 4 million women, and of HisMatchforMe.com.
Steve is a nationally known public speaker and has been featured in national media venues such as Oprah, Inside Edition, Good Morning America, CNN Live, the New York Times, USA Today, and US News & World Report.
In August 2000, Steve was inducted into the National Speakers Association's Hall of Fame. A bestselling author, Steve has written more than one hundred books, including the popular Every Man's series and his most recent book, Healing Is a Choice. He is a Gold Medallion–winning author and has been nominated for numerous other writing awards.
Steve has degrees from Baylor University and the University of North Texas as well as two honorary doctorate degrees. Steve is a teaching pastor at Northview Church in suburban Indianapolis and resides with his family in Indiana.

Reviews

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book!! It was a short read at only 176 pages. but it’s packed full of moments that kept me glued to the pages and in just a few hours I was at the last page.

I love books about relationships between family members. And when those relationships are shattered, I love reading about the journey the characters take to make sure there’s a healing. The relationship between Jonathan and his mother though, was very different than any other I’ve read.

I love that Jonathon did what his pastor asked him to do even though it was the last thing he would ever want to do. I loved that he opened up to Erica and that his heart began to thaw. I loved that he never gave up trying to tell Ada who he really was. The journey to get there was very interesting. I loved that the book was based in Alaska, it added such a different scenario and made the book even better, I think, than if it had been written anywhere else. It was neat how everything seemed to be falling apart, and then suddenly, came back together.

I think everyone who loves books about relationships will enjoy this book!

[Brent Soderstrum · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short book that needed more God in it. He was there, just not talked about.

Also, what happened to Ada Guthrie's dog? Early on we hear a loud barking dog when Erica and Jonathon go to visit Ada yet when Ada leaves her cabin with the door open, on the run, the dog is not seen or heard from again.

The story is pretty predictable. Jonathon Rush goes back to Fairbanks, Alaska to find his mother who abandoned him at the age of four. Jonathon was adopted at 9 by a couple who adopted a lot of kids. Jonathon moved to Miami and hasn't been back. He is still struggling with the actions of his mother and his pastor suggests he go to Alaska to find answers to his questions.

Once in Fairbanks, Jonathon hooks up with Erica, a local reporter, and his investigation into his past begins. A simple, predictable tale with obvious flaws. Quick and enjoyable though.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay book from Arterburn

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Predictable plot. No richness or depth to characters or storyline.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pleasant Christian story in which a man gets a new perspective on life, and we find out what it is like to live in Alaska!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read, good story

[Randy Tramp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dramatic and suspenseful. Good read

[Cham Cuartero · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have yet to share another simple yet feel-good reading experience, courtesy of BookSneeze®. I checked my archives and realized that it's been a while since the last one. Aside from the fact that it takes eons for the books to reach my humble doorstep, I used to wait until I've properly covered a book before I would start reading it. Turns out that this doesn't really help a lot. I realized that it actually doesn't matter much. By instinct I'm a really careful book-handler, so I don't really "destroy" books even if I start reading them without protection. Maybe it was also an automatic response, an attempt to reconnect with my past, reminisce whatever good times I've spent with my Mom when I was a little girl - covering my school books with plastic can be one.

Those sweet memories of mine are very much fitting to the this new book I recently finished reading. Stephen Arterburn's THE ENCOUNTER is a story about a man named Jonathan Rush, who goes on a journey to the place where we was born and unfortunately, where his birth mother had abandoned him, as far as he knew. Jonathan, wealthy and successful as he is as a businessman, felt the need to do this because amid all the good things he is enjoying in his life, there is a void, an emptiness, that he cannot fill up no matter what he did. There had been more than one suicide attempt, a collection of drunken and drugged escapades, and three failed marriages under his belt. It was the words of his pastor which finally gave him the push that he needed to go through with his plan - to find his birth mother and find out what made her put him up for adoption at the Kellner Children's Home in Fairbanks.

It was a short read. Something that one could actually finish in one sitting, like while waiting in line at a doctor's clinic or for your turn at a bills payment center. I actually used up two pre-bedtime sessions to finish it so... that probably gives you an idea. The story was simple, predictable, if I may add. But I knew this even before I started reading, even before I selected the book, so I have no complaints. Still, it was able to give the message I was hoping it would give its readers. That each one of us has his or her demons in the past. From the top of my head, I cannot name any one person who can actually claim that he or she had a perfect childhood. We all have our resentments. We all have our hurts and pains. We all have our pent-up anger towards people who have caused us some form of suffering or sadness. That is a fact.

But what is more important is what you do about it.

Just like any wound, deep or otherwise, each of those unpleasant experiences we've had will leave scars. Some are visible to the naked eye. Others are deep within the folds of your skin... and your being. But the mere fact that we are alive and able to look back at the past is something that we should be thankful for. And used as a stepladder to finally move on and move up towards a better life.

I have a million scars from my past as well. Right now I am far from being healed. I wasn't an abandoned child (thank goodness!) but still I have my bad times with my own parents, both of them actually. I may not feel exactly the same as Jonathan in the story but probably close. I had my own issues and stories. For now, all I've accomplished is to acknowledge them as real, that they really happened, and that they shaped me into who I have become. I didn't even need any religious affiliation or counselor to do this (But I have one Friend). Someday, I will also learn to let go of everything. Not for anyone else, but for myself.

I recommend THE ENCOUNTER for people who are least concerned about surprising endings and elaborate plots in novels, but are looking for something very simple, yet having just the right recipe to help see things in a different but familiar light.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did. A book about a middle-aged man on a self-destructive path having to face past wounds and in the process being met by God, sounded just a tad 'Shack-y' for my tastes. When the synopsis of the book online said:

The Encounter, the unique new book from best-selling author and counselor Stephen Arterburn, is a moving parable involving Jonathan Rush, a wealthy and famous entrepreneur, who is tortured by bitterness toward his mother who abandoned him when he was four. He travels to Alaska to find her but instead meets an enigmatic old woman known only as Mercy...

I just figured that this was a new twist on the same theme (meet God in your place of wounding and be healed). And that kind of was it, but not exactly. Actually the story doesn't just follow Jonathan as he searches; it also tells the story of Ada, the woman who gave him up for adoption when he was four. It tells of how she made the choice, the regret she had afterwards and the ways she still tried to love him even after giving him up for adoption and forfeiting her legal rights to be in her life.

This then is a story of forgiveness. Jonathan learns how to extend grace to his mother (SPOILER ALERT: The woman he meets named Mercy, is in fact his mother Ada). Ada also has been walking around in guilt and shame since abandoning her son 31 years later. She has to forgive herself.

This story while fictional, is based on two true stories. One of these stories is reenacted in the climactic scene of this book. That is the best part of the book and is a vivid picture of what it means to extend grace to others, and the ways in which God extends grace to us.

I appreciated this book and it certainly caused me to reflect on where I harbor unforgiveness in my heart and what it does to me. I think on that level, this story illustrates well the dangers of letting bitterness to take root, and the experience of grace.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson via Book Sneeze in exchange for my honest review.

[C.E. Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Every once in a while you come across a book that causes something inside you to transform. This book has done that for me.

In my opinion, the author, Stephen Arterburn, is exceptional at relaying a message and conveying emotions, and even displaying Christian principles, without sermonizing the story. What I mean by that is, while reading this book, I don’t feel like I’ve been preached too – yet I feel the internal warmness of a day at church.

That’s not to say I don’t enjoy a good sermon—on the contrary! But when I’m reading fiction, I want to be entertained. The Encounter is just that. Entertaining, moving, and even life-changing.

This story is told in two viewpoints:

The main viewpoint is that of Jonathan “Gold” Rush. Though a wealthy and famous business man, he has battled with inner-demons most of his life. After a recent suicide attempt, Jonathan agrees (with a little prodding from his counselor, Tim Moser) to revisits his birthplace, Fairbanks Alaska, to face the past that has haunted him for so long. He harbors so much anger and hurt toward his mother who abandoned him when he was four.

The second viewpoint is that of Ada Rose Guthrie, Jonathan’s birth-mother. She too was troubled by the past. Decisions she made long ago sent her life on a different course than she’d planned. Harboring years of regret and pain, she retreated into somewhat of a recluse.

I highly recommend this book. Although it is a fictional story, the author reveals it is based on two true stories combined into one. The characters are not saccharine or unrealistic. They have real problems, strong emotions, and life-long issues that feel authentic. This is a short read, but the message will stay with you for a long time.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Blogsneeze. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

[Nikole Hahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those of you who have lived with “daddy issues” for years, The Encounter will bring you to the brink of tears.

Jonathon Rush is a wealthy celebrity entrepreneur (think Steve Jobs). He never knew his mother. He grew up in a orphanage until age 9 when a couple adopted him. His anger at his mom abated years following the adoption, but after his adopted parents died in a violent car wreck the anger re-emerged.

Rush is known as someone who can’t get a hold of his temper and has been known to completely decimate someone by the blows of his words. The anger grew until Rush could no longer deny it and he attempted to take his life. A pastor friend of a friend began to guide him, demanding that he go back to Alaska and find his real mom. The mission was to figure out why his mother gave him up.

From here we get to hear Rush’s side and his mother’s side of the story. Every word in Arterburn’s work of fiction has tension. He writes succinctly, not wasting a single word, and the story is straightforward. You won’t get many adjectives, but there is just enough to give you a poetic picture of Fairbanks, Alaska, and a picture of each of the character’s personality traits.

At the end of the book, there’s a “Solitude and Discussion Guide.” Normally, in fiction I skip those parts, but in this case, I would make an exception. The novel is a teaching tool. Forgive or let anger destroy your life. I caution those who have left toxic and abusive relationships. Forgiveness does not mean reconciliation. It means you have stopped being angry at the person who hurt you emotionally or physically. If you are enduring “daddy issues,” I would recommend this book.

Book given by publisher to review.

[Deborah Sloan · Rating 4 out of 5]

For many, getting rid of the anger in our lives means going back to our beginnings to find reasons and ways to forgive. For Jonathan Rush it means traveling to Fairbanks, Alaska to find the mother who abandoned him when he was four years old. Though taking time from his business pursuits is a difficult task for Johnathan, it’s something he must do if he can get rid of the anger that keeps popping up when he interacts with others who end up being the brunt of his emotions. But after 30 something years how hard will this task be when he doesn’t even know who he is looking for? Will she still be living?

“Sometimes God has to Intervene”- is exactly what happens here because things just seem to work out to enable Jonathan to accomplish exactly what he needs to find forgiveness for his mother and himself. This successful owner of a major corporation finds a new friend in a reporter in Fairbanks who helps him in his goal. Surprising since he avoids reporters with a vengeance.

I found The Encounter by Stephen Arterburn an uplifting read that made me cheer him on in his task. Although the cause of his anger may not be the same as your’s or someone you know the methods of overcoming it will be greatly enhanced by reading this example. Whether your story is one of abandonment like Jonathan’s or perhaps betrayal or has some other cause, there are step you can take to rid yourself of anger and find a healthier life of joy and peace. The author Stephen Arterburn gives several tips at the end of the book to help you find your way. I give the book a full 4 stars for story line and easy readability and helpfulness to others!

[Jettiep Parrish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonathan Rush was given up for adoption when he was 4 years old. He went to an orphan's home in Fairbanks Alaska, where he spent several years, before he was adopted. He has since become a wealthy businessman and along the way, married 3 times, all of which have failed. His anger at his birth mother for not loving him, and giving him up for adoption has grown so much that he's even attempted suicide. His minister has suggested he go to see if he can find anything about his mother, and if she had a reason for giving him away, and try to find forgiveness.
He arrives in Fairbanks, unprepared for the winter climate, and is met with the rumor that he plans to move his business operation to Alaska. He meets a young reporter who asks questions, for which he refuses to give answers. Before long, she convinces him to let her help look for information on his mother.
They find Mercy, a woman who knew his mother, but refuses to give him information other than his mother loved him, which he is unwilling to believe.

This is a short book, 167 pages, and once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. Though it is written as fiction, and the characters are fictional, I'm sure at some point, this story has it's base in truth. The author, Stephen Arterburn, is the founder of WOMEN OF FAITH, which I am sure you have heard about, at some point.

I received a copy of this book from Booksneeze, to read and review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed here are my own, and I am not required to give a positive review.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jonathan “Gold” Rush, as he is famously known, is a thirty-five year old wealthy entrepreneur with an anger problem. It’s cost him valuable relationships and almost his life. His insistent counselor, Pastor Tim, has asked that he be willing to delve into his past to help him deal with it, heal from it and ultimately and hopefully forgive the mother who abandoned him when he was four years old. Reluctantly he goes back to his birthplace, Fairbanks, AL, in the middle of winter to find out about the woman who gave birth to him. A journey of pain and secrets awaits him, but through a new friend and a woman named Mercy, he begins the healing process.

When I saw a fiction novel by Stephen Arterburn, I was extremely interested in reading it since I have read several of his non-fiction books and found them helpful and interesting. I wasn’t disappointed by his book, The Encounter, as it is a helpful and interesting book too. The story is a relatable one and is well-written, although it left me wanting more character development from his main characters. It has a section in the back of the book for those who are struggling with acceptance and forgiveness of their own. That section, the truth behind the fiction, is compassionately written and delivers beneficial insights into God’s teaching through situations in our lives.

I received this book free from the publisher, Thomas Nelson Publishers, through the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Wendy Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jonathan Rush became a ward of the State when he was four and sent to live at a children's home in Alaska. He was adopted when he was nine and moved to Florida. But Jonathan was a very angry boy, not understanding why his mother abandoned him. He threw himself into his work and became very successful. But three marriages later and a suicide attempt has convinced Jon that he needs help. His Pastor has convinced Jon that he needs to go back to Fairbanks, Alaska and try to find his mother or why she abandoned him. He is convinced that Jon needs to forgive his mother or it will destroy him.

With the help of a reporter, Erica, Jon begins his search for his mom. Unfortunately, the children's home has burned down, along with all of the records. He does meet a mysterious woman, Mercy, who he feels a kinship with, but she isn't very forthcoming with what she knows about Jon's mom, Ada.
Will Jon's hatred and unforgiving heart be the death of him? Or will he learn to forgive and from there, heal? The Encounter is a fast-paced read with emotional and spiritual impact. How we treat others reflects on our own selves, and the journey Jon takes into his past will help lay the foundation for his future. I read it in one sitting - Jon's anguish and my hope for his healing entranced me and captured my heart. Don't miss this one!

[David Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered something while reading this book: I am part female, well my heart. No, not true, some women can be heartless. I guess, I've been blessed (or cursed) with a good heart. This book was really good and unique. One chapter was in male first person as we follow John as he tries to locate his mother who left him as a child. The next chapter is in third person as we are told what his mother is doing to find him. I never expected to read what happened. I predicted my own ending, but was glad when I was wrong. The ending was good and done really well, not your typical "run into mothers arms" ending. You also have a little romance going. Its funny how easy romances happen in books. I've been beating my head against dead horses...wait, that's not how the saying goes is it? Anyways, its a good book dealing with pain, resentment, forgiveness and trust.

My only problem is that it's not that religious. Yes, they do mention God many times, but nobody prays for the guidance of God. It's not centered around God, but they mention God just enough for me to give it a 5 star rating. Really, that's just a dumb critique, the book is fine. Great discussion questions at the end as well. A touching story.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes a little story with meaning is exactly what you need to feel peace and happiness. “The Encounter” is a book that most readers who get weepy/sappy when watching Hallmark made-for-TV movies would absolutely love—a short piece of fiction with a great message about love and forgiveness.

Hot shot CEO Jonathan Rush has run into a several-year span of hard times which from the outside seem self-inflicted. He has messed up his third marriage, he is an adrenaline junky, and he is trying to put a suicide attempt behind him and move on with his life with the help of his new friend and pastor, Tim. He has been asked by Tim to explore the reasons for his rage and depression and has found that it stems from unresolved issues he has with the mother, who abandoned him when he was four years old. Tim has sent Jonathan on what he fears is a wild goose chase, but it is anything but.

This is an easy story to dive into and finish, but the commentary by the author after the story ends will provoke thought and deeper reflection. This would be an excellent piece for a church small group or a group of close friends to explore and discuss.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was written to be a parable, to illustrate a religious lesson. It is the story of Jonathan Rush, a wealthy CEO who has anger and resentment issues because he was abandoned by his mother when he was 4 years old. At the urging of his pastor, after 3 failed marriages and a suicide attempt, he has gone to Fairbanks, Alaska, where he lived as a child to try to find out something about his mother and put his anger and resentment issues to rest. He meets a good looking woman reporter who helps him to search for his mother and learns that he must forgive her in order to find her.
I found the story to be a bit too predictable and the characters to be too simplistic, but it was still a very good and well written story.
I really liked the author's notes at the end of the book about the truth behind the fiction, the real stories that this one is based on.
It shows a beautiful picture of the Lord's love and forgiveness towards us and how we should love and forgive others.

[Deana Pittman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on two true stories, The Encounter is a fictional account of a man's quest to find out about his real mother. Given up for adoption at the age of four, Jonathan has dealt with anger issues his entire life and feels that this is the basis of all of his issues. He wants to find out why he was given up for adoption. I really enjoyed the story, but felt that the ending was rushed...I don't want to give anything away, but I really think the last few chapters could have been expanded and made for an even better read. Other than that, I really did like the book. As an adoptive parent, I think it speaks to the child and the adult. It is not only about finding answers, but it is about finding yourself, your family, and your faith.

[Denise DiFalco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abandoned by his mother at age four, Jonathan Rush uses his anger to become a wealthy entrepreneur until he comes to the crossroad's where he must face and deal with the haunting pain of rejection from his past. Stephen Arterburn draws the reader in to this moving novel and creates a scenerio so real that we are eager to follow. With more than 8 million books in print, he is an expert in his field. This novel proves that God can touch anyone's heart and make the broken whole again. It exemplifies the power of forgiveness and the miracle that occurs in a person's soul. I highly recommend this triumphant saga. It was my great pleasure to review this book for Booksneeze in exchange for my thoughts.

[Trish Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Acceptance. Forgiveness. Grace. Profound topics that are deftly woven into this powerful short novel about a man searching for the truth.

In The Encounter, teaching pastor Stephen Arterburn introduces us to the character of Jonathan Rush. Jonathan is a successful entrepreneur with a much less successful personal life, and he has come to Fairbanks, Alaska on the advice of his counselor. His task--to find out as much as he can about the mother who gave him up as a young boy.

Read the rest of my review at 5 Minutes for Books.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book connecting spirituality, healing and the past. Its true, one has to encounter the skeletons in the past as they hold on to Christ's hand in order to experience healing as he deems healing to be. I would definitely suggest this book for counselors to use with clients who are struggling with forgiving others and themselves.

[Kathy Chung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed atMama Kucing Books & Ravings: The Encounter by Stephen Arterburn

Simple plot but very touching

[Patricia Hess · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was truly wonderful!