Phil Reaser
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First Person is produced in cooperation with the Far East Broadcasting Company, who rejoice in the stories of changed lives through the power of Jesus Christ. Learn more at febc.org. To have somebody in your life unconditionally, no matter what, but to be there for them and to keep encouraging them in the faith, that just works wonders with people who have any spiritual hunger at all.

You're going to hear the story of a former radio shock jock whose life was redeemed by Christ and spent in Christian radio and teaching. Stay tuned for a conversation with Phil Reeser on this edition of First Person. And welcome, I'm Wayne Shepherd.

Before we get to this week's interview, please take a moment to visit our website where you can not only hear hundreds of our interviews, including today's, but you can also hear an extended version of today's program telling more of Phil's remarkable story. Our website for all that is FirstPersonInterview.com. And please visit and like us at Facebook.com slash FirstPersonInterview where you can comment on interviews and interact with other listeners. Again, Facebook.com slash FirstPersonInterview.

Phil Reeser has been a longtime friend whom I met when we were in grad school together. I've never forgotten his story, his spiritual journey from shock jock to dedicated follower of Christ. So I'd like for you to hear it now.

Phil, join me online from his Indiana home. I retired from radio in 2021 after 61 years. Is that right? Wow. Yeah. Yeah. I want to take you way back, though, to the beginning. And, of course, the beginning with Christ is the turning point, the real important part of your life. So shall we start there? Yeah.

We can. Let me do just a quick buildup, if I may. Grew up in a Christian home. My dad was a Lutheran pastor, so I had that in back of me. And at seven years of age, I went to a Christian family retreat with my family. And I'm only seven years old, but I'm listening to this testimony from Frank Laubach.

who was the fellow who founded the Laubach literacy movement or something. That's what became global. It was a big, big thing. He gave a testimony that really captured my seven-year-old heart.

talking about how much he loved his love relationship with Jesus and how he walked with him and made a practice of thinking of him and remaining constantly with him, keeping in mind constantly that Jesus is right there with him. And he talked so lovingly about this relationship that it just grabbed my attention and I

I had a lot of little hurts in my little life. And so this really appealed to me, to have this loving relationship with Jesus. Unfortunately, I got off the track in my teen years.

But after that Frank Lohbach experience, listening to him, I remember going home and praying very from the depths of my heart, a little seven-year-old heart, that God would allow me to walk with him. And sorry. Phil, it's emotional for you after all these years. Yeah, it is. Why? Why?

Because it was so powerful and so real. But I wanted to grow up to be a man after God's own heart and to love and enjoy him as Frank Laubach did. And you'll find out later, the Lord never forgot that prayer.

He remembered that prayer, asking that I could come to know him and love him in the right way like that. But in my teen years, I got off track again and became the prodigal son. Okay, after college, I taught school. I majored in elementary education, so I taught sixth grade for three years.

Then decided I wanted to go into radio because I grew up in the 50s learning to, I mean, really enjoying the antics and the crazy stuff that I'd hear. The radio personalities in Top 40 Radio back then were just outrageous.

And I thought, what a fun way to make a living. And after my second year, I think it was, in radio or in college, I had to drop out for lack of funds and work. And so I got my FCC engineer's license, which you needed back then. Right. And back then, that helped you get a job. So I

I put an ad in a magazine or whatever I did and got this job in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. So I worked for about a half a year or so during that year off from college after getting the license. And so that was my first dip into radio. And I was a nervous wreck. I was terrible. You were a DJ? Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, the evening DJ. And so then we went back to school. I helped get the campus radio station on board because it was really lacking at that point. It really did well there to some degree. And then afterwards, after I was teaching again, I went back to radio. I went to CBN in Virginia Beach. I worked there for a year and a half.

in their radio division. I left CBN and then worked at several radio stations where I got offers, and the Lord was just sort of opening doors, and I sort of went through them and

Found that I was very uncomfortable really doing secular radio anymore and found it much harder to be entertaining because I had been pretty much off color. I was sort of, I became a shock jock. Yeah. It was just so far from what I, my little boy heart had been. Mm-hmm.

Of course, in the world's eyes, that works. And I did that for quite some time. Along the way, I got a couple of Billboard Magazine Radio DJ of the Year awards. Then in 1977, I was in Memphis at a station there.

And I was at home, I think I was probably high at the time because I'd gotten into drugs to some degree and rather regular. That shock jock lifestyle led to a certain... Yeah, sex, drugs, and rock and roll is the old phrase and just another tired version of that.

In my own life. But Billy Graham came on the TV when I was sitting there staring at it. And he, at one point, and I always had a great respect for Billy Graham because we used to listen when I was a little kid. Mm-hmm.

And I was always very moved by his program and people coming to the Lord. And when they sing, Just As I Am, you know, it always choked me up. Well, he quoted 2 Corinthians 5.9 one time, or at that time in Memphis, saying,

And basically he was saying, and here's Paul talking to Christians, and I realized that when he said this. He said, remember, we're all going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account for what we've done in our body, whether for good or for evil. And I thought, wow, that really stunned me because I thought, well, if that's what he's, if that's the way it's going to be for Christians, I'm in major trouble here, you know.

And that really got me thinking. And at that very same time as I was thinking about that and got struck by that, during this program that was going on, and I heard the voice of the Lord. And I was certain it was God. I wasn't quite sure who God was anymore, but I felt he was saying, Phil, it's time for you to decide what you're going to do with me.

And I felt he was giving me a wake-up call and giving me a chance to get back on track. And so being as slow as I am, I thought about getting back on track and

for like two years. But finally, I'm back in Cleveland, Ohio for the second time working at a station there. And I was sitting in my apartment, a high-rise apartment downtown, a very nice place and rather expensive. But I was blowing the money that I made. And it was good money, but I was just like the prodigal son. And

And so I really had nothing going, but I heard this voice again, and the same voice I heard in Memphis. And he said, Phil, if you died tonight, the world would be better off. And that struck me deeply.

obviously, in a very profound way. And I knew it was God speaking to me and whoever he was. I was really struck by it. And he went on to talk to me. It seemed like 10 minutes. And he said, Phil, look at your friends. Look at what you've done in your life. What have you done to build my kingdom or give me glory or to be a blessing to others? He said, Phil, you've been living like a leech. Mm-hmm.

That's exactly what he said. And I knew how true that was. So when he was done speaking with me, that moment to me was like a loving, loving father trying to reason with his wayward son. That's incredible. And that's what it was. And so it was so obviously appealing to me, and it just drew me in. And when he finished speaking,

And I forget what all else he said, but those things I remembered. I went into my bedroom and I got down on my knees because I knew that I really had, with God saying the world would be better off without you,

And him telling me to, you know, get it together two years before, I knew I had, there's only one thing I could do, and that's to surrender, to surrender to God. It's such an amazing story. And you'll hear more from Phil Reeser when you stay with us now here on First Person.

Here's Ed Cannon on the vision for FEBC's weekly podcast. The primary purpose of Until All Have Heard, of course, is to share the experience that FEBC has because we have staff on the ground in so many oppressive places. But in addition to that, we're trying to speak to you in a way that

only the kind of testimonies you'll hear from around the globe can do. Discover how the gospel is making a difference around the world. Search for Until All Have Heard on your favorite podcast platform or hear it online at febc.org.

My guest is Phil Reeser. Phil spent many years in Christian radio, now retired, and he's sharing his testimony with us today here on First Person. So when we left a moment ago, Phil had just given his life to Christ. Let's pick up the conversation there. So I spent the afternoon praying and crying and praying.

asking him to show me who he was and the things I asked. And I said, Lord, if you're a moose, and even if you're a moose and you want me to bow to the ground every time I see a moose, if that's what the truth is, I want it. And I didn't care if it was Buddha or Muhammad. I didn't care. I just wanted to know the truth.

And give my life. I knew it would be foolish to become religious if it wasn't truth. So I ended up saying, God, if you'll forgive the mountain of sin. I'd led a life really for a number of years in debauchery and just promiscuity. And I said, Lord, if you'll forgive me the mountain of sin that I bring to you now. And if you'll show me who you are.

And show me how you want me to live and help me to do it because I know I can't do it myself. And if you'll do these things, God, I give my life to you. I just surrendered and I sent every cell in my heart and body. I meant it with all my heart. And I got up from that prayer and he didn't reveal himself to me really at that point. But I got up feeling like this huge,

weight had been lifted from my shoulders because I had done, I knew I had done all I could do at this point. I didn't know anything else to do, you know, but to surrender to the truth.

And if there was a God up there who was there and cared how I live, it was his turn. He would have to do something because I had nowhere else to go for a week or so or maybe a week or two.

I kept saying, Lord, I'm trusting you. You didn't have to go through the whole thing again, but I so meant it. I said, God, whoever you are, if you're up there, I'm trusting you. The ball is in your court. That's what I kept thinking. God, the ball is in your court because I don't know what else to do. It was about, I don't know, a week or two later. I'm sitting on my living room sofa, and I'm reading from a Bible about

I think it was one of those living paraphrases, living Bibles. And where I'd gotten that, I don't know, but it was there, and I was reading in the New Testament of Isaiah.

The red letters, because I knew enough, you know, I grew up at PK, you know, so I knew that red letters were really important. Those are the important ones, yeah. Yeah. So, I was reading where Jesus was talking about the kingdom of God. And I don't even know exactly where that passage was, but it was one of those passages where he was talking about God, about the kingdom. Yeah.

And suddenly to my right, I know this sounds spooky or creepy to some, but right to my right, I saw a mass. And I didn't see any person, but I knew there was a being there. There was something, somebody, something there. And at that moment, I heard that same voice again that I'd heard in Memphis before.

And just two weeks earlier, when I was at the foot of my bed, the voice said, Philip, I'm the one you've been seeking. Follow me. And I knew it was Jesus. And I can't tell you how I knew all of a sudden, but I knew it was Jesus. I was so stunned by that. It was so real to me, and it still is to this day. And I think, why me? Why do you?

It's the first time in my life that I felt like I was on the right side of the fence with God. I was on God's side. I was so excited, but then I was overwhelmed, really. But I still had this Bible in my lap, and I said, Lord, I need to know how to live. I don't know how to live because I've been so far off the track. And I said, what do I do with this book?

I said, you know, I had friends and relatives and people saying, you know, it's all, a lot of it's just old nonsense, you know, handed down from generation to generation. And, you know, and so many people just sort of discrediting Scripture. And the Lord said to me, I said, what do I do with this book? And he simply said this, and these are powerful words to me. Take me at my word. And I...

Because I knew I needed a plumb line. You know, I needed to have some way of knowing, you know, the path. And so I, at that point, I was so overwhelmed by this experience that the almighty God, the son of God had just after all I've done, that he would appear to me in a sense and invite me to follow him.

I was so excited, Wayne, that I jumped up out of my chair and I was laughing hysterically and crying hysterically at the same time because I was so overwhelmed with the relief of being right with God. Yeah, I was 37 years old and it was absolutely amazing, the most amazing thing I'd ever experienced.

Well, it's such a powerful and personal testimony. There is a lot more to the story of our first-person guest, and we're going to hear a bit more in a moment. But we're going to save the next few chapters of Phil's life with the extended podcast version of his story, which you can hear at FirstPersonInterview.com. Again, look for the extended version of this program at FirstPersonInterview.com. But let me return to Phil for a few minutes and bring you up to date on his life today.

Phil followed God's call on his life to Alaska, where he not only served in Christian radio, but also felt the need to study the Bible at the Alaska Bible Institute. He also taught courses at ABI while living there for several years. While in Alaska, something else very important happened to Phil. He met his wife, Donna. Here's the rest of our conversation. Yes. Oh, that, right? Oh, yes. Her.

Yeah, that is so funny because I had it right down here in my notes. I was going to say yes, and that was one reason the Lord had planned for me in Alaska, obviously, not only to go and get more immersed in God's Word and to learn to flesh it out, but he had the most incredible young lady waiting for me. Now, and I have to tell you, there's quite a number of years between us. I might as well, maybe it'll be a blessing to somebody, but

We got married. At that time, I was 49 and she was 27. There's 22 years between us. And you'd think, is that ever going to work? And I'll tell you what, she has been the most amazing, precious person.

God-given gift to me that I, far beyond I could ever imagine. That's beautiful. And you have a wonderful family as a result. So there, that's another part of your story that has always been so encouraging and so amazing, Phil. You mentioned retirement, which happened a few years ago now, but retirement doesn't mean you're sitting around. You, you're very involved in mentoring. I want to explore that for a moment. What, what drives you to mentor, spiritually mentor others? Well,

Probably the fact that I, with all the struggles that I went through, I understood the need for it, how I craved. And there was a pastor in Cleveland who has passed on by now, but he sort of took me under his wing and mentored me. And he was a man of such faith. And of all my worries while I was waiting for the Lord to show me what to do after I resigned from the station, you know, he said,

He said, Phil, the Lord is not going to fail you. And I said, he said, even if he does, even if he would fail,

you'll be able to write a book about being the first person that God has ever failed. And you'll be able to make lots of money doing that. That's a new way of looking at it. Yeah, nothing to lose. So anyway, but that was so precious to me, his faith. When we have a strong faith,

And we can share with somebody who's just struggling to get strong in the faith. This pastor had the faith for me. He had so much faith that I sort of latched on to that. And that was such a huge encouragement. And to have somebody in your life who's willing to love you and encourage you

unconditionally, no matter what, no matter how tough things may go, but to be there for them and to keep encouraging them in the faith, keep looking up, that just works wonders with people who have any spiritual hunger at all. So that's what you want to be to someone else. You want to be that mentor. Exactly. And the Lord has, and I've never sought it, sought out people

And he is sort of, and I trust him to say he brings them into my life. Either they show up new at the church or something, or I have a church, or I meet them someplace or through somebody else and so on. And they express a desire for some help and so on. And so I sort of take them on my way and meet with them. I try meeting with people several times a week.

There is so much more to Phil Reeser's story that we've published an extended version of this interview, which can be found at FirstPersonInterview.com. You'll hear Phil tell more stories of God's unmistakable leading in his life, taking him to Alaska where he met his wife. Again, listen to the longer version of today's interview. Go to FirstPersonInterview.com.

We love to tell stories like the one you've just heard and rejoice whenever people give their life over to Jesus Christ for His purposes. Did you know that millions of people contact the Far East Broadcasting Company with their stories of how FEBC's radio and social media programs have pointed them to God? Explore some of those stories when you visit febc.org.

Also listen for the podcast until all have heard, either at febc.org or by using one of the many smartphone apps available. Join FEBC President Ed Cannon for this podcast until all have heard. Once again, it's available at febc.org. Now, with thanks to my friend and producer, Joe Carlson, I'm Wayne Shepherd. Join us next time for First Person. ♪