Comments on the International Scene

27 July 2014

Dear Phyllis,

Before I get involved in commenting on my physical condition, I would like to share my opinion on what is going on in the international scene.. When Obama won the presidential election in 2008, and again in 2012 there was much speculation as to whether or not America could survive another four years of his administration. I fear the answer is in by now – no it cannot. I do not believe it is idle speculation to suggest that America is gone. The America that millions loved for 200 years has ceased to exist. In its place you have an intensely hostile divided society gasping under a dictatorial form of socialism being administered by a bunch of bureaucratic goons. George Orwell's 1984 has become a reality beyond anything that Orwell envisioned in 1949. It is not just the lawless Dept. of Justice that is distressing, or the mind-boggling incompetence of the president, but the most frightening element is the average American public. Bill O'Reilly sent his street man, Jesse Watters, out to interview an honest cross section of the American society, and the results of that are inexpressibly stunning. It appears that an adequate proportion of the American public has been dumbed down to an unbelievable level of unawareness; and an equal proportion of Americans have been conditioned by entitlements, that I see no way of recovery. Forty years ago, in pondering the question on why America does not appear in the end-times picture, Joe Carroll suggested that perhaps America had become so inconsequential that it isn't in the picture.. We are very nearly at that point today. Obama has reduced the US military to a pre-2^nd WW level so that the US military might has passed from the scene.

Conversely, in 1990 when the Soviet Union disintegrated we wondered why it is so major in Ezek. 38 and 39. The only answer then was, that there must be a revival of Soviet Russia. This is what we are seeing today. And the situation in Iran is exactly on target to fulfill the role that the Word of God ascribes to her.

I receive a substantial amount of e-mail asking for prayer for a major spiritual awakening in America. My answer to that is, “Lots of luck”, but I see no way of that happening. The way I view America today is, that God has incontestably taken His hand away from America, and she is now in free fall.

For years I have had a struggle with the Seven Churches as described in Rev. 2 and 3. There are three general interpretations of those scriptures; the firstbeing that those were letters sent to seven actual churches in Asia minor in that day. The second is that in those letters there are issues we all must deal with in our personal lives. That is: losing our first love (Rev. 2:4), immorality and idolatry (2:14), false doctrine (2:20), deadness (3:1), etc. The third, and highly reasonable one, is, that this is a picture of the church for the next 2000 years. This seems to fit quite accurately. But I see it another fourth view. I see this as seven various religious environments that picture the church. For many years I was bewildered why Jesus should stand in the midst of these disgusting churches, and still call them golden candle sticks. But recently I have noticed the key word that I had overlooked before. In each case, Jesus says. “he that overcometh”. Looking at it that way, I can understand why Jesus stands in the midst and holds the star in His hand. The real church are the overcomers. The rest is just the garbage that is always associated with Christianity. The real church are the hidden ones found in each of these environments.

This has given me a new respect for the church in Laodicea. To me, there is no question but what the church in America is a dead ringer for what Jesus describes as the Laodiceans. But it is significant that what He offers to the overcomers in that church is the highest reward of all – “to sit with Me on My Throne. Even as I also overcame” (3:21). This means that some of the finest Christians will be in that church. But they will be extremely rare. Jesus' message to that church is unique when He says, “If any man hears My voice”. That means that it is highly personal – not the church, but if any man.

In 1996 Rosemary sent me the miracle letter saying that the Lord had spoken to her about fulfilling her wedding vow, and invited me to return to the states to renew our marriage. I was in the states within hours. But, oh, my goodness, what a difficult time. Rosemary's home church, the Burley Bible Church, had been one of the best churches I had ever been in. They were highly mission minded and a refreshing congregation of genuine believers. But that poor church had gone through a church split, and three different pastors. The one that was there when I returned home was either an idiot or a clown – or both. The congregation had grown, but was radically different. There were a few of the old timers still around, but of the general congregation was so bad that, for six months, I despaired of ever finding a real Christian. Our neighbor was also our home owner, and had been one of the original deacons. I greatly appreciated Ron. Then after six months Ron invited me to go with him to a 6:00AM mens prayer meeting in town. Man howdy, was I surprised. We met there with half a dozen or more of the finest genuine followers of Christ that I had ever met. I couldn't believe it! They were from different churches, but those men were the genuine article. They were the “if any man” Jesus was referring to. What a joy to share our hearts and unite our hearts together to pray for various needs.

There is no question but what America is going down the tube – if not already gone down the tube – but in the midst of this, the Lord has His remnant who are as good as you will find anywhere. The darkest moment of Jewish history was during the Babylonian captivity, but it was then that they Lord had some of the finest prophets.

Oh, the Lord is good!!! Jesus' Father has stopped by to fellowship with me every morning last week. Oh, I mean to tell you, it can't get any better. I have been reading Zechariah. I wonder if that isn't the most wonderful book in the Bible. There is so much in it that reads just like Revelation. There are the golden candle sticks and the two witnesses that are mentioned in Rev. 11. There are the four horses that are the first four seals in Rev. 6 – the Red, the White, the Black, and the Bay horses. There is much that is Messianic. There is the Triumphal Entry of Jesus cited in all four gospels (Zech. 9:9). And in chapters 12, 13, and 14, there is a key note of “In that day” (Zech. 12:3,4,6,8,11; 13:1,2; 14:6,8,13,20). Praise God some of that has been fulfilled, and we now look back on that day. Most notably is, the day that a “fountain shall be opened for sin and uncleanness” (13:1). Oh, hallelujah, praise God, Jesus opened that fountain on His Cross 2,000 years ago, and we enjoy the benefit of it today. But throughout the book there are three other prophetic promises that glisten. One is that, “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord, and they shall be My people” (2:11). In eternity past there was a discussion between the Father and the Son, where the Father said to the Son, “Ask of Me and I will give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession” (Ps. 2:8). In response to this revealed will of God, the Son has made that request, and it is a given fact that Jesus will win the heathen, and the uttermost part of the earth will be His. Daily, I stand before the Throne and remind the Father of His promise to His Son, and insist that within this promise is Japan, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, etc. What we are seeing today are just a few rain drops. But the day of the shower will surely come. The second item that thrills me is the prophetic promise that Jesus reiterated in Mt. 16:18 – “I will build My church” ; Zech. 6:12, 13 says – “The Branch (Jesus). He shall build the temple of the Lord” There is so much of this in Zechariah. Oh, the joy to know that He will not fail.Jesus will build His church; and it is our unspeakable privilege to be part of that working with Him.

The third item, is a tremendous encouragement, and an oft repeated promise – the survival and salvation of Israel. “In that day Jerusalem shall be a burdensome stone for all nations...all the people of the earth shall be gathered against it” (Zech. 12:3). If that isn't what we are seeing today I don't know what is. Hamas has fired over 2,000 rockets at Israel. Israel got tired of being shelled and decided to clean out the rockets in Gaza. The whole world is condemning Israel for protecting herself. Obama and John Kerry have said to Israel “We have your back”. But what they mean is, we will stick a knife in your back. Kerry wants Israel to suspend its operation in Gaza, but makes no mention of the constant shelling by Hamas. Obama is the most anti-Israel president that has ever sat in the White House since Israel was formed as a nation The picture looked grim in 1967 when tiny Israel was threatened by the entire Arab world. Then the miraculous 67 war. Today it looks almost as bleak as it did then, if not worse. Iran is feeding Hamas an endless supply of rockets. There is no way Israel can stop all of these. And Russia is supplying Israel's enemies with ever increasing sophisticated rockets that will reach anywhere in Israel. I see no way Israel can out win this combination against her. Mark Levin said, “Israel is the only country in the world that is not allowed to win”. That is true. We have come to the point of Israel vrs. the whole world. But God has committed Himself that His people will win.

The world is going to hell in a hand basket. America is going (has gone) down the tube. But this is exactly what he Lord has told us must happen. He is setting the stage for the final conflict. And we have a ringside seat. Dear Jesus, mount Your fastest horse and come quickly.

Now about my body. Urashima Taro aged 100 years in a moment of time. I feel like I have aged 50 years at the drop of a hat. Seven weeks ago I felt like a 38 year old man running around on a motor bike, challenging any 20 year old that wanted to take me on for energy level. Today I am the picture of a 90 year old man hobbling around. Praise God I am somewhat better. I say I am up to 40% recovery. This past week was the first time I got back to riding a motor bike. But I am very uncomfortable, and feel like I have just started to ride one. I have very little grip in my right hand. Friday tried to go for a long bike ride, but after 10 km my right hand was protesting vigorously at having to hold the throttle grip in place to maintain 60 kph. I desperately need exercise, but I haven't the energy to do much. Apart from going to school everyday to teach the children basically I am just vegetating spending a huge amount of time in bed. I can lift my right arm higher than I could a week ago, and do a lot of things that were impossible then. I can dress myself and pick things up off the floor. My legs are considerably stronger and I can sit down and stand up from a chair, that was impossible two weeks ago.

The two wood shops that I was running have closed. The one in Sankapang closed suddenly when both students quit. What will happen there is an open question. The one in Abba House closed because we finished the project of 30 bunk beds. That was a real miracle project. Pastor Ed and the boys could not have done it without me, and I never could have done it with out them. Praise God that came out in the plus column. Where we go from here is an open question.

I am a model patient taking my medicine faithfully as prescribed. I have another doctors appointment this week that I am looking forward to. What the Lord has in mind for my body is something that I am not sure of. I have told Jesus that my body belongs to Him. He can do anything He wants with it. If it would bring Him the greatest glory for Him to renew my youth like the eagle, then praise the Lord. And if He can be glorified the most by keeping me in the body of a 90 year old man, then that is what I vote for.

What difference does it make? Jesus is coming soon and then I will get a new body with ten fingers. Thank you for your prayers,

                                                                                              bill

Healing

20 July 2014

Dear Phyllis,

I write you today with my heart filled with joy and peace. My life is a mess, but I have as much joy as my little pail will hold.

Last week things looked pretty grim. For four weeks my body had deteriorated to the point that I was next door to total paralysis. My right arm hung helplessly at my side. Getting dressed was an utter impossibility. For three weeks I couldn't turn over in bed. It took two hands to brush my teeth. When I tried to type I could place my right hand on the key board with my left but I couldn't make it cooperated. To make a capital letter I had to move my thumb over the shift key and then hit the other letter that I wanted to type. Saturday night I went to the hospital and they proved that I was perfectly healthy.

The miracle happened Wednesday. My Niece Pam Gill had given me up for dead. She wrote, “Uncle Bill, would you please have someone write me to tell me when you die and go to be with Jesus. Do you want to be buried in Thailand?” Wednesday night I wrote her the following letter:

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Dear Pammy,

You will be encouraged to hear that I am out the back side of this tunnel. This trial is over. There is not a chance in a thousand that I will die in the near foreseeable future.

Last night my hand was swollen badly. Obviously there was something wrong. I soaked it in hot water but this morning it looked worse. Two things developed. The first was that, at last Saturday nights visit to the hospital, the doctor said that we should come in Wednesday to talk to another doctor who was more of an X-ray specialist. But the most amazing thing was that God worked in my heart giving me a desire to go to the hospital. I really wanted to see a doctor about my hand.

When I went to school this morning I asked Singha if he would take me to the hospital this afternoon. He was more than delighted. They were highly frustrated when I would not let them take me there yesterday. The hospital was a government hospital which was infinitely less expensive. (We paid the obscene price of $10 for the shot that cured me today.) They have serious health service here for $1. We were told to go the the hospital sometime between 8 AM and 4 PM. There are huge crowds at these hospitals so I opted to go as late as possible. 2 PM seemed about the right time.

The first problem was that the reception nurse was as cheerful as a prison warden. She didn't like my attitude at all. I tried to be friendly – but no soap. Finally I was told to go in to see the doctor. It was love at first sight. The moment I looked at his face I said, “I like this man”. He was very young – about 26 or 27 – but somehow I felt he was a responsible, qualified, doctor. Instantly, we were on the same page. He asked all the right questions and my responses were all helpful to him. He looked at the X-rays and then began to examine my arm. He pulled my wrist and twisted it. “Does that hurt?” “Not really.” He bent my fingers and asked, “Does that hurt?” “No problem.” He bent my elbow and asked, “How about that?” “Fine”. Then he began to raise my arm. The fireworks started. After examining me for 10-15 minutes he declared, “The problem is that the tendons in your shoulder are inflamed.” When he said that I shouted, “You are right! You are right! You are slam on. That is exactly what it is.” I was so excited you could hear me clear down the hall. Oh that felt good to hear his correct analysis. It made perfect sense. That was exactly what it felt like.

Then he said, “There are three ways of treating this. The best and the fastest is for a shot of cortisone and steroids in the joint”. I said, “We can forget that.” “The second option is, that we can treat it with medication. There is medication that will help. And the third is, if we do nothing, in time, it will clear up by itself.” This is what I have been expecting from the beginning. This is why I don't like doctors or pills. I believe Jesus has so made us that the body will heal itself. This is why I never do anything for cuts, injuries or colds. The body always heals itself. But he went on, “If you wait too long your body will seize up”. I knew this was true. I have learned if I do nothing my entire body gets terrible stiff. After quite a bit of pressure I reluctantly agreed to take the shot. I expected to see some long rusty needle that looked more like a 16 penny nail. I had heard horror stories about shots in joints. But I knew women who regularly take worse shots than that, and Jesus took the nails in His hands and feet. I was braced for the worst. Instead of shooting me in the front he walked behind. Then he said, “This might hurt a little.” What a ridiculous overstatement! Mosquitoes bites hurt worse than that. I could hardly feel a thing. Then after 30 seconds he said, “Okay that is all.” When he walked around to sit in front of me, I asked, “When are you going to give me the shot?” He replied, “That is it. We are all finished.” I couldn't believe it.

Then he said, “Okay, now raise your arm.” I don't know what that shot was unless it was morphine, but I could raise my arm far higher than I have been able to do for several weeks. Then he raised my arm again. It was like a miracle healing. Benny Hinn has never seen anything like that. When we walked out of the hospital I was amazed that my legs were 200% stronger. I could walk almost normal, where as I had shuffled in there an hour previously like a man walking on his way to the gallows.

I was blown away with the amazing result that had come out of that visit, but on the way home I believe the Lord showed us something more. I had asked the doctor, “If this is just my arm, how do you explain the fact that my whole body is stiff?” Pammy came up with the answer. She said, “The Bible says, when one member of the body suffers, the entire body suffers with it.” (1 Cor. 12:26). I would not have believed the truth of that statement had it not been for my experience when I cut my fingers off. The pain from tearing off and tearing up all five fingers, for the first few days, was terrific. But after a couple weeks I began to think, “I have got to get some exercise”. I was staying on the 8^th floor of the hospital and one night I walked to the bottom. Then I had the shock of my life. I thought, “There is nothing wrong with my legs. All I have done is cut my hand”. But it was like I had cut off my legs also. I was stunned at the way they protested walking up those stairs. I walked up the first flight of steps and sat down exhausted. It took me two hours to get back to the 8^th floor again. I didn't realize it, but the strength of my entire body was totally focused in healing my hand. It wasn't just my hand but my whole body was paying the price. I can easily understand why my entire body shut down because of the problem in my shoulder. I was amazed how strong my legs were after I got that shot on my shoulder. ]”

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Since then I have been amazed how my entire body is totally different. I am still not 100%. My body is still a little stiff and I walk like an old man. Preciously getting up from a chair was a major undertaking. It was impossible for my legs to do it alone. I required every muscle in my body and max pushing with both arms to get in the air. Now I can sit down and stand normally. One night it was so bad that I couldn't walk up steps without Pammy lifting one leg at each step. Last night I walked up the stairs 15 times normally just for the exercise.

There was only one sour note in my time with the doctor. He said, “You must admit that you are getting older.” At that I fired back, “No, that is not true. I still have the body of a 40 year old man. My blood pressure is that of a 20 year old and I can do almost anything I could do when I was 38.” I have challenged any 20 year old to keep up with me on Bible runs to Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, or China. A few years ago I had a young couple with me for a Bible run to Laos. We had to cancel the last part of our trip as I wore them out. They collapsed in Pakse. I have taken some terrible spills on motor bikes that would have shattered the bones of most 50 year old. I just got up and went on. I took a tremendous spill right in front of our house four months ago where I got slammed to the ground as hard as it gets. It is hard to imagine anyone taking that with out breaking something. I was greatly humbled but stood up, started the bike engine and went on. My bones are like iron. But the doctor devastated me. He said, “Look at the X-ray of these bones. Just like the white hair on your head they are showing signs of deterioration. You are getting older.” I lost that argument. I may get some of my youth back but it looks like I am going to have to admit I am not 38 anymore.

After church this morning I came home and flopped down in my bed. Oh, it was the most wonderful feeling I have ever felt in my life. Every muscle, every nerve, every molecule on my body totally relaxed. I had been sitting in a plastic chair in a meeting where I didn't understand one word that was being said for an hour and a half. That is not a real intellectual engaging experience. I had no idea what anyone is saying. After while I got tired and began to look at my watch. How much more of this do I have to take? But now the services is over. I am free to go home. When my body hit that bed, I thought, “At last, I don't have to hold myself upright any more. I can get horizontal. I don't have to put up with the tension of trying to be attentive to something I don't understand. Oh, it felt so great to relax,

But it went much deeper than that. My body was totally comfortable. I wasn't hungry. I wasn't thirsty. I had zero pain in any part of my body. Oh, what a blessing that is! I have been in places where I knew real hunger. I have been in places where I knew real thirst; where I just craved something to drink. I have been in places where it was freezing cold and I was riding my motor bike in the rain; and still had an hour yet to go to get home. Every meter is spent wishing I wasn't there. Oh, to be home, to get warm and dry. But now I was there. I was warm and dry. Oh, that felt good. I have been in the spot where searing pain was screaming in my body. It was just like having your hand strapped to a hot frying pan and you can't get it off. There was no relief. It was 24/7. Sleep was impossible. Nights were spent walking the halls of the hospital. Oh, when will this pain quit? But now there was no pain. Oh, that felt good!

This past week has been as good as it gets. Jesus' Father has stopped by to fellowship with me every morning. One morning Pammy came to see me while I was having devotions. Copious tears were pouring down my face. Pammy understood. She just said, “Oh, you are having devotions.” How can you not weep? I was reading the Psalms. They were so real. Jesus' Father was there with me and I was talking to Him. He was listening to me, and hopefully would answer my prayers. But I was confused about many of the psalms. A good 50% of them are about the enemy. The psalmist was pleading with God to protect him or revenge him of his enemies. I asked, “Who are these? This doesn't apply to me. I don't have any enemies.” I am on perfect security. There is not a soul on this planet trying to get me. I have zero debt. I don't owe a soul a thing. I have no need. There is not a thing I need. I don't have a conflict with anyone. How can it get any better than this? I'm in Christ and Christ is in me. I have no idea what that means, but I know it is a fact. Oh what more can you ask? Oh the joy, the peace is tremendous!

I hope you have the same.

                                                                                          Love, bill

Physical Hardship continues...

13 July 2014


Dear Phyllis,


Greetings from the morgue. Last week I said my body has become like a corpse where rigor mortise has set in. It has been an honest four weeks since I first got a catch in my hip. That is still there to a minor degree but what has happened to the rest of the body is totally bizarre. At the moment my right arm is my biggest liability. It just hangs limp by my side. It is almost totally functionless. This could be my last letter. Yesterday I tired to type and the best I could do was to lift my right hand with my left and place it on the key board. But after that the fingers refused to move to contribute to the task of typing. If this keeps up this might be the end of writing.


I have given up on any thought of turning over in bed. That task is unthinkably out of reach. I can lay on my back or, on rare occasions, when I am getting in bed, I can lay face down. But I can't go from one position to the other without getting slam out of bed and getting in all over again.


Five years ago was was riding a train from Urumqi in Xinjiang to Xian, China sitting in a hard upright seat for 32 hours. The seat configuration was, two three passenger seats facing each other with a small table in between. The sleeping arrangement was to put your arm on the table and lay your head on your arm. I got on that train at midnight the first night, which meant I was lucky enough to spend two full nights sitting up right. When you are totally exhausted, putting your head on your arm on that table felt like sleeping on a Simons Beauty Rest. But there was a problem. There was a metal edge around that table that cut into your arm. The first couple minutes were so exhilarating you could ignore the pain in you arm, but after five minutes the pain in the arm became so intense it demanded a change of position for relief. The second alternative was to lean against the window. I was more fortunate than four others in that I sat by the window and could lean back with my head against it. But that too had a problem. My head was pressing against the window frame. Like the table deal, I could ignore it for a brief period but within a short time the pain in my head demanded relief. The sleeping arrangement for two night consisted of alternating between the two positions enjoying a brief rest until the pain demanding a change won the argument.


That is pretty much like I am dealing with now. There are only two possible positions to sleep in – lying flat on my back or on my left side. I lay on my back until that gets old then I can roll to my left side for a while. At first, the nights were pretty long, but the Lord has been gracious in allowing me more sleep now than what I thought possible.


This past week has been most unusual. Singha told me that he and his wife would be in Bangkok for one week so it was not necessary for me to go to school. That gave me a one week blank. Things took an unusual turn in Sangkapang in that our two students suddenly quit. That means that the school is temporally closed. The bed project I was doing with Pastor Ed of Abba House went spectacular. We were supposed to make 30 bunk beds by the end of August. We actually got them finished by the end of June. There is still more work to do but Ed said he and the boys could handle that without my presence. That gave one one full week of total rest. Usually I don't like that, but I suddenly found that there was nothing I enjoyed more than being unconscious. I would look at my bed and wonder, “What should I do? Look at the computer or take a nap?” The bed always won out. Two hours later I would wake up and think, “I really must get up.” I would drag myself to a sitting position on the side of the bed again and weigh the two option in my mind. In more cases than not the nap won out and I spent a good portion of every day in bed. I really didn't want to, as that made it more difficult to sleep at night, but I probably spent 18-20 hours in bed each day.


Three ,months ago I got bit by a dog. I really didn't know what happened at the time until later I looked down and saw blood trickling down my leg. I didn't put anything on it at the time, and was surprised that two months later it still hadn't properly healed. Several people thought my problem was because of that bite and insisted that I get a vaccination. I said, “Why should I do that? I am not dangerous and won't bite anyone.” No, I don't want or need a dog shot.


My niece Pam Gill has been extremely insistent that I must go to hospital – NOW! There has been a pretty consistent pressure from nearly all my friends that I must go to a doctor to see what is wrong. The other day my dear friends, Sheldon and Ellen Graber, sent me a nice e-mail. I responded as follows: //////////////////////////////////


9 July


Dear Sheldon,


How I love you! You two are one of the big ones on my life. Any note you send me is received with humility and thanksgiving. I appreciate the tone of your concern for me, but I am not sure it is accurate.


You say I should take care of myself. I do. This body does not belong to me and I must be careful about someone else's property. The fact that I have survived so long in such amazing condition should be a testimony that I do care for my body. I don't smoke, drink, take drugs and am not addicted to any substance. (Except perhaps Mennonite cinnamon roils). I get plenty of rest and eat properly.


I am not in love with doctors and their pills. It has probably been 50 years since the last time I was to a doctor (excepting when I cut my fingers off). Jesus said, “He that is well needs not a physician”. Why should go to one?


This momentary disablement is confusing. I have had it for a month now. It gets better and worse. Fortunately there is very little pain involved. If my back was out there would be pain. It started out with a catch in my hip, but then it spread to my entire body. I feel just like I am living in a corpse. I just can't move. Yesterday I sat down on the curb in front of my house and wondered if ever would be able to stand up again. Try as I might my legs simply would not lift me. It was like a had 100kg on each shoulder. With great effort I was able to slide around sideways enough to be able to push up with one arm. But that was a terrific trick to get in the air. Most body movement are engineering feats. When confronted with a situation I have to figure which limb has the resources to do the task. And then I have to figure out how to squirm my body around to get that limb in position so I can sit, stand, turn around, or pick up something.


I don't believe it is arrogance to say that my body is not 78 years old. Actually my body is considerably younger. A couple of years ago a nurse was taking my blood pressure for something and looked at me in surprise. She said, “Your blood pressure is that of a 20 year old man.” Until recently my tissue didn't age. Up until three years ago the nipples on my chest were as high as on a 25 year old man. Quite recently everything has gone south. But I shouldn't complain.


The Lord knows I have only one desire in life. I say Amen to Paul when he said his hope and earnest expectation was that Christ should be magnified in his body (Ph. 1:20). I really don't care what kind of a body Jesus gives me only as long as He can be honored in it. Up until now I have had a very health body, but if the Lord can get more glory in living in a corpse then that is the best one to have. I don't like it when I have to ask my wife to dress me as I can't put my pants on. But if this is more honoring to Jesus why not thank Him for it?


This might last but I doubt it. I can still ride a motor bike at high speed but getting on and off is a real trick. If this doesn't clear up then that will greatly restrict a lot of things I do every day. Physically I feel fine and the Lord is good in giving me reasonable sleep most of the time.


The only major point where the Lord and I have a disagreement is why He won't give me an exit visa from this earth. I have been trying to get one for many years. Why He should let a withered branch remain on the tree is a mystery. There is little I can point to as fruitfulness for Christ and I am embarrassed that He so badly over-pays me for what I am worth. If I was running a construction crew and had an unproductive man, I would thank him for his service, but tell him he can take his lunch pail and go home now. But I guess that is the Lord's problem. I get further and further in debt to Jesus everyday. There is no way I can get out of the hole of what I owe Him, but if grace will clear that account I can only stand in wonder, worship, and thanksgiving.


Thank you for the privilege of your fellowship in our marvelous Lord Jesus,
bill
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I am not happy living in a corpse. But as I pray about it the only thing that will come out of my mouth is thanksgiving. Of course I pray for healing, but that really is not a big issue. And I really am not that interested in knowing the cause, The only thing I know is that Jesus is in charge of my body and anything beyond that is His business – not mine. Jesus said, “ALL POWER is given into me.” Included in that, I believe He also has the power to cure ANY disease.


Last night my neighbor, John came over to see me. Half an hour later he was back with his car. He said, ' We are going to the hospital.” “No we aren't.” “Get in the car.” “No way.” You talk about a sawagi (squall, fight, riot);. Man howdy we had a huge one all night. Finally I said, “Okay I will go to prove to you that I am not a sick man.” That was my consolation. When we got to the hospital we had a war over a wheel chair. I said, “I don't need one. There is nothing wrong with my feet.” “Sit down!” He is a Dutchman. When they wheeled me in the emergency ward I said, “What am I doing here? This is where they bring sick people. Let's go home”. The nurse had the same challenge. “Do you have any pain?” “No! I feel fine.” “Where does it hurt?” “It doesn't. I just can't move.” The blood pressure was excellent. Few people are that healthy. Thank God for the doctor. After while I heard her say, “This is not a dog bit. He doesn't have rabbis.” “Oh thank thank you, thank you!” It was weird. I didn't understand a thing she said but I knew exactly what it was. That was worth the trip to the hospital by itself. Then the X-ray room. I said, “No way! I don't need an X-ray,. My bones are fine.” The X-ray proved I was right. Then the blood test. Of course it was good. I have no infection in my body. The doctor asked, “Do you want some pain killer?” “NO! N O!!! I don't need pain killer!” Three hours after we first arrived we left the hospital with three packs of medicine that I refuse to take. But at least I won the argument that I am a healthy man.


To repeat myself, the only thing in life that I am interested in is that Jesus is glorified in this body. Beyond that I don't care what kind if a body it is. Joni Erickson Toda hasn't enjoyed living in a corpse for 50 years, But Jesus has been honored in her body like very few in America. Miraculously Jesus lives in my body. What more can you say beside that. Let Him make the call. Let Him make the adjustment. Whatever He does is right. Oh praise God!


                                             Gratefully,
                                                                                                    bill

Physical Hardship

6 July 2014


Dear Phyllis,


For years I have haughtily boasted that I have never aged. I say at 78 my body hasn't changed in 40 years. My weight is almost exactly the same as it was 40 years ago. My physical strength has not diminished appreciably and my energy level is basically the same as it was then. Apart from the white hair and missing teeth there is little evidence of the passing of time.


But today I feel like Urashima Taro. Urashina Taro is a famous Japanese children's fable about a fisherman who saved a turtle from being tormented by children. The next day as Taro was by the sea the turtle appeared to thank him for his help the previous day. As a reward he offered to take Taro on his back to the castle at the bottom of the sea. Taro was delighted for such an invitation and road on his back to the castle. There he met the beautiful princes of the castle and spent a most enjoyable day. But as evening approached Taro excused himself and said he must get back as his mother would be worrying about him. Before he left the princes gave him a beautiful box with the instruction that he must never open it. When the turtle took Taro back, and he walked into town, he was stunned that there was nothing there that he knew. Everything was totally different. In his dismay he sat down and forgot the instruction of the princes, and opened the box. Suddenly Taro became 100 years older. This is the Japanese version of the English Rip Van Wrinkle.


I feel like this is exactly what append to me, minus the visit to the sea castle. But like Taro, I have suddenly aged 50 years. Suddenly, I have become a decrepit 90 year old man. About three weeks ago I got a slight catch in my hip. That is nothing unusual as I have often had things like this, and I am sure this is common to most people. I thought it would go away in a few minutes. But it didn't. The catch affected my left leg. I started to walk with a slight limp and made a conscious effort to conceal it. But it got increasingly noticeable at night. There were certain positions that were uncomfortable. This went on for two weeks until it began to affect my whole body. At first it was just difficult to lift my left leg. Putting on my pant became a chore. I couldn't get my leg in the air high enough to get my pants on, and had to lower the pants low enough to stick my foot in. But nights became increasingly uncomfortable. Sleep became sporadic, shallow, or impossible. The more my leg restricted my body movements, the more my body began to stiffen up. The stiffer my body got, the more the list of things I couldn't do increased. It was an amplifying process into paralysis. I got to the place where it wasn't just my left leg that I couldn't move but every joint in my body seized up to where my arms were stiff, my neck was stiff; my wrists were stiff, and it hurt to open and close my fingers. Thursday nigh it was impossible for me to turn over in bed. At 5:00 in the morning I asked Pammy to help me get up. I told her to pull my legs around to hang over the edge of the bed, and then pull me up in a upright position' I felt just like I was living in a body that had died and rigor mortise had set in. Walking was restricted to taking short six inch steps. Going up and down stairs was a major event. One night I flat couldn't do it. I would lift up my right leg to the next step but it was too painful to drag the left foot up. Pammy had to lift my leg which helped considerably.


Apart from living in a corpse with rigor mortise, basically I felt fine. I refused to slow down and went to school to teach and kept up my job of running two wood shops every day. Exercise helped considerably. Night and mornings were death, but once I got going, my body would limber up considerably. One night, as I finished work, and was walking toward my bike, it suddenly dawned on me that for two hours I had forgotten that I had an infirmity. But then my body stiffened up again.


Everyone has been begging and demanding that I go to a doctor. I said, “Non-sense! A doctor can't fix this. I'm not sick.” If I broke my arm I certainly wouldn't go to a dentist. Rosemary practically salaried chiropractors for 20 years. We have been to many chiropractors in both America an Japan. I am very familiar with them. A missionary chiropractor friend of mine once complained, “Your back is like a rhinoceros. There is nothing I can do with it.” That is true. For some miraculous reason I have always had a very strong back. This is particularly amazing as I have abused my back by lifting ridiculous heavy things for many years. A friend once asked me to help him move a US freezer. It was so heavy he was planning on calling a crane truck to get it to the road where we could load it on my truck. It was too much for three of us to lift. I told Bob, “If we can get this thing up on a chair I will carry it on my back to load on my truck.” He was in awe and terror when I walked away with that on my back and set it on my truck. On three occasions I have put my back out by lifting heavy things asymmetrically. In each case I went to a chiropractor within hours and had my back put right back in place. One time I put my back out at 8:00 in the morning lifting logs. The Japanese chiropractor was not as good as a couple I had been to in the states but that night I was able to lift 150kg planner to off-load from my truck.


This doesn't feel like a back out of place. I have no pain in my back, but I do believe a good chiropractor could help a great deal.


One time I had a very similar problem in Japan. I had been sitting on a kitchen stool in Tim Cole's house drawing plans for a church for four hours. When I stood up suddenly my back went bong. Dave was with me and he had to drive home. I was in agony all night. There simply was no position I could lay in that wasn't painful. I spent most of the night sitting in the bathtub. Floating in water was the only relief. The next day, some friends told me about a man who had learned manipulation in Manchuria before the war. He was not a practitioner but a simple farmer. We went to him that afternoon. I crawled in his house on my hands and knees and an hour later walked out. The next day we went to Manza to sit in a hot onsen, I don't know what did it, but after that I was fine.


Surprisingly we are in a fault line here in northern Thailand and have several places where hot sulfur water comes boiling out of the ground. It is not as good as Japan, but similar. I felt if I could go to an onsen in Sangkapang that would help me, but Pammy said there was a much better one in Lampang. Friday night her sister came up from Lampang to pick us up and take us to that hot springs the next day.


Before then, we had a most unusual time of prayer. It is hard to believe that the Lord won't answer that prayer in the Spirit. The Lord has reminded me that His Name is Jehovah Rapha – the Lord that healeth thee (Ex. 15:26). Also the 103^rd Psalm verses 2 and 5 tells us that the Lord “Healeth all thy diseases... and satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's”. The Lord forgive me if I am presumptuous, but it is hard not to believe that what He said is true. If the Lord actually does what His Words tells us is His promise, that means the Lord will certainly heal me and renew my youth.


In thinking about the miracles Jesus did in the gospels, I was reminded that with most of these healing miracles there was also a command. He told the man with the withered arm to stretch forth his arm (Lk. 6:10); He told the lame man to “Take up thy bed and walk (Jn 5:8). . He told the blind man to “Go wash in the pool of Siloam (Jn. 9:7). It was in obeying these commands that people were healed. As a young missionary the Lord promised me that He would give me the language (Japanese), but it was the will of God for me to go to school and study for two years. It worked out just that way. I went to language school but didn't get the language. But later He gave me the language. I obeyed the Lord by going to school, but it was later that the Lord gave it to me. There is no doubt in my mind but what the Lord has promised to heal Marisa of cancer. He could do that in an instant but Paul also believes it is the will of God for Marisa to have chemo and radiation. Personally I would prefer to see Him do it without the treatment. The other day Marisa was talking to a lady in the hospital about Jesus. The woman asked. “If Jesus is all you say He is why are you here with cancer?” Marisa immediately fired back, “I am here so I can talk to you.” AMEN! That explains it all.


The Lord could heal me without going to Lampang to a hot springs. But somehow I felt it was of the Lord to go. We got a very late start and I was a prototype of Grumpy the Goat. The place was nice but a long ways away from where I thought it was. I had Japan in mind, and this certainly was not Japan. But they did have private baths. I didn't expect anything hot in Thailand, but when I stuck my foot in the water I thought we had made a mistake and that was the place where they boiled the eggs. H o t?!!! Oh my goodness, if I wasn't Japanese there is no way I could have got in that water. But by using my Japanese onsen skill I was able to slowly ease myself in the water. I sat there probably longer than any human should have and then eased myself out. I lay on my back on the rough concrete tile with the hot water running under my back. It was great! Getting up and moving around was a terrific engineering feat. I was so stiff, I was almost paralyzed. But with great effort I was finally was able to pull myself upright again and take another dip. In Japan I would have been in a hotel and expect to stay 24 hours. But that was not that system. I must have been in there two hours when Pammy came in and said everyone was waiting for me. She was able to help me get dressed. I can't imagine how I could have done that by myself. I told her I was severely dehydrated and desperately needed water. She did get me a bottle that helped. But I was so shot when I walked out of there I felt like I needed to be on life-support.


They had a good Thai massage parlor and I thought a massage certainly wouldn't hurt. I have never had a massage in my life. I didn't know what to expect, but the gal who worked on me for an hour certainly knew her business. Three hours after we first arrived I was walking quite normal, whereas my best effort before were short six inch baby steps. It would be dishonest to say that I am perfectly normal but the pain is gone and I can do a lot of things that were impossible yesterday.


This morning, at breakfast, I had a terrific time talking to Pammy's sister's 19 year old son. I was amazed at the cutting edge the Holy Spirit was putting on my words. I take very little credit for that, but I did feel intensely that the Holy Spirit was leading me and giving me words that penetrated deeply into that young man's heart. His mother was thrilled and thanked me profusely for talking to him. If nothing else, that talk alone would have made this whole time of stiffness well worthwhile. Then at church I was unexpectedly asked to give a few words. They said five minutes. I did my best to be brief but it was 20 minutes later when I sat down. But again I felt what was said was directly given by the Holy Spirit. That too made the trip well worth while.


It is no fun suddenly being 50 years older. Hopefully this won't last too long and Jesus will renew my youth as the eagle. But in the meantime He has made me a very humble decrepit old man. I feel embarrassed acting my age. If this doesn't clear up that might put a serious question over my quest to go to Pakistan. I must make some decisions about my long term plans here in Chiang Mai very soon. I still have a month or two before I make the call, and this is one factor to be considered.


Otherwise things are quite good here. And I trust you are enjoying the hand of God upon your life as Jesus continues to move in His Church.


Oinori o arigato gozaimasu (Thank you for your prayers),
                                                                                                 bill


PS: Gomen nasai for being late this week, but we got back late from Lampang so I wasn't able to send this letter out on time.