Sangha

27 December 2015

Dear Phyllis,

Belated, Christ honoring blessed Christmas. Last Tuesday I had what was probably the worst and the best day I have had in Thailand in many years, and preached what may have been the best message of my life. It is not an original message but it may be the best Christmas message I have.

I was riding my Honda bike to school Tuesday morning wondering what I should talk about that day. It dawned on me that it was the 22^ndand perhaps I should talk about Christmas. I asked the kids what was so special this week. There is school on Christmas and it is not a special day in Thailand. But the children finally came up that the 25^th was Christmas. I said, “It is Jesus birthday.” “How long ago was He born?” 2015 years ago. The birth of Christ is the most important event on this planet since Adam first opened his eyes in the Garden. Humanity has measured time ever since as BC or AD. “Who made the world?” God “God made everything. He made the earth, the sun, little dogs, horses, people, and everything.” That was a five minute dialogue with the children.

Then I said, “Suppose you like ants.” Sangha said to me, “No they don't” “No, no. Just suppose they like them.” Sangah said to the children, “How many DON'T like ants” Every hand sent up. I asked Sangha, “Do you know the word suppose?” Apparently not. “Do you know the wordimagine?” I still don't know if he does or not. “Do you know the word think?” Yes “Just tell them to think they like ants.” “But they really don't” Good grief. So I went on, “There are a lot of ants in front of your house and you like to go out and play with them everyday.” “But they really don't like to play with ants.” “Please just say what I say.” I went on with my message that you loved those ants very much, but here was a road in front of the house with a lot of cars. One day the ants started going towards the road and you said, “Ants don't go to the road. It is dangerous”. Would they understand you? No Maybe they can understand English. Try saying in English, “Ants...road...No” Would they obey?” No. “Put up a sign – 'Do not go to road'. Would that stop them?” No. I was having a terrible time. Sangha was arguing about nearly everything I said. I was ready to tare my hair out and go home. Lord help me. Then I said, “Suppose you were God and you could do anything. You could make yourself anything. And you made yourself an ant so you could talk to ants.” Suddenly Sangha gasped, “I've got it! I've got it!” From there on he was good.

I explained how on Christmas this is what God did. To communicate Himself to people He became a Man. What was the message God wanted to tell us? I LOVE YOU. From there I explained the Gospel as clearly as I could that God loved people so much that He became a Man and as a Man He gave His life to save us from our sins. The second half of the message was a clear as it could get.

I thanked the Lord that at least we got the main point of the message across. But I was not prepared for what was coming the next day. When I got to school Sangha said, “I want you to talk to a different class today. I want the older children to hear that message.” Then he told me that he was so fired up that he had called all his staff, of over 25 teaches, together to tell them the ant story and how that is what happened on Christmas day, when the God who created all things became a Man so He could communicate Himself to humanity. I never saw such an excited man in my life. I asked, “What did they think” “Oh they were very impressed. They are all very interested.” 

There is one teacher for whom I have a tremendous burden. I wrote to you about Pak over a month ago. I asked, “What did Pak think about the message?” “She is #1. Of all the teachers she is the most interested.” Ever since I have had this burden for Pak I have been on him nearly everyday, “Tell her I want her to come to my house. We must talk with her” He always replies, “I have spoken with her but she just smiles.” Wednesday I had an inspiration, “You lead her to Christ. You know how you got saved, now you tell her.” It dawned on me, this is what it is all about. I thank God now that she didn't come to our house. The name-of-the-game is for Sangha to be a soul winner. If he can lead her to Christ that will be a greater miracle than for her just getting saved.

Sangha is the greatest gift Jesus has given me in the past two years. I well recall how he was in our house three years ago saying he wanted Jesus but he couldn't because of the school. I told him to ask Jesus to show him some way around that problem. The Lord did show him and he is clearly born-again. He loves the Lord and He loves the Word. Now the next thing is for him to love to see others saved. I never saw such an excited man as he was after that ant story. He gathered his entire staff, told them about it, and apparently got a very positive response. He is not ashamed of the Gospel. But up until now he has never attempted to lead someone to Christ. If this happens, and Pak gets solidly saved, that could make him a soul winning addict.

It is amazing how little we trust the Holy Spirit. We think if we don't do it people will never get saved. Sangha credits me for being his spiritual father. But actually I had very little to do with it. I was more of an observer than a participant. I was very impatient that he couldn't understand my message to the children but when the Holy Spirit explained it to him it became life. Now I feel if I don't tell Pak how to be saved she won't be. And if I don't teach Sangha how to do personal work he won't know how to do it. The truth is, in most of this I am more of a hindrance than an asset. The Holy Spirit alone can show us spiritual truth. And when He does it is life. I can teach verses and formulas but unless the Holy Spirit gives the gift to the person they will have nothing to give to others.

I thought that day was one of the worst times I ever had, but in retrospect that may have been the finest message I ever preached. I have never seen such a positive reverberation. Jesus said He would build His church (Mt. 16:18). It is a great honor if He allows us to lay a brick or two in His Temple.

Lord Jesus, give me the faith to believe You will do what You promised You would. And please give us a fruitful New Year,

                                                                                bill

Four Names

13 December 2015

Dear Phyllis,

The other day I was impressed by what volumes are expressed by a few obscure words in the Bible. I noticed how the book of Colossians and Philemon are joined at the hip. Onesimus was the object of Paul's letter to Philemon. Onesimus had been a slave of Philemon who apparently had stolen some money and took off. By Roman law that was a capital offense. Runaway slaves were executed and a thief on to of that, he definitely was dead meat. But after escaping from Philemon, Onesimus ran into Paul who led him to Christ. Paul said he would have liked to keep Onesimus with him but he was returning him back to his legal owner. That was nice but what Paul was asking was ridiculous. It would have been grace for an owner to take back a runaway slave without executing him – but a thieving slave...? What was totally unthinkable was that Paul was asking Philemon not only to take him back and forgive him – not as a slave – but as a brother in Christ. Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ could have come up with such an off-the-chart request.

Scholars are pretty much agreed that Philemon lived in Colossae. We know that he had a church in his house and, in all probability, the Church in Colossae was either the church in Philemon's house or that church had grown to become the Church in Colossae. In his letter to the Colossians Paul sends greetings from five people mentioned in the previous letter to Philemon. And one of them is Onesimus who is now one of the main co-workers with Paul. He is going to be one of the two to carry Paul's letter to Colossae. Paul calls him a“faithful and beloved brother” (Col.4:9). Oh my goodness, that no-account, runaway, thieving slave is now one of the major men in the 1^st century church. Obviously Philemon took him back as a family member and he grew tremendously in the Lord. Those who knew him must have been deeply impressed as he rapidly matured as a Christian standing up week by week sharing what the Lord had showed him and done for him. Increasingly he rose to take more and more a position of leasdership in the Philemon's house church. Then Philemon probably said, “Why don't you go and work with Paul?” In Paul's letter he had mentioned that he would have liked to keep Onesimus with him then. Now he comes back as a mature man of God.

The second name that impressed me was Epapharus. He was from that church in Philemon's house and was with Paul. This man is described as one of the great men of prayer in the NT. Paul said, “I bear him record that he hath a great zeal for you” and he previously said, “laboring fervently for you that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” (Col. 4:13,12). What a man of God. He came from Philemon's church and was now with Paul as a prayer warrior.

The third name that impressed me was Archipus. Most scholars are agreed that Archipus was a son of Philemon and Appia. He naturally would have been saved along with his mom and dad. Very naturally he would have had a favored place in the church as the son in that house. That confidence would have been well invested as he obviously was a gifted man and had a significant ministry. But as time passed there was a concern. He began to cool off. Other things began to take more interest and the ministry became secondary. The brethren were talking about it and when Paul wrote his letter back to Colossae he had a special message. Just before the end Paul inserted, “And say to Archipus, take heed to the ministry that thou hast received from the Lord, that thou fulfill it” (Col. 4:17). History does not tell us what happened after that. Hopefully that word of correction brought him to his senses and he was restored back to the prominence of Jesus being number one in his life.

A fourth name is Demas. He too was from Philemon's church and he was with Paul when Onesimus was saved. He was mentioned in the letter to Philemon and again in this second letter to the Colossians as saying “hello” (Col. 4:14). Demas is mentioned right along side of Luke who was Paul's most favored companion. Luke, of course, wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. He was with Paul from Acts 16 to the end. In Paul's last letter he mentions “only Luke is with me” (2 Tim. 4:11). But two verses before then Paul writes one of the most melancholic remarks in the NT – “Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world”. Paul had placed great confidence in Demas. He had known him from the early days in Philemon's house and he had been with him for several years. But the world secretly had first place in Demas' heart and in the end, what had been there all along, came out.

The Bible is full of gems like this. The unspoken testimonies of many of the great 1^st century Christians are put on display in very few words. How amazing that the Lord would lay his hand of a no-good, thieving, runaway slave and make him to be one of the major men with Paul. And a promising young man who had been with him through thick and thin at the last turned his back and loved the world.

We all have seen much of this today. It is bewildering that the guy who led me to Christ was the most outstanding young Christian man I had ever met. When he was 21 Johnny was the best preacher I had ever heard. In every respect he was one in a thousand. He was the one who first invited me to go with him to Stadsklev's house that later became my family. He was the one who said one night at 9:30, “I think I'll go talk to Cook”. He found me in a beer party, called me outside, and challenged me to give my heart to Jesus. I was saved that night. When he was 23 he was having seminars for pastors teaching them how to do personal work. We all assumed he would be a giant of a Christian. But rather than going in the ministry he wound up a senior Captain pilot for TWA. The last I saw him ten years ago, he was just moving into a new apartment and said, “I'm sorry I don't have anything in the refrigerator to drink. All I have is beer and wine”. I thought he was disgusting. His conduct and fellowship was the bottom level of Christian.

As I said last week, “It is not those who sparkle like rockets but those who finish well, they are the ones who win the prize in heaven.”

Lord Jesus, keep me faithful,

                                                    bill

Biggest News

6 December 2015

Dear Phyllis,

A month ago I wrote you, “The biggest news this past week was Paris”. Now today I must wrote “The biggest news this past week was San Bernardino”. News commentators in an attempt to be respectful to the US president call him incompetent. Incompetent is a very complementary word. Personally I feel they are mistaken. I don't feel he is incompetent at all. On the contrary I feel he is highly skilled and successful. I believe he is doing better than anyone could have expected. He has every right to be very satisfied with his accomplishment. To understand this view it is necessary to go back and review his close association with extreme anti-American radicals like Bill Ayers, and his close relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood is a front for terrorists. His uncle is one of the leaders of an extreme Muslim terrorists organizations and has been hosted in the White House several times. When Barack Hussein O (as Rush Limbaugh calls him) went on his apology tour at the beginning of his presidency, the Muslim Brotherhood was an illegal organization banned in Egypt. Hussein O insisted that they be given the place of honor in the front row when he spoke in Cairo. When violent unrest broke out in the Middle East and pro-western governments were toppled, Hussein O hailed this as the Arab Spring. Reality was that this turned out to be a nuclear winter for stability in the Middle East. I would be reluctant to suggest that Hussein O is a terrorist at heart, but it is a known fact that he has strong ties to terrorists groups. And any object examination of his speeches, actions, contacts and obvious mentality would have to admit that Hussein O certainly is a Muslim at heart. It would take 10,000 words to write the introduction to any paper enumerating his philosophy. As complementary as incompetent may be I really don't think he is. I believe he is right on his agenda or somewhat ahead of scheduled. Few would have believed it possible to transform America so radically in seven years.

When the Lord was gracious in giving us Ronald Reagan, I said this is a Josian revival. Carter had taken America so low I was ashamed to call myself an American. But for the eight years of Reagan I was so proud that I put up an American flag in my yard. If the Reagan years were indeed a Josian revival that means that everything after that is down hill to the end. The Lord was good in giving us Bush but it was during his term that American blood and resources began to be shed in fighting what is probably her last battle. In commenting on last Thursdays attack in San Bernardino one specialist said this is an act of war. Unquestionably that is true. But it a type of war unknown in history. 9-11 changed America permanently. San Bernardino will have the same destabilizing effect. It is amazing that only two people can have such an impact on an entire nation. The significance of San Bernardino is that it could happen anywhere. And, no doubt, it will happen everywhere. My friend Paul was working with anti-terrorism and was on surveillance of a house in upstate New York. He observed some highly unusual activity and notified the FBI. They checked it out and found it to be a warehouse filled with thousands of military grade weapons. That was just one small house in a small town in upstate New York. The question is, what do they have stored in other places all over America?

Recently I have been much challenged by Josiah. It would appear he was one of the greatest kings in Jewish history. The Josian Passover was the greatest Passover held since the days of Samuel. That is saying something. Even David and Solomon didn't have a Passover as great as Josiah's. His reformation was the greatest ever held. There was no one as thorough in stomping out idolatry as Josiah. He not only cleaned out the Temple and put down Baalism, but he tore down the house of the sodomites next to the temple and destroyed three temples that Solomon had built to three heathen gods. That was amazing. Those temples had been standing since the days of Solomon. And the ultimate was when he went up to Samaria and destroyed Jeroboam's alter at Bethel. 2 Kings 23 is a fantastic chapter.

But the astounding thing is that Jeremiahs ministry began in the 13^th year of Josiah; it went on for the next 40 years, and Jeremiah doesn't say one word about the Josian revival. On the contrary all Jeremiah talks about is doom and gloom. Josiah reigned for 32 years and Jeremiah was a prophet of 19 of those years. I was completely bewildered how it was possible for there to be such a revival and Jeremiah write about only judgment. I got a little light when the Lord showed me that the revival came when they discovered the Book of the Law in the Temple in the 18^th year of his reign. That means for the first five years of Jeremiah's ministry idolatry was business as usual and the sodomites where having parties next to the Temple. They were still burning children to Molech (2Kn. 23:10).

After that great Passover the Bible says nothing about Josiah until the 32^nd year when the Lord told him not to mess with Pharaoh, which he did, and got killed. The Lord gives Josiah high points with the testimony “there was no king before him or after him that turned to the Lord with all his heart” (2 Kn. 23:25)... “Notwithstanding, the Lord turned not from the fierceness of His great wrath wherewith His anger was kindled against Judah because of the provocation of Manasseh” (ver. 26). As great as Josiah was there are two things that stand out to me. One is that all his boys were no good. He had four sons that reigned after him. Two were for only a few months and two reigned for 12 years each. The last one was Zedekiah who was bad and got his eyes put out in Babylon. The second significant point is that when Jehoakim who took over a few months after Josiah, false prophets were in charge and idolatry was already flourishing. Obviously Judah went down hill badly in the later years of Josiah. Or in other words the revival was short lived.

One of the greatest revivals in modern time was the Lewis awakening under Duncan Campbell in 1954. In 1977 I was talking with Allen Redpath, who knew Campbell and the island of Lewis very well, and asked him what ever happened to that island. I was shocked when Redpath told me that the island was a dead then as it was before the revival. He said hundreds were saved and went out as missionaries but the church died out. Something like that must have happened to Judah. Those who win the prize with God are not those who blaze like rockets but those who continue on. That would explain Jeremiah's doleful message. It was great for a while but soon died down. 

If I am right that Reagan was a Josian revival that is very frightening. Ronald Reagan was fantastic! He was one of the greatest – if not the greatest president America ever had. Much of his staff were Christians and they say Bible studies and prayer meetings were common in many departments. As great a man as Ronald Reagan was his impact went only as far as his hand could reach. The slaughter of babies continued as it had ever since the Supreme Court made a law legalizing it. Reagan couldn't stop it. Pornography continued to gush out. Reagan had a commission on pornography and Jim Dobson was on it. But they couldn't stop it. Demonic rock music continued its meteoritic climb and he couldn't stop it. Reagan was a tremendous breath of fresh air but America continued its fatal plunge that started when five evil judges ruled that the Word of God and prayer to Jesus was banned for the US education system and many public places. Evil judges ruled that the Ten Commandments and other witness of the Bible were removed for government buildings. From 1981 to 1989 were possible some of our greatest years. The spirit of America returned to America. We walked with our heads held high, but I fear God had pulled the plug and there was no recovery.

What has happened since then was unthinkable in 1989. No one could have imagined that 26 years later the Supreme Court would make a law that sodomy and sexual perversion would be the law of the land and Christians could go to jail for not cooperating with it in their business. And the president would have the White House light up with rainbow colors celebrating the triumph of unmentionable immorality and sexual perversion. No one would have believed that the Attorney General of the USA would be a lawless man who spent more time prosecuting outstanding sheriffs than terrorists. No one would believed that we would have an administration that refused to close our borders allowing millions of illegal immigrants in and then there would be illegal foreigners suing states to grant them drivers licenses, the federal government granting them rights to vote, free education, food, and housing. In every other country but America if illegal foreigners are found they are either put in jail or deported. But in America they demonstrate for rights. And in 1989 who would believe that the man at the helm as the leader of America would be a Muslim at heart with an agenda to bring America down?

As we look at the political situation it is tremendously encouraging that there should be such a slate of truly outstanding men campaigning for the presidency. Any one of the top eight men would be incredible. Three are born-again deep men of God. What a salvation if the Lord would give to the states a man like that to take the helm. But if Ronald Reagan was indeed a Josian revival that means he was the last one. I fear there are many disastrous things that could happen. Ben Carson has suggested that it is not inconceivable that there may not be an election in 2016. That is highly possible. There are several things that could bring America down before then and it is a wonder that it hasn't happened already. There is a very large pool (cease pool) of the American population that are totally illiterate of history, politics, or morality. The only thing on their mind is drugs, sex and a free handout from the government, and they will support the candidate who will promise that. There is a strong possibility that the Republican establishment may mount an anti-Trump campaign blocking him as a candidate – pushing him to start a third party. If that happens the bad guys win. There are a lot of bad things that could happen in the next year. We are totally cast upon the grace of God. But if God has pulled the plug on America the day of grace is over and the thunder of the judgment of God may be upon us.

It makes me sick to my stomach every time I see a victory for evil. The Lord has reminded me that there is a lot of far more bad things to come. Very soon the very incarnation of the devil himself will win a resounding victory and there will be great celebration. Perhaps we should join in the celebration too – for a different reason. When that happens we know that he won't last two terms. He only has seven years. God has set the limit on that. And that is the beginning of the clock to Armageddon. Praise God! That is when Jesus wipes out evil and His Kingdom will be established on this earth. Oh praise the Lord we are close.

I might be completely mistaken. The Lord may have another 100 years for America and we could see a real man of God turn everything around. We could see evil people swept from power. But I doubt it. But praise the Lord, our Father has written the script and I am sure it will play out exactly as written. Someone once asked John Wesley what it would be like at the end of the world. He answered, “The end of the world... man, the end of the world will be the glory of God.” Amen!

Even so come Lord Jesus... quickly;

                                                                                     bill

End of Time

15 November 2015

Dear Phyllis,

The Lord wonderfully met with me this morning. I opened my Bible to Isiah 4 and the words just came out. “In that day the Branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious; and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy; everyone one that is written among the living in Jerusalem. When the Lord have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defense.” (Isa. 4:2-5).

The biggest news this past week was the ISIS attack in Paris. The world went bonkers over that significant terrorist attack. Everyone is calling, “What can we do to prevent this?” You can't. That is impossible. There is not a way in the world that anyone can scale down these terrorist attacks any more than anyone can prevent the judgment of God coming on unrepentant sin. If you throw a child off a cliff it will die. You can't stop it. We all know what is coming. The world is going to get exponentially worse and the anti-Christ is coming. The devil will be in charge and and there will be tremendous persecution. Praise God.

Jesus explained all this to us in the Sermon On The Mount. He told us about the two houses – one built on a rock and one built on sand. The flood came and proved what was real and what wasn't (Mt. 7:24-27). Phi Phi Island is a popular resort island in the Andaman Sea on the west side of southern Thailand. I have been there three times. The first time was on 1999 and it was tremendously over-developed with wall to wall cabins. Then in 2004 a tsunami hit that place and washed off the island. At the narrowest place it is only 200 meters wide. The water went right over it. When I was there the second time in 2005 it was a totally different place. Only the solidly built places were left.

Leonard Hasson was a close friend. He was asked by a missionary to go to Guadalcanal to build a church. On the plane the missionary showed him the blue prints for the church. Len shook his head and said, “No way”. He totally redesigned that church and built it the right way. A year later a massive typhoon hit Guadalcanal and cleaned out the island. Everything was blown away except the church.

These things have got to come. There is nothing wrong with a flood and high wind if the building is put up the right way. It only proves how it was built. The Lord will send His storm to weed out the junk and show who is real and who is phony.

After my world collapsed in 1990, when I lost my family and everything I had; some people praised me for still being on my feet following Jesus. I said, “My goodness, when the ship sinks, what are you supposed to do; throw away your life jacket?” When I got cleaned out and the only thing left was Jesus, He was the only thing I had to cling to. A similar thing happened one time in the life of our Lord when Jesus told the Jews that they would have to eat His flesh and drink His Blood. That really thinned down the crowd. When only a few were left standing He turned to the disciples and asked, “Will you go too?”. Peter answered, “Lord, where can we go? You have the Word of eternal life.” (Jn. 6:53-68). Amen!

Last Wesdnesday I was surfing YouTube and ran accross a speaker I had never heard before. I first found Joel Richardson on a YouTube site with Chuck Missler. Then I saw him twice on the Jim Baker Show. And finally listened to two messages he preached at a Messeanic prophetic conference in Tacoma. Listening to him I have changed my position on three major escatological issues. There are two views of the time of Ezek. 38,39. I have always held to the position that this invasion happens at the beginning of the seven years of tribulation. But after listening to Richardson I am now convinced that this is Armageddon. He points out that this is God's great supper for the buzzards and the language of Ez. 39:17-20 is identical to Rev. 19:17,18. I don't see how you can make it at any other time. Secondly, Walid Shoebad has remarked that nearly all Christian commentators are westerners who look at end time prophecy through western eyes. Walid, being born in the Middle East, looks at these prophecies from an eastern position. After listening to him and Joel Richardson I can see now that all the nations mentioned in Ezek. 38,39; Dan. 2,7,8,11 are Islamic Middle East and north Africa nations. I believe that Richardson and Shoebad are right and the eastern position is correct. Thirdly Joel says that the Islamic nations today are alive with excitement in anticipation of the appearance of the Islam messiah, their Mahdi. I was amazed that the Islamic writings of Mahdi are nearly identical to our Bible passages describing the anti-Christ. Their Mahdi is to Islam exactly what the Bible tells us about Jesus when He returns to set up His Kingdom. He is the 12^th Imam and will rule the world. It is hard to disagree with Richardson that what they are looking for is none other but the Bible anti-Christ. And they expect him momentarily. I tend to agree with them and feel they are right. Richardson says he feels strongly that – since Obama has pulled America out of Iraq – the next move on the Middle East chess board will be a massive invasion of Iran with Russia into Iraq to wipe out ISIS. Iraq is already joined to Iran at the hip. They both are Shia. Richardson says that Turkey is backing ISIS as they both are Sunni. When Iraq cleans out ISIS, Turkey will retailate with a major move against Iran. He sees this in Dan. 7 and 8. He might be right.

What happened in Paris is only the pitter patter of a few drops of rain of a catagory 5 hurrican that is coming to wesrern nations very soon. Richardson has given me a new perspective of world events and end time prophecy. There is a huge storm and fire coming to this earth, but when it all blows over what is left will be beautiful. This is Isa. 4. It is going to get awfully bumpy for the next few miles. It will be hold-your-hat-Hanna, but the spirit of judgment and burning will do its work and will clean out the junk. God's wonderful Kingdom will be beautiful. We could be weeks away from the time when we see end time events on the 6:00 o'clock news.

Praise God! bill

And More Hegge Iverson

8 November 2015

Dear Phyllis,

I said I would quit Hegge Iverson stories at two letters but there is one more that I want to share. This one is my favorite.

There was a Jewish lady in Seattle that was virtually a vegetable. Her husband was a wealthy, successful, business man but this poor soul had been troubled by serious emotional problems for 18 years, and had been in a revolving door going in and out of mental hospitals. There was a conservative Jewish Rabbi that was very fond of Hegge who recommended this lady go to Hegge for help.

Hegge hadn't been talking to her long before he put down his clip board and said, “You need to meet my Boss. He is a world famous psychiatrist who specializes in cases like yours.” “Does he live in Seattle?” “Yes”. “Could I meet him?” “I will speak to Him tonight about you and try to set up a meeting tomorrow. But I promise you that I will give you a hand written note from Him tomorrow.” Her heart soared. For the first time in years there was a shaft of hope of meeting a psychiatrist who could help. After she left, Hegge prayed, “Lord Jesus, You have got to get me out of this one. What can I say to her?” The thought came, “The woman said unto Him, I know that the Messiah cometh which is called Christ. When He cometh He will tell us all things. Jesus said unto her, 'I that speak unto thee am He'”. (Jn. 4:25,26). He wrote that down on a piece of paper and stuck it in his coat pocket.

The next morning the woman came in all excited. “Were you able to speak to the psychiatrist last night?” “Yes, I spoke to Him about you.” “Can I meet him today?” “Yes, He will be here in a few minutes. But first He gave me a message for you.” Hegge handed her the paper and told her, “Now please read this and don't say anything until you have read it to the end.” She read it, looked at Hegge with surprise, and said. “They told us at the synagogue that Jesus was not the Messiah.” “This says that He is. Now kneel down. We are going to talk to Him.” “But they told us that Jesus is dead.” “Lady, I don't talk to dead people.'' “But I can't see Him.” “Your eyes will be opened as soon as you get on your knees.” She knelt down, and Hegge led her in prayer to accept Jesus as her savior. When they got reseated, Hegge said to her, “Now Jesus has three things He wants you to do. He wants you to throw away your house coat.” She never dressed in the morning but went around all day in a ragged house coat. “Jesus wants you to go to a beautician and get your hair fixed. And He wants you to clean up that stack of dishes in the sink.” She seldom washed the dishes and there was always a stack in the sink.

Two months later her husband called and asked, “What in the world did you do to my wife. She has been to every psychiatrist in Seattle; she has been on every medication known, and nothing helped. She saw to you twice, came home, and threw away her house coat. She always gets dressed the first thing every morning. She got her hair fixed up and now she is beautiful. There is not a dirty dish in the house. As soon as a cup gets used, it is immediately washed and put away. And all she does is walk around the house all day singing.What did you do to her?” “I didn't do a thing. She met my Boss.” “I'ld like to meet Him too.”

Hegge said one of the most difficult cases he ever dealt with was a man who was catatonic. Catatonia is the last stage of mental illness. Psychiatry has no answer for it. This man was like a zombie. When he walked you had to push him like a wheel borrow. If his arm was extended, it would stay that way until you pushed it down. To sit down in a chair you had to push him down. This was not a case that was settled in two visits but simply in answer to prayer after several months the man came out of catatonia and Hegge said last summer he painted his house by himself.

Hegge was such a phenomenon that he was invited to speak to the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Washington. Hegge remarked, “Did I tell them about Jesus? I certainly did”.

I have forgotten the details of this one but there was a lady who came to him whose husband had walked out on her. After many months of silence suddenly he walked in the house one night and said, “Hi, I'm home”. She didn't know what to think but she forgave him and welcomed him back. It was late afternoon. They lived right on the bank of the Puget Sound. He said, “While you are fixing supper I want to go out in my boat and do some fishing.” He never returned. They found the boat floating and suspected he had drowned. They dredged the Puget Sound looking for a body but nothing was ever found. By that he was officially declared dead. The wife asked Hegge to have the funeral. He said, “Somehow I feel he is alive”, but he did the funeral.

A year later a man was working on a roof in Oregon when a small tornado came out of nowhere, picked the man up off the roof, and dumped him 100 yards away. (They never have tornadoes in Oregon.) The man miraculously survived but was in critical condition in the hospital. A police investigation found an old Washington State drivers license in his room under a different name than he was known as. Somehow his brother was contacted and recalled that Hegge had done the funeral. He contacted Hegge, and it was determined that this was the lady's husband in the hospital in Oregon. Hegge called the wife and said, “We have to go down there to see him.” She replied, “Hegge, oh no, I don't want to go on any more.” “I'm sorry, Shirley, but Jesus says you must.” Hegge said he never saw a man so badly beaten in his life. At last report they were living together.

The Bible says, “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.” (2Ch. 16:9). This is a very intense search by God looking for a man with the right kind of heart. There are very few. But He found one in Hegge Iverson and showed Himself stunningly strong in doing astounding things..

Lord Jesus, we aren't Hegge Iverson, but You can make us better to use us more.

                                                                                              bill cook

More Hegge

1 November 2015

Dear Phyllis,

Continuing the Hegge Iverson narrative:

One day Hegge got a phone call from a lady asking, “Mr. Iverson are you filled with the Holy Ghost?” “I'm sorry mam but I can't discuss that over the telephone.” “Well I live out on the peninsula and I don't want to come all that way to talk with someone who isn't filled with the Holy Ghost.” “You come in anyway and I believe we can help you.” Hegge hung up the phone, went out in the reception room, and said to the secretary, “Great day! She's huge. Her hair is a mess, she has yellow teeth, and her stockings are rolled down.” The secretary asked, “Who is that?” “The lady that I just talked to on the phone”. The secretary looked at him like she should call 911 and get some help. But Hegge said, “When I talked to her on the phone it was like I was looking at her on a screen. She is coming in tomorrow and you will see.” The next morning the secretary came into Hegge's office and gasped, “She's huge, her hair is a mess. she has yellow teeth, and her stockings are rolled down”.

Hegge got out is clip board and began asking personal information – married, husband's name, “Is he saved?” “No.” “Why isn't he saved?” “He hates Jesus.” Hegge put his clip board down and replied, “He doesn't hate Jesus. He hates that hypocrite inside of you. He hates that 5 lbs box of chocolates you have hidden under the bed and all those empty sacks of potato chips scattered all over the bedroom. He hates you pretending to diet and not eating with the family while you are cheating in the bedroom.” A month later her husband called and asked, “What did you do to my wife? She saw you one time, came home, and started losing weight. She got her hair fixed. She is disciplined and sits at the table with the rest of us eating reasonable meals.” Hegge said, “I didn't do anything. She met Jesus.” The husband replied, “I want Jesus too.”

Another time a lady called him and asked, “Do you have any legal experts on your staff?” “Yes mam, we have three of the finest legal experts in the universe on staff.” “My husband is a pedophile and I want to put him in prison.” “Mam, you come in and I believe we can help you. I will try to get him in” [in Jesus]. The lady came in and explained how her husband had molested their 12 year old daughter. As Hegge listened to her story he suggested, “When you got married, did you look at your husband and thought in your heart, 'Someday this man is going to molest my child'? When your daughter was born, did you think, 'Someday this man is going to molest this girl'? Have you been thinking that for 12 years?” She burst into tears. Hegge went on, “You have made this man what he is and now you want to put him away in prison. Lady, I don't call that fair!” The woman wept and confessed that Hegge had called it right on the button. Then he asked, “What is your husband's phone number?” She responded, “My husband is a high level executive with Boeing Aircraft. He will never see you.” Hegge said, “He will see me”.

He called him and said, “Mr. Blackburn, this is Hegge Iverson of Burden Bearers. I would like to see you in my office immediately.” “Iverson, I am a very busy man and I can't see you.” “Sir, I am not asking you to come in; I'm telling you, if you are not in my office in 15 minutes I will have you arrested in 20 minutes.” “For what?!!” “FOR INCEST!” “Oh no!” Ten minutes he came rushing in the office. His wife sobbed and begged him to forgive her. He was completely broken. He begged forgiveness and Hegge led both of them to Christ. Then they called in the 12 year old daughter and she forgave her father for molesting her. The happy family lived on following the Lord.

Another time a woman came in a said, “I have no idea why I am here. My marriage is terrible and I am 100% committed to getting a divorce. But my friend made me promise that before I signed the papers I would speak to you.” He asked, “What is the problem?” “Bad chemistry.” “Horse manure. Rabbits breed.” The woman was Catholic and Hegge got out his Catholic Bible that he kept in his drawer for talking to Catholics. He showed her in the scripture that she didn't have grounds for a divorce. He said, “I am sorry but my Boss said you can't get a divorce.” She asked “Are you Catholic?” “Yes, I am a priest.” “Do you have communion and go to confession?” “Yes, everyday.” She had never met anyone so devout. She reluctantly agreed not to proceed with the divorce but warned her father was a district judge and her husband was a lawyer and a very dangerous man. Everyone was totally committed to a divorce. 

A few days later Hegge had a phone call from a very irate man. “Iverson, what are you doing messing with my divorce?” “I'm sorry, sir, but my Boss told me that you can't do it.” “Iverson, I'll have you in court. I am a member of the largest law firm in the state of Washington.” “Little boy, you and your two bit law firm aren't big enough to take us on. I am a member of the biggest law firm in the universe.”

They agreed to meet at the Seattle Yacht Club for lunch. While they were eating the man demanded, “Iverson, who is your boss. I am going to squash him like a bug.” “Jesus Christ!” The husband dropped his fork and gasped, “Oh no! Oh no! Let's get out of here.” The two of them went back to Hegge's office and Hegge led him to Christ. Hegge said every year he gets a lovely Christmas card with a beautiful picture of the happy Christian family lined up with all five kids. 

There is more. We had four days of that in Karuizawa. Some people protested, “Not everyone is as clairvoyant as you are”. That certainly is true. He was he most clairvoyant man I ever met. Hegge countered that by saying, “Everyone has a degree of clairvoyance by virtue of the fact that they have the witness of the Holy Spirit in them. The one thing that stood out the most about Hegge Iverson was he was the most over-the-top, given-to-Jesus, man I ever met. He consistently walked out in areas with the Lord where no one else would dare to go. His motto was “We can help you” and he counted on the Lord to be with him and do things for him on a daily basis that was unthinkable for most.

Hegge has long since gone to join that large assembly before the Throne worshiping the Lamb. Someday we will all have the chance to join them and it will be great to hear the rest of the story.

                                                                             bill

Hegge Iverson

25 October 2015

Dear Phyllis,

Last week I had an unusual letter from a brother asking if I knew any Hagge Iverson stories. Man howdy. I have written about Hagge Iverson before but would be delighted to do it again.

I knew Hagge's brother-in-law and sister, Bob and Ruth Frevold, real well, so it was our privilege to have Hagge in our home when he was in Japan in 1979. That conference was one of a kind. Thirty seven years later I can still recite his messages like they were a CD burned in my mind.

Hagge's mother was an old time Norwegian Pentecostal. He was raised Pentecostal and had been a genuine hard-charging, wild-fire, Pentecostal evangelist most of his life. When he was in his fifties he returned from preaching a dendo (evangelism) series to be struck with the death of his 21 year old daughter. His world collapsed. His grief was inconsolable. A few weeks after her death he was walking the streets of San Diego at 3:00 in the morning with a sock in his mouth trying to muffle the sound of his wailing. He wandered in a small chapel that was unlocked and knelt at the altar up front. As he knelt there sobbing the Lord spoke to him saying, “Hegge, what are you doing here?” He replied, “I'm crying.” The Lord asked again, “Why are you crying?” Hegge responded, “Because my heart is filled with grief.” Then the Lord said, “Have you ever thought about having your heart filled with the Holy Spirit?” That was a stunning question. In a pivotal moment of his life, Hegge pleaded, “Lord Jesus, would You please explain to me how I could be filled with the Holy Spirit?” What a man! He was a true Pentecostal preacher but he tore up the errors of Pentecostalism harder than anyone I ever heard in my life. No conservative could preach like that.

In 1964 the Lord led him to open a counseling service in Seattle called Burden Bearers. His motto was, “We can help you”, and he said he never had less than a staff of four – The Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and Hegge. He was always the junior member of the staff. When he first opened his office he sat there alone with his staff for three days and not a soul walked through the door. The fourth morning he was waken out of sleep by a woman in front of his house screaming bloody murder. Hegge jumped out of bed and ran outside to see what was happening. A man was out there beating up a lady. He ran back in the house, pulled on his pants, and dashed outside again to tackle the thug. He said to abbreviate the story, the headlines in the Seattle Times that night was “Cleric pins Crook”. The next day the phone rang off the hock with people calling for counseling.

He was the biggest phony I ever met. He would fake it from the top, but he was dead honest. A man called him one day asking if he had any financial experts on staff. Hegge said he didn't know how to balance a check book but he replied, “Yes sir, we have three of the best in the world.” The man said, “Good, I have some financial problems that I need to talk with some one about them. Hegge responded, “Sir, you come in and We can help you.” The next day the man came in with an arm load of financial journals. Hegge got out his clip board and began asking the man personal information – name, age, address, etc. He asked his mothers name. The man said, “What has that got to do with it? She's dead.” Hegge responded this has everything to do with it. What was the last thing your mother said to you when she died?” The man was offended, “That's none of your business.” “That is all of my business. What did she say?” “Well if you want to know, she said, 'Son will you accept Jesus as your savior?' ”. Hegge pinned him, “Are you going to do it?” Twenty minutes they got up off the floor where they had been kneeling, that was wet with tears. The man threw his arms around Hegge and cried, “I came in here to talk about financial problems and God sent me in here to get saved.” The Lord solved his financial problems.

Another time a man called asking if he had any youth counsels on staff. Hagge responded, “Yes sir, we have three of the best in the business.” The next day the man came in with a stack of notebooks he had written about his wayward son. They sat down and the man began to read the volumes he had written of all the deviltry his son had been in. After he read a few lines Hagge stopped him and said, “That's enough.” The man asked, “Don't you want to hear more of all the bad this kid has done?” “No, that's plenty. Now kneel down, raise your hands and say, Hallelujah.” The man replied, “Say, are you Pentecostal?” Hagge snapped, “Don't you ever say that word in my office. That word is divisive and God hates it!” The man replied, “Well, I'm Baptist.” Hagge said, “You certainly are a rebellious one and the rebellious shall dwell in a dry land.” The son had left home a year previously but two weeks later he suddenly came back. The next night the father knocked on his sons bedroom door and said he would like to talk with him. He said, “Son, how would you like to go to the Space Needle together tomorrow night?” The boy was stunned and asked, “Dad, aren't you ashamed of me with my long hair?” “No son, I'm proud of you. But would you forgive me. I have been a bum father.” The next week the boy came into Hagge's office and asked, “Could I meet the counsel that fixed my father?” Hagge said. “Yes, we will see if we can arrange it.” Today that boy is a pastor.

I could go on for pages telling Hagge Iverson stories. He had a terrific impact on my life. I greatly enjoyed the conference in 1979 but in 1995 I got out a box of old Karuizawa conference tapes and listened to Hagge's messages again. I got more out of them the second time than I did the first.

I apologize that my weekly letters are so lengthy. I believe anyone who who reads them clear to the end gets special credit in heaven. Rather than making this one a six pager I will do something unusual and quit here with the promise to continue next week. The Lord only made one Hagge Iverson, but the same Jesus Who filled him with the Holy Spirit has made Himself available to all of us and it is our great privilege to walk with Him daily. Have a great time serving Jesus.

See you next week,

                                               bill

Calamity

18 October 2015

Dear Phyllis,

1980 was the most calamitous year of my life – up to that point. It later got worse. I can't begin to innumerate the disasters that fell upon us but the highlights were; I got sacked from the language school, which had been my life, we were told to leave our house, which had been the greatest treasure in my life, and we had been ostracized from the missionary community in Karuizawa where I had always had a very good relationship. I was glassy eyed and staggering when we arrived back home to Greenville, SC. But all the calamities that had fallen upon us were only the warm-up for the main event that was about to happen.

There were three main pillars in my life. One was our home church in Greenville, one was Joe Carroll, to whom I had devoted my life, and one was a wonderful Baptist church in Glendale, that had been our main support for the past seven years. I had given 1972 and 73 to Joe in working on his new Evangelical Institute Bible school in Greenville. My plans were to return to Greenville and give him one more year working for him for free. To my utter bewilderment when I got home I discovered I was persona non-grata at the Institute. But more bewildering was our home church. Previously we had been very popular missionaries and a top speaker. But we returned back home to spend nine months attending church regularly and not even being introduced that we were in the audience, much less, never being asked to lead in payer or standing in the pulpit one time. The explanation for these two mysteries was truly amazing.

But after spending nine months in Greenville we went west to stay with Bob Holsten in a little cow town in Colorado. Oh, I thought I had arrived in heaven when we got to Colorado. But we hadn't been there long before we heard from our home church in Greenville that we had been deleted from the fellowship and, totally unexplained, our main supporting church in Glendale called to say that they were dropping our support. Crash!

That July I was one of five drivers in a five truck caravan hauling a new school teacher from San Jose, Calif, to Wiggins, Colo. We had been driving almost non-stop for two days. At 2:00 AM we came to a small rodeo site in a deserted place in Nevada and pulled in for a brief rest. We slept for three hours on the roof of our trucks and cranked up again to go on at 5:00. At 6:00 we pulled into a restaurant in a rest area for breakfast. Such a life was not conducive to a deep devotional life and while waiting for my pancakes I got out my Bible for a brief time of devotion. At random I opened my Bible to Job and read, “I go forward but He is not there, and backward but I cannot perceive Him: on my left hand where He doeth work but i cannot behold Him. He hideth Himself on the righth hand that I cannot see Him. But He knoweth the way that I take; when He hath tried me I shall come forth as gold. … I have esteemed the Words of His mouth more than my necessary food. But He is of one mind and who can turn Him? And what His soul desireth even that He doeth. For He performeth the thing that is appointed for me.” Oh my goodness! What a moment! If ever there was a shaft of light that pierced the darkness of my soul it was that morning. What a joy it was to be reminded that when I was in darkness and couldn't see three feet in front of me Jesus was still there. He knew all about it and He was the One who was going to “perform the thing that was appointed for me”.

It was shortly after that that one day it suddenly dawned on me the only way I could know what to do for my impossible future was to get a word from God. There was a wonderful Bible school, Raven Crest, in Estes Park. I knew Chris Thomas who was the director and called him asking if I could stay there for five days of fasting and prayer to seek the Lord. What happened that week is another more amazing story that space will not allow me to share right now. The gist of it was that I wound up going to a Cliff Barrows family conference and never missed a meal. But the bottom line was, the last night – through the most unimaginable way – the Lord spoke to me showing me what to do.

When I got back to the ranch Rosemary asked how I made out at Raven Crest. I said, “Great! I went to a family conference and never missed a meal.” She groaned, “Oh no! Now you have to go back and do it again.” I replied, “No. Pack the bags. We are going back to Japan.”

That was in August 1981 We had always been badly under-supported. We had the lowest missionary support in Karuizawa. Now we had lost 90% of that. We didn't have enough support to buy dog food. But we got on a plane to go home to Japan.

A year later we were with Japan Mission in Ikoma. They paid for the construction of the finest home I ever lived in – the Joy Corral. Our neighbor, Terauchi, was the 12^th wealthiest man in Japan. He had a private swimming pool that he asked me to take care of and consider it our own private swimming pool. As far as I know I was the only missionary in Japan with a private swimming pool.

This past Friday morning I had a wonderful time of meeting with the Lord. He reminded me of all His astounding goodness to me. I wept as I pleaded, “Lord Jesus, eternity is inadequate to thank You for all You have done for me.” Oh my goodness, angels exhaust themselves worshiping God. Where do we stand? Angels know nothing, personally, of the debt we owe to the Lord for forgiveness of sin, salvation, and being placed in Christ. Should we not out-shout them in saying, “Thank You Lord! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!...” Oh what can we do? I am mattaku komaru (huge big problem). The only thing I have is an empty cup to hold out to Jesus. My hands are slam empty. I have absolutely nothing to offer Him. If I was a young man and gifted, I could offer Him my life. But at 80 and sitting on my balcony 12 hours a day with virtually nothing to do, the only thing I can think of is prayer. But that is one of my weakest points. I am trying to spend a little time in prayer each day. But most of my time is spent void of a spirit of prayer. I am toughing it out for a few minutes on my knees reminding the Lord of a few things that need His attention. How can we honor His Name and bring the Kingdom of God down here so that His will is being done, in our lives and surroundings, as it is being done in heaven? I don't know. My only consolation is that He sees me. He knows the way I should go. And He must perform the thing that is appointed for me. Oh Lord Jesus, You are wonderful.

                                      bill

Niki

11 October 2015

Dear Phyllis,

There is a teacher working at the Netlahong Kindergarten where I teach that has attracted my attention ever since I first met her. She has the saddest most pained look on her face. I have always thought, “That poor soul has a great deal of sorrow and pain in her life.” Last week Sangha told me that she was recently divorced from a very violent, heavy drinker, husband. Her mother died two years ago at 54 and her father is in bad shape with TB. That explained much to me. Since then I have had a heavy burden for Pak that she finds the Lord and be filled with the joy of Jesus. She reminds me of Niki san. I have told you about Niki before but her testimony is so unusual it bears repeating.

On September 1^st 1983, a Russian fighter shot down Korean KAL 007 passenger plane just off the coast of Hokkaido. Of the 269 passengers on board there was a man who lived in our neighborhood in Ikoma and His wife distinguished herself as a Christian. Further more, I learned that her children occasionally went to the Sunday school at the Japanese church where we attended. I had a deep burden to meet this lady to support her during this time of intense loss. I asked a close friend who was working with the children in our church to introduce me to the mother. Shortly after that I was preaching in the church one Sunday. The next Sunday I was to a different church but the third Sunday Yumi chan told me that a widow had been in church the week I preached and pointed her out to me. After the service I approached the lady and invited her to come to our home for supper Tuesday night. What a night! It turned out we had the wrong person and I never did meet the woman who lost her husband. But Niki had one of the most amazing testimonies I ever heard.

Niki was born into a normal, slightly upper-middle class, family of three sisters. She had been blessed with a happy marriage except they had been married for many years before she was finally able to conceive. Like a number of Japanese women, she choose to go home to be with her mother for the birth of the child which turned out to be a healthy little boy.

A month after the child was born her husband called from Wakayama saying the next day he was coming to pick up Niki and Ta chan. Niki said she had to go to Osaka that day for the one month check for the baby. Her husband said, “That is even better. I have something I want to get checked and I will meet you at the hospital”. Two weeks later the hospital notified them that there was a concern about the test they had taken on her husband that required further examination. He went back to the hospital and two weeks later he was dead.

Niki's world collapsed. She had been happily married for ten years. At last they finally had a baby. She had two weeks of family life and her husband was dead. Of necessity she returned home to Ikoma to live with her parents so her mother could take care of the child while she went to work. Two years later the second tragedy struck when her mother died of cancer. Unbeknown to her there was a Christian woman who lived in that neighborhood who stepped forward offering to take care of Ta chan so Niki could continue going to work. She was grateful to the lady and politely listened to her tell her about Christianity but that was not a subject she had any interest in, other than Christianity was probably a kind religion.

Ohaka maeri is a pretty serious ceremony for Japanese where the relatives are supposed to visit the grave sites of loved one showing their respect and regards to the departed dead spirits. Her husband's grave was in Wakayama that was about 50 km from Ikoma. Niki had an older sister that lived in Wakayama that she could stay with when she went down there for the annual ohaka maeri. On the fourth year her sister surprised her by saying that she and her husband had become Christians. Niki thought that was okay for them. Kirisuto kyo (Christianity) wasn't a bad religion but that had nothing to do with her. But the next year was a shock. When she went to Wakayama she was stunned by the radical transformation of her sister and brother-in-law. She thought, “What in the world changed this disgusting man into such a pleasant gentleman?” Her sister explained that they were having some kind of a Bible study in their home that night and she was welcomed to join them if she cared. Niki said she had never been in anything like that in her life. About a dozen people just sat in the living room reading and talking about the Bible. I asked her, “What were they studying?” She said it was about some man who died and then Jesus brought him back from the dead (Jn. 11). But then she added, “It was the strangest thing. I thought they were talking about me and when Jesus said, 'Take away the stone', I thought He was talking to me.” After disaster had struck Niki so hard, her younger sister got married and had a blissful married life. Niki was bitter. She had it so rough and her sister had such a wonderful life – it wasn't fair. Bitterness had filled her heart and it had been two years since she had spoken to her sister. She felt her heart was a grave, and if she took the stone away, life would come out of the grave of her heart. Niki said after the meeting that night the folk there had given her a couple of books to read, and encouraged her to go to church in Ikoma.

The next Sunday she had no plans to go to church but surprised herself when she showed up there. Ta chan was acting up so she went out to the foyer of the church and listened to the message from there. Some gaijin (foreigner) was preaching about a fountain. Niki thought in her heart, “I am thirsty. I would like to drink”. She thought the gaijin was the pastor but the next week a Japanese pastor was speaking. But the third week, after the service, the man who had spoken two weeks previously spoke to her inviting her to come to their home for supper.

Rosemary and I were sitting on the edge of our seats listening to this amazing story for over an hour. Ta chan had to go to the bathroom and Rosemary was exploding. She said, “We have got to get this woman saved!” We had a stack of Kichijoji, Hihari Yo Are, books that we were giving out. Rosemary got one and placed it on the table. When Niki came back from the bathroom she gasped, “That is the same book I got in Wakayama!”. She had read it with rapted interest and added, “There was a beautiful prayer written at the back – 'Lord Jesus I confess I am a sinner. Please come in my heart to be my savior'.”. I asked, “Did you pray it?” She replied, “I thought that prayer was so good I wrote it out in my own hand and carry it in my purse. I pray it every day.” I said, “Congratulations. You are born-again.” Niki burst into tears.

Niki was one of the most joyous Christians I ever met. She bought a good chair and placed it right beside the telephone with her Bible and spent an hour every night fellow-shipping with her sister in Wakayama. That was 32 years ago. She went on to be a rock solid follower of Jesus.

That is what Pak needs. I told Sangha to tell her that we want her to come to our house for supper. You might join me in praying that Pak find the same Jesus that filled Niki's heart and she too will be a joyous fountain of life in that school.

Arigato (thanks), bill