Some salvatgins I've seen

That was wonderful, Bob Dudley.

The mentally handicapped are overlooked too much when it comes to the gospel. Im glad your wife had the chance to talk to him.

 

Wonderful testimonies, Bob. Thanks for sharing!

The most recent decisions for Christ in our ministry are Mr. and Mrs. Shimazaki. Mrs. Shimazaki got one of my Japanese tracts last year, "The Japanese and Heaven's People," and says she trusted Christ through it. Her husband started coming several months ago and we hit it off, since he was a high-ranking karate black belt in his youth, and I also do the martial arts. We compared our knuckles, scarred and enlarged from years of punching the makiwara punching pad and the heavy bag, and had a great time talking over old times.

Right now I'm preaching a series on "what I believe," and of course I preached "I Believe in Salvation" several weeks ago. At the invitation Mr. Shimazaki raised his hand to say he was trusting in Christ. After the service he seemed really "genki" (lively) and joyful.

My task now is followup, which is very difficult in Japan. In spite of claiming she trusted Christ, Mrs. Shimazaki not long ago said she didn't know if there was a Heaven or Hell. Japanese people come to salvation from absolute heathenism, knowing little or nothing about the true God, Jesus, the Bible or many things American Christians take for granted.

 

I loved the story about the mentally handicapped young man, Bob. We have a sweet "Downs Syndrome" girl in our church whose name is "Ai" ("Love"), and she truly loves Jesus. Sometimes "Downs" people have a better spiritual understanding than supposedly intelligent "normal" people.

My favorite story about this is told by my wife's home church pastor. There was a "Downs" young man in a previous church he pastored. One day the town atheist intellectual came to the service just to see what it was like. This young man went up to him and said, "Are you saved?" The atheist laughed and said, "Of course not. I don't believe in that superstition." The young man said, "If you don't believe in Jesus you'll go to Hell!" The atheist laughed and said, "I don't believe that." So the young mentally handicapped man said to the intellectual, "Okay, go to Hell then!"

For the next few days the atheist just couldn't get that statement out of his mind. Finally he just had to trust Christ--and simple faith triumphed where all the intellectual arguments could not!

 

This isn't a salvation that I personally saw, but it is a great testimony that I heard about last night during the last service of the Pastor's School just held in Hammond.

It actually involves my home church, which is why Im sharing it. Several years ago, our church soul-winning group was out on the streets in downtown, like they always did on Saturdays. Someone met and talked with a visiting professor from China....he was here to teach Chinese at two of our colleges......a very well-known man(in China) and brilliant man. This Chinese man got saved, and did start to come to our church. After a relatively short time, he left and went to Bible college, and afterwards he returned to China.

He's now there helping in the establishment of schools, and many things are happening for Christ because of him. Right now China is a closed country, but some truly believe that in a few years it will be opening, and we need to be ready to reap a harvest there. There are some good signs happening.

I share this because we go out, passing out tracts, often not knowing the ultimate result because it might not bear fruit for months or even years. We sow the seed, and some receive it but their fruitfulness is choked out by the cares of the world. Some turn back because they see persecution, and others just ignore us comopletely. But there's those seeds that fall on the willing ground, where eventually the fruit starts to show.....even if we personally don't know that it was a seed that WE personally sowed.

Keep it up!

 

Wonderful story, bapmom! God can use even a simple little tract to do great wonders.

There is a story from many years ago about a Chinese man who was given a Bible, but ripped it up and threw it away. A dog found just one page, and for some reason ( ) carried it into an army camp. The commander got a look at it, and realized it was a description of a battle. Eager to know how the battle turned out, he contacted a missionary to get the whole Bible, and ended up getting saved along with many of his men.

 

I'll never forget the first time I witnessed in Japanese. A lady came up to me while I was handing out tracts in front of the train station and asked me what I was doing. So I gave her the Gospel the best I could, until she objected to the idea that Jesus is God. Then she brought out a little book which I immediately recognized, because all over the world the JW's have the same type of cover on their books! She said Jesus isn't God, I said He was, she said He wasn't, I said, "Honto, honto!" ("It's true, it's true.) Since I had run out of Japanese, we had to end it there!

It was not too long after that, maybe 6 months into language school when once again I was passing out tracts in front of the train station when a boy of about 10 took one from me. I took out the evangelism chart that we used in those days, showing Heaven and Hell, with the burdens on the backs of people being their sin, and the cross the only way to get to Heaven. The boy listened carefully, then bowed his head to pray with me to the Savior.

Did he understand? Was he truly trusting Christ? How should I know? I had just used up my entire stack of grammar and vocabulary! So I took him to the other side of the station where our senior missionary, the sainted Dr. Jim Norton, was giving the Gospel, and had Dr. Norton talk to him. Praise the Lord, the boy had understood all I said, and told Dr. Norton that he was truly trusting Christ for salvation!

 

Dear John of Japan: I was touched by your story about the 10-year-old boy being saved. And I'm thankful to the Lord for your witness to the Japanese people.

 

I'm glad you were touched, mima. Here is an even more remarkable story that I wrote up many years ago when we lived in Yokohama.

Let me introduce you to a young Japanese girl, "Miki." Her name means "beautiful hope," and has nothing to do with a mouse at Disneyland! I only met Miki once. She was in 7th grade, only it is called "1st grade middle school" in Japan. Miki never once worshipped with us at Konandai Baptist Church, she never was baptized and she never did even come to a Bible study or a youth group meeting at our church. But still, I feel sure we'll see her in Heaven, and then you can meet her too.

We like to pass out tracts in Japan about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We give them to people we meet, put them in mailboxes (that's illegal in America, so don't try it), pass them out in front of schools, and give them at train stations to people coming home from work or school. We had 10,000 copies of one tract printed, and were very excited about giving them out. I'm not sure where Miki got it, but one of those 10,000 went to her!

Miki wants to be a novelist when she grows up, so she had fun writing letters to us. Miki's first letter went like this: "In the tract you said that if we believed in Jesus Christ, we ought to quit worshipping idols. What did you mean by that?" I was happy to write her and explain that you can't pray to a Buddhist statue or to one of the eight million gods of Shintoism, the ancient religion of Japan, and worship the true God at the same time!

Miki wrote me again, only this time she asked a strange thing of me. She asked that I not put any return address on the envelope, so that her family would not know she was writing to a foreigner--especially a Christian pastor! In spite of her fear, thought, she wrote me again and again, wanting to know more about our wonderful Jesus! Finally came the letter I treasure the most. Mike wrote, "I think I'll believe in this Jesus!"

As the months went by, Miki learned more and more about how to be a good Christian through our letters. Then one exciting day, we got a telephone call. It was Miki, with a friend, and she wanted to meet me and wanted her friend to hear about Jesus, too! I hurried down to the church building, where I met the two girls, and spent a short time talking to them. To me, the fact that Miki really wanted her friend to hear about Jesus, too, shows that she really did believe in Him, even though she never worshipped with us in Sunday morning church.

In December of that year, Miki wrote again, this time a very serious letter. What should she do about "hatsumode?" Her school friends had invited her to go with them, but she didn't know what to do! "Hatsumode" is on New Year's Day, the biggest holiday of the year in Japan. On that day, the Japanese people go to Shinto shrines to worship idols, and to ask blessing on the new year from some of the eight million gods that the national religion of Japan claims to have. In fact, even to walk through the "torii," the Japanese gate at the entrance to the shrine, is supposed to be a prayer to the idols.

I wrote Miki to tell her that she must not worship idols, since that is an insult to the only true God. Maybe she should just wait for her friends outside the shrine while they went in. While they prayed to the idols she could pray in her heart to the only true God and His Son Jesus Christ. We waited anxiously for Miki's answer.

Her next letter came in January. Miki did not worship at the shrine, but waited outside for her friends, and prayed to Jesus Christ instead! How happy we were for her! Mike never did come to church, but we had to leave her in the loving hands of the Holy Spirit. All these years later, I sometimes imagine her as a faithful Christian lady, going to church--somewhere!

 

Old glory to God, what great things he has done!!! I am so thankful for your witness to the Japanese people I understand something of the difficulties encountered and I am at this very moment fixing to stop writing and pray about your mission in Japan.

 

Thanks, as always, for the prayers mima.

 

20 years ago when I was a pilot on a Mississippi River towboat, I was witnessing to a young man in a darkened pilothouse. This young man was a Catholic. As I was witnessing the Holy Spirit told me to stop talking. I just could not believe what I heard. And so I begin to witness again when suddenly the Holy Spirit said again stop talking, quit talking. This time I turned in my pilot's chair to look at the young man, who was on his knees with his hands together in front of himself weeping. As I reached to touch him he said, help me to pray I do not know how to pray because I never pray. Okay I said, and led him in a sinner's prayer something I had never done before, but still do to this day, with those I Witness to. After this experience there was a notable change in the percentage of people that I witness to accepting the Lord. Today I realize that the Lord taught me a great lesson that night. Those who would be witnesses must exercise discernment, or face losing some of those they witness to from
excessive talking.

 

This happened yesterday. While setting my sign up I asked a man to help me. The sign read like this---
WIN
$500.00
FREE CHANCE
After getting the sign set up I asked the man who helped me, what do you think of my sign. Sir he said, I cannot read nor write. The man was 67 years old. Oh okay I said, let me ask you a question. After asking him the question and explaing to him how he could believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for his salvation I asked him, do you want to pray? Yes he said I want to pray with you for my salvation. I then led him in a sinners prayer. In just moments his face broke out into a smile and he said, sir I am so thankful for you telling me about this. I said well have you ever been to church?? Yes he said. Well I said why didn't you go forward and accept Jesus Christ? Because I did not understand what would take place if I did so.
While witnessing over the years I have had a few times people who accepted Jesus Christ then turned and helped me witness to other, this is exactly what this man did the rest of the evening. He would see friends and he would call them over and say, Joe, Bill, Dustin whoever, come here I want you to hear what this man has to say. So what followed was a great evening of witnessing and somewhere around 10 or 12 people accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior there on the sidewalk.
This is what I do, and now that the weather has broken I will be going out almost every day.
Every person who so desires gets to fill out a ticket(a free chance to win the $500 at a drawing that will take place the latter part of July) and this is the method that I use to draw people close enough to speak to them about the Lord Jesus Christ!

 

This is the 9th, on the evening of the seventh while witnessing I encountered strongest conversion I have ever seen. Early in the evening I had given the message of salvation to for over 10 people and four of those people had readily accepted the Lord Jesus Christ. When up drives a car with two girls in it(maybe in their early 20's). But only the driver gets out and walks over and says to me what do I do to win the money? Well I say handing her a clipboard, you put down your first name and phone number, if we draw your name out at the end of July we call you up and make arrangements to give you $500 cash. OK she says, and fills out the card. Why do you think I'm doing this I ask? I have no idea why are you doing this she ask? So I can ask you this question I said, well ask away she says. And I ask her are you sure, positive that you will go to heaven when you die? No she says I'm not sure. After explaining to her what the Bible says about about salvation and" whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved". She looked at me very seriously nodded her head and I then ask her do you want to pray with me about your salvation, again she nodded her head yes. After leading her in a sinners prayer, I said, what do you think? Has she stood there I could literally see her countenance change. O my goodness she said, I go to church, I believe in God, but never have I seen or had the understanding that I have now. I'm saved she said. I'm going to heaven I cannot tell you how happy I am and then she began to pump my hand off shaking my hand, started laughing and was beside herself with joy and Thanksgiving to the Lord. In some 30 years of witnessing I have seen many reactions to the self-realization of a person's personal salvation but never have I seen anything to equal this young lady's change in countenance and demeanor. I've tried to describe something that is virtually indescribable but in my mind it will last forever. I am so thankful to the Lord for what he has done for this girl.

 

Last night May the 23rd after prison ministry 3 men were setting around at a Burger King. There was myself, my friend Rex, and the leader of the Gideons that sponsor the prison ministry. Knowing that this leader of the Gideons is very interested in what I do when in the cells by myself. An opportunity presented itself. A young waitress, she just graduated from high school, was cleaning up around our table. And I took the opportunity to ask her; are you absolutely, positively, certain sure, no doubt in your mind, that you will go to heaven when you die? As she straightened up from sweeping the floor she looked long and hard at me and said, no I am not certain, my family is Lutheran but I'm not certain that I'll go to heaven. And so I said, well the Bible says in three different places" whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved". And after giving her a moment to thank I said, now my question to you at this time is do you want to call? And she looked at us three old men who she had never seen before she said, yes I know it says that in the Bible and yes I want to call. After which I led her in a sinner's prayer unto salvation. I then explained to her that the Lord did not turn her down when she called. I then asked her what she thought and she said, I believe I have qualified for salvation because I called on the name of the Lord just like it says to do.
After a few minutes I ask the leader of the Gideons in our community well what do you think? Is she saved are not? Will he said, I cannot say she is saved. And then I said, after you have heard this girl with their own mouth call on the name of Lord Jesus Christ to save her soul you do not feel you can say she is saved? After several minutes of looking straight ahead he shook his head and said, no I cannot sa she saved. He then said, what about instructions??? What about her repentance???? I agree that she asked the Lord to save her soul, but I cannot say she is saved!! My friend Rex who was setting with us, and a real go getting soulwinner, just shook his head over and over and muttered to the leader, I am amazed that you do not believe she is saved.

 

Here is a salvation I didn't see.

About eight years ago I attended a "cutting horse" show in Memphis, Tennessee. I myself have no interest in horses but my son's brother-in-law is a world champion cutting horse rider. Many family members were there to see him perform. And of course we all had hotel rooms we also had a general meeting room to all get together in. It was while in this meeting room(maybe 15 others there also) that I was introduced to some people who I did not know. A young man and woman who had just gotten married. When I found that this young lady was a Catholic I began to witness to her and probably talked to her for 15 minutes. But she was totally unmoved (seemingly) and politely but firmly told me she was not interested. She stated many times I am practicing Catholic. The shows lasted two more days and everyone went home.
It was about a week later in the middle of the night that this young lady woke her husband up and said, let's go find a pastor somewhere, I must get saved. They did. She did. And the reason I know all this took place is that the young lady's mother-in-law is a personal friend of one of my friends. And after she found out my friend knew me she came to me and told me the story. Praise the Lord

 

Tuesday Night we were singing in an old-fashioned gospel sing at a little country church in Ohio. Midway through our 2nd set we saw a man sneak into the back of the church. We found out later that he sat outside on the porch for over a hour listening to the songs and testimonies... when the pastor gave the invitation this 39 year old man walked forward and with tears in his eyes asked the Lord to save him! We have seen over 300 souls saved in the last 6 years but it just never gets old does it?

 

Praise the Lord! Wonderful story,SOGOSINGER. :applause: :applause: raise: raise: