Joel of Jerusalem Dec/Jan 1976/1977

Recently we spent an evening “celebrating” with a dear friend in his home. This man was very ill and had been in the hospital. He had cancer and a bad heart condition and was close to death. The doctors were going to perform a serious operation, but they said they could not guarantee success.

I went to the hospital before the operation and talked to the doctors. I told them to do their work and we would be praying that our Lord would be with them, and they thanked me. I then went to see my friend, and just before he was given medicine to make him sleep, he prayed to the Lord. He prayed, “O Lord, I put my trust in You. I pray that it might be your will for me to live, and I ask you to take my sins away so that I might have everlasting life. If I cannot remain here, then I pray you will take me Home to be with you.” Praise the Lord! He had become a believer! A long time after the operation, he finally opened his eyes and said, “Thank the Lord.”

He was in the hospital for thirty days and now is back home, but the situation is very bad. He has some serious physical problems as a result of the surgery, and he suffers much. He is 64 years old and says that the Lord is merciful to let him see his family again.

My children decided to plan a surprise for him. They went to his home and played their instruments on the evening he returned from the hospital. My wife and I went along, and many of his neighbors were there. They said, “We have very good doctors here in Israel, to be able to do so much for our friend.”

“Yes, we have good doctors,” I replied, “but what they did for this man was humanly impossible. We prayed, and the Lord was present with the doctors all the time.”

They asked, “How can God perform surgery? Are you crazy?”

I assured them I was not crazy, and I reminded them of Moses reaction when God told him to go to Pharaoh in Egypt. I said, “Moses was afraid to go because he thought Pharaoh would kill him, but God said, ‘I will be with thee,’ and Moses received courage. God’s Holy Spirit has the ability and knowledge to guide the doctors, as He did when our friend was sick.”

Our dear brother then began to talk and said, “I believe on the Lord. I have placed all my confidence in Him, and I will never leave Him. You all should be ashamed for what you have said.” He was now weeping as he continued, “Are these miracles which He has done not enough for you? Why are you such stiffnecked people? Look in the Bible and you will see the One who has done so much for us and has provided everlasting life, even for people like you if you will believe. Now I am very ill, but I am happy that I will go Home to be with my Lord. I know that time is very near, but I also know that I am saved!”

This was the first time that he had opened his heart so freely to unsaved people, witnessing about how he had found the Lord. Although I was there, this time he was the preacher. It is easy to see that he will not be with us much longer, but perhaps the Lord may still have a plan for him. Please pray with me for this man, that the Lord’s will may be done.