The Day of Salvation!

June 12, 2012

Yesterday was the day of salvation for Rebekah Yang--our Chiayi national coworker's--brother, Yang Chi Ping!  In a rather desperate situation, our Precious Lord has showed Himself strong and loving and kind!  Rebekah found out two days ago that her brother was to undergo surgery to remove the fourth toe on his right foot!  She gave him a kidney a couple of years ago. Her mother is already gone, so Rebekah has really mothered her two brothers and her ninety-year-old father.  She became her brother's advocate at the hospital.  She had asked the surgeon to please explain clearly to her brother again what would likely happen, as she is a nurse and knew the likelihood of her brother losing more than his toe (because he has diabetes).

Mark and I were able to respond to her e-mail asking for prayer, and went to visit her and Chi Ping in the hospital.  When we saw his foot--all swollen and red half-way up his calf--and his toe in such bad condition, we really thought it didn't look promising.  But he was happy for us to pray for him.  Then he listened intently as we shared the Gospel with him.  In between was a lot of interruptions as the nurse came in to soak his foot for 20 minutes in betadine.  Then the doctor came in, and Rebekah immediately asked for more time. Originally her brother's surgery was scheduled for this morning.  The doctor asked, "What are you waiting for?"  Rebekah exclaimed, "A miracle!"  The doctor kind of scoffed, and our spunky coworker said, "When my brother's leg gets healed, you'll be the next to believe!"  (Pray for Dr. Chang:)  )

Praise the Lord!  The young Dr. Chang conceded that Mr. Yang did not have a fever, and that it would be fine to use aggressive soaking and antibiotics to treat Mr. Yang's toe!  If it shrivels up with gangrene, then they will do surgery.  But in the space of time we were visiting, just within the hour we had prayed for Mr. Yang and his foot had soaked in betadine, the redness on his calf had begun to recede, and his toe looked better!  Praise the Lord!  O Lord, finish the work YOU have begun in Yang Chi Ping's foot, for YOUR glory!

Mark chapter Two is one of my favorite stories.  Four friends bring their paraplegic friend to see Jesus for a healing.  But when they get to the house, there is absolutely NO WAY to get to Jesus, there are so many people.  So they boldly climbed to the housetop, gingerly lifting their friend up on his bed, then down to the feet of Jesus (only after tearing a hole in the roof!).  Jesus saw the paraplegic, and said, "Your sins are forgiven." Everyone sitting around--the teachers and lawyers--reasoned in their hearts, "Only God can forgive sins.  Who does Jesus think He is?"  Jesus, being God, knew what they were thinking.  So He said, "Which is easier, to say 'Your sins are forgiven," or to say, 'Take up your bed and walk?'  But so that you may know that the Son of Man has the power to forgive sins, Jesus turned to the cripple and said, "Take up your bed and walk!"  Which he did, to everybody's amazement!

We shared this story, and the gospel, with Mr. Yang yesterday.  Hallelujah!  He recognized that his greatest need wasn't the healing of his foot, but the forgiveness of his sins--getting right with God by putting his trust in Jesus.  It was truly a very, very special moment.  AND the answer to many prayers on Rebekah's part, as she's prayed for her familiy's salvation for a LONG time.  We have prayed with her, but have not before had the opportunity to meet any of her family.  What a joy to see how God orchestrated everything so that Rebekah's brother could put his trust in Jesus.

Please pray for his continued growth in grace and in the knowledge and love of God.

I told Rebekah that yesterday was another answer to prayer for me.   God had put this cry on my heart, "Lord, give me children lest I die!" That was originally Rachel's bitter cry to poor Jacob when she had not been able to conceive.  The Gospel is the power of God for the salvation of all who will believe!  Some sow, some water, some reap, but God gets the glory for the salvation of a soul, and the angels in Heaven are rejoicing over Yang Chi Ping coming to faith in Jesus. And just having the chance to see someone actually come to Jesus in response to the Gospel is such a wonderfully joyous thing!