CHRIST IS ALL
Autumn 2020 (September, October, November)
Dear Friend in Christ,
Please pray for Mrs. K, a Japanese lady (in her 50s, I guess) to be saved to the utmost. She came into the “rescue mission” in the summer and soon began talking to me in a most serious tone. “I want to become a Christian, but I can’t go to church because I work Saturdays & Sundays. What can I do?” First things first, so I explain to her clearly & simply…
‘Right here and right now, you can make the decision to trust in Jesus Christ, to receive Him as your Saviour. That sincere decision is what makes one into a Christian. If you want to be a Christian, trust in Christ right now.’ She somewhat vaguely indicated that she did, saying almost nothing regarding it.
I reached to a nearby shelf and picked up the top “prayer book” from a stack of them. (You can view that prayer book in English (titled Vanity of Vanities) on this web site. The one I now offer to her is bilingual, written in English and Japanese. ‘Would you take this please. These are most wonderful and powerful prayers. Please start at the beginning, and each morning and each night, pray a page or two of these prayers.’ She took it and soon left.
‘Lord, please draw her unto Thee. In accordance to Thy Will for her, please deal with her to daily pray unto Thee. Please teach her to pray, using that book according to Thy Will for her. In accordance to Thy Will, please bring her into contact with mature Christians near her to teach her when it is convenient for her.’
Along with me, you Reader Friend please uphold her in prayer.
I teach English conversation to Mrs. I., a grandmother born in 1947. Thank you for interceding for her salvation. The Holy Spirit is clearly working in her heart. I teach her most every week & she continues to bring up spiritual matters, as we talk in Japanese. She sadly mentions that her life on earth is drawing to its close. I easily detect the inevitable remorse of that certainty in her voice. Also she expresses the desire to get all the gusto out of the short time that remains for her on earth. And I sense the hopelessness in her voice, knowing that the gusto is rapidly fading forever. Thus I urged her to trust in Christ to be blessed forever. At this point, if an adult Japanese doesn’t bluntly reject that, their response is typically ever so vague. So in a vague manner, she indicated that she wasn’t opposed to being forever blessed.
‘Then you must repent to your Creator God. Down thru your life, you have apologized numerous times to numerous people. So it stands to reason that you should apologize to Almighty God Who is Perfect and Holy.’ So, sort of giggling in shy embarrassment over doing such a thing, she apologized to God aloud. I briefly said more and started the English class she was paying for.
Please intercede earnestly for her to be saved to the utmost. I am with her most every week. Please pray for me to perfectly walk in the Spirit to hear what the Holy Spirit is speaking to me to say to her.
Please continue to pray for the other 3 ladies that I teach most every week. Mrs. T. (in her early or mid 70s I guess) repeatedly bemoans the regrettable truth that she is getting too old and feeble to do the many things on earth that she desires to do. From the start of my classes with her, she was plenty open to listening and talking of spiritual things. But as time go by, she appears to steadily close up. ‘Lord Jesus, stir all their hearts mightily!’
Manning the Rescue Mission in Karuizawa, an upbeat cheerful lady, appeared to be in her 30s, came into the rescue mission for the 1st time, immediately chatting, upbeat, cheerful, not boring. I soon started speaking of how wonderful Christ is, and she readily agreed. I didn’t bluntly ask if she was a Christian, mainly because suddenly putting a “stranger” on the spot with that question will often cause them to lie: “Yes”.
She starts talking about “her man” being most difficult, saying he objects to almost all she says or does. “’Why did you put that there?’, he instantly asks me in an angry manner when I lay down a book or my cell phone.” That’s the example she gave me, saying he fires back at her in such a manner at just about all she says or does. They drove up to cool Karuizawa for a short summer trip of a few days. Sad she can’t enjoy it. She said she wants to take the trains home alone, letting him drive home alone, to get away from his constant verbal harassment. I asked her where they lived. “Shiga Prefecture.” I estimate it to be 10 to 12 hours by car.
She asked me what could she do about him making life so miserable for her. Every time, she referred to him as “her man”. So I asked her if they were married. “Yes.” I showed her the prayer books stacked nearby and told her it would help much for her to take that book and earnestly pray those prayers for both her and her husband. She glanced at them approvingly and seemed to be about to take the book when her phone “peeped”. (“…wizards that peep…” Isaiah 8:19) She glanced at it. “He is waiting for me at Mikado Coffee Shop. I’ll come back for the book.” She never came back.
An 82-year-old lady comes into the Rescue Mission, 2nd time after a few months. She tells me her age for 1st time. Talks freely. Zealously loves all religions and all gods. Proclaims that all gods are the same, Christ included.
I calmly and kindly reply, ‘No, Christ is different. He is your Creator.’ She didn’t show any opposition to that statement of mine. As she continues to talk freely, she mentions something to the effect that we all have our shortcomings. I asked if she knows about Adam and Eve. “Yes.”
So I tell her that because they disobeyed our Creator’s One command to them, we are all imperfect and thus need to ask for our Creator’s forgiveness and salvation. She came into this “rescue mission” to shop, the main reason that a few souls brave stepping inside, because the devil tries to scare them to death with the many “wonderful words of life” boldly emblazoned along the entire frontage of this 12-foot wide storefront on this busy street with many pedestrian souls walking by → GLORY TO GOD! God bless you who give me an offering, to pay the rent on this place, in an ideal spot for a rescue mission. She soon goes on her way.
Of the few souls brave enough to come inside, almost none of them will put up with me speaking of Christ. That is why my above soul-winning speech was so incomplete. She would not listen to more. ‘Abba Father, smite her heart with what I said and with what she saw in print. Draw her to Christ! Save her to the utmost!’
Early one morning as I was singing as I opened up, a couple who appeared to be in their late 70s were walking by, close to my side of this narrow street. Upon hearing my praise to their Creator God, each of them immediately veered to the far side of the narrow street. The man’s face is most sin-hardened, evil-looking. He puts on a most disgusted look as he turns his face away from me and flings out his near hand and arm toward me, by which he silently signals to me: “AWAY WITH SUCH!” Soon his Creator is to do away with him, if he doesn’t repent. ‘Mercy on him, Lord!’
Back on Sunday August 2nd this year, a young Japanese friend of mine, “Mary”, received baptism at the Yoshii Christian Assembly, more than 10 miles from my house, where I have preached and taught many times in the past. “Mary” is a high school girl, 11th grade, and the youngest of 3 siblings.
I first met “Mary” when she was about 6 years old. Her family then attended the church in Miyota Town where I preached 1 Sunday each month that I was in this area. On Sunday mornings, 12 or so people attended that church, children included. It was customary for us to have lunch together at church after the worship service. Then as the chat/gossip session starts, often I would set out walking with tracts, leaving one at each door of houses in that area.
When 6-year-old “Mary” saw that I did that, she wanted to join me. So her and her older brother went with me each month for a few months. (In Japan, it is permissible for anyone to put printed matter into mailboxes. Businesses and religions typically do so.) As we 3 walked from house to house (houses being much closer together in Japan than in USA) “Mary” wanted to be the one to put the Gospel flyer into the box. That brought joy to her. At times, the mailbox was too high for her to reach, so I would lift her up to its level so she could insert “words” of life. Presently, she wants her life to be one of service to her Lord and Saviour. Pray for her, please.
Thank you for praying. You who give, thank you for that great help. God richly bless you for all you do for me and say to me to encourage me. Likely you are well aware of the many problems now plaguing the postal system since Covid plagued us.
On 21 July, I mailed a postal letter from Japan to my helper in Vernon, Alabama. It took 45 days by airmail to reach her on 4 Sept. Keep such in mind as we do our best at Christ Is All in Vernon, Alabama, to acknowledge your letters and offerings to us. Thank you for your giving, enabling me to rent this rescue mission where many precious lost souls pass by.
Please send any and all offerings to the Vernon, Alabama address, not to Japan, as there is more trouble with international mail than domestic mail. If the check you send does not clear your bank when it should, please write to Vernon, Alabama to ask my helper there if she received it.
CHRIST IS ALL
PO Box 490
Vernon, Al 35592-0490
You can also donate thru PayPal on this website.
May our Lord be with you, to shield and protect you, and to make you ever so spiritually prosperous.
Christ’s servant in Japan,
Richard Yerby