Several years ago we recorded a testimony of a brother in the Lord who had a most interesting encounter with God while undergoing open-heart surgery. His first name was Bob, and a number of years after becoming born again, he now found himself on an operating table, facing possible death and eternity. However, in the spiritual state in which he was at the time . . . he did not relish dying, because things were not right between him and the Lord.

To appreciate what happened during his surgery . . . you need to know a little about Bob's life. Bob had been raised to believe that he "couldn't do anything right." Due to a heart-condition from an early age, he missed most of his schooling growing up, and could not read as an adult. He essentially was a foster child, and the tutoring he had through those critical years of growing up left much to be desired in equipping him to be a husband, a father, and a successful professional in the work force.

Bitterness combined itself with anger and rage. Bob would get high on marijuana and alcohol, and would fantasize into the wee hours of the night of what it would be like to torture Christians. Of all people he hated most in life . . . for no real reason that he could think of . . . were Christians. The more bizarre means of torturing Christians he could dream up, the more temporary pleasure it brought with his highs.

God began to draw Bob to Himself. Bob's wife had been praying a prayer: "Lord, if you don't get him saved, the kids and I are going to leave him. He's going off the deep end, and we can't take him anymore."

On a fateful Sunday morning, a pastor of a little street-corner church made an altar call for salvation. No one came forward. Bob was in the congregation, and a little voice inside him said 'that if he didn't go forward NOW, his heart would stop beating before he got home'.

This voice spoke inside Bob three times before Bob shot up out of his seat and ran forward to the altar. Bob was sweating bullets by that third time, because after three times of hearing the warning that there wouldn't be a FOURTH, Bob surrendered and figured he had better not gamble with "whoever it was that was telling him that he wasn't going to live to make it home if he didn't commit his life to Christ NOW!'

Bob left that little church that day a changed person. Once home, he burned his drug paraphernalia, threw away his occult material and porno books, and wanted to know everything there was to learn from the Bible.

The only problem was, Bob couldn't read. So like a little child, he sat night after night with the Bible open on his lap, telling the Lord that He had to give him the ability to read His Word.

Three weeks passed like this. Bob grew frustrated. He was not going to settle for someone else telling Him what the Bible says. He had to be able to read it for himself. He had trusted man, and man had always let him down, or so he thought. He wasn't going to let that happen again, now that he had God on his side.

Out of nowhere, he heard the voice again. "If you want to read My Word, begin reading it." He could not believe what he was hearing. So he began to read, and his wife and children stood there, eyes and mouths wide open aghast, witnessing an incredible miracle. Bob was reading the Bible coherently, yet all he had ever been able to read moments before were simple "A's" - "ands" - and "the's."

What was even MORE miraculous was that Bob could not read anything else! He tried, yet he was unable. All he could read coherently was the Bible.

Bob became known as the "preacher man" at his place of employment. Everyone needed to be saved, and he was not about to let his 'buds' end up in hell.

He still had heart problems and didn't have insurance to pay for the necessary surgery. He went to God and asked Him for a miracle. God gave Him the persistence to trust, and Bob's heart was healed. Incredibly, the doctors said, "Something has happened and now your heart is perfectly fine."

Bob and his family became active in church life and ministry. His marriage began to blossom, as did his relationship with his children. Bob's spirit was fully born again . . . but his soul WAS NOT (your soul consists of your will, mind, and emotions). Bob still was in need of more surgery from God in his soul, yet didn't realize it.

He found it easier and easier to become offended by fellow Christians as time passed. His eyes were not fully open to SPIRITUAL WARFARE . . . especially in the local church. local church. He didn't realize how patient and cunning Satan is in trying to reclaim one of his former prize possessions, and that the place Satan loved to habituate the most was Sunday morning church service! In fact, what Bob really didn't realize is that God had stopped Satan's plan of using Bob to be one of his 'showcase apostles'.

Bob would have been a prime candidate to start a local satanic coven that Satan could work through to put fear into Christians of the greatest magnitude in Western Michigan and points beyond. Bob wasn't just someone Satan could use to pray curses upon ministries and individuals; Bob was a vessel Satan could use to actually launch physical attacks upon Christians and not think twice about killing them.

He began to lose favor with man and God. His family no longer wanted to be around him, nor did the people in church or at work. Bob gave in to temptations and began to drink excessively and do drugs again. His "buds" at work couldn't believe what they were witnessing. Bob "the preacher man" was reverting back to his old ways. They all knew it had just been "make believe" anyway.

Bob's heart began to give him problems again. He had lost his healing. The doctors said he was once again in need of some necessary surgery, or it was going to quit working. Bob now had no faith to trust the Lord for another healing. In fact, Bob really had no desire to even talk with God anymore. He was fed up with spirituality. "All it caused was problems, problems, problems."

The anesthesiologist put Bob to sleep, and the surgeons opened up his chest cavity. As the doctors performed their surgery on the physical body of Bob, God gave him a Technicolor dream while he lay there unconscious.

Bob found himself standing on the side of a muddy hill. It was cold and gloomy, but there was a thin layer of white on top of the muddy ground. It reminded him of snow, but yet it sparkled like fine, pure white, ground up lamb's wool.

Suddenly Jesus stood beside him. Bob could not see His face, but he could see the rest of His body. Jesus spoke to him in a tender yet firm tone of voice. "Who made YOU judge?" Jesus asked him. Bob instantly answered. "I don't know - who?" Jesus asked a second time, with a little more sharpness to His voice. "WHO made you judge?" Bob answered a second time. "I don't know, Lord - who?" Jesus asked him a third time, with even greater volume. "I want to know . . . WHO made YOU judge?!" All Bob could answer was the same as he answered twice before. "I don't know, Lord - who?"

Jesus then walked over to Bob and began to kick at some of the white powdery like-snow next to him, uncovering it with His toes to where the cold, muddy earth was exposed underneath it. As He did so, he said, "Why do you try to uncover that which I have made clean?" Bob had no answer. In fact, he didn't have a clue as to what Jesus was even trying to get at.

In a flash, Bob now found himself erecting a cross on another muddy hillside. He didn't know why -- he just was. Once erected, he then found himself hanging on it. Jesus stood nearby and asked, "Why do you think you have to die for the sins of mankind all over again. I already DID."

The next thing Bob remembered was waking up in the recovery room. The dream was vivid, yet a mystery. He didn't know what it meant. The heart surgery was successful, yet Bob still wanted nothing to do with Christians. The day came when his son, Timmy, was facing death. Bob went to God and asked Him to heal Timmy. He knew God could, because He had once healed him miraculously. In our interview taping with Bob, he said he believes this is what God eventually spoke to him in prayer on his knees: "I allowed My Son to die -- why not yours?"

Bob quit asking God for a miracle healing for Timmy after that. He believed in his spirit that his son was going to die at a young age. Before dying, Timmy asked his father, "Dad - are you going to be mad at God once I'm gone?" Bob told him, "no, I won't be son . . ." knowing that was what his son wanted to hear . . . yet knowing in his heart that bitterness was so ingrained in his being that how could he not be bitter at God for letting this happen. Timmy was an innocent victim. He didn't deserve this painful death to be happening to him. Bob was the one who should be dying this terrible, slow, painful death . . . not his poor helpless son.

After the funeral and the days that followed, Bob found himself constantly on his knees, crying his heart and soul out to a God that he wanted to hate, and yet knew that he dare not anymore.

In due season, the surgery in Bob's soul was completed and successful. He gave up his right to be bitter and hate . . . and judge. A miracle of the greatest magnitude was worked out in Bob's heart. Only Jesus Christ was the qualified Judge. Bob needed to let God deal with Christians, the local Church, and the affairs of the world. All Bob had to do was let his life glorify God in his day-to-day affairs . . . which would be no easy task. It was to be his greatest cross to bear . . . as it is and will be for many of us.

"Christians are messed up. They don't treat me right. Pastors and elders are messed up. They just want to control people. They think they're always right. False teaching is everywhere. They want my money and that's all. The hearts of Christians are so cold they don't have a clue in how to love anymore. The world is going to hell in a hand basket, and Christians are leading the parade!" How easy it is to find ourselves harboring thoughts like this . . . and not realizing Jesus is standing next to us . . . kicking up white, sparkling dried blood . . . asking each of us . . . "WHO made you Judge?"

So what's the point in sharing this little story of Bob's? Two reasons. First, we prayed and asked the Lord what he wanted in this Ministry Update. This story came to mind. Secondly . . . we ALL need to be periodically reminded . . . as we move closer to the end of this age . . . that Satan's "accuser of the brethren spirit (a high level demonic principality: Revelation 12:10)" best suits his end-time purposes when Christians allow themselves to come under its influence because of the pain and frustration in their hearts.

We ALL experience pain from other Christians. Satan sees to it. What we do with it is like holding a stick of dynamite in our hands -- fuse lit -- wondering WHO would do such a thing to us, when we don't realize it was lit by our spiritual adversary, trying to destroy our calling and ministry, our friendships, our families and marriages . . . our very intimacy, prayer life, and desire to want to glorify and continue to serve God.

We live in spiritually "challenging times", dear reader. Keep your Ephesians 6 'Armor of God' on at all times, because God takes no delight in having to deal with us as He did with Bob on the operating table, and with the subsequent death of his son Timmy.

God is doing awesome things through this outreach, and we thank each of you for your prayers, encouragement and support. To Him goes all the praise and glory!

In His Service,
Norm & Kathleen Rasmussen
DIRECTORS