Dear Precious Friends in Yeshua,
January 23, 2001: A Day of Victory
There’s no way to adequately thank all of you who so diligently prayed and even fasted on January 23, 2001, the day Neil and our dear friend, Barry, had major surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md. Your prayers availed much! We felt your loving intercession on our behalf. We had no fear. The peace of the Lord enveloped us. The Lord gave us a kiss from Exodus 33:14 as we traveled to Baltimore: “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Everywhere we turned, we met believers and saw the hand of God. The Lord must have been smiling that day to see so many of His children in total agreement, standing together as One, motivated by selfless love, trusting Him, believing Him, expecting his best. Thank you! May Yeshua reward you with more of Himself!!
Even before the operation, we were comforted by the presence of believers at Johns Hopkins. The first person we had contact with had a big flashing “Jesus Saves” as her computer screen saver. The next woman wore a pin that said, “God is able.” One of our greatest sources of
comfort was a precious Prayer Rose from Florida who flew to Baltimore to intercede during both surgeries. She began at 5:00 a.m. and continued worshipping, praising, interceding, and engaging in spiritual warfare until we received the reports of two textbook perfect, completely
successful surgeries. What a beautiful example of Galatians 6:2: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Messiah.”
Neil decided to go to the hospital early to be with Barry Kronman who was scheduled for surgery three hours before Neil. As we waited in a lovely
glass enclosed waiting room on the third floor, we noticed a beautiful black grand piano in the atrium below. The waiting rooms on each floor faced this atrium and sounds from below could be heard throughout the rooms. Jamie felt impressed to ask for permission to play and was told, “Go right ahead!” We went downstairs and Jamie began to play worship music. Not long afterwards, while she was playing “Amazing Grace,” a hospital worker approached us and said that he was drawn by the music. We began to deal with his soul. He was not a believer, but was obviously under conviction. He told us that he was not ready to give his heart to Yeshua. Jamie kept playing. Some people asked if the hospital had hired her to play the “soothing music.” Others wanted to know why she was playing. We could see people hanging over the glass partitions listening.
Men wearing yarmulkes kept entering and leaving an office directly on Jamie’s right.Men wearing yarmulkes kept entering and leaving an office directly on Jamie’s right. After Neil’s pre-op procedures, we sang psalms from our Bibles for about thirty minutes. When Neil was taken to surgery, Jamie returned to the piano. The presence of the Holy Spirit was very strong. Jamie played songs that she hadn’t played in years. A man whose wife was in surgery requested “The Old Rugged Cross.” As Jamie played, he sang. Jamie played “Hineh Ma Tov” and other Jewish melodies that were later commented on by a Jewish family in the third floor waiting room.
Midway through Neil’s surgery (which lasted 1 hour and 47 minutes), two women came down from the third floor to see Jamie at the piano. They were sisters-in-law. The music had drawn them and they questioned Jamie about it. Jamie told them how God gave her the gift of playing the piano by ear many years ago when she stepped out in faith and believed Him. She went on to share Yeshua with them. Teresa and Nelsie told Jamie that they had been upstairs discussing the fact that something was missing in their lives. Jamie told them that it was Jesus who was missing _ a real, intimate, loving, personal relationship with Him. After presenting the Gospel, both ladies prayed with Jamie right there in the atrium to receive the Lord. We found out that Teresa’s husband was given the penthouse suite at no extra charge right after their encounter with the Messiah.
Only the Lord knows how many other lives were touched that morning. Neil shared with the anesthesiologist, and we had prayed for the surgeon, Dr. Carter, before the surgery. By the time Jamie went upstairs, there was only time for one more witness (to a Jewish family) before Dr.
Carter came with the great news that Neil’s surgery went flawlessly and all the cancer was out. Halleluyah!
While waiting for Neil to be taken to a regular hospital room, our dear intercessor friend joined Jamie, the hospital volunteer and the two new believers in Yeshua to go see something that many tourists go to see at Johns Hopkins: a statue of Yeshua, perhaps twelve feet high, at the entrance of the hospital. The Bible verse connected with the statue is: “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” ([biblegateway passage=”Matthew 11:28″ display=”Matthew 11:28″])
God stopped the cancer in its tracks!
When Dr. Carter saw us the evening before Neil was discharged from the hospital, we understood more clearly how great a deliverance Neil had experienced. A post-op biopsy showed that the cancer was located at the apex of the gland, right near the bladder, at the thinnest part of the wall. In this position, the cancer could have easily moved outside the prostate into the lymph system. But it did not! What kept it inside? We believe it was a combination of the Word, prayer and good nutrition. Had we opted for seed radiation (which was graciously offered to us at no charge by a Christian businessman from Miami), the seeds would probably have missed the tumor because of its location. The Lord confirmed to us that we made the right decision.
We believe that although God used a human being as His instrument, it was still God who healed Neil (and Barry) of cancer. As one of our partners put it: “He who created us can also fix us.” We don’t know why the Lord did not choose to do the healing supernaturally. That was certainly our first choice. Up until the last moment, we were ready to cancel the surgery. We even went to a special healing crusade two days before leaving for Maryland.
One thing is sure: God made His presence known at Johns Hopkins while we were there. As you prayed, the Lord sent two anointed sisters from a local “Healing School” to pray for Barry and Neil. They brought them each a special pillow with words embroidered on it: “Healed, Spirit, Soul
and Body.” Neil felt the Lord touch him as the ladies prayed. Both men were greatly uplifted byand Body.” Neil felt the Lord touch him as the ladies prayed. Both men were greatly uplifted by their presence. (None of the nurses knew who they were, nor had ever seen them before. The Lord sent them!)
Jamie painted message seashells and handed them out to nurses, doctors and patients. One woman, a believer with Aids, was rolled into surgery
clinging to a shell that said: “Love Never Fails.”
We brought a small suitcase of ministry materials with us and Jamie was amazed that she had brought just the right books/tapes, etc. for the right people. There was one Jewish Gospel of Matthew left on the day we checked out of the hospital. Fifteen minutes before we left, an unsaved Jewish sister of some friends from our home congregation came by to meet us. We began to talk about Jews in Baltimore. We mentioned that we had a great book published by a group in Baltimore that she might enjoy reading. We gave Jessica the Gospel According to Matthew. God had saved it just for her!
As we left Johns Hopkins on Jan. 26, 2001, Jamie gave the last few seashells to the ladies at the first floor front desk. One woman was very disappointed because she didn’t get her “message from God.” She gave Jamie her name and address so that we could send her a shell. An angel
(with beautiful brown skin, shining white hair, and dressed like a man) helped Jamie and Nancy (Barry”s wife) get to the car with Neil, Barry, the wheelchairs and suitcases. God is Awesome!
Rejoicing in God’s Deliverance
“… And the Lord saved them by a great deliverance.” This phrase occurs in the Holy Scriptures in I Chronicles 11:14, but the act of great deliverance by our Great God is repeated over and over throughout history. We praise God at this season of Purim (March 9) for Neil’s great
deliverance. Just as God delivered His Jewish people from the wicked Haman, Yeshua delivered Neil and Barry from a wicked disease. We give Him all the glory for setting Neil free and for giving him many more years to serve our King.
We thank each one of you who helped make it possible for every expense connected with the surgery to be “paid in full.” God has not missed even one detail.
Let us all remember to pray for Israel this month. God’s people and that Land need to experience another Purim miracle, a great deliverance, from the same enemy with the same goals, annihilation of the Jews. But we know that our God is Greater!
Celebrating God’s Deliverance
At sundown on Saturday April 7, we will be celebrating Passover, the oldest continually celebrated religious festival in the world, a celebration of God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt. We wish you could all be with us. Because our dining room wouldn’t hold everyone, we videotaped our Passover Seder last year. You can order a copy on the enclosed insert. If you plan to start celebrating Passover in your own home, be sure to order a Messianic Passover Hagaddah. It’s a booklet that provides a guide for conducting the Passover meal in your home. It describes each step helping you know what to do, and why you are doing it.
Delivered from Cancer and Looking Ahead
As Neil is regaining his strength, we have already begun to look ahead and plan new television programs to be produced later this year. We had the opportunity to tape Paul Wilbur doing some songs from his new album Lion of Judah. The new TV programs won’t be available until the
Fall, but Paul’s new album is available now. We think you will love this music. It is already a favorite in our home. You can purchase a copy for yourself or a friend on this month’s enclosed order form!
Love,
Neil and Jamie
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