by James Ray, Executive Editor

Recently in Okinawa Mary and I had lunch with a young woman—Mrs. Shinmooda. She is a beautiful lady. She is married to a fine young man and has two beautiful children—everything to live for.

One problem—she had a blood disease that could have been potentially fatal. Twice she had almost died. Facing such a life-threatening problem, she had sought hope in the traditional Japanese religions but had found none.

Having a disease that threatened her life and with eternity looming, she had made the statement, “I’ve got to find the true God.” Mrs. Shinmooda had heard of the missionary church Maranatha Baptist, but someone told her that only Americans went there. One day she saw the church and came to a service. There she found the true God for whom she had been looking. Sitting across the table from us, she radiated the presence of God. Her husband has also accepted Christ as his Savior.

TIME is a word to live by! TIME is short! TIME is fleeting! AND MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WILL NOT FIND THE TRUE GOD…in time.

You cannot save the whole world—but you can save some. You can save a Mrs. Shinmooda.

I stood on a hill in Okinawa and listened as a young man pointed out the various battle sites. The very spot on which I stood had at one time been soaked with American blood. Thousands of Americans died in the battle for Okinawa, but there were 75 men that did not die because of one man from Lookout Mountain, Georgia. His name was Desmond Doss.

My guide pointed to the cliff a few feet away where Desmond Doss, twenty years old, rescued almost a whole company of men who had been cut down by Japanese fire while trying to capture that hilltop.

With bullets flying all around him, he dragged the wounded one by one to a sheltered spot behind a rock, tied a rope around their chests and lowered them over a 35-foot cliff to safety.

And every time he did so he prayed, “Dear God, let me get just one more.” He saved seventy-five men.

That should be the heart cry of all of our churches and all of our missionaries, “Dear God, let me save another soul.” Maranatha Baptist Church in Okinawa is one of the most New Testament-like churches on earth. With over 300 members, they are committing $184,000 to missions this year. Their goal is the salvation of one soul a day and they are seeing that goal accomplished. Pastor Steve Nutt and other missionaries serving with BIMI are doing a phenomenal work in Okinawa and mainland Japan.

“Only one life will soon be past—only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Time—a word to live by.

Dr. James Kennard, Dr. James and Mary Ray with missionaries at the BIMI military conference, Maranatha Baptist Church, Okinawa, Japan