God is my provider!
After receiving my ticket into mission camp, I entered the English Ministry sanctuary (The camp was divided into adult, english, youth, children). I quickly and stealthily claimed a seat in the back as to not disturb the worship. Yes, sadly, I was late. When the lights came back on, my eyes were drawn to the many banners lining the wall of the sanctuary. these banners represented unreached people groups and nations in the world such as Turkey, Yemen, and Afghanistan. Also, there were multiple signs (and t-shirts) with the letters "BTJ" written on them. what? [Suspense]. After the introduction and announcements, the mc introduced the night's speaker who was Dr. Masahide Kanayama. This is his story:
Dr. K grew up in Japan where his mother was an artist. At the age of 5 he discovered a Western art book that his mother had in her collection. As he was flipping through the pages he stopped at a painting of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. For some reason he was drawn by it, and just sat there staring at the picture for 20 minutes wondering, "Who is this man and why does he have to suffer so much?" Suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder and a man in white robes appeared smiling at him. Then he felt an intense warmth about him and began to weep and cry out loud for nearly half an hour. His mother tried to calm him down and asked what was wrong, but he couldn't explain it. The man was gone.
When he was in high school his friend invited him to church. (Back in his day, and even now, Christians were a small minority and their reputation wasn't great). Right as he entered the front door of the church he saw the same man standing there to welcome him and the man said, "I've been waiting for you." And he was gone. He knew it was Jesus. At the church he learned of the God of the universe who loved the world and came to seek and save sinners and he accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. From then on God opened up his eyes to the spiritual world and he began to witness signs and wonders.
Through supernatural circumstances (an acceptance letter from the government for a prestigious foreign exchange student program) God led him to the US to study medicine. In the process of applying for medical schools, he had the opportunity to apply to John Hopkins. In his essay protion, God impressed upon his heart to write:
"The future of medicine rests on the cross and blood of Jesus Christ. By His stripes we are healed" and he proceeded to copy and paste that sentence to fill up 2 pages.... He got the interview. There the interviewees mentioned his essay and asked if he could explain and elaborate. God led him to share the Gospel with the them. He didn't get accepted (which didn't surprise him), and so he decided to attend Medical College of Wisconsin.
After medical school, he began his residency at a hospital that was notorious for a strict head doctor who cut and kicked out newbies left and right. The first time Dr. K met him, the head doctor looked him up and down and told him that he wouldn't last more than 4 weeks. The first patient he was assigned to was a woman in emergency intensive care. She was in a car accident that tore off more than half of her abdomen (all her insides were showing) and she was barely surviving. Everyone in the hospital knew there was no hope, but on top of that the head doctor told Dr. K that if this patient isn't discharged from the hospital (meaning - if she dies), then he would kick Dr. K out of the program...
That's when he began to pray and fast and desperately cry out to God. He knew that God was the Healer because he had seen God heal the sick. On the 30th day, he went in and saw that God had created new flesh and the missing internal organs in the woman's body. It was a miracle indeed, but on top of that, this woman who had a medical history of depression and other mental ailments was completely cured and healed. This shocked the head doctor, but according to Dr. K, God allowed 5 more challenges such as this one throughout his residency to show the power of God. From there on he knew that God had called him to be a spiritual doctor as well as a physical doctor.
He is currently one of the top obstetrician and gynecologist in the world. He shares how during surgery God opens his eyes to exactly where and how much he has to excise to take out the cancerous and infected cells. God also opens his spiritual eyes to see the demons that many times cause the sickness in the patient and sometimes there are demons in certain parts of the body. When he cuts those parts, which coincide with the diseased cells, he can hear the demon crying and screaming (of course no one else around him can see or hear) as it comes out of the patient's body. Then he prays over them in Jesus name throughout and after the surgery. All his patients who are treated by him get well and are healed both physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. All glory to God!
Recently, God led him to Norway where he was supposed be a guest speaker for a big Christian conference that was to be broadcast all over the country. However, during the leaders' prayer meeting right before the conference he was asked to lead them in prayer, and when he did, the Holy Spirit moved him to pray for the sick. Right then and there, deaf ears were opened, broken bones were fixed, tumors were falling off, and people were being healed left and right. (He shares how God had already told him in advance that he was to get ready to share the Good News on national TV). After that, the event planners decided to make Dr. K the main speaker and put everything else on hold. As for him, he was just in awe and praising God that He would use a Japanese man with a thick accent to reach a foreign land that was not his own and share the love of God. Looking back now, the painting in the art book he was so drawn to and touched by was a picture of that Love - the Love of Jesus Christ.
But He was pierced for our transgressions;
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5
