AMEN 2023 Conference: In His Presence

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Adventist Medical Evangelism Network (AMEN)

General Sessions

John Shin

A Higher Calling

What I want to share with you tonight is something that I felt I needed in my life for a long time.

And as I was studying this passage of Scripture, which I'll share with you shortly, I felt like I really spoke to my soul on this exact same theme that we have for this weekend.

So I would pray that as I speak, that you would pray for me, that God's message will come through clear, and that ultimately, His message is what you take away.

Heavenly Father, we just dedicate this time to you.

We thank you so much, Lord, for the privilege of being able to work for you in our respective spheres of influence.

And Lord, as I speak tonight, I just pray that you will envelop us in your presence, that you will help us to hear a message directly from you.

I pray for forgiveness on my part, Lord, because you know how inadequate I am in so many ways and unqualified to share this message.

I pray, Lord, that people will glimpse you as a result of what was shared tonight.

So we dedicate this time to you and all these things we pray in Jesus name, amen.

So I recently met with a former medical school classmate of mine, who I haven't seen since we graduated, and I had a chance to catch up with him, and it was wonderful.

And I asked him what he was doing, and he's currently working as a hospitalist, And I knew him because when I was a student, he's 1 of these people who you instantly like.

Very outgoing, very gregarious, and he had a passion for his faith.

And so he was involved in some of the events that we organized in our AMEN student chapter on campus which I was a part of.

So that's how I interacted with him primarily when I was a student.

So as I was catching up with him and I asked him how he liked his work, it soon became clear that all was not well.

He said that in his private practice, in his group, the atmosphere was a bit toxic.

He said that the doctors there were more concerned about revenue and RVUs and things like that, and not so much about patient care or the quality of patient care.

So he felt a lot of decisions that were made were made to the detriment of his patients.

So in the beginning he tried to change the culture, He tried to be the 1 who's different and he told me in the end, it's exhausting being a lone salmon swimming upstream.

And ultimately he said, you know what John, I just learned to pick and choose my battles.

And so there's some things I just let go and I realize it's just not worth the time, the energy and the effort to rock the boat in a lot of these things.

He also mentioned that none of the other physicians he works with appear to be Christians and so when he initially tried to incorporate spiritual care into his practice although they didn't outright come out and tell him to stop doing this he could tell by their attitudes that they thought this was ridiculous and they let him know just how non-professional they thought it.

So what I detected from talking to him was someone who felt disillusioned.

He's been working at this practice for a number of years and I changed some details to protect his anonymity, but I could tell in his eyes that He was pretty disillusioned with medicine.

And then he got excited and he said, well, I'll tell you what I'm working on, John, though.

I am actually learning how to do commercial real estate.

And I said, well, I'm glad you're learning about that, but if you hate this job or if you're not feeling like this is where you're called to serve, why not change jobs?

And he said, Well, John, there is no other position that can match the benefits package, the compensation that they're giving me.

So my goal is to work there long enough to generate the capital I need to then get into commercial real estate investing, and then I can walk away from being a hospitalist forever.

And so as he was talking about this, I couldn't help but to feel sad.

Not because there's anything wrong with real estate, but because I felt that my friend had lost his original vision and calling for why God had brought him into medicine.

And You know, maybe some of you can relate to my friend's story.

I think this is a story that repeats itself in many ways, in many different lives, in different contexts.

But as you go through the humdrum daily living, as life takes its toll in our work as professionals, it can just become a job.

And when your job as a healthcare professional becomes just a job, it can really do a number on your faith.

It can really make you disillusioned and cynical in ways that other jobs can't.

So I want to talk about that tonight because it's telling that burnout in health care has reached epic proportions and it's become a buzzword in the academic literature.

Everyone talks about why is it that people are leaving medicine in droves?

And the question is, what can we as Christian physicians do about it?

Does Christ offer an antidote for this condition in our lives?

And so to answer that question I want to turn to Luke chapter 5, and I'm going to use this story of Peter, James, and John's calling as disciples to illustrate all the points tonight.

So it was as a multitude pressed about him to hear the word of God that he stood by the lake of Gennesaret and he saw 2 boats standing by the lake But the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.

Then he got into 1 of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land.

And he sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.

When he had stopped speaking, he said to Simon, launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.

But Simon answered and said to him, Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing.

Nevertheless at your word I will let down the net.

And When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.

So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.

And they filled both boats so that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken.

And so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.

And Jesus said to Simon, do not be afraid.

So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed him.

The first point I want to draw out from this story is that the disciples' efforts were fruitless when they labored apart from Christ.

The disciples' efforts were fruitless when they labored apart from Christ.

This is what the Desire of Ages says on page 249.

During that sad night on the lake when they were separated from Christ, the disciples were pressed hard by unbelief and weary with fruitless toil." Now, this is interesting because Peter, James, and John were expert fishermen.

They were very knowledgeable because this is their life trade.

And they knew that, along with all the other fishermen, the ideal fishing conditions were at night.

So they were there out fishing all night.

You can say that by that morning, maybe they were feeling a little burned out, maybe a little disillusioned about their trade.

If I'm an expert fisherman and I spend all night fishing, come morning and if I caught not even a single fish, I might wonder, Is it time to get out of this field?

Is this really what I should be doing with my life?

And as a health care provider, I want to ask, have you ever felt like your work has been fruitless toil?

Despite the fact that you're an expert in your field, have you ever had the experience of coming back with your nets empty?

You see, friends, this is what happens when we labor apart from Jesus.

And we go through the motions without experiencing true fulfillment.

And despite our best efforts, we return with our nets empty.

And just like the disciples were well-trained fishermen and yet caught no fish, we can be well-trained in whatever field we're in.

And yet, when we labor apart from Christ, we fail.

When we lean on our own wisdom and our own strength, we fall short of what we could do and who we could be through Christ.

So too often I think the issue is that we turn to Jesus as a last resort, not a first resort.

Our default posture is to get things done in our own strength, in our own way.

But no matter what kind of success or lack thereof we're met with, when we do this, we fall short of God's plans for us.

Here in John 15 verses 4 and 5, Christ says, Abide in me and I in you, as a branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in me, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.

He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing." Notice that Jesus does not say that if we do not abide in him we will bear less fruit.

He doesn't say that we'll bear diminished fruit or smaller fruit.

But conversely, notice that Jesus does not say that if we abide in him, that we will have a higher chance of bearing fruit.

He does not say that you will bear a little more fruit than what you normally do.

John Scharffenberg

Supernatural Health Coaching

I would like to talk to you today about Supernatural Health Council.

I need about 8 people here to hand these things out.

I think we have a small group so but 1 per couple.

Now, the Bible text I wanna start with is chapter of Romans.

You know where sin abounds, much more grace abounds.

It says we are justified or reconciled by his death.

So I asked the minister once, what does that mean saved by his life?

He said maybe it's because of what he's doing for us today.

In 1844, he moved into the most holy place And 1 of the first things he did was to appoint a prophet.

Because we were dying so early, particularly our ministers, she outlined exactly what we should do.

It is as necessary that he should keep us by his intercession in the sanctuary service As that he should redeem us by his blood.

His work in the sanctuary service is as important as his death on the cross.

The work of health reform is the Lord's means for lessening suffering in our world and for purifying His church.

Now you can open the packet and get the very first thing, which is Amen Conference.

And that's what I wanna go through with you.

The work of health reform is the Lord's means for lessening suffering in our world.

When did you last hear a sermon that because of the lack of health reform among our church people.

But it's to purify the church, this health reform message.

The last and final message is to be preceded by the message of health reform.

It is the Lord's design that the restoring influence of health reform shall be a part of the last great effort to proclaim the gospel message.

And it's supposed to start where man fell.

Jesus came, his first temptation was on Aphrodite, where man fell.

Can you take these stones and turn them into bread?

Had you started on your plan of salvation?

Was it supposed to start at the same place?

What had you done on your diet to start with?

This test must come to the church as a connection with true medical missionary work.

What does a Sabbath and Sunday matter have to do with true medical missionary work?

You read the whole paragraph at the end, she says it's obedience.

Obedience to God's natural laws, as well as obedience to 1 of the 10 commandments.

It is much a sin to violate the laws of our being as to break down 1 of the 10 commandments.

Now, it's Christ, through the Holy Spirit, that saves us.

I graduated from the College of Medical Evangelists.

Did you know that Sister White said, minister is not sufficient for the task of evangelizing the big cities?

You're supposed to have a medical evangelist who works in the sanitarium outside of the city without any medicine.

He teaches people how to live so they don't get sick.

I was brought up in China and we had a China doctor.

He had specialty training from Johns Hopkins in taking out goiters.

Here I was a boy 12 years of age, I said to myself, why doesn't he give the people iodine so they don't get goiters?

So from my experience in China, I was very ministerially oriented, but I saw the doctors had more influence with the people.

But I want to do it in an evangelistic way.

So I enrolled with the College of Medical Evangelists.

We were supposed to have, which we were a sanatorium, which means today a live-in lifestyle center outside of every major city.

Today in the United States, there are 15 cities with a million or more population.

Nick Dan in Romania, he hadn't seen Cantonese or anything like this, so he knew I was interested in health.

So he came over here to the United States, he expected to find me at Loma Linda.

Well, I was up in Canada at Camp Hope doing health work.

He'll loan you a car and you drive up here." And he drove up.

And we had a big thing at the camp meeting there.

I had a lecture in the big tent for the older people every day.

We had a program directed to teach people how to run kitchens, food service, directors workshop.

And they served the campground people, 1, 000 people.

I had a card at each person's place with a spirit of policy statement and on the other side was a recipe which demonstrated it.

We had 1 of the best programs I've ever done in health education.

And Nick Dan and his wife, who come here now to this program, they were there.

We raised money through the Loma Linda University Church to help them get started.

They have now a lifestyle center over there.

And they've gotten action from the union that Every conference should have 1.

Now they're gonna move on beyond their country and get other countries to do the same.

We need these lifestyle centers outside of every big city.

We were to reform the practice of the doctors.

Now I had a hard time as a medical student with some of Sister White's statements.

I was a believer in the spirit of pharmacy.

Scott Nelson

In the Presence of the Poor: Adventist Medical Evangelism Where Resources are Limited

I am thrilled to be here with you this morning.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I have never been to an AMEN conference before, but for sure There will be more.

I look forward to coming back many times in the future.

I've already been so blessed by the messages that have been shared with us here.

Father in heaven, we thank you for this opportunity to be in your presence.

I pray that you will be with us as we navigate the path of life into your presence and that because of this session and this conference we'll be able to more effectively share your love with all those around us.

I pray in a special way for this world that your peace and love will comfort those who are suffering.

Those who are suffering conflict in the Middle East, conflict in Ukraine, conflict in Haiti, natural disasters in Afghanistan, Morocco, Libya, and people who are brokenhearted and in desperation here in our own country.

It had just started in South Africa, but it had yet to spread into the inner continent.

1 church member there, Peter Wessels, donated $15, 000 to start a mission in Rhodesia.

He and the conference president, Elder Robinson, went to Cecil Rhodes, the namesake of Rhodesia and the head of the British South Africa Company, to lay before him their plans.

He wasn't very friendly, he had a bias against missionaries.

He was writing on some papers as they gave him their proposal.

And when they finished, he didn't look up, but just finished writing on his paper.

Sealed it in an envelope and gave it to the gentleman and told them to deliver it to his liaison, Dr.

They were able to set out hastily on this trip.

They were so curious to see what was inside that envelope.

They took it on a train ride and then 600 miles more that they had to walk over a period of 2 months in order to get to Bulawayo.

Immediately when they got there, they delivered the letter to Dr.

Jameson said, gentlemen, how much land do you want?

Peter stammered for a minute or 2, not quite knowing how to answer that question.

He said, well, doctor, The facts are we ought to have 12, 000 acres.

But that depends upon the terms that we will get it.

Rhodes commands me to give you all the land that you can make use of, said Dr.

You can stake out any unclaimed territory to the east, west, north, or south of Bulawayo.

And he gave them a guide and they went out and laid out the area which is nearly 20 square miles that would become the Seleucid Adventist mission.

The following year, the first missionaries came.

And this book, On the Trail of Livingston, written by Harry Anderson, who was 1 of those first missionaries, is full of amazing and miraculous stories of this journey.

He and his wife moved there from Indiana along with Elder George Tripp, their young son George Jr.

Carmichael, who sold his practice in California to move there.

I've met a couple people here already from Indiana and I'm sure there's a few doctors from California and I don't think it was any easier back then than it is now.

As soon as they arrived they set out building mud houses with sticks.

They dug a well, they planted a garden, and then a famine set in.

They were there to help as many people as they could all around them.

Just after that a rebellion broke out and they had to flee the mission station.

They buried a few of the belongings that they could, left the other things behind, and went to Buleo, where they slept under a wagon in their raincoats at night trying to keep dry for several months.

When they returned, they found that their things were taken and put in a cave by a local chief who had a fondness for them and gave them back and they were able to restart that work.

But these challenges were nothing compared to what lay ahead.

2 and a half years after they arrived, Dr.

It was not known at that time that the mosquito was the carrier of this disease and many feared that quinine was dangerous.

And then their son George, 5 weeks after that, died also of the same dreaded disease, leaving that poor mother behind.

Those who looked at this situation thought this endeavor was a complete failure.

And it was even several more years after that until they would have their first baptism.

And as the pastor was going to do the baptism, immersing this person who had given his life to Christ, these 6 people that had lined up behind him fled into the jungle because they thought he was being drowned.

But then the next day they came back and saw him alive and well.

They too were baptized and many, many more since that time have been baptized in a country that is now Zimbabwe.

A country where there are now approximately 1 million Seventh-day Adventists.

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Series

General Sessions

Trainee and Post-training Panel Discussion

Transcript

Parent Series

Parent Conference

Sponsor

Recorded

Parts

A Higher Calling

1h 29m

Supernatural Health Coaching

1h 3m

In the Presence of the Poor: Adventist Medical Evangelism Where Resources are Limited

1h 1m

A Story About God: It’s Not About Us

1h 33m

Sabbath School: Walking in His Presence

1h 27m

But Seek First

1h 28m

Trainee and Post-training Panel Discussion

58m

Mission Program

59m

In His Presence

1h 30m

Sound Doctrine