AMEN Australia 2014: From Bended Knee to Bedside

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Adventist Medical Evangelism Network Australia

Plenary

Phil Mills

Christ’s Method of Training Medical Evangelists

Fred Hardinge

Essential Elements of Effective Health Ministry

Christ’s Method of Medical Evangelism- House Calls

Ross Grant

Treating Oxidative Stress in Dementia: A Role for Lifestyle Medicine

Is Balanced Health Ministry Possible?

Christ’s Method of Medical Evangelism- Visual Impairment

I love to study dermatology in the Bible.

Perhaps the greatest dermatology story from antiquity is a story that was referenced this morning, the story of Naaman.

It's a story abounding in contrast, a muddy river that cleans and clean rivers that don't.

1 man with leprosy comes to a prophet and leaves cured of leprosy.

Another man without leprosy comes to the prophet but leaves cursed with leprosy.

It shows 1 man seeking to give away a fortune ends up keeping it while a different man seeking to gain fortune ends up only with misfortune.

It's the story of a Hebrew slave who has answers and a Hebrew king who does not.

It's a story that speaks to a serious dermatologic problem in Naaman that uncovers a more serious cardiologic problem in Gehazi.

It's a story that speaks to all medical missionary workers.

In some respects, Naaman is every patient we see, and Gehazi is the medical missionary we must not be.

Dear Lord, as we study again, delving into a familiar story, I pray that you'll give us unfamiliar thoughts.

Now Naaman, Captain of the host of the king of Syria was a great man with his master and honorable because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria.

Like Cyrus after him God could say of this heathen gentleman, I will strengthen you though you have not acknowledged me any success either saint or sinner has comes from God In every area of life the most high ruleth in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will Josephus tells how Naaman gave deliverance to Syria and became a great man.

He states that Naaman was the certain man who drew a bow at a venture and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness, resulting in the death of King Ahab.

Ellen White hints at this in the book, Prophets and Kings.

His deadly aim was not simply a lucky shot on a lucky day.

The verse continues, he was also a mighty man in valor.

He had the world by the tail, Everything was going well.

But if the story quit there, there'd be no story.

Naaman would have simply been 1 of the countless unknowns.

His grave would be lost, he would be forgotten.

There would not be a trace of him, "'all his past successes would mean nothing.

"'Worldly fame and prosperity, ladies and gentlemen, "'brothers and sisters, means nothing.

"'It's not lasting.'" I'm not able to tell you whether Elisha violated Hippa in recording this story, but after telling of Naaman's valor, Elisha adds, he was a leper.

In leprosy was both incurable and deadly.

Naaman could conquer the enemies of Syria without, but he couldn't conquer the enemy within.

Here, as in so many areas of life, fame and fortune mean nothing.

Naaman thought his leprosy was a tragedy.

The king of Syria thought it was a tragedy.

But that leprosy was to bring Naaman his greatest blessing.

In the future life, the mysteries that here have annoyed and disappointed us will be made plain.

We shall see that our seemingly unanswered prayers and disappointed hopes have been among our greatest blessings.

Christ will work through those who can see mercy in misery, gain in loss.

When the light of the world passes by, privilege will be discerned in hardship, order in confusion, success in apparent failure.

Calamities will be seen as disguised blessings, woes as mercies.

David put it this way, "'Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now have I kept thy word.

The Syrians and the Israelites were in a state of war.

Naaman's leprosy did not make him slack in his warfare against the Israelites in the least.

We're told, and the Syrians had gone out by companies.

They stole, they pillaged, they robbed, they raped, they murdered.

The Israelites were crying out to God for him to raise up and destroy the Syrians and deliver his people.

They were looking for God to provide a hero soldier, a Joshua, a Gideon, a Jephthah to lead his people to victory.

Like Naaman's leprosy, her capture appeared to be a great tragedy.

The Hebrew expression in the passage would mean the youngest daughter.

She would have been unmarried, but could have been of marriageable age.

The Hebrew word translated little could be emphasizing her size, petite, or it could be emphasizing her age, her youthfulness.

But the God who delights in using worms to thrash mountains delights to take the unimportant, the marginalized, the insignificant, the ignored, and the poor to accomplish great things for him.

This girl was kidnapped, and like Joseph, was sold as a slave to the enemies of Israel.

This was more frightening and far more dangerous for a girl than a fellow.

But like Joseph, his story she had heard from her mother's knee, she determined to be faithful to the God of heaven.

As a teenager, she would have been born about the time of the revival of primitive godliness among the remnant in Israel following the showdown at Mount Carmel on Sinai.

Her parents may have been in the crowd that saw the fire of heaven flash on the altar and consume it.

And the message God sent through the prophet Elijah was not in vain.

It produced a young person that God could trust on an important but dangerous mission to Syria.

Naaman and his wife observed this slave who lived her religion.

She worked hard, she was uncomplaining, but as the children's storybook says, when they worshiped their idols, she prayed to the God of heaven.

She not only lived her religion, she talked about her religion as well.

And she said to her mistress, would God, my Lord, work with the prophet that is in Samaria, for he would recover him of his leprosy." Bible religion, you see, is practical religion.

As James assured us, Bible faith is not simply advising someone to be clothed and fed.

It seeks the good of our enemies and prays for them.

And Bible religion is not ashamed of the spirit of prophecy.

She didn't hide her belief in the spirit of prophecy.

Though she could cite no peer-reviewed literature for her statement, with full confidence she presented the spirit of prophecy as the solution to Naaman's health problem.

He had never heard it before and may have thought he had uncovered a carefully guarded secret in Israel.

Those words of the Hebrew slave were carried all the way to Ben-Hadad II, then king of Syria.

And after the king listened to Naaman, he told him, Go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel." Naaman departed in the official chariot surrounded by soldiers and attendants guarding both him and the payment for his healing he brought with him.

It was a several day journey from Damascus to Samaria and would require food and lodging.

In addition, he took with him 10 talents of silver and 6, 000 pieces of gold and 10 changes of raiment.

I looked this up and the worth of this, 750 pounds of silver would be over 400, 000 US dollars today.

And 150 pounds of gold would be over 4, 140, 000 US dollars.

Naaman was willing to give a fortune for his health.

Nearly 400, 4, more than 4 and a half million dollars.

With a letter and with the cash, Naaman set off to Israel, an official ambassador on official business.

There was little communication between the warring kings of Syria and Israel.

It would be humbling for the king of Syria to ask a favor of the king of Israel.

So Ben-Hadad disguised his request in the form of a command.

Short and to the point, he wrote, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy." It was equally difficult for the king to receive Naaman.

There were strict public health rules isolating lepers that were rigorously enforced in Israel, there was not only loathing, there was fear.

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Plenary

Christ’s Method of Medical Evangelism- Visual Impairment

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