Journal Article

My Jesus, My King, My Life, My All

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
– Matthew 24:14

This text is very familiar to Seventh-day Adventists. In fact, we have staked our purpose and mission on it. But notice: it’s not just any gospel that is going to be preached to the world. The Bible says that ‘this gospel’ – that is, this particular gospel, which must be powerful enough and complete enough to bring on the end of the world.

The focus of this article will be: What, then, is “this gospel?”

A Character of Love
“After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with its glory.” – Revelation 18:1

This text is speaking of a message so powerful that it lightens the earth with its glory. This is the fourth angel, who comes down from heaven with a loud voice to emphasize and highlight the message that had been given by the other three angels, who came before. In fact, this message is so important that, in the face of this message, from Revelation 2 and onward, every false religion falls.

Let me emphasize this point: ‘this gospel’ – this message – is so powerful that every false religion falls in the light of this illuminating message. Listen to this quote from Ellen White.

“It is the darkness of misapprehension of God that is enshrouding the world. Men are losing their knowledge of His character. It has been misunderstood and misinterpreted. At this time a message from God is to be proclaimed, a message illuminating in its influence and saving in its power. His character is to be made known. Into the darkness of the world is to be shed the light of His glory, the light of His goodness, mercy, and truth.”
– Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 415

The last message of mercy to be given to the world is a revelation of His character of love. The children of God are to manifest His glory in their own life and character. They are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them. As we saw in Matthew 24, “this gospel” would be preached to all the world as a witness – as a witness – to all the world, and then the end will come.

[caption id=”attachment_30978″ align=”alignright” width=”640″] Jesus carrying the cross.[/caption]

A witness to the world. Here is where, as Seventh-day Adventists, we come in.

One Central Truth
The Seventh-day Adventist Church was born out of prophecy. The Seventh-day Adventist church was born to be a prophetic movement, not a denomination. We act as if we were born to occupy until He comes. But we are a movement – a church that was born on the move, with a prophetic voice. That’s what the Bible tells us. And what is a prophet? A prophet is one who is raised up from amongst God’s people with something unique to say.

Think of John the Baptist. He had something unique to say. He was dressed in a peculiar fashion. You knew he was the prophet. Seventh-day Adventists have the same role. As we look back on our early history, Ellen White, JN Andrews, Joseph Bates, Uriah Smith, each began to appreciate the calling of Seventh-day Adventists. And they began to understand a system of truth. Multiple doctrines were coming in. They were beginning to understand the cosmic nature of these things. The great controversy theme began to emerge and to develop in Seventh-day Adventism. A doctrinal system was emerging and maturing. Yet, as Ellen White said, there was one central truth to it all.

“There is one great central truth to be kept ever before the mind in the searching of the Scriptures—Christ and Him crucified. Every other truth is invested with influence and power corresponding to its relation to this theme. It is only in the light of the cross that we can discern the exalted character of the law of God. The soul palsied by sin can be endowed with life only through the work wrought out upon the cross by the Author of our salvation. The love of Christ constrains man to unite with Him in His labor and sacrifice. The revelation of Divine Love awakens in them a sense of their neglected obligation to be light-bearers to the world, and inspires them with the missionary spirit.”
– That I May Know Him p. 208

What, then, inspires the healthcare provider with a missionary spirit? Only the uplifted Savior can. He alone can inspire the missionary spirit. It is not done from a sense of obligation. The truth enlightens the mind. It sanctifies the soul. Which truth? That central truth – Christ and Him crucified, which enlightens the mind and sanctifies the soul.

The Truth for This Time
When Christ in His work of Redemption is seen to be the great central truth of the system of truth, new light is shed upon events (all the events) of the past and the future. They are seen in a new relation and possess a new and deeper significance. Ellen White also says, “The truth for this time.” Not just any truth. The truth that is particularly relevant to this time “is broad in its outlines, far-reaching, embracing many doctrines. But these doctrines are not detached items which mean little. They are united by golden threads forming a complete whole with Christ as the living Center.” (Ibid.)

There’s more from her pen:
“The time of test is just upon us. For the loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer.” – RH November 22, 1892, par. 7

“Had Adventists after the great disappointment in 1844 held fast their faith and followed on unitedly in the opening providence of God, receiving the message of the third angel and in the power of the Holy Spirit proclaiming it to the world, they would have seen the salvation of God, the Lord would have wrought mightily with their efforts, the work would have been completed, and Christ would have come ere this to receive His people to their reward…. It was not the will of God that the coming of Christ should be thus delayed”
– Last Day Events p. 37, 38

“The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Elders Waggoner and Jones. This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Savior. The sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. It presented justification through faith in the Surety. It invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God. Many had lost sight of Jesus. They needed to have their eyes directed to His divine Person, His merits, His changeless love for the human family. All power is given into His hands that He may dispense rich gifts unto men. Imparting the priceless gift of His own righteousness to the helpless human agent. This is the message that God commanded to be given to the world.”
– Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers p. 91, 92

Again, as Matthew 24:14 says, “this gospel” must be preached to the world. Not just any gospel. This is the message of Christ’s righteousness – the uplifted Savior. This is the message that God commanded to be given to the world. It is the third angel’s message, which is to be proclaimed with a loud voice attended with the outpouring of the Spirit in large measure.

“The message of Christ’s righteousness is to sound from one end of the earth to the other to prepare the way of the Lord. This is the glory of God which closes the work of the third angel.”
– Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6 p. 19

At least twice, Ellen White said that the Lord should have come before now. The question is, why are we discussing this particular topic with special regard to medical/dental/healthcare workers? Why are we talking about this? I want to share parts of something that was penned by Percy Magan in a letter to the officers of the General Conference, written in 1932. He caught the vision of God’s last-day church making a world-wide demonstration of Christ-like service embracing both the body and the soul.

“‘Soon there will be no work done in ministerial lines but medical missionary work’ (GC Bulletin 1901). It must be very clear from this that the medical work to which we are called is in its nature ministerial, spiritual, and soul-saving”

How important that we understand our calling. “The medical work to which we are called is in its nature ministerial, spiritual, and soul-saving. Therefore, it is most essential that the training in the medical school be of a ministerial and missionary nature. It must be spiritual as well as scientific.” Please note that this is not just talking about a Bible class here and there. It must be spiritual as well as scientific. The ultimate aim of our effort must be to equip and send forth into the harvest field an army of medical ministers of the Word of God.

“And yet, as the divine Master gazes upon the different throngs who in the ages that have come and gone have born the message of the hour, each in his own appointed time and generation, methinks I hear the divine Master say, ‘One thing thou lackest.’ Of ministerial bands there have been many who have nobly trod the hard and narrow way. But mine eye beholdeth that not anywhere in time’s long day as much as one company (save that one which I did train for a pattern) who have made it their role on earth to blend two ministries in one; even as I, their Master did, and concerning which I commanded, as ye go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils, freely ye have received, freely give.”
– PT Magan’s Letter to the Officer’s of the GC 1932

When reading this, my heart was touched, and I was greatly moved. The Lord raised up the medical work, not just to train physicians, but at the same time to train evangelists.

Jump Or Fry
Some time ago in the North Sea of Scotland an oil rig platform exploded. One of the supervisors was in his sleeping shed when the explosion happened. He came out of his room and realized that the platform was engulfed in fire. He stood on the platform and looked down into the water below; the oil had bubbled up and caught fire on the surface of the water. In addition to that, debris had spilled all over the face of the water. He looked around at the platform where he stood. To his right side there was a wall of fire. Behind him was a wall of fire. To his left there was a wall of fire. He looked down again—fifteen stories down to the icy, frigid water. He knew that he could survive only twenty minutes in that water, even if he managed to escape injury in the jump. If he stayed on the platform, it was going to be certain death. If he jumped off, it would be probable death. He said it was “jump or fry,” and so he jumped. Someone managed to pull him from the water and get him to emergency care. When the rescuers caught up to him in the hospital they said, “Why did you jump?

He replied, “I didn’t want to die.”

To parallel the analogy: What is going to be the burning platform that will motivate us to jump in and do something about our identity as medical people?

First of all the good news. This is the last church. This church is going forward. God has promised us that He will take us forward.

Now the bad news. I believe that as Seventh-day Adventists we have lost our identity and our mission. We are to be a prophetic movement, not a denomination. I also believe that we have failed to pass along our identity and mission to our children, at least to a large degree.

If you ask the average Seventh-day Adventist young person to tell you about the Sanctuary truth, you will see their eyes glaze over. We have failed to teach our children the most important aspects of our end-time message. Our own generation has failed to accept the Lord’s diagnosis. One of the most difficult passages of Scripture for Seventh-day Adventists is Revelation 3, where it says that we are miserable, poor, blind, and naked. We have a difficult time appreciating that message. We are preoccupied with lesser things. We need to think about what those lesser things could be.

Yes, we have a problem but we also have a remedy, the Lord’s remedy, as found in Revelation 3. We must buy the gold that is the faith of Jesus Christ. We must appropriate the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and get the divine eye-salve so that we may see things from His standpoint. We must learn to see as He sees. We must make a firm commitment to live and to preach the whole gospel for this time.

“Michael”
As Program Director for the residency in Internal Medicine at Kettering Medical Center, I interview applicants. Two interview seasons ago, I reviewed a file on “Michael.” This applicant had gone to the Adventist academy in our town, but he chose secular institutions for college and medical school. Thinking that this was a little unusual I asked him a question when he came in to my office. I said, “How did it come that you entered this academy in our town?”

He said, “I’m a Seventh-day Adventist.”

“How did it happen then,” I asked, “that you went to a secular undergraduate university?”

He said, “Well, I got a full ride scholarship.”

“OK, how did it come, then, that you went to this secular university for medical school?”

He said, “Well, I looked around and I saw that I wanted to get the best education I could, so I went to this university.”

At that point the Holy Spirit said to me, Lyndi, put down your pen and just talk to this young man honestly. So I said to him, “I’m going to tell you something. You have two choices for residency. One is Kettering Medical Center, and the other is Loma Linda University. I say this because you are a medical missionary. It’s not going to be a job. You’re not just a doctor who is here to practice and to make money. You are here to be a medical missionary.”

The look on his face was quite hilarious. His eyes were as big as saucers.

I continued: “Moreover, I want you to go home and read the first hundred pages of The Ministry of Healing. He told me he had no such book. I said, “Well, you can buy this book,” and I encouraged him to do so.

Michael is actually one of our residents at Kettering now. One day he came to my office and said, “Do you know why I am here at Kettering for my residency?” I didn’t respond, so he went on, “You were the nicest person I met on the interview trail.” I was praising the Lord, because it could have turned out much differently.

We need to let our children recognize that the greatest education on this planet is Seventh-day Adventist education. Our children need to be in our schools. Too many don’t have a clue what’s going on in Adventism.

David Livingston
The final point is understanding the physician/dentist/healthcare worker’s opportunity:

We have a calling at this point to join ourselves to our pastors in medical missionary work. This is what God expects of us.

One of the greatest examples of a faithful medical missionary was David Livingstone. He was born in Blantyre, Scotland, in 1813. His father used to put young David on his knees and read him stories of great missionary exploits, particularly those of Carl Gutslav, the Dutch missionary who doubled as a medical missionary. Young David used to look into his father’s eyes and say, “You know, Daddy, one day I will be a man like that. I want to be a missionary. I want to be a doctor. I want to serve God.”

Years later, David Livingstone got on his knees and prayed, “Lord, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever any ties but the ties that bind me to Your service, and to Your heart.”

And the word of God came to him, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.”

He packed his bags and went off to Africa. When he got his first real glimpse of Africa from a distance, he penned in his journal these words: “The haunting specter of the smoke of a thousand villages in the morning sun has burned within my heart.”

He married a woman from the famous Moffat family. Mary was her name. Her father was a great missionary. They went to Africa. But David Livingstone’s life was that of an explorer. He moved from place to place, and his only goal was Jesus in the hearts and lives of men and women. Thousands of them.

Finally his wife and his young children couldn’t keep up with him anymore. Some of his children were dying from tropical diseases. So he said to his wife, “Why don’t you take them home, and I will see you shortly. It’s too dangerous for us to go on like this.” So he sent his dear wife, Mary, back home.

Letters took months to exchange. Some of the fondest letters of love and romance you could ever read were sent between David and Mary. The next time David Livingstone saw his wife was not five weeks later – nor five months – but five years. Five years later, when he set eyes upon his wife, she could not recognize him because at one stage in his jungle travels, hiking out to preach, he walked into a branch of a tree that completely blinded him in one eye and marred the other. His face had been burned under the Africa sun to a leathery crisp, and his skin, which had not been pigmented for the African sun, had been roasted to the point that his body could not take it any longer. His face was terribly marred and scarred, and his eye blinded, and at one time he had even been attacked by a lion that had torn one of his shoulders apart. He miraculously escaped death, but not disfigurement. Imagine the shock Livingstone’s wife felt to see her husband in such a state.

Biographical sketches tell us that, after he returned home, when David Livingstone walked into any university in the British Isles, students and faculty would rise to a standing ovation because they knew they were standing in the presence of a giant of a man.

David Livingstone couldn’t settle down to “civilized life.” The needs of Africa haunted him. Finally he said to his wife, “Mary, the haunting specter of the smoke of a thousand villages in the morning sun is still burning within my heart. We need to go back.” Mary decided that he should go, and she should stay. She had to be with the children. She said, “When they are old enough, I will join you again.”

Livingstone set off on his lonely journey to preach to the African people, whose needs pressed upon his heart. Finally, after a long time, Mary joined him. The day she set foot on African soil, she contracted a dreaded disease, and a few days later David Livingstone buried his beloved wife. An eye witness to the burial said, “David Livingstone knelt beside the grave weeping his heart out, and they overheard him saying, ‘My Jesus, my King, my Life, my All! I again consecrate my life to Thee. I shall place no value on anything I possess or anything I may do except in relation to Thy Kingdom and to Thy Service.”

Livingstone later said, “Through it all came the words of God to my heart, and He said, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.”

After committing his wife’s body to its lonely grave in the African soil, Livingstone picked up his belongings and walked back to his home village of Ugigi. When he arrived and went into his little hut there, he found that someone had played a cruel joke on him, and had stolen his medication, which he so needed because his body was wracked with untold pain. He walked in constant agony, even with the medication. Witnesses said that this was one of the very few moments in his life that he prayed for himself. He got on his knees and said, “God, you promised you would always be with me. I need that medication if I am to continue preaching the gospel.”

As he prayed, he heard steps, and as the story goes, he saw a pair of feet planted in front of him. He lifted his face for the first time in a long while. There before him was a white man who didn’t live in Africa. The missionary said, “Who are you, sir?”

The man replied with the now-famous words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”

Henry Stanley said, “Mr. Livingstone, I am a press reporter. I have been assigned to do a story on your life. I want you to know two things about me. Number one: I am the biggest, swaggering atheist on the face of this planet. Please don’t try and convert me. Number two: Somebody sent some medication for you.”

David said, “Give me the medication, please.”
So, Mr. Henry M. Stanley started to travel with David Livingstone. Four months later, “the biggest swaggering atheist on the face of this planet” knelt down on African soil and gave his heart to Jesus Christ.

One of the best biographies you’ll ever read on David Livingstone is in two volumes entitled, “Livingstone of Africa” by Henry M. Stanley. Stanley said, “The power of the Christ-life was awesome, and I had to buckle in. I could not hold out any longer.”

Finally Livingstone’s body began to shrivel with high temperatures and pain. They used to carry him from village to village on a stretcher. One day, preaching from a stretcher, literally trembling, he finally looked at two of his national brothers and said, “Please take me back home. I am very ill. I am very tired. I need some sleep.”

They brought him back to his home and were about to put him onto the bed when he said, “No, please help me onto my knees.” Livingstone buckled down to his knees by the side of his bed, and clasped his hands and started to pray. His prayers were so profound, his sanctuary was so unique, that his African brothers felt it blasphemy to infringe upon his communion with God. They stepped out of the little room. While they waited, somebody came running and said, “I need to see Mr. Livingstone for a moment!” They said, “Shhhh, please be quiet! He’s praying!”

Five minutes later they looked in. He was still on his knees. Several more minutes went by. They looked in. He was still on his knees. After a protracted period of time went by, they looked in, and he was still on his knees. One of them thought that the man was too tired to continue to pray. He needed to get some sleep. He went in and gently shook him by the shoulders saying, “Bwana! – Bwana?”

Livingstone fell over. He was dead. He died exactly the way he had lived – in the presence of his Lord. He did not run from God’s voice. He did not wave a lamp that had no light in it. He did not sell his soul for some earthly treasure. But the haunting specter of the smoke of a thousand villages had burned itself within his heart, so he could say, “My Jesus, My King, My Life, My ALL, I again consecrate my life to You.”

How is it with your life? What is your commitment to the medical missionary work and the preaching of “this gospel”? What will be your life’s record when the King comes to enquire about the talents He has given you?

 

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