Amen1012 Me Fall13

F A L L 2 0 1 3
Mission Opportunities
Medical Evangelism in Siargao
Driving Out in Faith
2 T HE ME DI CAL E VANGE L I S T FALL 2013
ARE YOU A
PHYSICIAN OR
DENTIST INTERESTED
IN LEARNING HOW
TO EFFECTIVELY
SHARE CHRIST WITH
YOUR PATIENTS?
Airport Marriott 7499 Augusta National Dr., Orlando, FL
CME/CDE Credits* Childrens Programs
Oct. 31Nov. 3, 2013
Dr. Des Cummings, Pastor Mark Finley,
Larry Cohen MD, John Osborn DDS, and
more will share their own journey to becoming a
medical evangelist and how a passion for sharing
Christ has enhanced their daily practice in plenary
sessions and small group workshops.
*The Kettering Health Network is accredited by the Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA) to provide continuing
medical education for physicians. The Kettering Health Network designates this live activity for a maximum of 8 hours
AMA PRA Category 1 Credit. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation
in the activity. Dental continuing education is approved through Loma Linda University for up to 8 credits.
COMING UP! 10th Annual AMEN Conference:
October 30November 2, 2014; San Diego, CA
AdvRvw_7x4.5Ad_AMEN_9conf_v5_PRINT.indd 1 9/19/13 9:49 AM
FALL 2013 T HE ME DI CAL E VANGE L I S T 3
The Medical Evangelist is the ofcial
publication of the Adventist Medical
Evangelism Network. The purpose
of the publication is to equip
physicians and dentists to be
effective medical evangelists.
e d i t o r s :
Brian Schwartz, MD - EDITOR IN CHIEF
Rebecca Barnhurst - ASSISTANT EDITOR
e d i t o r i a l c o mmi t t e e :
Brian Schwartz, MD - CHAIRMAN
John Chung, MD
Robert Hunsaker, MD
Neil Nedley, MD
David Otis, DDS
The Medical Evangelist is provided
to AMEN members. Institutions and
individuals who are not members wishing
to receive the journal may request copies
or a subscription by contacting AMEN at
(530) 883-8061 or [email protected].
PO Box 1114
Collegedale, Tennessee 37315
(530) 883-8061
www.amensda.org
F A L L 2 0 1 3
contents
4 / Editorial
5 / The Sanctuary, the Prophet Daniel,
and Gods End-Time Message
12 / Medical Evangelism in Siargao
14 / Mission Opportunities
15 / Create in Me a Clean Heart
20 / AMEN Meets RAM
25 / Driving Out in Faith
27 / When God Leads: My Journey
Into Medical School
30 / Loma Linda University AMEN
Student Chapter Update
31 / Presidents Report
5
12
30
15
W
e often look at the phrase,
the faith of Jesus as Jesus
faith in God. Though this is
true, there is another way
to look at this phrase, a way that can have
important implications for our outreach as
physicians and dentists.
Look at this quote from Ellen White: Each
word, each action, is a work for God. Here
is faith in God, and faith in men. Christ
would never have given His life for the
human race if He had not faith in the souls
for whom He died. He knew that a large
number would respond to the love He had
expressed for humanity. It is not every heart
that responds, but every heart may, and
can if it will, respond to that love that is
without parallel. My sheep hear my voice,
Christ said. A heart yearning for God will
recognize the voice of God. God cannot
respond to one soul that does not respond
to His grace offered, His love bestowed.
He is waiting for a response from souls....
{LHU 221.4}
Likewise in our practice, if we will learn
Christs methods of reaching the lost, then
by understanding the principle of having
faith in our patients, we might nd real
power for motivating change in them.
Jesus treated His disciples as though they
were converted long before they were.
He called Judas a friend, even though He
knew that Judas would betray Him. Jesus
forgave Peter and looked on him with love
and compassion, even though Peter had
denied Him with cursing and swearing.
Jesus demonstrated the principle of treating
people as though even before they were.
He saw what they could be by His grace,
and so He treated them as though they had
already arrived.
If we can help our patients see what they
can be, they actually have a better chance
of attaining it. I have begun to treat my
smoking patients as though they have
already quit. I no longer tell them that they
need to quit; I instead talk to them about
what their new life will be like now that they
have quit. I explain that God has already
given them the victory over smoking, and
that with His help they will stay successful.
Many patients have actually stopped then
and there and remain free of tobacco at
their next follow up. It doesnt matter what
the issue, If we can help our patients see a
bigger picture of what they can be, many
will rise to that higher standard.
Two weekends ago I was talking to a
gentleman who stated that, as a kid, he
hated math. He unked math each time.
Then in high School he had a math teacher
who truly inspired him and showed him
how to do math. He went on to get a higher
education degree in Mathematics, all
because of that teacher.
So, too, may we have the opportunity to
inspire our fellowman to rise up and be what
God has envisioned them to be: Children of
the King. God looked upon humanity, not
as vile and worthless; He looked upon it in
Christ, saw it as it might become through
redeeming love. (COL 118).
This too is what it means to have the faith
of Jesus.
God looked
upon humanity,
not as vile and
worthless; He
looked upon
it in Christ,
saw it as it
might become
through
redeeming
love.
(COL 118).
B R I A N S C H WA R T Z , M. D .
Brian Schwartz, M.D.
E D I T O R I A L
As Though
The Sanctuary, the Prophet Daniel,
and Gods End-time Health Message
H
ow valuable is an excellent
memory? If youre a physician
or dentist, you know how
important it is to have your
mind in top shape in order to diagnose
and treat your patients effectively. Sure,
computers and diagnostic tests can help
a lot, but there is no substitute for the
observational skills and sharp memory of an
excellent doctor or dentist.
Even if you are not a health professional,
memory is extremely important. If you
have a family member with Alzheimers
disease, you can testify that your loved-ones
deteriorating recall is a cruel and terrible
aspect of the disease. In a very real sense,
when you lose a good share of your memory,
you cease to be you.
As important as a good mind is in the present,
there is a bigger picture to consider. A whole
book of the Bible seems to exist especially
for the purpose of helping us remember
things that affect our eternal interests.
Deuteronomy literally refers to the second
[enunciation of the] law. The book reiterates
Gods divine instruction to His peopleand
is pervaded by calls to remember. Consider,
for example, the following:
And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall
have brought thee into the land which he
sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac,
and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly
cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses
full of all good things, which thou lledst
not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst
not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou
plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten
and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the
Lord, which brought thee forth out of the
land of Egypt, from the house of bondage
(Deut 6:1012).
The word, remember, is at the heart of the
Ten Commandments as well, standing at the
beginning of the Sabbath commandment.
Remember is found throughout Gods
counsels to us. I am in danger of forgetting.
We all are in danger of forgetting. And worse
yet, there is eternal danger in forgetting.
Consequently, the book of Deuteronomy
mirrors Gods entire revelation in its
repeated calls to remembrance. In fact,
the Deuteronomy 6 appeal foreshadows
a message in the Bibles nal book where
the Laodicean church is called to task for
forgetting its spiritual need in the midst of
material prosperity (Rev 3:14-22).
What Does All This Have To Do With An
End-Time Health Message?
Holiness and health are among the themes
of Leviticus and Numbers, the two books
that immediately precede Deuteronomy.
To see how these themes are linked to
remembrance, consider Leviticus 23. This
chapter calls Gods people to be mindful of
the sacred assemblies (NIV) of the Lord.
These gatherings are literally referred to as
proclamations of holiness (vs. 3, 7, 8, etc.).
Lets look at three of these assemblies, for
they provide a window into the inseparable
linkage between memory, holiness and
health.
by David DeRose, MD, MPH
A series of articles demonstrating how a growing
body of science is supporting the statements of
Scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy.
S C I E N C E A N D I N S P I R A T I O N
Dr. David DeRose is a
board certied physician
in both Internal Medicine
and Preventive Medicine.
He also holds a Masters
of Public Health degree
from Loma Linda
University. In addition
to hosting a weekly
radio program, he is a
published researcher
and has lectured widely,
presenting complex health
topics to the public in
an understandable way.
Currently, DeRose teaches
at Weimar College and
serves as a physician
at Weimars NEWSTART
Clinic.
Leviticus 23:1-3 begins with a reminder
of the foundation for all holy time, the
weekly Sabbath. Although the word
remember doesnt appear in the text,
the call to remembrance is both implicit
here and explicit elsewhere (e.g., Ex 20:8-
11; Dt 5:12-15). Dr. Roy Gane recognizes
the special implications for holiness: By
blessing the seventh day and making it
holy (Gen 2:3), God has bestowed on it a
special relationship to Himself, who alone
is intrinsically holy (cf. 1 Sam 2:2).
Lev 23:10-14 provides a second window
into the foundational nature of
remembrance: Speak unto the children
of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be
come into the land which I give unto you,
and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye
shall bring a sheaf of the rstfruits of your
harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave
the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted
for you And ye shall eat neither bread,
nor parched corn, nor green ears, until
the selfsame day that ye have brought an
offering unto your God: it shall be a statute
for ever throughout your generations in all
your dwellings. In Deuteronomy 6 the
danger was that Gods people would be so
preoccupied with material blessings that
they would forget their Lord, the Source
of all. Here we see God lovingly instituted
another perpetual statue designed to help
them never forget. Before they enjoyed
the material fruits of the land, they were
to participate in the rstfruits or wave
sheaf offering. The apostle Paul makes
it clear this offering represented Jesus, our
Savior: But now is Christ risen from the
dead, and become the rstfruits of them
that slept. (1 Cor 15:20)
This passage helps us make a key transition.
For the Christian, God has provided special
aids to remembrance. Whereas the weekly
Sabbath originally connected the call to
remembrance with His creative, life-giving
power, the wave sheaf focuses us on living
a life centered on Gods redemptive, grace-
giving poweras most fully manifested
in Jesus, our Messiah. Another profound
reality is also revealed: Lev 23:10-14 calls us
to recognize that this sublime truth about
the Source of all our blessings is connected
with Gods sanctuary.
A third great assembly in Leviticus 23
brings this all into sharper focus. However,
before proceeding there, it is worth noting
that many Christians nd it difcult
to understand why an Old Testament
institution like the wilderness sanctuary
or the subsequent temple in Jerusalem
would have any bearing on our lives today.
A brief digression should help dispel any
concerns of misapplication.
Revelation and Daniel are twin prophetic
books that speak with special relevance
to the end of time. Both are intimately
connected with Gods sanctuary and the
redemptive work of Jesusto which
we owe our all. The end-time book of
Revelation is presented from a sanctuary
context. John the Revelator rst sees
Jesus in the midst of the sanctuarys
golden lampstands (1:12-13), offering
His struggling churches sanctuary items
like manna (2:17). In the next scene of
Revelation 4 and 5, John nds himself in
vision in a representation of the heavenly
sanctuary, the very throne room of God.
In keeping with the Christ-centered focus,
the central gure in the drama of those
chapters is Jesus, the sacricial lamb (5:6-
10; see also John 1:29). Although the
entirety of the book continues from such a
perspective, it is worth noting that the book
of Revelation concludes with the ultimate
Christ-centered, sanctuary focus when the
Father and Son move Their dwelling place
to earth (Rev 21-22).
Similarly, the book of Daniel speaks
especially to those living toward the
conclusion of earths history. The book
states it was sealed for this very purpose
(see Daniel 12:4, 9, 13). The imagery of
the book of Daniel is again presented
in a sanctuary context. Consider, for
example, the sanctuary setting of the end-
time judgment of Daniel 7 (e.g., vs 9-10)
or the exclusive use of sanctuary animals
(ram and goat) in the parallel prophecy of
Daniel 8 which, incidentally, specically
centers on the sanctuary (see Dan 8:14).
For centuries, students of Bible prophecy
have recognized that this very prophecy,
when combined with the ancillary
revelation of Daniel 9:20-27, demonstrates
that since 1844 we have been living in a
special time that Dan 8:14 associates with
an end-time cleansing of the sanctuary.
Indeed, rightly understood, Daniel 8 and
9 speak to every Christian today, calling us
to realize we are living in a time that was
foreshadowed by the Bibles annual Day of
Atonement.
The Example of Daniel
In fact, it is the book of Daniel with its last-
days, sanctuary emphasis that brings us
back to Leviticus and Gods present call to
holiness, health and remembrance. Daniel
1:1-2 provides the opening context where
it seems Gods temple/sanctuary is no
longer relevant. (Most of those living in his
day would have viewed Nebuchadnezzars
plundering of the Jerusalem temple as
evidence of the impotence of the temple
services and the God with whom they
were associated). However, in the ensuing
story, Daniel essentially says: Many may
think the true God has been shown to be
But now is Christ
risen from the
dead, and become
the rstfruits of
them that slept.
powerless and His sanctuary irrelevant,
but I know differently. I will live in
the light of a living God and a relevant
sanctuary by not deling myself. (Note:
you can only dele something that is
holyDaniel was boldly proclaiming his
body was the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit!)
A Third Sacred Assembly
With all this in mind, we must hasten on
to a third holy convocation in Leviticus 23.
Although there are other sacred assemblies
in this chapter, the nal one well consider
provides a valuable window on how we
are to live in this great antitypical Day of
Atonement. (Note: a type points forward
to an antitype; so the rituals associated
with the ancient Day of Atonement give
us special insights into how we are to live
today.) Indeed, Leviticus 23:27 provides
details about preparations for the Day of
Atonement (also known as Yom Kippur).
[O]n the tenth day of this seventh month
there shall be a day of atonement: it shall
be an holy convocation unto you; and ye
shall afict your souls (fast), and offer an
offering made by re unto the Lord.
At a basic level, the annual Day of
Atonement pointed forward to an ultimate
vindication or clearing of Gods character.
In the antitype, the One who had forgiven
His people throughout earths history will
nally, incontrovertibly, be shown to be fully
just in the eyes of the entire universe. Just
as the Hebrew people aficted themselves
at Yom Kippur, the responsibility of the
already-forgiven end-time people of God
is to humble themselvesavoiding all that
would deleand, thus, live holy lives
that testify to the fact that Gods grace has
indeed transformed their lives, rendering
them safe to save.
The Call to Fast
Medical Ministry is a pivotal book that has
shaped the Adventist practice of medicine
for decades. This book captured the essence
of fasting, advocating it as a practice that
every Christian should embrace in the
times in which we live: The true fasting
which should be recommended to all, is
abstinence from every stimulating kind
of food, and the proper use of wholesome
simple food, which God has provided in
abundance. Men need to think less about
what they shall eat and drink of temporal
food, and much more in regard to the
food from heaven, that will give tone and
vitality to the whole religious experience
(Medical Ministry, p. 283).
However, this is not an austere message
focused on the fasting and self-denial we
must do. The Yom Kippur message is
one full of hope and empowerment. The
services of the Day of Atonement all center
on the activities of our High Priest who
makes an atonement for himself, and for
his household, and for all the congregation
of Israel (Lev 16:17). When we understand
that the High Priest of old foreshadowed
the work of Jesus (see Heb 6:20; 9:6-14;
etc.), we realize that Jesus is the One who
wants to both cleanse His people and give
them the assurance of standing in a right
relationship to Him (e.g., Heb 4:14-16;
10:19-22).
A prolic Christian writer of yesteryear
captured this connection between Christs
work for us in heaven and the call to
holiness: Jesus stands in the holy of
holies [the sanctuary apartment especially
associated with the Day of Atonement],
now to appear in the presence of God for
us. There He ceases not to present His
people moment by moment, complete
in Himself. But because we are thus
represented before the Father, we are
not to imagine that we are to presume
upon His mercy and become careless,
indifferent, and self-indulgent. Christ is
not the minister of sin. We are complete in
Him, accepted in the Beloved, only as we
abide in Him by faith (Faith and Works,
p. 107).
Do you see the implications? We are living
in a time where the Bible makes special
appeals for us to remember. Those calls
to remembrance are connected with calls
to be a holy people who allow Jesus to
give them an experience in self-denial at
this solemn time in earths history. In
fact, the Day of Atonement message also
calls us back to the 1st chapter of the
book of Daniel. As we saw there, Daniel
lives in the light of a relevant sanctuary
messageand orders his life accordingly.
And what were the results? Daniel reaped
the consequences of physical, mental, and
spiritual excellence (see Daniel 1:15, 20).
Practical Health Implications
America, along with the rest of the
Western World, has been swept away in an
epidemic called the metabolic syndrome.
By the time we reach our 60s, over half of
us will have this disorder. Worse still, up to
44% of obese adolescents already have the
condition. This metabolic derangement
sets the stage for a host of physical
maladies including type 2 diabetes, heart
disease, stroke, elevated blood pressure,
higher blood sugar and triglyceride values,
as well as a variety of cancers. However,
in light of the Bibles call for holy living,
Christians may be wise to be most fearful
of this conditions cognitive toll. A growing
body of research now links the metabolic
syndrome to cognitive dysfunction,
including an increased risk for dementing
diseases like Alzheimers. The metabolic
syndrome is driven by modiable lifestyle
factors like obesity, poor diet and inactivity.
The Day of Atonement call to fasting is
a call to temperate living that is calculated
to help us avoid or reverse the metabolic
syndromethus fostering our cognitive
superiority just as it did Daniels.
Looking specically at memory (and
the hippocampus, a key brain region
involved in memory), a recent review
identied a host of neurotoxic factors
including those that tend to accompany
the metabolic syndrome like hypertension
(high blood pressure), diabetes and
obesity, as well as other conditions like
alcohol abuse and depression. Along
these lines, it is interesting to note the
diet requested by the prophet Daniel. He
asked only for pulse [vegetables] to eat,
and water to drink (Dan 1:12). Current
research suggests that such an animal-
product-free diet, akin to that prescribed in
Eden (Gen 1:29), is best calculated to help
avoid cognition-robbing risk factors like
high blood pressure and diabetes. Recent
data from the Adventist Health Study-2
conrms these relationships (see below).
In this study of nearly 90,000 people we
see that the closer one moves to a total
vegetarian (or vegan) diet, the less his
or her likelihood of having one or both of
these metabolically-related conditions. In
fact, when omnivorous church members
are compared to their vegan brothers and
sisters in Christ, they experience about ve
times as much diabetes and hypertension!
Another reason why a plant-based
diet may help both hypertension and
brain performance relates to naturally
occurring angiotensin converting enzyme
(ACE) inhibitory phytochemicals. Every
physician is aware of the blood pressure
lowering properties of ACE inhibitors;
however, evidence suggests these same
compounds may have a cognition-
preserving role that transcends their
blood pressure effects. ACE inhibitory
properties have been identied in plant
foods as diverse as soybeans, mung beans,
sunower, rice, corn, wheat, buckwheat,
broccoli, mushrooms, garlic, spinach,
peanuts, chickpeas, and potatoes.
All of this data harmonizes with recently
published ndings suggesting the
cognitive superiority of the Genesis 1:29
diet. As H. J. Wengreen and colleagues
recently observed: Whole grains and nuts
and legumes were positively associated
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
diabetes
Non Vegetarian
Semi Vegetarian
Pesco Vegetarian
Lacto-ovo Vegetarian
Vegan
hypertension
Do Typical Diet Practices Make a Difference?
with higher cognitive functions and may
be core neuroprotective foods common
to various healthy plant-centered diets
around the globe.
Do Beverage Choices Affect Mortality and/
or Morality?
Does our choice of beverages have any
bearing on our morality? On our clarity
of mind? Daniel apparently thought it did.
He requested only water to drink. What
difference might this make physically,
mentally and morally?
Dr. Jacqueline Chan and colleagues at
Loma Linda University found that drinking
more than ve glasses of water per day
(compared to less than 2 glasses per day)
was associated with an over 50% reduction
in risk of fatal heart disease in menand an
over 40% reduction in women. Drinking
other beverages not only provided no
benetit actually increased heart death
rates. Unfortunately, the study could only
look at other beverages aggregated, lacking
sufcient statistical power to sort out the
pros and cons of individual drinks.

Beyond the physical health benets, water
drinking helps cognition. Liberal intake of
water decreases blood viscosity, which in
turn is linked to better mental processing.
Other than general cognitive effects,
are there other moral implications of
our choice of beverages? In this regard,
Daniels example is provocative. Why
would he refuse the wine the King of
Babylon offered him?
Before looking at the scientic data on
alcohol consumption, another sanctuary
insight is especially relevant. Leviticus 16
explicitly describes the rituals associated
with the Day of Atonement. However,
the introductory verse is noteworthy:
And the LORD spake unto Moses after
the death of the two sons of Aaron, when
they offered before the LORD, and died.
Although textually it can be argued that
this verse merely serves as an indicator
of the timing of this instruction, the
structure of Leviticus raises an additional
consideration. Could there be a special
connection with Leviticus 10 when it
comes to the Day of Atonement message?
In that chapter, the sons of Aaron, Nadab
and Abihu, meet their end as a result of
bringing unholy re into Gods service.
Although the background of their
indiscretion is not revealed, the ensuring
dialogue suggests their memory and
judgment were blunted by intoxicating
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
.59
1
<2 glasses
of water
Women
Men
>5 glasses
of water
.46
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.47
2.5
<2 glasses
of other
fluids
Women
Men
>5 glasses
of other
fluids
1.46
Daily Water Drinking & Relative
Risk of Fatal Heart Disease
Daily Consumption of Fluids Other Than
Water and Risk of Fatal Heart Disease
Drinking other
beverages not
only provided no
benet it actually
increased heart
death rates.
1 0 T HE ME DI CAL E VANGE L I S T FALL 2013
liquor (see v. 8-11). Of interest, Ellen
White, one of Adventisms founders,
connected this story with Daniels resolve:
Daniel and his fellows considered how
their physical and mental powers would
be affected by the use of wine. The wine,
they decided, was a snare. They were
acquainted with the history of Nadab and
Abihu, the record of whose intemperance
had been preserved in the parchments
of the Pentateuch. They knew that by
the constant use of wine these men had
become addicted to the liquor habit, and
that they had confused their senses by
drinking just before engaging in the
sacred service of the sanctuary. In their
brain-benumbed state, not being able to
discern the difference between the sacred
and the common, they had put common
re upon their censers, instead of the
sacred re of the Lords kindling, and for
this sin they had been struck dead. The
Youths Instructor, June 4, 1903.
On the cross, Jesus showed the same
resolve as Daniel when it came to alcoholic
beverages: And they gave him to drink
wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it
not (Mark 15:23). Jesus was dying. Clearly
his refusal was not based on longevity
considerations. Why then did Jesus refuse
that fermented beverage? The Desire of
Ages, that famous devotional commentary
on the life of Christ, suggests: He [Jesus]
would receive nothing that could becloud
His mind. His faith must keep fast hold
upon God. This was His only strength. To
becloud His senses would give Satan an
advantage (p. 746).
This is Jesus! If our perfect Savior would
not drink a little bit of a beverage that
would impair his cognition, how anxious
should we be to have a little alcohol in
moderation?
By the way, the scientic data is beginning
to yield a consistent message: if you are on
an excellent lifestyle, the use of wine (or
other alcoholic beverages) offers no benets
and multiple liabilities. Studies like the
European Prospective Investigation into
Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) demonstrate
that even small amounts of alcohol
increase the risk of death from cancer.
Consequently, investigators from this
huge study concluded: the net effect of
alcohol is harmful alcohol consumption
should not be recommended to prevent
And they gave
him to drink wine
mingled with
myrrh: but he
received it not
FALL 2013 T HE ME DI CAL E VANGE L I S T 1 1
cardiovascular disease or all cause
mortality. Furthermore, although many
studies show decreased cardiovascular
death rates among moderate drinkers,
the benets apparently only accrue to
those who are not already eating sufcient
amounts of fruits, grains, and vegetables.
Case in point: The Oxford Vegetarian
Study revealed that vegetarians receive no
heart-protective benets from moderate
drinking.
Reechoing A Call to Holiness
After reminding the church of Corinth
that Gods people constitute the modern
day manifestation of His sanctuary (2 Cor
6:16), the Apostle Paul challenged them:
let us cleanse ourselves from all lthiness
of the esh and spirit, perfecting holiness
in the fear of God. Indeed, the message
from Gods sanctuary, buttressed by the
examples of the likes of Jesus and Daniel,
calls us to rememberremember the end-
time signicance of living a self-denying,
health-enhancing lifestyle. That lifestyle
has been lovingly endorsed by our Creator
and Savior for our good always. His
goals include giving us the most dynamic
relationship with Him as well as the most
powerful witness in these end times.
Furthermore, Christ assures us of His
intercession on our behalf in the heavenly
sanctuary. As our Great High Priest and
Divine Husband we have the promise that
He will work to present us a glorious
church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or
any such thing; but holy and without
blemish (Eph 5:27).
Are you willing to allow God to guide you
into a holier and healthier way of living?
Are you willing to lay aside things that may
be deling your body temple? Consider
some nal reections on the life of Daniel:
There are many among professed
Christians today who would decide that
Daniel was too particular, and would
pronounce him narrow and bigoted. They
consider the matter of eating and drinking
of too little consequence to require such a
decided stand,one involving the probable
sacrice of every earthly advantage. But
those who reason thus will nd in the day
of Judgment that they turned from Gods
express requirements, and set up their
own opinion as a standard of right and
wrong. They will nd that what seemed to
them unimportant was not so regarded of
God. His requirements should be sacredly
obeyed. Those who accept and obey one of
His precepts because it is convenient to do
so, while they reject another because its
observance would require a sacrice, lower
the standard of right, and by their example
lead others to lightly regard the holy law
of God. Thus saith the Lord is to be our
rule in all things. (Counsels on Diet and
Foods, pp. 30-31.)
By Gods grace, lets determine to stand
like Daniel, ever remembering the end-
time sanctuary message to which he
testied, and living in that light.
For full list of references
go to: http://amensda.org/journal
Let us cleanse
ourselves from
all lthiness of
the esh and
spirit, perfecting
holiness in the
fear of God.
L
ast summer, my family and I went
on a medical evangelism trip to
the Philippine island of Siargao. It
was our rst mission trip but (little
did we know) it wouldnt be our last. It was
an amazing experience. We were as
touched, and changed, as those whom we
witnessed to.
After that trip, my twins (Micah and Anya)
and I wanted to return to Siargao the
following February, but now with students
from their academy. What an opportunity for
young people to practice medical missionary
skills, to present the gospel, and to see the
fruits of their labor.
Thus, when Micah and Anya returned
that fall to Weimar Academy, they shared
their mission experience and then made a
proposal: a medical missionary trip to Siargao
the next year. The request was accepted,
faculty sponsors were assigned, and the dates
were set.
The big day came on February 24, when
eighteen Weimar Academy students, three
staff members, and I departed San Francisco,
lugging with us boxes of medical supplies,
laptop computers, and LCD projectors.
We landed in Manila and, after a brief stay at
the North Philippine Union Ofce, went to
Siargao, in Mindanao province. You could see
the excitement on everyones face. There we
were joined by Dr. Brent Hildebrand and his
wife, Carol. Pastor Louis Torres, President of
the Guam Micronesia Mission, served as our
evangelism coordinator and instructor.
Prior to our arrival, local Pastor Nelo Seda
had coordinated Bible workers to prepare the
soil. Once we arrived he also enlisted several
bilingual pastors for translation. In addition,
the Mindanao health outreach team joined
our efforts. Thus we had medical people,
preachers and Bible teachersall eager and
willing to spread the gospel.
Together we reached out to seven of the main
municipalities on the island. We followed
the blueprint: medical outreach followed by
preaching Jesus. We brought a health clinic
to a different location each day; at night, we
gave health lectures followed by a gospel
presentation.
The people who attended the health clinics
received blood pressure screening, blood
glucose testing, dental work, and visual
acuity screening. In addition, there was
ongoing health education and instruction
about natural remedies. Many people would
get new eyeglasses, a new toothbrush,
needed medication, and prayer for health
and healing. They all also received an
invitation to attend the evening meetings,
which many did.
No question, the clinics were the entering
wedge, not only to the nightly meetings but
by Kelly Kinsley, MD
Medical Evangelism in Siargao
Dr. Kinsley practices
Dermatology at North
Pacic Dermatology.
He and his wife Beverly
live in McKinleyville, CA.
The couple has twins,
Micah and Anya, who are
attending their rst year
of college at Southern
Adventist University.
also to the ongoing work on the island.
The local Mayor talked to his people when
we were there last summer, and they were
overwhelming positive. When he heard
that we would be returning in February, he
not only had our coming announced but
provided transportation.
Each evening, after the medical clinic,
the students divided into teams to give
an evangelistic presentation in each of
the municipalities. Two students would
join up with one of the local pastors, who
would translate. The students would then
take turns either presenting a ten-minute
health talk or the main biblical message.
The meetings were well attended; some
nights up to two hundred people came.
Before heading off to each location, Pastor
Torres coached the student speakers and
helped them learn how to make an appeal.
This really helped the students gain
condence; most importantly, it helped
them realize their great need of the Spirit
of God. By the third night, hundreds made
the decision to be baptized, and many
more were learning about Jesus.
The evangelistic meetings concluded on
Sabbath with a large baptism. By 9 Sabbath
morning people started arriving. Some
came, 3-4 on a single motorcycle; others
in Jeepneys, with 60-70 people crammed
inside or even sitting on the roofs. In all,
over 600 people publicly gave their hearts
to Jesus that day. The waters stirred with
people going under and coming up with
new lives in the Lord.
As with the rst trip, wethe preachers,
teachers, and medical staffwe were
changed. Its wonderful to be used by God.
Outreach and witnessing are as important
for the one doing them as they are for the
one receiving the message. No doubt thats
part of the reason we have been called to
do just that outreach and witnessing
whether in our own communities or in the
farthest corners of the world.

A M E N M I S S I O N S
Mission Opportunities
AMEN Free Clinics: We need volunteer
health professionals for upcoming free
clinics in 2014: January (Location TBD)
and March (San Francisco)!
Please e-mail: [email protected] or
call (530) 883-8061 to nd out more
information!
ASI Pacic Union: San Francisco,
CA. Looking for physicians, dentists,
ophthalmologists, and other medical
professionals to help with a free
health clinic: April 23-25, 2014
in San Francisco.
For more information, or to volunteer,
visit: www.BigCityEvangelism.org or call
(623) 329-0078.
Adventist Frontier Missions: Palawan,
Philippines. Looking for volunteer
Physicians, Physicians Assistants,
Nurse Practitioners and experienced
nurses who could contribute a number
of weeks or month(s) to providing
their expertise and heart for the poor.
Kamantian SDA Native Health Center is
a remote, full-service clinic and mini-
hospital in the mountains of southern
Palawan where over 7,000 indigenous
people are treated every year. It
boasts a pharmacy, an exam room and
procedure room where a number of
laboratory tests, minor surgeries and
dental procedures are performed.
For more information, contact AFM at:
(269) 473-4250 or [email protected]
Maranatha Mission Projects
Physicians, nurses, dentists and other
healthcare professionals are needed on
the following Maranatha mission trips.
Please contact Maranatha directly
for more information: http://www.
maranatha.org/; Phone 916-774-7700.
1. Christmas Family Project -
December 19 - 30, 2013 in Panama
2. Multiple Group Project - March 20 -
30, 2014 in Dominican Republic
3. Summer Family Project - June
19 - 29, 2014 - Project site to be
determined
4. Ultimate Workout Project - July 2
- 13, 2014 in Dominican Republic
for teens ages 14 - 18; the adult
medical/dental team leaders and
health care professionals are
adults, who mentor the teens
to experience the different clinic
stations in doing community
outreach near the building project.
I
t was a frigid January morning in the
year 2007. An unassuming man made
his way to the Federal Triangle Station
in Washington, DC. Right at rush hour,
he stood still in the middle of the bustling
lobby. People ebbed and owed around him,
hurrying to catch their trains. Quietly, the
man took a violin from a worn case, tuned
the strings with care, and tightened the bow.
Then he lifted the instrument to his chin and
began to play.
The glorious melodies he created mingled
with the shufing of shoes, the clanking of
coins, the clattering of turnstiles, and the
distant rumble of the trains. For forty-ve
minutes, the musician lled the station with
the intricate trills and metered melodies of
Johan Sebastian Bach. Never once did he miss
a note. The emotion he poured out through
his awless performance was exquisite.
While the musician played, one middle-aged
man stopped for a brief moment before
moving on. A few minutes later, a woman
passed by and tossed a dollar bill into the
open case. Then she, too, hurried away.
Several children paused on their way to
school, gazing quizzically. They were quickly
dragged away by their preoccupied parents.
After forty-ve minutes, the performer put
away his violin, counted his earnings, and
found $32.00 in his case. The donations
came from approximately twenty people,
none of whom actually stopped to listen. Only
one personthe rst middle-aged man
had even paused momentarily to enjoy the
music as it oated through the station. No
one applauded.
What the hurrying crowd did not notice was
that the man in the lobby was Joshua Bell,
one of the worlds greatest violinists. The
instrument he played was valued at more
than $3.5 million. Two days earlier, Mr.
Bell had played exactly the same music in a
packed concert hall where tickets averaged
$100.00 each.
This true story gives evidence that, depending
upon the situation, it is possible for several
thousand people to pass by one of the most
talented individuals in the world, without
noticing what is right in their presence. It
mattered not that the violinist was playing
some of the nest music ever written on one
of the best instruments in existence. People
simply did not pay attention to anything but
the train to which they were headed.
The rush-hour travellers had preconceived
notions about the value of whatever goes on
in a train station, and those notions robbed
them of their own powers of observation.
Do we have any preconceived notions that
limit our view of the world in which we live?
In our hurry to get where we are going, do
we miss out on important truths about
by James Marcum, MD
Create in Me a Clean Heart
Dr. James L. Marcum
is a board-certied
cardiologist practicing with
Chattanooga Heart Institute,
and has been named by USA
Today as one of the most
inuential physicians in his
eld. He is the author of The
Ultimate Prescription and
Medicines That Kill, as well
as an in-demand speaker for
his role as the director of
Heartwise Ministries.
To learn more visit
HeartwiseMinistries.org
and LIKE us on Facebook.
the God we worship? Do we rush past
learning opportunities? Do we lose out on
healing for hurting bodies and minds? The
ultimate question, it seems, is this: Am I
willing to take the time to stop and listen to
the teachers God has placed in my path?
In my personal and professional life, I
carry many preconceived notions. When
I began practicing medicine, it bothered
me that I spent so much time and effort,
learning partial truths. The prevailing
wisdom about high blood pressure was
that medications were necessary to lower
it. If someone had diabetes, medication
was required to control the blood sugar. If
someone couldnt sleep at night, a sleeping
pill was the answer. The list went on and
on.
I began to ask myself why the rates of
heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity,
hypertension, and chronic pain continue
to rise when more of these prescriptions
are being written every year. People are not
getting better, and many times we are not
even alleviating symptoms.
There is certainly a place for modern
medicine. If my patient is having a heart
attack, a stent is needed. If the heart is
pumping too slowly, a pacemaker is life-
saving. But in a large number of cases,
there is no such clear-cut medical answer.
It was important to me to nd truth. A
truth that could set me free from my
own preconceived notions, and from
the assumptions (often faulty) that are
generally accepted as medical wisdom.
To my surprise, I discovered that the Bible
taught me more than my medical texts. I
learned the origin of disease. It is the stress
placed on the system because we diverged
from the Creators original plan. I began to
search for biblical principles that I could
apply to help my patients. This is Biblical
Technology.
The more I studied the Bible, the more
texts relating to healing I found. I
searched for scientic evidence proving
the validity of the Bibles statements, then
incorporated these truths into a healing
plan. Rest, good nutrition, sunlight, and
activity were added to my treatment plans.
Creation was the template, because when
God rst made the world, everything was
perfect. Living contrary to the Creators
original plan puts stress on the system.
This stress might be from our genetics,
from poor sleep habits, from failing to
get enough sunshine, or from insufcient
water intake.
I learned another important medical fact
from the Bible. We were designed to love
each other. When we dont love each other,
stress is put on the body. The way we think
can put stress on the whole system.
As I continued to look for Biblical
principles, texts with the word heart kept
coming to my attention. I was interested
to learn what the biblical heart had to
do with modern chemistry. Davids words
in Psalm 51:10 gave me a clue: He said,
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and
renew a steadfast spirit within me.
What does it mean to create a clean
heart? David knew that he couldnt do it
himself. It had to be a gift. What did David
mean when he said heart? This was
written after Nathan had talked to David
about the incident with Bathsheba. Davids
guilt prompted him to cry out to God with
a pleading, a yearning for forgiveness and
cleansing. He was coming back to the great
Physician saying, I messed up! Help me.
I need treatment. I need healing!
Was this clean heart that David wanted
something about a stent, or a bypass, or
some medications? Did David need a
transplant? I decided to consult Solomon,
since he is such a wise man. He taught
me more about this clean heart. For as he
thinks in his heart, so he is (Prov. 23:7).
Clearly, the heart in biblical terminology
is the place where thinking occurs. It is not
the blood-pumping heart, but the center of
thinkingthe place of reason.
Dr. Hippocrates, the Greek physician,
was consulted next. Many of you might
be familiar with his wisdom. First, do no
harm. The body was made to heal itself.
Let medicine be thy food. It is interesting
to note that, in Dr. Hippocrates time in
history, the heart was considered the center
of reasoning. David lived about 1,000 BC,
and Hippocrates lived about 460 BC.
I ran across a problem. My next consulting
physician, Dr. Herophilus (circa 300 BC)
was allowed to actually dissect people.
He was a physician from the Alexandrian
school. Dr. Herophilus proved that the
brain, not the heart, was the center of
reasoning.
Solomon might be wrong! Hippocrates
might be wrong! The center of reasoning
is not the heart. The center of reasoning
is the brain! I am sure this caused the
medical profession some problems. They
had to be wondering whether they had a
conspiracy theory here, or a new truth.
Solomon said its the heart, and doctors
of the day are teaching in medical school
Am I willing to
take the time to
stop and listen
to the teachers
God has placed in
my path?
that its the heart. Dr. Herophilus must be
crazy to buck the established tradition and
say its the brain!
As recently as 200 years ago, if you
didnt put leeches on a patient, you were
considered a bad doctor. In the 1930s,
the Journal of the American Medical
Association said that asthma was best
treated by prescribing cigarette smoking.
If you werent putting leaches on people,
and having them smoke, you were
considered a bad doctor.
Poor Herophilus. He was probably
considered a bad doctor; a bad healer. But
what will history say about the practice of
medicine in 2013? Are there new truths
to be discovered? Might these truths be
found in the Bible? If the profession is
doing medicine correctly, shouldnt the
patients be getting better?
Another door opened for me when I
realized there was chemistry that could be
learned from the wisdom of David, and of
Solomon. There are practical applications.
I kept studying the brain. I began to
wonder if I would have to nd a fellowship
in brain chemistry. But Im too old. Im
married. Ive got kids. So I continued
trying to learn on my own, with help
from God. As I reviewed more scripture,
I realized that I just needed to substitute
the word brain or mind for the word
heart in order to understand what the
Bible writers were actually talking about.
Let not your [brain] be troubled (John
14:1). That makes sense. Many today have
brains that are troubled and stressed.
1 Samuel 16:7 says, For the Lord does not
see as a man sees, for man looks at the
outward appearance, but the Lord looks at
the heart [the brain, the mind].
Then I will give them a heart to know
me, would mean, Then I will give them
a [mind] to know me (Jer. 24:7).
Is this new brain that longs after God
something you can create for yourself? Is
it something you can earn? The answer, of
course, is No. Its a gift. You have to ask
for it. God promises that He will give us
this mind: I will give you a new [mind]
and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26).
Clearly, there is something inherently
wrong with the brainthe mindthat
we were born with. We need a different
one. Thankfully, there is instruction in the
Bible that shows how to get what we need.
I have used the following story from
Daniel 1 in support of my efforts to get my
patients and others to eat a healthy diet.
Daniel and his friends were violently taken
from their homeland at a young age. There
was no Mom and Dad telling them what
to do. But their parents did plant truth in
their hearts, or brains, all through their
formative years. Now these lads were in a
strange new land. Condence in their God
and in the foundation principles of His
government enabled them to stand up to
the kingto stand up to the presidentto
stand up to whoever is in charge, and say
respectfully and boldly, Listen, we dont
want to eat this way. We want to have pulse
and water.
This story is about more than food. It is
about more than pulse and water. In all
matters of wisdom and understanding
about which the king examined them,
he found them ten times better (Daniel
1:20). After only three years of schooling,
they were ten times better than anybody
else!
Lets assume that the Babylonian guys
were no slouches. Maybe they had IQs
of 120, or 130. In that case, Daniel and
his friends had IQs somewhere around
1200! It was certainly not just about the
food. It had to be that God was creating a
new brain in those young men. There is
good chemistry in following the Ultimate
Physicians recommendations.
We were born with an imperfect,
genetically stressed, old brainthe David
brain. Computer geeks would think of the
automatic part of the brain as a hard drive,
and the prefrontal cortex as a soft drive.
The prefrontal cortex can be re-wired,
or changed. The soft drive can modulate
the hard drive. The brain has billions and
billions of cells called neurons. There are
trillions of supporting and connecting
cells called axons, and dendrites. Scientists
estimate that the number of connections
in the brain is something like a quadrillion.
Im not sure I understand how many that
is, but its quite a few.
Everything in our modern day computers
can be tracked. It is no surprise that the
God who created us looks on the heart
[brain] and sees everything that goes on
there. We have the ability to choose how
the brain will be wired, because we have
the ability to ask for Gods help in the re-
wiring.
Lets check out your brains wiring. This
is a ll in the blanks quiz. Two, four,
six, ___. Of course you know that the next
number is 8. You knew because your brain
quickly made use of a neural connection.
Id like to teach the world to ___.
Good to the last ___.
For God so loved the ___.
You had no trouble inserting sing,
drop, and world in those blanks. These
are examples of the way your brain uses
neural connections involving billions
of cells, synapses and neurons in the
prefrontal cortex.
The limbic system is the part where
emotions, such as happiness, anxiety and
fear originate. When you are frightened,
the part of the brain called the amygdala
is activated. The amygdala is the alarm
system of the brain, and it does amazing
things if you have to get out of the way of
a semi-truck that is bearing down on you.
But if this part of the brain is activated
constantly, day in, day out, year in, year
out, the harmful stress chemicals make
dangerous changes in the brain. Excess
adrenaline, produced over long periods of
time when there is no real threat, speeds
up the heart, constricts blood vessels,
depresses the immune system, and
activates clotting. Adrenaline can even
precipitate a heart attack if the levels are
high enough.
Cortisol is another chemical produced by
the body when there is chronic stress. This
chemical raises blood sugar. Interleukins
and cytokines are revved up when a mind
is under stress. The vitally important
amygdala can also be damaged by chronic
stress. Anything that goes against the
Creators original design can create stress
via the amygdala. These stress chemicals,
over time, result in physical symptoms.
The goal is to turn down chronic stress,
reducing the resultant harmful chemistry.
The prefrontal cortex is the seat of thinking
and reasoning. The anterior cingulated
cortex is the area where empathy, love, and
altruism originate. If this part of the brain
is underdeveloped, and someone punches
you, you retaliate in kind. The anterior
cingulate helps us to love our enemies.
When someone criticizes or hurts you, this
is the part of the brain that helps it not to
hurt so much. The goal is to turn down the
amygdala, except in actual emergencies,
and develop the prefrontal cortex.
PET (positron emission tomography)
scanning technology can evaluate various
kinds of brain activities. Dr. Andrew
Newberg at the University of Pennsylvania
has researched brains using these PET
scans. He demonstrated that people who
worship twelve minutes a day for two
months developed the anterior cingulate
by growing new neurons. The prefrontal
cortex responded with neurotropic factors,
which stimulated new pathways within the
brain.
Dr. Newberg further observed that, as
the anterior cingulated cortex developed
through worship, the amygdala became
less active in generating stress chemistry.
Worshipping twelve minutes a day for
two months actually changed the neurons
and the neuroplasticity of the brain. The
chemicals within the brain changed as
well. Endorphin, the feel-good chemical,
increases as people worship. Likewise,
the damaging chemicals, adrenaline
and cortisol, decrease. Newberg also
discovered that people who worship in
fear, with anxiety, or guilt, did not have the
chemical and physical improvements in
their brains.
Science is proving that loving worship
creates new neural connections and
changes the chemistry of the brain. Earlier
we saw that David asked God to create in
me a new [mind]. It seems that he was
asking God to change the physical and
chemical make-up of his brain through
worship.
Can you imagine the PET scan of Enoch,
who walked with God? Can you imagine
his lack of stress chemistry? No wonder
he didnt have a life-threatening disease.
Can you imagine the anterior cingulate
of Christ? Wouldnt it be fascinating if a
hundred people with different worship
habits could be studied with PET scans?
This research could help people worship
more effectively, and avoid harmful
worship. Perhaps the doctor could say,
The anterior cingulate is less developed
in your case, and the neurochemistry and
neuroplasticity has been compromised.
A change in worship is recommended.
Maybe we need to say with David, Create
in me new brain.
Of course all of this is much more
complicated than the examples presented.
The bottom line is that I want a new heart,
a new mind. When we worship lovingly,
our chemistry changes. Helpful biblical
technology does exist. I want to introduce
this type of prescription to my patients. I
want to let people in need of healing know
of this treatment.
Matthew 11:28 gives us the rst step.
Come unto me. That means that God is
asking us to worship Him, to be with Him,
to have a close relationship with Him. He
is the ultimate Physician. In Daniels case,
and in ours, it isnt just about the food. It is
about loving worship of the true God.
The next step: Come unto me, all ye that
labour and are heavy laden. Those who are
heavy-laden have the amygdala turned up,
resulting in negative chemistry. We have
the opportunity to turn down this harmful
stress chemistry. Turning our cares over
to God will help the front of our brains to
grow. This treatment is better than pills or
procedures.
The brain was made to worship God.
Stress is generated when we deviate
from the original plan. When the brain
is worshipping anything else, the stress
chemistry is activated. Adrenaline, cortisol,
and all the bad chemistry and connections
are activated. We become like that which
we worship.
We often fail to recognize truth because
we cling to preconceived notions. Its time
to let go of the errors that keep failing us.
God will make sure we can hear His voice
speaking to us as we search for Him. He
initiates that desire in our hearts to look
for Him. He is already looking for us. His
voice may not be a Mt. Sinai voice, or a
blinding light on the way to Damascus. It
might be a still, small voice tugging at your
heartor should I say, at your anterior
cingulate.
Let us look to the greatest Healer, the
ultimate Physician, for answers to all
of lifes questions. He is playing heart-
changing music, brain-changing music
for us to hear. Are we too busy with pre-
conceived notions to search out the truth?
If so, we are missing out on the abundant
life we were designed to live.
We are in desperate need of healing.
Worship is now a scientically proven
treatment. The chemistry and structural
changes are more valuable than I can
relate. This relationshipthis chemistry
gives the power to make the needed
changes. Change might come slowly. We
might have to come back to the Doctors
ofce often. We should seek treatment on
a daily basis.
Years ago, Solomon and Hippocrates had
preconceived notions about the center of
reasoning. I had preconceived notions
about healing based on my training. But
today, God wants to create in you a new
hearta new mind. He is willing to make
an actual structural and chemical change.
His ability to do so is now proven by cutting
edge research. Dont you want to pray, like
David, Create in me a new heart? Ask.
Accept the gift. Come to Him. Worship
Him. He will be faithful to heal.
W
hen Wild Kingdom TV co-
host Stan Brock started,
in 1985, Remote Area
Medical (RAM), in order
to provide free medical care to underserved
populations in developing countries, he soon
realized he didnt have to go very far to nd
an underserved population. Though the
term underserved tends to draw the mind
straight over U.S. borders and into places like
Africa and South America, it also applies to a
multitude right here in America.
In fact, there are even more underserved
people in America today than ever before.
According to the Center for Disease Control
(CDC), nearly 50 million Americans under
the age of 65 do not have health insurance;
over 120 million Americans under the age of
65 do not have dental coverage; and almost 1
in 2 Americans do not regularly receive any
dental care at all.
This problem runs deeper than merely
lacking a regular dentist, because the lack of
dental care leads to other healthcare problem
as well: over 830,000 ER visits in 2008
were directly linked to preventable dental
conditions. This is why over 60% of RAM
expeditions take place within Americans
borders, as RAM provides free medical,
dental, vision and veterinary care to anyone
in need.
AMEN and RAM
In this context, it seemed appropriate for
members of AMEN to join a RAM. RAM
is based in Knoxville, TN, and conducts a
dozen or so free clinics in various parts of
the US throughout the year. Having very
recently stepped into the role as AMENs
executive director, I asked AMEN president
Mark Ranzinger, MD, if he would volunteer
at a RAM event with me. He agreed, and we
signed up for the expedition in Knoxville, TN,
in February of this year. Also joining us were
David Fernandez MD, an orthopedic surgeon
from Michigan, Wendell Lawrence DDS,
from Michigan, and Kim Goodge RN, from
Oregon.
One can guess at the rst question. How are
doctors and dentists able to work in states
where they are not licensed? The answer?
Nine states have passed laws that allow
doctors, dentists, nurses, dental hygienists,
pharmacists and other medical professionals
licensed in other states to work as volunteers
for short terms (usually less than 30 days)
within their state. RAM, therefore, operates
only in those nine states.
As a non-medical volunteer, I decided to
show up a day early and help with the labor-
intensive set up. For a better part of the day,
we unloaded three large trucks and set up
40 dental stations, more than 20 optometry
stations, a dozen autoclaving stations, and
by Danny Kwon
AMEN Meets RAM
Danny Kwon, JD, serves
as executive director
of AMEN and Life and
Health Network in Auburn,
CA. Danny is a licensed
attorney. Before joining
AMEN, he was the HR
director and general
counsel at Amazing Facts.
Danny and his wife Lisa
have three young children.
To reach Danny, email him
at [email protected]
countless tables, chairs and curtained
medical rooms. It was with these chairs,
tables, and medical equipment that we
lled every corner of the 36,600 square
foot Jacob Building, which is normally
teeming with livestock and exhibitions
during the annual state fair.
At around 3pm, after we had just nished
setting up, the people arrived. Scores lined
up outside the building so that they could
be the rst in line when the clinic opened
the next morning at 6 am. This means they
would wait for 15 hours. Not only was the
wait long, but a cold front had descended
over Knoxville, which meant that these
people suffered through the biting cold
weather in the teensjust to ensure they
would have an opportunity to be seen by
a medical professional. No question, the
need is great!
The Day Begins
We showed up Saturday morning at 5:15
am to receive some very hasty orientation
and to mentally prepare for the ood of
people in pain that wed encounter for the
rest of the day. Because I was assigned to
registration, I was one of the rst to greet
them. I was stunned by how cheery they
appeared, even though they had waited
outside in the cold all night long. Some
slept in their cars once they secured
their place in line with a number; others,
though, slept outside, completely exposed
to the elements. They came wrapped in
blankets or sleeping bags, the cold steam
rising off of them like an open freezer
door.
We served over 1,200 people over two
days. The vast majority were unemployed
or on disability; thus we never asked
for identication or paperwork. Many
hadnt seen a doctor in over a decade.
Unsurprisingly, many were obese and
had poor habits that contributed greatly to
lifestyle diseases and rotting teeth.
Two Liters of Mountain Dew a Day
Take, for example, Jamie. She is a single
mother of two and she traveled over
300 miles from a small town outside of
Memphis in order to receive dental care.
It took her two days to get to the site, and
then she had also waited outside in the
cold all night. But, like the others, she
sat down eagerly in Dr. Lawrences dental
chair with a bright smile on her face.
They told me at the triage table, she said,
that you can only x one tooth but thats
okay. I appreciate whatever you can do to
help my smile and to take away my pain.
Dr. Lawrence took one look at her mouth
and was moved with compassion. All
of her upper and lower front teeth were
almost gone; they had decayed from the
high sugar and phosphoric acid from her
drinking over two liters of Mountain Dew
a day for over a decade.
Jamie is just 23-years-old, but difcult
life experiences had led her down a
road of poor lifestyle choices and an
addiction to Mountain Dew. Obese and
riddled with chronic illnesses, she was
on seven medications to treat anxiety and
depression. Dr. Lawrence remembers
thinking, How can I leave her like this? He
lifted his head to heaven and whispered a
prayer. God, work a miracle through me
today so I can restore Jamies teeth, so I
can ease her pain and introduce her to the
source of all power.
Jamie, he said, Im going to give you a
new smile today. It may take a couple of
hours, but I am impressed to do this for
you.
I dont want you to get in trouble by
breaking the rules for me, she said.

Jamie, he answered, do you know
Jesus?
She said, No, but remembered that her
grandma would talk about Him often.
Dr. Lawrence continued, Jesus told me to
give you a new smile today, so everything
is going to be all right. Its going to take a
couple of hours to x your teeth so, if you
dont mind, just sit back and I will tell you
all about Him.
For the next two hours, Dr. Lawrence
shared Jesus with Jamie as he worked on
her teeth. It wasnt a coincidence that God
led this young woman to his chair. The
night before, his plane had been delayed
in Detroit for several hours due to bad
weather, and this delay had given him
ample time to nish a Bible study on the
love and power of Jesus that he had been
working on. He now realized that God had
prepared that Bible study specically for
Jamie, Someone who needed that message
and who was, now, a captive audience in
his dental chair.
Jamie left that day rejoicing; yes in her new
smile, but above all rejoicing that she had
met Jesus.
Im going to give
you a new smile
today. It may
take a couple of
hours, but I am
impressed to do
this for you.
teeth before
After Jamie left, Ryan, a young pre-
dentistry student volunteer from the
University of Virginia who had been
assigned to Dr. Lawrence as an assistant,
looked at him in amazement. It turns out
that he had been listening.

Were you more interested in restoring
her smile or in changing her life? he
asked.
I believe you know the answer, he
replied.
Doctor, Ryan said, you not only
changed her life but you introduced me to
Jesus and I want to experience that change
also. Ryan has stayed in touch with Dr.
Lawrence and is now planning to go with
him on a mission trip to the Dominican
Republic later this year.
Disinterested Benevolence
Theres more. We discovered that RAMs
head of dentistry, John Osborn DDS, is
a Seventh-day Adventist. He had been
with Stan Brock since RAMs conception
and had even developed their dental unit.
He had never heard of AMEN before
that weekend; now, he is scheduled to
be a speaker at the upcoming AMEN
conference.
As I looked at the hundreds people waiting
patiently and even happily in line for
treatment, I was lled with compassion.
It occurred to me that Jesus must have
looked upon the throngs of suffering
people on earth and was also moved, but
in a way only the Creator could. I then
realized that He had then embarked on the
greatest mission trip by coming down and
dwelling with us, ultimately giving His
own life so that we could live.
I then imagined a RAM-type of mission,
but one that was led by AMEN. This
AMEN-led mission would engage not only
in acts of healing but, like Dr. Lawrence,
would actively tell people about the love
of Jesus. We could engage in lifestyle
intervention and share principles of good
health. We could even feed the people
as they waited with comforting and
nourishing vegetarian food. Non-medical
volunteers from local churches could work
together with physicians and dentists,
dispensing disinterested benevolencea
term used numerous times by Ellen White
to describe acts of charity and kindness to
the poor.
Is it possible? Stan Brock thinks so. He
told me, Just start small. He told me
how RAM rst started. They had very little
money and no resources. In fact, they
started with a single dental chair. It wasnt
even a mobile chair but a full-sized ofce
chair that had been donated. We would
As I looked at
the hundreds of
people waiting
patiently and even
happily in line
for treatment, I
was lled with
compassion.
teeth after
take it everywhere in the back of a pickup,
he said, and it would take four guys to lift
it out. But then they got two chairs. Then
four. And from thereRAM ourished.
Ellen White writes, I was shown that
God requires His people to be far more
pitiful and considerate of the unfortunate
than they are. Pure religion and undeled
before God and the Father is this, to
visit the fatherless and widows in their
afiction, and to keep himself unspotted
from the world. Here genuine religion
is dened. God requires that the same
consideration which should be given to the
widow and fatherless be given to the blind
and to those suffering under the afiction
of other physical inrmities. Disinterested
benevolence is very rare in this age of
the world.Testimonies for the Church
3:516.
Go out on a limb. Do something
uncomfortable. I encourage you to
experience a bit of what I experienced and
volunteer at an upcoming RAM expedition
(www.ramusa.org) or better yet, volunteer
at an upcoming AMEN free clinic
by signing up on our website at
amensda.org. I cannot think of a more
divinely appointed group of people to
perform acts of healing and disinterested
benevolence than AMENs network of
Adventist physicians and dentists.
If you agree, please email me at
[email protected] and well work
together to start a movement. Rare as
it may be in this world, disinterested
benevolence still exists. I was witness
to it just a few months ago. It moved me,
and will you as well.
Go out on a limb.
Do something
uncomfortable. I
encourage you to
experience a bit of
what I experienced
and volunteer at an
upcoming RAM
expedition.
L
ife started in Trinidad. My parents
were missionaries in Trinidad and
Tobago. Dad was a ying dentist for
the General Conference of Seventh-
day Adventists. He made a sacrice due to his
love for God and taught me the importance of
using my God-given talents to reect Gods
love to others. My parents loved the mission
eld, but, after their children were born, they
raised us in rural Oregon.
I grew up on a farm where hard work was
considered a virtue and strongly encouraged.
This virtue helped me through college, dental
school and in my work. My brothers and I
built a very successful practice, with over 20
dental clinics across Oregon serving 60,000
members. Despite that, and a wonderful wife
and four children, I felt a failure in my walk
with Jesus Christ.
All of my life I thought that if I could just
work harder on spiritual things, I would
see improvement, only to be disappointed
every time. My wife Ronna was studying
Righteousness by Faith at the time and
convinced me to do the same. It was that
great truth, Righteousness by Faith, that
changed my life. The search to know Gods
will for me began in earnest.
The year following my rededication to
Christ, my brother and I sold most of our
dental practice. Ronna and I then formed
International Caring Hands, a 501 (C)(3)
public non-prot organization, with two goals
in mind: to help people in foreign lands, and
to encourage others to become involved in
mission work.
Anxious to do more, my family started
spending our vacations in Africa, building
One Day Churches, visiting orphanages, and
passing out clothes and God Pods. The lack
of medical and dental care, especially in rural
areas, impressed me to do something for
those people.
After much consultation, and after my
personal experience of operating a mobile
dental clinic in Oregon, we got our rst
mobile truck, a Chevy Kodiak C4500. The
objective was to build a mobile dental clinic
that any dentist could use. This truck was
easy to operate: automatic, diesel, four- wheel
drive and double cab. The frame of the truck
was stretched to accommodate a refrigerated
22 box. The next step was to install two
ADEC chairs with lights, a 20 Kw generator,
dry vac, compressor, sink, water tanks, hand
held digital x-ray and autoclave. New brakes
and tires completed the conversion.
With my good friend and executive director
of International Caring Hands, Randy Meyer,
I met with Meiring Pretorius, executive
director of Riverside Farms Institute. Meiring
graciously extended an invitation to host
the mobile dental clinic at Riverside Farms
Institute, which has a lovely health center.
by Matthew J. Hayden, DDS
Driving out in Faith
Dr. Matthew J. Hayden
practices dentistry in
Hermiston, Oregon and
remote villages in Zambia.
He lives in Pilot Rock,
Oregon with his wife Ronna
and their four children.
The goal is to take the mobile dental clinic
to One Day Churches and outpost centers,
which are under the care of pioneers (Bible
workers), in order to minister to brothers
and sisters in Christ as well as to the local
communities.
Once back in the States, Randy offered to
drive the mobile dental clinic from Oregon
to Texas, where it was driven on a vessel
bound for Africa. The plan was for the
truck to arrive prior to our next trip there.
Due to unforeseen weather conditions, the
mobile dental clinic did not arrive by the
time our team landed in Zambia. Thus,
we volunteered with the local government
to treat patients in the bush.
Our experience in the bush showed us two
things: 1. The dire need for dental care.
One young man, for instance, came to the
clinic with a severely infected tooth that
had caused an extra-oral stula. (Most of
the patients had been suffering for months
with dental infections.) 2. The genuine
appreciation from the people. Many said
to the workers, I cant believe you have
come all the way from the United States
to help us.
After the mobile dental clinic arrived, our
dental team embarked on another mission
trip to Zambia. Yet word had come back
that someone had put dirty fuel in the
vehicle on the way to Riverside Farms
from the port. With new injectors in hand,
we arrived in Zambia to nd a mechanic
to replace the injectors. Unfortunately,
trustworthy mechanics are hard to nd
there. That night in our room, Ronna
and I prayed that, if this mobile clinic was
Gods plan, we needed help replacing the
bad injectors.
The next day we heard about a mechanic
stranded as a result of a break down, with
no nances, at the Adventist Hospital
in Lusaka, one hour away. Hurriedly we
drove to meet him. He agreed to come
to Riverside Farms to assist us with the
injectors on the mobile dental clinic. Late
into the night our team worked with him
to replace the defective injectors. That
night we praised God! Our clinic was up
and running and the mechanic was able to
x his broken vehicle and resume his trip
home.
The need in these places is so great, even for
a small medical/dental outreach program.
From mechanics, dental technicians,
drivers, assistants, hygienists, dentists,
coordinators and bible workers, the list of
necessary volunteers always expands. Our
experience has taught us that in giving we
truly receive - the experience of service
is one that will change your heart. We
encourage you to get involved.
It is the Lords desire that his followers
shall grow in grace, that their love shall
abound more and more, that they shall
be lled with the fruits of righteousness,
which are by Jesus Christ, unto the praise
and glory of God One of the divine plans
for growth is impartation. The Christian is
to gain strength by strengthening others.
He that watereth shall be watered also
himself. This is not merely a promise, it
is a divine law, a law by which God designs
that the streams of benevolence, like the
waters of the great deep, shall be kept in
constant circulation, continually owing
back to their source. In the fullling of
this law is the secret of spiritual growth.
{ST June 12 1901-Spiritual Growth Par. 1
and Par. 4}
It is only by the sacrice of our own desires
that we will be able to complete the gospel
commission to reach everyone in the
world. Please join International Caring
Hands in our effort to spread the good
news of Christs soon return and our love
for our fellow man.
If you would like to volunteer at any of
the clinics in Zambia or Micronesia or the
future clinic in Madagascar, please contact
Randy Meyer at [email protected].
H
aving sworn off medical school
after graduating from college,
I decided to go into law and
was working as a patent
examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Ofce when I got the news: Your father
has brain cancer. Its a stage III anaplastic
astrocytoma. It was June 20, 2008 when
we received the pathology results from my
fathers craniotomy, and I became numb with
disbelief. How could my father have brain
cancer? No one in my family has ever had any
kind of cancer. My life came to a halt.
Over the next ve months, I took a leave of
absence from work and practically lived inside
the hospital as my mother and I became my
fathers primary caretakers. During that time,
many of my encounters with physicians
conrmed for me that I had made the right
choice in shunning medicine. Their daily,
impersonal, ve-minute interviews had me
convinced that a doctors primary goal was to
leave the patients room as soon as possible.
I wondered if they ever really listened to us,
or if they understood just how much their
orders for the day could affect our lives for
the next twenty-four hours.
Everything changed, however, when a
physician who I can only describe as a true
Christian stepped into our lives. In addition
to managing my fathers medical problems,
he gave my father spiritual guidance and
helped him work through difcult issues
such as depression and trusting in God. After
every visit, this doctor offered to pray with us
and would kneel by my fathers bedside. His
heartfelt prayers often brought tears to my
fathers eyes, and although cancer was still
ravaging his body, I could sense that a far
more important type of healing was taking
place.
In September, my father made the decision
to re-dedicate his life to God, and he wanted
to commemorate the event by getting re-
baptized. Unfortunately, on the day before his
baptism, he suffered a grand mal seizure that
left him in a near-comatose state. However,
during the brief moments when my father
was responsive, he let us know that his faith
was in Christ. When my father passed away
on October 18, 2008, I found myself thanking
God despite my grief because I knew that He
had healed my father on a much deeper level
than I had asked.
After going through this experience, I was
inspired to look at the practice of medicine
again with new eyes. For the rst time, I
understood the impact a Christian physician
could have on a patients life. Looking back on
my fathers story, it became clear to me that
a physicians daily interaction with patients
could have eternal consequences. I began to
read The Ministry of Healing by Ellen White,
and I felt in my heart that God was calling me
into medicine.
by John Shin
When God Leads:
My Journey into Medical School
John Shin is currently a
fourth year medical student
at Loma Linda University
School of Medicine. He
serves as president of the
AMEN Student Chapter and
Chaplain for the LLU School
of Medicine Senate. John
plans to go into internal
medicine and is passionate
about using his future
career to reach people for
Christ. He is happily married
to Elisa Shin and enjoys
spending time with their
dog Teddy.
I was worried about the medical school
application process because I was three
years out of college, but I felt convicted
that it was the right decision, and I ended
up applying to 24 different schools. I had
taken the MCAT back in 2006, and to
my relief all the schools I applied to still
accepted my score. That is, all but one:
Loma Linda University. At rst, I took
this as a sign that Loma Linda was not
an option for me, but as time went on I
felt impressed that I would not be giving
God every opportunity to lead me if I did
not apply to the school that had at one
point used The Ministry of Healing as its
textbook.
In June 2009, I decided to quit my job at
the Patent Ofce to study full-time and
prepare for my MCAT. I was nervous
because I knew that if I scored lower this
time, it would jeopardize my chances of
getting into any medical school. However,
as I studied, I began getting higher marks
on my practice exams than what I had
gotten in 2006, and this gave me the
assurance that God was with me. I went
into my exam with a peace of mind that
I had never experienced before on a test.
When I received my score several weeks
later, I was shocked to discover that it was
signicantly lower than my 2006 test
score. As a result, every school I applied to
rejected me. Every school, that is, except
Loma Linda.
It is interesting how God leads. Before
my second MCAT, I was in the running
for many schools, and I prayed for God
to narrow down the choices for me. But
after retaking the MCAT on what I believe
was His prompting, all my hopes were
riding on Loma Linda. Needless to say, I
was anxious to get an interview. However,
to further complicate the situation, I had
submitted my application late because
I had to wait for my new MCAT scores,
and interviews are granted on a rst-
come basis. When I called Loma Linda to
ask when I could expect to be invited for
an interview (assuming they did decide
to interview me), I was told it would
probably be sometime in January. It was
October 2009 at that point, and I knew
that by January most of the decisions for
admission would have already been made.
It was disappointing news, but I prayed for
the Lords will to be done, and I resolved
to not worry about it. Two weeks later, to
my great surprise, I received a letter from
Loma Linda inviting me to interview.
When I showed up for my interview in
November, God let me know in several
ways that He had orchestrated the event.
First, I was amazed to discover that it
was the rst interview day of the season
when only the top applicants were invited.
Second, the interview itself went extremely
well. That is, until the very end. The
physician interviewing me decided to close
by asking about my fathers treatment
plan while he was ill. I explained that
we only used natural methods because
we believed radiation therapy would have
done more harm than good, and it would
not have changed the prognosis. It was
apparent that he did not like my answer.
He questioned me at length about my
philosophy of medicine and treatment
methods. When the interview was over I
had mixed feelings, but I reminded myself
that the results were in Gods hands.
While I waited to hear back from Loma
Linda, I enrolled in the Amazing Facts
Center of Evangelism (AFCOE) four-
month training program. During my
rst month there, I received a call from
Loma Linda asking me to come in for
a second round of interviews. I was
surprised because I had never heard of
anyone interviewing twice at a medical
school before. I quickly scheduled my
interview and ew out to Loma Linda as
my AFCOE classmates prayed for me.
When I arrived, LLU had me scheduled to
meet with two physicians back to back. It
became obvious early on why I had been
asked to interview a second time. The
majority of the questions were directed to
my philosophy of medicine. For almost
three hours I was asked about my views
regarding the role of natural remedies and
lifestyle changes vs. traditional medicine.
I prayed for the wisdom to answer with
skill and tact while standing up for the
truths I had learned through my fathers
experience and from reading The Ministry
of Healing. During that interview I made
a conscious decision, if I was rejected for
upholding the principles that Loma Linda
University was founded upon, I was not
meant to be a student there.
Weeks went by after that second interview,
and I did not hear back from Loma Linda.
Although I had told God I would accept
any outcome as His will for me, I knew
in my heart I wanted to go into medicine
and I began to fear God would lead me
in a different way. Then on February 18,
2010, an event occurred that changed my
thinking forever. We had our rst day of
outreach at AFCOE during which our class
of fty students descended on the streets of
Sacramento and went door-to-door asking
for Bible studies. We were all very nervous,
but what we lacked in ability we made up
for in prayer, and in just three hours we
obtained 164 Bible studies. That night,
we stayed up late sharing testimonies and
singing praises to God because we were
all so deeply moved by the unmistakable
evidence of His faithfulness in our lives.
The next morning, I woke up and spent a
long time in prayer. I asked God to forgive
me for wanting medicine despite my claim
to desire only His will for my life. I realized
that as long as God used me to touch lives
for Him like He had the previous day, it
did not matter what I did for a profession.
For the rst time, I truly turned over
to God my desire to have a career in
medicine. Instead, I simply prayed that
He would use me as an instrument to add
souls to His kingdom. I was lled with
a wonderful sense of peace following my
prayer. After lunch that day, as was our
custom, my friends and I joined hands in
a circle to pray. In the middle of the prayer,
my phone rang. I quickly silenced it and
wondered who could be calling at such an
inopportune moment. Then the thought
hit me: What if that was Loma Linda? I
quickly dismissed the idea and refocused
my attention on the group prayer. After
the prayer ended, I checked my phone
and discovered to my amazement that it
was indeed Loma Linda. When I called
back, the associate dean for admissions
informed me that I had been accepted
to the Loma Linda University School of
Medicine.
I do not believe it was a coincidence that
God opened the door to medicine for me
on the exact day that I nally surrendered
my own desires to Him, the day that I made
a conscious choice to fully trust Gods plan
for my life by simply asking Him to use
me to win souls. It was as if God had been
waiting for me to learn this nal lesson
before He could allow me to enter medical
school. And now, four years later, I nd
myself a senior medical student applying
this lesson all over again as I prepare to
interview for residency programs and
graduate. As I continue to progress in
my medical training, my constant prayer
is that God will make me into a physician
after His own heart. I want to always
point my patients to Christ, and I want to
never forget the lesson He taught me: a
physicians highest calling is not simply to
heal the body, but to save the soul.
I do not believe it
was a coincidence
that God opened
the door to
medicine for
me on the exact
day that I nally
surrendered my
own desires to
Him.
A
s President of the AMEN
student chapter at Loma
Linda University, it has been
my privilege over the last two
years to see the amazing ways God has
been leading our student ministries. He
has brought together a leadership team of
like-minded students who have dedicated
themselves to prayer and service, and the
results have been incredibly inspiring and
faith-building. What follows is a quick
summary of our plans for the upcoming
year and the different ways God has been
moving on our campus.
For the past two years, we have been
organizing monthly vespers in the school
of medicine with the goal of inspiring
students to dedicate their future medical
careers to the Lord. This year, we have
chosen several themes for these vespers
with topics ranging from Living a Life
of Sacrice to Balancing Work, Family,
and Ministry Life. Our rst vespers
of the school year featured Pastor Don
Mackintosh and Dr. Phil Mills. They spoke
on the importance of combining ministry
with medicine. They gave examples from
their own personal experience of how
effectively physicians and pastors can work
together. At the end of the vespers, many
students made a commitment to turn their
practice of medicine into a ministry. In
addition, several non-Adventist students
have asked how they can learn more about
the Seventh-day Adventist faith.
Every year, a signicant number of
students in each incoming freshmen class
are not Seventh-day Adventists. In an
effort to reach out to this group, we have
started a series of noon-time, student-led
Bible studies. The goal of these studies is
to provide a students perspective on what
it means to be a Seventh-day Adventist and
to showcase how students lives have been
enriched by their uniquely Adventist faith.
So far, these talks have been tremendously
successful with upwards of 135 students
in attendance. Many Adventist and non-
Adventist students alike have expressed
interest in personal Bible studies, and we
are excited to see lives being transformed
as a result of this renewed interest in
studying Gods Word.
With the help of AMEN, we are currently
in the process of putting together a
mentorship program for students. We
realize students need role models to help
us hold onto the vision of what it means
to be a true Christian physician or dentist.
Therefore we are working on pairing
students with AMEN members for spiritual
guidance and encouragement. Many
students, especially within the freshmen
class, have expressed a desire to have an
AMEN mentor, and we are praying that the
Lord will supply the necessary physicians
and dentists to be an inuence for good
in the lives of these young doctors. If you
are interested in becoming a mentor or
would like more information about what
it means to be a mentor, please visit the
AMEN website: amensda.org
As the new school year commences, we
are humbled by Gods faithfulness, and
the incredible privilege He has given us
to reach out to our classmates. We take
the responsibility God has granted us
seriously, the student leadership team
and I made a promise to each other
several years ago that, regardless of how
busy we become, we will always begin
our meetings with an hour of prayer. By
Gods grace we have kept that promise,
and it has made all the difference. We are
excited by the fruit we are already seeing
in the lives of countless students who have
attended our ministry events, but we know
that this is not the result of our efforts.
It is our fervent belief that as long as we
continue to empty ourselves of our own
pride and ambition and allow the Lord to
set our agenda, He will grow His student
ministry at Loma Linda University, and He
will use us to raise up an army of medical
missionaries that will carry His gospel to
the ends of the earth.
by John Shin
Loma Linda University AMEN
Student Chapter Update
S T U D E N T C H A P T E R U P D A T E
P R E S I D E N T S R E P O R T
by Mark Ranzinger, MD
When The Impossible is Not
S
ome things seem impossible,
such as the four-minute mile. For
years, the four-minute mile was
considered not merely unreachable,
but (according to physiologists of the time)
dangerous to the health of any athlete who
attempted it.
On a cold English morning on May 6, 1954,
a 25 year old medical student at Oxford was
awaiting a run on the universitys eld at
Ifey Road before a small crowd of 1,000,
mostly students.
Two years of disappointments rose up before
Roger Bannister. He was running with the
2 year old memory of disappointment still
burning within him. He had hoped and had
been expected to win the 1,500 meters, at the
1952 Olympics. Even the Duke of Edinburgh
had planned his visit to Helsinki to coincide
with the nal run. But, instead, Bannister
nished a very disappointing fourth. Only
a remarkable performance down the road
could efface that terrible failure.
In the weeks leading up to this event, he
approached the task with scientic vigor;
setting a erce training schedule for himself,
with workouts conducted each day during his
lunch break.
The world record was 4:01.4. But Bannister
wasnt running against anyone, only against
the clock. He was paced by a pair of rabbits:
fellow Oxonian Chris Chataway, and former
Cambridge University steeplechaser Chris
Brasher. These two led the way.
The run was all the more remarkable
considering that he was running, the New
York Times said, in a 15 mph crosswind that
gusted to 25 mph. Bannister stayed close
to Brasher for the rst two laps around the
quarter mile track, clocking 1:58.2. When
Chataway rushed to the lead for the third lap,
Bannister was on his heels. His three-quarter
mile time was 3:00.5.
Bannister bided his time until about 300
yards from the tape, the AP reported, when
he urged himself to a supreme effort. With
a machine like, seemingly effortless stride
he drew away steadily from Chataway and,
head thrown back slightly, he breasted the
cool, stiff wind on the last turn to come
driving down the homestretch to climax his
spectacular performance. 1
That four-minute mile just seemed
impossible. But Bannister did the
impossible, and he did it in 3 minutes 59.4
seconds!
Let me tell you something else that seems
impossible: gospel medical evangelism to the
world as part of the last great gospel call and
cry. But it will happen, even if not with the
ease of tweeting, texting or the Internet. No,
it will be with hands of pained grace, with
minds willing to engage in brutal spiritual
warfare, and a calling out to God in love and
in suffering intercession as never before
seen.
As I contemplate this whole mission to the
world I, like Sara, laugh. Why, its so absurd,
so impractical, so futile, so unreasonable, so
impossible. Yet impossible things happen
- in dreams, in storybooks, in fairy tails -
and in the Bible. Babies are born when the
mothers are way past childbearing age; slaves
walk between a split sea; water comes from
granite, and bread comes from Heaven.
Most amazing of all, God becomes man who
dies in our stead, and through Him men and
women become new creations in Christ.
Go into all the world and preach (this gospel
medical evangelism message that I have lived
and shown you). Verse 26 tells us who Jesus
was talking to: just 11 awed human beings
much like each of us.
Impossible? Thats what they told Roger
Bannister. And if Bannister can do the
impossible, what can we do with a God for
whom nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37)?
AMEN President, Dr.
Mark Ranzinger is
a minimally invasive
surgeon in Goshen,
Indiana.
9th annual amen conference
Following Leader
the
PO Box 1114
Collegedale, Tennessee 37315
(530) 883-8061
www.amensda.org
NON-PROFIT
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
CHATTANOOGA, TN
PERMIT NO.1114
visit
www.amensda.org
for details
save
the date!
O C T O B E R 3 1 N O V E M B E R 3 , 2 0 1 3
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