My role is twofold tonight.
00:00:22.58\00:00:24.35
Usually, you see me up
here interviewing individuals
00:00:24.39\00:00:27.66
for a special
segment offering an action.
00:00:27.69\00:00:30.73
Well, tonight my
role for the first
00:00:30.79\00:00:33.86
is to let you know
00:00:33.90\00:00:35.20
and remind you
that we have 38 projects
00:00:35.23\00:00:38.23
that have been
prayerfully selected
00:00:38.27\00:00:41.30
to be recipients of
this year's offering.
00:00:41.34\00:00:44.37
Throughout the convention,
00:00:44.41\00:00:45.74
we've highlighted a few of those
00:00:45.77\00:00:47.41
and hopes of us being
able to share with you
00:00:47.44\00:00:50.68
their sacrifice and
the amount of energy
00:00:50.71\00:00:53.75
that they expend to
accomplish their ministries.
00:00:53.78\00:00:58.85
We also want to share with you
a little bit of their passion
00:00:58.89\00:01:03.19
for the ministries
that they are leading
00:01:03.22\00:01:05.16
and for their work.
00:01:05.19\00:01:07.23
It's our opportunity
to partner with them.
00:01:07.30\00:01:10.13
Now you may not be
able to go with them,
00:01:10.17\00:01:12.23
you may not be able
to do the things they do
00:01:12.27\00:01:14.60
or say the things they say,
00:01:14.64\00:01:16.60
but there is a
role that you can play.
00:01:16.67\00:01:19.34
For our offering tomorrow,
00:01:19.37\00:01:21.31
we need to give sacrificially
00:01:21.34\00:01:23.18
so that we can
uphold their hands,
00:01:23.21\00:01:25.48
so that we can
do those three words
00:01:25.51\00:01:28.45
that I shared with you
each time I came before you.
00:01:28.48\00:01:31.89
We want to help them to
enlarge their territory.
00:01:31.92\00:01:35.56
What can we do?
00:01:35.59\00:01:37.19
How much can we give
00:01:37.23\00:01:39.09
so that they can
spread the net further?
00:01:39.13\00:01:42.90
What can we do
that we can help them
00:01:42.93\00:01:44.63
to enhance their capacity?
00:01:44.67\00:01:47.27
So that they
reach, their outreach
00:01:47.30\00:01:49.54
and their
evangelism can be more fruitful
00:01:49.57\00:01:52.31
and more productive.
00:01:52.34\00:01:54.21
What can we do and
how much can we give
00:01:54.24\00:01:57.38
so that we can encourage them
00:01:57.41\00:01:59.31
to continue
fighting the fight of faith.
00:01:59.35\00:02:02.32
We may be in our
own places of comfort,
00:02:02.35\00:02:05.49
they're out on the frontline
00:02:05.52\00:02:07.19
sometimes a
little uncomfortable,
00:02:07.26\00:02:10.23
but knowing that we
are there praying for them
00:02:10.26\00:02:13.09
and that we are upholding them
00:02:13.13\00:02:14.60
and that we've given
them financial support,
00:02:14.63\00:02:17.23
they will continue doing
what God has called them to do.
00:02:17.27\00:02:21.67
So we're going to ask
you to pre-prayerful tonight.
00:02:21.70\00:02:25.81
When you go back to your room,
00:02:25.84\00:02:27.98
open up that guide and
look at those projects,
00:02:28.01\00:02:32.71
consider each one and ask God,
00:02:32.75\00:02:35.78
"What is it that you
would have me to do?"
00:02:35.82\00:02:38.75
And then the second
prayer I would ask you to pray
00:02:38.79\00:02:41.79
is that you would ask
God and I want to ask God
00:02:41.82\00:02:45.16
to give me the
courage to trust him
00:02:45.19\00:02:48.40
and obey His leading
00:02:48.43\00:02:50.63
because we want this
work finished, don't we?
00:02:50.70\00:02:53.67
We do, absolutely.
00:02:53.70\00:02:55.64
So that is what we
want you to do is to pray,
00:02:55.67\00:02:58.04
be prayerful and intentional
00:02:58.07\00:03:00.78
and responsive
to the Holy Spirit
00:03:00.81\00:03:03.28
for what God wants us to
do in respect to the offering
00:03:03.35\00:03:06.92
that would be
lifted tomorrow morning.
00:03:06.95\00:03:09.72
My second responsibility
is to introduce the speaker
00:03:09.75\00:03:12.42
for this evening.
00:03:12.45\00:03:14.06
John Shin is a graduate
00:03:14.09\00:03:15.59
of Loma Linda
University Medical Center.
00:03:15.62\00:03:18.76
He is currently pursuing
or completing his Residency
00:03:18.79\00:03:23.20
in Internal
Medicine at the Mayo Clinic
00:03:23.23\00:03:25.80
in Rochester, Minnesota.
00:03:25.83\00:03:28.07
He plans to pursue a fellowship
in hematology and oncology
00:03:28.10\00:03:33.24
so that he can
have the opportunity
00:03:33.27\00:03:35.48
to be able to share with others
00:03:35.51\00:03:37.21
who may have a terminal illness
00:03:37.25\00:03:38.78
that there is
hope in Jesus Christ.
00:03:38.81\00:03:42.62
Now I just told you
what John Shin does.
00:03:42.65\00:03:46.82
Now I'd like to
share with you a little bit
00:03:46.86\00:03:48.39
about who John Shin is.
00:03:48.42\00:03:52.06
I had an opportunity
to speak with him briefly
00:03:52.09\00:03:54.63
and he told me
that he was somewhat
00:03:54.66\00:03:56.63
of a cultural Christian.
00:03:56.70\00:03:59.10
He did everything
right, he got good grades,
00:03:59.13\00:04:03.24
he was an obedient child,
00:04:03.27\00:04:04.64
best child any
mother would want to have.
00:04:04.67\00:04:07.48
He went to church, he
studied a Sabbath school lesson,
00:04:07.51\00:04:11.15
he did all the things
that Christians are supposed to
00:04:11.18\00:04:15.35
and expected to do, but
he said he was not converted.
00:04:15.38\00:04:21.59
And unfortunately, it
was a personal tragedy
00:04:21.62\00:04:24.66
that brought him face to
face with the Cross of Christ.
00:04:24.69\00:04:29.00
Tonight, he's going
to share that testimony.
00:04:29.03\00:04:32.93
John is married to Alyssa,
they have two small girls.
00:04:32.97\00:04:37.61
Sophia who is two
and Carissa who...
00:04:37.64\00:04:41.44
Carris, who is four months.
00:04:41.48\00:04:43.81
Sophie seems a little
sleepy, you will understand why.
00:04:43.85\00:04:48.32
John is
passionate about Christ now.
00:04:48.35\00:04:54.29
Since having that confrontation
00:04:54.32\00:04:57.66
through that
tragedy he understands now
00:04:57.69\00:05:01.30
what it really
means to be committed
00:05:01.33\00:05:04.53
because he is now converted.
00:05:04.57\00:05:07.07
Let us pray that
as he speaks to us
00:05:07.14\00:05:10.91
that God will reach down
00:05:10.94\00:05:12.44
and touch our hearts so
that we too will remember
00:05:12.47\00:05:16.48
that we are called and chosen,
but that we will be committed.
00:05:16.51\00:05:21.28
Rolling tide
00:05:59.52\00:06:01.82
Jesus saves, Jesus saves.
00:06:01.86\00:06:06.19
Tell to sinners far and wide,
00:06:06.23\00:06:10.50
Jesus saves, Jesus saves.
00:06:10.57\00:06:14.90
Bear the news to every land
00:06:14.94\00:06:20.98
Cross the waves Onward.
00:06:21.01\00:06:24.31
'Tis our Lord's command
00:06:24.35\00:06:27.75
Jesus saves
00:06:27.78\00:06:30.09
Jesus saves
00:06:30.12\00:06:34.59
We've a story to
tell to the nations
00:06:34.62\00:06:38.69
That shall turn
their hearts to the right
00:06:38.73\00:06:42.70
A story of truth and mercy
00:06:42.73\00:06:47.10
A story of peace and light
00:06:47.14\00:06:51.07
A story of peace and light
00:06:51.11\00:06:55.38
For the darkness
shall turn to dawning
00:06:55.41\00:06:59.38
and the dawning
to noonday bright
00:06:59.41\00:07:03.55
And Christ's great
kingdom shall come on earth
00:07:03.62\00:07:07.59
The kingdom of love and light
00:07:07.62\00:07:11.73
And Christ's great
kingdom shall come on earth
00:07:11.76\00:07:13.09
Onward, Christian soldiers
00:07:24.81\00:07:28.44
Marching as to war
00:07:28.48\00:07:32.58
With the cross of Jesus
00:07:32.61\00:07:36.62
Going on before.
00:07:36.69\00:07:40.76
Christ, the royal Master,
00:07:40.79\00:07:44.76
Leads against the foe
00:07:44.79\00:07:48.96
Forward into battle
00:07:49.00\00:07:53.07
See his banners go
00:07:53.10\00:07:57.21
Onward, Christian soldiers
00:07:57.27\00:08:01.28
Marching as to war
00:08:01.31\00:08:05.41
With the cross of Jesus
00:08:05.45\00:08:09.25
Going on before
00:08:09.28\00:08:13.62
With the cross of Jesus
00:08:13.69\00:08:18.19
Going on before
00:08:18.23\00:08:23.10
Glory, Glory Hallelujah
00:08:25.63\00:08:29.64
Glory, Glory Hallelujah
00:08:29.67\00:08:33.68
Glory, Glory Hallelujah
00:08:33.71\00:08:37.18
His truth is marching on
00:08:37.25\00:08:41.65
Glory, Glory Hallelujah
00:08:41.68\00:08:45.95
Glory, Glory Hallelujah
00:08:45.99\00:08:50.03
Glory, Glory Hallelujah
00:08:50.06\00:08:53.70
His truth is marching on
00:08:53.73\00:08:57.73
His truth is marching on
00:08:57.77\00:09:04.27
Jesus saves!
00:09:06.07\00:09:09.94
Jesus saves!
00:09:09.98\00:09:13.05
Jesus saves!
00:09:13.08\00:09:17.65
Jesus saves!
00:09:21.19\00:09:22.62
Good evening, everyone.
00:09:27.83\00:09:29.13
Good evening.
00:09:29.16\00:09:30.50
Happy Sabbath. Happy Sabbath.
00:09:30.57\00:09:32.40
It is such an
honor and a privilege
00:09:37.21\00:09:38.81
to be here today
00:09:38.84\00:09:40.88
to share with you all my story.
00:09:40.91\00:09:43.75
But before I do,
00:09:43.78\00:09:45.11
I'd like to begin
with the word of prayer.
00:09:45.15\00:09:46.48
So if you would
bow your heads with me.
00:09:46.51\00:09:49.15
Heavenly Father,
we are so thankful
00:09:49.18\00:09:51.82
for the blessing
of Your Sabbath hours.
00:09:51.85\00:09:53.76
We all had busy
weeks in different ways,
00:09:53.79\00:09:56.49
but, Lord, now help
us to just cast away
00:09:56.52\00:09:58.49
the burdens of the world
and lay them at your feet.
00:09:58.53\00:10:02.03
And, Lord, as I share my story
00:10:02.06\00:10:04.23
of Your faithfulness in my life,
00:10:04.27\00:10:06.37
I pray that You'll please,
00:10:06.40\00:10:08.57
help those who hear my
words to see a vision of You
00:10:08.60\00:10:13.21
and what is possible, if
we would all simply commit
00:10:13.24\00:10:17.21
to having Your way in our lives.
00:10:17.25\00:10:19.18
So we thank You, Lord,
00:10:19.21\00:10:20.58
for this
opportunity to talk about You.
00:10:20.62\00:10:22.72
In Jesus' name, we pray, amen.
00:10:22.75\00:10:24.75
So it is a real honor
for me to be here tonight
00:10:28.19\00:10:31.46
to kind of share
with you my story
00:10:31.49\00:10:32.99
and I really
appreciate Debbie Young
00:10:33.03\00:10:34.66
giving me that introduction.
00:10:34.73\00:10:36.70
But I would like
to classify myself
00:10:36.73\00:10:41.04
as one of those
people who, you know,
00:10:41.07\00:10:43.74
would sit in the audience
and hear testimonies of people
00:10:43.77\00:10:46.31
who have stayed far
away from the church
00:10:46.34\00:10:49.98
and then talk about how
the Lord brought them back.
00:10:50.01\00:10:52.25
And it would always inspire me,
00:10:52.28\00:10:55.35
but I realize that it
didn't connect with me
00:10:55.38\00:10:57.55
because I didn't
have that experience
00:10:57.59\00:10:59.59
where I fell away
and then I came back
00:10:59.62\00:11:02.66
or at least I didn't
think I had that experience
00:11:02.69\00:11:05.26
because you see...
00:11:05.29\00:11:07.20
Now looking back,
00:11:07.23\00:11:08.53
I realize truly that
the most effective way
00:11:08.56\00:11:11.23
to be lost is to
be sitting in a pew.
00:11:11.27\00:11:15.40
And my testimony
tonight is a testimony
00:11:15.44\00:11:18.34
of how God had to
wake me up in those pews
00:11:18.37\00:11:22.81
and show me that I had to have
a living relationship with Him.
00:11:22.84\00:11:27.42
You know, Revelation 12:11 says,
00:11:27.48\00:11:29.52
"And they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb,
00:11:29.55\00:11:33.19
and by the word
of their testimony,
00:11:33.22\00:11:34.99
and they did not love
their lives to the death."
00:11:35.02\00:11:38.16
You see, the word of the
lamb, the blood of the lamb,
00:11:38.19\00:11:41.16
and word of their testimony
are the two ingredients
00:11:41.20\00:11:43.30
that we need to
stand in times of trial.
00:11:43.33\00:11:46.57
And so it is my privilege
to share with you my testimony.
00:11:46.60\00:11:50.44
So a little bit about me,
00:11:50.47\00:11:51.84
I was born and
raised in Maryland.
00:11:51.87\00:11:54.78
And as you heard
from my introduction,
00:11:54.81\00:11:57.21
I'm currently in medicine,
00:11:57.28\00:11:59.01
but initially I had no interest
in going into medicine at all.
00:11:59.05\00:12:04.55
I actually, in college I
majored in computer science
00:12:04.59\00:12:08.32
and finance and in addition
to some engineering courses,
00:12:08.36\00:12:11.83
I went ahead and
completed my pre-med courses.
00:12:11.86\00:12:15.36
And for those of you
who've been through college
00:12:15.40\00:12:17.80
that tells you that I
was very confused in college.
00:12:17.83\00:12:21.50
I had no idea what I
wanted to do with my life.
00:12:21.54\00:12:23.24
And so I decided,
00:12:23.27\00:12:24.61
if I just did a little
bit of everything eventually,
00:12:24.64\00:12:27.04
something should be useful
00:12:27.08\00:12:28.41
and I should be able
to use something, right?
00:12:28.44\00:12:30.98
So when I
graduated finally in 2006,
00:12:31.01\00:12:33.58
after 5 years of
college it was so fun.
00:12:33.62\00:12:35.35
I took five
instead of four years.
00:12:35.38\00:12:38.02
I even took the MCAT,
00:12:38.05\00:12:39.49
which is the Medical
College Admissions Test
00:12:39.52\00:12:41.66
that you need to take before
you apply to medical school
00:12:41.69\00:12:44.39
and I got a decent score on it,
00:12:44.43\00:12:46.43
but my heart wasn't in medicine
00:12:46.46\00:12:48.30
so I decided that I
wasn't going to apply.
00:12:48.33\00:12:51.40
Instead, I started
working at the Walter Reed Army
00:12:51.43\00:12:54.77
Institute of Research
and Bioinformatics Research
00:12:54.80\00:12:57.54
because I thought that melded
my passions of the dry sciences
00:12:57.57\00:13:01.18
and the wet sciences together,
00:13:01.21\00:13:03.35
but after six
months or so of that,
00:13:03.38\00:13:05.28
the only thing
that taught me was then,
00:13:05.31\00:13:06.75
I was not passionate
about that kind of research.
00:13:06.82\00:13:11.12
So then to do something
completely different again,
00:13:11.15\00:13:13.36
I went ahead and started working
00:13:13.39\00:13:15.09
as a patent
examiner at the US Patent
00:13:15.12\00:13:17.23
and Trademark Office.
00:13:17.26\00:13:18.63
And at that time I got involved
00:13:18.66\00:13:20.30
in starting my
own online business
00:13:20.33\00:13:23.03
and I didn't say it to
myself in so many words,
00:13:23.06\00:13:26.63
but really at that time of life,
00:13:26.70\00:13:28.14
my goal was to
simply to make as much money
00:13:28.17\00:13:31.01
as I could in as shorter time
00:13:31.04\00:13:33.17
as I could to buy back my time,
to retire young, retire rich,
00:13:33.21\00:13:36.91
maybe write some
checks with several commas
00:13:36.95\00:13:38.78
for good ministry causes
00:13:38.81\00:13:40.58
and to pat myself on the back
and to live my life that way.
00:13:40.62\00:13:44.05
And you see, that's probably
where I would still be today,
00:13:44.09\00:13:47.52
had not God intervened.
00:13:47.56\00:13:50.19
Because you see in May of 2008,
00:13:50.23\00:13:52.39
my father was
diagnosed with brain cancer
00:13:52.43\00:13:56.06
and it came as a
shock to all of us
00:13:56.10\00:13:58.80
because there's
no history of cancer
00:13:58.83\00:14:00.47
of any kind in our family.
00:14:00.54\00:14:02.50
You know, he came
down with a facial droop
00:14:02.54\00:14:04.97
and we thought maybe
it was a mild stroke.
00:14:05.01\00:14:08.48
Went quickly to the hospital,
we got a CT of his head done
00:14:08.51\00:14:10.95
and it showed a mass in
his right parietal lobe,
00:14:10.98\00:14:13.28
and this is
right around the time
00:14:13.31\00:14:14.65
that Senator Ted Kennedy,
00:14:14.68\00:14:16.02
if you remember,
also was diagnosed
00:14:16.05\00:14:17.92
with a very similar
lesion in his brain.
00:14:17.95\00:14:21.29
And when that happened,
00:14:21.32\00:14:22.66
when we had the
cancer diagnoses,
00:14:22.69\00:14:24.03
it changed my life forever.
00:14:24.06\00:14:25.39
Suddenly, everything
I was doing in my life
00:14:25.43\00:14:27.96
was unimportant, so I took
a leave of absence from work.
00:14:27.96\00:14:30.73
I let my online business go
00:14:30.77\00:14:32.87
and I became a full
time caregiver for my father
00:14:32.90\00:14:35.44
because I wanted to beat this,
00:14:35.47\00:14:38.21
I could not accept the fact
that I would be losing my dad.
00:14:38.24\00:14:43.51
You know, this was
the greatest test of faith
00:14:43.55\00:14:46.05
I had gone through
up until that point.
00:14:46.08\00:14:50.15
And part of being a
cultural Christian is that
00:14:50.19\00:14:54.89
you don't take the promises
in the Bible to the bank.
00:14:54.92\00:15:00.76
Up until that point,
00:15:00.83\00:15:02.13
I had never really
held God to the promises
00:15:02.16\00:15:04.20
that I read in scripture.
00:15:04.27\00:15:06.07
So when my father
was diagnosed with cancer
00:15:06.10\00:15:08.60
I was determined that
for the first time in my life
00:15:08.64\00:15:11.54
now I was going to
put it to the test.
00:15:11.57\00:15:14.28
Mark 11:24 says,
"Therefore, I say to you,
00:15:14.31\00:15:17.35
whatever things
you ask when you pray,
00:15:17.38\00:15:20.02
believe that you receive
them, and you will have them."
00:15:20.05\00:15:23.28
Have you ever
truly prayed that prayer?
00:15:23.32\00:15:27.49
Because I know I
hadn't up until that point,
00:15:27.56\00:15:29.79
but I was praying then.
00:15:29.82\00:15:32.09
James 1:6-8 says,
"But let him ask in faith,
00:15:32.13\00:15:34.93
with no doubting,
00:15:34.96\00:15:36.30
for he who doubts is
like a wave of the sea
00:15:36.33\00:15:38.43
driven and tossed by the wind.
00:15:38.47\00:15:40.80
For let not that man
suppose he will receive anything
00:15:40.84\00:15:42.87
from the Lord.
00:15:42.90\00:15:44.27
He is a double-minded
man, unstable in all his ways."
00:15:44.31\00:15:47.54
So I prayed and I exercised
my faith like never before
00:15:47.58\00:15:50.11
and I was determined to not let
my lack of faith be the reason
00:15:50.15\00:15:54.58
why my father wasn't healed.
00:15:54.62\00:15:58.32
Have you ever
prayed really earnestly
00:15:58.35\00:16:00.59
for something only to
see the direct opposite
00:16:00.62\00:16:03.66
of what you prayed come to pass?
00:16:03.69\00:16:06.73
Because that's
what happened to me.
00:16:06.76\00:16:08.60
I prayed for
healing every single day,
00:16:08.63\00:16:11.43
but week by week I could see
my father's body deteriorating.
00:16:11.47\00:16:14.70
Something else was going wrong.
00:16:14.74\00:16:16.44
He was getting weaker
00:16:16.47\00:16:17.81
and I refuse to
admit it in words,
00:16:17.84\00:16:19.34
but I couldn't
help shake the feeling,
00:16:19.37\00:16:21.31
"God, are you there?
00:16:21.34\00:16:23.11
Are you really listening?"
00:16:23.14\00:16:24.75
This Bible that
I've told everyone
00:16:24.78\00:16:26.85
I committed my life to,
is it really trustworthy?
00:16:26.92\00:16:30.02
Are these pretty verses
just that, just pretty words?
00:16:30.09\00:16:37.03
So one morning, my father saw me
00:16:37.06\00:16:40.10
doing my devotionals
and he looked over at me
00:16:40.13\00:16:43.16
and he said, "John,
00:16:43.20\00:16:45.63
how do you do your
devotionals in the morning?"
00:16:45.67\00:16:48.20
And that struck me
as a really odd question
00:16:48.24\00:16:49.84
because my father...
00:16:49.87\00:16:53.24
Well, he had been a
Christian all his life as well
00:16:53.27\00:16:55.71
and an elder in the church.
00:16:55.74\00:16:57.51
And so I asked him, you
know, "Dad what do you mean?
00:16:57.55\00:17:00.68
You know, I read
scripture and I pray."
00:17:00.75\00:17:02.65
And he said, "You
know, I'm ashamed to say it.
00:17:02.68\00:17:06.52
I've been in the
church all my life,
00:17:06.55\00:17:09.22
but I don't know what it means
00:17:09.26\00:17:10.59
to have a personal
relationship with Christ."
00:17:10.66\00:17:14.20
And when he said those words,
00:17:14.23\00:17:16.70
it really struck me
because my dad was my hero
00:17:16.77\00:17:19.13
and I looked up
to him for everything
00:17:19.17\00:17:20.54
and I just assumed
00:17:20.57\00:17:21.90
that he was a
spiritual pillar of our family,
00:17:21.94\00:17:23.61
but when he confided that
to me it really shook my world
00:17:23.64\00:17:27.61
and I decided at that
point that every morning
00:17:27.64\00:17:30.15
when I do my devotionals
I would do it with him.
00:17:30.18\00:17:32.71
So from that point on,
we would pray together,
00:17:32.75\00:17:34.75
we would read
scripture together,
00:17:34.78\00:17:36.12
we would sing hymns together.
00:17:36.15\00:17:38.79
And some of you may be
able to relate to this,
00:17:38.82\00:17:40.66
but my father
was a very stoic man,
00:17:40.69\00:17:43.32
a man full of dignity.
00:17:43.36\00:17:45.23
And up until that point I
think I've seen him cry once,
00:17:45.26\00:17:49.36
maybe twice at
most my whole life,
00:17:49.40\00:17:52.37
but when I started
having worship with him
00:17:52.40\00:17:54.20
in the mornings
00:17:54.24\00:17:55.60
after every prayer
I would open my eyes
00:17:55.64\00:17:57.91
and I would see tears
streaming down his face.
00:17:57.94\00:18:01.24
We would sing a
hymn and he would cry,
00:18:01.28\00:18:03.71
we would read a
verse of scripture
00:18:03.78\00:18:05.48
and he would cry.
00:18:05.51\00:18:07.55
And it was as if those
words had new meaning for him
00:18:07.58\00:18:10.32
for the first time in his life.
00:18:10.35\00:18:11.99
I remember there was a
time when he was hospitalized
00:18:16.96\00:18:19.09
because he was having
00:18:19.13\00:18:20.46
intractable
brain tumor headaches
00:18:20.53\00:18:22.10
and we were at Johns Hopkins
and it was communion Sabbath.
00:18:22.13\00:18:26.20
And because we
couldn't be in church,
00:18:26.23\00:18:27.77
our pastor brought the bread
00:18:27.80\00:18:30.81
and the grape juice to
have a private communion session
00:18:30.84\00:18:33.61
just for my dad.
00:18:33.68\00:18:35.11
And I remember he gave
the bread to my father,
00:18:35.14\00:18:37.78
read the scripture and prayed.
00:18:37.81\00:18:39.81
And we were all eating,
but my father wouldn't eat it.
00:18:39.85\00:18:41.78
He would just stare at it.
00:18:41.82\00:18:43.15
And I looked over at him
and I asked him, you know,
00:18:43.18\00:18:45.69
is something wrong?
00:18:45.72\00:18:47.96
And he looked at that
piece of bread and he said,
00:18:47.99\00:18:49.56
"You know, this is what
I've been missing all my life."
00:18:49.59\00:18:55.10
It was as if the meaning
behind that beautiful symbol
00:19:04.57\00:19:08.08
was coalescing in his
mind for the first time.
00:19:08.11\00:19:13.95
And I can tell
you, witnessing that,
00:19:13.98\00:19:19.02
it really took on
new meeting me as well.
00:19:19.05\00:19:20.72
So although, it was evident
00:19:26.46\00:19:28.60
that the cancer
was ravaging his body
00:19:28.63\00:19:30.60
and that his physical health
was declining in a strange way,
00:19:30.67\00:19:35.57
his spiritual
life was blossoming
00:19:35.60\00:19:38.31
in front of my eyes.
00:19:38.34\00:19:42.61
You know, up until that point,
00:19:42.64\00:19:44.25
all the physicians
who took care of my dad,
00:19:44.28\00:19:46.08
I wouldn't say all,
00:19:46.11\00:19:48.25
but the majority of
them had me convinced
00:19:48.28\00:19:51.85
that I have made
the right decision
00:19:51.89\00:19:53.22
in not choosing
to go into medicine.
00:19:53.25\00:19:55.36
And I realized that they came in
00:19:55.39\00:19:56.73
and they're interested more
in the disease than the person
00:19:56.76\00:19:59.36
and I was so
jaded about medicine.
00:19:59.39\00:20:02.60
But towards the end of
my father's illness course,
00:20:02.63\00:20:05.50
the last doctor
who took care of my dad
00:20:05.53\00:20:08.24
was a true Christian physician
and he was an Adventist.
00:20:08.27\00:20:12.34
And what he would do is
00:20:12.37\00:20:13.74
he would sit at
my father's bedside
00:20:13.78\00:20:15.71
and he would talk to him
more than about his disease,
00:20:15.74\00:20:17.91
he would talk to him
about his depression.
00:20:17.95\00:20:20.72
His trust in God, his faith
and his hopes for the future
00:20:20.78\00:20:24.09
and he would end every session
00:20:24.15\00:20:26.29
by kneeling at
my father's bedside,
00:20:26.32\00:20:27.92
taking his hands in
his and praying for him
00:20:27.96\00:20:29.89
and our whole family.
00:20:29.92\00:20:31.39
And it would bring us
to tears every single time.
00:20:31.43\00:20:34.76
And even though
00:20:34.83\00:20:36.13
what this physician
did didn't cure my dad,
00:20:36.16\00:20:40.47
there was a lot of
healing taking place,
00:20:40.50\00:20:44.44
and because of his influence,
00:20:44.47\00:20:46.71
my father decided to
rededicate his life to Christ
00:20:46.74\00:20:49.81
and to be re-baptized.
00:20:49.84\00:20:52.38
You know, unfortunately,
00:20:52.41\00:20:53.75
the day before he was
scheduled to get re-baptized,
00:20:53.78\00:20:56.85
he actually
suffered a grand mal seizure
00:20:56.92\00:20:58.55
that
hospitalized him permanently.
00:20:58.59\00:21:01.22
But, you know, like
the thief on the cross,
00:21:01.26\00:21:02.69
God knows the heart.
00:21:02.72\00:21:07.00
My father and their passing away
00:21:07.03\00:21:08.33
on October 18,
2008 at the age of 54.
00:21:08.36\00:21:13.60
And although, it was
one of the saddest moments
00:21:13.64\00:21:15.27
in my life,
00:21:15.30\00:21:16.87
it was also one
of the most sacred
00:21:16.91\00:21:19.01
because I realized
that up until that point
00:21:19.04\00:21:21.68
I kept asking God to heal my dad
00:21:21.71\00:21:25.68
and I was so frustrated with God
00:21:25.71\00:21:27.18
because I thought he
wasn't listening to me,
00:21:27.22\00:21:30.09
but before my
father passed away,
00:21:30.15\00:21:31.99
the Lord helped me to realize
00:21:32.02\00:21:33.96
that he had healed my
dad on a far deeper level
00:21:34.02\00:21:38.39
than I had known to ask.
00:21:38.43\00:21:40.40
Amen.
00:21:40.46\00:21:41.76
And so when that happened,
even though I lost my father
00:21:41.80\00:21:43.80
and it hurts so
much I couldn't help,
00:21:43.83\00:21:46.87
but to bend my knees
and thank God for his wisdom
00:21:46.90\00:21:51.54
because truly
Isaiah 55:8-9 says,
00:21:51.57\00:21:54.91
"For my thoughts
are not your thoughts,
00:21:54.94\00:21:57.18
nor are your ways
my ways, says the Lord.
00:21:57.21\00:22:00.42
For as the heavens
are higher than the earth,
00:22:00.45\00:22:02.38
so are my ways
higher than your ways
00:22:02.42\00:22:04.52
and my thoughts
than your thoughts."
00:22:04.55\00:22:06.62
And I said, "Lord, thank
you for not answering my prayer
00:22:06.65\00:22:09.66
and for looking deeper
and giving me something better
00:22:09.69\00:22:13.16
because I know I will
see my father in eternity."
00:22:13.19\00:22:18.37
So, friends,
what this convinced,
00:22:18.40\00:22:20.60
this experience convinced
me that God is a God of love
00:22:20.64\00:22:25.11
and that he has our
best interests at heart
00:22:25.14\00:22:28.31
and that he is so
loving and so merciful
00:22:28.34\00:22:30.51
that in his mercy,
00:22:30.55\00:22:32.05
he sometimes refuses
to give us what we ask.
00:22:32.08\00:22:35.48
And I said to
myself, "You know what?
00:22:35.52\00:22:38.32
I can trust a God like that.
00:22:38.35\00:22:41.96
I can dedicate my life
to serving a God like that."
00:22:41.99\00:22:47.03
And seeing the impact
00:22:47.10\00:22:48.56
that his last
physician had on his life
00:22:48.60\00:22:51.80
and my life, I
thought to myself,
00:22:51.83\00:22:55.00
I need to reconsider
this whole field of medicine.
00:22:55.04\00:22:58.27
So I've owned more copies
of the ministry of healing
00:22:58.31\00:23:02.08
throughout my life
then I cared to recount,
00:23:02.11\00:23:04.15
but I've never
opened it and read it.
00:23:04.18\00:23:06.48
So for the first time
after my father passed away,
00:23:06.51\00:23:08.68
I read that book and it
changed my life forever.
00:23:08.72\00:23:12.35
Through that book,
00:23:12.39\00:23:13.76
I became convinced that God
was calling me into medicine,
00:23:13.79\00:23:17.43
but I was very nervous
at this point understandably
00:23:17.46\00:23:19.63
because I was three
years out of college
00:23:19.66\00:23:23.03
and I said, "Lord, I don't know
00:23:23.06\00:23:25.57
what my chances are of
getting into medical school,
00:23:25.60\00:23:27.54
but if you are
calling me down this path,
00:23:27.60\00:23:29.14
I will go ahead and apply."
00:23:29.17\00:23:31.47
So I went ahead and cast,
00:23:31.51\00:23:33.14
find it wide and I
applied to 24 schools
00:23:33.17\00:23:35.44
across the country
00:23:35.48\00:23:37.11
and I figured that
should cover my basis, right?
00:23:37.15\00:23:41.62
And thankfully, what I was
most concerned about was that,
00:23:41.65\00:23:45.15
remember when I graduated
in 2006, I took my MCAT
00:23:45.19\00:23:49.26
and I was
concerned that at that point
00:23:49.29\00:23:51.29
by MCAT might be too old
for these schools to accept,
00:23:51.33\00:23:54.40
but thankfully, they
all accepted my MCAT.
00:23:54.46\00:23:57.00
They said,
"It's just old enough.
00:23:57.03\00:23:59.30
We can still take it."
00:23:59.33\00:24:01.34
And every school told me
that except one, Loma Linda.
00:24:01.37\00:24:04.77
It was six
months too old for them.
00:24:09.14\00:24:13.01
And I said, "Lord, thank you,
for narrowing it down to 23."
00:24:13.05\00:24:18.82
Because if
that's not a clear sign
00:24:18.85\00:24:20.19
and that's not the school,
00:24:20.26\00:24:21.59
I meant to go into, I
don't know what it is.
00:24:21.62\00:24:25.23
Have you ever made a
decision in your life
00:24:25.26\00:24:27.40
and then felt like
God was looking at you
00:24:27.40\00:24:29.30
from heaven just
shaking his head.
00:24:29.33\00:24:33.40
That's how I felt.
00:24:33.44\00:24:34.77
I couldn't shake
the feeling that,
00:24:34.80\00:24:36.27
you know, I said, "John,
if you are praying for God
00:24:36.30\00:24:40.04
to choose your
medical school for you,
00:24:40.08\00:24:42.34
but you don't put
in to the running.
00:24:42.38\00:24:43.91
The only medical school
that has medical ministry
00:24:43.95\00:24:46.55
as his foundation
and that at one point
00:24:46.58\00:24:49.58
had used the ministry of healing
00:24:49.62\00:24:51.09
as his text book,
00:24:51.12\00:24:52.52
how can you honestly say
00:24:52.55\00:24:53.92
that you're giving God
every opportunity to lead you
00:24:53.96\00:24:56.79
and I'd be like, be quite,
don't think thoughts like that.
00:24:56.83\00:25:00.93
You know, but finally,
I couldn't denied anymore,
00:25:00.96\00:25:05.10
and I had no
rest and I said that,
00:25:05.13\00:25:06.57
"Lord, okay, fine,
00:25:06.60\00:25:07.94
if you want me
to retake the MCAT,
00:25:07.97\00:25:11.17
you know, what's gonna happen."
00:25:11.21\00:25:12.71
If I don't
score at least as high
00:25:12.74\00:25:14.54
as I did fresh out of college
00:25:14.58\00:25:15.91
when I was at the top
of my games scholastically,
00:25:15.94\00:25:19.51
it would spell certain
doom for my application.
00:25:19.55\00:25:22.25
"So I will retake the MCAT,
but this is in your hands."
00:25:22.28\00:25:26.99
And it filled me with terror
and peace right afterwards.
00:25:27.06\00:25:31.93
When I said amen
and I gave it up to God,
00:25:31.96\00:25:35.20
I had such relief.
00:25:35.23\00:25:36.56
That restlessness
that had dogged me
00:25:36.63\00:25:38.10
for weeks went away.
00:25:38.13\00:25:41.37
So up until that point, my plan,
00:25:41.40\00:25:44.07
because we all make plans.
00:25:44.11\00:25:46.04
My plan was to continue
working at the Patent Office,
00:25:46.07\00:25:48.54
as I interviewed
for medical schools
00:25:48.58\00:25:50.71
and if I didn't
get in, no harm done.
00:25:50.75\00:25:52.91
I still have a
stable job, life is good.
00:25:52.95\00:25:56.08
Well, this through a
monkey ranching those plans
00:25:56.12\00:25:58.55
because in order for me
to be able to brush up enough
00:25:58.59\00:26:02.09
to retake the MCAT,
00:26:02.12\00:26:03.46
I would have to study
full time for over a month,
00:26:03.49\00:26:07.13
so I had to quit my job
00:26:07.23\00:26:09.06
and I had to
just study like crazy,
00:26:09.10\00:26:10.57
and that was
burning the bridges.
00:26:10.60\00:26:13.94
But, God, let me know
that he was being faithful.
00:26:13.97\00:26:16.40
You know why?
00:26:16.44\00:26:17.77
As I was
studying my practice MCAT
00:26:17.81\00:26:19.64
and taking these practices ends,
00:26:19.67\00:26:21.91
I realized that I was
actually scoring higher
00:26:21.94\00:26:25.11
on my practice tests then
00:26:25.15\00:26:26.92
what I had scored
fresh out of college.
00:26:26.95\00:26:29.92
And I had no idea
where this was coming from.
00:26:29.95\00:26:32.39
I said, "Lord, I cannot
believe I recall this material
00:26:32.42\00:26:35.96
that I would sure had decade
00:26:35.99\00:26:37.33
somewhere in the far
recesses of my brain.
00:26:37.36\00:26:39.46
And when the time came
to actually take my MCAT,
00:26:39.49\00:26:41.63
it was tough, but I had
that calm sense of peace
00:26:41.66\00:26:46.27
to let me know
that God was near.
00:26:46.30\00:26:49.77
When I walked out of the exam,
00:26:49.80\00:26:51.14
I said, "Lord, I don't
know how I did on the test,
00:26:51.17\00:26:53.01
but I know you are with me.
00:26:53.04\00:26:54.64
So I thank you, no
matter what score I get,
00:26:54.68\00:26:57.45
I know you are with me.
00:26:57.51\00:26:58.91
So thank you."
00:26:58.95\00:27:00.75
And sure enough,
several weeks later,
00:27:00.78\00:27:02.18
I got my score and I was shocked
00:27:02.22\00:27:05.89
because it was the
lowest score I had ever gotten
00:27:05.92\00:27:08.96
on any MCAT practice or
real, and with that score,
00:27:08.99\00:27:13.23
every school proceeded to
reject me except Loma Linda.
00:27:13.26\00:27:17.37
It's funny how God
works sometimes, isn't it?
00:27:25.07\00:27:27.28
Here I am at the start of it,
00:27:30.35\00:27:31.98
feeling competitive
for 24 schools saying,
00:27:32.01\00:27:33.92
Lord, you picked the one for me
00:27:33.95\00:27:35.38
which of these
prestigious schools
00:27:35.42\00:27:37.52
is it going to be?
00:27:37.59\00:27:39.42
And here I am
knocking my knees saying,
00:27:39.45\00:27:42.19
"It's either
Loma Linda or bust."
00:27:42.22\00:27:45.93
And I realize that this
was actually good for me
00:27:45.96\00:27:48.66
because God had to
humble me in this process.
00:27:48.70\00:27:51.50
You see, he
takes us on a journey
00:27:51.53\00:27:53.50
to mould our characters
00:27:53.54\00:27:56.37
all throughout
my life, you know.
00:27:56.40\00:27:58.91
I studied hard,
I got good grades,
00:27:58.94\00:28:01.84
I had a competitive, you
know, academic background,
00:28:01.88\00:28:05.45
so I felt like, I was
God's gift to medicine.
00:28:05.48\00:28:08.15
Here's John, he finally decided
00:28:08.18\00:28:09.85
that he's going
to pursue medicine.
00:28:09.88\00:28:11.69
You may all stand up and
cheer now, yes, you know.
00:28:11.72\00:28:15.32
Which of your lucky schools
would be able to accept me
00:28:15.36\00:28:17.49
among its membership?
00:28:17.56\00:28:18.89
You know, and
that's kind of how I felt.
00:28:18.93\00:28:21.10
And now I was just
desperate to get an interview
00:28:21.13\00:28:24.30
from Loma Linda.
00:28:24.33\00:28:25.67
So here I am,
00:28:29.54\00:28:33.48
all my hopes
hinging on one school.
00:28:33.51\00:28:37.48
It made me think
of the story of Joseph
00:28:37.55\00:28:41.18
and Potiphar's Wife
00:28:41.22\00:28:42.55
because when you
pray for something
00:28:42.58\00:28:45.85
and it doesn't come
through the way you'd wanted to,
00:28:45.89\00:28:48.42
you're tempted to thank God.
00:28:48.46\00:28:51.36
Aren't you
listening to my prayers
00:28:51.39\00:28:53.40
because he can
answer your prayers
00:28:53.43\00:28:54.83
in an unexpected way, right?
00:28:54.86\00:28:56.73
What happened
when Joseph refused
00:28:56.77\00:28:58.17
to advances the Potiphar's wife?
00:28:58.20\00:29:00.37
What was his reward?
00:29:00.40\00:29:02.60
He got thrown in prison.
00:29:02.64\00:29:04.54
Now I can only imagine
00:29:04.57\00:29:05.91
what Joseph was
thinking in prison.
00:29:05.94\00:29:07.31
He's thinking,
00:29:07.34\00:29:08.68
"This is what I get
for being true to you
00:29:08.71\00:29:10.61
in a foreign land."
00:29:10.68\00:29:12.11
Can you imagine the things
00:29:12.15\00:29:13.48
that were going
through his mind,
00:29:13.55\00:29:14.88
but he had no
idea that he needed
00:29:14.92\00:29:16.25
to spend that time in prison
00:29:16.28\00:29:17.62
in order for God to use
him in a palace, you see.
00:29:17.65\00:29:20.29
So The Desire of
Ages, page 224 says,
00:29:20.32\00:29:22.52
"God never leads His children,
00:29:22.56\00:29:23.89
otherwise than they
would choose to be led,
00:29:23.96\00:29:25.99
if they could see the
end from the beginning,
00:29:26.03\00:29:27.86
and discern the
glory of the purpose
00:29:27.86\00:29:29.43
which they are fulfilling
as co-workers for Him."
00:29:29.46\00:29:34.14
So I realize that God
knew what he was doing,
00:29:34.17\00:29:37.61
even though I couldn't tell yet,
00:29:37.64\00:29:40.01
but he let me know that
he was being faithful to me
00:29:40.08\00:29:41.78
because first of all,
00:29:41.81\00:29:43.35
he granted me an
interview with Loma Linda.
00:29:43.38\00:29:45.78
On the first day of
the interview season,
00:29:45.81\00:29:47.85
when they only
invite their top candidates
00:29:47.88\00:29:50.09
and I had no
business being there
00:29:50.12\00:29:51.45
because my
application was very late
00:29:51.49\00:29:53.96
as a result of being
having to take my MCAT.
00:29:53.99\00:29:57.13
I also had two interviews there,
00:29:57.16\00:29:58.56
one with the student and
one with the faculty member
00:29:58.59\00:30:01.10
and they both went fairly well.
00:30:01.13\00:30:03.43
So at the end of that, I
said, "Lord, it's in your hands,
00:30:03.47\00:30:06.53
but if you choose to not open
the door to ministry for me,
00:30:06.57\00:30:09.74
the only other...
00:30:09.77\00:30:11.11
I'm sorry.
00:30:11.14\00:30:12.47
If you don't
choose to open the door
00:30:12.51\00:30:13.84
to medicine for me,
00:30:13.88\00:30:15.21
the only other
option I can see myself
00:30:15.24\00:30:16.58
going into is ministry."
00:30:16.61\00:30:18.55
So I applied for The Amazing
Facts Centre of Evangelism
00:30:18.58\00:30:21.68
four-month lay
ministry training program,
00:30:21.72\00:30:24.42
also known as
AFCOE, and I decided,
00:30:24.45\00:30:26.96
well, I'll do AFCOE
and if God makes it clear
00:30:27.02\00:30:29.76
that he's not
getting me into medicine,
00:30:29.79\00:30:31.73
I'll just go into ministry.
00:30:31.76\00:30:34.00
Well, my first week in AFCOE,
00:30:34.03\00:30:35.36
I got a phone
call from Loma Linda
00:30:35.40\00:30:37.90
and it was very exciting
00:30:37.93\00:30:39.27
because if you know
anything about medical schools,
00:30:39.30\00:30:41.40
they do not call you
00:30:41.44\00:30:42.77
to let you know
you've been rejected.
00:30:42.80\00:30:44.14
They send you that
thin envelop in the mail.
00:30:46.17\00:30:49.98
But to get a call from
them, could only mean one thing.
00:30:50.01\00:30:52.75
So when I picked up the
phone with a lot of excitement,
00:30:52.78\00:30:55.68
the voice on
the other line said,
00:30:55.72\00:30:57.05
"John, we would
like you to come back
00:30:57.12\00:30:59.72
for a second set of interviews."
00:30:59.75\00:31:02.96
And I didn't know
what to think about that
00:31:02.99\00:31:04.33
because, you see, if they
like me they wouldn't bother
00:31:04.36\00:31:07.73
with the second
round of interviews, right?
00:31:07.76\00:31:10.13
But if they didn't like
me, they would've bothered
00:31:10.17\00:31:12.33
with a second set
of interviews, right?
00:31:12.37\00:31:15.14
So what could
this possibly mean?
00:31:15.17\00:31:18.07
And rather than
playing mind games,
00:31:18.11\00:31:19.47
I said, "When do you need me?"
00:31:19.51\00:31:21.34
And they said, "Can
you come this Friday?"
00:31:21.38\00:31:22.78
And I said, "Yeah, sure,
I can clear my schedule."
00:31:22.81\00:31:24.95
So here I am, headed down
on the wings of much prayer
00:31:24.98\00:31:27.42
of my new AFCOE classmates
00:31:27.48\00:31:29.62
going down for a
second round of interviews.
00:31:29.65\00:31:32.35
I went there, I met
with two physicians,
00:31:32.39\00:31:34.02
they interviewed me back to back
00:31:34.06\00:31:35.49
and there's a lot
of details in here
00:31:35.52\00:31:36.89
that time won't
permit me to go into,
00:31:36.93\00:31:38.56
but I felt that God was
guiding in those interviews.
00:31:38.59\00:31:41.20
And here I am, back at
AFCOE and I told the Lord,
00:31:41.23\00:31:44.30
"Lord, it is
completely in your hands."
00:31:44.33\00:31:48.47
Or so, I
thought because you see,
00:31:48.50\00:31:51.71
I was telling God, "Lord,
00:31:51.74\00:31:53.07
medicine or ministry,
medicine or ministry."
00:31:53.11\00:31:55.71
I don't care which one
it is, medicine or ministry.
00:31:55.74\00:31:58.71
But as the weeks went on
00:31:58.75\00:32:00.32
and I didn't
hear from Loma Linda,
00:32:00.35\00:32:01.95
I started getting very anxious
00:32:01.98\00:32:04.22
and I started
wondering to myself,
00:32:04.29\00:32:06.02
"Do I need to take these Bible,
00:32:06.05\00:32:08.82
personal Bible study courses
a little bit more seriously
00:32:08.86\00:32:12.03
because it seems like God
is kind of closing that door.
00:32:12.06\00:32:14.00
And as I felt that, I
could feel that in my heart,
00:32:14.10\00:32:18.50
I was really clinging to
medicine because you see,
00:32:18.53\00:32:23.04
I had told him I
give it up to you
00:32:23.07\00:32:25.31
whatever you want me to do,
00:32:25.34\00:32:27.78
but I realized that
in the back of my mind,
00:32:27.81\00:32:29.41
it was Lord.
00:32:29.44\00:32:30.81
It's either this
00:32:30.85\00:32:32.65
or we're gonna have to
have a long conversation.
00:32:32.68\00:32:36.12
Have you ever prayed like that?
00:32:36.15\00:32:38.15
Were you praying not so
much to discern God's will,
00:32:38.19\00:32:40.72
but to receive
affirmation of a decision
00:32:40.76\00:32:42.56
you've already
made in your heart.
00:32:42.59\00:32:44.39
I am so guilty of that
00:32:44.43\00:32:46.06
and I realized
that at that point,
00:32:46.09\00:32:48.30
but them
February 18, 2009 happened
00:32:48.33\00:32:51.57
and what happened on that day,
00:32:51.60\00:32:52.93
it was our first day
of outreach at AFCOE,
00:32:52.97\00:32:55.64
where 56 students
who had little experience
00:32:55.67\00:33:00.38
descended on
Sacramento to knock on doors
00:33:00.41\00:33:03.18
and ask for Bible studies,
00:33:03.21\00:33:05.08
and what we
lacked in experience,
00:33:05.11\00:33:06.72
we made up them
from prayer, believe me.
00:33:06.75\00:33:09.08
And as we fumble our way
00:33:09.12\00:33:10.49
through asking
for Bible studies,
00:33:10.52\00:33:11.85
in the span of just
three hours that afternoon
00:33:11.89\00:33:14.72
our little rag-tag class
00:33:14.76\00:33:16.76
accumulated over
160 Bible studies.
00:33:16.83\00:33:20.80
And at that time,
00:33:20.83\00:33:22.13
the coordinator
for this outreach
00:33:22.16\00:33:24.30
was a Wes Peppers
00:33:24.33\00:33:25.67
and I believe he's
here at ASI this weekend
00:33:25.70\00:33:27.60
at least he was
presenting one of the seminars,
00:33:27.64\00:33:30.37
so he knows exactly
what I'm talking about.
00:33:30.41\00:33:31.91
So when we came
back from that event,
00:33:31.94\00:33:33.64
we spent that entire night
just recounting testimonies
00:33:33.68\00:33:36.71
of how God gave
us divine employments
00:33:36.75\00:33:38.31
on the streets and
God has sees Bible studies
00:33:38.35\00:33:40.28
and poured out his holy spirit
00:33:40.32\00:33:42.08
and he would intersperses
with hymns and songs
00:33:42.12\00:33:44.39
and it was a spiritual highlight
00:33:44.42\00:33:46.25
of my AFCOE experience.
00:33:46.29\00:33:47.86
The next morning I
woke up, I got on my knees,
00:33:47.89\00:33:50.69
and I said, "Lord, I am so sorry
00:33:50.73\00:33:54.20
that in my heart I
was insisting on medicine
00:33:54.23\00:33:56.80
because I realize that
as long as you're using me
00:33:56.83\00:33:59.63
to touch lives
like you did yesterday,
00:33:59.67\00:34:02.07
that's all I need.
00:34:02.10\00:34:04.64
I don't care if you
get me into medical school
00:34:04.67\00:34:07.11
or if you use me as a minister
00:34:07.18\00:34:08.71
or a mechanic or
anything in between,
00:34:08.74\00:34:11.41
just use me to
touch lives for you.
00:34:11.45\00:34:13.92
Amen."
00:34:13.95\00:34:15.52
And it was the
first time I meant it.
00:34:15.55\00:34:18.62
That morning I went
to lunch with my friends
00:34:18.65\00:34:21.49
and as it's our custom,
we've gathered in a circle
00:34:21.52\00:34:23.63
and hold hands and pray
at the end of every meal.
00:34:23.66\00:34:26.46
And during that
time, my phone rang
00:34:26.49\00:34:29.83
and after the
prayer I called back
00:34:29.86\00:34:32.17
and before I
called back I looked
00:34:32.20\00:34:33.54
and it was the
Loma Linda number.
00:34:33.60\00:34:35.40
And I couldn't
help, but to think,
00:34:35.44\00:34:37.67
"A third interview."
00:34:37.71\00:34:41.28
But when I called back,
the director of missions
00:34:41.31\00:34:43.61
was on the other
line and he said,
00:34:43.65\00:34:44.98
"John, I am happy to tell
you that you've been accepted
00:34:45.01\00:34:47.48
to our school of medicine."
00:34:47.52\00:34:49.38
And that sent
shivers up my spine
00:34:49.42\00:34:50.99
because, friends, I know
that it was not an accident
00:34:51.02\00:34:54.29
that on the day that I
finally gave up medicine to God
00:34:54.32\00:34:57.29
is the day that he
chose to open the door
00:34:57.33\00:34:59.33
to medicine to me.
00:34:59.36\00:35:01.50
It was as if he
was waiting for me
00:35:01.53\00:35:03.00
to learn this final lesson
00:35:03.03\00:35:05.57
where I gave it up to him
and I said, "Lord, I don't care
00:35:05.60\00:35:09.10
how you use me,
just that you use me."
00:35:09.14\00:35:12.14
And that's when he looked
down from heaven and said,
00:35:12.17\00:35:14.28
"Now you're ready to
become my physician."
00:35:14.31\00:35:17.71
And so he
drilled that point home.
00:35:17.75\00:35:21.72
You know, as I
began medical school
00:35:21.75\00:35:23.08
I realized that it could
quickly dominate your life
00:35:23.12\00:35:26.12
and make you
very one-dimensional.
00:35:26.15\00:35:27.72
It's intense to
academic rigor of medical school
00:35:27.76\00:35:30.83
and many students sacrificed
everything including health,
00:35:30.86\00:35:33.93
relationships,
family and friends
00:35:34.00\00:35:35.60
and even their
relationship with God
00:35:35.63\00:35:37.17
on the altar of academics.
00:35:37.23\00:35:38.87
I remember I was
studying in the library
00:35:38.90\00:35:40.94
and I had one classmate
who studied in the same area
00:35:40.97\00:35:43.20
with me all the time.
00:35:43.24\00:35:44.57
And one day he
walked up to me and he said,
00:35:44.61\00:35:45.94
"John, I have decided that
00:35:45.97\00:35:47.71
I'm not going
to church anymore."
00:35:47.74\00:35:49.88
And I said, "Why?"
00:35:49.91\00:35:51.25
And he said, "I'm aiming
00:35:51.28\00:35:52.61
for a very
competitive medical specialty
00:35:52.65\00:35:54.68
and everyone else was aiming
for the same specialty studies
00:35:54.72\00:35:58.45
around the clock,
seven days a week.
00:35:58.49\00:36:00.42
I cannot be competitive
and miss out one day."
00:36:00.49\00:36:04.36
And so that's
the decision he made.
00:36:04.39\00:36:05.73
And he stuck true to in.
00:36:05.76\00:36:07.10
He got stellar scores
00:36:07.13\00:36:08.43
and he accomplished
everything he wanted to.
00:36:08.46\00:36:10.50
However, at what cost, I wonder.
00:36:10.57\00:36:13.84
I looked at him and I saw him
drifting away from everything
00:36:13.87\00:36:17.24
that's spiritual and I thought
to myself, "What a high cost."
00:36:17.31\00:36:21.51
Because you see,
regardless of what you do,
00:36:21.54\00:36:24.15
if you pursue success at
the expense of your faith,
00:36:24.18\00:36:27.02
you'll be building for yourself
a foundation of faithlessness
00:36:27.05\00:36:30.49
and you'll set a president
of making things happen
00:36:30.52\00:36:32.72
by your own
strength on your own terms
00:36:32.75\00:36:35.76
and you'll be unable to feel
a need for God in your life.
00:36:35.79\00:36:39.66
And if this is the case,
how could it not be pride?
00:36:39.69\00:36:43.87
Because when you
attribute everything
00:36:43.93\00:36:45.27
you've done to yourself,
00:36:45.30\00:36:46.63
there's nothing left, but pride.
00:36:46.67\00:36:49.10
However, if you
step on in faith...
00:36:49.14\00:36:51.21
And I really want to address
00:36:51.24\00:36:52.57
the young
people in the audience.
00:36:52.61\00:36:53.94
If you step on in faith,
especially when you study
00:36:53.98\00:36:57.31
and you ask God to guide
you in every step of the way,
00:36:57.35\00:37:00.25
your accomplishments
that come thereafter
00:37:00.28\00:37:02.62
will simply serve as testimonies
00:37:02.65\00:37:04.32
of God's
faithfulness in your life.
00:37:04.35\00:37:07.29
And you'll be
building for yourself
00:37:07.32\00:37:09.19
a legacy of faithfulness
00:37:09.22\00:37:10.86
and your ability to
trust in him will grow.
00:37:10.89\00:37:13.56
Some outcome,
competent physicians,
00:37:13.63\00:37:15.93
but two drastically
different characters.
00:37:15.96\00:37:18.57
So in this sense, the
journey is just as important,
00:37:18.60\00:37:20.64
if not more
important then the destination.
00:37:20.67\00:37:24.01
So I decided, you know what?
00:37:24.04\00:37:26.27
I will never study at
the expense of my faith
00:37:26.31\00:37:28.78
and from that moment on, I
promise myself to always pray
00:37:28.81\00:37:32.28
before I
cracked open a textbook.
00:37:32.31\00:37:34.45
To acknowledge that
unless God helps me,
00:37:34.48\00:37:36.79
I cannot help, I cannot hope
00:37:36.82\00:37:38.39
to understand
the material in here.
00:37:38.42\00:37:41.76
In the midst of my studies,
I also got involved in ministry
00:37:41.79\00:37:44.66
because I thought this
was my way of giving back
00:37:44.69\00:37:46.56
for my AFCOE training,
00:37:46.59\00:37:47.96
so I was teaching
Sabbath school lessons,
00:37:48.00\00:37:50.03
I was giving
personal Bible studies,
00:37:50.07\00:37:52.03
I even got involved
in the school senate
00:37:52.07\00:37:54.20
as their chaplain and I thought,
00:37:54.24\00:37:56.00
"This is me giving back."
00:37:56.04\00:37:58.74
But at the end of doing that,
00:37:58.77\00:38:00.24
I realize it was
actually God's way
00:38:00.31\00:38:02.04
of preserving my faith
00:38:02.08\00:38:03.98
in the face of a
rigorous study schedule.
00:38:04.01\00:38:07.28
See, Steps to
Christ, page 80 says,
00:38:07.35\00:38:08.98
"If you will go to
work as Christ designs
00:38:09.02\00:38:11.05
that His disciples
shall, and win souls for Him,
00:38:11.09\00:38:13.49
you will feel the
need of a deeper experience
00:38:13.52\00:38:15.62
and a greater
knowledge of divine things,
00:38:15.66\00:38:17.26
and will hunger and
thirst after righteousness.
00:38:17.29\00:38:19.63
Those who thus devote themselves
00:38:19.66\00:38:21.30
to unselfish effort
for the good of others
00:38:21.33\00:38:23.57
are most assuredly
working out their own salvation.
00:38:23.60\00:38:27.34
And that was so true for me then
00:38:27.37\00:38:29.60
and it's very true for me
now as well in a residency.
00:38:29.64\00:38:34.34
When the time came to
do my clinical rotations
00:38:34.38\00:38:36.34
in medical school,
my big question was,
00:38:36.38\00:38:38.45
"Lord, what specialty
do you want me to go into?"
00:38:38.48\00:38:42.18
And through a
long chain of events,
00:38:42.22\00:38:44.09
he convinced me
that he was leading me
00:38:44.12\00:38:45.45
into internal medicine
00:38:45.49\00:38:46.82
because he brought me
into contact with physicians
00:38:46.86\00:38:49.02
who practice whole person
care, who prayed with patients.
00:38:49.06\00:38:51.96
One of those physicians
I bumped into this morning
00:38:51.99\00:38:54.20
in the hallway
here Dr. Axim Mortell,
00:38:54.30\00:38:56.30
I don't know if
she's in the audience.
00:38:56.33\00:38:58.00
But I was so blessed to
learn from these doctors
00:38:58.03\00:39:01.50
and I couldn't shake the feeling
00:39:01.54\00:39:02.87
because I had so
many divine appointments
00:39:02.90\00:39:04.34
during my
internal medicine rotation
00:39:04.37\00:39:06.27
that God was calling
me into internal medicine.
00:39:06.31\00:39:08.98
So that's where I applied to.
00:39:09.01\00:39:11.31
So during my fourth year,
00:39:11.35\00:39:13.75
when I was putting
my applications together
00:39:13.78\00:39:15.78
for residency,
00:39:15.82\00:39:17.89
I decided that I wanted my faith
00:39:17.92\00:39:19.65
to be the center
piece of my application
00:39:19.69\00:39:22.09
and I prayed for God to
use my application as a filter.
00:39:22.12\00:39:24.96
I wanted him to
reject the wrong programs
00:39:24.99\00:39:27.46
and to make it
appealing to the right programs.
00:39:27.50\00:39:31.03
But when my advisor
saw my personal statement
00:39:31.07\00:39:33.17
and how I crafted
together my application,
00:39:33.20\00:39:35.07
they said, "You know, John,
00:39:35.10\00:39:36.47
this would be
great for Loma Linda.
00:39:36.50\00:39:38.24
Maybe catering,
Florida Hospital,
00:39:38.27\00:39:40.78
but if you wanna have a
shot at any other place,
00:39:40.81\00:39:43.14
you may wanna tone down
00:39:43.18\00:39:44.51
to religious
verbish a little bit.
00:39:44.55\00:39:47.55
You know, one of my
advisors also told me,
00:39:47.62\00:39:50.89
"Hey, your personal
statement expands two pages.
00:39:50.92\00:39:54.16
No reviewer is
going to take the time
00:39:54.19\00:39:56.09
to read two pages.
00:39:56.12\00:39:57.46
You need to really
condense it to one page.
00:39:57.53\00:39:58.86
So there's this beautiful
story you wrote about a patient
00:39:58.89\00:40:02.10
encounter you had,
that was very meaningful
00:40:02.13\00:40:03.63
from a very
spiritual standpoint.
00:40:03.67\00:40:05.13
Why don't you just summarize
that in a sentence or two
00:40:05.17\00:40:07.00
and just cut that out."
00:40:07.04\00:40:08.90
But I talked to a godly
physician mentor of mine
00:40:08.94\00:40:11.34
and he said, "John,
reviewing your application,
00:40:11.37\00:40:13.74
this story is the only
thing in your application
00:40:13.78\00:40:16.48
that serves as a
testimony to those reviewing it.
00:40:16.51\00:40:18.91
So I would leave it in."
00:40:18.95\00:40:20.28
And when he said that, I
said, "Done, it's stain."
00:40:20.32\00:40:22.68
And if they get
turned off by it,
00:40:22.72\00:40:24.05
they don't have to read it.
00:40:24.09\00:40:27.22
So I had no impressive
extracurricular activities
00:40:27.26\00:40:29.49
on my CV, I didn't do
any impressive research.
00:40:29.52\00:40:31.99
All my spare time
honestly, went to ministering.
00:40:32.03\00:40:34.93
But I was happy
with my application
00:40:34.96\00:40:36.90
because it actually reflected
00:40:36.93\00:40:38.37
who I was and what I
was passionate about.
00:40:38.40\00:40:41.60
So I ended up interviewing
at 17 different programs
00:40:41.64\00:40:45.04
in 9 different
states and that's a lot.
00:40:45.07\00:40:48.34
And time won't permit me
00:40:48.38\00:40:49.71
to tell you all
the amazing things
00:40:49.74\00:40:52.41
that happened on
the interview trial,
00:40:52.45\00:40:53.78
but let me just
highlight one incident
00:40:53.85\00:40:55.92
and that was at the Mayo
Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
00:40:55.95\00:40:58.49
First of all, when I went there
00:40:58.52\00:41:00.69
and I spoke with
the other interviewees,
00:41:00.76\00:41:02.69
I realized that I had
no business being there.
00:41:02.72\00:41:05.43
It was very clear that I was
the least qualified applicant
00:41:05.46\00:41:08.46
at least on paper.
00:41:08.50\00:41:09.93
And hearing them
talk about the things
00:41:09.96\00:41:11.60
that they've been
doing made me wonder,
00:41:11.63\00:41:14.10
"Why am I here?"
00:41:14.14\00:41:17.17
The first person
who interviewed me
00:41:17.21\00:41:18.54
was an oncologist and
because of his background
00:41:18.57\00:41:20.84
he was naturally very interested
00:41:20.88\00:41:22.68
in what happened to my father.
00:41:22.71\00:41:24.55
And we started
talking about spiritual care
00:41:24.58\00:41:27.18
in the context of
oncology and terminal illness.
00:41:27.22\00:41:30.45
And we had a great discussion
00:41:30.49\00:41:32.39
and that evening he
emailed me back saying,
00:41:32.42\00:41:35.06
"John, after I
spoke with you today,
00:41:35.09\00:41:37.86
I went to my clinic that evening
00:41:37.89\00:41:39.89
and I just took a
mental note of every time
00:41:39.96\00:41:42.73
an opportunity for
spiritual care came up
00:41:42.76\00:41:45.33
and I realized it
was with every patient.
00:41:45.37\00:41:47.94
This is such a
crucial issue in medicine.
00:41:47.97\00:41:51.07
I hope you will
choose to come to Mayo."
00:41:51.11\00:41:53.61
That was his email to me.
00:41:53.64\00:41:55.84
My second interview was
with the program director
00:41:55.88\00:41:58.15
and she started off saying,
00:41:58.18\00:41:59.51
"John, I just wanna let you know
00:41:59.55\00:42:01.35
that your personal statement
was one of the most impressive,
00:42:01.38\00:42:05.09
well-written personal statements
00:42:05.12\00:42:06.45
I have ever read.
00:42:06.49\00:42:07.82
And trust me, I've read a
lot of personal statements.
00:42:07.86\00:42:10.73
And she proceeded to highlight
00:42:10.76\00:42:12.09
actually my patient's
story on the second page
00:42:12.13\00:42:15.30
and how it really touched her
00:42:15.33\00:42:17.53
and that's I couldn't help
her to think at that point,
00:42:17.57\00:42:20.10
that was exactly the portion
that I was advised to remove.
00:42:20.14\00:42:23.77
And in talking with
this program director,
00:42:23.81\00:42:25.31
I realized that what
impressed her most about me
00:42:25.34\00:42:28.68
was my conviction
for spiritual care
00:42:28.71\00:42:31.05
and whole person care.
00:42:31.08\00:42:32.75
Much more than any research item
00:42:32.78\00:42:34.58
or extracurricular activity
could've impressed on my CV.
00:42:34.62\00:42:38.45
And it really made me
think of Jeremiah 9:23-24.
00:42:38.49\00:42:42.99
"Thus says the Lord,
00:42:43.02\00:42:44.36
'Let not the wise
man glory in his wisdom,
00:42:44.39\00:42:46.16
let not the mighty
man glory in his might,
00:42:46.19\00:42:48.16
nor let the rich
man glory in his riches.
00:42:48.20\00:42:50.73
But let him who
glories glory in this,
00:42:50.80\00:42:52.90
that he
understands and knows me,
00:42:52.93\00:42:54.67
that I am the Lord,
exercising loving kindness,
00:42:54.70\00:42:58.07
judgment, and
righteousness in the earth.
00:42:58.11\00:43:00.68
For in these I
delight,''' says the Lord.
00:43:00.71\00:43:03.45
So, friends, if there is one way
00:43:03.48\00:43:04.95
that you want to differentiate
yourself from others,
00:43:04.98\00:43:07.72
it should be in the
degree of your love for God
00:43:07.75\00:43:11.32
and he will add
everything else to you.
00:43:11.35\00:43:14.62
So after much
prayer and fasting,
00:43:14.66\00:43:16.42
what happens is you
take all the programs
00:43:16.46\00:43:19.16
you've interviewed at
00:43:19.19\00:43:20.53
then you make a rank
list from the program
00:43:20.60\00:43:22.06
you like most to the
program you like least
00:43:22.10\00:43:24.03
and you submit it to a computer.
00:43:24.07\00:43:25.87
All the programs
do the same thing
00:43:25.90\00:43:27.50
with the applicants
that they had interviewed
00:43:27.54\00:43:29.04
and they submit
them to the same computer
00:43:29.07\00:43:31.11
and it's kind of like
a eHarmony of medicine
00:43:31.14\00:43:33.11
in the background
and try to pair you up
00:43:33.14\00:43:36.08
with the best match
00:43:36.11\00:43:38.18
so that a program you like
and a program that likes you
00:43:38.21\00:43:42.18
could be paired up together.
00:43:42.22\00:43:44.72
And after much
prayer and fasting,
00:43:44.75\00:43:46.59
I decided that God wasn't
pressing it up on my heart
00:43:46.62\00:43:48.66
to rank the Mayo
Clinic number one.
00:43:48.69\00:43:51.03
And I have to tell you, friends,
00:43:51.06\00:43:52.39
this took a lot
of soul searching
00:43:52.43\00:43:53.80
because
honestly, I was wondering
00:43:53.86\00:43:56.33
if I was putting that up
there and ranking it number one
00:43:56.36\00:43:59.83
for the wrong reasons.
00:43:59.87\00:44:01.27
And I said, "Lord, is
this me or is this you?"
00:44:01.30\00:44:05.04
But after talking to a lot
of godly physician mentors,
00:44:05.07\00:44:07.64
I realized that I had
peace within and I said,
00:44:07.68\00:44:09.64
"Lord, no matter what
happens the glory goes to you
00:44:09.68\00:44:13.25
and if I'm misinterpreting
you then override my rank list
00:44:13.28\00:44:17.82
and get me into the program
00:44:17.85\00:44:19.19
that you would
have me to go to."
00:44:19.22\00:44:20.86
And he brought me to
the point where I said,
00:44:20.89\00:44:22.89
"Lord, whatever
program I matched to,
00:44:22.92\00:44:25.63
I know it's going
to be your will for me.
00:44:25.66\00:44:27.30
So I thank you."
00:44:27.30\00:44:28.80
So then match day
came, March 21, 2014,
00:44:28.83\00:44:33.34
my wife and I, we
converged in the room,
00:44:33.40\00:44:35.17
we're passing out
envelopes and what happens is,
00:44:35.20\00:44:38.87
every student gets an envelope
00:44:38.91\00:44:40.24
and then we do a
countdown like, New Years Eve.
00:44:40.28\00:44:41.98
And at the same time, we
all tear open our envelopes
00:44:42.01\00:44:44.28
and find out where
we're going for residency
00:44:44.31\00:44:46.78
and as peels of screaming
00:44:46.82\00:44:49.32
erupted from all around the room
00:44:49.35\00:44:51.35
and my wife and
I hugged each other
00:44:51.39\00:44:52.79
and we said a small prayer
00:44:52.82\00:44:54.16
and we held that
envelope and we said,
00:44:54.22\00:44:55.56
"Lord, I don't know
where you're sending me,
00:44:55.59\00:44:57.86
but I know that this
is your choice for me
00:44:57.89\00:44:59.53
so we thank you.
00:44:59.56\00:45:00.96
Amen."
00:45:00.96\00:45:02.30
Then we opened our
envelope and to my shock,
00:45:02.33\00:45:04.50
it was the Mayo Clinic.
00:45:04.53\00:45:06.37
And when I give this
story a lot of people say,
00:45:06.40\00:45:09.27
"John, wow!
00:45:09.30\00:45:10.64
You got into the Mayo Clinic.
00:45:10.71\00:45:12.04
And when they say that,
00:45:12.07\00:45:13.41
I know they misunderstood
the true point of my testimony.
00:45:13.44\00:45:17.35
Because the major
point of this testimony
00:45:17.38\00:45:19.18
is not that God got
me into the Mayo Clinic,
00:45:19.21\00:45:21.78
but that he brought
my heart to the point
00:45:21.82\00:45:24.19
where even it was the
most smallest unknown program
00:45:24.22\00:45:27.86
in the middle of
nowhere, I would've been happy
00:45:27.89\00:45:30.43
because I knew that
that was his choice for me.
00:45:30.46\00:45:33.16
So, friends, and
especially young people,
00:45:33.19\00:45:35.53
dedicate your life to him,
00:45:35.56\00:45:37.70
be in full
commitment to him and say,
00:45:37.73\00:45:40.30
"Lord, I give it up to you,
I don't care where you use me,
00:45:40.34\00:45:44.27
I don't care how you use me,
00:45:44.31\00:45:45.87
just use me to add
souls to your kingdom."
00:45:45.91\00:45:48.68
And when you pray that
way, watch him be amazed
00:45:48.71\00:45:52.61
because your life will
never be the same again.
00:45:52.65\00:45:54.68
Let us pray.
00:45:54.72\00:45:56.05
Heavenly Father,
I thank you so much
00:45:56.08\00:45:57.45
for the beautiful testimonies
that you give to each of us
00:45:57.49\00:46:00.29
and mine is just one
of an innumerable amount
00:46:00.32\00:46:02.26
in this room.
00:46:02.29\00:46:03.66
Lord, I pray that
you'll give us the faith
00:46:03.69\00:46:05.49
to cling to you
and to your promises,
00:46:05.53\00:46:07.66
to completely give
up our will to yours,
00:46:07.66\00:46:10.27
to let you
direct God in our lives.
00:46:10.30\00:46:12.03
In so doing Lord,
00:46:12.07\00:46:13.47
may we be changed
and be a light for you
00:46:13.54\00:46:15.44
so that others may
come to know you as well.
00:46:15.47\00:46:17.61
In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
00:46:17.64\00:46:19.61
Amen.
00:46:19.64\00:46:20.98
Give me ears to hear Your Spirit
00:46:48.14\00:46:54.41
Give me feet to follow through
00:46:54.44\00:47:00.45
Give me hands to
touch the hurting
00:47:00.48\00:47:06.52
And the faith to follow You
00:47:06.55\00:47:12.93
Give me grace to be a servant
00:47:17.17\00:47:23.00
Give me mercy for the lost
00:47:23.04\00:47:28.81
Give me passion for Your glory
00:47:28.84\00:47:34.78
Give me passion for the cross
00:47:34.82\00:47:41.06
And I will go where
there are no easy roads
00:47:41.09\00:47:47.40
Leave the comforts that I know
00:47:47.40\00:47:53.17
I will go and let
this journey be my home
00:47:53.20\00:47:59.01
I will go
00:47:59.04\00:48:04.31
I will go
00:48:04.35\00:48:08.02
I'll let go of my ambitions
00:48:20.63\00:48:26.07
Cut the roots that run too deep
00:48:26.10\00:48:31.67
I will learn to give away
00:48:31.71\00:48:37.15
What I cannot really keep
00:48:37.18\00:48:43.05
What I cannot really keep
00:48:43.08\00:48:50.16
Help me see with eyes of faith
00:48:50.23\00:48:57.80
Give me
strength to run this race
00:48:57.83\00:49:04.77
And I will go where
there are no easy roads
00:49:04.81\00:49:10.91
Leave the comforts that I know
00:49:10.98\00:49:16.75
I will go and let
this journey be my home
00:49:16.82\00:49:22.46
I will go, I will go
00:49:22.49\00:49:28.16
I will go, Lord,
where Your glory is unknown
00:49:28.20\00:49:33.94
I will live for You alone
00:49:33.97\00:49:39.64
I will go because
my life is not my own
00:49:39.67\00:49:45.45
I will go,
00:49:45.48\00:49:48.62
I will go, I will go.
00:49:48.65\00:49:55.29
I want to invite
you to bow your heads
00:50:14.51\00:50:16.31
for the benediction.
00:50:16.34\00:50:20.02
Our Father in heaven,
00:50:20.08\00:50:22.05
the testimony
that we've just heard
00:50:22.08\00:50:24.39
reminds us of how you
lead in each one of our lives
00:50:24.42\00:50:28.16
and tonight, I
just wanna thank you
00:50:28.19\00:50:30.23
for bringing our ASI
Family here together once again.
00:50:30.29\00:50:34.93
May the energy, excitement
00:50:34.93\00:50:36.90
and talent of our young
people displayed this evening
00:50:36.93\00:50:40.50
and the music and
message motivate each one of us
00:50:40.57\00:50:44.47
to share Christ in our
homes, in our neighborhoods,
00:50:44.51\00:50:48.41
our workplace
and around the world,
00:50:48.44\00:50:51.35
we ask in the
name of Jesus, amen.
00:50:51.38\00:50:53.95