Participants: John Shin (Host)
Series Code: 16ASIC
Program Code: 16ASIC000008A
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00:22 My role is twofold tonight.
00:24 Usually, you see me up here interviewing individuals 00:27 for a special segment offering an action. 00:30 Well, tonight my role for the first 00:33 is to let you know 00:35 and remind you that we have 38 projects 00:38 that have been prayerfully selected 00:41 to be recipients of this year's offering. 00:44 Throughout the convention, 00:45 we've highlighted a few of those 00:47 and hopes of us being able to share with you 00:50 their sacrifice and the amount of energy 00:53 that they expend to accomplish their ministries. 00:58 We also want to share with you a little bit of their passion 01:03 for the ministries that they are leading 01:05 and for their work. 01:07 It's our opportunity to partner with them. 01:10 Now you may not be able to go with them, 01:12 you may not be able to do the things they do 01:14 or say the things they say, 01:16 but there is a role that you can play. 01:19 For our offering tomorrow, 01:21 we need to give sacrificially 01:23 so that we can uphold their hands, 01:25 so that we can do those three words 01:28 that I shared with you each time I came before you. 01:31 We want to help them to enlarge their territory. 01:35 What can we do? 01:37 How much can we give 01:39 so that they can spread the net further? 01:42 What can we do that we can help them 01:44 to enhance their capacity? 01:47 So that they reach, their outreach 01:49 and their evangelism can be more fruitful 01:52 and more productive. 01:54 What can we do and how much can we give 01:57 so that we can encourage them 01:59 to continue fighting the fight of faith. 02:02 We may be in our own places of comfort, 02:05 they're out on the frontline 02:07 sometimes a little uncomfortable, 02:10 but knowing that we are there praying for them 02:13 and that we are upholding them 02:14 and that we've given them financial support, 02:17 they will continue doing what God has called them to do. 02:21 So we're going to ask you to pre-prayerful tonight. 02:25 When you go back to your room, 02:28 open up that guide and look at those projects, 02:32 consider each one and ask God, 02:35 "What is it that you would have me to do?" 02:38 And then the second prayer I would ask you to pray 02:41 is that you would ask God and I want to ask God 02:45 to give me the courage to trust him 02:48 and obey His leading 02:50 because we want this work finished, don't we? 02:53 We do, absolutely. 02:55 So that is what we want you to do is to pray, 02:58 be prayerful and intentional 03:00 and responsive to the Holy Spirit 03:03 for what God wants us to do in respect to the offering 03:06 that would be lifted tomorrow morning. 03:09 My second responsibility is to introduce the speaker 03:12 for this evening. 03:14 John Shin is a graduate 03:15 of Loma Linda University Medical Center. 03:18 He is currently pursuing or completing his Residency 03:23 in Internal Medicine at the Mayo Clinic 03:25 in Rochester, Minnesota. 03:28 He plans to pursue a fellowship in hematology and oncology 03:33 so that he can have the opportunity 03:35 to be able to share with others 03:37 who may have a terminal illness 03:38 that there is hope in Jesus Christ. 03:42 Now I just told you what John Shin does. 03:46 Now I'd like to share with you a little bit 03:48 about who John Shin is. 03:52 I had an opportunity to speak with him briefly 03:54 and he told me that he was somewhat 03:56 of a cultural Christian. 03:59 He did everything right, he got good grades, 04:03 he was an obedient child, 04:04 best child any mother would want to have. 04:07 He went to church, he studied a Sabbath school lesson, 04:11 he did all the things that Christians are supposed to 04:15 and expected to do, but he said he was not converted. 04:21 And unfortunately, it was a personal tragedy 04:24 that brought him face to face with the Cross of Christ. 04:29 Tonight, he's going to share that testimony. 04:32 John is married to Alyssa, they have two small girls. 04:37 Sophia who is two and Carissa who... 04:41 Carris, who is four months. 04:43 Sophie seems a little sleepy, you will understand why. 04:48 John is passionate about Christ now. 04:54 Since having that confrontation 04:57 through that tragedy he understands now 05:01 what it really means to be committed 05:04 because he is now converted. 05:07 Let us pray that as he speaks to us 05:10 that God will reach down 05:12 and touch our hearts so that we too will remember 05:16 that we are called and chosen, but that we will be committed. 05:59 Rolling tide 06:01 Jesus saves, Jesus saves. 06:06 Tell to sinners far and wide, 06:10 Jesus saves, Jesus saves. 06:14 Bear the news to every land 06:21 Cross the waves Onward. 06:24 'Tis our Lord's command 06:27 Jesus saves 06:30 Jesus saves 06:34 We've a story to tell to the nations 06:38 That shall turn their hearts to the right 06:42 A story of truth and mercy 06:47 A story of peace and light 06:51 A story of peace and light 06:55 For the darkness shall turn to dawning 06:59 and the dawning to noonday bright 07:03 And Christ's great kingdom shall come on earth 07:07 The kingdom of love and light 07:11 And Christ's great kingdom shall come on earth 07:24 Onward, Christian soldiers 07:28 Marching as to war 07:32 With the cross of Jesus 07:36 Going on before. 07:40 Christ, the royal Master, 07:44 Leads against the foe 07:49 Forward into battle 07:53 See his banners go 07:57 Onward, Christian soldiers 08:01 Marching as to war 08:05 With the cross of Jesus 08:09 Going on before 08:13 With the cross of Jesus 08:18 Going on before 08:25 Glory, Glory Hallelujah 08:29 Glory, Glory Hallelujah 08:33 Glory, Glory Hallelujah 08:37 His truth is marching on 08:41 Glory, Glory Hallelujah 08:45 Glory, Glory Hallelujah 08:50 Glory, Glory Hallelujah 08:53 His truth is marching on 08:57 His truth is marching on 09:06 Jesus saves! 09:09 Jesus saves! 09:13 Jesus saves! 09:21 Jesus saves! 09:27 Good evening, everyone. 09:29 Good evening. 09:30 Happy Sabbath. Happy Sabbath. 09:37 It is such an honor and a privilege 09:38 to be here today 09:40 to share with you all my story. 09:43 But before I do, 09:45 I'd like to begin with the word of prayer. 09:46 So if you would bow your heads with me. 09:49 Heavenly Father, we are so thankful 09:51 for the blessing of Your Sabbath hours. 09:53 We all had busy weeks in different ways, 09:56 but, Lord, now help us to just cast away 09:58 the burdens of the world and lay them at your feet. 10:02 And, Lord, as I share my story 10:04 of Your faithfulness in my life, 10:06 I pray that You'll please, 10:08 help those who hear my words to see a vision of You 10:13 and what is possible, if we would all simply commit 10:17 to having Your way in our lives. 10:19 So we thank You, Lord, 10:20 for this opportunity to talk about You. 10:22 In Jesus' name, we pray, amen. 10:28 So it is a real honor for me to be here tonight 10:31 to kind of share with you my story 10:33 and I really appreciate Debbie Young 10:34 giving me that introduction. 10:36 But I would like to classify myself 10:41 as one of those people who, you know, 10:43 would sit in the audience and hear testimonies of people 10:46 who have stayed far away from the church 10:50 and then talk about how the Lord brought them back. 10:52 And it would always inspire me, 10:55 but I realize that it didn't connect with me 10:57 because I didn't have that experience 10:59 where I fell away and then I came back 11:02 or at least I didn't think I had that experience 11:05 because you see... 11:07 Now looking back, 11:08 I realize truly that the most effective way 11:11 to be lost is to be sitting in a pew. 11:15 And my testimony tonight is a testimony 11:18 of how God had to wake me up in those pews 11:22 and show me that I had to have a living relationship with Him. 11:27 You know, Revelation 12:11 says, 11:29 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, 11:33 and by the word of their testimony, 11:35 and they did not love their lives to the death." 11:38 You see, the word of the lamb, the blood of the lamb, 11:41 and word of their testimony are the two ingredients 11:43 that we need to stand in times of trial. 11:46 And so it is my privilege to share with you my testimony. 11:50 So a little bit about me, 11:51 I was born and raised in Maryland. 11:54 And as you heard from my introduction, 11:57 I'm currently in medicine, 11:59 but initially I had no interest in going into medicine at all. 12:04 I actually, in college I majored in computer science 12:08 and finance and in addition to some engineering courses, 12:11 I went ahead and completed my pre-med courses. 12:15 And for those of you who've been through college 12:17 that tells you that I was very confused in college. 12:21 I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. 12:23 And so I decided, 12:24 if I just did a little bit of everything eventually, 12:27 something should be useful 12:28 and I should be able to use something, right? 12:31 So when I graduated finally in 2006, 12:33 after 5 years of college it was so fun. 12:35 I took five instead of four years. 12:38 I even took the MCAT, 12:39 which is the Medical College Admissions Test 12:41 that you need to take before you apply to medical school 12:44 and I got a decent score on it, 12:46 but my heart wasn't in medicine 12:48 so I decided that I wasn't going to apply. 12:51 Instead, I started working at the Walter Reed Army 12:54 Institute of Research and Bioinformatics Research 12:57 because I thought that melded my passions of the dry sciences 13:01 and the wet sciences together, 13:03 but after six months or so of that, 13:05 the only thing that taught me was then, 13:06 I was not passionate about that kind of research. 13:11 So then to do something completely different again, 13:13 I went ahead and started working 13:15 as a patent examiner at the US Patent 13:17 and Trademark Office. 13:18 And at that time I got involved 13:20 in starting my own online business 13:23 and I didn't say it to myself in so many words, 13:26 but really at that time of life, 13:28 my goal was to simply to make as much money 13:31 as I could in as shorter time 13:33 as I could to buy back my time, to retire young, retire rich, 13:36 maybe write some checks with several commas 13:38 for good ministry causes 13:40 and to pat myself on the back and to live my life that way. 13:44 And you see, that's probably where I would still be today, 13:47 had not God intervened. 13:50 Because you see in May of 2008, 13:52 my father was diagnosed with brain cancer 13:56 and it came as a shock to all of us 13:58 because there's no history of cancer 14:00 of any kind in our family. 14:02 You know, he came down with a facial droop 14:05 and we thought maybe it was a mild stroke. 14:08 Went quickly to the hospital, we got a CT of his head done 14:10 and it showed a mass in his right parietal lobe, 14:13 and this is right around the time 14:14 that Senator Ted Kennedy, 14:16 if you remember, also was diagnosed 14:17 with a very similar lesion in his brain. 14:21 And when that happened, 14:22 when we had the cancer diagnoses, 14:24 it changed my life forever. 14:25 Suddenly, everything I was doing in my life 14:27 was unimportant, so I took a leave of absence from work. 14:30 I let my online business go 14:32 and I became a full time caregiver for my father 14:35 because I wanted to beat this, 14:38 I could not accept the fact that I would be losing my dad. 14:43 You know, this was the greatest test of faith 14:46 I had gone through up until that point. 14:50 And part of being a cultural Christian is that 14:54 you don't take the promises in the Bible to the bank. 15:00 Up until that point, 15:02 I had never really held God to the promises 15:04 that I read in scripture. 15:06 So when my father was diagnosed with cancer 15:08 I was determined that for the first time in my life 15:11 now I was going to put it to the test. 15:14 Mark 11:24 says, "Therefore, I say to you, 15:17 whatever things you ask when you pray, 15:20 believe that you receive them, and you will have them." 15:23 Have you ever truly prayed that prayer? 15:27 Because I know I hadn't up until that point, 15:29 but I was praying then. 15:32 James 1:6-8 says, "But let him ask in faith, 15:34 with no doubting, 15:36 for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea 15:38 driven and tossed by the wind. 15:40 For let not that man suppose he will receive anything 15:42 from the Lord. 15:44 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." 15:47 So I prayed and I exercised my faith like never before 15:50 and I was determined to not let my lack of faith be the reason 15:54 why my father wasn't healed. 15:58 Have you ever prayed really earnestly 16:00 for something only to see the direct opposite 16:03 of what you prayed come to pass? 16:06 Because that's what happened to me. 16:08 I prayed for healing every single day, 16:11 but week by week I could see my father's body deteriorating. 16:14 Something else was going wrong. 16:16 He was getting weaker 16:17 and I refuse to admit it in words, 16:19 but I couldn't help shake the feeling, 16:21 "God, are you there? 16:23 Are you really listening?" 16:24 This Bible that I've told everyone 16:26 I committed my life to, is it really trustworthy? 16:30 Are these pretty verses just that, just pretty words? 16:37 So one morning, my father saw me 16:40 doing my devotionals and he looked over at me 16:43 and he said, "John, 16:45 how do you do your devotionals in the morning?" 16:48 And that struck me as a really odd question 16:49 because my father... 16:53 Well, he had been a Christian all his life as well 16:55 and an elder in the church. 16:57 And so I asked him, you know, "Dad what do you mean? 17:00 You know, I read scripture and I pray." 17:02 And he said, "You know, I'm ashamed to say it. 17:06 I've been in the church all my life, 17:09 but I don't know what it means 17:10 to have a personal relationship with Christ." 17:14 And when he said those words, 17:16 it really struck me because my dad was my hero 17:19 and I looked up to him for everything 17:20 and I just assumed 17:21 that he was a spiritual pillar of our family, 17:23 but when he confided that to me it really shook my world 17:27 and I decided at that point that every morning 17:30 when I do my devotionals I would do it with him. 17:32 So from that point on, we would pray together, 17:34 we would read scripture together, 17:36 we would sing hymns together. 17:38 And some of you may be able to relate to this, 17:40 but my father was a very stoic man, 17:43 a man full of dignity. 17:45 And up until that point I think I've seen him cry once, 17:49 maybe twice at most my whole life, 17:52 but when I started having worship with him 17:54 in the mornings 17:55 after every prayer I would open my eyes 17:57 and I would see tears streaming down his face. 18:01 We would sing a hymn and he would cry, 18:03 we would read a verse of scripture 18:05 and he would cry. 18:07 And it was as if those words had new meaning for him 18:10 for the first time in his life. 18:16 I remember there was a time when he was hospitalized 18:19 because he was having 18:20 intractable brain tumor headaches 18:22 and we were at Johns Hopkins and it was communion Sabbath. 18:26 And because we couldn't be in church, 18:27 our pastor brought the bread 18:30 and the grape juice to have a private communion session 18:33 just for my dad. 18:35 And I remember he gave the bread to my father, 18:37 read the scripture and prayed. 18:39 And we were all eating, but my father wouldn't eat it. 18:41 He would just stare at it. 18:43 And I looked over at him and I asked him, you know, 18:45 is something wrong? 18:47 And he looked at that piece of bread and he said, 18:49 "You know, this is what I've been missing all my life." 19:04 It was as if the meaning behind that beautiful symbol 19:08 was coalescing in his mind for the first time. 19:13 And I can tell you, witnessing that, 19:19 it really took on new meeting me as well. 19:26 So although, it was evident 19:28 that the cancer was ravaging his body 19:30 and that his physical health was declining in a strange way, 19:35 his spiritual life was blossoming 19:38 in front of my eyes. 19:42 You know, up until that point, 19:44 all the physicians who took care of my dad, 19:46 I wouldn't say all, 19:48 but the majority of them had me convinced 19:51 that I have made the right decision 19:53 in not choosing to go into medicine. 19:55 And I realized that they came in 19:56 and they're interested more in the disease than the person 19:59 and I was so jaded about medicine. 20:02 But towards the end of my father's illness course, 20:05 the last doctor who took care of my dad 20:08 was a true Christian physician and he was an Adventist. 20:12 And what he would do is 20:13 he would sit at my father's bedside 20:15 and he would talk to him more than about his disease, 20:17 he would talk to him about his depression. 20:20 His trust in God, his faith and his hopes for the future 20:24 and he would end every session 20:26 by kneeling at my father's bedside, 20:27 taking his hands in his and praying for him 20:29 and our whole family. 20:31 And it would bring us to tears every single time. 20:34 And even though 20:36 what this physician did didn't cure my dad, 20:40 there was a lot of healing taking place, 20:44 and because of his influence, 20:46 my father decided to rededicate his life to Christ 20:49 and to be re-baptized. 20:52 You know, unfortunately, 20:53 the day before he was scheduled to get re-baptized, 20:56 he actually suffered a grand mal seizure 20:58 that hospitalized him permanently. 21:01 But, you know, like the thief on the cross, 21:02 God knows the heart. 21:07 My father and their passing away 21:08 on October 18, 2008 at the age of 54. 21:13 And although, it was one of the saddest moments 21:15 in my life, 21:16 it was also one of the most sacred 21:19 because I realized that up until that point 21:21 I kept asking God to heal my dad 21:25 and I was so frustrated with God 21:27 because I thought he wasn't listening to me, 21:30 but before my father passed away, 21:32 the Lord helped me to realize 21:34 that he had healed my dad on a far deeper level 21:38 than I had known to ask. 21:40 Amen. 21:41 And so when that happened, even though I lost my father 21:43 and it hurts so much I couldn't help, 21:46 but to bend my knees and thank God for his wisdom 21:51 because truly Isaiah 55:8-9 says, 21:54 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, 21:57 nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. 22:00 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 22:02 so are my ways higher than your ways 22:04 and my thoughts than your thoughts." 22:06 And I said, "Lord, thank you for not answering my prayer 22:09 and for looking deeper and giving me something better 22:13 because I know I will see my father in eternity." 22:18 So, friends, what this convinced, 22:20 this experience convinced me that God is a God of love 22:25 and that he has our best interests at heart 22:28 and that he is so loving and so merciful 22:30 that in his mercy, 22:32 he sometimes refuses to give us what we ask. 22:35 And I said to myself, "You know what? 22:38 I can trust a God like that. 22:41 I can dedicate my life to serving a God like that." 22:47 And seeing the impact 22:48 that his last physician had on his life 22:51 and my life, I thought to myself, 22:55 I need to reconsider this whole field of medicine. 22:58 So I've owned more copies of the ministry of healing 23:02 throughout my life then I cared to recount, 23:04 but I've never opened it and read it. 23:06 So for the first time after my father passed away, 23:08 I read that book and it changed my life forever. 23:12 Through that book, 23:13 I became convinced that God was calling me into medicine, 23:17 but I was very nervous at this point understandably 23:19 because I was three years out of college 23:23 and I said, "Lord, I don't know 23:25 what my chances are of getting into medical school, 23:27 but if you are calling me down this path, 23:29 I will go ahead and apply." 23:31 So I went ahead and cast, 23:33 find it wide and I applied to 24 schools 23:35 across the country 23:37 and I figured that should cover my basis, right? 23:41 And thankfully, what I was most concerned about was that, 23:45 remember when I graduated in 2006, I took my MCAT 23:49 and I was concerned that at that point 23:51 by MCAT might be too old for these schools to accept, 23:54 but thankfully, they all accepted my MCAT. 23:57 They said, "It's just old enough. 23:59 We can still take it." 24:01 And every school told me that except one, Loma Linda. 24:09 It was six months too old for them. 24:13 And I said, "Lord, thank you, for narrowing it down to 23." 24:18 Because if that's not a clear sign 24:20 and that's not the school, 24:21 I meant to go into, I don't know what it is. 24:25 Have you ever made a decision in your life 24:27 and then felt like God was looking at you 24:29 from heaven just shaking his head. 24:33 That's how I felt. 24:34 I couldn't shake the feeling that, 24:36 you know, I said, "John, if you are praying for God 24:40 to choose your medical school for you, 24:42 but you don't put in to the running. 24:43 The only medical school that has medical ministry 24:46 as his foundation and that at one point 24:49 had used the ministry of healing 24:51 as his text book, 24:52 how can you honestly say 24:53 that you're giving God every opportunity to lead you 24:56 and I'd be like, be quite, don't think thoughts like that. 25:00 You know, but finally, I couldn't denied anymore, 25:05 and I had no rest and I said that, 25:06 "Lord, okay, fine, 25:07 if you want me to retake the MCAT, 25:11 you know, what's gonna happen." 25:12 If I don't score at least as high 25:14 as I did fresh out of college 25:15 when I was at the top of my games scholastically, 25:19 it would spell certain doom for my application. 25:22 "So I will retake the MCAT, but this is in your hands." 25:27 And it filled me with terror and peace right afterwards. 25:31 When I said amen and I gave it up to God, 25:35 I had such relief. 25:36 That restlessness that had dogged me 25:38 for weeks went away. 25:41 So up until that point, my plan, 25:44 because we all make plans. 25:46 My plan was to continue working at the Patent Office, 25:48 as I interviewed for medical schools 25:50 and if I didn't get in, no harm done. 25:52 I still have a stable job, life is good. 25:56 Well, this through a monkey ranching those plans 25:58 because in order for me to be able to brush up enough 26:02 to retake the MCAT, 26:03 I would have to study full time for over a month, 26:07 so I had to quit my job 26:09 and I had to just study like crazy, 26:10 and that was burning the bridges. 26:13 But, God, let me know that he was being faithful. 26:16 You know why? 26:17 As I was studying my practice MCAT 26:19 and taking these practices ends, 26:21 I realized that I was actually scoring higher 26:25 on my practice tests then 26:26 what I had scored fresh out of college. 26:29 And I had no idea where this was coming from. 26:32 I said, "Lord, I cannot believe I recall this material 26:35 that I would sure had decade 26:37 somewhere in the far recesses of my brain. 26:39 And when the time came to actually take my MCAT, 26:41 it was tough, but I had that calm sense of peace 26:46 to let me know that God was near. 26:49 When I walked out of the exam, 26:51 I said, "Lord, I don't know how I did on the test, 26:53 but I know you are with me. 26:54 So I thank you, no matter what score I get, 26:57 I know you are with me. 26:58 So thank you." 27:00 And sure enough, several weeks later, 27:02 I got my score and I was shocked 27:05 because it was the lowest score I had ever gotten 27:08 on any MCAT practice or real, and with that score, 27:13 every school proceeded to reject me except Loma Linda. 27:25 It's funny how God works sometimes, isn't it? 27:30 Here I am at the start of it, 27:32 feeling competitive for 24 schools saying, 27:33 Lord, you picked the one for me 27:35 which of these prestigious schools 27:37 is it going to be? 27:39 And here I am knocking my knees saying, 27:42 "It's either Loma Linda or bust." 27:45 And I realize that this was actually good for me 27:48 because God had to humble me in this process. 27:51 You see, he takes us on a journey 27:53 to mould our characters 27:56 all throughout my life, you know. 27:58 I studied hard, I got good grades, 28:01 I had a competitive, you know, academic background, 28:05 so I felt like, I was God's gift to medicine. 28:08 Here's John, he finally decided 28:09 that he's going to pursue medicine. 28:11 You may all stand up and cheer now, yes, you know. 28:15 Which of your lucky schools would be able to accept me 28:17 among its membership? 28:18 You know, and that's kind of how I felt. 28:21 And now I was just desperate to get an interview 28:24 from Loma Linda. 28:29 So here I am, 28:33 all my hopes hinging on one school. 28:37 It made me think of the story of Joseph 28:41 and Potiphar's Wife 28:42 because when you pray for something 28:45 and it doesn't come through the way you'd wanted to, 28:48 you're tempted to thank God. 28:51 Aren't you listening to my prayers 28:53 because he can answer your prayers 28:54 in an unexpected way, right? 28:56 What happened when Joseph refused 28:58 to advances the Potiphar's wife? 29:00 What was his reward? 29:02 He got thrown in prison. 29:04 Now I can only imagine 29:05 what Joseph was thinking in prison. 29:07 He's thinking, 29:08 "This is what I get for being true to you 29:10 in a foreign land." 29:12 Can you imagine the things 29:13 that were going through his mind, 29:14 but he had no idea that he needed 29:16 to spend that time in prison 29:17 in order for God to use him in a palace, you see. 29:20 So The Desire of Ages, page 224 says, 29:22 "God never leads His children, 29:23 otherwise than they would choose to be led, 29:26 if they could see the end from the beginning, 29:27 and discern the glory of the purpose 29:29 which they are fulfilling as co-workers for Him." 29:34 So I realize that God knew what he was doing, 29:37 even though I couldn't tell yet, 29:40 but he let me know that he was being faithful to me 29:41 because first of all, 29:43 he granted me an interview with Loma Linda. 29:45 On the first day of the interview season, 29:47 when they only invite their top candidates 29:50 and I had no business being there 29:51 because my application was very late 29:53 as a result of being having to take my MCAT. 29:57 I also had two interviews there, 29:58 one with the student and one with the faculty member 30:01 and they both went fairly well. 30:03 So at the end of that, I said, "Lord, it's in your hands, 30:06 but if you choose to not open the door to ministry for me, 30:09 the only other... 30:11 I'm sorry. 30:12 If you don't choose to open the door 30:13 to medicine for me, 30:15 the only other option I can see myself 30:16 going into is ministry." 30:18 So I applied for The Amazing Facts Centre of Evangelism 30:21 four-month lay ministry training program, 30:24 also known as AFCOE, and I decided, 30:27 well, I'll do AFCOE and if God makes it clear 30:29 that he's not getting me into medicine, 30:31 I'll just go into ministry. 30:34 Well, my first week in AFCOE, 30:35 I got a phone call from Loma Linda 30:37 and it was very exciting 30:39 because if you know anything about medical schools, 30:41 they do not call you 30:42 to let you know you've been rejected. 30:46 They send you that thin envelop in the mail. 30:50 But to get a call from them, could only mean one thing. 30:52 So when I picked up the phone with a lot of excitement, 30:55 the voice on the other line said, 30:57 "John, we would like you to come back 30:59 for a second set of interviews." 31:02 And I didn't know what to think about that 31:04 because, you see, if they like me they wouldn't bother 31:07 with the second round of interviews, right? 31:10 But if they didn't like me, they would've bothered 31:12 with a second set of interviews, right? 31:15 So what could this possibly mean? 31:18 And rather than playing mind games, 31:19 I said, "When do you need me?" 31:21 And they said, "Can you come this Friday?" 31:22 And I said, "Yeah, sure, I can clear my schedule." 31:24 So here I am, headed down on the wings of much prayer 31:27 of my new AFCOE classmates 31:29 going down for a second round of interviews. 31:32 I went there, I met with two physicians, 31:34 they interviewed me back to back 31:35 and there's a lot of details in here 31:36 that time won't permit me to go into, 31:38 but I felt that God was guiding in those interviews. 31:41 And here I am, back at AFCOE and I told the Lord, 31:44 "Lord, it is completely in your hands." 31:48 Or so, I thought because you see, 31:51 I was telling God, "Lord, 31:53 medicine or ministry, medicine or ministry." 31:55 I don't care which one it is, medicine or ministry. 31:58 But as the weeks went on 32:00 and I didn't hear from Loma Linda, 32:01 I started getting very anxious 32:04 and I started wondering to myself, 32:06 "Do I need to take these Bible, 32:08 personal Bible study courses a little bit more seriously 32:12 because it seems like God is kind of closing that door. 32:14 And as I felt that, I could feel that in my heart, 32:18 I was really clinging to medicine because you see, 32:23 I had told him I give it up to you 32:25 whatever you want me to do, 32:27 but I realized that in the back of my mind, 32:29 it was Lord. 32:30 It's either this 32:32 or we're gonna have to have a long conversation. 32:36 Have you ever prayed like that? 32:38 Were you praying not so much to discern God's will, 32:40 but to receive affirmation of a decision 32:42 you've already made in your heart. 32:44 I am so guilty of that 32:46 and I realized that at that point, 32:48 but them February 18, 2009 happened 32:51 and what happened on that day, 32:52 it was our first day of outreach at AFCOE, 32:55 where 56 students who had little experience 33:00 descended on Sacramento to knock on doors 33:03 and ask for Bible studies, 33:05 and what we lacked in experience, 33:06 we made up them from prayer, believe me. 33:09 And as we fumble our way 33:10 through asking for Bible studies, 33:11 in the span of just three hours that afternoon 33:14 our little rag-tag class 33:16 accumulated over 160 Bible studies. 33:20 And at that time, 33:22 the coordinator for this outreach 33:24 was a Wes Peppers 33:25 and I believe he's here at ASI this weekend 33:27 at least he was presenting one of the seminars, 33:30 so he knows exactly what I'm talking about. 33:31 So when we came back from that event, 33:33 we spent that entire night just recounting testimonies 33:36 of how God gave us divine employments 33:38 on the streets and God has sees Bible studies 33:40 and poured out his holy spirit 33:42 and he would intersperses with hymns and songs 33:44 and it was a spiritual highlight 33:46 of my AFCOE experience. 33:47 The next morning I woke up, I got on my knees, 33:50 and I said, "Lord, I am so sorry 33:54 that in my heart I was insisting on medicine 33:56 because I realize that as long as you're using me 33:59 to touch lives like you did yesterday, 34:02 that's all I need. 34:04 I don't care if you get me into medical school 34:07 or if you use me as a minister 34:08 or a mechanic or anything in between, 34:11 just use me to touch lives for you. 34:13 Amen." 34:15 And it was the first time I meant it. 34:18 That morning I went to lunch with my friends 34:21 and as it's our custom, we've gathered in a circle 34:23 and hold hands and pray at the end of every meal. 34:26 And during that time, my phone rang 34:29 and after the prayer I called back 34:32 and before I called back I looked 34:33 and it was the Loma Linda number. 34:35 And I couldn't help, but to think, 34:37 "A third interview." 34:41 But when I called back, the director of missions 34:43 was on the other line and he said, 34:45 "John, I am happy to tell you that you've been accepted 34:47 to our school of medicine." 34:49 And that sent shivers up my spine 34:51 because, friends, I know that it was not an accident 34:54 that on the day that I finally gave up medicine to God 34:57 is the day that he chose to open the door 34:59 to medicine to me. 35:01 It was as if he was waiting for me 35:03 to learn this final lesson 35:05 where I gave it up to him and I said, "Lord, I don't care 35:09 how you use me, just that you use me." 35:12 And that's when he looked down from heaven and said, 35:14 "Now you're ready to become my physician." 35:17 And so he drilled that point home. 35:21 You know, as I began medical school 35:23 I realized that it could quickly dominate your life 35:26 and make you very one-dimensional. 35:27 It's intense to academic rigor of medical school 35:30 and many students sacrificed everything including health, 35:34 relationships, family and friends 35:35 and even their relationship with God 35:37 on the altar of academics. 35:38 I remember I was studying in the library 35:40 and I had one classmate who studied in the same area 35:43 with me all the time. 35:44 And one day he walked up to me and he said, 35:45 "John, I have decided that 35:47 I'm not going to church anymore." 35:49 And I said, "Why?" 35:51 And he said, "I'm aiming 35:52 for a very competitive medical specialty 35:54 and everyone else was aiming for the same specialty studies 35:58 around the clock, seven days a week. 36:00 I cannot be competitive and miss out one day." 36:04 And so that's the decision he made. 36:05 And he stuck true to in. 36:07 He got stellar scores 36:08 and he accomplished everything he wanted to. 36:10 However, at what cost, I wonder. 36:13 I looked at him and I saw him drifting away from everything 36:17 that's spiritual and I thought to myself, "What a high cost." 36:21 Because you see, regardless of what you do, 36:24 if you pursue success at the expense of your faith, 36:27 you'll be building for yourself a foundation of faithlessness 36:30 and you'll set a president of making things happen 36:32 by your own strength on your own terms 36:35 and you'll be unable to feel a need for God in your life. 36:39 And if this is the case, how could it not be pride? 36:43 Because when you attribute everything 36:45 you've done to yourself, 36:46 there's nothing left, but pride. 36:49 However, if you step on in faith... 36:51 And I really want to address 36:52 the young people in the audience. 36:53 If you step on in faith, especially when you study 36:57 and you ask God to guide you in every step of the way, 37:00 your accomplishments that come thereafter 37:02 will simply serve as testimonies 37:04 of God's faithfulness in your life. 37:07 And you'll be building for yourself 37:09 a legacy of faithfulness 37:10 and your ability to trust in him will grow. 37:13 Some outcome, competent physicians, 37:15 but two drastically different characters. 37:18 So in this sense, the journey is just as important, 37:20 if not more important then the destination. 37:24 So I decided, you know what? 37:26 I will never study at the expense of my faith 37:28 and from that moment on, I promise myself to always pray 37:32 before I cracked open a textbook. 37:34 To acknowledge that unless God helps me, 37:36 I cannot help, I cannot hope 37:38 to understand the material in here. 37:41 In the midst of my studies, I also got involved in ministry 37:44 because I thought this was my way of giving back 37:46 for my AFCOE training, 37:48 so I was teaching Sabbath school lessons, 37:50 I was giving personal Bible studies, 37:52 I even got involved in the school senate 37:54 as their chaplain and I thought, 37:56 "This is me giving back." 37:58 But at the end of doing that, 38:00 I realize it was actually God's way 38:02 of preserving my faith 38:04 in the face of a rigorous study schedule. 38:07 See, Steps to Christ, page 80 says, 38:09 "If you will go to work as Christ designs 38:11 that His disciples shall, and win souls for Him, 38:13 you will feel the need of a deeper experience 38:15 and a greater knowledge of divine things, 38:17 and will hunger and thirst after righteousness. 38:19 Those who thus devote themselves 38:21 to unselfish effort for the good of others 38:23 are most assuredly working out their own salvation. 38:27 And that was so true for me then 38:29 and it's very true for me now as well in a residency. 38:34 When the time came to do my clinical rotations 38:36 in medical school, my big question was, 38:38 "Lord, what specialty do you want me to go into?" 38:42 And through a long chain of events, 38:44 he convinced me that he was leading me 38:45 into internal medicine 38:46 because he brought me into contact with physicians 38:49 who practice whole person care, who prayed with patients. 38:51 One of those physicians I bumped into this morning 38:54 in the hallway here Dr. Axim Mortell, 38:56 I don't know if she's in the audience. 38:58 But I was so blessed to learn from these doctors 39:01 and I couldn't shake the feeling 39:02 because I had so many divine appointments 39:04 during my internal medicine rotation 39:06 that God was calling me into internal medicine. 39:09 So that's where I applied to. 39:11 So during my fourth year, 39:13 when I was putting my applications together 39:15 for residency, 39:17 I decided that I wanted my faith 39:19 to be the center piece of my application 39:22 and I prayed for God to use my application as a filter. 39:24 I wanted him to reject the wrong programs 39:27 and to make it appealing to the right programs. 39:31 But when my advisor saw my personal statement 39:33 and how I crafted together my application, 39:35 they said, "You know, John, 39:36 this would be great for Loma Linda. 39:38 Maybe catering, Florida Hospital, 39:40 but if you wanna have a shot at any other place, 39:43 you may wanna tone down 39:44 to religious verbish a little bit. 39:47 You know, one of my advisors also told me, 39:50 "Hey, your personal statement expands two pages. 39:54 No reviewer is going to take the time 39:56 to read two pages. 39:57 You need to really condense it to one page. 39:58 So there's this beautiful story you wrote about a patient 40:02 encounter you had, that was very meaningful 40:03 from a very spiritual standpoint. 40:05 Why don't you just summarize that in a sentence or two 40:07 and just cut that out." 40:08 But I talked to a godly physician mentor of mine 40:11 and he said, "John, reviewing your application, 40:13 this story is the only thing in your application 40:16 that serves as a testimony to those reviewing it. 40:18 So I would leave it in." 40:20 And when he said that, I said, "Done, it's stain." 40:22 And if they get turned off by it, 40:24 they don't have to read it. 40:27 So I had no impressive extracurricular activities 40:29 on my CV, I didn't do any impressive research. 40:32 All my spare time honestly, went to ministering. 40:34 But I was happy with my application 40:36 because it actually reflected 40:38 who I was and what I was passionate about. 40:41 So I ended up interviewing at 17 different programs 40:45 in 9 different states and that's a lot. 40:48 And time won't permit me 40:49 to tell you all the amazing things 40:52 that happened on the interview trial, 40:53 but let me just highlight one incident 40:55 and that was at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. 40:58 First of all, when I went there 41:00 and I spoke with the other interviewees, 41:02 I realized that I had no business being there. 41:05 It was very clear that I was the least qualified applicant 41:08 at least on paper. 41:09 And hearing them talk about the things 41:11 that they've been doing made me wonder, 41:14 "Why am I here?" 41:17 The first person who interviewed me 41:18 was an oncologist and because of his background 41:20 he was naturally very interested 41:22 in what happened to my father. 41:24 And we started talking about spiritual care 41:27 in the context of oncology and terminal illness. 41:30 And we had a great discussion 41:32 and that evening he emailed me back saying, 41:35 "John, after I spoke with you today, 41:37 I went to my clinic that evening 41:39 and I just took a mental note of every time 41:42 an opportunity for spiritual care came up 41:45 and I realized it was with every patient. 41:47 This is such a crucial issue in medicine. 41:51 I hope you will choose to come to Mayo." 41:53 That was his email to me. 41:55 My second interview was with the program director 41:58 and she started off saying, 41:59 "John, I just wanna let you know 42:01 that your personal statement was one of the most impressive, 42:05 well-written personal statements 42:06 I have ever read. 42:07 And trust me, I've read a lot of personal statements. 42:10 And she proceeded to highlight 42:12 actually my patient's story on the second page 42:15 and how it really touched her 42:17 and that's I couldn't help her to think at that point, 42:20 that was exactly the portion that I was advised to remove. 42:23 And in talking with this program director, 42:25 I realized that what impressed her most about me 42:28 was my conviction for spiritual care 42:31 and whole person care. 42:32 Much more than any research item 42:34 or extracurricular activity could've impressed on my CV. 42:38 And it really made me think of Jeremiah 9:23-24. 42:43 "Thus says the Lord, 42:44 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, 42:46 let not the mighty man glory in his might, 42:48 nor let the rich man glory in his riches. 42:50 But let him who glories glory in this, 42:52 that he understands and knows me, 42:54 that I am the Lord, exercising loving kindness, 42:58 judgment, and righteousness in the earth. 43:00 For in these I delight,''' says the Lord. 43:03 So, friends, if there is one way 43:04 that you want to differentiate yourself from others, 43:07 it should be in the degree of your love for God 43:11 and he will add everything else to you. 43:14 So after much prayer and fasting, 43:16 what happens is you take all the programs 43:19 you've interviewed at 43:20 then you make a rank list from the program 43:22 you like most to the program you like least 43:24 and you submit it to a computer. 43:25 All the programs do the same thing 43:27 with the applicants that they had interviewed 43:29 and they submit them to the same computer 43:31 and it's kind of like a eHarmony of medicine 43:33 in the background and try to pair you up 43:36 with the best match 43:38 so that a program you like and a program that likes you 43:42 could be paired up together. 43:44 And after much prayer and fasting, 43:46 I decided that God wasn't pressing it up on my heart 43:48 to rank the Mayo Clinic number one. 43:51 And I have to tell you, friends, 43:52 this took a lot of soul searching 43:53 because honestly, I was wondering 43:56 if I was putting that up there and ranking it number one 43:59 for the wrong reasons. 44:01 And I said, "Lord, is this me or is this you?" 44:05 But after talking to a lot of godly physician mentors, 44:07 I realized that I had peace within and I said, 44:09 "Lord, no matter what happens the glory goes to you 44:13 and if I'm misinterpreting you then override my rank list 44:17 and get me into the program 44:19 that you would have me to go to." 44:20 And he brought me to the point where I said, 44:22 "Lord, whatever program I matched to, 44:25 I know it's going to be your will for me. 44:27 So I thank you." 44:28 So then match day came, March 21, 2014, 44:33 my wife and I, we converged in the room, 44:35 we're passing out envelopes and what happens is, 44:38 every student gets an envelope 44:40 and then we do a countdown like, New Years Eve. 44:42 And at the same time, we all tear open our envelopes 44:44 and find out where we're going for residency 44:46 and as peels of screaming 44:49 erupted from all around the room 44:51 and my wife and I hugged each other 44:52 and we said a small prayer 44:54 and we held that envelope and we said, 44:55 "Lord, I don't know where you're sending me, 44:57 but I know that this is your choice for me 44:59 so we thank you. 45:00 Amen." 45:02 Then we opened our envelope and to my shock, 45:04 it was the Mayo Clinic. 45:06 And when I give this story a lot of people say, 45:09 "John, wow! 45:10 You got into the Mayo Clinic. 45:12 And when they say that, 45:13 I know they misunderstood the true point of my testimony. 45:17 Because the major point of this testimony 45:19 is not that God got me into the Mayo Clinic, 45:21 but that he brought my heart to the point 45:24 where even it was the most smallest unknown program 45:27 in the middle of nowhere, I would've been happy 45:30 because I knew that that was his choice for me. 45:33 So, friends, and especially young people, 45:35 dedicate your life to him, 45:37 be in full commitment to him and say, 45:40 "Lord, I give it up to you, I don't care where you use me, 45:44 I don't care how you use me, 45:45 just use me to add souls to your kingdom." 45:48 And when you pray that way, watch him be amazed 45:52 because your life will never be the same again. 45:54 Let us pray. 45:56 Heavenly Father, I thank you so much 45:57 for the beautiful testimonies that you give to each of us 46:00 and mine is just one of an innumerable amount 46:02 in this room. 46:03 Lord, I pray that you'll give us the faith 46:05 to cling to you and to your promises, 46:07 to completely give up our will to yours, 46:10 to let you direct God in our lives. 46:12 In so doing Lord, 46:13 may we be changed and be a light for you 46:15 so that others may come to know you as well. 46:17 In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 46:19 Amen. 46:48 Give me ears to hear Your Spirit 46:54 Give me feet to follow through 47:00 Give me hands to touch the hurting 47:06 And the faith to follow You 47:17 Give me grace to be a servant 47:23 Give me mercy for the lost 47:28 Give me passion for Your glory 47:34 Give me passion for the cross 47:41 And I will go where there are no easy roads 47:47 Leave the comforts that I know 47:53 I will go and let this journey be my home 47:59 I will go 48:04 I will go 48:20 I'll let go of my ambitions 48:26 Cut the roots that run too deep 48:31 I will learn to give away 48:37 What I cannot really keep 48:43 What I cannot really keep 48:50 Help me see with eyes of faith 48:57 Give me strength to run this race 49:04 And I will go where there are no easy roads 49:10 Leave the comforts that I know 49:16 I will go and let this journey be my home 49:22 I will go, I will go 49:28 I will go, Lord, where Your glory is unknown 49:33 I will live for You alone 49:39 I will go because my life is not my own 49:45 I will go, 49:48 I will go, I will go. 50:14 I want to invite you to bow your heads 50:16 for the benediction. 50:20 Our Father in heaven, 50:22 the testimony that we've just heard 50:24 reminds us of how you lead in each one of our lives 50:28 and tonight, I just wanna thank you 50:30 for bringing our ASI Family here together once again. 50:34 May the energy, excitement 50:36 and talent of our young people displayed this evening 50:40 and the music and message motivate each one of us 50:44 to share Christ in our homes, in our neighborhoods, 50:48 our workplace and around the world, 50:51 we ask in the name of Jesus, amen. |
Revised 2022-06-19