Participants:
Series Code: GMS
Program Code: GMS001106A
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00:10 Mission in Papua New Guinea,
00:13 mission in the Waldensian Valleys 00:15 and mission right here in the Amazon region of Brazil 00:19 coming up next. 00:24 Just before He went up to heaven, 00:26 Jesus gave us a command. 00:29 He gave us a mission. 00:32 Jesus said "Go, 00:35 go unto all the world telling them of His love." 00:39 This is our mission. 00:41 This is our Global Mission. 00:50 Hello and welcome to Global Mission Snapshots. 00:53 Coming to you today 00:54 from the city of Manaus in Northern Brazil. 00:57 Manaus is a large city 00:59 and if you are in the center of the city, 01:00 you have no idea that you are literally 01:02 surrounded by jungle. 01:04 In fact, the only way to get to this city 01:07 is by boat or by plane. 01:10 Unless you're very adventurous, 01:11 and you can try a four wheel drive. 01:14 Manaus is the gateway to the Amazon 01:16 and of course for Seventh-day Adventist, 01:18 who know their mission history. 01:20 It's the place where the Halliwells pioneered work 01:23 on a missionary boat the Luzero. 01:25 On today's program, we'll be talking about 01:27 mission right here. 01:29 We'll be traveling to Italy, to the Waldensian Valley, 01:32 we'll be talking about 13th Sabbath Offerings. 01:35 But first up, let's travel to Papua New Guinea 01:38 and meet a young women name Marrium. 01:43 In early 2013, 01:45 Marrium traveled from Papua New Guinea to Brisbane, 01:48 Australia for the South Pacific Divisions, 01:50 World Changers Youth Congress. 01:52 At the congress, Marrium asked God, 01:54 how she could change the world? 01:57 One night, she dreamed of trees full of fruit, 02:00 with no one to harvest them. 02:02 After the dream, 02:03 she thought of her father's old village 02:05 back in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. 02:07 She felt convicted, this was the village 02:09 God wanted to her change for Jesus. 02:12 Back home, Marrium shared her dream with her church, 02:15 and asked if anyone would go with her. 02:17 Only one person responded, 02:19 a nine year old boy. 02:21 The next day, the two set out alone. 02:23 For two and half days they walked, 02:26 until they arrived at the village, 02:27 just before sunset Friday evening. 02:30 Marrium's aunt and uncle were waiting for her, 02:32 and said we knew you were coming. 02:34 And you got good news for us. 02:35 Marrium was shocked, because she hadn't told anyone 02:38 she was coming. 02:39 But she certainly did have good news, 02:41 and she eagerly shared her testimony 02:43 with every family in that village. 02:45 After listening to Marrium, 02:47 the blind 80 year-old village chief rose to his feet 02:50 and he asked her to come back and bring her 02:52 Adventist church to their village. 02:54 That day salvation came to a village, 02:57 because of a nine-year-old boy and a girl 02:59 who followed her dream, and pray to change the world. 03:11 My guest is Dr. Reinaldo Siqueira 03:13 who for many years has studied the Jewish faith. 03:17 And in fact, 03:19 was instrumental in starting a center in Sao Paulo 03:22 which we'll learn some more about. 03:24 Dr. Siqueira, thanks for joining us. 03:26 I'm glad to be here, Gary. 03:28 Now, where did your interest in Judaism start? 03:31 Well, it was actually 03:33 when I discovered in college that 03:36 Brazil has a large Jewish background history. 03:39 And many Brazilians do have some 03:41 Jewish background back away. 03:43 In the Portugal, 03:45 in the time of inquisition 03:48 and things like that, actually Brazil is pretty much 03:50 a country related to this kind of history. 03:53 And knowing this, I became really interested in study, 03:57 you know, a little bit more about. 03:59 So, what sort of studies have you been involved in? 04:02 Well, 04:03 languages, Hebrew, your languages, literature, 04:07 specially the Bible, 04:08 but also all kind of literature, 04:10 Jewish literature, you know, Jewish culture, 04:13 religion and all. 04:15 And I built up a lot of friendship with Jewish people. 04:17 I live in Israel, 04:19 so I kind of get to know people in the, 04:23 in the way of living and all. 04:27 Yes, now. 04:28 Christianity of course is greatly indebted to Judaism. 04:32 What do Seventh-day Adventists 04:35 have in common with Jews? 04:37 Well, you see, 04:38 actually the most visible things are Sabbath, 04:42 we think. 04:43 For us, Sabbath is a God's holy day 04:45 you know as for Jewish people. 04:48 Food another way we eat, 04:51 is very close to the Jewish because 04:53 we eat according to the laws of Leviticus 11, 04:56 but they are more quest for education, 04:59 family values, you know, a view of life, 05:04 you know, is very interesting. 05:06 And some for example, 05:07 Seventh-day Adventist believe that the people, 05:10 God will judge people by their knowledge, you know. 05:14 Even people does not completely know the Bible, 05:18 the biblical message with, 05:19 you be judged accordingly by God 05:21 and now you have surprise in heaven. 05:24 Actually most of the Christians don't think like this. 05:26 But Jewish people do think like this, you know. 05:28 Okay, that's very interesting. 05:30 Yeah. 05:31 So, it's kind of we are judged according to the light 05:34 we have been given. 05:36 Exactly, exactly. 05:37 And these are some... 05:38 There's a common point between Jewish and Adventist, 05:40 which most people don't know, you know. 05:42 Right. 05:43 Now, we know that throughout history, 05:45 there has often been tension between 05:47 Christians and Jewish people, and with good reason, 05:51 Jewish people can be very suspicious of Christians 05:54 who have been prejudice. 05:56 What sort of prejudices still exists today? 05:59 Well, you see, 06:01 we carry a lot of loads of heritage 06:06 from this kind of time, 06:07 even from the Middle Ages or earlier. 06:10 Like for example, all Jewish people are genius. 06:14 This is not true. There are some genius, 06:16 but there are people who are common people. 06:18 And there're some about dumb you know, 06:20 just like anyone else. 06:22 Our average Jewish people is a millionaire, 06:25 is rich, you know. 06:26 There are lot of poor Jewish people you know. 06:28 Every Jewish is a greedy person. 06:31 This is not true, is that of a common person. 06:33 Problem would be for most of our people 06:36 in the church and outside, 06:37 they have friends and they work in the school. 06:41 That look common people, 06:42 they are Jewish, and they don't know. 06:44 Because they look so much alike, you know. 06:45 Yes, yes. 06:47 Now, a few weeks ago, 06:49 I joined with you at the opening 06:51 of a special center in Sao Paulo. 06:54 Tell us about that center? 06:55 Well, we have a center. 06:57 Were as the Seventh-day Adventist center, 06:59 where Jewish people and Adventist meet. 07:02 We have their cultural programs. 07:05 You know, speeches, 07:06 studies that the, both Jewish and Christian side, 07:10 especially the Christian Adventist side, you know. 07:13 And these place also had, 07:15 do have a chapel for worship 07:18 where some of our members 07:20 who are from Jewish background can keep their identity, 07:23 their, you know, their culture, 07:25 teach to their children. 07:27 Some are mixed merged, 07:29 a person, Jewish person met one a non-Jewish, 07:31 they can come worship together. 07:34 You know, be respected know, but people can really be open, 07:38 exchange openly their ideas 07:41 and in order to build this kind of friendship and approach 07:44 between Adventists and Jewish people. 07:46 Now you have been instrumental in putting together 07:49 a special liturgy that actually kind of bridges across 07:53 that is of interest to people from the Jewish background 07:55 and also to Christian people. 07:57 Describe that? 07:58 Well, you see, 07:59 since this center is focused on Jewish heritage and all 08:04 and for Christian we do have most of our worship, 08:07 we have a many Jewish elements come up. 08:10 But it will be interesting to know 08:12 that probably what we do there, 08:15 we'll be closer to watch Paul and Jesus 08:18 and the early disciple experience. 08:20 Right. 08:21 Because you know, they both, all of them were Jewish. 08:23 Yes. 08:25 So they went to synagogue Jewish. 08:26 Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah 08:29 and know Paul preached in the synagogues know 08:31 every Sabbath and so, 08:34 all kind of worship there really, 08:36 probably not exactly but many elements go back 08:39 all the way to the first century, 08:41 where this kind of worship was implemented 08:44 in many of its aspect of today. 08:46 Yeah, well, it's certainly for me 08:48 a very enriching worship service to participate in. 08:52 And you know what, we do know that there are elements there 08:55 since we started to do this together with Jewish friends, 08:59 Seventh-day Adventists who are from Jewish background 09:02 and other Seventh-day Adventist 09:04 who show an interest for the Jewish culture. 09:06 We just got that many elements in the New Testament 09:08 do reflect this kind of worship. 09:10 Right. 09:11 It's very surprising, you know, for example, in Hebrews 4, 09:16 that the Apostle Paul speak about the Sabbath 09:19 and he used this a very set of verse. 09:22 Psalm, you know, Genesis 2, when you look at that, 09:26 this is the Jewish liturgy for Sabbath reception 09:29 in Friday night. 09:31 Oh! 09:32 Actually he do use all the elements of the Friday 09:35 worship service to speak about Sabbath 09:37 and salvation and these why we're surprised, 09:40 you know, do it and this evolve, 09:42 it's like to what is written here. 09:43 Yeah. 09:45 That's kind of situation. 09:46 Yeah, I think it's wonderful because 09:48 you're not just sitting there listening, 09:50 you're actually participating, 09:51 you're reading aloud etcetera. 09:53 So, 09:55 thank you so much for sharing just a little bit, 09:57 I'd like to talk to you for a lot longer. 09:58 But thank you so much for sharing with us Dr. Siqueira. 10:01 Oh, my pleasure, Gary. Thank you. 10:04 And viewers at home, 10:06 make sure that you enrich your experience 10:09 by getting to know some Jewish neighbors, 10:11 some people in your community, 10:13 there's a lot to learn. 10:14 We'll be right back after this break. |
Revised 2016-05-26