Participants: Jim Ayer
Series Code: MW
Program Code: MW000035
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00:01 The temple of Aphrodisia lay in shambles.
00:04 The Communist Party in shambles. 00:07 Lidia was a youth Communist Party leader. 00:10 She found Jesus Christ. Her life is not in shamble. 00:14 Later you'll hear the rest of the story. Stay tuned. 01:00 It has been said that you can't put 01:02 a shovel in the ground in Turkey 01:03 without finding an artifact of the ancient world. 01:07 Neolithic farmers first populated the Meander Valley 01:10 as early as 5,800 B.C. 01:14 This fertile valley became the sight of a shrine 01:16 to the mother goddess of fertility and crops. 01:19 Later during the second century B.C., 01:21 the site was dedicated to Aphrodite, 01:23 the goddess of love 01:25 and the town was given the name Aphrodisia. 01:28 I've got to tell you when I walked over the hill 01:30 and I saw this, it almost took my breath away. 01:34 It's so beautiful. 01:35 The architecture, the design, 01:37 everything is tremendous but what is it. 01:40 It's the gateway to the temple of Aphrodite. 01:44 Herein Aphrodisia is the name of the city. 01:47 About 80,000 population I'm told, give or take a few. 01:52 It is located near the modern village of Geyre. 01:55 Geyre was originally built on the ruins 01:57 but it was relocated a few miles to the East 02:00 to allow for the excavation. 02:04 I was told that in the 1950s this was an entire village. 02:08 People still lived here. 02:10 But then a huge earthquake hit 02:11 and virtually wiped out the village 02:13 at which time the government decided to move everybody. 02:16 They moved them off the site 02:18 and they began this massive excavation 02:21 and it's amazing what they turned up. 02:28 The lavish building program in the city's civic centre 02:31 was initiated and largely funded by Gaius Julius Zoilus, 02:35 a local who had been a slave of Gaius Julius Caesar 02:38 and set free by Octavian. 02:41 When Zoilus returned to his native city, 02:43 now a freed man endowed with prestige 02:45 and rich rewards for his service, 02:47 he shrewdly directed the city to align 02:49 with Octavian in his power struggle against Mark Anthony. 02:53 This ensured Octavian's lasting favor 02:55 in the form of financial privileges 02:57 that allowed the city to prosper. 03:00 In 74 B.C., the Romans defeated the Pontic Greek ruler 03:04 and Aphrodisia was rewarded for its loyalty. 03:09 I'm standing in one of the homes here in Aphrodisia 03:12 and I don't know where the bedrooms are. 03:13 I don't know where the bathroom is or the kitchen. 03:16 But what I do know is this is one big house. 03:20 Lidia, you have a beautiful name 03:22 and it's a biblical name. Tell me how you got it? 03:25 I was born in a family that didn't believe in Christ. 03:29 My name was given to me by my father. 03:33 My father named me Lidia. 03:35 So your entire family was atheist? 03:38 Yes. And my father was part of the Communist Party. 03:43 So you didn't believe in anything until age 50? 03:51 Yes. I didn't believe in Christ. 03:53 I was youth leader in the Communistic Party. 04:02 I believe in the communistic idea. 04:04 I believe that one day here in my county 04:07 we would build communism, in this I believed. 04:13 Now at age 50, you were baptized. 04:16 What happened all these years in between? 04:18 Tell me a little more about that. 04:23 When I got baptized and even before that 04:26 I heard on the radio 04:28 that there is a radio station that mails you a Bible 04:32 and during that time I read a lot of literature. 04:39 During those days I realized 04:41 that there was something other than this life. 04:44 I believe that a human can't just die and that's the end. 04:49 I was aware of what was going on in this world. 04:53 I knew there was a Bible 04:55 and I knew there was people who believe in Christ. 05:02 I was starting to become very curious about their belief. 05:06 So I decide to write to the radio station 05:09 and receive the Bible. 05:11 I didn't understand the Bible so I gave up on it. 05:15 Later I got baptized and decided 05:17 to continue reading the Old Testament. 05:21 Yet, all I understood 05:23 was that God was very strict and mean. 05:26 Later after I read the Old Testament 05:29 I decide to start reading the New Testament. 05:34 I enjoyed fictional books 05:36 and the New Testament appeared to me fictional. 05:40 I started liking to read the New Testament. 05:43 There were a few things I didn't understand. 05:46 Like when it talked about the churches 05:49 and Apostle Paul and Peter but I continue reading. 05:54 When I start attending church, 05:56 people would help me act properly 05:59 and show me where to get the candle 06:01 and how to get it lit. 06:03 I tried to do everything correctly but nothing about me 06:08 and my life changed and I then start to question myself. 06:14 So God led you there. 06:16 You said, He is working on your heart, 06:18 what happened next? How did this journey continue? 06:29 Later it happened like this. 06:31 The radio was my main source of information 06:34 more than television or anything else. 06:50 I heard announcement on the radio 06:52 that a Christian church is going to have a service. 06:56 So I asked one of my coworkers and she agreed to go with me. 07:18 When I got reconnected with the Bible 07:21 I was really looking for source 07:23 and can start explaining things to me 07:26 because I don't understand everything. 07:46 So I asked my coworkers let's go and so we went. 07:55 This city was built near a marble quarry 07:57 that was extensively exploited 07:59 in Hellenistic and Roman periods. 08:01 And sculpture and marble from Aphrodisia 08:04 became famous in the Roman world. 08:06 Many examples of statuary have been unearthed in Aphrodisia 08:10 and some representations of Aphrodite of Aphrodisia 08:14 also survive from other parts of the Roman world. 08:16 As far away as Portugal. 08:21 The coffins or sarcophagus are everywhere here. 08:24 I asked why? Well, this was the location 08:27 they actually made them. 08:28 They fashioned them. They carved them. 08:30 They're intricate. They're beautiful. 08:32 Only the very rich, however, could afford them. 08:34 So people came from all over to buy their last resting place. 08:42 This is a statue of the high priest of Aphrodite. 08:46 Phenomenal work and, you know, 08:49 nobody says you can't touch it, either. 08:53 Through the radio waves at AWR 08:55 God is reaching people around the world. 08:59 We'd like to offer you an edition of "Making Waves." 09:01 It's four of our episodes brought to you 09:03 from around the world. 09:05 God is speaking to hearts. 09:07 The hearts of the listeners of AWR, exciting stories. 09:10 We hope that you'll share those with friends and neighbors, 09:12 acquaintances, anyone you come in contact with. 09:14 Join us to Make Waves. It's completely free. 09:18 Right now the information is on your screen. 09:21 For your free, no obligation DVD, 09:24 write to Adventist World Radio, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, 09:29 Silver Spring, Maryland 20904 09:33 or call 1-866-503-3531 09:38 or logon to www.awr.org/MWDVD. 09:45 Be sure to request offer number 10. 09:47 That number again is 1-866-503-3531. 09:55 Here is another story of hope from Adventist World Radio. 10:00 My name is Benjamin Schoun 10:01 and I'm the president of Adventist World Radio. 10:04 Everyday listeners around the Americas 10:07 tune into Clinica Abierta quite possibly 10:09 our most popular program. 10:11 It's a live Spanish language program featuring real doctors, 10:16 answering listener phone calls and emails. 10:19 The goal is to provide simple practical medical principles 10:23 to people who often don't live close to a hospital 10:26 or can't afford to see a physician. 10:28 Listener response has been tremendous. 10:31 Each program receives far more question 10:33 than we can answer in one broadcast. 10:36 It's part of our effort to meet the physical 10:38 as well as the spiritual needs of our listeners. 10:43 Adventist World Radio shares the hope of Christ 10:47 with millions of people everyday in their own languages. 10:51 For more information visit awr.org. 11:00 I'm ready to run my race. 11:02 Wow, I guess I got further goal than I thought. 11:16 This is perhaps one of the best preserved 11:17 stadiums in the world. 11:20 One couple spent ten years cataloging 11:24 every single stone in here. 11:26 They've checked out every seat they've looked at, 11:28 every inscription, many are very old, 11:30 others are later graffiti basically. 11:34 But it's massive. 11:36 I can't even begin to show you how large it is. 11:38 Holds over 30,000 people. 11:43 People used to run here. 11:46 I think back to Paul saying, 11:48 these people ran for a corruptible crown 11:51 but we run for an incorruptible crown. 11:54 We run for the race that gets us to heaven. 11:59 That's what Paul was talking about. 12:01 That's what Paul was looking forward too. 12:02 And that's what he was looking for each one of us too 12:05 To meet in heaven rather than just 12:08 run a race here in a massive stadium. 12:13 How did God lead you to where you're today? 12:16 When we arrive to the church 12:18 we found out it was a Baptist Church. 12:20 We didn't care. I really enjoyed going there. 12:24 They explained the Bible. 12:26 I start taking my grandson 12:28 who was five years of age at the time. 12:31 I went there for about half a year. 12:34 Later I stopped going. 12:36 Until the day a big boom happened in my life. 12:39 I decided to turn back to the Bible. 12:42 I came face-to-face with life and its problems. 12:46 In continuation all this happened moments after. 12:50 My grandson was getting older. He turned 15. 12:54 He decided to move out not knowing his father very well 12:58 and having constant arguments 13:00 and misunderstanding with his mother. 13:03 Even though he was just a teen 13:06 his decision was to leave the house. 13:09 I look at that as a tragedy in my life. 13:12 Figured I didn't raise my daughter right 13:15 and I didn't have a big impact on their lives 13:19 and consider that a tragedy. 13:22 I decided that once we find him I will leave this family. 13:26 So did you find your grandson? We found him. 13:30 Praise the Lord for that. Praise the Lord. 13:33 So this was the turning point in your life? Yes. 13:36 You're in a new state with Christ, 13:37 a new position with Christ today. 13:39 What changed in that now? 13:41 How did you arrive where you're now? 13:52 I know when I went to the church 13:55 I came outside and readthe announcement 13:58 and Alexander Antonyuk is going to have a lecture. 14:13 So I started attending. I went to all his lectures. 14:18 I had question about Saturday. I didn't understand it. 14:22 I wanted to know why I was blessed. 14:25 Why Vania came home. 14:27 I just had so many questions stored inside 14:30 and it was bugging me. 14:41 And later my main question was about Saturday. 14:45 Because Saturday is talking about through the whole Bible. 14:58 Then I started handing out invitation to those 15:01 who used to attend church but decided to stop coming. 15:17 Later I met Lidia and it was a miracle. 15:21 She introduced me to "Voice of Hope" 15:23 and to start studying the Bible. 15:32 The Goddess Artemis, sometimes known as Diana 15:34 was one of the most widely venerated 15:36 of the Ancient Greek deities 15:38 and one of the oldest in Greek mythology of the classic period. 15:42 Artemis was often described 15:44 as the daughter of Zeus and Leto, 15:46 the twin sister of Apollo. 15:48 She was Hellenic goddess of forests and hills, 15:51 childbirth, virginity, fertility, the hunt. 15:55 And she was often depicted as a huntress 15:57 carrying the bow and arrows. 16:01 The first shrine to the Goddess Artemis 16:03 was built around 800 B.C. 16:06 It was built on a swampy area near the Ephesus River. 16:09 Within its walls they kept a precious stone 16:12 believed to have fallen from Jupiter. 16:14 In reality it was probably just a meteorite. 16:17 The temple itself was rebuilt several times. 16:22 In July 356 B.C. an Ephesian named Herostratus 16:26 wanted his name to be remembered forever 16:28 so he burned down the temple. 16:31 After that incident it became a rule 16:32 that if anyone dare speak his name 16:35 they would be murdered. 16:39 A famous architect named Scopus began the new temple. 16:42 It was 425 feet long and 225 feet wide. 16:47 It was adorned with beautiful marble and held 36 columns. 16:51 The inside contains artwork, 16:53 engravings and elegant statuary. 16:56 This temple was destroyed many years later 16:58 by the Gauss and was never rebuilt. 17:03 It was originally the size of a football field 17:05 but now all the remains of the Temple of Artemis, 17:08 the goddess of fertility is one single pillar. 17:12 And on top of it, nesting birds to boot. 17:21 Here is another story of hope from Adventist World Radio. 17:25 My name is Benjamin Schoun, 17:26 President of Adventist World Radio. 17:29 Let me tell you about our work in North Korea. 17:31 A nation governed by a powerfully 17:33 repressive communist regime 17:36 where any form of evangelism is strictly forbidden. 17:39 Adventist World Radio makes daily short wave 17:41 broadcast to North Korea spreading the Hope of Christ 17:45 to a nation utterly devoid of Christianity. 17:48 It is extremely rare that we make any contact 17:51 with listeners in North Korea. 17:53 However through communication with North Korean refugees 17:56 we're encouraged to know 17:58 that people are listening to our programs. 18:01 We pray that our listeners in North Korea 18:03 will receive God's word and find salvation in Christ. 18:09 Adventist World Radio shares the Hope of Christ 18:13 with millions of people everyday. 18:16 For more information visit awr.org. 18:23 As you can see AWR is frontline mission radio. 18:27 Our first priority is to travel where missionaries cannot go. 18:31 We broadcast thousands of hours each day 18:34 in 70 major languages of the world. 18:37 AWR has the capability and capacity of blanketing 18:40 almost 80% of the world's population. 18:43 Not only do we broadcast via shortwave radio 18:46 but our signal is on over 1,000 FM and AM stations 18:50 around the world as well. 18:52 Our podcast subscribers, internet users, 18:55 satellite downlinks are growing rapidly. 18:58 Evidenced by the hundred thousand plus emails, 19:01 letters and phone calls we receive each and every year. 19:04 Yes, AWR is your mission radio. 19:08 No walls and no borders for AWR, 19:10 that means change lives 19:11 and changed hearts around the world 19:13 because God is using the airwaves of AWR 19:17 to reach people everywhere. 19:26 The city of Aphrodisia was known for the goddess of fertility 19:29 and his worship centered around the Temple of Artemis. 19:33 But what occurred here is a great example 19:35 of the transforming power of Christ. 19:39 Sometime later in its history the citizens no longer 19:42 wanted to be associated with Aphrodite, 19:44 the goddess of fertility. 19:45 So they changed the name to Stauropolis, city of the cross. 19:52 This place was so beautiful I begin to think about it 19:54 and realized in all its beauty what the Christians 19:59 may have been giving up at Paul's time. 20:01 I said may, because some vasilated back and forth 20:04 but those who had the vision 20:07 that they're seeing a better world 20:08 than it is spoil this one for them. 20:11 They left all this with no problem. 20:13 They even went to the lions into death for Jesus Christ. 20:22 The gospel transformed much of the city 20:24 and not only did they rename the city 20:26 but they rebuilt the temple into a church 20:29 in the form of a giant cross. 20:35 The temple of Aphrodite was built in about 100 B.C. 20:40 It lasted till 500 A.D. when the Christians took it over. 20:44 The Christians expanded the walls. 20:46 They tore out parts. 20:47 They built larger and then the Seljuk 20:52 they came in, took it over. 20:54 But look here, here's one of the remnants 20:57 of the Christian church. 21:04 Our lives are rebuilt in much the same way. 21:07 Christ takes the ruins of our lives 21:09 and rebuilds us into his temple. 21:11 The temple in which He dwells. 21:16 You're inviting people to church? 21:18 Lily is inviting people to church. 21:19 You run into each other. 21:21 She gives you Bible studies 21:23 and tells you to listen to Adventist World Radio 21:26 and what happens in your life? 21:34 You know, I don't see this as just meeting God on accident. 21:39 This was God's will and it was His plan to bring me 21:43 to this church and to keep guiding me. 22:01 Meeting God made this turning point in my life. 22:05 I started going to Adventist Church. 22:07 I love how my church goes deep into explanation the Bible. 22:23 I started listening "Voice of Hope" 22:25 but 15 minutes is not enough. 22:28 Please understand not enough. 22:30 This is amazing program. 22:32 They explain very simple 22:34 that this is just a school here in earth. 22:38 This is all temporary. 22:47 Do you believe that AWR is helping to spread the message 22:49 around the world of Jesus soon return? 22:52 Without a doubt. 22:54 Do you think it make an impact 22:55 in many people's lives here in Ukraine? 23:04 Yes, of course, I see it at the church. 23:07 People come to church and accept Christ. 23:20 I tell my close one to turn off the television 23:24 to turn on the radio instead. 23:26 Listen to this amazing program. 23:29 They talk about family issue, 23:31 health, and talk about Christ. 23:44 God for me is love. He is peace and happiness. 23:47 I have no parents. God is the only one I have. 23:52 I have five brothers but I communicate 23:54 with those that follow Christ 23:57 and I see that I have more in common 24:00 with them greater than my family. 24:13 When I feel bad and when I am suffering 24:17 I turn to my God. 24:19 I fall and hug his legs and God listens 24:23 and I know God is going to help 24:26 and He will open up to my family. 24:36 So you're spreading the waves of AWR? Yes. 24:41 Lidia, it's getting hot and you're going to get 24:42 a sunburn maybe we should go. 24:46 Thank you so much. Thank you so much. 24:49 Can I give you a hug? Yeah. 24:57 Lidia was the leader of the Communist Youth Party. 25:01 In that job her task was to bring 25:03 other young people into the communist ideology. 25:07 In that ideology they believed 25:09 that the world was gonna become a better and better place 25:13 but somehow that didn't happen in her life. 25:16 She began to sense a need for something more 25:20 and then a little while later her grandson became lost. 25:25 They didn't know whether he was kidnapped 25:27 or whether he ran away but they began searching for him 25:30 and searching and it was a very stressful time for her. 25:34 Interestingly enough some of the people 25:37 who sought to help her were believers 25:39 and they advised her to go to church and pray. 25:43 Time passed and then one day she was in a house 25:46 and she met the lady who was the director 25:50 of our Voice of Hope Bible School. 25:53 She was giving out invitations to the Bible school 25:56 and she gave one to Lidia. 25:58 Lidia decided that she would like to study those lessons 26:02 and so she began and her life began 26:05 to take a dramatic change. 26:07 At that time she also listened to the radio programs 26:10 "The Voice of Hope" and she enjoyed them so much 26:12 they were so clear and easy to understand. 26:16 Finally, the day came when she made her decision 26:21 to accept Jesus Christ as her savior and to be baptized. 26:26 You know, Lidia, is an example of deep change 26:30 from one opposite extreme to another. 26:33 It's sort of like the temple here in Aphrodisia. 26:37 The temple was once built for a mythical pagan god. 26:41 But then in 500 A.D. it was changed to become a church. 26:46 And the sign says, it was a radical change, 26:49 took a lot of effort and a lot of work, 26:52 that's what happens in our lives. 26:54 Sometimes change isn't easy 26:57 but yet that's what God is calling us to do 27:00 and I hope you will follow 27:02 that path of change in your life toward Jesus Christ. 27:07 I invite you to help AWR to be able to bring this message 27:14 of change to more and more people around the world. 27:18 The radio waves of AWR 27:20 are reaching around the world. 27:22 If you'd like to help spread the gospel message 27:24 of Jesus Christ soon return. 27:26 Give us a call 1-866-503-3531 or you can write us 27:33 at 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Sliver Spring, Maryland 20904 27:39 or logon to the website www.awr.org. 27:45 And thank you for watching. 27:46 Please join us again for another exciting gospel adventure 27:49 because around the world AWR is making wave. |
Revised 2014-12-17