Participants: Jim Ayer
Series Code: MW
Program Code: MW000038
|
00:01 The devil persecuted the Christians of Smyrna.
00:03 Why? He is in the business of persecution 00:06 and he is still in the same business today. 00:08 As a matter of fact he may even use 00:10 family members to do it for him. 01:01 Izmir is the great port city in western Turkey. 01:04 It is the country's third most populous city. 01:07 Its port is second only to Istanbul 01:10 and its one of the most beautifully situated cities 01:12 in all of Asia Minor. 01:15 It lies at the head of a gulf that reaches 30 miles inland 01:18 and has a harbor well protected by surrounding mountains. 01:22 The urbanization of Izmir dates back over 3,500 years 01:27 and was known as Smyrna, 01:29 perhaps named after a goddess of the Greeks 01:31 who founded the city. 01:32 It is the second of the Seven Churches of Revelation. 01:40 The ancient remains of the city 01:41 are located in middle of the Smyrna. 01:44 In the last few years 01:45 buildings around the original excavation site 01:48 have been torn down to make way for more 01:50 excavations of this historic site. 01:56 A primary school which burnt was not rebuilt 02:00 and has been incorporated into the excavation site. 02:07 You know as I stroll through 02:08 the ancient part of the city here, 02:09 it's not too difficult to imagine 02:12 what it must have been like almost 2,000 years ago. 02:15 Because some things in Turkey today have changed, 02:18 but some things really haven't changed that much. 02:21 Or just imagine the shopkeepers and the sellers, 02:24 these people know how to sell. 02:26 They know how to barter, they know how to trade, 02:28 because they've been doing it, 02:29 for thousands and thousands of years, 02:32 they're experts at it. 02:33 Imagine over here the little shopkeeper 02:35 with her bread selling her wares 02:38 and in the next one the fine carpets, 02:41 the next one the linens. 02:43 And as the people nudge and jostle 02:45 one and other through the days, 02:47 of the hot days, they buy all their wares. 02:50 They come over here to a natural spring that is so cool, 02:54 so cold, so refreshing. 02:56 Why is this tap so wonderful? 02:59 It's so exciting to think 03:01 we're here Smyrna, biblical Smyrna. 03:04 What a phenomenal area? 03:06 So much history, but you realize 03:11 they were only here for a short amount of time. 03:14 We talk about thousands of years 03:16 but it's only a short amount of time you see 03:18 because God create us for eternity not for time. 03:23 And that's the whole difference 03:24 that's what made the difference here to the Christians 03:27 when God could point them to the heavenly universal luck. 03:35 Today the most important result of the new studies 03:38 has been the discovery of the Agora's northern gate. 03:41 Embossed figures of the Goddess Hestia 03:43 found in these digs were continuation of the Zeus altar 03:47 uncovered during the original digs. 03:51 The gods Hermes, Dionysus, Eros and Hercules 03:55 have also been found. 03:56 As well as many statues, heads, 03:58 figurines and monuments of people and animals 04:01 made of marbles, stone, bone, glass, metal and terracotta. 04:14 We're in a beautiful city here at the city of Kiev. 04:17 Lilya where were you born? 04:19 I was born here in Kiev. 04:22 Tell me a little bit about yourself? 04:23 What's your occupation? 04:25 What do you do? 04:27 I work for a construction company as a manager. 04:33 That building here over my shoulders 04:36 was built by our company. 04:38 How many years have you done that? 04:42 In this organization I worked for four years, 04:45 but I used to work for a different company 04:49 that deal with a construction as well. 04:51 Now I know you're a Christian now, 04:53 but how about all your life. 04:55 What, tell me more about your life? 04:59 Yes those are old days of course, 05:03 but I'm a Christian since year 2000. 05:07 What was your life like before that? 05:10 A life of an original person. 05:17 I was a person who believed in human power 05:20 believe in only myself and my close one. 05:26 So was there any happiness in the life of the old Lilya? 05:33 Of course the birth of my son 05:36 and the love of my life say it merits. 05:42 Life brings a lot of happiness. 05:46 So you're like many people, good job, marriage, child, 05:53 don't really care about God. 05:56 I always thought that God was there. 05:59 But I believe that He was too busy for me. 06:04 Something changed for you, tell me what that was? 06:09 I believe that God didn't want the person like me 06:12 to go through with so many sufferings. 06:19 My son was a good kid until eighth grade. 06:23 In high school I started noticing things, 06:26 but I couldn't understand what just yet. 06:34 But later I found out that he was doing drugs. 06:41 For those that know about this problem 06:44 maybe some of you are going through these problems 06:47 and you do realize that this is hell on earth. 06:52 And I was the woman who came so close to this hell. 06:57 Fourteen years my son was taking drugs. 07:02 Me and my husband tried to put him through treatments 07:05 and tried to get help nothing helped. 07:09 He came and said, listen mom everything that you 07:13 and the rest of the people told me 07:16 I let in one ear and out of the other. 07:19 He said his only wish is to do drugs. 07:26 My husband at a point told me that 07:29 I don't have a son anymore, 07:31 we lost our son. 07:33 Foreign Language 07:39 With me lives my mother who is 87-years-old. 07:43 We were going through a rough time. 07:46 My son sold everything we had. 07:52 My only option at this time 07:54 felt like I either had to kill myself 07:58 or start drinking heavily. 08:03 Even though I was not baptized nor did I come to Christ, 08:07 I still had Christ help me through my tough times. 08:16 We know that Alexander the Great was in this area, 08:19 but the rest of it is legend. 08:21 He fell asleep one day after a hunt up here on this hill. 08:25 In a dream God has appeared to Him 08:28 and said you should relocate the city up here? 08:31 Well before he did that he traveled some distance 08:33 and checked with an oracle. 08:34 The oracle too had the same idea and said, yes. 08:38 It will be a blessing for you to do so. 08:40 So he directed his general to rebuild the city up there. 08:44 Now what seems to be fact 08:46 is Lysimachus his general actually constructed walls 08:50 in some of the area of the city up there 08:51 and lived there himself for sometime. 09:03 Through the radio waves of AWR 09:05 God is reaching people around the world. 09:09 We'd like to offer you an addition of Making Waves. 09:11 Its four of our episodes 09:13 brought to you from around the world. 09:15 God speaking to hearts, 09:17 the hearts of the listeners of AWR exciting stories. 09:20 We hope that you'll share those 09:21 with friends and neighbors, acquaintances, 09:23 anyone you come in contact with join us to make waves. 09:26 It's completely free right now 09:29 the information is on your screen. 09:32 For your free no obligations DVD 09:34 write to Adventist World Radio, 09:37 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20904 09:43 or call 1-866-503-3531 09:48 or log on to www.awr.org/mwdvd, 09:55 be sure to request offer # 10 09:58 that number again is 1-866-503-3531. 10:06 Here is another story of hope from Adventist World Radio. 10:10 My name is Benjamin Schoun, 10:12 President of Adventist World Radio. 10:14 We've been amazed by God's work in Afghanistan. 10:18 Recently a relief worker told me 10:20 that many Afghanis have great interest 10:22 in learning about Christ, 10:24 but are afraid to purchase Bibles. 10:26 Instead they listen to Christian Radio. 10:28 Adventist World Radio is broadcast 10:31 to Afghanistan in Dari, Wigar and Arabic languages 10:36 allowing us to reach a large number of the population, 10:39 the response has been incredible. 10:42 Just one example is a letter we receive 10:44 from an orphaned teenage refugee 10:46 saying Jesus is now the hope I cling to in my seed of faith. 10:51 How can I become a Christian? 10:54 Adventist World Radio shares the hope of Christ 10:58 with millions of people everyday. 11:01 For more information visit awr.org. 11:43 We're here in Izmir, Turkey. 11:44 It's actual the ancient biblical city of Smyrna. 11:48 It's an active archeological site. 11:50 This whole area was destroyed by an earthquake in A.D.178, 11:54 but Marcus O'Reilly has took it upon himself to rebuilt it. 11:58 I understand all these architraves 12:00 all of these columns were his edition to fortify the city 12:03 and fortify this area against future earthquakes. 12:09 If you've ever wondered what the wife 12:11 of Marcus O'Reilly has look like. 12:12 Well there she is right up on the top of the ark, 12:15 her name was Fovestina. 12:19 So you are drinking, you are considering suicide, 12:24 what happened from that moment? 12:26 One day I heard my door bell ring. 12:29 And when I answered it in front of me 12:32 people stood that attended church. 12:35 I made sure to identify myself and to see what they want it. 12:41 I find out that he was actually attending a church 12:45 and I believed that God guided him. 12:54 I was worried that my son would end up 12:58 where he started, 12:59 so I decide to meet those people. 13:04 They agreed to meet with me 13:07 and I decide to tell them everything. 13:11 Then people started telling me who I am. 13:15 They invited me to visit their church. 13:18 This church is located here in Kiev 13:21 and it's called the Victory Church. 13:24 The pastor here in Kiev, he is from Zimbabwe. 13:28 I spent four years in this church. 13:32 My son stopped going to church and continue using 13:36 and experimenting with the drugs. 13:39 Who were you, where did you find out you were? 13:43 After I read the Ten Commandments 13:45 I compare my life to it. 13:47 And I realize I was sinner. 13:52 I understood and felt guilty in front of my son. 13:57 I decided to wash his cloths keep him clean, 14:00 get feed him good food 14:02 and basically try to keep him near me, 14:05 so he wouldn't go away. 14:07 The way it was when he was younger 14:11 that would be enough for me. 14:17 This wasn't a month, 14:19 this was a year, this was 14 years. 14:27 Can you even imagine? 14:32 God whispered in my ear, tell your son you love him. 14:48 With all the problems that were going on 14:51 and all the money 14:53 that I had to spend on him in the end 14:56 I was supposed to say I love you. 15:06 Now he is in the church for a while 15:08 and you said he left your son, what, what happened? 15:13 He wanted to stay but his soul wouldn't let him. 15:17 I know that God was the one 15:19 who is quite at him in that direction first. 15:22 But his soul wouldn't let him, he wasn't ready. 15:30 I tried to bring my sister as well her son was alcoholic. 15:39 Together I and my sister started praying, 15:43 her son was dying. 15:45 How can this be? 15:47 We prayed and praying and her son still died. 15:52 So we both left this church 15:53 and decided to not come for a whole year. 15:58 Prior to the destruction of the area 16:00 by an earthquake there were mainly government buildings 16:03 establishments that type of thing here 16:05 and the Altar of Zeus. 16:07 After that time in the lower areas 16:09 especially a lot of shopkeepers moved in, 16:11 so it became more of a general marketplace for the area. 16:15 However still the main attraction was Zeus. 16:19 The God that looked for sacrifices, 16:22 the God that looked for that type of thing and perhaps 16:25 a child from a Christian snatched from his arms. 16:27 I don't know it's just my thoughts 16:29 of what could have happened 16:30 because there was a great deal of persecution 16:32 to the Christians in this area. 16:46 In and into the angel of the church of Smyrna write. 16:49 These things say at the first 16:50 and the last which was dead and is alive. 16:53 I know they works in tribulation and poverty, 16:57 but they aren't rich 16:58 and I know the blasphemy of them 17:00 which say they're Jews and are not, 17:02 but are the synagogue of Satan. 17:05 "Fear none of those things 17:06 which thou shalt suffer: behold, 17:08 the devil shall cast some of you into prison, 17:11 that ye may be tried, 17:12 and ye shall have tribulation ten days, 17:16 be thou faithful unto death, 17:18 and I will give thee a crown of life. 17:22 He that hath an ear, 17:23 let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, 17:26 He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." 17:32 As you can see AWR is frontline mission radio. 17:36 Our first priority is to travel 17:37 where missionaries cannot go. 17:40 We broadcast thousands of hours 17:42 each day in 70 major languages of the world. 17:46 AWR has the capability and capacity of blanketing 17:49 almost 80% of the world's population. 17:52 Not only do we broadcast via shortwave radio, 17:55 but our signal is on over 1000 FM and AM stations 17:59 around the world as well. 18:01 Our podcast subscribers, Internet users 18:04 0satellite downlinks are growing rapidly, 18:06 evidenced by the hundred thousand plus 18:09 emails, letters, and phone calls 18:11 we receive each and every year. 18:13 Yes, AWR is your mission radio. 18:17 No walls and no borders. 18:18 For AWR that means changed lives 18:20 and changed hearts around the world, 18:22 because God is using the airwaves of AWR 18:26 to reach people everywhere. 18:31 Here is another story of hope from Adventist World Radio. 18:36 My name is Benjamin Schoun, 18:37 President of Adventist World Radio. 18:40 Let me tell you about our work in North Korea, 18:42 a Nation governed by a powerfully 18:44 repressive communist regime, 18:47 where any form of evangelism is strictly forbidden. 18:50 Adventists World Radio makes 18:51 daily shortwave broadcast to North Korea 18:54 spreading the hope of Christ to a nation 18:56 utterly devoid of Christianity. 18:59 It's extremely rare 19:00 that we make any contact with listeners in North Korea. 19:04 However through communication with North Korean refugees, 19:07 we're encouraged to know 19:09 that people are listening to our programs. 19:12 We pray that our listeners in North Korea 19:14 will receive God's word and find salvation in Christ. 19:20 Adventist World Radio shares the hope of Christ 19:24 with millions of people everyday. 19:27 For more information visit awr.org. 19:34 John speaks of tribulation lasting ten days. 19:38 The suffering and poverty 19:39 of their community was well known 19:41 and caused by Roman oppression and the Jewish community 19:44 that did not accept Christianity. 19:47 The city was famous for its loyalty to Rome 19:50 and was happy to persecute Christians to please Rome. 19:54 The ten day period of tribulation 19:56 has been viewed by scholars in two different ways. 19:59 The first is the day for a year 20:00 principle the Bible sets forth in Numbers and Ezekiel. 20:05 If it is understood in this manner, 20:07 the ten years fits with the period 303 to 313. 20:12 During this time Diocletian and his associates 20:14 conducted the most bitter campaign of annihilation 20:17 of Christianity ever suffered at the hands of Pagan Rome. 20:23 If on the other hand 20:24 it is a literal ten day period and not prophetic time. 20:28 It could then mean a brief period of persecution 20:30 that the Christians of Smyrna 20:32 no doubt suffered in apostolic times. 20:35 This too is a sound biblical interpretation. 20:39 Gladiator games could have been referenced here 20:41 as their time of persecution. 20:43 Inscriptions have been found in the Agora, 20:45 speaking of gladiator games for five days. 20:50 The stories of martyrdom 20:51 associated with these games is very common. 20:57 Popular punishment 20:58 reserved for Christians were crucifixion, 21:00 burning or been thrown to wild animals 21:03 often carried out in open places of assembly. 21:08 Your son is still a drug addict apparently, 21:12 your sister's son has died. 21:15 Now what happens in your life? 21:17 And the charismatic church 21:19 they never talk about the Sabbath day. 21:25 So I decided to pray to God. 21:30 I prayed Lord you see and know the pain 21:34 that I'm going through inside. 21:36 Please guide me to the real church. 21:41 I heard that over Saturday and Sunday, 21:44 they have translated Bible messages 21:46 by the name of Voice of Hope. 21:49 I heard them talk about Saturday. 21:52 They told us to write them 21:54 and they will sent my way free Bible study homework. 21:59 So I wrote them a letter 22:01 and received my first lessons from the Bible school. 22:06 I was studying for about a year. 22:08 And then they offered to go little bit more in-depth, 22:12 I passed that as well. 22:15 At the end of my lessons 22:17 they offered me a church where I went. 22:20 It was an Adventist Church of the Seventh-day. 22:25 Everything that is said in church, 22:27 I always make sure to check for myself 22:30 before following what the word says. 22:35 I was baptized there and for two years 22:39 I'm a part of this church. 22:42 I see the smile on your face, so I know you have happiness. 22:45 But I imagine you still have trails and problems, 22:48 but God has helped you. 22:53 I want to say that today 22:54 my son has been drug free for four years. 22:59 I praise the Lord, he is a Baptist 23:03 and he is walking with God today. 23:06 I use to attend a Baptist church 23:08 and I know that God is with him 23:11 and will guide him. 23:13 So God is working in his life too. 23:17 Yes of course praise Him, praise the Lord. 23:23 Today I hug my son, 23:26 we tell each other how much we love one another 23:29 and we pray together. 23:31 My son has changed a lot. 23:34 He even appreciate his father. 23:38 Christ the Lord, God bless us, I can't ask for anything else. 23:44 So all of the time and energy and the money 23:47 and the people that are put 23:49 into producing the AWR programs are all worth it, 23:52 because you are here. 23:55 I pray to God and I told God, 23:58 said if you take my son away from these drugs, 24:01 I promise that I will share this gospel 24:04 everywhere I go, I'll spread Your word. 24:08 Really, I'm really so happy 24:09 that your story does have a happy ending. 24:18 Many years after the persecution 24:19 by the early church of Revelation, 24:22 another person was persecuted by the name of Polycarp. 24:25 Polycarp was the bishop 24:27 here of the church in the area lived here for many years. 24:29 But he too for his faith was martyred. 24:33 A letter known as the Martyrdom of Polycarp 24:35 states that he was taken on the day of the Sabbath 24:37 and killed on the Great Sabbath. 24:40 They hung him on the funeral pyre of fire, 24:42 but he was not destroyed, and in frustration 24:45 they finally stabbed him to death. 24:47 He was faithful to the end for his faith also. 24:54 But persecution only made the Christians stronger. 24:57 They grew in numbers 24:58 and in faith as they endured the pain 25:00 and suffering heaped upon them. 25:03 Lilya is the same. 25:05 She has endured tremendous hardship 25:07 and suffering even from her own family, 25:10 but despite the devils onslaught 25:12 she has remained faithful. 25:19 Lilya suffered the heartache 25:20 of so many parents all around the world. 25:23 She watched her son go down 25:25 into the depth of hell in drug abuse. 25:29 For her, it was a kind of persecution. 25:33 How could she stand it? 25:36 She even suffered physically and materially 25:38 from it as her son sold the possessions 25:41 of their house to support his drug habit. 25:45 But God was faithful and she responded. 25:49 The Voice of Hope did its job 25:54 as an instrument of God and gave her hope. 25:58 I'm standing here 25:59 in the place of the old city of Smyrna. 26:03 There was a Christian church here in Smyrna. 26:07 It received the letter from our Lord 26:10 as recorded in the Book of Revelation. 26:12 In this letter it told how they would be severely persecuted. 26:17 But then it also said 26:19 keep faithful even to the point of death 26:23 and you'll receive a crown of life. 26:27 Lilya is looking forward to that heavenly reward. 26:30 But she also found that God 26:33 gave her a sustaining power for her life even now, 26:38 power to cope, the encouragement of hope. 26:44 You may have a trial in your life 26:46 that you're facing right now. 26:48 God will help you. 26:51 I invite you to join with AWR as well. 26:54 As we bring hope 26:56 to the thousands of people around the world 26:59 who have very difficult circumstances in their lives. 27:02 Let's give them something to live for. 27:06 Christians are no longer dying in Roman amphitheatres. 27:09 But they're dying nonetheless, they're giving up their lives, 27:12 because they love the gospel of Jesus Christ so much. 27:15 I hope that you'll partner with us 27:17 to spread the gospel to these people 27:19 who're hungry and thirsty. 27:21 If you've like to do that, give us a call 27:23 1-866-503-3531 or you can write us at 27:28 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904 27:34 or log on to www.awr.org. 27:40 Thank you for watching and please join us again 27:42 for another exciting gospel adventure, 27:43 because around the world AWR is making waves. |
Revised 2014-12-17