Wake up, wake up, wake up,
it's a call that Lidia heard.
00:00:01.16\00:00:05.86
Find out how in just a moment.
00:00:05.86\00:00:07.36
The seven cities to
whom the Apostle John wrote
00:00:50.30\00:00:52.90
his well known letters
from the Island of Patmos
00:00:52.90\00:00:55.43
were in western Asia Minor.
00:00:55.43\00:00:57.76
Two of them Sardis and Pergamum
00:00:57.76\00:01:00.16
have been formally been
capitals of powerful kingdoms
00:01:00.16\00:01:03.20
still possess great political
prominence in the time of John.
00:01:03.20\00:01:06.60
The whole area in
which the seven churches
00:01:08.70\00:01:10.63
of Revelation were found
00:01:10.63\00:01:12.33
it is rich in
historical memories
00:01:12.33\00:01:14.16
of the early Christian period
00:01:14.16\00:01:16.33
and played a great
role in ancient history.
00:01:16.33\00:01:18.83
Sardis's thought
to have been found it
00:01:20.80\00:01:22.36
around the
second millennium B.C.
00:01:22.36\00:01:24.43
At that time it was apparently
00:01:24.43\00:01:26.23
the capital of
the small principality
00:01:26.23\00:01:28.63
situated on the
border of the Hittite nation.
00:01:28.63\00:01:31.10
During the seventh
and sixth centuries B.C.
00:01:33.80\00:01:36.56
the powerful Lydian kingdom
00:01:36.56\00:01:38.40
which ruled over more
than half of Asia Minor
00:01:38.40\00:01:41.20
had its capital at Sardis.
00:01:41.20\00:01:43.16
In the second century
B.C. it was taken over by Rome.
00:01:45.43\00:01:48.83
For more than four
centuries Rome administered
00:01:48.83\00:01:51.13
the area as the
province of Asia.
00:01:51.13\00:01:54.00
In 17 A.D. it was
destroyed by an earthquake,
00:01:54.00\00:01:57.40
but it was always rebuilt.
00:01:57.40\00:01:58.96
It was one of the great
cities of western Asia Minor
00:02:00.53\00:02:03.10
until the later
Byzantine period.
00:02:03.10\00:02:05.30
Over my left was
the main thoroughfare,
00:02:08.80\00:02:11.03
the main road for Sardis.
00:02:11.03\00:02:13.10
This is all side walk area.
00:02:13.10\00:02:15.40
Matter of fact,
imagine if you can kick out
00:02:15.40\00:02:17.56
some of the dirt in this area,
00:02:17.56\00:02:18.86
there would be a lot
more marble revealed.
00:02:18.86\00:02:21.86
But up and down this
whole thoroughfare were shops,
00:02:21.86\00:02:26.06
possibly the food
shops, the little restaurants,
00:02:26.06\00:02:30.20
the various things
that people sell their wares
00:02:30.20\00:02:32.40
come from the country, the farms
00:02:32.40\00:02:34.33
and sell their
fruits and vegetables,
00:02:34.33\00:02:36.70
maybe even their hand knit rugs
00:02:36.70\00:02:38.30
and all the
other wonderful things
00:02:38.30\00:02:39.60
that Turkey is
actually known for.
00:02:39.60\00:02:41.03
Lidia, thank you
for coming today.
00:02:43.86\00:02:46.30
I am very happy
to see you as well.
00:02:46.30\00:02:48.80
I am so glad that
isn't raining today.
00:02:48.80\00:02:50.63
We've had so
much rain in Ukraine.
00:02:50.63\00:02:53.90
This was a blessed meeting.
00:02:53.90\00:02:56.70
Tell me, where were you born?
00:02:56.70\00:03:00.06
Foreign language
00:03:00.06\00:03:01.03
It's a very nice
historical place with name Yuma.
00:03:01.03\00:03:04.93
Foreign language
00:03:04.93\00:03:07.93
Beautiful parks and
lots of beautiful places.
00:03:07.93\00:03:10.90
Foreign language
00:03:10.90\00:03:13.80
Tell me little
more about the family,
00:03:13.80\00:03:15.63
big family, little family.
00:03:15.63\00:03:17.80
My grandfather had ten kids.
00:03:17.80\00:03:20.23
My mom was eleventh.
00:03:20.23\00:03:22.33
In my family, it's
only me and my brother.
00:03:22.33\00:03:25.50
Little smaller.
00:03:25.50\00:03:27.16
Tell me a little more
about yourself as far as,
00:03:27.16\00:03:29.70
where the family Christians
or did they not believe,
00:03:29.70\00:03:33.30
where they communist?
00:03:33.30\00:03:35.40
Foreign language
00:03:35.40\00:03:37.50
I learnt everything
from my grandparents.
00:03:37.50\00:03:40.36
They show me how to pray.
00:03:40.36\00:03:42.26
We went to church
together to a small church.
00:03:42.26\00:03:45.23
Foreign language
00:03:45.23\00:03:48.70
It wasn't an Adventist church.
00:03:52.86\00:03:55.40
I'm not sure what
kind of church it was,
00:03:55.40\00:03:58.40
but they were with God.
00:03:58.40\00:03:59.93
Foreign language
00:03:59.93\00:04:03.43
My mother was an Adventist.
00:04:03.43\00:04:05.60
Foreign language
00:04:05.60\00:04:08.33
So did you grow up
then a Christian yourself?
00:04:08.33\00:04:11.00
Foreign language
00:04:11.00\00:04:13.66
I was educated about
Christ until fourth grade,
00:04:13.66\00:04:17.50
because I was
put in an orphanage.
00:04:17.50\00:04:20.20
After that I was
separate from Christ,
00:04:20.20\00:04:23.33
because I didn't have
anyone to talk about to Christ.
00:04:23.33\00:04:27.20
Foreign language
00:04:27.20\00:04:28.76
My mother was very ill,
00:04:28.76\00:04:31.00
back then a lot of people
were getting sick and died.
00:04:31.00\00:04:35.03
I believed that
Christ saved her life.
00:04:35.03\00:04:37.20
Foreign language
00:04:37.20\00:04:39.13
She had a serious brain illness.
00:04:39.13\00:04:41.83
She was going through
00:04:41.83\00:04:43.06
with the brain
treatments for eight years.
00:04:43.06\00:04:46.30
And finally they decided
to make a surgical procedure.
00:04:46.30\00:04:50.23
I was in eighth
grade at the time.
00:04:50.23\00:04:53.06
So you went to the university,
00:04:53.06\00:04:55.06
tell me a little more
about your university days.
00:04:55.06\00:04:59.43
Foreign language
00:04:59.43\00:05:02.56
I had no help I
worked and support myself.
00:05:04.80\00:05:08.93
I had the opportunity
at school to communicate
00:05:08.93\00:05:11.96
and meet
everyone through Ukraine
00:05:11.96\00:05:15.00
and that's a very nice thing.
00:05:15.00\00:05:16.90
Foreign Language
00:05:16.90\00:05:20.00
I still keep in
touch with my classmates.
00:05:23.10\00:05:26.10
Every thing back than was nice.
00:05:26.10\00:05:29.10
God blessed me with a good job
00:05:29.10\00:05:31.26
that was easy to keep
while I was in school.
00:05:31.26\00:05:34.00
Foreign Language
00:05:34.00\00:05:37.60
I am very sure that, if
they knew I was Adventist,
00:05:52.70\00:05:56.00
they wouldn't have
let me attend to college.
00:05:56.00\00:05:59.36
I knew that I
couldn't express myself
00:05:59.36\00:06:02.13
and I couldn't
talk about Christ,
00:06:02.13\00:06:04.30
I kept Christ in my heart.
00:06:04.30\00:06:06.16
Foreign Language
00:06:06.16\00:06:09.20
Praise the Lord, they were not
00:06:15.40\00:06:16.83
in those times
of persecution now.
00:06:16.83\00:06:18.83
You and I can be
sitting here in a park
00:06:18.83\00:06:20.53
and talking and it's wonderful.
00:06:20.53\00:06:23.10
Foreign Language
00:06:23.10\00:06:26.20
I thank God everyday for
this freedom to praise Him,
00:06:27.50\00:06:31.36
to know Him and to
believe and follow Him.
00:06:31.36\00:06:34.60
Foreign Language
00:06:34.60\00:06:37.70
It definitely
feels good not to hide.
00:06:39.60\00:06:42.90
God is very important to me now
and everything I do is with Him.
00:06:42.90\00:06:48.10
Foreign Language
00:06:48.10\00:06:51.43
This is just one of the capitals
of the column like that.
00:06:55.00\00:06:58.10
You can imagine
look at the size of this,
00:06:58.10\00:07:00.73
look at how massive those are.
00:07:00.73\00:07:02.70
This is the Temple of Artemis,
00:07:02.70\00:07:04.20
she was the
goddess of fertility.
00:07:04.20\00:07:06.63
They normally built a temple
like this close to the river.
00:07:06.63\00:07:09.96
They apparently had a system
00:07:09.96\00:07:12.26
where they would cut
off portions of an animal,
00:07:12.26\00:07:15.03
drape them over her.
00:07:15.03\00:07:16.60
After a while she
would become very bloody,
00:07:16.60\00:07:18.60
so once a year
they had a ceremony
00:07:18.60\00:07:20.33
to take her
statue down to the river
00:07:20.33\00:07:22.60
and wash and cleanse that
statue for the next season.
00:07:22.60\00:07:25.96
Interesting God.
00:07:25.96\00:07:27.03
Until you actually
get right up to these,
00:07:34.36\00:07:37.00
you just can't
appreciate the size.
00:07:37.00\00:07:39.46
It makes you wonder
exactly how they built this.
00:07:43.23\00:07:46.36
There is various stories
00:07:46.36\00:07:47.46
about how they
built up sand mounts
00:07:47.46\00:07:50.80
and then added layer
after layer of columns.
00:07:50.80\00:07:53.50
Then as they took away the sand,
00:07:53.50\00:07:55.93
they would then chisel and
do all their ornate design.
00:07:55.93\00:07:59.80
Whatever it was, they
were pretty intelligent.
00:07:59.80\00:08:02.06
As you can see many
of these column parts
00:08:10.56\00:08:13.13
are not carved yet.
00:08:13.13\00:08:14.70
Apparently the reason is
they started construction
00:08:14.70\00:08:17.30
here during the
Hellenistic period,
00:08:17.30\00:08:19.40
it went all the way
through into the Roman period
00:08:19.40\00:08:22.20
but it was never finished.
00:08:22.20\00:08:23.53
Excavation of the site began
in 1910 by Princeton University.
00:08:29.56\00:08:34.36
Today some of the equipment used
00:08:34.36\00:08:35.86
in the first
excavation can still be seen.
00:08:35.86\00:08:38.40
As you can see, AWR is
frontline mission radio.
00:08:43.93\00:08:47.73
Our first priority is to travel
where missionaries cannot go.
00:08:47.73\00:08:52.26
We broadcast thousands of hours
00:08:52.26\00:08:54.13
each day in 70 major
languages of the world.
00:08:54.13\00:08:57.83
AWR has the capability
and capacity of blanketing
00:08:57.83\00:09:00.96
almost 80% of the
world's population.
00:09:00.96\00:09:04.06
Not only do we
broadcast via shortwave radio
00:09:04.06\00:09:07.43
but our signal is on over
00:09:07.43\00:09:08.70
1,000 FM and AM stations
around the world as well.
00:09:08.70\00:09:13.30
Our podcast
subscribers, Internet users,
00:09:13.30\00:09:16.13
satellite downlinks
are growing rapidly.
00:09:16.13\00:09:18.70
Evidenced by the
hundred thousand plus emails,
00:09:18.70\00:09:21.66
letters and phone calls we
receive each and every year.
00:09:21.66\00:09:25.70
Yes, AWR is your mission radio.
00:09:25.70\00:09:29.00
No walls and no borders,
00:09:29.00\00:09:30.60
for AWR that means change lives
00:09:30.60\00:09:32.70
and changed
hearts around the world,
00:09:32.70\00:09:34.40
because God is
using the airwaves of AWR
00:09:34.40\00:09:38.03
to reach people everywhere.
00:09:38.03\00:09:39.50
There are remains
of several churches,
00:09:47.10\00:09:49.46
the Temple of Artemis
00:09:49.46\00:09:50.50
and most impressive
are the partially rebuilt
00:09:50.50\00:09:53.16
ruins of the Roman gymnasium
and the Jewish synagogue.
00:09:53.16\00:09:56.53
Somewhere
between 150 and 250 A.D.
00:10:03.23\00:10:06.30
this building was remodeled
00:10:06.30\00:10:08.66
and redesigned
from the civic building
00:10:08.66\00:10:10.50
of the government
into a Jewish synagogue.
00:10:10.50\00:10:13.63
The area behind
me the large labour.
00:10:13.63\00:10:16.23
They speculate that was
used for the washing of hands
00:10:16.23\00:10:19.03
before prayer or perhaps
just a large gathering area.
00:10:19.03\00:10:23.56
This building holds
over a thousand people,
00:10:23.56\00:10:26.00
so it tells them
this must have been
00:10:26.00\00:10:28.30
a large Jewish
community in the area.
00:10:28.30\00:10:31.13
Over here apparently,
these were used to hold torah.
00:10:31.13\00:10:35.60
The artwork here is
tremendous on the walls,
00:10:35.60\00:10:38.80
on the floors everywhere,
the mosaics, the tiles,
00:10:38.80\00:10:41.90
everything are just tremendous.
00:10:41.90\00:10:43.86
At the front of the synagogue,
00:10:51.66\00:10:52.96
we find this table
immediately behind,
00:10:52.96\00:10:55.46
were the areas
for the elders to sit.
00:10:55.46\00:10:57.50
What I really wanted to call
00:10:57.50\00:10:58.66
your attention to
though is this eagle,
00:10:58.66\00:11:01.13
one on each side of a table,
00:11:01.13\00:11:02.80
a Roman eagle
clutching dual thunderbolts.
00:11:02.80\00:11:05.76
The discovery of
the Sardis synagogue
00:11:12.80\00:11:14.60
has change the perception
00:11:14.60\00:11:15.83
about Judaism in
the later Roman Empire.
00:11:15.83\00:11:19.16
It is now known that
the Jewish communities
00:11:19.16\00:11:21.30
were still a
vital part of the Roman
00:11:21.30\00:11:23.23
Imperial civic life.
00:11:23.23\00:11:25.76
However most Jewish
communities at this time
00:11:25.76\00:11:28.26
were overshadowed by
the new Christian religion.
00:11:28.26\00:11:30.70
These marble slabs were
originally used by the Pagans,
00:11:33.30\00:11:36.20
had pagan
symbols, pagan writing,
00:11:36.20\00:11:38.33
but notice the cross
00:11:38.33\00:11:40.06
is superimposed
over the top of them.
00:11:40.06\00:11:42.06
It's believed that this
was then used as Baptistery
00:11:42.06\00:11:45.20
After the
university what did you do?
00:11:53.46\00:11:56.60
Foreign Language
00:11:56.60\00:11:59.53
I did go to church,
00:11:59.53\00:12:01.30
but I did go to the
wrong church for about a year.
00:12:01.30\00:12:04.90
Foreign Language
00:12:04.90\00:12:08.06
This all had a lot to do
with my husband passing away.
00:12:08.06\00:12:12.10
I was going through a
lot of stressful moments.
00:12:12.10\00:12:15.86
Foreign Language
00:12:15.86\00:12:19.06
At that time I
didn't pay attention
00:12:21.63\00:12:23.96
to the different churches.
00:12:23.96\00:12:26.00
I thank God everyday for sending
special people into my life
00:12:26.00\00:12:31.10
that helped me get
through this tough time.
00:12:31.10\00:12:34.00
Foreign Language
00:12:34.00\00:12:38.66
I happened to read the newspaper
and notice the Voice of Hope
00:12:38.66\00:12:43.40
and their Bible study
assignment that were offered.
00:12:43.40\00:12:47.70
I know that God
wants me to study the Bible
00:12:47.70\00:12:50.73
and He's
continuously opening up to me.
00:12:50.73\00:12:54.16
Thanks to Christ,
00:12:54.16\00:12:55.33
I found His
truth and His destiny.
00:12:55.33\00:12:58.10
Foreign Language
00:12:58.10\00:13:00.70
Well, it's
exciting, tell me more?
00:13:00.70\00:13:03.26
Foreign Language
00:13:03.26\00:13:05.96
The first I ever
saw the Bible, God says,
00:13:05.96\00:13:09.46
"If you love Me
fulfill My commandments.
00:13:09.46\00:13:14.33
How did that text of John affect
your life and your practice?
00:13:14.33\00:13:18.43
Foreign Language
00:13:18.43\00:13:20.63
I've failed to
fulfill the fourth commandment
00:13:20.63\00:13:25.36
and I can feel this
troubling me till this day.
00:13:25.36\00:13:29.46
Foreign Language
00:13:29.46\00:13:31.83
I thank God for
His love and patience.
00:13:31.83\00:13:35.93
He has been waiting
for me to correct my ways.
00:13:35.93\00:13:40.03
When I read the scripture,
00:13:40.03\00:13:42.30
I have realized that we're here
00:13:42.30\00:13:45.53
destined to
fulfill the good ways
00:13:45.53\00:13:49.70
and like our Christ.
00:13:49.70\00:13:51.93
I own Him myself for taking me
00:13:51.93\00:13:54.80
and keeping me away
from the wicked lies.
00:13:54.80\00:13:58.56
Foreign Language
00:13:58.56\00:14:00.90
At first I didn't
know what I was doing,
00:14:00.90\00:14:05.03
but later I opened up,
00:14:05.03\00:14:07.46
repented and accepted
Christ when I was baptized.
00:14:07.46\00:14:13.03
And I thank God,
00:14:13.03\00:14:14.60
I will never give up and
I'll never leave this path.
00:14:14.60\00:14:19.76
And I'll always
believe His commandments.
00:14:19.76\00:14:22.90
Foreign Language
00:14:22.90\00:14:24.90
So you started to
attend church then?
00:14:24.90\00:14:27.56
Foreign Language
00:14:27.56\00:14:29.13
Yes, I went right away,
00:14:29.13\00:14:32.26
I enjoyed the support
that we offer for others.
00:14:32.26\00:14:36.70
We pray for others
that Christ would heal,
00:14:36.70\00:14:41.03
help, and support them.
00:14:41.03\00:14:43.60
I receive a
great joy and happiness
00:14:43.60\00:14:47.20
that I have the
ability to ask Christ
00:14:47.20\00:14:50.30
to support their
health and their healing.
00:14:50.30\00:14:53.86
I thank God for
this joy and happiness
00:14:53.86\00:14:57.50
and I pray that He
would give me ability to help
00:14:57.50\00:15:02.30
and heal others as well.
00:15:02.30\00:15:04.26
Foreign Language
00:15:04.26\00:15:05.46
The Roman gymnasium was
an important part of life.
00:15:08.56\00:15:11.80
The ancients
believe that the human body
00:15:11.80\00:15:13.93
was a thing of beauty
00:15:13.93\00:15:15.43
and should be displayed
and exercised regularly.
00:15:15.43\00:15:18.40
I don't know if
you can figure out
00:15:26.43\00:15:27.83
where I'm standing right now,
00:15:27.83\00:15:28.93
but it's actually
in the Roman bathroom.
00:15:28.93\00:15:31.03
They had tremendous ingenuity.
00:15:31.03\00:15:33.06
This is four spots here
00:15:33.06\00:15:35.10
and they actually used
their slaves to sit down
00:15:35.10\00:15:37.93
and warm the stone before
the Roman's would sit here.
00:15:37.93\00:15:40.90
A whole sewage
system caught everything
00:15:40.90\00:15:43.00
and washed it all out
in the drainage system,
00:15:43.00\00:15:45.50
tremendous ingenuity.
00:15:45.50\00:15:47.43
Here in the
ancient city of Sardis,
00:16:02.23\00:16:05.06
I was thinking and contemplating
about the lives of the people
00:16:05.06\00:16:07.86
who lived here,
00:16:07.86\00:16:09.46
especially the
lives of the Christians.
00:16:09.46\00:16:13.00
I sometimes
forget as I read my Bible
00:16:13.00\00:16:15.20
and think about these people
00:16:15.20\00:16:17.00
that they had real
lives everyday lives
00:16:17.00\00:16:19.20
like you and I
have everyday lives.
00:16:19.20\00:16:22.16
They had to
work, they had to eat,
00:16:22.16\00:16:23.80
they had to sleep,
00:16:23.80\00:16:25.30
and they had to survive
among the culture a bit,
00:16:25.30\00:16:29.93
that didn't
believe like they did.
00:16:29.93\00:16:31.70
They sacrificed humans,
00:16:31.70\00:16:33.76
they looked to gods
of sun and moon and stars
00:16:33.76\00:16:38.40
and all the other things.
00:16:38.40\00:16:40.83
The people in Sardis
had a faith in Jesus Christ,
00:16:40.83\00:16:45.83
but at some point many
of them left that faith,
00:16:45.83\00:16:47.93
but there were
those who stayed faithful.
00:16:47.93\00:16:49.90
There were those that held on
to the message of Jesus Christ.
00:16:49.90\00:16:53.93
Jesus pointed them
to a life hereafter,
00:16:53.93\00:16:57.53
and this was the life
that they wanted to have.
00:16:57.53\00:17:01.30
Here in this massive gymnasium,
00:17:01.30\00:17:04.43
the people had fun,
and games, and frivolity.
00:17:04.43\00:17:08.20
Oh, they may have
believed someone in health,
00:17:08.20\00:17:10.10
but specially the
Greeks they love the good game.
00:17:10.10\00:17:14.93
It's exhibited by
this massive structure.
00:17:14.93\00:17:19.36
They loved the
beauty of the eye,
00:17:19.36\00:17:22.70
the beauty of the senses,
00:17:22.70\00:17:25.06
and these were
some of the things
00:17:25.06\00:17:26.46
that the Christians had to
struggle against here in Sardis.
00:17:26.46\00:17:29.76
Through the radio waves of AWR,
00:17:36.46\00:17:38.50
God is reaching
people around the world.
00:17:38.50\00:17:42.43
We'd like to offer you
an addition of Making Waves.
00:17:42.43\00:17:44.96
Its four of our episodes
00:17:44.96\00:17:46.43
brought to you
from around the world.
00:17:46.43\00:17:48.83
God speaking to hearts,
00:17:48.83\00:17:50.43
the hearts of the listeners
of AWR exciting stories.
00:17:50.43\00:17:53.36
We hope that you'll share those
with friends and neighbors,
00:17:53.36\00:17:56.03
acquaintances, anyone
you come in contact with.
00:17:56.03\00:17:58.36
Join us to make
waves, it's completely free.
00:17:58.36\00:18:01.63
Right now the
information is on your screen.
00:18:01.63\00:18:03.53
For your free no obligations DVD
00:18:05.30\00:18:07.50
write to Adventist World Radio,
00:18:07.50\00:18:10.03
12501 Old Columbia
Pike, Silver Spring, Maryland,
00:18:10.03\00:18:14.40
20904 or call 1-866-503-3531
00:18:14.40\00:18:21.46
or log on to www.awr.org/mwdvd.
00:18:21.46\00:18:28.76
Be sure to
request offer number 10
00:18:28.76\00:18:31.20
that number again
is 1-866-503-3531.
00:18:31.20\00:18:36.50
To the untrained eye, this site
really does not look like much
00:18:44.63\00:18:47.43
except perhaps through the
cross on the wall over there,
00:18:47.43\00:18:50.33
telling us that may be
there was a church here.
00:18:50.33\00:18:52.86
Indeed the archeologists
tell us there are two churches.
00:18:52.86\00:18:56.33
Perhaps put the
words of Jesus when he said
00:18:56.33\00:18:58.53
"Gather up all the
fragments, so nothing be lost"
00:18:58.53\00:19:01.50
applies here because an
earthquake or something else
00:19:01.50\00:19:04.73
may have
destroyed the first church,
00:19:04.73\00:19:06.46
they gathered up
all those fragments,
00:19:06.46\00:19:08.40
added to it, and built
another church on top of it.
00:19:08.40\00:19:11.53
Who knows one of these days
00:19:11.53\00:19:13.13
they might find the
actual church of Revelation.
00:19:13.13\00:19:15.93
In Revelation 3
verses 1 through 6,
00:19:21.26\00:19:24.13
John speaks of
the church of Sardis.
00:19:24.13\00:19:27.53
"Write this letter to the
angel of the church in Sardis.
00:19:27.53\00:19:30.30
This is the message from the one
00:19:32.03\00:19:33.70
who has the
sevenfold Spirit of God
00:19:33.70\00:19:35.90
and the seven stars,
00:19:35.90\00:19:37.80
"I know all the things you do,
00:19:37.80\00:19:39.73
and that you have a
reputation for being alive--
00:19:39.73\00:19:42.30
but you are dead.
00:19:42.30\00:19:44.00
Now wake up!
00:19:44.00\00:19:45.10
Strengthen what little remains,
00:19:45.10\00:19:47.00
for even what is left
is at the point of death.
00:19:47.00\00:19:50.70
Your deeds are far from
right in the sight of God.
00:19:50.70\00:19:54.03
Go back to what you
heard and believed at first,
00:19:54.03\00:19:56.93
hold to it firmly
and turn to me again.
00:19:56.93\00:19:59.83
Unless you do, I will
come upon you suddenly,
00:19:59.83\00:20:02.90
as unexpected as a thief.
00:20:02.90\00:20:05.70
Yet even in Sardis,
00:20:05.70\00:20:06.73
there are some
who have not soiled
00:20:06.73\00:20:08.40
their garments with evil deeds.
00:20:08.40\00:20:10.60
They will walk with me in
white, for they are worthy.
00:20:10.60\00:20:15.16
All who are victorious
will be clothed in white.
00:20:15.16\00:20:18.26
I will never erase their
names from the Book of Life,
00:20:18.26\00:20:20.90
but I will
announce before my Father
00:20:20.90\00:20:23.30
and His angels
that they are mine.
00:20:23.30\00:20:27.00
Anyone who is willing to
hear should listen to the Spirit
00:20:27.00\00:20:29.83
and understand what the Spirit
is saying to the churches."
00:20:29.83\00:20:33.36
What a message for all of us,
00:20:35.36\00:20:36.76
"Wake up, wake up
the time is at hand
00:20:36.76\00:20:39.16
when everyone will come before
the judgments seat of God."
00:20:39.16\00:20:43.43
Turn again to what
you once knew to be true.
00:20:43.43\00:20:45.70
Turn again to the
faith you once possessed.
00:20:45.70\00:20:49.00
This was the very message
00:20:49.00\00:20:50.46
God continue to
whisper to Lidia.
00:20:50.46\00:20:53.36
She had wandered
far from her faith,
00:20:53.36\00:20:56.00
but one day she
heard God calling her back
00:20:56.00\00:20:59.20
and she did indeed wake up.
00:20:59.20\00:21:01.36
You did things
a little different
00:21:04.63\00:21:06.10
than many of our listeners.
00:21:06.10\00:21:07.33
You first did our Bible studies
00:21:07.33\00:21:10.26
and then you said you
listened to the radio.
00:21:10.26\00:21:13.20
Tell me how did that work out?
00:21:13.20\00:21:15.26
Foreign Language
00:21:15.26\00:21:19.00
I really wanted to be
familiar with the word
00:21:19.00\00:21:23.00
and so I studied
newspaper and magazines.
00:21:23.00\00:21:26.73
Foreign Language
00:21:26.73\00:21:30.60
I didn't enjoy
listening to the radio
00:21:30.60\00:21:33.60
nor did I watch the television.
00:21:33.60\00:21:37.06
It just didn't feel
right being connected that way
00:21:37.06\00:21:41.53
with the rest of the world.
00:21:41.53\00:21:44.03
But I'm really happy
00:21:44.03\00:21:45.50
that Voice of the
Hope brought to me
00:21:45.50\00:21:48.73
and give me opportunity
to listen to Voice of Hope.
00:21:48.73\00:21:52.80
Foreign Language
00:21:52.80\00:21:56.03
I wanted to tell everyone
at church and to my sisters.
00:21:58.33\00:22:03.43
I want everyone to listen,
because it's very interesting.
00:22:03.43\00:22:08.50
Foreign Language
00:22:08.50\00:22:11.66
When listening to this,
I would definitely say that
00:22:13.70\00:22:18.06
there is a seed
planted in the park.
00:22:18.06\00:22:21.46
Foreign Language
00:22:21.46\00:22:24.60
You seem like you're like
every one of our AWR listeners.
00:22:24.60\00:22:28.13
As soon as you hear it,
00:22:28.13\00:22:29.33
you want to share
the programs with others.
00:22:29.33\00:22:31.16
You want to make
waves to everybody else.
00:22:31.16\00:22:33.86
Foreign Language
00:22:33.86\00:22:37.10
Yes, I was always around
other people at the foster home
00:22:37.10\00:22:42.30
and even now I
tell people about it.
00:22:42.30\00:22:46.00
And after a while
they want my presence,
00:22:46.00\00:22:50.33
they thirst for it.
00:22:50.33\00:22:52.30
and I love that feeling
that someone else needs me.
00:22:52.30\00:22:56.93
Foreign Language
00:22:56.93\00:22:59.86
There were people
that are going to watch
00:22:59.86\00:23:02.50
the two of us talking
today and they may realize
00:23:02.50\00:23:06.16
there is something
missing in their lives.
00:23:06.16\00:23:08.53
What would you
tell them is missing?
00:23:08.53\00:23:11.26
Foreign Language
00:23:11.26\00:23:14.70
I want to say that
God is with us today
00:23:15.83\00:23:20.00
and He was there in my past.
00:23:20.00\00:23:22.33
Foreign Language
00:23:22.33\00:23:26.10
I have a lot of
friends all over the country
00:23:26.10\00:23:29.76
and when they hear my voice,
I hope that they come to Christ.
00:23:29.76\00:23:34.43
Foreign Language
00:23:34.43\00:23:37.46
I really want
them to hear me testify
00:23:37.46\00:23:40.76
and I hope that
they all come to Christ
00:23:40.76\00:23:44.23
and my relatives as well.
00:23:44.23\00:23:47.26
I want them to have
a future with Christ.
00:23:47.26\00:23:51.06
I want them to
live an eternal life.
00:23:51.06\00:23:54.20
Foreign Language
00:23:54.20\00:23:58.56
I love them all and I love God,
00:23:58.56\00:24:02.10
because He unite us all.
00:24:02.10\00:24:04.66
Foreign Language
00:24:04.66\00:24:09.23
I know that He will
find them when they are lost.
00:24:09.23\00:24:13.63
Foreign Language
00:24:13.63\00:24:16.20
You said it wonderfully.
00:24:16.20\00:24:19.00
Thank you so
much for coming today.
00:24:19.00\00:24:20.56
Foreign Language
00:24:20.56\00:24:22.26
I thank God for you guys.
00:24:22.26\00:24:24.46
Foreign Language
00:24:24.46\00:24:25.80
In our story today we
saw the experience of Lidia.
00:24:28.53\00:24:32.43
Her mother was an Adventist,
00:24:32.43\00:24:34.60
but she only
lived with her mother
00:24:34.60\00:24:36.20
a relatively short time,
00:24:36.20\00:24:38.23
but even that short time
made an imprint upon her mind,
00:24:38.23\00:24:43.13
then came the long
days of communist atheism.
00:24:43.13\00:24:47.50
It was a dark
period for her soul,
00:24:47.50\00:24:50.86
but then the
time of change began
00:24:50.86\00:24:54.10
and as communism was fading,
00:24:54.10\00:24:56.46
she learned about the
Bible correspondence course
00:24:56.46\00:24:59.60
offered by the Voice of Hope.
00:24:59.60\00:25:01.90
When she began to
study that Bible course,
00:25:01.90\00:25:04.60
she had two kinds of reactions.
00:25:04.60\00:25:07.60
One reaction was
00:25:07.60\00:25:09.40
"Hey, I've heard some
of these things before.
00:25:09.40\00:25:12.60
I remember that my mother
talked about Jesus who saves us,
00:25:12.60\00:25:16.50
and the second coming of Jesus
00:25:16.50\00:25:18.70
and how she went to
church on the Sabbath."
00:25:18.70\00:25:21.96
And so she felt
happy about that,
00:25:21.96\00:25:24.40
but on the other hand she felt
a different kind of feeling.
00:25:24.40\00:25:28.43
She realized that in her life
00:25:28.43\00:25:30.56
she wasn't keeping God's
will and so she felt guilty
00:25:30.56\00:25:35.43
and she felt like
she should make a change.
00:25:35.43\00:25:39.50
From her study
of the Bible lessons
00:25:39.50\00:25:41.60
one key text stood
out, it was John 14:15.
00:25:41.60\00:25:46.80
"If you love Me,
keep My commandments."
00:25:46.80\00:25:49.93
In one sense, she felt bad
00:25:49.93\00:25:52.20
because she hadn't been
keeping God's commandments.
00:25:52.20\00:25:55.63
On the other hand
when she remembered that
00:25:55.63\00:25:58.10
Jesus had saved her,
00:25:58.10\00:25:59.76
she wanted to
keep the commandments,
00:25:59.76\00:26:01.43
because she loved Jesus.
00:26:01.43\00:26:03.96
Well, it wasn't long
before Lidia discovered
00:26:03.96\00:26:07.56
an Adventist
Church in her neighborhood
00:26:07.56\00:26:10.13
and when she began
to attend that church,
00:26:10.13\00:26:12.96
somehow she just
felt like she was at home,
00:26:12.96\00:26:15.90
she had returned to her roots.
00:26:15.90\00:26:18.90
I'm standing here in the area
00:26:18.90\00:26:20.93
where the city
of Sardis once stood
00:26:20.93\00:26:24.60
and there was a letter written
00:26:24.60\00:26:26.26
in the Book of Revelation
to the city of Sardis.
00:26:26.26\00:26:29.76
There are some differences
between Lidia's story
00:26:29.76\00:26:32.53
and the experience of
the people here in Sardis.
00:26:32.53\00:26:35.53
In Sardis, the people
were known to be Christians,
00:26:35.53\00:26:39.23
but the message to them was
00:26:39.23\00:26:41.40
"Wake up because
you're essentially dead."
00:26:41.40\00:26:44.63
In Lidia's case
00:26:44.63\00:26:46.60
she was
involved in circumstances
00:26:46.60\00:26:49.13
beyond her control that kept her
from learning more about God.
00:26:49.13\00:26:54.20
But finally
Lidia took the advice.
00:26:54.20\00:26:56.90
She has returned to
the fold of Jesus Christ
00:26:56.90\00:27:00.80
and that's how
God wants us to be
00:27:00.80\00:27:02.96
whether we're in the
church or outside of the church,
00:27:02.96\00:27:05.30
He wants us to come back to Him.
00:27:05.30\00:27:08.03
Won't you help AWR
00:27:08.03\00:27:10.26
lead many, many more
people to find Jesus Christ
00:27:10.26\00:27:14.53
and return to the fold,
00:27:14.53\00:27:16.70
so that we can be
with Him when He comes.
00:27:16.70\00:27:19.13
AWR is touching
the lives of people
00:27:20.53\00:27:22.80
all around the
world for Jesus Christ.
00:27:22.80\00:27:25.33
If you would like
to partner with us,
00:27:25.33\00:27:26.76
please give us a
call 1-866-503-3531
00:27:26.76\00:27:32.23
or write us at 12501
00:27:32.23\00:27:34.43
Old Columbia Pike,
Silver Spring, Maryland
00:27:34.43\00:27:37.26
20904 or log on to www.awr.org.
00:27:37.26\00:27:43.43
Thank you for watching
and please join us again
00:27:44.50\00:27:46.86
for another
exciting gospel adventure,
00:27:46.86\00:27:48.76
because around the
world AWR is making waves.
00:27:48.76\00:27:52.26