Participants: Jim Ayer
Series Code: MW
Program Code: MW000040
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00:01 She experienced the call of God
00:02 so powerfully in her life, 00:03 she was ready to run to the river and baptize herself. 00:56 The Jordan River is now a small stream 00:58 less than 50 feet wide. 01:00 Centuries ago it was a little more impressive, 01:02 but now most of the water feeding the Jordan 01:05 is used for irrigation. 01:07 It flows from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea 01:10 a distance of 70 miles. 01:13 Yep, because the river slowly meanders 01:15 around the valley. 01:16 It travels a distance of 110 miles. 01:22 Much of the area isn't suitable for settlements, 01:24 so it is mostly farmland. 01:28 In the thick vegetation along the river live the lions 01:31 that David killed when protecting His sheep. 01:34 It was also a strategic line in many battles. 01:37 As well as the river King David 01:39 crossed to escape his son's army. 01:43 Stories of the Jordan River abound, 01:45 the Syrian general Mammon 01:47 who felt he was insulted by God's prophet 01:49 because he was directed to bathe in river, 01:51 he considered greatly inferior to those in his own country. 01:56 But upon swallowing his pride 01:57 and bathing seven times as directed, 02:00 he was healed of his leprosy. 02:02 Elisha saved the day for the school of prophets 02:05 by causing a lost ax head to float 02:07 up to the surface of the water. 02:09 And we can't forget God stopping 02:11 the flow of the water, 02:12 so that children of Israel could cross over 02:14 to take possession of Canaan land. 02:18 And it is known the world over by Christians 02:20 as the place where Jesus was baptized 02:22 by John the Baptist, as our example. 02:29 Jesus came to the river Jordan to be baptized by John, 02:32 not because He needed it 02:34 but for an example for you and for me. 02:36 In this fresco on the side of the church 02:38 however we see John sprinkling Jesus. 02:41 Not the way because the Bible said 02:43 that Jesus came up out of the water, 02:46 signifying the manner in which he was baptized. 02:49 Still it's a beautiful painting 02:51 on the side of a beautiful church. 02:54 Tonia, we drove today for at least six hours 02:58 and I thought, when are we ever going 03:00 to get to our location, 03:01 and it seemed like there was nothing 03:02 just field after field after field. 03:05 And then we arrived here, 03:06 your home is like a beautiful Mecca. 03:09 It's truly a beautiful corner 03:11 that's what I like the most about it. 03:14 Did you do all of this yourself? Yes. 03:18 It's beautiful. Thank you. 03:21 So, how many years have you lived here? Ten years. 03:24 And where did you live before? Kazakhstan. 03:28 And how long did you live in Kazakhstan. 03:30 Foreign Language 03:35 I lived in Kazakhstan for the thirty years 03:38 and worked many jobs. 03:40 Foreign Language 03:48 I first worked for hemming factory. 03:50 Foreign Language 04:02 Then as an engineering manager. 04:05 Foreign Language 04:11 Now tell me you lived during the time of communism. 04:15 Yes, of course. 04:17 Can you tell me what that was like? 04:19 Foreign Language 04:26 To tell you the truth, everything was good. 04:30 No one were forceful, nobody bothered us, 04:34 we lived a beautiful home. 04:37 We had amazing jobs. 04:39 Foreign Language 04:43 But then everything started shifting 04:47 and we got a notice that we have to leave 04:51 everything and go. 04:52 Foreign Language 04:57 I thank God that I had opportunity 05:01 to take all my belongings 05:03 leaving Kazakhstan behind me. 05:07 Foreign Language 05:11 I even had the chance to grab all my needles and thread. 05:16 There were a lot of nice people 05:18 that helped me carry all my belongings out. 05:22 Foreign Language 05:26 Can you share with me what exactly caused the reason 05:30 for the loss of your home and everything? 05:32 Foreign Language 05:37 I can't really answer that question. I'm not sure. 05:42 Foreign Language 05:46 People seem nice, always polite. 05:52 We didn't feel uncomfortable, everyone talked in Russian. 05:58 Foreign Language 06:02 Everything was fine but then everything started changing. 06:17 Here in the Jordan River, this is a traditional site 06:20 where people from all over the world come to be baptized. 06:23 They say the place where John was baptizing, 06:26 calling people to repents. 06:29 Remission of their sins, be baptized in the watery grave 06:32 and come up as a new believer in Jesus Christ. 06:35 One day, John looked and said, 06:37 "Behold, the Lamb of God 06:39 which taketh away the sins of the world. 06:41 There's one among you he said, 06:43 who shoes I'm not worthy to untie." 06:45 And people looked. 06:46 They said, "where, where?" 06:49 Please don't miss this point 06:50 because Jesus was standing among the church, 06:54 the leadership, the people of the church 06:56 of that day, and they didn't 06:57 recognized the Savior, their Creator. 07:01 My friends, we need to be careful of ourselves 07:03 if we must know Him. 07:05 Not just about Him, we must know Him. 07:09 And Jesus went down into the water 07:11 as an example for you and for me. 07:22 Although His official ministry was only six months long, 07:26 John the Baptist was considered by Jesus 07:28 to be the greatest of all prophets. 07:30 He lived and preached in the wilderness 07:32 around the Jordan valley 07:34 and was known throughout Israel. 07:41 The Apostle John was one of Jesus closest followers. 07:44 He recognized the prophetic significance 07:46 in John the Baptist and began the First chapter of his gospel 07:50 narrated by speaking of John as one sent from God, 07:53 a witness to testify concerning Jesus, 07:56 the light that was to light the whole world. 07:59 The apostle also speaks of John the Baptist denial 08:02 that He was the Christ, instead saying 08:05 that He was the voice of one crying in the wilderness. 08:11 Where there is no voice, there is no hope. 08:14 But AWR is bringing that hope, stay tuned. 08:19 Through the radio waves of AWR, 08:21 God is reaching people around the world. 08:25 We'd like to offer you an edition of Making Waves. 08:28 It's four of our episodes brought to you 08:30 from around the world. 08:31 God speaking to hearts, 08:33 the hearts of the listeners of AWR, exciting stories. 08:36 We hope that you'll share those with friends 08:38 and neighbors, acquaintances, 08:39 anyone you come in contact with. 08:41 Join us to make waves, it's completely free. 08:44 Right now the information is on your screen. 08:48 For your free, no obligation DVD, 08:50 write to Adventist World Radio, 08:53 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, Maryland, 09:04 or log on to www.awr.org/MWDVD. 09:11 Be sure to request offer number 10, 09:14 that number again is 1-866-503-3531. 09:22 Here is another story of hope from Adventist World Radio. 09:26 My name is Benjamin Schoun 09:27 and I'm the President of Adventist World Radio. 09:30 Let me tell you about our work in Vietnam, 09:32 the communist country, 09:34 where Christianity is severely controlled 09:36 and public evangelism is outlawed. 09:39 However programs broadcast by Adventist World Radio 09:42 effortlessly reach Vietnam and large numbers of people 09:46 listen secretly to our message of hope. 09:49 Many of these people risk arrest 09:51 and severe punishment to gather 09:53 in small house churches to listen to the programs 09:56 called Peace and Happiness. 09:57 These groups continually send us letters 10:00 asking how to bring others to Christ. 10:02 Time and again, we are encouraged 10:04 by making contact with another group of believers 10:07 brought to Christ through the radio. 10:11 Adventist World Radio shares the hope of Christ 10:14 with millions of people everyday, 10:17 for more information visit awr.org. 10:24 The Apostle John after his exile to Patmos, 10:28 settled in Ephesus, or modern day Selcuk, Turkey. 10:31 Where He fulfilled his promise to Jesus 10:33 on the Cross to look after his mother. 10:39 Walking among the ruins of the ancient cities 10:41 I've read about in the Bible 10:43 is truly an experience of a lifetime. 10:46 Reading the text at home in my easy chair 10:48 will never be the same again. 10:50 It is truly for real. 10:53 Christian ruins in and around Ephesus 10:55 includes several churches. 10:57 One is said to be the burial place of the Apostle John, 11:01 the disciple of Jesus also known 11:03 as John the Revelator and the one whom Jesus loved. 11:07 The church of Saint John 11:08 was built on a hill overlooking modern day Selcuk. 11:12 Just below this hill once stood the temple of Artemis. 11:15 One of the Seven ancient wonders of the world. 11:21 The church was built in the shape of a cross, 11:24 at the center is what is believed 11:25 to be the tomb of John. 11:30 By the 6th century, the building was suffering 11:32 from great neglect and disrepair. 11:34 So Justinian the Great, erected a new 11:36 and larger church upon the site. 11:40 On one side of the sanctuary 11:41 can be found the remains of a baptistery 11:43 dating back to the 6th century. 11:49 So during that time you were an atheist 11:52 or were you a Christian? 11:55 Foreign Language 12:01 You know I was raised with my grandma and grandpa. 12:06 Foreign Language 12:12 They were Orthodox Christians and I grew up Christian. 12:17 Foreign Language 12:29 You know everyone loved me and I loved them. 12:33 Foreign Language 12:40 When I was going through hard time 12:43 I remember of God and I prayed. 12:46 Foreign Language 12:56 During good times I forgot about God 12:59 and didn't really read the Bible. 13:03 Foreign Language 13:10 When my husband passed away 13:13 I questioned where God was. 13:17 Foreign Language 13:22 Did you really have a strong faith in God 13:25 all of that time or did it kind of go up and down 13:28 or tell me little more? No. 13:31 Foreign Language 13:38 I never really stayed connected with God 13:42 unless certain holidays came along 13:46 such as Easter or Christmas 13:49 that was the time to remember Christ. 13:52 Foreign Language 14:02 But overall, going to church or just remembering God, no. 14:08 Foreign Language 14:12 But something changed in your life all of that change. 14:16 Can you share with me that story? 14:18 Foreign Language 14:22 I became a believer slowly by taking baby steps. 14:27 Foreign Language 14:36 Me and my son studied the Bible 14:39 and had many questions. 14:42 But no one to turn for answers. 14:45 Foreign Language 14:55 There was Jana and Ulia, 14:57 so we turned to them with our questions. 15:01 Foreign Language 15:09 She had satellite and told us about Voice of Hope. 15:13 So I started receiving lessons. 15:17 Foreign Language 15:26 I have never written poems 15:29 and here I was writing poems. 15:33 Foreign Language 15:43 I started writing poems about the things 15:46 that bother me the most. 15:48 People told me that Christ wasn't crucified 15:53 on a cross but on a pole. 15:55 Foreign Language 16:06 It makes no difference to me, 16:09 all I know is that Christ spilled his blood for me. 16:14 And I believe that's what really matters. 16:18 Foreign Language 16:28 I didn't know we had churches around 16:31 but I did know that I wanted to get baptized. 16:36 Foreign Language 16:43 In the past I never really thought about it. 16:47 So, wrote to Voice of Hope 16:49 that I wanted to get baptized 16:52 but I didn't have the opportunity. 16:55 And I told them that I would wait until 16:59 we were by our home, but warmer. 17:02 And I would go, stand in it and say, 17:06 God take me I'm yours. 17:09 Foreign Language 17:12 After a short while I received a letter. 17:18 So you were going to go baptized yourself, 17:20 what happened? Did you? 17:25 Yes. 17:26 Foreign Language 17:32 I've wrote a letter and never expected anyone to answer it. 17:37 Foreign Language 17:41 Then I received a letter and I had no idea 17:45 where it came from and who it was. 17:48 Foreign Language 17:52 His name was Evan Putter. 17:55 He asked me what my needs were spiritually 18:00 and that he would come to visit me. 18:03 Foreign Language 18:08 I called him and we'd a discussion. 18:11 Foreign Language 18:17 He promised to visit on the 17 of that month to baptize me. 18:23 Valara and Tatiana all wanted to get baptized. 18:29 So it seems like God led you step by step, 18:31 in Bible study and studies and listening to the radio, 18:36 till you're saying, this is it. 18:41 Yes, exactly that. 18:45 Here is another story of hope from Adventist World Radio. 18:49 Berhanu could not believe his ears, 18:52 a radio program in Oromo, his native language. 18:56 It was so rare yet there it was, 18:59 from a station called Adventist World Radio. 19:02 Berhanu was so happy with his new discovery, 19:05 that he traveled to Addis Ababa 19:07 to see the station for himself. 19:10 After arriving, Berhanu hadn't a clue 19:13 where to find Adventist World Radio in the massive city. 19:18 Miraculously though, a stranger offered 19:20 to guide Berhanu to the station. 19:23 He couldn't believe his eyes. 19:25 Berhanu kept asking, is this really the station. 19:29 Are you really the people who speak about Christ? 19:34 Adventist world Radio shares the hope of Christ 19:37 with millions of people everyday, 19:40 for more information visit awr.org. 19:45 As you can see AWR is frontline mission radio. 19:49 Our first priority is to travel 19:51 where missionaries cannot go. 19:53 We broadcast thousands of hours 19:55 each day in 70 major languages of the world. 19:59 AWR has the capability and capacity of blanketing 20:02 almost 80 percent of the world's population. 20:05 Not only do we broadcast via shortwave radio, 20:08 but our signal is on over 1,000 FM and AM stations 20:12 around the world as well. 20:14 Our podcast subscribers, Internet users 20:17 satellite downlinks are growing rapidly, 20:20 evidenced by the hundred thousand plus 20:22 emails, letters, and phone calls 20:24 we receive each and every year. 20:27 Yes, AWR is your mission radio. 20:30 No walls and no borders. 20:32 For AWR that means changed lives 20:34 and changed hearts around the world, 20:35 because God is using the airwaves of AWR 20:39 to reach people everywhere. 20:46 The house of the Virgin Mary is just a few miles 20:48 up in the mountains from Ephesus. 20:50 Tradition says that here, in these mountains, 20:53 John cared for Mary until her death. 20:56 The stories of Mary 20:57 say that she often visited the Holy Land. 20:59 In one of her visits, she became ill. 21:02 Conflicting stories now circulate, 21:04 some say she died in Jerusalem 21:06 and some say that she recovered 21:08 and returned to Ephesus and eventually died here. 21:13 In 1891, Lazarus of Smyrna 21:16 identified this place as the house of Mary. 21:18 As seen in a dream by Catherine Emmerich 21:20 in the early 19th century. 21:23 Although there is no hard evidence 21:25 there are many traditions dating back 21:27 to the third ecumenical council in Ephesus in 431 21:30 that say that this was indeed her home. 21:35 The one thing we do know is that John took Jesus 21:38 at his word and cared for his mother. 21:41 We also know that John 21:42 was the pastor of the church in Ephesus. 21:45 John, Mary and the other Christians living here 21:48 frequently experienced persecution by local residents. 21:52 But the love of God is like a magnet 21:54 calling to even the most hardened hearts. 21:57 Those who hated the Christians most, 21:59 once touched by the spirit 22:00 often becomes Christ's most ardent followers. 22:04 This was seen in the life of the Apostle John 22:06 and His brother James, 22:07 who were once known as the Sons of Thunder. 22:13 What does the AWR Voice of Hope programs 22:15 mean to you now? 22:17 Foreign Language 22:21 I read the Bible and at times I don't understand it. 22:27 Sergey Kuzmin opened up my eyes to those difficult areas 22:33 that I had a hard time understanding 22:36 and Voice of Hope helped me understand them. 22:41 You know I had an opportunity to meet your son 22:45 before we came over the porch, 22:47 and he told me that you got him started listening to AWR also. 22:52 Foreign Language 22:59 You know, Valara actually painted 23:02 and wrote poems back in Kazakhstan 23:05 relating to the Bible. 23:07 But he did that as a hobby. 23:10 Foreign Language 23:16 It was only after his father passed away 23:20 did he start studying 23:22 and going deeper into understanding it. 23:26 Foreign Language 23:29 And what did that mean to you as a mother 23:32 to see your son studying and coming closer to God? 23:37 It's a blessing when the whole family is Christian. 23:42 Foreign Language 23:44 We sit down on Saturdays 23:47 and read our Bible assignments. 23:50 Foreign Language 23:54 Together we praised the Lord. 23:57 Our discussions are always about God 24:01 and I thank God for that. 24:04 It is truly a blessing. 24:07 So you now hold church right in your home? Yes. 24:11 And you're the instructor the teacher and the pastor? 24:14 Foreign Language 24:18 Valara is our home pastor, he reads the assignments. 24:23 Foreign Language 24:24 I have a Bible in hand and I read and yes, 24:29 that's how we do it. 24:32 Tonia, I can see that you just glow for God 24:36 just like your flowers. Yes. 24:39 Come, you've to show me, you've got to show me. 25:04 Tonia and her husband had a good life in communism. 25:08 But after they moved back to Russia, her husband died. 25:12 There's nothing like death 25:13 that turns one's mind toward eternal things. 25:16 Tonia was ready to listen to the programs 25:19 of the Voice of Hope. 25:21 She found Voice of Hope on her radio 25:24 and she began to listen. 25:26 But that is the thing that leads us 25:29 to the most interesting part of her story, 25:32 after she listened to the radio and took the Bible course, 25:36 she decided that she needed to be baptized. 25:39 She wrote a letter to the Voice of Hope offices 25:42 but they were far away. 25:44 She thought, well I don't think 25:46 anyone will come to baptize me. 25:49 And so she determined that if someone did not come 25:53 within a certain period of time 25:55 she was gonna go to the river and baptize herself. 25:59 That reminds me of another listener 26:00 we had that wrote in sometime ago. 26:03 He wanted to know if he could be 26:05 baptized by correspondence. 26:07 Well, that's an interesting thought. 26:09 But, you know, I believe God 26:11 understands the hearts of people 26:13 like that and what their desires are. 26:16 In the case of Tonia, a pastor did write to her 26:20 and she had a very wonderful and meaningful baptism. 26:24 I'm sitting here by the Jordan River 26:26 and this is the very river that John used to baptize Jesus 26:30 and many other people who had come to repentance. 26:33 Baptism, you see, is the symbol 26:36 that Jesus chose to symbolize conversion. 26:41 It symbolizes death 26:43 and burial to the old life of sin 26:46 and resurrection to the new life in Christ. 26:50 You can help many more people create waves of baptism 26:54 through the ministry of AWR. 26:58 AWR is making waves of baptism around the world. 27:02 If you'd like to join us give us a call 27:04 1-866-503-3531 or you can write us at 12501, 27:11 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904 27:16 or log on to our website www.awr.org. 27:21 Thank you for watching and please join us again 27:24 for another exciting gospel adventure, 27:26 because around the world, AWR is making waves. |
Revised 2014-12-17