AMEN Australia 2012: Right Arm, Right Approach, Right Now

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Adventist Medical Evangelism Network Australia

Nicholas Tsang

Morning Devotional


Father in heaven, we are so grateful for the work that you have started or continue to move in the hearts of the medical professions here in Australia. Lord, we're looking forward to see the direction of Amen. We're looking forward to networking together, to seeing the work of the right arm of the gospel, to move forward. And especially as we hasten unto the coming of Jesus, Lord, we long for that day where we will be redundant in our health profession, where there'll be no more sickness, there'll be no more sorrow. So Father, Lord, we pray that you'll be with us this morning as we open up your word.

We pray that you'll guide us, that you'll help us to draw from the sacred pages and as we focus upon the great physician. Lord, I pray that the message will be clear. I pray that the message will come from you. For in Jesus' name I pray, amen. I wanted to take our reading, and as we look at, as our great physician, as our great example, I hope that as health professionals, and when I say health professionals, I'm not referring to dentists or doctors, I'm referring to each and every 1 of you here.

We are all involved in the health ministry, whether we're a minister, a lay worker in a health retreat, a dietician, physio, doctor or dentist, regardless, we are all health professionals. We are all carrying the gospel message through the health lines. So this message is relevant to each and every 1 of us. I want to focus upon the account in Mark, Mark chapter 4. The same account is seen in Matthew chapter 8 and Luke chapter 8 as well, but I'll be reading from the account in Mark chapter 5.

Oh, it's signed from chapter 4, I should say, sorry. Now, this is a well-known story, well-loved story. It's the miracle of the stilling of the storm and the and The demon possessed man or as it accounts in the book of Matthew the demon possessed men So, how about we read this passage of Scripture starting from Mark 4, verses 35 to the end. Mark 4, verses 35 to 41. And the Bible reads, On the same day, when even had come, he said to them, Let us cross over to the other side.

Now when they had left the multitude, they took him along in the boat as he was, and other little boats were also with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the winds beat into the boat so that it was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke him and said to him, Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? Then he arose and rebuked the wind and the sea and said to the sea, peace, be still.

And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But he said to them, why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? And they feared exceedingly and said to 1 another, who can this be that even the wind and the sea obey him? Jesus had told extensively on the Western coast of the Sea of Galilee.

He had shared his first parable with them, and he told day and night, sharing with them the gospel, teaching and healing them. He was pressed about even further with the crowd, despite the many people that were healed. The malicious criticism and misrepresentations of Pharisees also weighed heavily upon him, and he longed for retirement, beckoning his disciples to take him over to the east coast of the Sea of Galilee, where a place that was essentially a Greek and Roman culture. You see, it wasn't because of political or military reasons why the Greeks and the Romans decided to settle on the eastern coast of the Sea of Galilee. They settled there because of their culture and their language.

And finding in this place a place of repose, Jesus wanted to go there to remove himself from an otherwise Jewish nation that wasn't really receptive from the leadership to the message that he wanted to present. So going to a place that was largely heathen compared to Jew, he settled in the boat with a few other boats in tow and headed out into the sea. And we read of the events that took place. There was a great storm that arose unlike any other storm that the seasoned fishermen had faced. And in the extent of the storm, fearing for their lives, they went to their last and only hope, Jesus.

Waking him up, he awakens up, rises and speaks to the angry sea, peace be still. The storm ceases, the gentle stars break forth, and there is a calm. Jesus, their savior, had stilled the raging storm. And then we read further in Mark 5, verses 1 to 20, And we'll read its entirety. Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.

And when he had come out of the boat, immediately they met him out of the tombs, a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs, and no 1 could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces, neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped him. And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God. I implore you by God that you do not torment me.

For he said to him, come out of the man, unclean spirit. And he being Jesus asked him, what is your name? And he answered saying, my name is Legion, for we are many. Also he begged him earnestly that he would not send him out of the country. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountain, so all the demons begged him, saying, send us to the swine, that we may enter them.

And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine. There were about 2, 000 and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea and drowned in the sea. So those who fed the swine fled and they told it in the city and in the country and they went out to see what it was that had happened. Then they came to Jesus and saw the 1 who had been demon possessed and had the legion sitting and clothed in his right mind and they were afraid.

And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon possessed and about the swine. Then they began to plead with him to depart from their region. And when he got into the boat, he who had been demon possessed begged him that he might be with him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, go home to your friends and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you and how he has had compassion on you. And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him and all marveled.

Now you would have thought after the night's ordeal that the disciples were confident that Jesus could still any raging storm. But as they landed on the shores of Gennesaret, they faced a different storm that they weren't used to. As the demoniacs rushed towards Jesus, the disciples fled in fear, but the same hand that had stilled and calmed the raging storm also beckoned this demon-possessed man, or the account of Matthew, these demon-possessed men to stand still. With authority, these demons who numbered as legion were bidden to leave, but a plea was made by the demons and granted to enter a herd of swine. So we see the herd of swine that numbered about 2, 000 rushed down the cliff and to their death.

Meanwhile, a change had taken place in these once demon-possessed men. Intelligence shone forth from their eyes. The storm had been stilled in their life, and we see them, the Bible describes them as being in their right mind, clothed at the feet of Jesus, glorifying their Savior and learning from Jesus the things that were relevant and necessary for their lives. These men had now been freed from the clutches of Satan. From the cliff, the keepers of the swine fled in fear.

They published to their employers. They published to the region round about them and soon a large crowd was gathered around to see this Jesus and the demon-possessed man. But instead of gratitude, instead of gratitude to their Savior who had freed this demon-possessed man, they approached him in fear. Once the demon-possessed man would rush upon any travelers, the region was shut off. People were living in fear of this region because of these men, and yet they approached Jesus with fear.

The loss of the swine see to them of greater importance than the freeing of these men from Satan's hold. It was in mercy to these people that God had permitted the loss of these swine. These people were steeped in worldly possessions, in worldly gain, and God longed to open to them and help them realize their spiritual deficiencies. Jesus had hoped to break the spell of selfishness and gain that they might realize their need of the spiritual cleansing as was evidenced by these men before the feet of Jesus. But their temporal loss blinded their eyes from what Jesus hoped to offer them.

And fearing that another financial calamity would befall them, they beckoned Jesus to leave. Satan had used this loss, had used the loss of these temporal things in order to stop the way for the gift of God to be presented to them. But we see a far different attitude as evidence in the lives of these men. We read of these men beckoning their new found Savior to stay with them. They clung to Jesus.

They longed to hear from Him the messages that brought them from the hold of Satan. But Jesus gently beckoned them to go home. And instead of feeling rejection, They found in them a newfound hope, a new reason to live, a work that was given them to do. And with joy they went and published to a heathen home, to a heathen nation, the things that Jesus had done for them. These 2 men were the first missionaries whom Jesus sent to preach in the region of Decapolis.

They had never heard, probably because of their Roman or Greek background, they probably had never heard any of the Old Testament. They probably had never heard a single word of any sermon that Jesus preached. They never enjoyed the company as the disciples did, any instruction from Jesus as they communed with him day by day. And yet they bore in their lives a living testimony that they had been with Jesus. It was the testimony of Christ that they bore with them as they pronounced this message to the region of Decapolis.

Though for a time it seemed that Satan had won, The hold over the people of Georgessa had maintained its hold. Satan had maintained that hold for a time. But the news of the death of these 2, 000 pigs roused the whole nation. And even further than that, the message that was born by these once demon-possessed men had directed the attention towards Christ. And so we see later on in Mark 6, as we turn our Bibles there, Mark 6, at the end of that chapter In verses 53 to 56, we see an opening up of the gospel.

Mark 6, verses 53 to 56, when they had crossed over, this is being Jesus and His company, they came to the land of Genesaret and anchored there. And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him, ran throughout that whole country, that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard he was. Wherever he entered into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might just touch the hem of his garment, and as many as touched him were made well. Now what lesson can we learn as health professionals from this passage of scripture? As health professionals, we are all instruments of change.

We have been given a special message to point out the pigs in people's lives. And I'm not just talking about the eating of pork or the pigs in their life. I'm talking about figurative pigs, whether it's the pigs of harmful smoking or alcohol or other harmful drugs, whether it's the pigs of intemperate eating, unhealthful eating, of unfruitful lifestyle practices, of the worldly activities and practices that we find ourselves in. These pigs, as health professionals, we point out. But even more than that, other secular health professionals also point out these pigs in people's lives.

But as Adventist health professionals, we carry with us a different testimony. We carry with us the testimony of Jesus. And as we present the clarity of mind as was as was evidence and also seen in these demon-possessed men, this testimony is the testimony that's going to prepare the way for the gospel message to be spread. It was the testimony of Jesus in the lives of these demonic men who were in their right mind that brought a great work in Decapolis. And as Adventists, we know that it will be the testimony of Jesus, as we read in Revelation 12 and 14, that is going to be the marker of the people ready to meet Jesus.

I believe as health professionals we should not be satisfied with being fantastic health professionals. I don't think we need to be satisfied with just being great doctors, great dentists, great nutritionists, dietitians, whatever it may be that we come from. But it is the testimony of Jesus that we need to bear. We carry with us the right arm, the health message, but we need to bear with us the right approach, the testimony of Jesus. But the question is left to us, will we do this right now?

We have a wonderful privilege ahead of us. And so in closing, may God bless our ministry. May God open up doors for us to continue in the work for health in Australia. We should never forget our calling. We should never forget our vocation.

And it is not for the reason of being fantastic health professionals that we have been called, but to carry the gospel message, prepare people for His soon return, so that we can all finally go home. May God bless you all. Or if you

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