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albie024
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Name: Albert
Gender: Male
Interests: The Bible, Public Campus Ministries, Friends, Piano, Cello, Sports
Expertise: Listening, Shoveling Snow, Going to Orchestra concerts
Occupation: Internal Medicine Resident
Industry: Medical
Message: message me
Website: visit my website
Member Since:
9/7/2004
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| The Sabbath afternoon Bible study that I currently run at my house is studying Daniel. And this past week was a powerful example of what being a true Christian means. "Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”" Daniel 6:5 Daniel was so true to principle, but yet so excellent in all other areas, that in order to find a fault with him, a law needed to be made against his faith in order to 'find fault'. A powerful testimony to what being true to principle really means. Being a true Christian means being excellent in whatever your hand finds to do, but above all being unwavering when faced even with death because of your faith. | | |
| 457 patients seen in one day. Then baptism appeals that night. That about sums up the mission trip to the Philippines. On the surface, it appeared to me to be an unbelievably ambitious project. 17 youth/young adults from the US, going to the Philippines to run 10 simultaneous evangelistic series, as well as a medical team that saw patients in the morning for 5 hrs. Given that 9 out of the 10 speakers had never spoke at an evangelistic series before, it made it even more daunting. But God blessed in a mighty way beyond any of our abilities. For me, it was a reawakening of the desire to devote some part of my life, if not all, to mission. While many of my friends had been to the Philippines on mission trips, this was my first time. And I must say, it changed my life. From seeing the people (which, to be honest, happens on any mission trip, secular or religious) and being changed by that, to working with some very talented and dedicated youth (we had a special group that really got along as a family), to seeing the great controversy played out in the lives and decisions of people that were at my site that I was preaching to, it was life-changing. But more than that, it was the grace and privilege that God had bestowed upon myself to allow me to have this opportunity to do His work. Oftentimes, we go into doing God's work as if it's some sort of favor to Him. Consciously, or sub-consciously, we feel or show through our actions that we think we're doing God some sort of service by dedicating even a little bit of our time. We will go on Sabbath outreach, and dust our hands off at the end of the day and think, God, I worked for you today and it felt good. Now bless my studies for the rest of the week. We don't realize that really, God has bestowed a great privilege and responsibility on us when He asks us to do His work. He could easily find someone more talented, more gifted, maybe even more suited in human eyes. He could find someone taller or more handsome/pretty, more musically gifted or a better orator. But He asked you. He asked me. As I looked around at the circle of people from my church site, holding hands on that last night and singing 'Side by Side', I'll tell you what, I won't forget that moment. I was humbled by this task. Thank you Lord for the opportunity to work with an amazing team of individuals. Thank you for choosing undeserving me to be a servant and try to make a difference through You. "For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more." 1st Cor 9:19 | | |
| "When in the days of Joshua Israel went out to battle with the Canaanites at Bethhoron, the sun had stood still at the leader's command until victory was gained; and many similar wonders had been manifest in their history. Some such sign was demanded of Jesus. But these signs were not what the Jews needed. No mere external evidence could benefit them. what they needed was not intellectual enlightenment, but spiritual renovation."
"When the message of truth is presented in our day, there are many who, like the Jews, cry, 'Show us a sign. Work us a miracle.' Christ wrought no miracle at the demand of the Pharisees. He wrought no miracle in the wilderness in answer to Satan's insinuations. He does not impart to us power to vindicate ourselves or to satisfy the demands of unbelief and pride. But the gospel is not without a sign of its divine origin. Is it not a miracle that we can break from the bondage of Satan?...The change in human hearts, the transformation of human characters, is a miracle that reveals an ever-living Saviour, working to rescue souls. A consistent life in Christ is a great miracle." Desire of Ages p.406, 407
The evidence is all around us, in the changed lives of those who truly have Christ in their hearts. For me, this has always been the greatest encouragement, and evidence, of the fact that Christ lives. It is a faith issue, but more than that, it is a seeing issue. When I hear of people who think those that are trying to live their lives in accordance with Biblical principles are narrow-minded, legalistic, or fundamentalist, I wonder how we have gotten to this point. We automatically think that these people think they are better than us just because of the standards they set for themselves, but perhaps it is time for us to take a look deep within ourselves, and see if it is not our problem of looking at them this way. The heart of a converted soul yearning to do that which pleases Christ is clear evidence of the power of God in their lives. I am constantly rebuked and humbled to see the lives of those that are living out Christ. And in that rebuke I see evidence that Christ lives. Happy Sabbath all, and enjoy some of the pics below! 
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| "The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day." Isaiah 2:11
Nature really makes you understand the grandeur of God...and hence these pictures from my time w/ the famous Ryno.
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| It was the same smile that greeted me every morning I saw her...the smile that said 'I'm a beautiful person inside, but I am very sad right now, because I'm going to die very soon.' Amongst the semi-craziness of intern year, somewhere along the way, you sometimes lose the fact that you are dealing with lives that you know nothing about, stories that you've never heard. I had determined that I was going to take time out of my day to get to know her, at least a little, like I try to do with all of my patients who are older, but it hadn't happened until that day she was going home, to home hospice...to die. It almost didn't happen, with all of the other responsibilities for other patients, but I tried and tried, and finally with 20 minutes until she was to leave, with her ride waiting, I made my way into her room. With family at the bedside, I sat on the edge of her bedrail, and proceeded to blurt that I liked to get to know my patients, and that I would like to talk to her. I don't know how to describe it, but she understood. Deep down for me, it was a desperate attempt at allowing her to connect with my reason for going into medicine in the first place...yet she was dying. And so I asked her where she was from, how she had gotten to where she was. She told me a story of tiny towns in Ukraine, refugee camps during WWII, emigrating to America and working her way up in a company, buying her dream home, and finally this. 'I've lived a full life' she said, and 'this is how it goes.' Two lone tears rolled down her right cheek as she lay there looking up at me, and then she gripped my hand as if it were life itself. And I understood. We held hands in silence...the remarkable woman and lowly me. I held hands with greatness that day.
Christ died, rose again, and is coming again soon to take us home, let me be ready for my time. | | |
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