AMEN Australia 2020 Conference: Centres of Influence

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Adventist Medical Evangelism Network Australia

Joy Akrawi

You Were Made Queen for Such a Time as This

Hope you've had an incredible week being inspired by the talks and the presentations online.

Whether you've attended them all or just had the chance, just when you had the chance to see them, or even if today is your first time attending, I'd like to welcome you.

I hope that you continue to be blessed by what is presented over the next 2 days.

I'm currently finishing my residency in a public hospital in Sydney.

And yesterday morning, I had to perform a DRE, also known as a digital rectal exam.

This exam is not the most pleasant for either the patient or the doctor.

And with My short, chubby fingers, it's even more uncomfortable for my poor patient.

You see, my 74-year-old patient came into ED a few days ago because of a syncope, likely due to a sudden drop of blood pressure.

He also complained of 1 episode of bright red stool, bright red blood in his stool and he had a background history of cecal adenocarcinoma which was only found 5 years ago after having a colonoscopy, which was ordered in the first place to investigate his iron deficiency anemia.

Shortly after the colonoscopy, he had a hemicolectomy, so they took out the entire tumor, and he was fine after that.

But for some reason, they didn't have a repeat FOBT, so a fecal occult blood test, or repeat colonoscopies in the past 5 years.

His bloods in hospital showed new iron deficiency anemia, which meant that we, meaning I, needed to do a DRE amongst other examinations and investigations to find out the cause.

Now it's always a humbling experience, 1 I've done multiple times, but it was necessary and by completing this exam we were being thorough and doing our patient a service in helping direct what investigations to do next, or what differentials to consider.

Now, funnily enough, the title of my talk today was on my mind at the time, as I was meditating on the topic on the drive to work that morning.

The title is, You Were Made Queen For Such A Time As This.

So there I was, gloved up, standing behind my patient, prepping to do a digital rectal exam which I wasn't necessarily excited about and all I could think of was you were made for such a time as this you were made for such a time as this God must have had a good laugh, I'm sure.

Let me give you an explanation behind the title.

A couple of weeks ago, our youth director in the conference shared a Bible passage on social media from the book of Esther, chapter 8.

About a week later, I had coincidentally arrived at the book of Esther in my own devotionals, and both times I was heavily challenged by what Esther forehad to say.

To give you the context of the chapter, Haman, a noble in King Xerxes' palace, created a plot to destroy Mordecai and the Jews because they would not bow down to the king.

At this point, Esther was already Queen, however King Xerxes didn't know that she was a Jew.

Mordecai, Esther's cousin, sent word to Esther requesting that she go into the king's presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.

So if you have your Bibles with me or if you have your phones, turn with me to Esther chapter 4.

Now this is Esther initially being resistant to what Mordecai had asked.

She said, All the king's officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned by the king, the king has but 1 law, that he be put to death.

The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold scepter to him and spare his life.

But, 30 days have passed since I was called to go to the king." When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer.

And I ask that you just think clearly and have a listen to what he says.

He says, Do not think that because you are in the King's house, you alone of all Jews will escape.

For if you remain silent at this time, Relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place but you and your father's family will perish and who knows but that you have come to a royal position for such a time as this And in the message version it says, who knows, maybe you were made queen for such a time as this, hence my title.

There are so many reasons and so many lessons to learn from these passages, and I encourage you to have a look at it in your own time.

But I wanna focus on just 2 lessons today before we start the rest of the day.

Number 1, God can use anyone, but he chooses to use you.

Mordecai said, if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place.

God doesn't need you to deliver his people.

But he wants you to experience the joy that comes from bringing others to the foot of the cross and in doing so your faith and your relationship with God will only strengthen.

I love what Ellen White says in Steps to Christ.

This was the purpose of God in giving us a part to act in the plan of redemption.

He has granted men the privilege, the privilege of becoming partakers of the divine nature and in their turn of diffusing blessings to their fellow men.

This is the highest honor, the greatest joy, that is possible for God to bestow upon men.

Those who thus become participants in labors of love are brought nearest to their creator." She goes on to say, "'God might have committed the message of the gospel "'and all the work of loving ministry "'to the heavenly angels.

"'He might have employed other means "'for accomplishing his purpose, "'but in his infinite love, "'he chose to make us co-workers with Himself, with Christ and the angels, that we might share the blessing, the joy, the spiritual uplifting which results from this unselfish ministry.

Now the second lesson I want to share with you today is, who knows, maybe you were made, insert whatever you are, example, a doctor, a dentist, nurse, physio, psychologist, pastor, student, mother, father, for such a time as this.

I want to challenge you with a thought that you were made a whatever occupation or student position you have for such a time as this.

Your purpose is in the now and maybe, maybe you're rethinking whether God wants you to be a medical missionary.

Maybe you're a student at the moment and feel like your mission is limited to your classroom.

Instead then of inserting your job in this verse, insert your name.

Maybe you were made Antoinette, Aaron, Nicole, Simone, Shannani for such a time as this.

Your character, your humanity is a tool to serve God.

You don't have to have reached your occupational goals to start serving.

A few Bible verses encourage this as well.

So in Colossians 3, 23 to 24, it says, "'Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.

First Peter 4 verse 11 says, if anyone speaks, they should do so as 1 who speaks the very words of God.

If anyone serves they should do so with the strength God provides so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.

To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever.

Amen." What I'm trying to say here is, you have a purpose.

Whether it's something as immense as saving the entire Jewish race from extinction, of which the Son of God was promised to stem from, or something as little as completing a DRE for your patient, which may represent your service to God's children in medical work with humility, kindness, and thoroughness.

I encourage you, if you haven't already, to ask God to reveal to you what your purpose is as you daily surrender your life to Him.

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You Were Made Queen for Such a Time as This

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