Issues Facing Christian Doctors today CMF Retirees Conference, 2013 Peter Saunders, CEO, CMF UK
Evaluating the World Men of Issachar who understood the times and knew what Israel should do (1 Chronicles 12:32) Double-listening Listening to God s world and God s word
Urbanisation
Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)
Unemployment rates by country 2012
Growing healthcare needs Mortality (57m deaths annually) 7m coronary heart disease 6m cerebrovascular disease 17m infectious/parasitic disease 11m children Morbidity 30m blind 33m with HIV/AIDS 40m refugees
The 21 st century Urbanisation Increased IT connectedness Corruption and Debt Growing healthcare need Widening gap between rich and poor
The Western world 'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them...' (Ezekiel 16:49-50)
Abortion worldwide
ILGA Lesbian and Gay Rights
The Demographic Winter Decreasing family size Increased abortion Growing infertility Expanding elderly Euthanasia
Understanding the times 1 Ch 12:32 Olivet discourse signs - Lk 21 (cf Mk 13, Mt 24) The last generation? False Christs (v8) Wars and revolutions (9) Earthquakes, Famines, Pestilences (11) Persecution (12) Jerusalem surrounded by armies (20) Signs in the sun, moon and stars (25) The Gospel preached to all nations (Mk 13:10) Watch and pray
False Christs An unfinished task 1,600 million Muslims 950 Million Hindus 950 million Atheists 500 million Buddhist 400 million Chinese and Tribal Religions
The two major faith power blocs Islam 1,600 million Atheism 950 million
Atheism worldwide
Dawkins critique of Christianity A creator is unnecessary The Bible is unreliable The Christian God is immoral
The gods of atheism Personal peace and affluence (Francis Schaeffer) Money Sex Pleasure the pursuit of comfort Personal peace the absence of pain Self absorption and idolatry
The fruit of atheism Materialism Sexual immorality Homosexuality Abortion Population control Euthanasia Erosion of Christians rights
Wars and revolutions
Military expenditure
Earthquakes, Famines, Pestilences
Christian Persecution
The Gospel preached to all nations
The growth of Christianity in Africa
The growth of Christianity in Africa
Dawkins critique of Christianity A creator is unnecessary The Bible is unreliable The Christian God is immoral
The gods of atheism Personal peace and affluence (Francis Schaeffer) Money Sex Pleasure the pursuit of comfort Personal peace the absence of pain Self absorption and idolatry
The fruit of atheism Materialism Sexual immorality Homosexuality Abortion Population control Euthanasia Erosion of Christians rights
The triumph of the cross Christ died for our sins (1 Cor 15:3; Gal 1:4; Eph 1:7) Justification Redemption Reconciliation Propitiation
The Nazareth Manifesto The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners And recovery of sight for the blind, To release the oppressed, To proclaim the year of the Lord s favour (Luke 4:18-19)
The unfinished verse To proclaim the day of the Lord s favour and the day of vengeance of our God (Luke 4:18,19 cf Isaiah 61:1,2) The Jews failed to understand God s mercy in delaying judgement God s grace in giving salvation The scope of God s plan all nations
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me But you will receive Power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8) What is God s power for?
Jesus ministry Preaching to preach good news to the poor Healing recovery of sight for the blind Deliverance to proclaim freedom for the prisoners Justice To release the oppressed
Preaching to preach good news to the poor Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria Smith Wigglesworth Gaining the whole world Hospitals and graveyards
Preaching to preach good news to the poor A chain of coins The 10:40 window
Today s universities and hospitals 1.2 million medical students in 2,000 medical schools More people go through our hospitals than our churches Access Time Resources
Healing recovery of sight for the blind Ophthalmologists!! Isaiah 35:5-6: Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a dear, And the mute tongue shout for joy
Deliverance to proclaim freedom for the prisoners (Luke 4:31-37) Who are the prisoners? Dependency on God substitutes bringing pleasure, numbing pain Drugs, alcohol, tobacco, sexual sin, illicit relationships, pornography, internet, food, materialism
Justice To release the oppressed To proclaim the day of the Lord s favour Isaiah 61:1-2 To be a voice for the voiceless Proverbs 31:8-9: To fight injustice Isaiah 58:6-10: To show mercy and compassion Zechariah 7:9,10
Who are the oppressed? The poor (110,000 deaths pa vs 3,000 on 911) The unborn (43 m deaths per year) The dependent elderly Refugees and trafficked women Esther and Mordecai if you remain silent
Two ways to live Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy (Ezekiel 16:49) For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9)
Touching lives one by one The girl in the picture Kim Phuc
Jesus ministry Preaching to preach good news to the poor Healing recovery of sight for the blind Deliverance to proclaim freedom for the prisoners Justice To release the oppressed
The time is short Stanley Browne You can t meet the need but you can show how the need can be met Starfish To this starfish it makes all the difference in the world
Korean mission history Yanghwajin Foreign missionary century 145 foreign missionaries and their families Ruby Kendrick (1883-1908) If I had a thousand lives to live Korea should have them all
What about us? Are we willing to be part of God s big plan? The harvest fields are ready the labourers are few But he who calls us is faithful and gave us everything