The Medical Importance of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. 1 Cor 15:19

The resurrection of Jesus truly could be the most significant event in the history of mankind, apart from the incarnation of Christ.  It has extreme importance for those who work in the medical professions.

As students we first encounter our mortal enemy, death, in anatomy lab.  A cold, lifeless, naked body lying before us does not seem real.  We quickly learn to dehumanize this situation and separate ourselves from this reality.  We will spend our lifetimes learning about, preventing and combating disease which brings us to an end of our physical being.  But is this the end?

Medicine is a frustrating profession when dealing with death.  We may convince ourselves that we are winning the battle but inevitably we fall short of our goal.

All of us have a desire to understand this pattern of life and death.  We want to know where we came from, what happened and where we are going.  How do we find answers to these questions and not live lives of desperation and futility?

Thank God we can find hope in the reality of the resurrection and the empty tomb.  Not just an innocent man but a perfect man without fault who took upon himself the punishment we deserved. “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:7-8)

They laid his cold, pale, cyanotic, lifeless body in a tomb.  Their hope was crushed.  Then on the third day, .Jesus was seen first by Peter, then by the twelve and then by over 500 at once.  He spoke. He ate.  He said, “Look at my hands and feet. Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones.” (Luke 24:38, 39)  Jesus was alive!

As only medical professionals we will lose the battle against disease more often than we would like to admit.  We can offer a temporary hope from the suffering of our patients.  But, as Christians we can offer a permanent victory for eternity.

The resurrection is real.  Our hope is real.  When our human efforts fail, we can still offer this hope to all.  When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ”Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

Death has no victory for those whose believe in the living, resurrected Jesus.

Read and meditate: Luke 24;1Corinthians 15.

 

True Love

A new commandment I give you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. John 13:34

Love is certainly a popular subject.  We dream about it.  We fantasize about it.  We think about it.  We romanticize it.  We read about it.  We sing about it.  We act upon it. We abuse it.  We want to love and be loved.  We dedicate a whole day to celebrate it.  As we read the Gospels, we see Jesus talking more and more about love, particularly as he approached the cross.  How should we as medical professionals properly share the love of Christ with our patients and colleagues?

We read in the Bible that God is love.  But what exactly does this mean?  How did Jesus use this word? Repeatedly, during the week before he was crucified Jesus teaches the disciples about true love.  Love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another (John 13:34). If you love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15).  And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him (John 14:21).  If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word (John 14:23).  As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love (John 15:9).  These things I command you, that you love one another (John 15:17).

The context of these statements is Jesus humbling himself to wash the feet of his disciples, his teaching on obedience to God’s word, his predicting of suffering to come for himself and his disciples.

The Greek word used for this type of love is agape, meaning self-sacrificial.  Christ sacrificed in leaving the Father, becoming fully human and dying for us.  The Father sacrificed in sending his Son knowing he would have to suffer on our behalf.  Jesus demonstrates a perfect love of obedience to the Father on behalf of those who did nothing to merit his love.

This self-sacrificing love for one another is further defined in 1 Corinthians 13.  This type of love does what is right for the other person, not what is most advantageous for ourselves. So at the end of the day when you review the patients you examined and the colleagues you worked with, will you be able to say you were patient, kind, not envious, boastful or proud?  That you were not easily angered, self-seeking or delighted in what was evil, but rejoiced in the truth, always protected, trusted, hoped and persevered?

If you strive to do these things you will understand and know true love and be able to share the love of Christ with one another and the people who come to us for loving care.

Read and meditate on John 13-16, 1 Corinthian 13.

 

Ethical Standards

Thus says the LORD of hosts: Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother.  Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor.  Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.  Zechariah 7:9,10

As Christian healthcare workers we are called to be salt and light where we work and study.  We are called to use our God-given talents in such a way that is honoring to God, reflects His glory, and points people to Jesus.  This happens when we apply His principles to how we administer care to our patients.

Our passage comes from the Old Testament book, Zechariah.  The Jewish nation had returned from exile in Babylon.  They were rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple while facing opposition from neighboring countries.  Yet, they quickly forgot the lessons they had learned during the exile.  This book was written to encourage those who had returned, to foster repentance from hypocrisy and return to biblical ethical standards in preparation for the return of their Messiah.

As healthcare workers we often find ourselves in a working environment which is opposed to biblical ethical standards.  And worse, we think, as the nation of Israel did, that our outward conformity is good enough instead of examining the true condition of our hearts.  We are hypocritical as well, saying one thing and doing another.   How then should we behave with our patients and colleagues?

First, we should administer true justice.  Our dealings should be fair, not showing partiality to one or the other, but treating people on the basis of the best knowledge we currently possess or refer to someone who is knowledgeable.  We conform to the rules of our hospitals and ministry of health in honoring man, but often we do not do what is most pleasing to God. Thus, we have a false righteousness.

Second, what is it that pleases God?  To show mercy and compassion.  We should not give up fighting to bring both physical and spiritual healing to our patients.  God has been patient and long suffering with us.  Compassion is the essence of what Jesus did for us, taking our sin upon himself with the desire to relieve our suffering.  He is the Great Physician and is capable of bringing both physical and spiritual healing.  It is not enough to “Primum non nocere” (First, do no harm) but we should also show kindness to our patients and colleagues.

Third, we should not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor.  We should treat people with respect and dignity, not taking advantage of them because of their age, social strata, economic position or country of origin which could make them easily exploited.

Fourth, we should not plan evil in our hearts against others.  The condition of our hearts is critical.  Our motivations are just as damaging as our actions themselves.  Ultimately our inner thoughts, particularly in moments of stress, will reveal themselves in outward actions.

Therefore, let us join together in caring for our patients to administer true justice, show mercy and compassion to one another, not oppressing the widow, the fatherless, the alien or the poor and not think evil of each other in our hearts.

Read Zechariah 7 and 8, Matthew 23:23-24.

 

The Glory of Being a Medical Professional

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. Proverbs 25:2

All around the world students are graduating after completing anywhere from four to eight years of schooling.  They now proudly accept a new title: doctor, nurse, dentist or pharmacist.  Every end corresponds with a new beginning.  Along with these new titles we find new responsibilities and challenges.

The reality is during our years of training we have been transformed through the learning process into worldly providers of health care.  Using God-given gifts and talents, man searches out the intricacies of God’s creation to learn what is normal and pathologic.  God has concealed these mysteries in the biochemical structure and pathways of our cells.  Each level of deeper understanding reveals an ever-increasing complexity which should increase our awe in the gloriousness of God.

As we learn just how “wonderfully and fearfully made” we are, along with how we can temporarily reverse the curse of sickness and death, we must be careful not to be tempted to become prideful and think to ourselves look what I  have done.  In God’s image we were created, but we are not God.  He has graciously given us many of his characteristics but not to an infinite degree of perfection like Him.

Yes, those graduating have worked hard to master the knowledge needed to become competent medical professionals.  Your minds have been transformed and renewed by your studies. But the scripture cautions us, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world.”  We must not forget who made us and enabled us to study His works.

Yes, you have searched out God’s hidden things and now you are basking in the glory of your accomplishment and your new title.   To what degree have you become like your professors?  What philosophies lie behind what you have been taught?

The Apostle Paul warns us in Colossians 2:9, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than Christ.”  To what degree have you been influenced by evolutionary thinking, situational ethics, pragmatism or secularism?   While the Bible is not a textbook of science,  it does explain who we are, where we came from and what went wrong.

Therefore, whether you are still in training, just graduated or well into your career, be careful to give God the glory due His Name.  If you must boast, then boast in what Christ has done for you and me.  Christ has defeated death, and because of His resurrection, we can offer true hope through repentance and faith in Jesus to those who seek our care.

Read and Mediate on Deuteronomy 29:29; Psalm 139:14; Genesis 1:26; Romans 12:2; Colossians 2:9

 

Trust and Medicine

I am glad I can have complete confidence in you. 2 Corinthians 7:16

Issues of trust seem to be present in all aspects of life, particularly in the field of medicine.  Do patients trust their doctors and nurses?  How do they know whether the doctor was trained appropriately?  Can they trust the diagnosis that is made?  Can they trust the advice they receive?  Can they trust they will not be harmed by treatments recommended? Can students trust their teachers? Can teachers trust their students?

Trust is at the heart of all healthy relationships, whether between patients, doctors or nurses; people and their governments; between neighbors; or husbands and wives as well as with God himself.  In the garden Adam and Eve broke the trusting relationship they enjoyed with God by believing the deception of the serpent.

If trust is such a key factor in the care we give, and society in general, we should ask how can we develop and therefore renew a culture of trust in the medical profession.  We find some clues in Psalm 15.

This Psalm describes a person of high moral integrity.  He does what is right.  He is honest, always speaking the truth in such a way that what is spoken is understood to be from the heart and truly true. He does not speak badly of others for his own gain.  He is against corruption at all levels.  What he says he will do, he will do.  He does not accept bribes or illegal payments.

Dr. Cranshaw summarized the covenant between patients and medical professionals in the Journal of the American Medical Association as follows:

“By its traditions and very nature, medicine is a special kind of human activity — one that cannot be pursued effectively without the virtues of humility, honesty, intellectual integrity, compassion, and disregard for excessive self-interest and monetary gain.”

I ask you to join with me in pray for the development of a culture of trust in our profession this year beginning with each of us. We should first look at ourselves and ask how must we change our thoughts and actions to become more trustworthy.

Read and Mediate Psalm 15, Matthew 7:3-5.

 

Spirituality and Medicine

I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1
Everyday medical professionals come face to face with the fact that we live in a fallen world.  Everyday broken patients arrive in our clinics and hospitals looking for answers to their medical problems and hoping for healing.  As the providers of care they turn to us saying “Please help me.”  As Christian caregivers, does the service we offer differ in any way from that offered by the best secular caregiver?

Christian providers should provide the very best physical care but at the same time add a spiritual dimension.  But what does it mean to be spiritual?  I am reading a book by Paul Tripp entitled A Broken-Down House, Living Productively in a World Gone Bad that provides some insight.

Too often we associate spirituality with our external behavior, church attendance and participating in other ministry activities.  If this is what Christianity is, how does this differ from any other religion?
Tripp defines Christian spiritually as nothing less than “a deep devotion to Christ, the fruit of which is a lifestyle of daily worship of him and active service in his kingdom.”  As a result every aspect of our lives and medical work should demonstrate devotion to God and a self-sacrificing love of others.

The best way to recognize true Christian spirituality may be to look at how a false spirituality points us away from Christ.  Tripp discusses five common ways in which counterfeit spirituality goes
wrong:

”First, it mistakes commitment to Christianity for commitment to Christ.  I can serve and enjoy the externals of Christianity more than I serve and enjoy Christ.  An example of this was the parable of the
Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14.  The Pharisee was a religious man and was in the temple praying, but his prayer was not an act of relationship with and submission to God.”

“Second, it mistakes bible knowledge for biblical wisdom.  Knowledge and foolishness can live together, even though it seems they shouldn’t.  Wisdom is something deeper than intellectual comprehension. Wisdom is something you live.  You don’t show wisdom by demonstrating what you know.  You reveal wisdom by the way you think, desire, choose, act, react, speak, and respond to the situations and relationships around you.”

“Third, it mistakes commitment to a system of theology and rules for Christian maturity.  It is dangerous to define Christian maturity by how biblically literate and theologically knowledgeable a person has
become or to reduce it to how well we keep the rules.  This kind of spirituality God vehemently rejected in the Old Testament, Isaiah 29:13.  The grace of Christ has been given to transform me at the
level of the deepest, most profound motives, thoughts, desires, purposes, perspectives and cravings of our hearts.”

“Fourth, it mistakes doing new “religious” things for a heart of obedience to Christ.  Is my participation in church activities an act of willing obedience or simply a system of penance and self-atonement
to ease my conscience about the fact that I really do live as if my life belongs to me?  We should be participants in the ongoing celebration of God’s grace, and servants who make willing sacrifices
daily for the sake of God’s kingdom.”

“Fifth, it mistakes participation in ministry opportunities for a Christ-like lifestyle.  It is good and proper for the local church to design, organize, and schedule various ministries for the body of Christ.  But the call of Christ for me is to offer every aspect of my life to him for his service, not just those my church emphasizes.  We should not think of our lives as separate from ministry, nor are we to think of ministry as separate from our lives.  Therefore, we should see every aspect of life and particularly our work as  our ministry.”

Thank you, Paul Tripp, for helping us to understand what true spirituality is in order that we may reflect  a truly Christ-centered, grace-driven, God-glorifying, heart-satisfying righteousness to a physically dying, spiritually dead world coming into our offices daily. Our patients have desperate needs.  May God use us to offer a living hope to our patients every day.

For further reflection read Romans 12:1-2; Luke 18:9-14; Isaiah 1 and 29.

 

Comments from Albania

In my previous post, I wrote about the conference that took place last month in Albania. It is always interesting to learn what the students actually thought about the event.

Some of their comments:

“You don’t have to do everything but you must do something.”

“We need to pray a lot more.  I like the idea of connecting to one another to pray via SMS on cell phones.” (The impact of social media…)

“We should prepare faith flags ahead of time and lots of them.”

“I learned new ways of thinking about how to apply Christianity in the workplace.”

It’s encouraging to read of their desire to implement what they learned.

May God receive all the glory.

 

Tirana, Albania

I was privileged to be part of a team-teaching trio that traveled to Albania last month to introduce the International Saline course there.  We were invited by the Christian Medical Association of Albania.

I’ve never been to Albania and I honestly didn’t know what to expect.  What a wonderful surprise to see majestic mountains as I flew into the capital city.  I quickly moved through passport control and located my driver Gyorgi who was holding a sign that read “Jim Pepot.”  Oh, well.  Close enough.  Between his limited knowledge of English and both of our limited knowledge of Russian, we managed to carry on a conversation as we drove to the Albanian Christian Center.

I learned that he is the supervisor of a Christian school attended by children of diplomats, missionaries and both Albanian and foreign businessmen.  Sadly only a few Albanian children attend this school, but perhaps one day there will be more.

Gyorgi has one son (age 16) and one daughter (age 21).  He has been to Montenegro and Kosovo, but few countries outside the region because of needed visas and high travel costs.  He explained to me that Albania is 50% Muslim and 50% Christian.  Christians are predominantly Catholic and Orthodox with only 4% being Protestant.  I quietly prayed that God may use this seminar to revive Albania and see the Great Commission fulfilled!

The roads became narrower as we approached the Center and after a couple of honks of the horn a gate began to open and we entered the site.  The Center at one time was the site of the Viet Nam Embassy.  It featured gardens with various tropical trees and tall columns flanked by palm trees marking the steps to the porch and entrance to the administrative and meeting building.

Behind the administrative building…the guest house. Though the rooms were chilly — no radiators to be seen — the team had a very restful night sleep after meeting to determine who would teach which particular section of the seminar.  What a privilege to teach with Hungarian Gabor and Dutch Alet.

The conference began at 9:30 a.m. and ended at 8:30 p.m.  The two coffee breaks in addition to lunch and dinner gave us ample opportunity to get to know the participants better.  They were well prepared, asked great questions and began immediately to consider how to make the program more Albanian!  I was impressed with the passion these young Albanians have for the Lord and for their country.

Sunday morning and the three trainers went to three different churches. My church spent 45 minutes in praise and worship, followed by a brief children’s message and then the sermon which lasted another 90 minutes.  I was struck by the fact that the overwhelming majority in attendance were under 35 years of age.  Many were introduced to me as physicians.  (Gabor mentioned that he met many nurses at the church he attended that morning.)

What a great opportunity in Albania for health care professionals to be witnesses of Jesus Christ!  Twenty participants may seem like a small group, but it is significant when you consider the size of Albania and its population…fewer people live in that country than live in Kyiv alone!

Sunday afternoon and Monday morning was devoted to training trainers.  Fifteen participants took this extra training and are qualified to teach this material throughout Albania.  We concluded our time together in prayer praising God for being the God of all people and thanking Him for the privilege of being used by Him to be His instruments in bringing the message of hope and eternal life to those physically dying and spiritually dead…and therefore in need of a Savior.

Of course, we were also introduced to the tastes of Albania on Sunday night.  The foods were delicious, but the fellowship was even sweeter.  It was great fun to laugh, share and learn about each others’  families and cultures.

We pray these relationships will bear much eternal fruit in changed lives and souls for the country of Albania and beyond.

 

Comments about the International Saline Seminar

Physicians, nurses and other health care professionals from all around the globe are learning to share their faith in Jesus Christ with their patients through a program called the International Saline.  We all realize medicine can do only so much to extend the life of people, but the Gospel offers the hope of eternal life through the death and resurrection of  Christ.  Christian health care professionals can offer real hope in the most desperate of situations.

The International Saline Seminar is a course organized by International Health Services under the leadership of Bob Snyder, M.S. in partnership with International Christian Medical Dental Association, Healthcare Christian Fellowship International, Christian Medical Fellowship of the United Kingdom, Nurses Christian Fellowship International, Evangelical Medical Fellowship of  India, International Health Services of Hungary and Ukraine Medical Outreach.

For the past several years the course has been taught in Ukraine and several hundred professionals of health care have been taught how to share the Gospel with their colleagues and patients.  After taking the course, here is what a few of the participants had to say:

One doctor said, “Understanding the opportunities and barriers in sharing my faith were the most important aspects of the training.” A nurse commented, “I need to pay more attention to becoming a professional in order to create more influence.” A participant who works with elderly, but is not medical, said, “I learned how to prepare the patient to accept the Word of God.” A student nurse said, “I discovered my role in the process.” Another student nurse wrote, “We need more seminars like these and more often.” A 5^th year medical student commented, “I have a better understanding of spiritual problems and evaluating where a person stands in relationship to God.  A pediatrician thought the micro-decisions of faith were the best part. Several days after the seminar, one of the older physicians who participated said, “The material was good and I am already doing things similar to what was taught. Therefore, it comes down to a personal choice whether or not to share your faith. This seminar encouraged me to do so more often.”



 

What is Central and Who Leads?

So the Israelites did everything the LORD commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each with his clan and family. Numbers 2:34

Every day we make many decisions.  What influences how we make those decisions?  Whether at work or at rest, our choices are shaped by what we believe in our hearts.

In the Old Testament God was gracious to give to the fledgling nation of Israel, freed from captivity in Egypt and wandering in the desert, a visual reminder of what should be most important in their lives and who they should follow.  The Lord commanded Moses with precise instructions on how the tribes should camp around the Tent of Meeting.

The Tent of Meeting with the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night was the focal point.  Each morning when they arose, throughout the day and each night before they went to sleep they would be reminded God was in their midst.  He was central to each life and the entire nation.  This was their constant reminder that He was their God and they were His people.

When the nation was on the move, they were to follow the ark of the covenant.  This is what God used to lead the Israelites since they had never been that way before (Jos 3:4).

Each day we should ask ourselves what is central and who leads us?  Scripture teaches us in Psalm 119:105 that “God’s word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  Through prayer, reading and memorizing God’s word daily we make Him central and allow him to guide us whether in the hospital, at the polyclinic, at home or on vacation.  When we face challenges and difficult decisions may the Holy Spirit enable us to make the right choices that will honor God and reflect his wisdom.

Meditate on Exodus 13:21-22, Numbers 2, Joshua 3 and Psalm 119