E HEAR Much These Days About the Achievements of Astronauts And
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N OF. THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH . • BY ERNEST LLOYD What thrilling sights await the redeemed when God invites them to explore the vast universe! E HEAR much these days about the achievements of astronauts and cosmonauts, but how insignifi- cant are present "excursions" into space compared witci the space travels of God's saints in the soon-coming years! More than one hundred years ago Ellen G. White was privileged to see in vision some of the wonders of the starry heavens. Words failed her to describe the glory of what she saw. When she had her vision (December 16, 1848) of the "open space" in the constellation Orion, comparatively little was known regarding this "corridor of glory," the colossal size of which now appears to be almost beyond mathematical computation. On page 41 of Early Writings, Sister White mentions this greatest of astronomical wonders: "The atmosphere parted and rolled back; then we could look up through the'open space in Orion, whence came the voice of God. The Holy City will come down through that open space." One of the reasons that God gave the Oripn vision to Sister White was evidently to convince Capt. Joseph Bates, one of our leading pioneers in the message, that Sister White's information and instruction were divinely inspired. The captain had doubts regarding her visions before, but not after seeing and hearing her in the Orion vision at Topsham, Maine. Captain Bates had been a student of astronomy in his youthful days on the high seas. He had heard and read of the open space in the constellation (To page 9) Vol. 140 No. 16 Heart Surgery Leads to Heart Conversion in araway THAI AND By L. G. Ludi gton, M.D. Medical Director, Bangkok S nitarium and Hospital NE of the greatest rewards that c se. On entering her private room comes to a physician is to see of the third floor of our modern mis- O his patient recover physical s on hospital in Bangkok, I saw a well- health. But an even greater reward essed, important-appearing busi- brightens the life of the Christian doc- essman standing beside the bed in tor when his patient is healed both hich lay a little woman of 42 years. physically and spiritually. I would S e greeted me with a beautiful smile, like to tell you about an experience ut I could see that fear etched her such as this that occurred recently in f ce and reflected from her expres- faraway Bangkok, Siam. s ye black eyes. After the customary I first met Sinyin, the quiet, gra- hai salutation, I sat by her bed as cious little Thai woman of my story, t e story was related. As she gripped in May of 1960. Dr. Ralph Truitt, a y hand her fingers and palms were specialist in internal medicine who c i ld and perspiring. She was fright- was her attending physician, asked for e ed, very frightened. a surgical consultation regarding her "Mr. Chin is a wealthy merchant HARRY BAERG, ARTIST Pointing to a large image, the priest said, "You have put it on a lower platform than the rest of the idols. Therefore it is casting a curse on you for your disrespect." here in Bangkok and he is very con- Chin worried so much that he became family. You will surely die if they cut cerned about his wife Sinyin," Dr. sick himself. your heart open." Sinyin became very Truitt began. "For many years she Finally he sent for a very high-rank- upset. Mr. Chin didn't know what to has suffered increasing weakness and ing priest. After carefully examining do. He believed that God was lead- shortness of breath. Now she can the altar table and the idols, the priest ing him and that his wife should have hardly climb up and down the stairs explained: "This large image you the operation. of her home. She can't accompany have is a very important and costly For the first time he told Sinyin her husband on his business trips to idol, and you have put it on a lower about the true God in heaven and Hong Kong or Singapore. She has platform than the rest of the idols. about his suspicion that the special been told for years that she has a bad Therefore it is casting a curse on you idol at home was under the control of heart. Despite this condition she has for your disrespect." the evil one. "You must have the op- been able to have a family of ten eration," he told her. "We have a Disturbed and Angry children, though she nearly died dur- large family and a big business and ing the birth of the last child. Since As Mr. Chin began to think about you are not going to live long without that time she has been more or the priest's explanation he became surgery." less confined to bed. She has been in disturbed and angry. He recalled some and out of many hospitals and has of the things he had read in the book Still Fearful seen many doctors, but is getting no sold by the colporteur and that he had Sinyin was still fearful. She had al- better. In fact, she is gradually grow- heard in school as a boy. He began to ways been a good Buddhist, and ing worse. I am convinced that she wonder whether this idol was getting couldn't quite accept all that her hus- has a congenital heart condition its power from the evil one. They had band told her. But she loved her hus- which might be corrected by surgery. favored it in so many ways, yet it had band. So, though still fearful, she I would appreciate your opinion." put a curse on them! Surely a good agreed to have the surgery performed. Physical examination and a study god would not act that way. He did Mr. Chin decided he would not allow of her X-rays and electrocardiograph not relate these thoughts to Sinyin, any more relatives or friends to see tracings seemed to confirm the diag- but in his heart there began to form her. nosis of a heart defect as a result of a determination to get rid of the The morning for surgery arrived. which her heart was having to pump idols. The nurse came to check her pulse and from five to ten times the usual Later his wife became very ill and blood pressure shortly before wheeling amount of blood in order to get a was taken to a nearby nursing home. her to the surgery suite. Her pulse rate sufficient amount out to the body. Mr. Chin also became sick as he wor- was more than 130 per minute, and When she was young her heart had ried about his wife and the future of the nurse asked her, "Are you very been strong enough to stand the his family and his business. His heart frightened?" strain, but now it was weakening un- began to pound, and he became so "Yes, I'm very frightened," was Sin- der the heavy load. Further examina- dizzy that he fainted while walking yin's reply. tion substantiated this diagnosis, and about the garden. When he returned Then her husband took his wife's corrective surgery was advised. to consciousness a few minutes later, hands in his and told her about his The suggestion of operating on her he was lying on the grass. Once more experience on the lawn outside the heart frightened Sinyin more than his thoughts turned to the God in nursing home. "Just put your trust in ever, and she refused to consider it. heaven. Right then and there he de- God and He will take your fear away," She was sure a person could not live cided that he was going to stop worry- he said. She closed her eyes and if the heart were cut open. We left ing and put himself in God's hands. prayed and God answered. The calm- her to discuss the situation with her Immediately a great load seemed to ing influence of her faith was immedi- husband and relatives, explaining drop from him and he felt calm and ately evident, for her pulse rate that surgery was her only hope. strong. dropped to 88. Returning to his wife's room, he Sinyin was taken to the operating Influence of a Book saw the nurses bring a man down room. Before she was put to sleep, I didn't learn the rest of the story the ramp on a stretcher and place the doctors and nurses gathered until some months later. Both Mr. him in an ambulance, on the side of around her for a united appeal to the Chin and his wife were Buddhists. which were the words Bangkok Sani- Great Physician. As Sinyin went to But many years before, when Mr. tarium and Hospital. He asked the sleep she was covered with ice to Chin was only 13 years of age, he had nurses what was wrong with the man lower her temperature to 86° Fahr- attended a Methodist school in China and where they were taking him. "Oh, enheit. It would be necessary to open for six months, and gained some he is a very serious heart case," they her heart to repair the hole and this vague ideas about Christianity. When told him, "and they are taking him would take from eight to ten minutes, he later came to Thailand he bought to the American mission hospital." and at normal temperature, stopping a copy of The Ministry of Healing A few days later Sinyin improved the heart for this long would result in from one of our pioneer workers.