Inside Story: The Compelling Message
Maria grew up in Poland.
As a teenager Maria searched for God, but she didn’t find what she was looking for. Eventually she returned to her parents’ church and immersed herself in its practices, hoping for spiritual fulfillment.
As she read the Bible, she discovered many texts that raised questions in her mind. The book of Revelation posed the greatest challenge, but her priest couldn’t answer her questions.
Maria’s husband wanted to leave Poland, which didn’t have enough television stations to satisfy him. Maria wanted to stay near her grandchildren in Poland. So she began searching for some television stations her husband might like.
As she flipped through the channels, a program caught her attention. The speaker was discussing the book of Revelation. She watched the program with great interest and tuned in again the next day to hear more. She heard sermons that challenged her long-held beliefs and sent her searching her Bible to verify what the speaker was saying. She realized that everything he said was supported by the Bible.
Maria realized that the church of her childhood, the church she loved vehemently, was not following the Bible. She stayed home from church that Sunday, but she didn’t know what to do with herself. She turned on the radio and was surprised to hear a worship service broadcast from an Adventist Church in Warsaw, the capital city. She enjoyed the worship and felt spiritually refreshed. At the end of the broadcast, the announcer said that the pastor was waiting to take listeners’ calls. Maria dialed the number and talked to the pastor.
She asked so many questions! When she asked why she should believe that the Adventist Church is the true church, he said simply, “Base your faith on the Bible; follow it alone.”
She continued watching the television program she had found and realized that it was an Adventist program. By the following Sabbath Maria was convinced that God was leading her to the Adventist Church. She found the church and recognized it as one she had visited as a teenager. “I hadn’t been ready to accept the Sabbath as a teenager, but on the day I returned, I accepted all the Bible truths I had been hearing. I love this church and the truths that I have found here. It’s such a precious message.”
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Maria Bartok shares her newfound faith in her homeland, Poland.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.
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May the lord God bless and provide that his church will move forward Amen
The truth wiil set us all free especially the bible beats you up as well as the holy spirit leads us to the right direction, this is a powerfull massage hope many people will undertsand the advent massage.
Lets give out of love with cheerfulness without showing off but with Christian love and care to promote the preaching of gospel on our radios and televisions so that others can know the truth, this can help a lot of people to know the true doctrines of the bible and will definitely start worshiping on the Sabbath which is the need of Yahweh to be worshiped on the Sabbath.
I'm so glad that God give us the opportunity to prepare ourselves to be ready when He comes.
Good lesson to be applied by all christians.