Inside Story for Friday 16th of February 2024

By Andrew McChesney

On a Friday evening, Sekule was waiting outside the boys’ dormitory at his high school in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was waiting for a boy who had insulted him, and he planned to beat him up.

As he waited, a friend offered him cognac. He drank and, after many more drinks, passed out in a drunken stupor. In the morning, he knew that his friends would tease him mercilessly for not getting revenge. He decided to hide for the day. But where? Then he remembered the invitation from his Adventist teacher to go to church. It was Sabbath morning.

Sekule’s hair was long and greasy. He hadn’t washed it for a month. His breath reeked. But he went to church. When he arrived, he looked carefully for a place to sit. He had heard that Adventists celebrated “Sweet Sabbath” orgies every week, and he didn’t want to be found sitting next to a grandmother. Spotting an attractive young woman, he sat down near her.

When the church pastor began to preach, Sekule’s mouth dropped open in surprise. The pastor was giving Bible answers to his questions about God and hell. A huge burden was lifted from his heart as he heard that God, indeed, is love (1 John 4:8), desires to save every sinner (Luke 19:10), and will cast no one into an eternal hell (Malachi 4:1,3; Psalms 37:10-11).

After the sermon, someone invited Sekule to evangelistic meetings, and he went. At the end of the meetings, he asked the church pastor, “Tell me, please, what am I allowed to do, and what am I not allowed to do?”

“You can do whatever you want,” the pastor said.

“Don’t talk that way,” Sekule said. “Tell me what I can and cannot do.”

“You cannot work on Sabbath anymore,” the pastor said.

“OK, done.”

“You cannot go to school on Sabbath anymore.”

“OK, done.”

“You cannot fight anymore.”

“OK, done.”

“You cannot eat unclean meat.”

“OK. I won’t eat unclean meat.”

“Actually, we suggest that you not eat any meat at all.”

“OK, I won’t eat meat anymore.”

From that day, Sekule never worked or went to school on Sabbath. He never fought, and he never ate meat. He was baptized six months later, at the age of 18. But he accepted Adventist teachings on the spot—all because his questions of God and hell had been answered from the Bible.

Sekule Sekuli´c is an affluent entrepreneur and faithful Seventh-day Adventist in Montenegro. Read more of his story next week. Thank you for your Sabbath School mission offerings that help spread the good news of Jesus’ soon coming in Montenegro and around the world.