In Search of John Doe

Luke 19:10

Imagine that you're looking for a long, lost family member: John Doe. All you know him is his name and the last state he lived in. That's it. Nothing more. You try the internet (Google, Ancestry.com, jail rosters of the major cities; and so on); you try a private detective; you purchase ad space in local newspapers announcing your search for John; and, you even consider leasing billboard space, but it's too expensive. You search turns to relatives who might know more about your loved one. But, you find nothing. Every lead turns out cold; they are all dead ends. Now, imagine seeking John Doe for 30 years. At times, you give up and stop looking. Then another lead turns up and you're back at it again. Searching, asking, and so forth. And so the cycle of frustration repeats.

On a certain day - a day no different from the others - you receive a phone call out of nowhere. A cold call. The person on the other line states that they're looking for John Doe's relatives. You see, he has adult children who are seeking to make a connection with his long, lost family.

The phone drops from your hand as you are in a state of shock. You feel jubilant, relieved,  doubtful  and exhausted all at once. And you begin to weep.

Your search is over.

I write about this scenario because it really happened. One of my job duties is to conduct relative searches. It so happened that on this particular case, the Lord would not let me stop. There was just something itching inside of me to continue the search for a family on the West Coast. And, it was on a hunch (well, really, the leading of the Holy Spirit) that I googled a combination of key words and the relative's name. The name popped up on an employee roster on the employer's web site. And just like that - a name, a phone number, a hope - a phone call was placed. Then, the family reunification was confirmed.

When I spoke to the person who had been seeking the relative and he told me of his 30 year odyssey of searching for the lost lost loved one, I asked him how it felt to have gotten a cold call out of nowhere, telling him that a search for his family had lead me to him. The person's voice cracked as he answered, "It was very emotional."


Emotional indeed. What person wouldn't be searching for a lost parent or sibling or loved one? You'd have to be love sick to continue searching in the face of frustration, disappointments and humiliation. And, what I mean by love sick, I mean a charitable, selfless love of giving all of yourself - sacrificing everything - to find your loved one.

And to think, there's the Lord of the universe who loves you so much, who cares deeply for you, that He sent his Son to look for you. It's very personal, don't you know? He wants you to know that He did everything possible to demonstrate His love for you. His Son Jesus Christ did just that at Calvary. This is what He has to say about His search:

1. "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10

2. "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."  Rev. 3:20

3. "It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."  Luke 15:32

4. "As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."  John 10:15-16

5. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."  John 3:16-17

There's oh so much more I could tell you about Jesus Christ, but I'll let the Gospels do that. Open your King James Bible and read the four accounts of Jesus Christ in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Read for yourself about the wondrous story of Jesus and His love and come home!

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling—  Calling for you and for me; Patiently Jesus is waiting and watching—   Watching for you and for me.

Come home, come home. Ye who are weary, come home. Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling. Calling, O sinner, come home!

If you want a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, click here: The Plan of Salvation

Surprise!

Matthew 19:25-26

"When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."

I came across a little poem that's entitled, "The Best Poem in the World". In terms of structure and lyricism, it's a big stretch. After all, there's the heavyweights of poetry to consider: Wordsworth, Milton, Dante, Shakespeare, Dickinson, Paz, Machado, etc. But, in terms of truth, I would call it "The Best Poem About the Truth of Salvation". I know, it doesn't have the catchy ring of its current title. Anyway, here it is. Enjoy!

The Best Poem In the World

I was shocked, confused, bewildered

as I entered Heaven's door,

Not by the beauty of it all,

by the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven

who made me sputter and gasp--

the thieves, the liars, the sinners,

the alcoholics, the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade

who swiped my lunch money twice.

Next to him was my old neighbor

who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thought

was rotting away in hell,

was sitting pretty on cloud nine,

looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, "What's the deal?

I would love to hear Your take.

How'd all these sinners get up here?

God must've made a mistake.

And why's everyone so quiet,

so somber? Give me a clue."

"Hush, child," said He "They're all in shock.

No one thought they'd see you."

P.S. Here's The Plan of Salvation if you seek to begin a relationship with God through Jesus Christ His Son.

Talking and Walking At the Same Time

James 1:22
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."

In Numbers 4, there is a set of key phrases that are repeated. Open your King James Bible and see in verses 1, 17, 21,37, 41, 45, 49. In these verses you'll read that:

"The LORD spake"

"...according to the commandment of the LORD"

"...according to the word of the LORD"

"...as the LORD commanded Moses."

These are all commandments spoken by God to Moses. And, He speaks them to us now. Of course, keeping His commandments are not a way to salvation. Scripture clearly states that ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Salvation only comes through faith in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection (see Rom. 10:9-10). However, Christ taught His disciples, "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). Thus, obeying God's word is done out of love and gratitude.

Make no mistake: God's word is not a series of suggestions. They are commandments in the imperative and declarative forms. His words are a light to your path and a lamp unto your feet (Psalm 119:105). They will protect your heart from sin (Psalm 119:11). To know to do good and not do it is sin (James 4:17).

God's word never brings death. Only sin does (Rom. 6:23).

As believers, we're called to be obedient. Think about it. You'll be following the long line of obedient believers, from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to Joseph to Moses to David to Solomon to Paul and on and on and on. Notice that these men weren't perfect; they simply chose to believe and trust in God. You and I aren't perfect. So, you can add your name to that list, too.

Step out in faith. Psalm 34:8 sums it up nicely: "O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him."

Here's how to step out in faith in trusting God with your life: The Plan of Salvation

The Heart of the Father

Ephesians 6:4

"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

God is the Father who sent his Son to seek that which was lost (Luke 19:10), to redeem that which was perishing (Gal. 4:5). Sadly, we take our own personal experiences with our earthly fathers, or lack thereof, and project them unto God. Here are some examples:

1. The angry, unpredictable father instills fear in his children and teaches them that God is a tyrant who lashes out unexpectedly.

2. A critical, demanding dad makes his kids feel inadequate. They see God as a strict taskmaster who's never pleased.

3. The uninvolved or absent father sends the message that his children are unimportant, and both he and God are too busy for them, or too disengaged and distant.

4. A macho dad's tough, uncaring nature leads his children to feel unloved and conclude that the Lord doesn't love them either.

5. A fault-finding or abusive father conveys that his child is worthless and God is full of condemnation.

                                                                                 (courtesy of Dr. Charles F. Stanley)

The Christian father is really an instrument in God's hand. A father’s first responsibility is to acquaint his children with Scripture. The whole process of instruction and discipline must be that which God commands through His holy word. God's authority begins and ends with the Bible. Indeed, God's word should have ongoing contact with the mind, heart, and conscience of children. How is this possible? The human father should never present himself as the ultimate authority to determine truth and duty. It is only by making God the teacher and the authority of every facet of life, public and private, in social settings and in solitude, that He truly becomes our Father.

So, the charge for those who are fathers is to put full faith and obedience to God's word. To trust and obey. And, the admonition for those who never knew their fathers or never had a relationship with their father is this: Forgive. Yes, forgive them.

Don't carry the weight of bitterness and anger with you (see Job 21:25; Heb. 12:15). If you're a man, an angry disposition will slowly turn you into the very father you hate. If you're a woman, an unforgiving spirit will eat you up and destroy every relationship you have with men.

Yes, forgive them and remember God's love toward you through Jesus Christ his Son:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." I Peter 1:3-5

Thus, we're born again by the resurrection of Christ, who died for your sins and your father's sins. It is a living hope and will not diminish. He will keep you by His awesome power through your faith in Christ Jesus.

Oh, how marvelous! Oh, how wonderful! And my song shall ever be: Oh, how marvelous! Oh, how wonderful! Is my Savior’s love for me! And for you, too!

If you seek a relationship with God the Father, here's how! The Plan of Salvation

Writing In the Sand

John 8:1-12

"This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not." (verse 6)

Jesus came to the earth to rescue men from sin, to set the captives free and to show us how to live according to God's way. I could quote many Scriptures to support these statements. Instead, today I challenge you to read the entire Gospel of John and read for yourself about the miraculous, the poignant, the beauty, the majesty and the admonishments that Christ taught and lived by. The Word of God does not lie. It is true today and it was about 2,000 years ago because the One who preached and spoke about it is still alive todayl. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He's the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8).

Consider the anecdote below as it relates to forgiveness, friend.

Two friends walked through the desert. They were tired, thirsty, and hungry as they had not eaten for several days.

During some point of the journey they had an argument. There was yelling, fingerpointing, and shoving. One friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, and walked away. Without saying anything, he wrote in the sand:

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE

Without saying another word to one another, they kept on walking until they found an oasis and shouted with joy. They decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the sandy mud and started to sink. The more he struggled to get out, the more he sank until he began to drown. His friend snapped a branch off a tree and had him grab it and pulled him to safety. After he recovered from the near drowning, The one who had been slapped wrote on a stone:

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE

The one who had saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?"

The other friend replied: "When someone hurts me, I write it down in sand so that the winds of forgiveness will erase it away. When someone does something good for me, I engrave it in stone, where no wind can ever erase it."

Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your blessing in stone. Be slow to get angry and quick to forgive. As you've been forgiven your sins, so forgive others in the same way.

When you surrender your life to Jesus, His blood will take away your sins much like the wind will erase the offense written in sand. Romans 10:9 states, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

Friend, all you have to do is take the 2nd step and ask for forgiveness. Jesus Christ already took the first step at Calvary. What are you waiting for?

Say Nothing, Do Nothing

Romans 2:13
"I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth."

I can't help but think of the terrible price President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad & the mullahs will pay at the Great White Throne for killing one of God's children (Rev. 20:11-15). As for Pastor Yousef, he'll be in glory if the Iranian government follows through with the hanging.

In the meantime, I came across this op-ed piece by Peter Bella. I hope it causes some of you out there to pray for the Nadarkani Family. Maybe the Lord will move you to do more. I don't know. But, please be prayerful.

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CHICAGO, February 26, 2012— Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani is facing execution in Iran. His crimes? He is an apostate who abandoned Islam.

He was convicted of practicing Christianity, trying to register home churches, and questioning the mandatory Islamic religious education of his children.

The pastor was given an option. Recant his faith and he can live. His faith is his life. He refused. He is condemned to be lynched.

There has been quite a bit of “concerned” diplomatic palavering over this case. So far our President has not made any strong public comments or apologies. Neither have the Secretary of State or any other high government official.

No books were burned so why condemn something as insignificant as a mere human life? The life of a many who chose Chirstianity over the violence of Islam.

Granted it is no one but the Pastor's fault that he will not save his own life by recanting. There is no reason to get upset about it. It is not like a book, even a Koran, was burned, cartoons published, movies made, or other kinds of freedom expressed.

Those must be condemned, strongly discouraged, apologized for continuously, people held accountable, or in the case of our so-called brave nation, never happen.

So it must be that Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani killed. But even then, he is not some famous celebrity murderer on death row who must be saved by international protests, marches, and tearful pleadings from the beautiful, and liberal, people.

He is just a Christian. If he is willing to die for his faith, why bother? Let him die.

There is something else not happening. Christians around the world are not rioting, loudly protesting at mosques or burning them. They are not fomenting other violent acts or killing Muslims.

There aren’t even any mass protests.

There is no or very little condemnation of Muslim theocracies or autocracies. There are no scathing fiery editorials in our so-called free press condemning Iran or radical Islam for this gross violation of human rights.

There are no preachers in their pulpits spewing hell, fire, and brimstone. There are only statements of “concern”.

No one is creating phony terms like Christianophobia, and accusing Iran, or other nations of practicing that. No one is starting fake civil rights organizations. No one is demanding our president say something, or do something.

Every one is being oh so very polite, “concerned” and diplomatic. Islamophilia has taken hold in America and our government. We are silent witless enablers in the face of murder and persecution. It is the right thing to do. It is the politically correct thing to do. It is the multi-cultural thing to do. It is the civilized thing to do.

It is cowardly thing to do.

Burn some books, publish cartoons, make films, or in any way insult the so-called religion of peace or their prophet and there are riots, violence, terrorism, and murder.

It is a perfectly acceptable response, proper conduct and worthy of apologies and promises of accountability from high public officials. We must understand and respect their feelings and excuse the violence, murder, and terrorism, or threat thereof.

Insult the Pope, religious symbols, icons, or any other major religious figure; there is no harm, no foul. Burn some Bibles; oh those are just a bunch of books, no harm, no foul. Murder, execute, and violently persecute Christians, Jews, or people of other faiths, no harm, no foul.

Insult the Prophet and you better apologize toute de suite or else.

So when Iran lynches Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani you can feel proud you did and said nothing. When they take his life you can feel good that you were a the model of a politically correct poltroon.

When his family grieves, if they are not arrested and murdered too, you can pat yourself on the back for being the epitome of a multi-cultural buffoon. You were a perfectly civilized cretin.

Your self esteem will be rewarded because you are not uncouth, illiterate, and uneducated. You acted in a civilized manner while a man was brutally lynched for his faith by an uncivilized nation.
Yes, you. The media, our governments, our high profile preachers, our bobble headed activist celebrities, our pastors, and, well, all of us.

This is why evil regimes like Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia, will win in end. This is why radicals and extremists will be victorious. They do what they want, let their people do what they want, and snub their noses at the world.

When they demand apologies, groveling, and prostration, we apologize, grovel, and prostrate.

Western civilization has turned into cowardly apologists for radical and extremist insanity. We bow down to the whims of violence; hoping against hope, it stops. We cave in.

We are the Kumbaya civilization. Unlike the fanatical extremist Muslims, we sit around the campfire in ecumenical love and brotherhood. They kill. We chant. They murder. We apologize. They terrorize we grovel.

Whether Yousef Nadarkhani lives, dies, or is coerced and tortured into recanting his faith, our diplomatic, civilized, and polite silence is testimony to the world that we just give lip service to freedom and human rights.

One more thing. This is not the first time America, the West, their media, and their governments were silent cowards. We were silent in the 1930s and 40s in the face of genocide.

Six million Jews were murdered before anyone spoke up.

And as the famous poem goes, who is going to stand up for you.

Peter V. Bella is a retired Chicago Police Officer, freelance writer and photographer, cook, and raconteur. He likes to be the sharp stick that pokes, prods, and annoys. His opinions are his and his alone.

This article is the copyrighted property of the writer and Communities @ WashingtonTimes.com.

Get A Piece of the Rock

Psalm 27:5

"For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. "

It's said that since 711 A.D., the rock of Gibraltar has been captured and lost by the Arabs, the Spanish, the Dutch, the British, and the French. Throughout all of the battles, skirmishes, and bloodshed, one thing has held true: the rock has not moved or crumbled. It still stands tall along the the Catalan Bay, which is located in the Strait of Gibraltar (southern Spain). You can see why the rock was prized; from it, you could see the enemy approaching by sea, air and land. Therefore, you could mount a proper defense.

The Rock of Gibraltar captures the Scriptural passage beautifully. By putting your trust in God, He is the one who protects you. And, He does so because He loves you (John 3:16) and is responsible for you because you belong to Him (I Cor.  6:19-20; Rom. 8:14-15).

So, get a piece of the Rock (Matt. 7:24-25).

That Rock is Jesus. Yes, He's the One. That Rock is Jesus. The only One. Be very sure, be very sure your anchor hold and grips the solid Rock.

Sign of the Times, Pt. 1

Matthew 24:7

"For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places."

I'm not a doomsayer or a soothsayer. If anything, I'm just saying what the Bible prophecies state will happen in the last days. There's more in Matthew 24, but for now I'll focus on earthquakes.

The prophetic Biblical reference in verse 7 is not about the increase of the earthquakes' magnitude or frequency in the last days. It is indicating that there shall be earthquakes in "divers places". The Greek word, kata (Strong's # 2596), means among other things, throughout. That is to say, earthquakes will occur in various places. In my humble opinion, it points to places never thought of being prone to earthquakes.

  

Case in point #1:

Swarm of Quakes Have Experts Concerned

Reported by: Brooke Boone

Published: 6/23/2011 4:03 pm

Updated: 7/04/2011 12:39 pm

Hawthorne, Nev. -- Nevada Seismologists are keeping a close eye on an area southwest of Hawthorne, Nevada where hundreds of earthquakes have been detected since Sunday.

"It's a little bit concerning in a since. The largest earthquakes in these sequences are pretty large in size." Graham Kent is Director of Nevada Seismological Laboratory at the University of Nevada Reno.

He says there have been hundreds of earthquakes southwest of Hawthorne over the past few days. The largest-- recorded at a 4.4 in size.

"These are the biggest in a sequence we've seen at least in the last couple of years." Kent says unlike the 2008 quakes in Somersett that damaged so many homes, these earthquakes are fortunately not underneath a community.

Size is not the only reason Kent says they are watching the swarm of quakes closely. The location of these quakes is on top of a fault that has until now remained unknown or has not been active.

See rest of the story here: Swarm of Quakes Have Experts Concerned

Case in point #2:

Missouri Earthquake Shakes Nine States

ST. LOUIS (AP) – Just days after the 200th anniversary of a series of massive earthquakes in southeast Missouri, residents woke up Tuesday to a rumbling reminder that they live in one of the continent's most active seismic areas.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of a magnitude-4.0 earthquake at 3:58 a.m. was located near the town of East Prairie, Mo., roughly midway between St. Louis and Memphis. Several people in five states — Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee — felt the quake, along with scattered people in four others, as far away as North Carolina and Georgia, according to responses to the U.S. Geological Survey website.

See rest of the story here: Missouri Earthquake Shakes Nine States

Case in point #3:

Here's a news story that strikes closer to home for us Yakimites/Yakimanians?

Newly Discovered Earthquake Fault Lines Mean Valley Is on Shakier Ground than Originally Thought

By Mike Faulk
Yakima Herald-Republic

Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2012

YAKIMA, Wash. — The scenic ridges that line the Yakima Valley and much of Central Washington have long been admired and touted as part of the region's charm.

Turns out they come with a potential price.

"Every one of those mountains has a fault or two associated with them," said Brian Sherrod, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey studying Central Washington faults. "And almost all of them haven't had much work done on them yet."

They include everything from the Yakima, Manastash, Umtanum and Toppenish ridges to Heaven Hills and Saddle and Rattlesnake mountains near Hanford. The information being gathered on them by Sherrod and other geologists is not only helping people understand the likelihood of an earthquake in our region, it's showing just how connected the state's tectonics really are.

Sherrod said recently geologists have been able to map a series of fault lines stretching across the Cascades -- including a group of faults along ridges between Yakima and Ellensburg that connect to faults as far away as Vancouver Island. Their discoveries are changing the way geologists see the relationships between earthquakes on different sides of the state.

Here's the rest of the article: Newly Discovered Earthquake Fault Lines in Yakima Valley

I hope you're prepared to deal with the ramifications of your decision to either accept or reject Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour.

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."     Romans 10:9-10

Finally, Romans 13:12 warns: "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light."