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

The Theory of Relativity

My children are memorizing Scripture because my wife and I feel it's important for them to know the Truth. When I asked my eldest daughter which Scripture she had memorized, she told me Proverbs 8:20 and quoted it correctly. Then I asked her what that verse meant and she paused and scratched her head, started to say something then backtracked and finally said, "I don't know."

It's one thing to quote from the Holy Bible. And it's an entirely different matter when it comes to knowing the Truth and understanding it. I could easily memorize Albert Einstein's famous equation on relativity. People recognize it as E = mc2 (the little 2 is supposed to be a superscript of c, but I can't get the format to work). Anyway, Einstein derived the equation of energy and mass, and how they are equivalent. Now, ask me what it all means and I'll give pause, scratch my head and eventually mumble, "I don't know."

So, it's important to know Scripture and know Scripture.

It's important for our little ones to know the Truth and carry It with them wherever they go. In fact, Scripture serves like a sword, cutting through all of the red tape, hogwash and other nonsense this world throws at us. In fact, Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword..." So, God's Word guides us into all Truth, cutting to the chase. Hebrews 4:12 ends by saying, "...piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." In other words, when you read God's Word, it also reads you.

Here are examples of lies and the Scriptural references to counter the lies:

1. Try this drug/alcohol, you'll like it. - "Can a man take a fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned?" [Proverbs 6:27]

2. Don't get mad, get even. - "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." [Romans 12:19]

3. Follow your heart and you will be happy. "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: who can know it?" [Jeremiah 17:9]

I won't belabor the point, but you see how wonderful God's word is in protecting us from the lies of the devil, the world, and even our own selves. The key, though, is not only knowing Scripture, but also understanding the context of the Bible passage as well as how it applies to our own lives.

But, the thing is this: The Bible can be understood only by those are who saved. You see, the Bible is God inspired. Those who are born again have His indwelling Spirit living inside to help us understand His word. So, for those who aren't saved, reading the Bible will not yield any type of change of the lasting kind. To the unsaved, Scripture is a bunch of dead letters. That's why we read the Bible; not just for wisdom, but for real change in our choices. Plus, it's vital to be connected to a Bible-believing church (I Timothy 3:15)

There is Good News for the unsaved who want to read the Bible; the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are intended for them. These four books can be read by the unsaved because they give one simple message: Repent. It is the message that Jesus Christ spoke to sinners of that time and speaks even now to you and me.

Ultimately, the purpose of knowing and understanding the Bible is to know Jesus Christ, who was the Word; He was with God and He is God (John 1:1).

Which brings up the question: If you were to die today, do you know if you would be going to heaven or to hell? Scripture teaches that in order to enter into the kingdom of God, you must be born again (John 3:5, 7). Jesus is the Way, the Truth and Life. There is no other name under heaven whereby men can get saved (Acts 4:12). Choosing or rejecting Jesus Christ will be the most important decision you'll ever make in your life. I hope and pray you choose wisely.