Faith Worth Finding: Signs of the Time a Discussion of Covenants Fifteen Short Stories

By JOHN ADAM

A HISTORY WORTH READING AND "FAITH WORTH FINDING

THIS IS A BOOK FOR THOSE SEEKING INSPIRATTION PRESENTED BY
HISTORY, RELIGION, AND SCIENCE ABOUT A PLAN FOR HUMANKIND.

A Discussion Leader moderates Bob and Anne in all chapters herein. These characters, in FaithWorth Finding are fictitious. Gods plan for planet Earth can be determined from scriptures quoted from the New International Bible and the latest scientific evidence. The scientific evidence discussed was gleaned from the Further Reading references. These books discuss scientific studies produced by evidence obtained using telescopes, microscopes, and powerful computers. Scientists unraveled the human genetic code in the twenty-first century.
The discussions are fictitious. The conversations are meant to establish an interest in the Holy Bible and the references for further reading. This scriptural and scientific presentation is not intended to reflect the view of any religious or scientific organization. The book is available to read or to listen to the Author's rendering.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Sep 14, 2011
• ISBN: 9781426975509

JOHN ADAM

John Flechtner is a native of Dallas, Texas. He’s a graduate of Southern Methodist University (SMU) Dallas, Texas. A graduate of Northrop Institute of Technology (NIT) Inglewood, California. He’s a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas. He’s listed in who’s who in Texas publication. He was wedded to Shirley Dean in 1950 and was confirmed by the Protestant Episcopal Church. He served in WWII overseas in the Sixth Air Force command, was employed as an aerospace senior test engineer at Vought Aircraft for eighteen years. He was employed as a civil engineer during the construction of the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (DFW Airport). He was employed as a civil engineer with the United States Army Corps of Engineers for twenty years before retiring in 1993. He devoted the past eighteen years in publishing of his three books. The latest of which is being published by Trafford Publishing Company. He studied in the International Bible Study Fellowship (IBSF) for seven years. He’s a member of the Senior Men’s Golf Association in Arlington, Texas, and the proud father of two daughters. His entire family are of the Christian faith. COAUTHOR Shirley dean is a native Texan. She was a professional secretary. She served in World War II at Los Alamos, New Mexico and at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska. She is a university alumnus. She is married to John Adam and the mother of two daughters. THE WRITING TEAM They completed an International Bible Study Fellowship’s (IBSF) seven-year study. This study required a daily reading and answering of questions using the New International Bible (NIV) as a reference. An IBSF yearly session is scheduled from September of each year until May of the next. A participant may enroll at anytime during the yearly session: these are available in many nations.

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© Copyright 2011 John Adam.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

Print information available on the last page.

ISBN: 978-1-4269-7549-3 (Softcover)

ISBN: 978-1-4269-7550-9 (e-Book)

ISBN: 978-1-4669-3839-7 (Audio)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011912360

Trafford rev. 04/14/2015

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DEDICATED To those that have struggled to reach the moral standard that Jesus Christ set before us:

THE BEATITUDES

[MATTHEW CHAPTER 5 VERSES 1-11]

"Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE

A NATION IS BORN ON APRIL 29, 1607

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

"Travel weary Englishmen landed at Cape Henry on the shores of Virginia and laid the foundation for what would become the most powerful nation that the world has ever seen. Act 1 Scene 1 of the drama that was to be the United States unfolded that day at Cape Henry and the legacy of godliness on American shores was sparked. From these shores, was claimed the state of the glory of Jesus Christ and the gospel of God’s Kingdom shall go forth to the nations. America’s destiny and purpose were sealed with that cross at Cape Henry. All that would follow in our nation’s growth hinged on the single proclamation that this land belonged to Jesus Christ: ‘Help us to be bearers of thy Truth, O Lord, to those who so sorely need to receive it.’ In the Mayflower compact of 1620, the pilgrims reaffirmed the mission set forth by the original Virginia settlers ‘to propagate the Gospel among the Indians and to become themselves as stepping-stones to the furtherance of the Gospel’ to the uttermost ends of the earth. Those settlers considered themselves missionaries. Later the Puritans carried the Cape Henry legacy further. On the deck of the Arbella, halfway between England and Cape Cod, leader John Winthrop declared: ‘we shall be as a City upon a Hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that, if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken and so cause Him to withdraw his present help from us then we shall be made a story and a by-word throughout the World.’ The phrase there, ‘The City upon a Hill’, is the part and the core of what America has been all about since that time.

The basis for American life was to be committed Christian missionaries: who were to let their Light shine to one another and then to the whole world that the world could see that as an example: That the Kingdom is the Lord’s and He is the Governor among the Nations. More than a hundred years later as America set off on her own course towards independence the godly foundations laid in Virginia established the character of our revolution. John Adams boldly proclaimed, ‘Before God I believe the hour has come. My judgment approves this measure and my whole heart is in it. All that I have, all that I am, and all that I hope in this life, I am now ready to stake apart, that I leave off as I began that live or die survive or perish, I am for the Declaration is my living sentiment. By the blessing of God, it shall be my dying sentiment: Independence now and independence forever.’ George Washington’s pure Christian heart, Benjamin Franklin’s call to prayer, and John Adams’ reverence for the will of God symbolized the undying commitment of our founding Fathers to the creation of a nation, which would glorify God. The American character was born in scripture and richer by the Holy Spirit and yet today our national heritage is under siege. ‘The moment that religion, the pure and undefiled religion loses its influence over our hearts, from that fatal moment, farewell to virtue, public and private happiness, farewell to virtue, to patriotism, to liberty; Bishop James Madison, 1795, ‘Almighty and merciful God let us never stray from the mission thou has called us to’. Nearly four hundred years have passed since America was first conceived at Cape Henry and respect for our roots is growing cold. Yet one undeniable fact remains that at its core, the United States of America is still a Christian Nation. [C.B.N. 700 CLUB" APRIL 29TH 06—HOSTED BY DR. PAT ROBERTSON]

"The settlers of Jamestown, Virginia, brought the Anglican religion to America in 1607. Throughout the colonial period, the Church of England remained weak in the New England and Middle Atlantic regions. Even in the South, where it was the preferred church of the ruling group, it was not a potent spiritual force. The prestige of the church was further damaged because the majority of its clergy favored Great Britain during the American Revolution. When political independence was achieved, the ties that bound the Anglican congregations to the Church of England were severed. In order to survive, the church needed a national organization and a native episcopate. These ends were not easily attained, for divergent views on lay representation in church government divided the congregations, and English law required bishops consecrated by Church of England prelates to swear allegiance to the British Crown.

In September 1785, a convention of delegates from the various Anglican congregations, most of which had adopted by that time the name ‘Protestant Episcopal’, petitioned the Anglican archbishop to obtain Parliamentary permission to consecrate American bishops. This permission was finally granted, and on February 4, 1787, bishops of the Church of England consecrated William White (1748-1836) and Samuel Provoost (1742-1815) the first Protestant Episcopal bishops of Pennsylvania and New York, respectively. At the same time, a noted clergyman from Connecticut, Samuel Seabury (1729-1796) had accepted consecration from nonjuring bishops of Scotland (1784), thus becoming the First bishop of Connecticut. Although the method of his consecration was at first a cause of friction with churchmen outside Connecticut, Seabury was eventually recognized as the first Protestant bishop in the United States. In 1789, all the congregations sent delegates to the first general convention, held in Philadelphia. At this convention the Protestant Episcopal Church was formally organized as an independent denomination but with the explicit statement that the new church did not intend to depart ‘in any essential point of doctrine, discipline, or worship’ from the Church of England. [FUNK & WAGNALL NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA — LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 72-170933]

1

CHAPTER

A GLOBAL SOCIETY

READING TIME APPROXIMATELY FIFTEEN MINUTES

THIS IS THE ACCOUNT OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH WHEN THEY WERE CREATED. WHEN THE LORD GOD MADE THE EARTH AND THE HEAVENS—AND NO SHRUB OF THE FIELD HAD YET APPEARED ON THE EARTH AND NO PLANT OF THE FIELD HAD YET SPRUNG UP, FOR THE LORD GOD HAD NOT SENT RAIN ON THE EARTH AND THERE WAS NO MAN TO WORK THE GROUND BUT STREAMS CAME UP FROM THE EARTH AND WATERED THE WHOLE SURFACE OF THE GROUND—THE LORD GOD FORMED THE MAN FROM THE DUST OF THE GROUND AND BREATHED INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE AND THE MAN BECAME A LIVING BEING. GENESIS 2:1-7]

A Discussion Leader moderates Bob and Anne in all Chapters herein. These characters, in ‘Faith Worth Finding’ are fictitious. God’s plan for Planet Earth can be determined from scriptures quoted from the New International Bible and the latest scientific evidence. The scientific evidence discussed was gleaned from the ‘Further Reading’ references: These books discuss scientific studies produced by evidence obtained using telescopes, microscopes, and powerful computers. Scientists unraveled the human genetic code in the 21st century.

The discussions are fictitious. The conversations are meant to establish an interest in the Holy Bible and the References for further reading. This scriptural and scientific presentation is not intended to reflect the view of any religious or scientific organization.

DISCUSSION LEADER: "The Scientists and the Christians of the third century A.D. believed that the earth did not rotate and was flat. Our modern concept of a global planet considers a much larger surface area than that considered during the early days of Christianity. In Jesus’ experience, the sun rose and set at approximately the same time for each known location in the Mediterranean area. The scientific intelligence in 321 A.D. had not concluded that the earth rotated and had a path around the sun.

"In 1543 A.D. the Copernican system was advanced by the Polish astronomer and mathematician Nicklaus Copernicus (q.v.). The Copernican system provided the theories that the earth and the planets are all revolving in orbits about the sun and the earth is spinning on its north-south axis from west to east at the rate of one rotation per day. In 1609 A.D. Galileo, an Italian astronomer, observed the solar system with a newly acquired and improved telescope. His astronomical discoveries were published in 1630 A.D. in ‘Dialogue of the Two Chief Systems of the World’, in which the Copernican system was brilliantly expounded and defended. However, this proof contradicted the prevailing theory of the Catholic Church that the earth was fixed and was the center about which the universe revolves. Galileo was admonished by Pope Paul V to retract his writings and position. The universal Church viewed his position as a heretical scientific theory. Galileo was summoned before the Inquisition (q.v.) at Rome in 1633 A.D. and was encouraged to recant his belief that the earth moves about the sun; he did so after he was placed under house arrest. [FUNK & WAGNALLS NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA—VOLUME 10]

The apparent motion of the sun across the sky has long since been used as a basis for measuring time (Solar Time). At any locality, when the sun reaches the highest point in the sky during any given day it is noon. This point is the meridian. The interval between successive passages of the sun across the same meridian is one day, and this day is by custom divided into 24 hours. The length of the day according to solar time is not the same throughout the year, however, because the apparent motion of the sun varies throughout the year. The difference in the length of the 24-hour day at different seasons of the year can amount to as much as 16 minutes. With the invention of accurate timepieces in the 17th century, this difference became significant. Mean solar time was invented, based on the motion of a hypothetical sun traveling at an even rate throughout the year.

Standard time, which is based on solar time, was introduced in 1883 A.D. by international agreement to avoid the complications that followed in railroad time schedules, when each community was permitted to have its own local solar time. The clocks in each time zone are set to the same time depending on the distance of the time zone east or west of Greenwich, England. In 1966 A.D., the United States Congress passed the Uniform Time Act. The act established eight standard time zones for the U. S. and its possessions. The earth was divided into twenty-four time zones, the base position being the zero meridian of longitude that passes through the Royal Greenwich Observatory Greenwich, England. [FUNK AND WAGNALLS NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA – VOLUME 23]

"Therefore, a universal worldwide method for time keeping (Solar Time) was established. Solar time is a method allowing the inhabitants of earth to use the same calendar date, or day, as the sun rises and sets at their particular time zone. An International Date Line when crossed changes the calendar date to the next 24-hour calendar day.

A theoretical ‘Date-Line’ was established in the Pacific Ocean. This is an imaginary line extending from the earths ‘North Pole’ to the earths ‘South Pole’. This line is not located near populated areas. It would be confusing to the populace if this date line had been established in a metropolitan area; for instance in the middle of Jerusalem.

"The nations of the earth have all agreed that each calendar day begins at midnights at the established ‘International date-line’ and remains that date for twenty-four hours. This date line runs along the ‘180 degree meridian line’ on our global earth.

"The military uses a twenty-four hour clock for time keeping. It starts time at 0000 hours for the start of a day and ends the day at 2400 hours, or midnight. ‘Greenwich Mean Time’, defined as the mean solar time for the meridian at Greenwich England, and a basis for calculating time everywhere has a worldwide acceptance.

The surface of the earth, for time-keeping purposes, consists of twenty-four longitudinal divisions of the earth’s surface called time zones, in which a standard time is kept, the primary division being that bisected in the Greenwich meridian. Each zone is fifteen degrees of longitude, with local variations. Each zone observes a clock time that is one hour earlier than the zone immediately to the east. The Gregorian calendar in use by the Nations of the world, using the ‘Time zones’, the ‘Greenwich mean time’, and the ‘International date-Line’ provide a unique world-wide time system."

BOB: "I understand what happens when you cross the International Date-Line. Look on a ‘Globe Model’ of our planet for this date line. It is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean extending from the North Pole to the South Pole. Imagine that you are flying in an airplane and that you are leaving Asia and approaching North America flying eastward. You are getting close to this ‘International Date Line’. As you approach it, your watch could indicate the time as six a.m. on Sunday morning. The Captain announces that it is now six a.m. on Saturday Morning; this alerts you to set your watches to this date and time. ‘Greenwich Mean Time’ requires that we adjust our watches ahead twenty-four hours.

"This loss of a day or gain of a day depends on which direction you are traveling as you cross this date-line: add a day flying West, subtract a day flying East. Science fiction writers did not have this in mind when they described time machines. This crossing does however provide an interesting way to travel back and forth through time.

Anne, what do you think about this global concept of changing time as we cross a date line? Do you believe this affects our thinking about keeping the Sabbath Day holy? What would Jesus say about this scientific method?

ANNE: When we change time as we do in the spring and fall it is difficult to adjust to the new time schedule. However, the idea that we all have the same day starting at an International Date Line seems necessary. It is obvious to me that time has to change at some point on the Globe with the earth rotating each twenty-four hours; so, an ‘International Date Line’ seems reasonable. This ‘International Date Line’ is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and not near any land mass where people live. I believe the date line has been conveniently located.

DISCUSSION LEADER: The calendar used by the Israelites, with the days of the week numbered one to seven, is in the year 5,772 B.C.E. The Israelite used this calendar for forty years on each Sabbath, the seventh day, while they were in the wilderness. Our Gregorian calendar is in the year 2011 A.D. and we use a seven-day week. It is conceivable to establish an eight-day week. Adam and Eve were created on the eighth day according to Biblical Scripture. Therefore, an eight-day week could be used. Nevertheless, a seven-day week was established and remains to modern times.

BOB: "God identified the Sabbath to the Israelites almost 4000 years ago. It was the seventh day of the week on their calendar. He did this by using three distinct miracles while the Israelites were wandering, for forty years, in