During these pre-Easter weeks, many of us have been reading the Gospel narratives of Christ's sufferings upon the cross!
From these readings we are reminded that Christ's sacrifice has made available the forgiveness of sin and the reconciliation of sinful man to a Holy, and Loving God! The key phrase in this last statement is "Christ ... has made available!"
The provision of the gift of forgiveness and reconciliation, does not automatically assure salvation for all of sinful mankind! Acts 20:21 speaks of, "repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ," as a means by which the gifts of forgiveness and reconciliation can be personally received!
The miracle of repentance and faith continues to occur in the lives of sinners today, as illustrated in the life of Commander Mitsuo Fuchida. He was the lead pilot of the 360 planes that bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
But by August 1945, things were not going well for the Japanese forces. Fuchida had been on duty in Hiroshima, Japan on the day before the first atomic bomb leveled that city. But he was summoned to army headquarters, and left the city in advance of the bombing.
After the war, Fuchida read the story of an American pilot, Jacob DeShazor, who had been captured by the Japanese and imprisoned for forty months, mostly in solitary confinement.
The story told how DeShazor had hated the Japanese because of the treatment he had received during his imprisonment. But in prison he had read the Bible and was converted.
"Love your enemies," had been a hard command for DeShazor to obey, but soon he began praying for the Japanese. Then Fuchida read how that DeShazor planned to return to Japan as a missionary to share the love of Christ.
Fuchida was so astounded as he read the story of the changed life of Jacob DeShazor, that he bought a Bible. It was within the Bible that he read the words of Jesus, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Reading those words, Fuchida burst out in tears!
Within a year, he received Christ as his Savior.
Soon thereafter, he met the American pilot DeShazor, and over the next few years, the two pilots spoke to large crowds in the United States and Japan. Thousands were won to faith in Christ!
- Arlo A. Johnson,
Westside Family Fellowship
