John 1:10-12
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
When Samuel Forrest of Armenia heard a baby crying from outside his wife's hospital room, he knew his life would change forever. Not only had he become a father, but he would soon receive some unexpected news about his newborn son.
"This pediatrician walks out of the room with a little bundle -- that was Leo," Forrest said. "She had his face covered up and hospital authorities wouldn't let me see him or my wife. When the doctor came out, he said 'there’s a real problem with your son.'
Forrest followed doctors and nurses into a room where he'd finally get to meet his baby.
"When I walked into the room they all turned to me and said 'Leo has Down syndrome," he told ABC News. "I had a few moments of shock."
After the news had sunk in, Forrest held Leo for the very first time.
"They took me in see him and I looked at this guy and I said, he's beautiful -- he's perfect and I'm absolutely keeping him."
Soon Forrest walked into his wife's hospital room with Leo in his arms.
Her reaction was unlike one he ever expected.
"I got the ultimatum right then," he said. "She told me if I kept him then we would get a divorce."
Forrest, who's from Auckland, New Zealand, said he was completely unaware of the hospital practices in Armenia when it came to children.
"What happens when a baby like this is born here, they will tell you that you don’t have to keep them," he said. "My wife had already decided, so all of this was done behind my back."
Despite his wife's warnings, Forrest said he never had a doubt in his mind that he would hold onto his son.
One week after his birth, Leo's mom filed for divorce.
"It's not what I want," Forrest said. "I didn’t even have a chance to speak with her in private about it."
Forrest, who works as a freelance business contractor, has plans for him and Leo to move to his native country of New Zealand where he said they'll receive support from loved ones.
In the meantime, he's enlisted for some help on his GoFundMe page titled "Bring Leo Home."
"This really came out of the blue for me," he said. "I don’t have a lot; I have very little in fact. The goal is to raise enough for a year so I can get a part-time job so Leo doesn't have to be in daycare and I can help care for him. He's lost a lot in two weeks. It'd be different if he had his mommy."
Forrest has recently been working with disability awareness groups to share his story in the hopes that parents will become better educated on children with special needs.
"After what I've been through with Leo, I'm not going to sit back and watch babies be sent to orphanages," he said. "As a child with Down syndrome, that becomes somewhat of a label. If we can get around this label, we’ll see that they’re normal. They’re a little different from us, but they’re still normal.
"They all have niches and I want to work hard to find out where Leo's special. This little guy is great."
This little boy was on the wrong tracks from the start…I can think of nothing worse than being rejected by your own mother. To live a life of being unwanted, rejected, tossed to the side, what a terrible start in life.
There are people here that can identify with this on some level. You didn’t exactly start out with perks and advantages yourself – some of you were probably rejected by your families as well. Can I tell you that Jesus can identify with you and your pain.
1 Peter 2:6-8
6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”
Jesus, the rejected King came to save the rejected lot of mortals…that’s you and me!
Matthew 4:23-25
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. 25 Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
Don’t you just love that? His fame spread all throughout Syria, (Translated ‘high lands’), near the dunghill of the tabernacles…historically a place of rejection. This is the same spot Joseph was sold by his brothers to the Ishmaelites (Dothan)…very popular province annexed by the Romans during Paul’s day for prisoners and lepers…
Jesus was popular there!! A place where all the rejects, the sick, demon possessed, etc…were all tended to by Jesus Himself!
The world may reject you and me, but Jesus won’t! He loves you and He’s made a way for all of us to live with Him forever…
The blood that was shed on the cross was for all humanity, not just the chosen few or selected…We've all been predestined, but it’s up to you and I whether or not we’ll take Him up on His offer.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
When Samuel Forrest of Armenia heard a baby crying from outside his wife's hospital room, he knew his life would change forever. Not only had he become a father, but he would soon receive some unexpected news about his newborn son.
"This pediatrician walks out of the room with a little bundle -- that was Leo," Forrest said. "She had his face covered up and hospital authorities wouldn't let me see him or my wife. When the doctor came out, he said 'there’s a real problem with your son.'
Forrest followed doctors and nurses into a room where he'd finally get to meet his baby."When I walked into the room they all turned to me and said 'Leo has Down syndrome," he told ABC News. "I had a few moments of shock."
After the news had sunk in, Forrest held Leo for the very first time.
"They took me in see him and I looked at this guy and I said, he's beautiful -- he's perfect and I'm absolutely keeping him."
Soon Forrest walked into his wife's hospital room with Leo in his arms.
Her reaction was unlike one he ever expected.
"I got the ultimatum right then," he said. "She told me if I kept him then we would get a divorce."
Forrest, who's from Auckland, New Zealand, said he was completely unaware of the hospital practices in Armenia when it came to children.
"What happens when a baby like this is born here, they will tell you that you don’t have to keep them," he said. "My wife had already decided, so all of this was done behind my back."
Despite his wife's warnings, Forrest said he never had a doubt in his mind that he would hold onto his son.
One week after his birth, Leo's mom filed for divorce.
"It's not what I want," Forrest said. "I didn’t even have a chance to speak with her in private about it."
Forrest, who works as a freelance business contractor, has plans for him and Leo to move to his native country of New Zealand where he said they'll receive support from loved ones.
In the meantime, he's enlisted for some help on his GoFundMe page titled "Bring Leo Home."
"This really came out of the blue for me," he said. "I don’t have a lot; I have very little in fact. The goal is to raise enough for a year so I can get a part-time job so Leo doesn't have to be in daycare and I can help care for him. He's lost a lot in two weeks. It'd be different if he had his mommy."
Forrest has recently been working with disability awareness groups to share his story in the hopes that parents will become better educated on children with special needs.
"After what I've been through with Leo, I'm not going to sit back and watch babies be sent to orphanages," he said. "As a child with Down syndrome, that becomes somewhat of a label. If we can get around this label, we’ll see that they’re normal. They’re a little different from us, but they’re still normal.
"They all have niches and I want to work hard to find out where Leo's special. This little guy is great."
This little boy was on the wrong tracks from the start…I can think of nothing worse than being rejected by your own mother. To live a life of being unwanted, rejected, tossed to the side, what a terrible start in life.
There are people here that can identify with this on some level. You didn’t exactly start out with perks and advantages yourself – some of you were probably rejected by your families as well. Can I tell you that Jesus can identify with you and your pain.
1 Peter 2:6-8
6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”
Jesus, the rejected King came to save the rejected lot of mortals…that’s you and me!
Matthew 4:23-25
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. 25 Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
Don’t you just love that? His fame spread all throughout Syria, (Translated ‘high lands’), near the dunghill of the tabernacles…historically a place of rejection. This is the same spot Joseph was sold by his brothers to the Ishmaelites (Dothan)…very popular province annexed by the Romans during Paul’s day for prisoners and lepers…
Jesus was popular there!! A place where all the rejects, the sick, demon possessed, etc…were all tended to by Jesus Himself!
The world may reject you and me, but Jesus won’t! He loves you and He’s made a way for all of us to live with Him forever…
The blood that was shed on the cross was for all humanity, not just the chosen few or selected…We've all been predestined, but it’s up to you and I whether or not we’ll take Him up on His offer.
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