Last Sunday we commemorated National Sanctity of Life
Sunday. This is a day where around the nation Christian churches highlight the
sacredness of human life, God as the author of life, and the tragedy of over 1
million abortions occurring every year in our country.
The Bible is filled with commands that we are to protect the
defenseless and the innocent (Psalm 82:3-4, Proverbs 6:16-17, Jeremiah 22:17)
and that God preordains human life and creates it in the womb (Psalm
139:13-16).
With our beliefs from the Bible and our desire to rid our
nation of this blight, what are we to do? Here are my recommendations…
1. Speak out in judgment against the political and
moneymaking system of the abortion industry in this world. There is an entire
commerce related to the shedding of innocent blood and we should have the
deepest condemnation for it. This means that we should make our stance clear in
political and social arenas, support efforts to get out the truth, and vote for
elected officials who hold our values.
2. With the same zeal we feel in judgment toward those who
would profit off of vulnerable women and innocent children, we must also
passionately care for and support those who are at the crossroads of this
decision. Many of them are desperate, poor, alone, and overwhelmed. We shouldn’t
condemn them- our condemnation is reserved for the abortion industry. Rather,
we should love them with deep compassion and instruct them about the true
nature of this decision. We must not be guilty of the sin of the Pharisees who
made a moral expectation of people, yet did not do anything to help them
achieve it. Jesus judges them for their complete lack of heart, and he will
judge us as well: “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load
people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves
will not lift one finger to help them.” (Luke 11:46)
3. If we encounter an individual who has experienced the
trauma of an abortion, we should reveal God’s amazing grace and forgiveness to
them. Abortion is a sin, but God is in the business of forgiving sinners. I
would venture to say that very few who have made the choice to abort their
child do not feel shame and guilt over the decision. Christ loves all who have
sinned. He has shown us mercy as well. So if He provides the opportunity we
should also reveal the nature of His love in the form of grace to people who have
made this tragic moral choice.
4. Teach our children and youth the value of life, the
nature of true love, and the strength that is ours in Christ when we face desperation.
Our children’s and student ministries are making huge investments into the
hearts and minds of our children. We should be thankful for all they do in
teaching them God’s Word and encouraging them to love Christ. However, we as
parents must be the primary disciple-makers of our children and teach them in
our homes the most important lessons of life. Some of these lessons include…
- God creates and holds dear ALL human life.
- God possesses special grace toward the defenseless and innocent in our world.
- Life begins at the moment of conception.
- Every child, expected by us or unexpected, is a gift and a blessing from God.
- There is always a price to pay for sex outside the dedication and love of the marriage relationship. Our children should be taught to wait until married before giving themselves to another in sex.
- Life is filled with hardships, burdens, and difficult choices. It is not always easy and the primary goal of living is not to remove every burden and consequence away from us. Rather, we must own up to failure and face life’s challenges head on understanding that God has a greater plan and though difficult, we must have the courage through our faith in Christ to endure in order to see good come from bad.
5. Lastly and most importantly- PRAY. Pray for our nation,
our leaders, our churches, women who face this choice, and pray against Satan
who seeks to build a culture of death in our world. God works through prayer. I
believe in fact that it is the prayers of the saints in our nation today that are
holding back the unleashing of death and destruction in our country. By prayer
we stand in the gap, stem the tide, and repel the Enemy and his accomplices
from achieving unbridled evil. Let’s be faithful to pray!
In conclusion, I had a moment 2 weeks ago when I became
again so very thankful for our church. Phil Pattillo was speaking on my behalf
in worship and I had the rare opportunity to visit the children’s classrooms. I
went from room-to-room feeling gratitude in my heart for those who make the
investment to volunteer for our kids. I came to the kindergarten class and
witnessed Michael and Danielle Pelham teaching together. I thought, “How cool
it is for a husband and wife to serve and share ministry together. I bet this blesses their marriage!” Then I noticed as a part of the lesson the kids did a
puzzle as they said and put together the words “With God All Things Are
Possible!” This of course, is taken from what Jesus said in Matthew 19:26.
While preparing for this past Sunday and realizing it was
Sanctity of Life Day, I remembered that experience in the kindergarten class. I
then thought about a 16 or 17 year-old girl who might find herself pregnant and
unmarried. And the Lord laid on my heart, “Mike do you think that a young girl who
finds herself pregnant and alone could benefit from the message she learned as
a child at The Brook that “With God All Things Are Possible”? What would that
do for her? How would that encourage her to make the right choice? Would she
find the strength to endure the decision to keep that child holding on to the
belief that With God All Things Are Possible?”
Wow! I was reminded how important each and every Sunday and
each and every lesson is in our church. We are making investments that will
reap possibly unseen dividends… that is, unseen until heaven. Then and there we
will get to witness the blessing of our investments and the reward for giving
ourselves in service to others.
May God help us continue to be this kind of church and use
us to share the message of LIFE with the world!
Pastor Mike
P.S.
One great way to minister and help struggling women is to
give financially and/or volunteer in a Christian pregnancy center. The Brook
strongly supports one in our area called CareNet Pregnancy Center. CareNet
counsels women, but also provides for their spiritual, physical and material
needs both before the birth of their child and after. Visit http://www.carenetnw.com/
for details.
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