The Gift of God

This was written from one of our guest writers, Heather Greenwood. I hope it is a blessing to you.

The Gift of God

God’s justice demanded the perfect price

For the trespass of fallen man.

The sinners who walked in the pride of their hearts

From the King’s holy presence were banned.

Lift not up your face on the Most High God,

For sinner, you are unclean!

Bow down on your face and lie low in the dust.

Pay homage to God, the King.

Your tears, though many, and lamenting, thought great,

They for your sin cannot atone.

If cries for mercy lasted a thousand years,

Even by these your iniquity could not be undone.

But wait, what’s this that written here

Tells of a promise made?

Given again and again since time began:

A Deliverer will come and save!

Oh, praise his name! God’s mercy alone

That sends such bountiful pardon.

A gift prepared in God’s great love

Since time began in the Garden.

How can he pardon? This holy God

Can never cease to be holy.

Shall not the judge of the earth do right?

No sin shall stain his glory.

Come see! Oh sinners, behold on the hill

The tree on which you were made dead,

Through Christ, the Son of God there slain,

Who under God’s justice bled.

And see the tomb, the heavy stone

Sealing the corpse within.

There Christ did lay in linens white

That you may be dead to sin.

On the third day after his sorrow and triumph,

Jesus rose up from the grave.

Fully alive, so that you may be too,

The wages of sin, in full, were paid.

Oh sinner, look to Jesus “The Lamb of God

Who takes away the sin of world!”

By his Spirit walking in newness of life,

Born of God, you shall now be his child.

Forgiven, washed clean, now bold to enter in

God’s presence so holy and pure.

Crying “Abba, Father” by faith in his Son,

Your welcome in his kingdom sure.

National Remembrance Day of Aborted Children

Political/World Issue

Yesterday, September 11th, we hopefully took the time to remember the travesty of 14 years ago, when our nation was attacked and almost 3,000 Americans were killed.  I was recently informed that today, September 12th, is the national Remembrance Day of Aborted Children, where every year in the U.S. over 3,000 babies are aborted every day.  This is not only a travesty but a holocaust.

I believe this post from two guest writers, is both timely and appropriate.  Both share their thoughts on abortion.  I thought it was a blessing, and also a neat contrast to view both a young girl's perspective as well as a woman's.

Do You Love Me?

8 week Embryo 

"I cry out in pain. How could you do this to me? I am your child, your baby girl! But yet you decide to kill me? You think I am just a blob of tissue, really nothing. Something not wanted and easily deposed of. I came by “‘accident” and I am not wanted so why not just kill me? 

I am helpless, defenseless. My only hope is that someone will speak for me, I am voiceless. 

But who will speak for me? Does anyone care? 

I have nothing to hope for but you, a voice for the voiceless. I am voiceless, but will you speak for me? Will you stand up and do what is right? Are you willing to be hated by all? Do you love me enough to care? Will you change my parents mind so that I might live?

                                             

Abortion is a subject that I of course have known about but not until recently have I really understood what it really and truly was. I didn’t even know what Abolition meant until this year. I have had the opportunity to do Abolition work several times this year and it has been truly amazing and eye opening for me. It was amazing being out there holding signs and standing up for what is right, while you are hated by all! They hate you because you are pointing out something the is caused by their actions in life, their decisions. And you're standing up and saying it is wrong. You are truly hated for it. People scream and yell, curse you out and much more. The only reason there is so much opposition is because it is real, it is happening in our Nation today. Every day thousands of babies, real babies, not just blobs of tissue, are being killed. Murdered. But yet no one stands against it? We are the voice for the voiceless! Do we not care that babies are being murdered everyday? Will we not stand for what is right?

This subject has weighed heavy on my mind lately, will you also think about it and think what we are letting happen in our world today without blinking an eye lash? Will we continue to let this happen without saying something?"  T.K.

Unwanted

22 week old Embryo 

"The horror of what has been revealed recently concerning Planned Parenthood and the off-handed way so many people view and accept the murder of innocent lives has been weighing on my heart. As I was thinking and praying, I was inspired to write the following words. I am open to hearing your responses and what you can add to my thoughts:

All living things have a beginning. Without that beginning there can be no further progress, no development, no growth, and the final manifestation of the living creation will never be. Whether plant, animal or insect, life has a beginning – a seed, an action, an outpouring of God’s creative power inherent in every living, growing, changing, miraculous element of the universe we live in. So how can anyone say that the creation resulting from the seed of a man and the egg of a woman is not living from the moment it is begun?

That creation is living, it is growing, it is developing, it is becoming something more, it is a creation in God’s image, it will be a unique creation with infinite possibilities, it will make a difference in the world in which it lives, it has an impact on all who  come to know and love or not love it. What happens, what suddenly causes that precious, living being to be brutally cut off from becoming what it was intended to become? Why is a life suddenly aborted? Why is this living creation of God murdered and destroyed?

Because it was not wanted.

When a woman desires to become pregnant, the news that she is going to be a mother brings joy, brings people together, causes celebration and gratitude and excitement. How many women do you know that refer to their joyously anticipated child as a “fetus” or “embryo” or “blob of tissue”? That child growing within them is their “baby”, their “precious cargo”, their “gift from above” among many other identities! It seems that it is only when the child is not wanted that it suddenly loses its right to life. So, to me, that is what abortion is really all about – the decision of the mother (and in some cases the decision of influential people in the mother’s life*) that she does not desire to be pregnant, does not desire to be a mother, does not desire to give the life within her a chance to grow, to develop into the person God intended. The woman “chooses” to play God. She “chooses” death over life and becomes the killer of her own child, her own flesh and blood.

It deeply troubles me when pro-choice individuals say that pro-lifers are “religious zealots” that want to take away a woman’s rights. They are blinded, they are confused, they are misled. How can they not see the glaring hypocrisy of only valuing the unborn life and protecting it when it is wanted, but choosing to kill that life and even saying it is not of value when it is unplanned or unwanted? The child becomes the innocent victim of a parent’s “freedom to choose”.

What is even more devastating is what the woman must do to be able to live with herself and justify her decision. I don’t believe that any woman ever forgets or dismisses the loss of a child – even if that woman has chosen to decide it was not “human” but just a “mass of cells”. Because we are all created by the same God, we all were made in His image, we all inherently know what is right from what is wrong. Our consciences remind us. We can make excuses, we can listen to lies, we can do whatever it takes to silence that voice within that pleads with us to ask forgiveness, to be at peace with our Heavenly Father.

 I might be wrong, but I believe that underneath all the attempts to justify the prevention of life through the act of abortion (whether it be the mother, the doctor, or anyone condoning or aiding) there is the awareness that something serious, something life-changing has occurred. I believe too that at some point, the reality of what happened will take its toll on those who made those choices. Only asking for and receiving God’s forgiveness will pay for however that toll is collected. If only there were more people, more Christians willing to stand up for life, willing to talk to the women who are afraid or feel trapped by an unwanted pregnancy. They need help understanding the horrors of abortion and that there are other options available to them!*

*Note:  during my volunteer time at a Christian crisis pregnancy center, I encountered young women who were considering abortion because of the pressure of a parent or boyfriend, even husband. But ultimately, the decision is the mother’s. She may have to sacrifice a relationship or seek help, but that is what the crisis pregnancy centers are there to do – support and assist and even, through resources, protect the woman who wants her child despite opposition around her. Adoption, often an overlooked choice, has been the answer for many women who were not able to raise a child. And it is amazing how God will intervene when life is chosen!" D.M.

Toni's Note:

This morning while reading James 1 I was struck with a few thoughts.

Being a hearer of the word is not bad, but, it is only part of our duty.  We hear the word (like when we are in Church for example), but we also are to do His word.  God makes it very clear why.  If we only hear His word we will forget what it is that He wants us to do. (v.25).  Also, hearers only temporarily look at themselves, are convicted, but then go on their way, "straightway forgetting", and doing nothing.  A hearer can seem religious but they deceive themselves -- and his religion is vain.  If we are hearers only, that means our religion is vain.  But "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this -- to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted by the world."  (v.27).  A lot of us seem to focus on being unspotted from the world, but so easily we forget about those in affliction.  It really convicted me.  What am I doing to visit these people in their affliction?  Very little.  I pray the Lord shows me how I can reach them, because it's obvious this isn't a matter of "if" but "how".   I don't only want to remember, I hope to "do".

"...We need to let this spiritual work be done in us quietly and peacefully, not as though it could all be accomplished in a single day.  Furthermore, we need to maintain a balance between learning and doing.  We ought to spend much more time in doing.  If we are not careful, we will spend such a large segment of our lives in gaining knowledge that we shall need another lifetime to put out knowledge into practice.  We are in danger of evaluating our spiritual maturity on the basis of the amount of knowledge we have acquired.  ...This seems to be one of the most common as well as the most serious mistakes which Christian people are liable to make.  God is the giver of knowledge and he desires to have us put it into practice. But the moment we get knowledge, we get so carried away with the delight of having it that we forget there is anything else to be done.  But the fact is we have very little reason to rejoice until we put our knowledge into operation in life.
...Food, lying undigested in the stomach, is not only of no service to the body, but, if not removed, will become harmful.  It is only when it is assimilated and mingled with the blood and works itself out into our hands, feet and head that it can be said to have done us any good.  So to have an understand of Biblical truth in intellect is a matter of Thanksgiving.  But it will only result in our condemnation if it is not cherished in the heart and acted out in life.  ...Not light, but love.  (1 Cor. 13:2)."  ~ Francois de Salignac de la Mothe-Fenelon

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Life

Quote of the Day

"In times of trouble go not out of yourself to seek for aid; for the whole benefit of trial consists in silence, patience, rest, and resignation. In this condition divine strength is found for the hard warfare, because God Himself fights for the soul."  M. De Molinos 

(Daily Strength for Daily Needs p. 172)

Spiritual Lessons

  Are We Waiting for Prince Charming?

I recently shared with you the pros and cons of having a Future Husband List, and even shared what kind of man I pray for.  Too often we women become disappointed with the Christian men around us and we compromise our dreams of marrying a godly and pure man.

But recently I read a post that made me realize that sometimes we women can also be so focused on what we hope our man to be, that we dream up unrealistic fantasies and discourage our brothers.  The author in the post "Which Comes First - a woman's respect, or a man's godly leadership?" shares how we woman do great harm to godly young men by our zealous desires of finding the perfect man.

We young woman need to be careful in our attitudes.  It is prudent to pray for our man, with a humble attitude that desires to be made into a virtuous woman.  Our men will be human.  They will have flaws.  Not just now, but even during courtship...even after marriage.

Girls seem to have it wrong, either way.  We either compromise our standard and throw out dreams of marrying a righteous man.  Or, we dream up a fictitious super man that every man we've met fails to meet.

So how do we be balanced in this area?

A man that is saved and has a relationship with the Lord is obviously crucial.  But what about other things we deem crucial, such as financial faithfulness, leadership, vision, godly manhood, spiritual maturity?

They are important, but just as we are maturing, we must remember that they too are learning and growing.

We look to godly older men as examples, or biblical characters for role models.  But it's imperative to understand that the young man we will marry will not be a perfect example of Caleb.  And he most definitely will not have had the experience and wisdom of an older man.  How would we feel if our man expected us to have equal maturity of his mother, the wisdom of Deborah and the spirituality of his Pastor's wife?

Sometimes financial faithfulness begins with a desire to be faithful.  It might mean the big things at first.  Then later on the small purchases.  Leadership might express itself by making wise decisions in life, not a stereotypical take-charge attitude. A visionary man may not begin with a multi-generational plan.  He may only know the first step God wants from him.  Manliness is learned, not achieved by becoming a certain age.  We did not become virtuous women by turning 21.  It's a constant lesson -- godly manhood is as well. A godly man in the making may look different than the ideal man we've imagined.

We should pray for our future man, and for our brothers in Christ.  It's not wrong to pray for a lion of a man.  But we can't look down on the young lions and dismiss them as under-par simply because they are young and learning.  Obviously I would never advocate marrying a man who is less than what God would have us marry, just because he is probably "learning and growing and needs a little grace."  Never.  If anything I am more extreme on the other side.

But if we were focused on who God wants us to become, and humbly prayed for our men to be who He wants to be in them, then we should have no worries.  We can pray for kingly attributes but our men will be knights in training.  Just as we are rare rubies in training.   Let's pray for our men.  They will be leaders, and carry the weight of leading in today's sick world.  And they are human, with faults and frailties.  Just as we will be their helpmeets, their encouragers, standing by their side in this sin-sick world.  And we are human, with faults and frailties.

We never have to compromise.  But we also can expect the best without fantasizing a perfect.

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