A brief Biblical view of abortion

Abortion: Political Issue or Moral Issue?

Is it about women’s health rights or something very different?

            Like many, I have wondered why such a large percentage of children raised in Christian families and church leave their Christian values as they approach adulthood. Some adopt lifestyles that conflict with the Christian values of their families. Others live a lifestyle that reflects Christian values, but have strong opinions that conflict with biblical values. I suppose there are many contributing factors, but I believe there is one solution…parents(Psalm 78:5). Our culture is bombarding our children with all sorts of evil ideas and the only sure antidote is the strategic involvement of parents. Many parents rely on church leaders to instill Christian values in their children, but with only a few hours weekly, it is an overwhelming job. The best solution is for church leaders and parents to work together. Our goal is to provide information to help parents feel confident in engaging in conversation about these important issues.

            I am starting with the issue of abortion. In our culture, the issue of abortion has been highly politicized. Therefore, the message of the Bible has been overwhelmed with false information by the so-called pro-choice proponents. So, what is the biblical view concerning this hotly debated issue?

            First of all, the Bible makes it clear that life is a precious gift and should be treated with respect and thanksgiving. When God created Adam and Eve, He breathed His very own breath of life into the human bodies bringing them to life. Life is part of the essence of God that is a great gift to humanity. It is significant that the greatest source of sadness and dread among humans is the loss of life. When God created Eve, He created her with the ability to bear children. God makes it plain that sexual union and the ability to have children is a great gift to humanity.  Psalm 127:3-5 makes it clear that children are a blessing from God. As such, children should be received with thanksgiving and raised with care and wisdom.

            In Jeremiah 1:5, God reveals that He knew Jeremiah before birth. He also goes on to reveal that He imparted gifts, talents, abilities, and spiritual gifting and calling into Jeremiah before birth. This clearly illustrates that God has a plan for each person from the time of their conception. This rules out the idea of “accidental conception”. Many conceptions may be surprising to the parents, but God has a plan for each one. John the Baptist leaped for joy while in his mother’s womb when she came into the presence of Mary, who was pregnant with the Messiah, Jesus(Luke 1:39-40). The life story of Moses, Samson, and Samuel further illustrate this truth. These make it crystal clear that an unborn baby is a human, filled with the seed form of all they will become, not something less like “just tissue”.  An unborn baby is a human being that is known by God, who is filled with the DNA of its parents, the gifts and talents selected and given by God, and has a future. Furthermore, God makes it plain that children are a blessing given by Him to parents, not a burden or inconvenience. Proverbs 6:17 makes it clear that God hates those who shed innocent blood. What could be more innocent than unborn babies?

           

My goal is not to heap guilt on those who have had abortions. God is eager to provide forgiveness and healing to them. My goal is to provide helpful information parents can use to help their children navigate through the propaganda and find the truth concerning these crucial issues. Rather than writing my own defense of life and presenting arguments against abortion, I am including copies of various articles written by experts. These are very informative and should be enormously helpful to parents as they arm themselves to pass on biblical values. My prayer is that parents will take the time to carefully read these and prepare themselves to impart age appropriate truth to their children.

Parents Beware!

My, how the times are changing! I suppose I could reminisce on a wide variety of topics, but I am thinking specifically about the educational system that we submit our children to every day. There is a growing tide of animosity toward all things Christian in our land. It is my observation that this tide is growing fastest in our school systems. If you think about it, if a group wants to lead our nation away from Christian values, then the best place to work is in the education of our children. Most parents trust the school system and do very little checking up on what is taught. Have you read any of your children’s textbooks or their test questions? My guess is the answer is no or seldom. In our busy lives, it is so convenient to simply drop our children off and believe that they will be properly educated. This is a relief to us and frees up time for our many responsibilities. However, the educational institution has changed dramatically over the past 25 years. In many instances, Christian parents are finding out that their children are adopting values that conflict with Christian beliefs. This discovery, which often occurs in the teen years, is shocking, disturbing, and creates a lot of tension and sadness in these families.

            It is easy to blame Hollywood, the music industry, and peer influence, which do carry a share in this, but the real culprit is the daily dose of anti-Christian teaching in the classroom. It comes in small doses with just enough logic to make it go down without a fight. I graduated from a Christian school and experienced this when I attended a public college. In my freshman biology class, the professor stated that “some of you might have been exposed to a theory of creationism, but the science community has concluded that this is false and I won’t tolerate any discussion of it in this classroom. If you want to pass this course, you will learn the tenants of evolution, the real source of life, and be able to answer test questions correctly.” So, in a class of about 100 students, only a handful of us stood up against this. We had attended Christian schools and did not have years of preliminary conditioning toward this view in high school. In the end, we made our argument, accepted his ridicule, and learned the “correct answers” in order to pass the course. By the way, learning the “correct answers” concerning the Big Bang theory and evolution served to deepen my understanding of how ridiculous all of this is. I find it incredibly interesting that they fail to tell students that at the end of his life Charles Darwin recanted all of his theories and concluded that life originated from a Creator.

            I had a friend from a communist country who was forced to send his children to the state run school where they were taught the tenants of communism, humanism, socialism, and atheism. When we were discussing the dangers of having children indoctrinated in values that are in direct conflict with his family’s Christian values he seemed remarkably calm. He assured me that he was not worried about it. He explained that he and his wife take care to examine what is being taught and explain to their children that this is wrong and then they explain the Biblical view on the matter. They protect their children from deception by knowing what is being said and explaining the truth. Of course, they have had to train their children to know the truth, reject the lies, and do it all in secret lest they all be arrested.

            I know that many can’t afford Christian school and many are not in a position to homeschool. So my suggestion is that Christian parents take the time to do as my friend does. Make it your business to know what is being taught and carefully explain the truth to your children.

            It is appalling to know that most school systems are teaching that Christianity oppresses women, that Christianity endorsed slavery, that Christianity mistreated the Native Americans, that Christianity is bigoted because of its claim to be the only true path to Heaven, and a host of other outrageous claims. Many schools allow the reading and quoting of the Koran and the writings of Buddhism while forbidding a Bible to be brought into the building. Many schools encourage sex outside of marriage. Many schools encourage and endorse homosexuality and transgenderism. Many schools are undermining the concept of marriage while encouraging co-habitation. Many schools applaud abortion without teaching the truths about these issues. Many schools are undermining the Christian heritage and values our nation was founded upon while disguising it as education. Do you want your children to adopt your values? Do you know what they are being taught? My goal today is to encourage you to protect your children from the deceptions intended to shipwreck their faith in Jesus!

            Are you feeling a little overwhelmed? Well, I would like to suggest a good place to start. I would encourage you to order a copy of Evidence That Demands A Verdict, by Josh McDowell. This is a fantastic book that outlines a huge number of evidences that prove that the Bible is a supernatural book…the revelation of God to humanity. This is a great resource to have in your home to help you explain to your children and their friends the reliability of the Bible and why it is superior to other religious literature. After all, the place to start is by creating a solid foundation of belief in God’s Word that is unshakeable! How can it be our rule of life and conduct if we are not sure of its authenticity!

            As Christians, our voice in the public arena might be challenged, but we owe it to our children and grandchildren to pass the truth to them in a world that is increasingly be destroyed by the deceptions of Darkness. Please make plans to secure the faith of your family for generations to come!

Children: A Sacred Trust

           

I have recently made several observations that have sparked this article. I was visiting a church Sunday and the young pastor made a joke that we have all heard versions of many times. In his message, he stated that sometimes when his small children are acting up he wondered if he was happy God gave them to him. I know he did not mean it and it was simply an attempt at humor, and most everyone found it really funny, but it hit my wife and I differently. You see, we always dreamed of and longed for children. We had complications with our first son’s birth and the doctors said we would never have any more. We truly began to understand Psalm 127:3-5, which states that children are a reward from God.

Before I go any further, let me explain something. In the Old Covenant, children were a symbol of God’s favor and the lack of children was associated with a curse or in the case of Sara, Hannah, and Elizabeth, who were childless until late in life, a framework or punctuation for a child with a special life mission, i.e. Issaac, Samuel and John the Baptist. However, in the New Covenant, all who have chosen to repent of their sins and place their faith in the sinless life, substitutionary death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ have the favor of God.

Through the years, I struggled to find answers as I stood by my wife as she had 4 miscarriages and we wrestled with the overwhelming desire for more children. I wish I could say I always had strong faith for a miracle, but the truth is that my wife is the one who stood in steadfast faith for another child for 20 years. Finally, God gave us another child. Yes, there were complications, tests, and 39 days in the NICU. But, God defied the gloomy predictions of the medical experts and gave us a son who was perfectly formed in every way. Then, for his first birthday, God healed the holes in his heart, again astounding the doctors and glorifying Himself! I keep the letter that documents the healing in my Bible. When you have been through all that, you understand that children are truly a reward and a sacred trust from God! We thank God for our 2 sons and grandson every day!

I am inspired to write this because of a couple of other experiences. First, some in our government, Hillary Clinton to name one, are making speeches in which they are presenting the idea that children should not be considered to “belong” to their parents, but rather children “belong” to our community, society, nation, or government. Implying that the government knows what is best for our children and therefore should dictate how children should be raised. Presumably, this includes food preparation, discipline, education, moral training, clothing, and eventually every area of parenting. I assume this is a movement to replace parents by declaring them to be inadequate or inept.

Secondly, the breakdown of the family and the pursuit of “a better life” so often leads to children being left to fend for themselves. In many neighborhoods,  children come home to parentless homes and are on their own for hours. Fortunately, some neighborhoods have a "neighborhood Mom" who keeps an eye on them and often offers snacks to hungry children, administers first aid to cuts and bruises, breaks up fights, chaperones amorous teens, and much more.  However, too many children are simply free to do as they see fit until Mom or Dad returns from work. Many single parents work all day and then rush off to night school in an attempt to better their situation. This dedication is admirable. However, the multitudes of single parents living under this commitment are forced to devote all their time to work and study while little or nothing is left for their children during these important formative years. I applaud these single parents for their hard work in trying to make a trying situation better. However, it also makes me sad to realize that God’s plan for marriage and family, that has been so badly maligned by our modern culture, is being abandoned more every day. Our children are missing so much when parents are too busy for them!  God’s plan for family is the best!

No matter what your current situation, I want to reassure you that God has a wonderful plan to bless your family. If you are married, make every effort to protect and nurture your marriage. Don’t give up in the tough times that come to every couple. Married or single, remember that your children are a sacred gift from God. The pressures of life are constantly distracting us away from what really matters. Try to find a way to put your children in a place of great priority. They need you more than anything else! They need your love and reassurance. They need to have you as a good role model. They need for you to share the truth of Jesus Christ with them. They need you to set clear boundaries for them. They need to know that there are consequences for violating those boundaries. They need you to call out the good things God has placed in them. They need you to teach them basic life skills. They need you to protect them from the many dangers lurking in our world.

Children are a sacred trust from God. Don’t lose sight of these truths: children grow up fast, we only get one chance to prepare them for life as an adult, whoever influences them the most while they are young will shape their thinking and their personality that will greatly influence their adult life…shouldn’t that be you?, and memories of time well spent together are priceless and follow our children and grandchildren through life. God has a plan for you to propel your children forward by investing your time, love, and the wisdom of God from the Bible into them! 

A Powerful Family Legacy

Have you noticed that life has a way of swirling all around us sweeping us up into its flow and carrying us along from one urgent task to the next? Have you ever wondered why things happen the way they do? Most importantly, have you ever been filled with regret as you review your responses? Have you ever felt like things were hurtling forward and you were not engaging the way you wanted? Are you confused about your future? Are you concerned about the spiritual future of your children?

            I think all of us have experienced this to some degree. It is important as Christians and especially as parents to determine the priorities in our lives so we can order our lives in a way that glorifies God. So, at this point, most people begin to think of career priorities, possession procurement priorities, wealth building priorities, business priorities, retirement priorities, family time priorities, or a host of other priorities. However, I want to suggest that there is a priority pursuit that surpasses all of that. About 20 years ago, I was doing a Bible study on the life of Peter and of course spent a lot of time reading his 2 letters to the church, 1^st and 2^nd Peter. I discovered a set of priorities that will see us through life.

            In 2Peter chapter1, we are told that God desires to give us a rich welcome into Heaven someday. Entrance into Heaven is based on one’s repentance of sins and the receiving of forgiveness through the sacrificial death and resurrection of God’s only son Jesus. Peter is speaking to the church who have experienced this and he tells them that God wants to give them a rich welcome into Heaven. This implies that there are other types of welcomes into Heaven. What is a rich welcome  like? I’m not sure, but I have seen film footage of the welcome the soldiers returning from WW2 received…a rich welcome! So, maybe it would be similar to that, but only on a “Heavenly scale”. No matter what it would be, it is better than a plain welcome. Don’t get me wrong, any welcome into Heaven is fantastic, but if God wants to offer me a rich welcome, I believe I would like to go for it! What about you? I would also like to help my children receive a rich welcome into Heaven!

            Peter, knowing that some would instantly respond that they could not make it, assures us that God has given us everything we need for life and Godliness through Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the promises of God’s Word. He then goes on to assure us that God wants us to participate in the Divine nature. After all, when we repent of our sinfulness and place our faith in the work of Jesus we are adopted into God’s family as sons and daughters who are left on the Earth to be a light in the darkness. Discipleship is all about learning to no longer live as children of darkness and learning to live as children of Light(Ephesians 4:17- 5:21).

            Then, Peter lays it out for us. This is how you receive a rich welcome into Heaven. By the way, he is also showing us how we set aside the nature of the flesh and grow in the nature of God.                      He tells us to make every effort to add qualities to our faith. We are to add moral excellence, knowledge of spiritual things, self control, perseverance/patience, Godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. Notice that these are character qualities not deeds of service. Service grows out of these qualities, but service is no substitute for these qualities.

How do we make every effort to add these? I believe the first is make growth in these qualities a part of our daily prayer life asking the Holy Spirit to help us. It is helpful to memorize this passage. Then, I believe we should look for opportunities to express these as we go through our day. I believe God will do great things in and through us as we make this effort!

Most of all, I want to encourage you to make these qualities the cornerstone of conduct in your home. We need to explain these things to our children. We need to role model these before our children. We need to incorporate these values into our discipline and correction of our children. We should cheer and applaud the growth of these qualities as much as we would a good report card or an athletic achievement. After all, isn’t this what really matters?!

Spend some time reading the first chapter of 2^nd Peter(I have only brushed the highlights here). Spend some time asking the Holy Spirit to help you grasp it. Choose to live it. Make your mind up to go for it! Determine to impart this spiritual truth into your children. Make these qualities the hallmark of the culture in your family! This is truly a worthy goal that will bless your family for generations and into eternity! Imagine the impact this could have on the future of your family!

            

Preparing Children for Life

            Some things in life seem so normal that we often don’t take time to acknowledge and appreciate them. For me, it was basic life skills training imparted to me by my parents and grandparents. I was raised in a family business so my family made it a normal part of life to impart as many skills as possible as well as qualities like a strong work ethic, responsibility, and dependability. Every day was filled with the instruction about how to do things as well as how a small business operates and functions. I worked alongside my parents every day observing how things were done and helping. By the time I was a senior in high school, I was well prepared to move into the work force or start a business. This preparation has served me well through my life thus far.

            My wife and I planted a church in Sumter, S.C. in 1994 and served there until 2006. During that time, we established a ministry training program for college -aged young people. It was during this 8 year span that I really began to appreciate the gift my family had given me. I was so amazed to see such a high percentage of young people who had no clue about basic life skills like cooking, washing clothes, house cleaning, cutting the grass, changing light bulbs and A/C filters, changing a flat tire, changing the oil in a car, reading a tape measure, and using basic tools like pliers and screwdrivers. The thing that really amazed me was that these young people came from parents who were very competent. We made it a point to include this training in our program to help them in their life journey.

            This experience, of course, made us wonder how this could happen. We found that many parents felt that they were doing their children a service by not making them work around the home. Somehow, they did not connect the dots to realize that their children would struggle to succeed in life without this crucial instruction from their parents and grandparents. We found that some parents simply were busy making a living and running the household and did not think about the importance of teaching their children these practical skills. Some parents simply did not want to exert the patience required for this kind of instruction. They would say something like, “ It’s just easier to do it myself, rather than trying to get him/her to do it.” Then, there were a few who did not pass on this valuable information to their children because they wanted their children to remain dependent on them. The thought here is that “if they need me, they won’t leave me”.

            The truth is that God intends that parents pass as much knowledge on to their children as possible to make sure that children are firmly rooted in life so they can fulfill God’s plan for their lives. In Deuteronomy, fathers are instructed to pass their knowledge of God and life on to their children. Failure to prepare our children for life creates angry, confused young adults who feel lost in the world.

            I want to encourage you to prayerfully consider how you can begin passing your knowledge and skills on to your children. Household chores are a great start. Another great tool is to volunteer for projects through your local church or a community charity and have your children work alongside you instructing and encouraging them as you go. The investment you make in preparing your children for life will create benefits for your family that will last for generations!