In prep for the call see here .
By the way, the first fast was incredibly successful (in God's eyes). That doesn't mean I didn't mess up sometimes (that's when you push delete and start over). God met me in my hunger. Yay! I pray that He does it again!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Fasting!!!
I am heading to The Call this summer and I am way excited to be partnering with God's heart and interceding for my generation and this nation. Here is some more information about the 40 day fast leading up to The Call. Be sure to check out www.thecall.com for more information. If God lays it on your heart please pray for those who choose to fast, for the grace to fast and press into Jesus, as well as praying for the event itself (they are expecting 100,000 people to come).
God has graciously raised up Lou Engle to call America to a 40 day fast. Lou has mobilized thousands of leaders who are committed to this vision as well. All the major Christian TV networks are announcing it to get the word out - it is time for America to fast and pray as a nation. The article below, written by Lou, explains the urgency behind this initiative. The IHOP-KC family is standing with The Call and believers during these 40 days. Please forward this to everyone you know who has a heart for America.
www.fastandpray.com
There are moments in history when a door for massive change opens, and great revolutions for good or evil spring up in the vacuum created by these openings. In these divine moments, key men, women and even entire generations risk everything to become the hinge of history, the pivotal point that determines which way the door will swing.
The rebellious generation of the ’60s seized its moment, and history crashed into the deep abyss of drug addiction, sexual immorality, hatred for authority and a rejection of the law of God. In 1967, there was a culminating and defining moment in that rebellion, when 100,000 young people, ages 15–25 flocked to San Francisco to experience the hippie movement. This mass convergence was sparked by the hit song, “San Francisco” (Wear a Flower in your Hair). Once there, these young adults experimented with LSD, pot, casual sex and Eastern mysticism in what became known as the “Summer of Love.”
When these newly recruited ‘Flower Children’ returned home at the end of the summer, they brought with them new styles and ideas, flooding the cities of the US and Europe with a message that opposed authority and scorned conservative morals. This counterculture rebellion was fueled by music and art, which rapidly shifted global culture.
For 40 years, we have been falling headlong into a black moral morass in America along with the western world. We are reaping the waves of destruction in every sector of our post Christian society. Can America survive another 40 years? We are declaring “NO! A thousand times NO!” Unless a massive spiritual shift occurs at this moment, our children will live under an antichrist system and Godless enculturation that will bring about the demise of America, as we know it.
But God has a prescription for such a massive shift and it is revealed in the power of the great transitional 40-day fast. God, in His sovereign control over the parade of history, delivered the Israelites out of Egypt. Longing to release a moral code that would give foundations for righteousness, for time and eternity, God summoned Moses to a 40-day fast on Mount Sinai. Through this fast, all of history changed and the law of God was delivered from Heaven to Earth. Therefore, if America is going to return to God, it must recover that law again as its foundation for truth.
Elijah, at the height of Jezebel’s cultic dominion over Israel fasted 40 days, broke the spell of Jezebel off of his own life and received a mandate to anoint the next generation. Elijah’s fast unleashed a movement that toppled Jezebel’s regime of hell, which perpetrated the destruction of family, the killing of innocent children, the silencing of the voice of God’s people and the widespread culture of sexual immorality. The fruit of this fast culminated in the utter destruction of Baal worship in Israel.
Also in the fullness of time, the Glorious Gospel era was born when Jesus fasted 40 days and those who sat in darkness saw a great light. Clearly the 40-day fast is Heaven’s great transitional prescription, moving nations from failure to fulfillment of promise. Is it any surprise that when Jesus was to enter into His great sacrifice—where death would be swallowed up in victory—Elijah and Moses appear with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration. All three were together as the 40-day fasters. They presided over the great transitions of history.
When the Israelites were poised to move into the Promise Land, spies were sent out for 40 days. When they returned carrying an evil report, a whole generation was infected with unbelief and they turned their back on the Promise Land. God’s sentence on that generation was “And your sons shall be wanderers in the wilderness for forty years and bear the brunt of your infidelity until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know my rejection.” (Numbers 14:33–34) It was 40 years of judgment for 40 days failure.
Conversely, the great prophet Ezekiel received a 40-day prayer assignment for a 40-year failure of Judah’s iniquity. “Lie again on your right side, then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah, forty days I have laid on you a day for each year.” (Ezekiel 4:6) It was clearly 40 days prayer for 40 years of failure.
When Jesus fasted 40 days and was tempted of the devil He quoted from the book of Deuteronomy saying “It is written man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” And again, “You shall not tempt the Lord thy God” and again, “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you worship.” Jesus, in His victory over Satan, was quoting the book of Deuteronomy, the portion of scripture delivered by Moses to the generation who failed in the desert. Jesus, in His 40-day fast, was clearly identifying with that passage of scripture and the generation that came out of Egypt. As an intercessor in His 40-day fast, Jesus was fulfilling what a generation had failed in for 40 years.
Forty years are up! Could the Church of America in a 40-day fast deliver a nation out of a 40-year curse? We have scriptural precedent to believe for such a turning! Therefore, we are trumpeting a call to 40 days of fasting like Moses, Elijah, Ezekiel and Jesus. We must bear the iniquity in 40 days of fasting and intercession for the past 40 years of divorcing God in America, embracing a culture of sexual immorality, hedonism, materialism, abortion and the rejection of Christ in public places. But we are also calling for 40 days of fasting and prayer for the greatest outbreak of Kingdom power, in signs and wonders, and the spiritual awakening in America that will collide with this present darkness and topple its cultural dominion over our people. Thousands went on 40-day fasts in 1946 and in 1947, the great healing revivals broke out. In 1948, the Latter Rain outpourings began, Bill Bright and Billy Graham’s ministries were born, and Israel became a nation. Could it be that the 40-day fast preceded this explosion of power by the Spirit? After Jesus’ 40-day fast, the scripture says He returned in the power of the Spirit. Yes the promise of Joel 2 is that after the fast, “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh…”
Forty years ago, in 1967, the Jesus Movement broke out. A youth revival started on the streets swept across the country, exploding on college campuses and coffee houses. People were being saved everywhere. Now 40 years later, we are crying out for God to do it again, way beyond the Jesus Movement!
In 1967, in a war and obviously by the supernatural hand of God, Jerusalem was taken and once again brought under the control of the state of Israel. This was a monumental signpost in the shifting of eras. The dispensation of the times of the Gentiles was now beginning to shift to the times when Jerusalem will become the last days focus for God’s activity in the Earth. For 40 days, we are joining Israel in a 40-day fast crying out to God that Israel would see their Messiah and they would begin to receive their greatest spiritual awakening since the days of the Apostles.
Brothers and sisters, moments like these come only once in a lifetime. To miss such a moment could mean missing the purpose of God for a generation. The generation that refused to cross over the Jordan did not know that they had only one day to make the decision, and missing that day meant 40 years in the desert.
Even now we are receiving reports that other countries are calling 40-day fasts. Could we be in a Global 40-day season of fasting (like Jesus), to see a global outbreak of light when great darkness is covering the Earth? Beginning the evening of May 28, we are calling two generations to 40 days of fasting and prayer culminating on 7–7–07, the perfection of time. In a massive, national gathering of fasting, intercession, repentance and worship, we seek to declare our desire to remarry the Lord. We want to cross over into the promise land of national revival. We want to break this 40-year curse. May thousands seek God in water, juice and Daniel fasts from May 28 through 7–7–07, The Call in Nashville.
What would happen in America if for 40 days we sealed the electronic cultural sewer that flows nightly into our living rooms and instead, spent our strength seeking the Lord? What if tens of thousands of fathers and mothers across our nation fasted for 40 days repenting and cleansing themselves of inward toleration of sexual immorality, pornography, addiction to food, entertainment and materialism? What if they prayed daily for their spiritual and physical children to see them converted to Christ and freed from rebellion, from addictions, depression and suicide? What if the young generation fasted for 40 days to be cleansed from lust, media addiction and rebellion toward there parents, believing that a double portion of the Holy Spirit would come upon there lives?
Moses fasted 40 days and mentored a spiritual son named Joshua, which means the Lord saves. Elijah fasted 40 days and threw his mantle on a double portion son, Elisha, which means the Lord saves. Also, John the Baptist fasted in the desert and prepared the way for a double portion son named Jesus, which means the Lord saves. Jesus fasted 40 days and unleashed the apostolic glory of the eternal Son of God into the Earth. What if we are preparing a generation for the greatest day of salvation in history? And so, what if tens of thousands of both generations fast together and gather on 7–7–07 for The Call Nashville in LP Field, to cry out to God in a Joel 2 moment for great national returning to the Lord?
The parade of history has brought us into a profound generational landmark, and a great vacuum has opened again. If the church does not seize this moment, Muslims will! Antichrist rage will! Sexual perversion will! Anarchy will! But now is the time for key men and women, even an entire generation to risk everything to become the hinge of history, the pivotal point which determines which way the door will swing in America and in the nations of the Earth. It's 40 Days or 40 Years—seize the day!
We will be launching this fast with a worldwide simulcast on GOD TV on May 26, 2007. For all information on the 40-day fast and The Call Nashville please visit our websites.40 Days for 40 Years
God has graciously raised up Lou Engle to call America to a 40 day fast. Lou has mobilized thousands of leaders who are committed to this vision as well. All the major Christian TV networks are announcing it to get the word out - it is time for America to fast and pray as a nation. The article below, written by Lou, explains the urgency behind this initiative. The IHOP-KC family is standing with The Call and believers during these 40 days. Please forward this to everyone you know who has a heart for America.
www.fastandpray.com
There are moments in history when a door for massive change opens, and great revolutions for good or evil spring up in the vacuum created by these openings. In these divine moments, key men, women and even entire generations risk everything to become the hinge of history, the pivotal point that determines which way the door will swing.
The rebellious generation of the ’60s seized its moment, and history crashed into the deep abyss of drug addiction, sexual immorality, hatred for authority and a rejection of the law of God. In 1967, there was a culminating and defining moment in that rebellion, when 100,000 young people, ages 15–25 flocked to San Francisco to experience the hippie movement. This mass convergence was sparked by the hit song, “San Francisco” (Wear a Flower in your Hair). Once there, these young adults experimented with LSD, pot, casual sex and Eastern mysticism in what became known as the “Summer of Love.”
When these newly recruited ‘Flower Children’ returned home at the end of the summer, they brought with them new styles and ideas, flooding the cities of the US and Europe with a message that opposed authority and scorned conservative morals. This counterculture rebellion was fueled by music and art, which rapidly shifted global culture.
For 40 years, we have been falling headlong into a black moral morass in America along with the western world. We are reaping the waves of destruction in every sector of our post Christian society. Can America survive another 40 years? We are declaring “NO! A thousand times NO!” Unless a massive spiritual shift occurs at this moment, our children will live under an antichrist system and Godless enculturation that will bring about the demise of America, as we know it.
But God has a prescription for such a massive shift and it is revealed in the power of the great transitional 40-day fast. God, in His sovereign control over the parade of history, delivered the Israelites out of Egypt. Longing to release a moral code that would give foundations for righteousness, for time and eternity, God summoned Moses to a 40-day fast on Mount Sinai. Through this fast, all of history changed and the law of God was delivered from Heaven to Earth. Therefore, if America is going to return to God, it must recover that law again as its foundation for truth.
Elijah, at the height of Jezebel’s cultic dominion over Israel fasted 40 days, broke the spell of Jezebel off of his own life and received a mandate to anoint the next generation. Elijah’s fast unleashed a movement that toppled Jezebel’s regime of hell, which perpetrated the destruction of family, the killing of innocent children, the silencing of the voice of God’s people and the widespread culture of sexual immorality. The fruit of this fast culminated in the utter destruction of Baal worship in Israel.
Also in the fullness of time, the Glorious Gospel era was born when Jesus fasted 40 days and those who sat in darkness saw a great light. Clearly the 40-day fast is Heaven’s great transitional prescription, moving nations from failure to fulfillment of promise. Is it any surprise that when Jesus was to enter into His great sacrifice—where death would be swallowed up in victory—Elijah and Moses appear with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration. All three were together as the 40-day fasters. They presided over the great transitions of history.
When the Israelites were poised to move into the Promise Land, spies were sent out for 40 days. When they returned carrying an evil report, a whole generation was infected with unbelief and they turned their back on the Promise Land. God’s sentence on that generation was “And your sons shall be wanderers in the wilderness for forty years and bear the brunt of your infidelity until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know my rejection.” (Numbers 14:33–34) It was 40 years of judgment for 40 days failure.
Conversely, the great prophet Ezekiel received a 40-day prayer assignment for a 40-year failure of Judah’s iniquity. “Lie again on your right side, then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah, forty days I have laid on you a day for each year.” (Ezekiel 4:6) It was clearly 40 days prayer for 40 years of failure.
When Jesus fasted 40 days and was tempted of the devil He quoted from the book of Deuteronomy saying “It is written man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” And again, “You shall not tempt the Lord thy God” and again, “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you worship.” Jesus, in His victory over Satan, was quoting the book of Deuteronomy, the portion of scripture delivered by Moses to the generation who failed in the desert. Jesus, in His 40-day fast, was clearly identifying with that passage of scripture and the generation that came out of Egypt. As an intercessor in His 40-day fast, Jesus was fulfilling what a generation had failed in for 40 years.
Forty years are up! Could the Church of America in a 40-day fast deliver a nation out of a 40-year curse? We have scriptural precedent to believe for such a turning! Therefore, we are trumpeting a call to 40 days of fasting like Moses, Elijah, Ezekiel and Jesus. We must bear the iniquity in 40 days of fasting and intercession for the past 40 years of divorcing God in America, embracing a culture of sexual immorality, hedonism, materialism, abortion and the rejection of Christ in public places. But we are also calling for 40 days of fasting and prayer for the greatest outbreak of Kingdom power, in signs and wonders, and the spiritual awakening in America that will collide with this present darkness and topple its cultural dominion over our people. Thousands went on 40-day fasts in 1946 and in 1947, the great healing revivals broke out. In 1948, the Latter Rain outpourings began, Bill Bright and Billy Graham’s ministries were born, and Israel became a nation. Could it be that the 40-day fast preceded this explosion of power by the Spirit? After Jesus’ 40-day fast, the scripture says He returned in the power of the Spirit. Yes the promise of Joel 2 is that after the fast, “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh…”
Forty years ago, in 1967, the Jesus Movement broke out. A youth revival started on the streets swept across the country, exploding on college campuses and coffee houses. People were being saved everywhere. Now 40 years later, we are crying out for God to do it again, way beyond the Jesus Movement!
In 1967, in a war and obviously by the supernatural hand of God, Jerusalem was taken and once again brought under the control of the state of Israel. This was a monumental signpost in the shifting of eras. The dispensation of the times of the Gentiles was now beginning to shift to the times when Jerusalem will become the last days focus for God’s activity in the Earth. For 40 days, we are joining Israel in a 40-day fast crying out to God that Israel would see their Messiah and they would begin to receive their greatest spiritual awakening since the days of the Apostles.
Brothers and sisters, moments like these come only once in a lifetime. To miss such a moment could mean missing the purpose of God for a generation. The generation that refused to cross over the Jordan did not know that they had only one day to make the decision, and missing that day meant 40 years in the desert.
Even now we are receiving reports that other countries are calling 40-day fasts. Could we be in a Global 40-day season of fasting (like Jesus), to see a global outbreak of light when great darkness is covering the Earth? Beginning the evening of May 28, we are calling two generations to 40 days of fasting and prayer culminating on 7–7–07, the perfection of time. In a massive, national gathering of fasting, intercession, repentance and worship, we seek to declare our desire to remarry the Lord. We want to cross over into the promise land of national revival. We want to break this 40-year curse. May thousands seek God in water, juice and Daniel fasts from May 28 through 7–7–07, The Call in Nashville.
What would happen in America if for 40 days we sealed the electronic cultural sewer that flows nightly into our living rooms and instead, spent our strength seeking the Lord? What if tens of thousands of fathers and mothers across our nation fasted for 40 days repenting and cleansing themselves of inward toleration of sexual immorality, pornography, addiction to food, entertainment and materialism? What if they prayed daily for their spiritual and physical children to see them converted to Christ and freed from rebellion, from addictions, depression and suicide? What if the young generation fasted for 40 days to be cleansed from lust, media addiction and rebellion toward there parents, believing that a double portion of the Holy Spirit would come upon there lives?
Moses fasted 40 days and mentored a spiritual son named Joshua, which means the Lord saves. Elijah fasted 40 days and threw his mantle on a double portion son, Elisha, which means the Lord saves. Also, John the Baptist fasted in the desert and prepared the way for a double portion son named Jesus, which means the Lord saves. Jesus fasted 40 days and unleashed the apostolic glory of the eternal Son of God into the Earth. What if we are preparing a generation for the greatest day of salvation in history? And so, what if tens of thousands of both generations fast together and gather on 7–7–07 for The Call Nashville in LP Field, to cry out to God in a Joel 2 moment for great national returning to the Lord?
The parade of history has brought us into a profound generational landmark, and a great vacuum has opened again. If the church does not seize this moment, Muslims will! Antichrist rage will! Sexual perversion will! Anarchy will! But now is the time for key men and women, even an entire generation to risk everything to become the hinge of history, the pivotal point which determines which way the door will swing in America and in the nations of the Earth. It's 40 Days or 40 Years—seize the day!
We will be launching this fast with a worldwide simulcast on GOD TV on May 26, 2007. For all information on the 40-day fast and The Call Nashville please visit our websites.40 Days for 40 Years
Ponderings of late...
No big ta da or anything. This is what I have been thinking about, studying, praying through.
In the prologue of John the idea of Jesus being the Word and the Light of men is introduced. From there it is elaborated on. (see for yourself here).
Here is an excerpt from my journal regarding Jesus being the Light:
"Personally, the phrase, "The Light has overcome the darkness." has been big for me.
I try to imagine this One in whom there is no darkness. I imagine this holy, inescapable, unstoppable light blasting sin and darkness from me.
I imagine that when we see Him or when He appears that many will shrink (1 John 2:28) from Him, much like when you turn on a light in a dark room where everyone is sleeping. How scary will it be when some look for relief in a shadow and only find light, light, light? When God appears no one can hide in the shadows any longer. Everything is exposed in the Light.
In the prologue of John the idea of Jesus being the Word and the Light of men is introduced. From there it is elaborated on. (see for yourself here).
Here is an excerpt from my journal regarding Jesus being the Light:
"Personally, the phrase, "The Light has overcome the darkness." has been big for me.
I try to imagine this One in whom there is no darkness. I imagine this holy, inescapable, unstoppable light blasting sin and darkness from me.
I imagine that when we see Him or when He appears that many will shrink (1 John 2:28) from Him, much like when you turn on a light in a dark room where everyone is sleeping. How scary will it be when some look for relief in a shadow and only find light, light, light? When God appears no one can hide in the shadows any longer. Everything is exposed in the Light.
" This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3:19-21
Another theme I am studying is healing in Jesus ministry.
Some things I am aiming to see are:
- What are the pattern's Jesus established when He healed. (compassion. mercy. faith)
- If Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing (see here) then what does this say about the Father.
- To become familiar with these passages of scripture
- To apply, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, these things to my life and ministry to others.
Lastly, here is something cool I found in an old journal (from Dec 16th, 2004)
Based on Romans 11:33
"The fact that we can understand the unknowable, search the unsearchable, and discern that which we could never before see is what makes His wisdom and knowledge so rich. It is valuable because we do not have the right to know, the capacity to understand, or the worth in ourselves to deserve the understanding of the things of God, but we can and we do. This is what makes this wisdom and knowledge infinitely valuable to our lives."
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
I heart adoption
The concept of adoption can be tricky to grasp sometimes. For me, it was always a natural knowledge of my adoption and my parents love for me. However, there are times when I tell people I'm adopted and their reaction is usually :
1.) What? No way!
2.) The look that almost says, "Wow. I'm so sorry." (surely some images of orphans comes up in their minds)
and
3.) Barrage of questions regarding my adoption.
If it weren't for some good books to help straighten us out, our society would still have a weird look regarding adoption. Just kidding about that last part. In reality, adoption is seen more as a last resort for couples that cannot conceive. However, that is starting to shift, especially in the church. That makes me excited! My outlook on abortion and adoption has changed significantly in the last few years.
I grew up in a fairly liberal home and remember the family getting excited about bumper stickers that said, "Keep your laws off my body" and the like. Though my parents clearly supported adoption(my sister and I are both adopted) they also were (and still are) pro-choice, something that confused me, especially as a teen. It was natural for me to follow my parents lead and I considered myself pro-choice from a young age. That started to change after I became a Christian, went to a high-school that became the safe-haven for pregnant teens from the large city 30 miles away, and started to pray about these issues. I'm coming out of the liberal closet and letting you know I am pro-life (some people don't know that).
Before you get your panties in a bunch I want to explain some of my beliefs concerning adoption and abortion and why. I am not going to try argue the old arguments of "When does life begin?".
1.) Pro-life for all ages If you are going to be pro-life that includes babies as well as murderers. If you shouldn't have the choice to abort then you shouldn't have the choice to kill adults either. Pro-life means being anti-death penalty. I hope that you agree.
2.) A Culture of Life-If we want an end to abortion we need to cultivate, encourage, and participate in a culture of life now. It seems that a lot of people are upset with Christians who picket against abortion because they seem so apathetic towards the actual people dealing with these decisions and situations. If we want make abortion illegal or limit it through legislation we need to support adoption agencies, homes for teen-mothers, and the women in our everyday lives (tithing? Just a suggestion). We as the Church especially need to set the example of taking care of these women and children. We who have experienced the adoption into God's family( look here and here) can and should be the first to adopt and support this act of love and mercy. That means support families that are adopting and even adopting children into our own families.
3.) No child is illegitimate to God- I really hate this term' illegitimate' that our society uses for children born out of wedlock. In reality the word is defined as being born out of wed lock or illegal and unlawful. However, the unsaid meaning of this word can mean something as no good, worthless, or unwanted. No person is any of these things to God. He delights in His creation, "Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind." Proverbs 8:30.
With that being said, that doesn't mean that God delights in sin. I think that's pretty clear. Henri Nouwen says it best ,
"We often confuse unconditional love with unconditional approval. God loves us without conditions but does not approve of every human behavior. God doesn’t approve of betrayal, violence, hatred, suspicion, and all other expressions of evil, because they all contradict the love God wants to instill in the human heart. Evil is the absence of God’s love." -Bread For the Journey, 1996
4.) Judgment=death- "Wow! That is quite a bold statement", you might be thinking. Well, let me explain. From personal experiences I have see first hand the judgment upon those who have had a child out of wedlock. Sadly, I saw this mostly within the Church. While many were supportive of these people, many were not secretive with their opinions at all. At one point I had announced the birth of their child and asked for prayer as the baby was still in bad shape at the hospital. I think the prayer request was lost as they reeled in shock and objection of the situation. It was at that moment while I was sitting in my church pew, disappointed with the congregation that had shown a lot of love to me, that I realized how much I did the same thing.
As I said before, our high school became a haven for pregnant teen mothers who need a place to live out their pregnancy without friends knowing about it. I judged those girls harshly, thinking, "How could they be so stupid!" I realized that I should have been supporting these girls in their decision to keep their child or give it up for adoption. It dawned on me that it was judgments like this, attitudes like this, actions like this, that motivates women to abort their children. We as a society and as the Church so harshly condemn them, showing no grace, that out of shame, fear of rejection and humiliation these women feel like abortion is the only choice. (I know that there are special situations, but I think this is the majority of cases, especially among teens.) Once when I was talking with a pro-choicer they said, "Nobody, wants babies to die." True. So why don't we do something?
That being said, being pro-life is more that waving picket signs, protesting, bombing abortion clinics. In fact, I think it is none of those things. Being pro-life outwardly may look like supporting adoption agencies or people who are adopting, or helping mothers who choose not to abort. But mainly, being pro-life is an attitude and overflow of the heart. We can look as pro-life as possible on the outside even while our hearts are filled with judgment, indifference, and a lack of compassion. We need to examine our own hearts for "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45
"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him" John 3:17 (we usually stop at 16. It's time to move on)
Sidenote: another great post about adoption:Finding Intercession in the Craziest Places by Randy Bohlender
1.) What? No way!
2.) The look that almost says, "Wow. I'm so sorry." (surely some images of orphans comes up in their minds)
and
3.) Barrage of questions regarding my adoption.
If it weren't for some good books to help straighten us out, our society would still have a weird look regarding adoption. Just kidding about that last part. In reality, adoption is seen more as a last resort for couples that cannot conceive. However, that is starting to shift, especially in the church. That makes me excited! My outlook on abortion and adoption has changed significantly in the last few years.
I grew up in a fairly liberal home and remember the family getting excited about bumper stickers that said, "Keep your laws off my body" and the like. Though my parents clearly supported adoption(my sister and I are both adopted) they also were (and still are) pro-choice, something that confused me, especially as a teen. It was natural for me to follow my parents lead and I considered myself pro-choice from a young age. That started to change after I became a Christian, went to a high-school that became the safe-haven for pregnant teens from the large city 30 miles away, and started to pray about these issues. I'm coming out of the liberal closet and letting you know I am pro-life (some people don't know that).
Before you get your panties in a bunch I want to explain some of my beliefs concerning adoption and abortion and why. I am not going to try argue the old arguments of "When does life begin?".
1.) Pro-life for all ages If you are going to be pro-life that includes babies as well as murderers. If you shouldn't have the choice to abort then you shouldn't have the choice to kill adults either. Pro-life means being anti-death penalty. I hope that you agree.
2.) A Culture of Life-If we want an end to abortion we need to cultivate, encourage, and participate in a culture of life now. It seems that a lot of people are upset with Christians who picket against abortion because they seem so apathetic towards the actual people dealing with these decisions and situations. If we want make abortion illegal or limit it through legislation we need to support adoption agencies, homes for teen-mothers, and the women in our everyday lives (tithing? Just a suggestion). We as the Church especially need to set the example of taking care of these women and children. We who have experienced the adoption into God's family( look here and here) can and should be the first to adopt and support this act of love and mercy. That means support families that are adopting and even adopting children into our own families.
3.) No child is illegitimate to God- I really hate this term' illegitimate' that our society uses for children born out of wedlock. In reality the word is defined as being born out of wed lock or illegal and unlawful. However, the unsaid meaning of this word can mean something as no good, worthless, or unwanted. No person is any of these things to God. He delights in His creation, "Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind." Proverbs 8:30.
With that being said, that doesn't mean that God delights in sin. I think that's pretty clear. Henri Nouwen says it best ,
"We often confuse unconditional love with unconditional approval. God loves us without conditions but does not approve of every human behavior. God doesn’t approve of betrayal, violence, hatred, suspicion, and all other expressions of evil, because they all contradict the love God wants to instill in the human heart. Evil is the absence of God’s love." -Bread For the Journey, 1996
4.) Judgment=death- "Wow! That is quite a bold statement", you might be thinking. Well, let me explain. From personal experiences I have see first hand the judgment upon those who have had a child out of wedlock. Sadly, I saw this mostly within the Church. While many were supportive of these people, many were not secretive with their opinions at all. At one point I had announced the birth of their child and asked for prayer as the baby was still in bad shape at the hospital. I think the prayer request was lost as they reeled in shock and objection of the situation. It was at that moment while I was sitting in my church pew, disappointed with the congregation that had shown a lot of love to me, that I realized how much I did the same thing.
As I said before, our high school became a haven for pregnant teen mothers who need a place to live out their pregnancy without friends knowing about it. I judged those girls harshly, thinking, "How could they be so stupid!" I realized that I should have been supporting these girls in their decision to keep their child or give it up for adoption. It dawned on me that it was judgments like this, attitudes like this, actions like this, that motivates women to abort their children. We as a society and as the Church so harshly condemn them, showing no grace, that out of shame, fear of rejection and humiliation these women feel like abortion is the only choice. (I know that there are special situations, but I think this is the majority of cases, especially among teens.) Once when I was talking with a pro-choicer they said, "Nobody, wants babies to die." True. So why don't we do something?
That being said, being pro-life is more that waving picket signs, protesting, bombing abortion clinics. In fact, I think it is none of those things. Being pro-life outwardly may look like supporting adoption agencies or people who are adopting, or helping mothers who choose not to abort. But mainly, being pro-life is an attitude and overflow of the heart. We can look as pro-life as possible on the outside even while our hearts are filled with judgment, indifference, and a lack of compassion. We need to examine our own hearts for "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45
"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him" John 3:17 (we usually stop at 16. It's time to move on)
Sidenote: another great post about adoption:Finding Intercession in the Craziest Places by Randy Bohlender
Monday, May 07, 2007
Things to get stuck on
Lately when I have been studying the Bible (sadly, this often gets pushed aside when my schedule gets crazy) there have been some things that I've gotten stuck on.
I think sometimes as Christians, or looking at Christians, there seems to be this unsaid rule that one should automatically understand scripture right as they read it and then be able to apply it immediately. Though the Holy Spirit definitely helps us understand the scriptures and give us revelation (sometimes, right away), I think it is good to be stuck sometimes. It is good to be frustrated, to really wrestle with a passage, to let it sink into your mind and bug you. It is good to read the Bible and be uncomfortable. Maybe it's uncomfortable because it seems to simple or because the wording just throws you off. Maybe it's uncomfortable because you know that you don't follow it, you fail when you try, and then you know you need help.
Here are a few things that I have been stuck on lately:
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:29)
It feels better just to skim it and move on, but it's worth it to read it, want it, try it, fall short, ask for help and repeat over and over.
Here's an excerpt from my journal:
"The Sermon on the Mount is an unashamed challenge to the human heart. It challenges our stubborn selfishness and challenges us to reach towards the beauty, freedom, and wholeness we've always desired but never thought we could have."
One of my Religion and Philosophy/Christan Ministry professors said something regarding the Sermon on the Mount and it's message that struck me:
"The law says, "This is what I expect." Grace says, "I accept you anyway."-Dr. Craig Smith.
Something else I stumbled across today which resulted in some cognitive dissonance was John 12:44-50:
And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me.
"He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me.
"I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.
"If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
"He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.
"For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.
"I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me."
This makes sense, but I'm still wrestling with it, in particular, how it effects John 13:1-20, when Jesus washes the disciples' feet. It is good to take things in context. Any good exegete will tell you that.
So I say to you, any readers of this blog, when/if you read the word-let it bother you. Don't feel guilty if you don't get it right away (even if it takes years). Keep wrestling. Keep letting it bother you. Mostly, keep asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom, revelation, and discernment.
I think sometimes as Christians, or looking at Christians, there seems to be this unsaid rule that one should automatically understand scripture right as they read it and then be able to apply it immediately. Though the Holy Spirit definitely helps us understand the scriptures and give us revelation (sometimes, right away), I think it is good to be stuck sometimes. It is good to be frustrated, to really wrestle with a passage, to let it sink into your mind and bug you. It is good to read the Bible and be uncomfortable. Maybe it's uncomfortable because it seems to simple or because the wording just throws you off. Maybe it's uncomfortable because you know that you don't follow it, you fail when you try, and then you know you need help.
Here are a few things that I have been stuck on lately:
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:29)
It feels better just to skim it and move on, but it's worth it to read it, want it, try it, fall short, ask for help and repeat over and over.
Here's an excerpt from my journal:
"The Sermon on the Mount is an unashamed challenge to the human heart. It challenges our stubborn selfishness and challenges us to reach towards the beauty, freedom, and wholeness we've always desired but never thought we could have."
One of my Religion and Philosophy/Christan Ministry professors said something regarding the Sermon on the Mount and it's message that struck me:
"The law says, "This is what I expect." Grace says, "I accept you anyway."-Dr. Craig Smith.
Something else I stumbled across today which resulted in some cognitive dissonance was John 12:44-50:
And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me.
"He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me.
"I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.
"If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
"He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.
"For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.
"I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me."
This makes sense, but I'm still wrestling with it, in particular, how it effects John 13:1-20, when Jesus washes the disciples' feet. It is good to take things in context. Any good exegete will tell you that.
So I say to you, any readers of this blog, when/if you read the word-let it bother you. Don't feel guilty if you don't get it right away (even if it takes years). Keep wrestling. Keep letting it bother you. Mostly, keep asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom, revelation, and discernment.
Friday, May 04, 2007
Keep on Keepin' on
I'm almost done with my second year of college. Scary.
Today concluded our last week of actual classes. Next week come finals. They shouldn't be so bad. The projects leading up to finals were the worst. Comparatively finals will be a breeze.
Along with trying to get everything done homework wise, this is also the last hurrah with a lot of my friends. Either I'm preparing to say "See you in August" or "Good luck with the rest of your life." I'm going to be sad to see my senior friends leave. Of course I'm glad that they can move on to Grad school or their careers, but I will definitely feel their absence, especially next August.
Well, that's the full report.
Today concluded our last week of actual classes. Next week come finals. They shouldn't be so bad. The projects leading up to finals were the worst. Comparatively finals will be a breeze.
Along with trying to get everything done homework wise, this is also the last hurrah with a lot of my friends. Either I'm preparing to say "See you in August" or "Good luck with the rest of your life." I'm going to be sad to see my senior friends leave. Of course I'm glad that they can move on to Grad school or their careers, but I will definitely feel their absence, especially next August.
Well, that's the full report.
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